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We can turn in your Bibles to 
Deuteronomy chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter 6, our message 
tonight. is more topical in nature. It's 
called the practice of family worship. It sort of goes hand-in-hand 
with what we looked at last week in the Proverbs concerning the 
Christian mother. I thought this would be a good 
time to cause us to reflect afresh on the fact that God sanctions, 
God blesses, God promotes the worship of people in families. So I want to read Deuteronomy 
6, verses 1 to 9. Now this is the commandment, 
and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your 
God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in 
the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may 
fear the Lord your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments 
which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all 
the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore, 
hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be 
well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord 
God of your fathers has promised you, a land flowing with milk 
and honey. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our 
God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your 
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your 
strength. 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. Amen. Let us pray. Father, we 
thank you again for the written Word, and we pray again for the 
ministry of the Holy Spirit, that He would guide us and lead 
us and direct us into all truth. We pray that as families, as 
men, as women who have children, that we would take seriously 
the pattern we see established so clearly in Scripture. We would 
be given to the worship of the living God, not just one day 
out of the seven, but each and every day we would seek to foster 
in our young ones the necessity to look to the Lord Jesus Christ. 
God, we pray that as we survey these biblical texts, even if 
we don't have children, our hearts would be fed, we would be strengthened, 
we would be nourished, that God, as we come to Scripture, we would 
taste and see that indeed the Lord is good. And we pray these 
things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, I suggest that 
we get right to it as there are several texts. I want to look 
first at the biblical warrant for family worship and then secondly 
the elements of family worship. So you can turn to Genesis chapter 
18 in the first place with reference to the biblical warrant for family 
worship. Concerning the Old Testament, 
I have five points. First, the purpose for Abraham. 
Secondly, the command for Israel. Thirdly, the practice of Joshua. 
Fourth, the assumption in the Psalms. And fifth, the emphasis 
in the Proverbs. Those are the five things I want 
us to understand as we move through the Old Testament. Then as we 
come to the New, we'll see the command by Paul and the example 
of Timothy. But note first, in Genesis chapter 
18, it is God's dealings with Abraham. And note specifically 
what we find with reference to God's dealings with Abraham. 
It is just before the judgment of God upon Sodom and Gomorrah. 
And we see in verse 16, "...then the men rose from there and looked 
toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the 
way. And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am 
doing?" Now notice, the covenantal purpose of God for Abraham. Verse 18, "...since Abraham shall 
surely become a great and mighty nation." and all the nations 
of the earth shall be blessed in him." That rehearses what 
God's already said to Abraham in Genesis 12, Genesis 15, and 
again in Genesis 17. It would be in Abraham that all 
the nations, all the families of the earth, would be blessed. 
Ultimately, that is connected to Abraham's seed, who is the 
Lord Jesus Christ, according to Galatians 3.16. Now, note 
God's intimate knowledge and love for Abraham in verse 19. He says, 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. Now, oftentimes I think we come 
to this passage, and probably I've even preached it this way, 
that Abraham was already doing this. Well, Abraham may have 
been doing this, but this is God's purpose for Abraham in 
the covenant community. For I have known him in order 
that he may do this." What must Abraham do? That Abraham may 
command his children and his household after him. In other 
words, Abraham, as a father, as a householder, has a particular 
responsibility. Biblical religion was to be propagated 
in the home, in the family, certainly in the synagogue, certainly in 
the tabernacle, certainly in the temple. Those were absolutely 
requisite within Old Covenant Israel. And note specifically 
what Abraham was to command his children. First, that they keep 
the way of Yahweh. They keep the way of Yahweh. 
