Thoughts on Family Worship and the MBC

Well, things at this week’s Missouri Baptist Convention didn’t go exactly as I’d hoped. It seems that the politicking of a few of our larger churches stirred things up sufficiently enough. However, I have faith that if things go far enough, the “little guys” will rise up once more as they have in the past and right the ship.

The brightest spot of the week was the annual sermon by Rodney Albert. If you want to hear an inspiring message on obedience and holiness, go to the MBC website and order a copy. It will be worth your time and money. (I'm told those will be available soon).

The other bright spot for me, personally, was the reporting out and adoption of a resolution I brought concerning Family Worship. It says:

WHEREAS, one recent study conducted by LifeWay Research this year revealed the majority of church-going teens, when asked, could not clearly define that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation; and

WHEREAS, in a second study by LifeWay Research, 70 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds who regularly attended church during their teen years dropped out of church for at least a year and 35 percent of those said they would never return; and

WHEREAS, over the last several years multiple studies have likewise continued to show a decline in the faithfulness of young people to continue in the church after college; and

WHEREAS, further studies have shown a steady increase in alcohol use, drug use, premarital sex and other immoral behavior by young people, including those in our churches; and

WHEREAS, youth and children’s ministries are not enough for teaching and training young people in the ways of God; and

WHEREAS, according to Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Ephesians 6:1-4 the clear biblical mandate is for parents to be responsible for the training and nurturing of their children, and for their instruction in God’s Word; and

WHEREAS, church history has many examples of the benefits of a faithful family altar, wherein families gather on a regular basis in the home to sing praise to God, read the Scriptures and pray; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that we, the messengers to the Missouri Baptist Convention, meeting in annual session in Osage Beach, Missouri, October 31, 2007, encourage Missouri Baptist families to institute and maintain the practice of family worship in their homes; be it further

RESOLVED, that we teach the importance of family worship and provide training to those parents who are unfamiliar with the practice; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that we covenant together to encourage one another in this practice, seeking to be faithful to the biblical command to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, equipping the next generation to be faithful men and women of God for His glory in all things.

The issue of Family Worship has become near and dear to my heart over the last several years. This is something I had neglected in my home far too long. I didn’t realize the importance, even the necessity of it.

Spurgeon had it right (as usual) when he said: I trust there is no Christian man or woman here who has a house without a family altar. . .I cannot make out how you live without it. I could not. I cannot understand how your piety gets on, nor what it feeds upon. I do think, wherever there is a Christian family, there should be daily praise in it.

Elsewhere he said: once let the family altar be forsaken, and let parents forget the natural duty of ordering their households before the Lord, and you may guard the church as you will, your labor will be vain.

And yet again: If I came into your house, and heard that you had no fireplace in the winter time, I should certainly advise you to build one; and if I heard that any of you had not a family altar, I should say, “Go home and lay the first brick to-night: it will be a good thing if you do so, I am sure.”

This message has become a passion of mine. I’m glad the messengers of the MBC adopted this resolution, but I am much more concerned that the message of it be taken back to our churches and put into practice. So let me just say to all the husbands and fathers out there: Go home and lay the first brick tonight. It will be a good thing if you do so I’m sure.