What is family worship? (Click the arrow to the left)
As Christians, particularly Christian men, we are responsible to lead our households with strength and resolve in the ways of Christ. Leading our families in devotions and family worship is one way to lead our families, raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Jesus Christ (cf. Deuteronomy 6:7; Ephesians 6:4).
In my house, we do morning and evenings. In the morning after we eat breakfast together, we all have our quiet times. We read our Bibles seperately and journal what we see. In the evenings before bed, we talk about what we saw in our morning Bible reading, I share my insight from my own devotional time, we ask questions from the New City Catechism, we sing a couple worship songs together, and then we pray as a family. Family worship doesn’t have to look like this. It may look different for every household, but I want to invite you to join me in leading our families well. Every weekday on this blog, I want to provide a guide for fathers to lead their families in some form of family worship. If your household doesn’t have a father, I believe the responsibility falls to the mother. Design a routine that works for your family, but be intentional about leading in the only way that matters instead of getting too caught up with the affairs of this world. Every Christian man is the pastor of his home. I believe the most important thing we can do for our children is (1) lead them in the home and (2) be faithful to the church as a family. As the family goes, so goes the nation. Our job as pastors to our family matters.
John 5:16-23
16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.
17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
20 “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.
21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
22 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,
23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Not only did Jesus heal on the Sabbath, which was not actually against Mosaic Law, but He also claimed God was His Father. Many Jews sought to kill Jesus all the more because He made such an audacious claim. What is so alarming about Jesus claiming God is His Father? John clarified that, in making this claim, Jesus was making Himself equal with God. According to Jesus’s own claims about Himself:
- He does whatever the Father does in like manner,
- He will give life like the Father does according to His will,
- He will judge people on the Father’s behalf, and
- All should honor Him as they honor the Father.
In fact, if someone doesn’t honor Jesus as He honors the God, that person does not actually honor God at all.
No one on Earth can honor God without honoring Christ. We may hear that Jesus never claimed to be God. In this single passage, Jesus claimed He had the same nature as God, did the works of God, gives life that only God can give, judges people like only God can, and has all the honor only God has. Jesus made Himself the same as, or equal to, God. We either believe Him about His own nature or we don’t.
Today’s question from the New City Catechism:
Q- What sort of redeemer is needed to bring us back to God?
A- One who is truly human and also truly God.
Isaiah 9:6 says,
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Have a question about today’s devotional?
Alex Southern Baptist Chapel 
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