What God commands, what God says, what God expresses in His Word 
is what you children are supposed to do. So when Abraham would 
gather his children, when Abraham would gather his household, Abraham 
would instruct them concerning the way of God. He would instruct 
them concerning God the Creator, God the Governor, God the Redeemer. God, the One who called Abraham 
out of Ur of the Chaldeans. And this is the emphasis of His 
teaching. But as well, secondly, and then 
to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham 
what He has spoken to him. If you think, in terms of this 
text, it probably resonates with another text I think all of us 
know. Micah 6, verse 8. He has shown you, O man, What 
is good? And what does the Lord require 
of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with 
your God? There's a long heritage before 
Micah ever mentions this in Micah 6. We see it all the way here 
in Genesis chapter 18. It's codified in Deuteronomy 
chapter 10 and verse 12, as well in Hosea 12, Zechariah 7. And 
I think this is probably what Jesus has in mind when he says 
to the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23, 23, you tithe 
the mint and the anise and the cumin, but you neglect the weightier 
matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith. The Lord God's 
message has always been the same, and this is precisely what Abraham 
was to teach his children. He was to command them, not suggest, 
not allow them to make their own decisions, not allow them 
to go back to Ur, not allow them to engage in the idolatry of 
Canaanites, but no, he was to command them. Brethren, there 
is nothing godly or nothing wise or nothing holy in allowing independence 
in your children. I'm not suggesting that we take 
a rubber hose and a bright light and we brainwash them into our 
way of thinking, but we are admonished to bring them up in the training 
and the admonition of the Lord. We're not to suggest this or 
recommend this as a better way of life. Abraham was to command 
his children and his household after him. that they keep the 
way of Yahweh, children, household, keep the way of Yahweh, and to 
do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham 
what He has spoken to him. Deuteronomy 6, we just read it, 
we can go back there. This is instruction given to 
Israel, the Shema of Deuteronomy 6.4, that's the Hebrew word for 
here, Or for, listen, if you ever see that Shema, it's a reference 
to Deuteronomy 6.4. Hear, O Israel. This was Israel's 
central confession of faith. The monotheism, the unity, the 
singularity of the living and the true God. The Lord our God, 
the Lord is One. Now, based on that central confession, 
it ought to affect the way that you live. We don't just say, 
the Lord our God, the Lord is One. We don't just confess His 
being. We don't just confess who He 
is, but we live in light of that confession, and that's what's 
drawn out for Israel in verses 5-9. Notice, you shall love the 
Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with 
all your strength. That is legit, that is rational, that is logical, 
that follows. When the Lord God has redeemed 
us, when the Lord God has brought us to Himself, when the Lord 
God has shown Himself to us in such amazing and glorious ways, 
the natural response of the redeemed heart is to love Him, to adore 
Him, to prize Him, to worship Him, to say with the bride concerning 
the bridegroom, you are altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand. This is necessary from the hearts 
of God's people. Now notice in verse 6 the emphasis 
on an internalized religion. You see, you can't say the scribes 
and Pharisees that Jesus condemns in Matthew 23 are simply living 
according to the Old Testament. No, the Old Testament never enjoined 
upon the people an externalism, or a formalism, or a ritualism. It never said, just go through 
the motions and everything will be alright. No, it's always internalized. It's always from the heart. You 
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all 
your soul, with all your strength. Now notice in verse 6, It ought to take root. The Word 
of God ought to find its place in the hearts of the redeemed. 
If we do not have a hunger for the Word, if there is no receptivity 
to the Word, then we need to question whether that central 
confession of faith is legitimately and really ours. The people of 
God have a hunger for the Word of God. In fact, Jesus pronounces 
beatitude on those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. 
That is a disposition of the redeemed. Now, it may vary in 
persons from degree to degree. It may vary based on what's called 
progressive sanctification. Hopefully, you grow more in your 
desire for the word of truth as you are along the way. But 
when you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you want God's word. 
Now, notice, they were to propagate this truth. The primary emphasis 
in verse 7 is upon their children. You need to teach your children. 
You shall teach them diligently. Not haphazardly, not inconsistently, 
not when you feel like it, but you teach them diligently. You need to understand Israel 
living in this particular setting, moving from the plains of Moab 
into the land of Canaan. What's going to happen when they 
move into the land of Canaan? They're not going to dispossess 
the land of the Canaanites. They're not going to destroy 
every altar to Baal. They're not going to throw down 
every Asherah pole. They're not going to destroy 
those things that are associated with false religion. If you don't 
inoculate your children, if you don't instruct your children, 
if you don't diligently set before them Yahweh and His way, then 
they will fall prey. They will be saying, praise Baal 
from whom all blessings flow, when they go with their neighbor 
Canaanite pagans to the Baal worship service. You can't let 
that happen. You need to diligently teach 
them. He then speaks concerning formal times of instruction and 
informal times. You shall teach them diligently 
to your children. I take that as a reference to 
formal times of instruction. You ought to set apart what the 
Puritans called a family altar. and use that means to instruct 
them concerning the ways of Yahweh, like Abraham did before. Teach 
them about justice, teach them about righteousness, teach them 
the things of God Most High. But there ought to be an informal 
nest to your teaching as well, and that's what verse 7 goes 
on. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk 
of them when you sit in your house. When you're at the dinner 
table, when you're eating your porridge, when you're eating 
your steak, or I don't know how many of us are eating steak at 
night, but we ought to be talking about the things of God, teaching, 
instructing, and helping them to understand what God's Word 
is all about. But notice, not only when you 
sit in your house, when you walk by the way. You go to the zoo 
and you look at the giraffe. That's a good time to tell your 
children about the amazingness of God. I mean, I would have 
never designed a giraffe. Certainly, I would have never 
designed a platypus. I don't know that I could have 
conceived of a monkey. All of that bespeaks of the glory 
and the majesty and the excellence of God. There is informal instruction 
concerning your children. And when you lie down, when you 
put them to bed at night, and you kiss them on their foreheads, 
point them, to the way of Yahweh. And then when you rise up as 
well. So you get the gist. You see what's supposed to happen. 
