This week, I'm going to be doing a shorter sermon than last week. Last week, I did my sermon entitled, A Refutation of the Debased Theology of a Monstrous Regiment of Christian Feminists. It was actually the longest sermon I ever preached. I believe it was an hour and 20 minutes long. So I won't be doing that to you today. By the way, I'd encourage you to get it if you didn't get it, because it's extremely important for you to understand what these people have constructed, because they have constructed a systematic theology. But today is July 4th, and today is a day in which people participate in traditions handed down for generations. Some will go to certain relatives' house for a family picnic and gathering. Others will go to see fireworks, and on and on. But today I want to talk to you about another practice or tradition which needs to be part of your home. One which you need to participate in routinely. It is called family worship. I really felt God wanted me to speak on this this Sunday. And today I want to define to you what family worship is, establish its legitimacy biblically, and then give you some guidelines as to how to properly participate in it. The title of my sermon is, A Short Exhortation to the Heads of Homes. A Short Exhortation to the Heads of Homes. Let's stand up for my word of prayer. Father, we praise and thank you for this time that we have here together to once again look at your word. I pray that you would use this short exhortation, this sermon, this day for good in the hearts and minds of all that are present. Father, I ask and pray that we would not be like the one who looks in the mirror and then walks away and forgets, but that we remember these words, these perfect words, O God of yours. And I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. You could be seated. First, let me begin by defining for you what family worship is. Family worship is the joint worship rendered unto God by all the members of one household. Family worship is the joint worship rendered unto God by all the members of one household. Now, the reason I called my sermon a short exhortation to the heads of homes is because usually the man, the husband, the father is the head of the home, and so he should be. But there are single moms who, for one reason or another, are without a husband and a father in their homes. And there are also widowed women who are without husbands and fathers in their homes. So if that is your case, this sermon applies to you also because you are the head of your home if you find yourself in that situation and you're a woman. All the wives and mothers will want to listen up also as you are to help your husbands in seeing what I have to share this morning accomplished in your homes. But the buck stops with the husband The dad, the primary responsibility lies on your shoulders, dad. But again, the definition of family worship is the joint worship rendered unto God by all the members of one household. It's the joint worship rendered unto God by all the members of one household. Now, let me convince you of the biblical legitimacy of family worship. Turn with me to Genesis 8, verse 18. Genesis 8, verse 18. In Genesis 8, verse 18, the flood has just ended. Noah's coming out of the ark. And it says in verse 18, So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife, and his son's wives with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird and whatever creeps on the earth according to their families went out of the ark. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean animal and every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar." Here you have family worship. Is this not family worship? They get off the ark, they build an altar, and they worship God. Who's there, I ask you? Well, who's there is the family. Noah, his wife, his sons, and his sons' wives. There you have family worship right in front of your eyes. And note also who was responsible for this family worship. It was Noah, the head of the household. It lied upon his shoulders to see that family worship took place. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 35, verses 1 and 2. Genesis chapter 35. And we'll read verses 1 and 2. And this talks about Jacob. And it says, Then God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother. And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves and change your garments. And then it goes on from there. He built an altar and they had family worship. Again, you see family worship displayed. He gathered his household together and his servants, those who were with him. And he said, we're going to praise the Lord. We're going to have a time of family worship unto our God. And again, who is responsible to make sure that family worship was administered? The head of the household. Jacob was. Amen? Look at Deuteronomy chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter 6. Look what he says in verses 6-9. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." What's he talking about here? Family worship, catechizing your children, teaching them about the things of God. And guess what? God has something to say about everything in life. Amen? He addresses all matters of life in His Word. Not just the quote-unquote spiritual things that 20th century Christianity has reduced God's Word to. We are to do it diligently. What does that mean? We are to do it routinely. It's to be a routine. When you get up in the morning, when you lie down in the evening, when you walk in the way during the day. You are to be teaching your children about the things of God. Family worship is an important part of our Christian life, or it should be. In Judges 24, verse 15, you don't have to turn there, but in Judges 24, verse 15, Joshua is sitting there exhorting the people to serve God, and he concludes his statements by saying this, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Family worship is important. The head of the household has a holy duty to administer family worship, to catechize his children in the faith. Amen? This is not something we can toss by the side. And that's what so many Americans want to do, is it not? They toss their children off on the state to educate their children. And they follow that same pattern when it comes to the church. They dump their children off on the church to educate their children in the things of God. Is this not true? Of course it's true. That's what they do. Rather than taking that responsibility upon themselves and teaching their children themselves, as God wants them to, and rather than instructing them in the faith as God wants them to, they dump them off on the state school or a Christian school, and they also dump them off on the church. That's why so many people like vacation Bible school and little fuzzy programs for the kids. They like those little fuzzy programs for the kids because it relieves them of their God-given responsibility and duty to instruct their children in the faith, to conduct family worship with their children. And it's a pitiful thing to see. It's an awful thing to see. Our conclusion is simply this. Family worship is a biblically legitimate practice. Yea, it is the God-given duty of all heads of households to institute and administer it in their homes. You got that? It is something which the early church practiced. The church father Jerome writes regarding the early church, quote, at an early hour in the morning, the family was assembled when a portion of scripture was read from the Old Testament, which was followed by a hymn and a prayer in which thanks were offered up to the almighty for preserving them during the silent watches of the night and for his goodness. in permitting them to meet in health of body and soundness of mind, and at the same time, as grace was implored, to defend them amid the dangers and temptations of the day, to make them faithful to every duty, and enable them in all respects to walk worthy of their Christian vocation." Family worship was a part of the early church. Not only is family worship biblical, And not only was it part of the early church's practice, but it is part of our Protestant heritage. Family worship waned under Catholicism because of the huge gap between the clergy and the laity. With the return of the biblical truth of the priesthood of all believers came a resurgence in family worship. In Scotland, for example, in 1647, the General Assembly issued a, quote, Directory for family worship." By an act of the assembly, the elders were to be asked, quote, are they careful to have the worship of God set up in the families of their bounds? Those who they were responsible for. Was each family practicing family worship? And also they were to ask, quote, whether God be worshiped in the family by prayers, praises, and reading of the scriptures. When the Westminster Confession was adopted by the Church of Scotland, it stated, quote, God is to be worshipped everywhere, in spirit and in truth, as in private families daily and in secret, each one by himself. Unquote. Amen? Again, our conclusion is simply this. Family worship is biblically legitimate. It is a biblically legitimate practice. Yea, it is a God-given duty of all heads of households to institute and to administer in their homes. We must not take this lightly. So, we have defined family worship. We have seen that it is biblically legitimate. Now let me give you some guidelines as to how to properly administer it in your home. James W. Alexander, who was a Presbyterian pastor in New York, wrote in his book, Thoughts on Family Worship, which was published in 1847, this, quote, that which is most important in regards to the time of family worship is that it should be fixed. End of quote. In other words, pick a time and stick to it. When is a good time? Mornings or evenings are best. Mornings or evenings are best. Pick one of the two or do both. Personally, I have come to the conclusions that morning is better, but we do do both at our home. Why morning? Number one, it sets the day off right. Number two, at night people are often tired. Little children might fall asleep during family worship. You might be tired, therefore you're short and irritated in administering family worship then. If you do do evenings, it would be wise to do it just before dinner or immediately after dinner so that you can avoid the everyone's tired and is ready to fall asleep syndrome. Now, whichever you do, Or if you do both, family worship should be short. Brevity is important. It's looking at some of the yawns from the crowd here. Preaching should be short too, probably. Family worship should be short. Brevity is important. Pastor Alexander writes, quote, it was the fault of our forefathers to make it, talking about family worship, insufferably long. He then quotes the Reverend Richard Cecil, who said, quote, the old dissenters wearied their families. They wearied their families, end of quote. I have found this to be true. Brevity is important when it comes to family worship. How long should it be? Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes. There may be times when you want to do it longer. Fifteen minutes is plenty. It should be short. Remember what I read to you from Jerome about the early church and their family worship practices? He said again, at an early hour in the morning, the family was assembled when a portion of Scripture was read from the Old Testament which was followed by a hymn and a prayer in which thanks were offered up to the Almighty for preserving them during the silent watches of the night and for His goodness in permitting them to meet in health of body and soundness of mind, and at the same time as grace was implored to defend them amid the dangers and temptations of the day, to make them faithful to every duty and enable them in all respects to walk worthy of their Christian vocation." Amen? It should be short. It doesn't need to be long. It should be simple and it should be brief. That's all what family worship is about. Speaking of children, this Reverend Richard Cecil that Pastor Alexander quotes from back in the 1800s, Speaking of children, Cecil says this, quote, Tediousness will weary them. Fine language will shoot above them. Formality of connection or composition in prayer, they will not comprehend. Gloominess or austerity of devotion will make them think it a hard service. Let them be met as for the most delightful service in which they can be engaged. Let them find it short, savory, simple, plain. This guy's a wise man. Why should you do it this way? Why should it be short and simple? Because you will teach your children to hate or have a distaste for God otherwise. Listen to my words, because it's true. Because you will teach your children to hate or have a distaste for God otherwise. There is no wisdom nor virtue in making your children sit still for 30 to 60 minutes of family worship every day. You miss the point of family worship if you do it to them. When you do have family worship, there should be silence and quiet should be enforced. Except, of course, when you're doing the catechism parts where you have interaction, which I like that. or you're asking questions and they're giving answers. But during the time of prayer, during the time of the reading of the word, your children should be taught to sit silent and to pay attention and to listen, including the little kids. It's your time of instruction for them. It has an impact on how they act here, too. Who should lead and administer family worship? Again, the head of the household. The duty lies upon their shoulders. Most commonly, this is the father who acts in his proper place as prophet, priest, and patriarch of his little state. He acts as prophet, priest, and patriarch of his little nation. Alexander makes a great point regarding fathers. or whoever the head of household is, administering family worship. Listen to this now. He says, quote, He will seek to keep his mind in such a frame as not to unfit him for leading his children to God. He will look to his steps, lest his example should be in disastrous contrast with his devotional acts. Is that not true? You're going to think about how you're behaving during the day a lot more if you know you've got to lead your family in family worship that evening or the next morning. It has a sobering effect on the head of the home to lead his family properly and to live his life properly. Fathers are to lead their families in family worship. Let me tell you what he said again. He will seek to keep his mind in such a frame as not to unfit him for leading his children to God. He will look to his steps, lest his example should be in disastrous contrast with his devotional acts." Fathers are to lead their families in family worship. Why do we have no youth group here? Why don't we have BBS and a thousand little kiddie programs here? Why do we not have that? Because it's the duty of families to instruct their children in the faith. The church only has a secondary responsibility in instructing people in the faith. The primary responsibility lies with the family. So many want to toss their children off on the church to instruct their children in the faith, that what they end up doing is regulating Jesus to the same sphere as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. And I'm not kidding. I went by a church yesterday, or two days ago, that was having VBS. They had a big pirate ship out there in front. You know what these VBSs are like. I went to them when I was a kid. They invited me when I was a kid to a church in the neighborhood that had VBS. You know what we remembered about it, all of us? Not one thing about Jesus. You know what we remembered about it? About how we got a free toy for going. That's what we remembered. So they have puppets up there, make-believe, or they bring some pirate in, whoever. Make-believe. Everything's make-believe regarding Jesus. Did you notice that? And so they end up regulating Jesus to the same sphere as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. I truly believe that's why most of Christendom is so fearful of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. It's because they put Jesus on the same plane as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. We need to teach our children a living faith by word and by deed. Not this make-believe nonsense where we hope they hang on by the skin of their teeth, and then we'll send them off to the youth group so they can play la-la games and have pizza parties and sleepovers and all this nonsense, and then hopefully, hopefully, just maybe, they'll still be a Christian when they hit 20. Right. That's why the statistics right now are 75% plus of all evangelical kids depart from the faith by the time they're 20. It's because the Christianity that's been given to them is a stench. You want your children to embrace Christianity, to love Jesus, and to go on with God? Then you better be a priest to your home. You better be conducting family worship in your home, catechizing your children in your home. They better see it lived in your life. They better see you apologize when you screw up. They better see you sacrifice and lay your life down for Jesus in the way you conduct your life in service to Him. Otherwise, you're just making two-fold children of hell. And what is the duty of the children regarding family worship? Pastor Alexander writes, quote, if this book should fall into the hands of young persons and others who live in families where God is daily worshipped, let them be affectionately exhorted to yield all possible encouragement to