Family Worship: Part One
Introduction
Isn’t it amazing how the more one reads the Bible, the more ideas and doctrines fall into place in one’s mind, heart, and life? Here’s an easy example: from the first page of inspired Scripture, we learn that God made everything. This means he owns everything and all his creation is accountable to him. As we read Scripture and see this truth over and over, our understanding of how the universe works according to God’s will comes into greater focus.
As I have continued to read Scripture in my adult life, one of God’s great emphases has come into play over and over; that of the household and its prominence in God’s plan for people and redemption.
As I have continued to read Scripture in my adult life, one of God’s great emphases has come into play over and over; that of the household and its prominence in God’s plan for people and redemption.
What is the Household?
When I said “household,” it’s possible that the image formed in your head was one of a lumberjack father, a pregnant mother kneading homemade bread, both sets of grandparents playing checkers on the porch, and somewhere around 22 outfit-coordinated children taking care of the family chores with happy smiles (God bless these families, by the way). I certainly do include these large, traditional families in my meaning. It is a wonderful blessing when Dad and Mom understand their roles, the Word of God is treasured, and the family stays intact. However, I also contend that the priority of the household is not limited to the households described above. I am aware that there are broken families, blended families, young singles, empty-nesters, along with widows and widowers. Some households may contain one person. Others may be comprised of many people, including step-siblings, half-siblings, adopted cousins, and the quirky grandmother who lives upstairs. These households are valid in God’s eyes and are often filled with real-life Christians who can and should obey God with all their might in their setting. The typical word for “household” in the Bible simply means everyone belonging to the same family or house. The definition is somewhat broad, so we have some room to work with here!
Worship in the Household
My purpose today is not so much to draw attention to how a household should look, but rather what a household should do.
It is important to note that making a big deal of households is not a newfangled idea. It was actually God’s idea, and he saw to codifying the household straight away. Remember Genesis 1 and 2? God made man alone and determined that his solitude was not good. This was the only “not good” thing to exist in creation, as far as we can tell. To remedy the incompleteness of Adam, God brought him a wife and gave them a mission, namely, to make more people and fill the earth with worshipers of God. Let me say this succinctly:
God’s plan to fill the earth with people who represent and worship him is meant to be carried out through biblically-ordered households.
From then on, we see not just individuals, but households participating in the worship of God. I could really drag this out, so let me just list them here: Adam’s household (Gen. 4), Noah’s household (Gen. 8), Abraham (Gen. 12), Isaac (Gen. 26), Jacob (Gen. 35), Job (Job 1) - all these ancient men led their families in the worship of God.
As the commonwealth of the people of Israel was established, the families were given specific instructions for the worship of God within each household.
Deuteronomy 6:4–7
[4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (ESV)
The expectation and standard of worship within the household was set for Israel under the Old Covenant and can be seen throughout the pages of the Old Testament.
“But, some may contend, “that was during the Old Covenant era. Now, we have the church, and household worship is no longer important to God.” I would respond to this by pointing out a couple of things. First of all, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared that he in no way was abolishing the law, meaning that God’s ultimate standard of righteousness in no way changes at the advent of Christ. It follows, then, that the same standards of morality must continue to be taught within the family. Paul says this explicitly in his letter to the church in Ephesus.
Ephesians 6:4
[4] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (ESV)
How will this bringing up of children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord happen if households are not making efforts to direct their members toward God and his revealed truth? Family worship must continue and remain a staple for the household, even under the New Covenant.
It is important to note that making a big deal of households is not a newfangled idea. It was actually God’s idea, and he saw to codifying the household straight away. Remember Genesis 1 and 2? God made man alone and determined that his solitude was not good. This was the only “not good” thing to exist in creation, as far as we can tell. To remedy the incompleteness of Adam, God brought him a wife and gave them a mission, namely, to make more people and fill the earth with worshipers of God. Let me say this succinctly:
God’s plan to fill the earth with people who represent and worship him is meant to be carried out through biblically-ordered households.
From then on, we see not just individuals, but households participating in the worship of God. I could really drag this out, so let me just list them here: Adam’s household (Gen. 4), Noah’s household (Gen. 8), Abraham (Gen. 12), Isaac (Gen. 26), Jacob (Gen. 35), Job (Job 1) - all these ancient men led their families in the worship of God.
As the commonwealth of the people of Israel was established, the families were given specific instructions for the worship of God within each household.
Deuteronomy 6:4–7
[4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (ESV)
The expectation and standard of worship within the household was set for Israel under the Old Covenant and can be seen throughout the pages of the Old Testament.
“But, some may contend, “that was during the Old Covenant era. Now, we have the church, and household worship is no longer important to God.” I would respond to this by pointing out a couple of things. First of all, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared that he in no way was abolishing the law, meaning that God’s ultimate standard of righteousness in no way changes at the advent of Christ. It follows, then, that the same standards of morality must continue to be taught within the family. Paul says this explicitly in his letter to the church in Ephesus.