Central confession of faith. Individual response with love. 
Internalize it in your heart and teach it to your kids. This 
is a no-brainer. This is what the people of God 
do. I referenced this morning John Jasper. He got converted. 
What did he do? He witnessed to people that he 
was working with. I think that happens to God's 
people. They get saved and they start to talk to people about 
Jesus. Well, if they get saved and they 
have children, guess what they're going to do? They're going to 
talk to their children about the Lord Jesus Christ, about 
the law of God, about the gospel of free and sovereign grace. 
Notice verse 8. in light of what we studied this 
morning. This was one of those texts that went in the phylacteries. 
This is the proof text for those phylacteries. You shall bind 
them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets 
between your eyes. That's why they wore it on the 
forehead and wore it on the forearm. And it was two texts from Deuteronomy 
and two texts from Exodus. And again, what's the emphasis? 
So everybody will see your phylactery and think you're a godly man 
or woman? No! so that you keep the law of God right before your 
eyes. You keep the law of God right near your hand. You don't 
make a move, you don't have a thought, you don't engage in action without 
first rehearsing the Word of God Most High. And then note 
the societal application. Verse 9, you shall write them 
on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. What were 
the gates with reference to Old Testament cities? They were the 
place where politics was conducted. It was the place where commerce 
was engaged in. The gates were to be marked with 
the law of God Most High. So you see with Abraham, you 
see the admonition, or rather the command for Israel. Now note 
thirdly, the practice of Joshua, Joshua 24, 15. Joshua 24, 15. 
This is a covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem. And Joshua rehearses where they 
had been, he rehearses the grace of God to them, he rehearses 
the ways of God among them, and the power of God displayed toward 
them. He then calls for practical application. He doesn't just rehearse history, 
talk about grace, demonstration of power, and then say, OK, let's 
go home now. No, he brings it to bear upon 
his hearers. Notice in verse 14, now therefore, 
You see, that's what the Bible's all about. That differentiates 
preaching and teaching. There's a therefore with preaching. There is a hopeful movement of 
the will in preaching. It's not just information. Joshua 
is not just concerned to fill their head with understanding, 
but he wants to move their affections to the God who has redeemed them. 
Notice in verse 14, Now therefore fear Yahweh, serve Him in sincerity 
and in truth, and put away the gods which your father served 
on the other side of the river and in Egypt. Serve Yahweh. And then he lays down this challenge. Verse 15, And if it seems evil 
to you to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves this day whom 
you will serve, whether the gods which your father served that 
were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites 
in whose land you dwell." I think this is a reductio ad absurdum. 
I don't think Joshua is actually saying, yeah, those are options, 
go ahead and pursue those. He is showing the futility of 
these false gods. He is showing the nothingness 
of these false gods. The people know what they have 
heard. The people understand who Yahweh is. They're not actually 
thinking they get to decide for, you know, these foreign gods. 
No, He is simply going to show them the supremacy of God, the 
majesty of God, and the futility of doing anything but serving 
God. And then at the end of verse 
15, Nody says, But as for me and my house, we will serve the 
Lord. And in a real practical application, 
Joshua was a busy man, wasn't he? What was Joshua's job? Joshua led troops into Canaan 
to kill people and to break things. Joshua was charged with taking 
Israel into Canaan in order to dispossess the land of the Canaanites. Joshua was busy. You see, you 
have no right or prerogative as a husband, or as a father, 
or as a mother, to say, well, you know, I'm just too busy to 
fit family worship in. I'm just too busy to break open 
the Scriptures with my little ones. I'm just too busy to catechize 
them. Joshua was a busy man. Matthew Henry says, Joshua was 
a ruler, a judge in Israel, yet he did not make his necessary 
application to public affairs an excuse for the neglect of 
family religion. You see, brethren, when something 
is important, we will fit it in. When the souls of our children 
are at stake, and I'm not trying to guilt manipulate you here, 
but I want you to consider the weightiness of the matter. When 
the souls of our children are at stake, we ought to carve out 
time. We ought to be able to afford 
10 or 15 or 20 minutes. We'll later say that if you're 
doing two and a half hour Puritan sermons with your three-year-old, 
you're probably overdoing it. But certainly you can do 10 or 
15 minutes. You can read some passages of 
Scripture to them and give a simple explanation to them and sing 
some basic songs concerning the glory of God and the majesty 
of Jesus. That won't take you two and a half hours. You don't 
have to get Owen out and read his, you know, anti-Socinian 
writings in chapter 12 and make your three-year-old rehearse 
how Biddle was wrong. No, no, you don't do that. But 
brethren, you cannot say you're too busy. I'm just too busy. 
