FAMILY WORSHIP

DONALD S. WHITNEY

wheaton, illinois

Family Worship

Copyright © 2016 by Donald S. Whitney

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Tim Green, Faceout Studio

First printing 2016

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-6722-3

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-6722-9

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-6723-0

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-6724-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Whitney, Donald S. (Professor)

Family worship / Donald S. Whitney.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-4780-5 (tp)

1. Families—Religious life. 2. Worship. I. Title.

BV200.W45 2016

249—dc23

2015026261

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Contents

Introduction

 1 As for Me and My House, We Will Serve the Lord

Family Worship in the Bible

 2 Here the Reformation Must Begin

Family Worship in Church History

 3 Read, Pray, and Sing

The Elements of Family Worship

 4 No Family Worship Situation Is Unique

But What If …?

 5 Isn’t This What You Really Want to Do?

Start Today

Discussion Guide

Scripture Index

For my family—past, present, and future

and

For my spiritual family in Christ—local and universal

Introduction

Some time ago, I was in England and heard a report on BBC radio about a government study there which indicated that as a result of TV, technology, and the like, families rarely spend time together. The study observed that conversation between family members has “degenerated into an indistinguishable series of monosyllabic grunts.” And what was the recommended solution to this dilemma? The government should teach a series of classes instructing families how to talk and play together.

I immediately thought of at least two responses to this report. First, things are really bad when the government believes that the family is in trouble. Second, God has a much better plan for family time together than anything presented in classes taught by the government.

I had gone to England to speak at a conference. Around the table there one evening, I heard the story of a minister’s family who had not acted as though God has a better plan until it was ...