Family Worship Guide
“Grace” (1918)
The leadership at Westminster is committed to serving and enabling godly families in their pursuit of truth, obedience, and sanctification. We believe that the family is God’s design for people everywhere. Because of this, we are excited to offer you this resource to assist you in family worship. Look for a new guide every week.
Family Worship Guide
Scripture Reading:
#1. The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers (Psalm 24:1-2)
#2. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
Prayer of Praise to God: Refer to the verses above and hymn below.
All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all!
O seed of Israel's chosen race now ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all.
Hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all!
Let every tongue and every tribe responsive to his call,
to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all.
To him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all!
Oh, that with all the sacred throng we at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song and crown him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song and crown him Lord of all.
Reading of the Law: And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)
Silent Confession of Sin/Confession of Sin: Gracious God, we confess that we have longed too much for the comforts of this world. We have loved the gifts more than the giver. In your mercy, help us to see that all the things we pine for are shadows, but you are substance; that they are quicksands, but you are a mountain; that they are shifting, but you are an anchor. We plead your forgiveness on the merits of Jesus Christ. Accept his worthiness for our unworthiness, his sinlessness for our transgressions, his fullness for our emptiness, his glory for our shame, his righteousness for our dead works, his death for our life. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Reading of the Gospel: Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for fall men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19)
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 21
Question #54
Q. What do you believe concerning “the holy catholic church”?
A. I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects, and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community I am and always will be a living member.
Question #55
Q. What do you understand by “the communion of saints”?
A. First, that believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts. Second, that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and joyfully
for the service and enrichment of the other members.
Question #56
Q. What do you believe concerning “the forgiveness of sins”?
A. I believe that God, because of Christ’s satisfaction, will no longer remember any of my sins or my sinful nature which I need to struggle against all my life. Rather, by grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me forever from judgment.
Prayer of Thanksgiving: Include thanking God for being unchangeable and in that His promises have to come true.
Prayer of Supplication: Include our pregnant mothers and that their babies would be healthy and that God would protect them.
Bible reading and commentary:
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3
Last week it was mentioned that verse 31 of 1 Corinthians 12 has caused some discussion of whether the verse belongs at the end of Chapter 12 or the beginning of Chapter 13. The phrase “desire the higher gifts” is the clause in question.
So if verse 31 begins Chapter 13 it would read: But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Paul continues with the love theme for the remainder of chapter 13. The higher gift Paul is talking about is love. So he is telling the Corinthians that one of the higher gifts to desire is love and that is a more excellent way than for instance speaking in tongues.
Now some would contend that 12:31 belongs where it is and Paul is teaching the Corinthians to desire the higher gifts for the church so the church would have the gifts that were needed to be edified. There are other views but these are the main two.
One thing the verse is not saying is that Christians should desire the “higher gifts” that others have. That would be saying to God that you are not happy with your gift but you desire someone else’s “higher” gift. Paul has already explained that all gifts are needed to complete the body and that all gifts are just as important to the body as others.
Both the first and second views are acceptable in reformed orthodoxy.
Moving on to Chapter 13:1-3. Paul exhorts all believers to demonstrate love in the exercise of their spiritual gifts. Paul shows that love must be a part of all that we say (v1), all that we know (v 2), and all that we do (v 3). Without love everything is vain. Paul begins with the gift of tongues, most likely because some within the church had elevated that gift above all others and were not exercising it with love for fellow believers.
Tilemann Hesshus (a student of Philip Melanchthon): The apostle teaches that all other duties of a Christian man or woman – such as extraordinary generosity toward the poor, constancy (faithfulness) in enduring dangers, confessions, and other such things – are without any benefit if they do not originate from true love, which is the source, parent, and goal of all virtues and duties. The reason for this is clear, since virtues that are void of love are also devoid of faith; and because they are performed only out of human power, they are not aroused by the Holy Spirit. As a result, such so-called virtues are nothing but a pretense, for they are not directed toward the glory of God and the good of neighbor, but only strive after the shadow of glory before people. Therefore such so-called virtues do not please God and are not true virtues; they do not receive any reward from God, instead they belong to that category of works about which Christ said: “Truly I say to you, they have already received their reward.”
Closing Hymn: The Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. Amen.
Closing Scripture: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you (1 Pet. 1:3-4).
The Lord’s Prayer (together): Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.