You know how many times we say that? Now, that's not to minimize 
that you're actually busy. But it may be the case that you 
need to look at your calendar, and you need to look at your 
day timer, and you need to say, well, teaching my children the 
way of salvation ought to be one of those chief priorities, 
so I'm going to work it in there. I am going to fit it in. Now 
notice, fourthly, the assumption in the Psalms. Several passages 
in the Psalms, we sang one, or rather we read one at the outset 
of worship in Psalm 145, we'll look at in a moment, but Psalm 
2230, I referred to this last week. Note this is an assumption. These are not commands. It is 
assumed in the Psalter that Israel is taking up this task. It is 
assumed in the Songbook of Israel that the people of God are engaged 
in this activity of instructing their children, for it was commanded 
in Deuteronomy 6. The Shema, the response in terms 
of the individual, the necessity to internalize it in one's heart, 
and the necessity to teach the children diligently, to instruct 
them. They had the example of Joshua 
making that glorious declaration, as for me and my house, we will 
serve Yahweh. That ought to be all of our testimony. 
In Psalm 22, 30, because of what had gone before, the psalmist 
is able to say, a posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted 
of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His 
righteousness to a people who will be born. That He has done 
this. Brethren, when a baby is born 
in our church, and we pray, Lord God bless the baby, we thank 
you that the baby's been born healthy and strong, and we pray 
that one day that baby will be born again. I think there's a 
latent assumption that the parents are going to take seriously the 
admonition of the apostle to bring those children up in the 
training and admonition of the Lord, to bring them to the house 
of God so they sit under the preaching of God's Word. We don't 
pray this just because there's a book out there that says pastors 
ought to pray that way. We pray that with a heartfelt 
desire to see our little ones right with God, to see these 
children and young people inoculated from the temptations of this 
world. I was walking this morning and thinking about this, and 
I had a lot of struggles as a young man with temptation. I didn't 
have the internet in my pocket. There are some difficulties facing 
our young people today, and if we do not teach them the way 
of Yahweh, do not think that the way of Satan isn't going 
to intrude upon them. The Psalter assumes that the 
faithful in Israel are going to be instructing their children. 
Psalm 78, verses 4 to 7. Psalm 78, verses 4 to 7, We will 
not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to 
come the praises of the Lord, and His strength, and His wonderful 
works that He has done. For He established a testimony 
in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded 
our fathers, that they should make them known to their children. 
that the generation to come might know them, the children who would 
be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, 
that they may set their hope in God and not forget the works 
of God, but keep His commandments, and may not be like their fathers, 
a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set 
its heart aright and whose spirit was not faithful to God." You 
see the emphasis. The one generation passes the 
baton of truth to the next generation. And as I said, we read that at 
the outset in Psalm 145, verse 4. One generation shall praise 
your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts. David assumes that the people 
of God will take seriously the mandate of God in Deuteronomy 
6-7, and they will diligently teach these statutes, these commandments, 
these ordinances, these laws to their children. And they won't 
just do so in formal, stated times, but they'll do so around 
the table. They'll do so when they walk 
in the zoo. They'll do so when they lay Him down at night. They'll 
do so when they rise up in the morning. You see, the heart that 
is devoted to God wants to present that truth of God to other needy 
sinners. And then finally, the emphasis 
in the Proverbs, we won't spend a lot of time there, but every 
time Solomon says, My son. What is Solomon doing every time 
he says, My son, in 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, 6-1, and 7-1? He is teaching His children the 
ways of Yahweh. He is teaching His children the 
truth of God. He is teaching them not only 
about the way of Yahweh, but as well to do righteousness and 
justice. He is training them to be decent, 
normal human beings that are contributors to society. Much 
of the Proverbs help in terms of rounding out the religious 
instruction of young people. So that's the Old Testament. 
Again, a flyby. We could spend more time, but 
we will move on. Note the New Testament. You can 
turn to Ephesians, the command of Paul. Ephesians chapter 6, specifically in verse 4. And 
you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath. Do not provoke 
your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition 
of the Lord. That's what Paul says that fathers 
are supposed to do, bring them up in the training and admonition 
of the Lord. If we're thinking biblically, which I hope that 
we should, we go back to Deuteronomy 6, we might infer or conclude 
that Paul means we ought to diligently teach them. There ought to be 
formal times of instruction where we sit them down and speak to 
them the truth concerning Jesus, we catechize them, we sing with 
them, we teach them the truth as it is in Jesus. And then there 
are these informal times as well. We bring them up in the training 
and the admonition of the Lord. Similarly, in Colossians chapter 
3, Colossians 3 gives us the negative or the prohibition. 