the service by punctual attendance, by the most reverent attention and devout silence, and above all, by heartily joining in the devotions so that the words spoken or sung may convey the sentiments of their own hearts. There's nothing more exciting to a father than to hear his children respond about a question from the Bible. It blesses my heart when I see my little kids responding to the questions I give them as we're going through the book of Proverbs. It blesses my heart when I see my older kids, Sarah and Joshua, chime in and add to what was said. It's a great thing. Young people should give all encouragement to what's going on. They should be punctual and they should be reverent. He then goes on to say this, quote, This is especially to be urged on the children of the church who ought to remember that in this service, their honored parents are endeavoring, often with a deep sense of unworthiness, to discharge a part of the obligations which were recognized at the baptism of their children. He was a Presbyterian, so they baptized infants. We don't do that here. We don't baptize infants, but his point is well taken. Amen. His point is well taken. Look what he says. This is especially to be urged on the children of the church who ought to remember that in this service, their honored parents are endeavoring, often with a deep sense of unworthiness, to discharge a part of the obligations which were recognized at the baptism of their children, which parents recognize as a God given duty. Amen? You need to remember that, kids, young people. You need to have a sense of respect for what your parents are trying to accomplish when they have family worship. How often should you have family worship? As often as you can. Make a goal to shoot for. Don't condemn yourselves when you can't do it. Life is such. that there are times when you can't do it, but you have to make it a primary thing or you'll never do it. You've got to make a goal. Here's a good goal to shoot for. Do it morning and evening, Monday through Friday. In the morning, like I said, what we do is we do a little thing from the Bible and then pray, simple prayer. Whereas in the evening, the older kids aren't even involved. I just have a time of reading in the Bible, children's Bible or a military hero we read about. briefly, and then I let each of the kids pray. It isn't just one person prays in the morning, but then I let all the kids pray in the evening, the little kids, and then put them to bed. It can be brief. Remember, be brief. But do it morning and evening, Monday through Friday, and then do it on the evening on Saturday and the evening on Sunday. Make that, that's my goal. If you miss, you miss. There's no sense in groveling and saying, I stink, I can't, I tried that family worship thing, I can't do it, I can't do it, I quit. If you mess up, there's always tomorrow. Do it then. It's a fresh day. His mercies are new every morning. Hallelujah. In the morning, You should wake up and whisper the prayer, help me to be a priest to my home today, Jesus. Help me to be a priest to my home today. And when you go to bed in the evening, you should ponder the thought, have I been a priest to my home today, Jesus? Have I been a priest to my home today? Turn with me to Genesis chapter 18, verses 17 through 19. To me, this is one of the greatest testimonies someone could have said of them, is what God says about Abraham here in Genesis 18-19. It says, And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing? Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. Listen to this, verse 19, For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has spoken to him." Amen? He took care of his house. God knew he would instruct his children properly. That family worship would be a part of Abraham's life. May we be that way. We should not be like Eli of old. Remember in 1 Samuel 2.12, it says, Eli's sons were corrupt. He was a priest. We're a priest unto God, you know that? Priesthood of all believers. And he did a lot of great things for God, did a lot of service for God, but he neglected his house. And his sons were corrupted. Don't be like Eli. Be a priest to your home. Let me close with an exhortation by Pastor Alexander. He writes, quote, where anyone feels himself called of God to establish daily worship in his house, he should act with solemn decision. In this, as in a thousand other affairs of life, the shortest method is the best. instead of parlaying with objections, or waiting for some happy conjuncture, or seeking to prepare the way by gradual approaches, or timorously sounding the opinions of those whose place it is to submit, let him, in reliance on God, without other preliminary, and without allowing another son to set, call his family together, state his purpose in the very fewest terms, and carry it into immediate accomplishment. Amen? In other words, do it! Do you realize how long of a sentence that was? Do you realize how many commas were in there? Incredible. This is all one sentence. Instead of parlaying with objections, or waiting for some happy conjuncture, or seeking to prepare the way by gradual approaches, or timorously sounding the opinions of those whose place it is to submit, in other words, asking your children, what do you think? Let him, in reliance on God, without other preliminary and without allowing another son to set, call his family together, state his purpose in the very fewest terms, and carry it into immediate accomplishment. That is a long but good sentence. In the morning, You should wake up and whisper the prayer, help me to be a priest to my home today, Jesus. Help me to be a priest to my home today. And when you go to bed in the evening, you should ponder the thought, have I been a priest to my home today, Jesus? Have I been a priest to my home today? Let's stand up and we'll close in a word of prayer.