Focusing on Family Worship: Part 2
As Christian parents living in America, there is an endless number of pursuits competing for our attention. From careers to recreational activities, including hobbies, sports, and entertainment, there is no shortage of endeavors that can consume our time, energy, and focus. And yet, of all the ways we can choose to spend our time, for many Christian families, a daily, dedicated time of family worship is nowhere near the top of the list. In Part 1 of this series, we began by thinking about the precedent for family worship from both a biblical and historical perspective. As a reminder, we’ve defined family worship as the intentional practice of consistently gathering as a family for the purpose of worshiping God, through His Word, in the home. So with that in mind, it’s worth asking the question, “What is the purpose of family worship?”
Family Worship Brings Glory to God
It comes as no surprise that the first, and primary, purpose of family worship is to bring glory to God. After all, the Bible teaches us, of course, that everything we do should be done for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31). Not only is that true in general, but in a very tangible way, consistently gathering as a family for the purpose of worshiping the Lord in the home demonstrates God’s infinite worthiness to be worshiped and exalted. God is most glorified when we value and exalt Him above all else. He receives the most honor from His people when He is their number one priority. Therefore, family worship is a visible reminder to our entire family, that the Lord is worthy of our time, energy, and focus.
This is where the aspect of our time commitments often becomes a major crux of the issue. Many parents will argue that they’re simply too busy to practice family worship on a consistent, daily, basis. But if you believe that to be the case in your home, I want to encourage you to evaluate a typical week in your family’s life and catalogue how your time, as a family, was spent. Be specific in answering questions like:
How much time was spent on sports?
How much time was spent watching television?
How much time was spent on social media?
This, of course, is not to say that the activities above are intrinsically wrong or that they can’t be used to glorify God. They certainly can. However, if we have time for those activities and argue that we don’t have time to lead our family in devotions, or family worship, then something is seriously wrong with our priorities.
Family Worship Honors the Great Commission
In addition to bringing glory to God, family worship also serves as a means of honoring and carrying out the Great Commission in our homes. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus instructed his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything he has commanded. But how can we ever hope to make disciples of the nations if we’re neglecting to make disciples in our own home?
As parents, we have been entrusted with the God-given responsibility of discipling our children and teaching them the importance of what it means to follow Jesus. Family worship provides a powerful means by which to carry out this responsibility. By regularly reading and studying the Bible, praying, and singing together, we are able to consistently teach our children the truths of God's Word, and by God’s grace, see them come to saving faith and a growing relationship with the Lord.
We see an example of this in the life of Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon and his wife, Susannah, often had visitors in their home. On one such occasion, a visitor noted his observations, writing:
At six o’clock all the household gathered into the study for worship. Usually Mr. Spurgeon would himself lead the devotions. The portion read was invariably accompanied with exposition. How amazingly helpful those homely and gracious comments were. I remember, especially, his reading of the twenty-fourth of Luke: “Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.” How sweetly he talked upon having Jesus with us wherever we go. Not only to have Him draw near at special seasons, but to go with us whatever labor we undertake. . . . Then, how full of tender pleading, of serene confidence in God, of world-embracing sympathy were his prayers. . . . His public prayers were an inspiration and benediction, but his prayers with the family were to me more wonderful still. . . . Mr. Spurgeon, when bowed before God in family prayer, appeared a grander man even than when holding thousands spellbound by his oratory.[1]
Like those in Spurgeon’s household, as our children observe us worshiping and honoring God in the home, they are able to see firsthand what it looks like to live a life devoted to Him. We are able to teach them not only through our words, but also through our actions, demonstrating the importance of prayer, worship, and obedience to Scripture. It’s one thing for our children to see us worshiping publicly in the corporate worship service of our local church, but it even further demonstrates our genuine devotion to the Lord when they experience us leading them to worship privately, as a family, in our home.
Family Worship Establishes a Gospel Culture
One 19th century pastor once said that family worship will:
…give true love toward those with whom we have to live: not an exacting, sensitive love, but a merciful love, which excuses and forgives, like that of God Himself; not a proud love, but a humble love, accompanied by a sense of one’s own faults and weakness; not a fickle love, but a love unchangeable.[2]
In other words, family worship produces joy in the home by further establishing the gospel as the family’s official mode of operation. It permeates the home with the concepts of love, mercy, grace, repentance, and forgiveness. These elements produce a rich, gospel saturated environment and culture in the home like a sweet-smelling fragrance. And by God’s grace, a family that worships together in the home will enjoy the blessings that come from God through the gospel.
It's vitally important for us to understand that every instance of God’s Word being taught and the gospel being proclaimed, is an opportunity to share the Good News and to exalt Christ with our children and with one another. Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.” Therefore, if we truly want to see our children and immediate family members come to faith in Christ, then it must begin in our home. If you consider your household to be Christian in nature, I pray that you will endeavor to establish and maintain a consistent culture of discipleship and family worship. It’s not too late to start today.
References:
[1] Arnold Dallimore, Spurgeon: A New Biography (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1985), 178–79.
[2] J. H. Merle d'Aubigne, Family Worship: Motives and Directions for Domestic Piety (Chapel Library, 2017), 15.