Again, do not provoke your children lest they become discouraged. I think a provocation of children 
is to allow them to express themselves, to allow them to pursue independent 
thought, to allow them to be their own man or woman. No, they're 
five. You have a duty and a responsibility 
before God Most High to seek by the grace of God to shape 
them in the truth of God. And then I mentioned the example 
of Timothy, 2 Timothy chapter 1. 2 Timothy chapter 1. What was Timothy doing as a child? 
He was being taught truth by a godly mother and a grandmother. 
2 Timothy 1.3, I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience 
as my forefathers did. You see, Paul speaks of forefathers 
there. He doesn't say those guys who went before us that did the 
right things. Now, we can use titles as long as we don't abuse 
titles. If you weren't here this morning, 
you don't know what I'm talking about. But if you were here, 
you do know what I'm talking about. whom I serve with a pure 
conscience as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember 
you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, 
being mindful of your tears that I may be filled with joy. When 
I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt 
first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I 
am persuaded is in you also." He says that that faith was present 
in his mother and in his god grandmother. Now notice in 2 
Timothy 3.15, 2 Timothy 3 15 that faith wasn't just present 
in Lois and Eunice It wasn't just internalized in their heart, 
with reference to Lois and Eunice, but they also taught Timothy, 
2 Timothy 3.15, and that from childhood you have known the 
Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation 
through faith which is in Christ Jesus. So it implies, it infers, 
it everywhere argues for the reality that this grandmother 
and this mother tutored their child in the things of God. They taught him the truth. So that's the biblical warrant. Let's move on secondly to the 
elements of family worship. The elements of family worship. 
Now there's a whole host of books out there. One I can highly recommend 
by Terry Johnson. It is called the Family Worship 
Book. And after a few introductory 
pages on why family should worship, he then has an order of service 
for family worship. I mean, the call to worship the 
whole spiel, if you're so inclined. He has in there the Westminster 
Shorter Catechism. He has the children's version. 
He has a Bible reading plan. He has psalms. and the Psalms 
of David in meter. He has psalms like we have in 
our Trinity Psalter. It's a very helpful resource. 
If you fathers are, you know, in between things at this particular 
time, may I suggest Harry Johnson, the family worship book published 
by Christian Focus Publications. Very helpful, very nice, very 
well put together for that purpose. But the first thing that I want 
us to consider with reference to the elements of family worship 
is the commitment to public worship. You probably thought I was going 
to say, OK, after dinner, have all the kids sit on the couch 
and get your Bible out and get your songbook out and sing and 
pray and read. We're going to deal with that 
in a moment. But you know what's the first and most important thing is a 
commitment to public worship. It's to bring them to church, 
to teach them the centrality of the church in God's redemptive 
plan. Psalm 87 too, God loves the gates 
of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. David Clarkson preached 
a sermon called public worship to be preferred before private. This flies contrary to the spirit 
of our age, where we think, you know, it's all about me, it's 
all about my experience, it's all about what I do with my little 
ones. God says, bring your little ones 
to church. God says to teach them and to 
train them to come to church. You ought to highlight the importance 
of the church with your children and the church's public worship 
services. That is the first order of business. Johnson says, simply, the first 
and primary key to your family's spiritual health is a commitment 
to the weekly public worship services of the church. You can 
have family worship every night, but if you do not regard the 
church, if you do not bring them to that place where the sacraments 
are administered, where the Word of God is proclaimed, and where 
the people of God gather in obedience to their Lord, you're undoing 
with your practice what you are preaching up from Monday to Saturday 
night. The Church of Christ is central 
in God's redemptive plan. Acts 20, 28, when the Apostle 
Paul is charging the elders, the Ephesian elders, he says 
that they are to take heed to themselves and to all the flock 
among which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers. He says 
they need to shepherd the Church of God, which he purchased with 
his own blood. Yes, he purchased individual 
sinners, but he purchased the church. The corporate people 
of God is something that the church today needs to appreciate 
afresh. Public worship to be preferred 
before private, by David Clarkson. Psalm 87, how do you make heads 
or tails out of that reality? The Lord loves the gates of Zion 
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. It doesn't mean he 
hates the families of Israel. It means he loves it when they 
gather together in the courts of church, and they praise, and 
they worship, and they honor. Westminster's Shorter Catechism 
asks, what are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ 
communicates to us the benefits of redemption? The outward and 
ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits 
of redemption are His ordinances, especially the words, sacraments, 
and prayer, all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation. Now, throughout history, the 
church has gotten a bum rap. And in our day, the same is true. 
The church is full of hypocrites. The church is bad. It's all about 
religion. It's all about pastors wanting 
money. You know what? I don't doubt that that's out 
there, but an abuse of something doesn't argue against the proper 
use of it. And the proper use of the church is that covenant 
people of God coming together on the Lord's Day to praise and 
to worship and to honor and to glorify Him, such that the preaching 
of the gospel goes forth, and hopefully our little ones will 
hear that gospel, and by God's Spirit will be born again, born 
anew, and they will believe the gospel. So please, focus upon, 
center your lives upon the public worship of God's people. Secondly, 
Now they go to the couch. Now you get the hymn book out. 