Ephesians 6:4
[4] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (ESV)
How will this bringing up of children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord happen if households are not making efforts to direct their members toward God and his revealed truth? Family worship must continue and remain a staple for the household, even under the New Covenant.
What about the Church?
God has ordained and instituted three arenas of government for the good of people. These are the civil government, the family government, and the church government. Christians fall into an ideological trap when they entertain the idea that we can only respect one of these spheres, but not all of them at once. All of them are for our good and should be treated as such.
The Church is charged with the right corporate worship of God and the furtherance of God’s purposes on earth (Ephesians 3:10). The family is charged with ensuring the viability of the human race and raising children in a Christian way (Gen 1:27-28; Eph. 6:4). These two spheres of government are not at odds. In fact, they need each other. Let me say it this way: Healthy churches are made up of healthy households. You want to see the church charge forward on its God-given mission to disciple the nations? The best and first thing you can do is to work hard for the spiritual health of the household. Without healthy and focused households, you won’t have a healthy and focused church. Family worship, then, contributes to corporate worship in the local church. If you worship well at home, you’ll worship well on the Lord’s Day.
The Church is charged with the right corporate worship of God and the furtherance of God’s purposes on earth (Ephesians 3:10). The family is charged with ensuring the viability of the human race and raising children in a Christian way (Gen 1:27-28; Eph. 6:4). These two spheres of government are not at odds. In fact, they need each other. Let me say it this way: Healthy churches are made up of healthy households. You want to see the church charge forward on its God-given mission to disciple the nations? The best and first thing you can do is to work hard for the spiritual health of the household. Without healthy and focused households, you won’t have a healthy and focused church. Family worship, then, contributes to corporate worship in the local church. If you worship well at home, you’ll worship well on the Lord’s Day.
It Starts with Dad
One of the world’s major points of contention with Christianity is that our truth doesn’t change. The world changes faster than that digital billboard by Wal Mart, but our source of truth and standard for living remains static. One of the areas where we receive criticism is in our view of authority and hierarchy. Our unbelieving neighbors can’t change God’s order of things, no matter how big a fit they throw. Like it or not, God has ordered his universe according to fixed rules and a fixed authority structure, with Himself existing at what theologians call the “tippy top.”
His plan for authority extends right down into our daily lives. When we investigate what God has to say, we see that, since the beginning, he has intended for men to lead in the various arenas already mentioned (Eph. 5:22-24; 1 Tim. 2:12-14; Is. 3:12). Particular to the topic at hand is the father’s charge to rule and lead in the household. Fathers, this means you can’t wait around for worship in your household to spontaneously pop out of the ground. The burden is on you to cultivate this good pattern. Like Abraham building an altar or Job offering prayer on behalf of his children, the fathers must take their God-given role seriously. This may mean starting something entirely from scratch, and that’s alright! There is no bad time to start the habit of the organized worship of God in the household. In fact, once I personally came under this conviction and established Family Worship times in my household, I started by confessing to the family that I should have started this practice long ago. I have not regretted the decision!
What if someone exists in a household where a father is not present, willing, or able to lead in worship? Though much could be said here, I would contend that God intends for us to obey to the best of our ability with what we have, even if the situation is not ideal. Should a mother/wife/single woman see to worship in the household if she needs to? Absolutely!
His plan for authority extends right down into our daily lives. When we investigate what God has to say, we see that, since the beginning, he has intended for men to lead in the various arenas already mentioned (Eph. 5:22-24; 1 Tim. 2:12-14; Is. 3:12). Particular to the topic at hand is the father’s charge to rule and lead in the household. Fathers, this means you can’t wait around for worship in your household to spontaneously pop out of the ground. The burden is on you to cultivate this good pattern. Like Abraham building an altar or Job offering prayer on behalf of his children, the fathers must take their God-given role seriously. This may mean starting something entirely from scratch, and that’s alright! There is no bad time to start the habit of the organized worship of God in the household. In fact, once I personally came under this conviction and established Family Worship times in my household, I started by confessing to the family that I should have started this practice long ago. I have not regretted the decision!
What if someone exists in a household where a father is not present, willing, or able to lead in worship? Though much could be said here, I would contend that God intends for us to obey to the best of our ability with what we have, even if the situation is not ideal. Should a mother/wife/single woman see to worship in the household if she needs to? Absolutely!
Conclusion
I realize that I haven’t even touched the “How-to” of household worship at this point. That will come in Part Two. I thought it necessary to start by establishing the biblical precedent for worship taking place within the household. Be encouraged, Christian. You can find richness, joy, and an increase in faith through tending to your own household and seeing the worship of God increase under your roof, for your good and His glory. More to come!
Resources
Books:
The Family Worship Bible Guide by Dr. Joel Beeke
A Theology of the Family, edited by Scott Brown and Jeff Pollard
Audio:
Church and Family Life Podcast
Resources
Books:
The Family Worship Bible Guide by Dr. Joel Beeke
A Theology of the Family, edited by Scott Brown and Jeff Pollard
Audio:
Church and Family Life Podcast
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