Now you catechize them. No. The sanctification of the 
Lord's day. The sanctification of the Lord's 
day. That ought to be paramount as 
well. God's provided the means for 
us to develop religiously, in formal settings, our children. And one of those particular means 
is a high view of God's day. We don't have time to sketch 
a biblical theology of the Sabbath. That has been done here. many, 
many times. Chapter 22 in our Confession 
of Faith outlines a biblical theology of the Sabbath. We could 
start at Genesis, chapter 2, the creation account. Genesis 
chapter 4, when Cain and Abel, at the end of days, probably 
the Sabbath day, bring their sacrifices to present unto God. 
We could go to Exodus, the thundering of Sinai. What's that fourth 
word? Remember the Sabbath. Same thing in Deuteronomy chapter 
5. We'd stop at Isaiah 58 to see that blessed promise of God 
that if we cease from our own ways and we stop thinking our 
own thoughts on God's holy day, then He will exalt us and He 
will bless us and He will give us the desires of our hearts 
in terms of the spiritual realities. We would move on to the New Testament 
and see that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath. To see that 
Jesus says that the man wasn't made for the Sabbath, but the 
Sabbath was made for the man. It's a good thing. It's a blessed 
thing. It's a gift given by God. We'd stop at Acts chapter 20 
and see that that day has been changed to Sunday. In the Old 
Covenant, in terms of positive law, it was observed on the Saturday. But in the New Covenant, in terms 
of positive law, we see it is observed on Sunday. Acts 20, 
verse 7. 1 Corinthians 16, Paul tells 
the people of God on that first day of the week, put in their 
offerings, verse 2. And then Revelation 1.10, John 
is in the Spirit when? On the Lord's Day, on Sunday. There is a theology of Sabbath 
that runs from the beginning to the very end Sabbath is far 
more important than a lot of us realize. Sabbath, with reference 
to God, is most important. It speaks of His enthronement, 
it speaks of His rule, it speaks of His kingdom, and it speaks 
concerning that day when we will enter into that eternal Sabbath 
rest with our God. The blessing of the Sabbath. 
Turretin makes this comment. He says, experience teaches too 
well that license and the negligence of sacred things grows more and 
more where a proper regard is not shown for the Lord's day." 
Let me just read that again. Experience teaches too well that 
license and the negligence of sacred things grows more and 
more where a proper regard is not shown for the Lord's day. 
Brethren, in many respects, God has structured stuff in a very 
simple way. You know, we could not have a 
seminar tonight, okay, here's 15 ways to get your kids holy. No, God's taken care of it. Take them to church and observe 
His day. Cease from all your other activities, 
show them the priorities involved in terms of God's kingdom, and 
that will go a long way to reinforcing the religious instruction you 
give them throughout the week. Vos, I love this statement in 
his biblical theology concerning the Sabbath. He says, the Sabbath 
has faithfully accompanied the people of God on their march 
through the ages. That's beautiful. The Sabbath 
has always been there for God's people as a respite, as a rest, 
as a day of sanctification, a day of blessing, a day where we get 
to come to the house of God and we get to worship Him. I think 
that idea of the Puritan Sabbath, where you just sat your kids 
down for hours on end and rotely went through things, that's not 
the view of the Sabbath we ought to have. I was glad when they 
said unto me, Let us go to the house of the Lord. The Sabbath 
day means the day of worship with the people of God. And I 
think that if we inculcate that in our homes and we pass that 
along to our children, that will be invaluable. If your children 
rise up, obviously converted by the grace of God and Jesus 
Christ, but they're faithful churchmen? They actually show 
up when the church doors are open? And they honor the Sabbath 
day? What could be better? I mean, 
I'd much prefer that than my kids, you know, hitting home 
runs or making loads of money or, you know, inventing whatever 
new cures there might be for maladies out there. If they have 
a high view of Jesus' church and a high regard for Jesus' 
day, then they are thinking Jesus' thoughts after Him. If Christ 
loves the church, and He does, and Christ has sanctified the 
day, and He has, then to teach them these fundamental principles 
is certainly a priority for the people of God. Now, thirdly, 
the use of the family altar. Sit them down on the couch. You 
can sing hymns with that. Sing psalms with that. Brethren, 
the singing of Psalms is something we ought to do in order to learn 
the Psalms. It's a great way to hide God's 
Word in our heart. It's a great way when we consider 
that we are singing to God, God's Word. It's good to sing the hymns 
as well. Good, doctrinally sound hymns. 
We don't want to sing Jesus is my boyfriend songs and, you know, 
sort of do these sways in the living room and teach them to 
be effeminate and not able to sustain any kinds of thought 
with reference to singing. Brethren, teach the kids to sing. I'm sure my kids still remember 
some of the songs that we sang, you know, the old standbys, number 
three, second tune. We'd rattle that right off. Psalm 
127, I'm sorry, 134 in the Trinity Psalter. I mean, these are good 
things to instill in your young people and in your children as 
well. Secondly, the place of prayer 
and intercession. You know what one of your problems 
are, little ones? I'm not going to yell at you 
or scream at you, but you think about yourselves a lot. And in 
this, you're very much like your parents. I think this is a fundamental 
trait that each and every one of us have. We have a narcissistic 
tendency. There is a self-love about us. Now, there's a biblical self-love. 
We don't ingest poison. We don't lick our fingers and 
put them into electrical sockets. We don't try to work on electrical 
panels without the proper training or wood or rubber or something 
to not get a zap. I mean, there's a self-love that 
is righteous and good. There's a self-love that isn't, 
and that self-love is oftentimes occupied with self. What does 
intercession do? It gets the kids' minds off of 
self, at least for a time, and puts them on to the sick people 
in church, puts them on to the pregnant ladies in the church, 
puts them on to the villages being ravaged by Islam and other 
countries, puts their minds on the missionary enterprise, puts 
their minds on other things. teach them to intercede, teach 
them intercession. They ought to hear fathers and 
mothers praying, not simply for God's blessing upon themselves 
and their children, but upon their brethren and their children, 
upon the church that they go to, upon their place of employment, 
so that God would be pleased to save sinners. Intercession 
is something we ought to teach, something we ought to imbibe. 
Certainly, thirdly, the centrality of Scripture. Family worship 
ought to be rooted in God's Word. We ought to teach them. Again, 
if you are, you know, reading David Clarkson's sermon to them 
and they're three, you are overdoing it. But certainly you can take 
Jesus and Bartimaeus and read that and explain that to them 
so that they understand. You can take the story of Jesus 
and Zacchaeus. I mean, what kid doesn't want 
to hear about Zacchaeus? What child would be put off by 
the story of Zacchaeus? And if you're a father or a mother 
who's able to speak it and tell it with some joy and happiness, 
and he was a little fellow, and he ran up the tree, and Jesus 
saw him there. Okay, what happened next? We've 
lost that. The Bible is exciting. The Bible 
is thrilling. The Bible is joyful. It is something that we ought 
to yearn to read and to teach our children. The Old Testament 
stories. Grab them by the hands and take 
them to the Valley of Elah, where David faces Goliath. Who would 
not be thrilled by that story? Take your sons to judges. Oh, 
young men love judges, don't they? They love Ehud. They love Samson. They love Gideon. Give them those things so that 
they can love them. Take your daughters there too. 
Take them to JL. Take them to Samson. Take them 
to Gideon. Brethren, the point is, it is 
the Scriptures that we need to instill in our little ones. That is the means by which God 
brings forth sinners. James 1.18, of His own will, 
by the Word of Truth, He brought us forth. You know, one of the 
first practical arguments for family worship is evangelism. 
If you are tracking with Scripture, and you understand the doctrine 
of depravity, and you understand the reality that Adam is a federal 
head, and you understand that your children are not saved simply 
by virtue of the fact that they've been born into a Christian home, 
evangelism ought to be paramount. Take them to our Lord's words. 
Take them to the passages of Scripture. Take them to the Gospel 
records. I mean, they're not difficult. 
You hear people all the time, oh, the Bible's so hard. There 
are some things that are difficult to understand. Peter says that 
concerning Paul's writings, doesn't he? But not all of it. I mean, the story of Ehud is 
pretty easy to understand. The story of David is pretty 
easy to understand. The story of JL is pretty easy 
to understand. I mean, you can explain it, you 
can lay it out there, and you can draw out a few practical 
lessons. We ought to fear God. We ought 
to believe the Gospel. All those things, brethren, what 
better time than when you sit your little ones down and you 
teach them? And then as well, I would end 
with this observation, the usefulness of creeds and confessions. You 
know, one of the aspects of that self-love-ism is that we think 
we're it. There's a whole church behind 
us, 20 centuries worth of valuable resources, of excellent things. Read to them the Nicene Creed, 
read to them the Apostles' Creed, read to them the Chalcedonian 
Creed. Read to them the Westminster Shorter Catechism. They even 
have a child's version of it. Who made you? God. What else 
did God make? All things. Why did God make 
you in all things? For His own glory. How can you 
glorify God? By loving Him and doing what 
He commands. You see, brethren, it doesn't take a whole lot of 
effort and energy to learn these particular truths. And as well, 
when it comes to, say, the shorter catechism, it teaches the children 
to think conceptually instead of pictorially. I saw this. It was a reference by Mottier 
in teaching. It was either Mottier or someone 
else that had made this observation that children brought up, on 
the shorter catechism, for instance, the one I like, other than the 
paedo-baptism, that's why there's a Baptist version of it back 
there, available to take. All that stuff you can take. 
It's not just there. Wow, they filled the Reformed 
Baptist requirement and they have a literature rack. Take 
it! Bring it home. Put it on your tables and read 
it. Use the catechism. There's a Spurgeon's catechism. 
Again, it's a Westminster Shorter. But the kids that were taught 
learned to think in concept rather than in pictures, and that's 
good. Kids taught early in their youth will be able, if God indeed 
saves them, to be able to rehearse those things 15 and 20 years 
later. I've seen it with my own eyes. 
Sometimes you're catechizing older children and you think, 
well, the little ones aren't ready yet. And then one day, 
lo and behold, you happen to ask the little one and they rattle 
it off. Wow, they're brighter bulbs than I had given them credit 
for. They can soak in a whole lot more than we've ever even 
imagined. Do not be afraid to take the 
Scripture and to take this doctrine and to bring it to bear upon 
them. In conclusion, first, we ought 
to recognize the importance of family worship. We ought to recognize 
it. I hope and pray that this is 
not guilt manipulation. You're not feeling that your 
consciences are bound. I'm not suggesting two-and-a-half 
hours with your three-year-olds. I've got 15-part sermon on why 
you need to, you know, clean up after. No, that's not it. 
15, 20 minutes. Do it. Recognize the importance. Secondly, implement it in your 
home. If you have not, then start. I like what Terry Johnson says. 
He says, remember, there is nothing to getting started like actually 
getting started. We do this, don't we? Wow, I 
heard this message on family worship. That's something I need 
to do. I'm going to go buy five books. I'm going to read Terry 
Johnson on family. Just do it. I see this with prayer. Oh, my prayer life is sluggish. 
I'm going to read A.W. Pink on prayer. I got a zany 
idea. Why don't you pray? Just do it. Maybe Nike was right. Just do 
it. He says, doesn't sound helpful? 
We're making a point. Like everything else that is 
valuable but requires discipline and sacrifice. He says, it finally 
comes down to doing it. Start Do it. If you already are, 
then persevere. Be consistent. Be faithful. Look 
to these scriptures again. Get renewed. Get refreshed. Keep this family altar intact. 
And then finally, the practical benefits. Again, these are things 
that we ought just to consider. First, the means by which we 
are able to obey God with reference to teaching our children. If 
Israel is charged to instruct them diligently, then this is 
a means by which we can do this. Secondly, do you know what a 
real practical benefit of family worship is? You teach them to 
sit for 15 or 20 minutes. Isn't that good? In a day and age that is more 
pictorial, more visual, more image-driven, it's hard to capture 
the attention of young people. It's harder to capture the attention 
of older people. 140 characters on Twitter is 
about the extent of our mental cognition. We've got big problems. You set them down for 15 or 20 
minutes and teach them how to sit down for 15 to 20 minutes. Then you bring them to corporate 
worship and you tell them, we're going to do that four times. 
And you better not get out of line. No, you train them. There's a practical benefit involved. Thirdly, it is a means by which 
familial closeness is fostered. I mean, isn't that good to spend 
time with your kids and the things that are most important? Isn't 
that a blessing to be able to hold your little one's hands 
and pray to the living and true God for them? Isn't it a blessing 
to foster that sort of intimacy with your children? It is as 
well a means by which a kingdom emphasis is maintained. We're 
told in Matthew 6.33 to seek first the kingdom of God and 
His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 
This is a means by which we set that principle before our children. 
Why are we doing this? Because we love God. We want 
to seek God. We want to pray to God and we 
want to hear from God. You know, a little one's going 
to say, okay, all right. And then they're going to hopefully 
be brought up in that environment, in that atmosphere, and it's 
going to become a way of life. And then finally, and I've already 
alluded to this, the means by which children will hear the 
Gospel for the salvation of their souls. Evangelism. Open the Scriptures and preach 
the Gospel. Testify concerning God, His law, 
how they broke it, and how Jesus came to live and to die and to 
rise again. Brethren, seize the opportunity 
to instruct your little ones in the way of Christ. Well, let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for your Word and we thank you for these things that 
you've given to us, hopefully to use for your glory and for 
the benefit of our own souls and our own children. I do pray 
for the children and for the young people here. God, may you 
indeed call them forth by your power, by your Spirit, according 
to your Word. May they know the joy of the 
Lord is their strength, and may you keep them, and watch over 
them, and bless them. And may there be a generation 
to come who praises the Lord Almighty, and generations to 
come who praise the Lord Almighty. We ask that you would go with 
us now, watch over us in this coming week, and help us to honor 
and to glorify you. And we pray through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen.