「從敬拜到家庭祭壇的建立」

 

背誦經文:若是你們以事奉耶和華為不好,今日就可以選擇所要事奉的:是你們列祖在大河那邊所事奉的神呢?是你們所住這地的亞摩利人的神呢?至於我和我家,我們必定事奉耶和華。(24:15)

A)  家庭祭壇的意義與重要

     所謂『家庭的祭壇』就是藉由家人一起,定期地對 神的敬拜、對真理和救恩的分享,以及一起的禱告與代求,讓主在這個家中居首位,讓全家人在主的同在與恩典中一起成長。

   聖經中的第一座壇是挪亞和全家人出了方舟之後所築來向神獻祭的。

      18 於是挪亞和他的妻子、兒子、兒婦É都出了方舟。20 挪亞為耶和華築了一座壇,拿各類潔淨的牲畜、飛鳥獻在壇上為燔祭(創8:18-20)

   沒有健康的教會,就沒有健康的家庭;同樣的,沒有健康的家庭,就不會有健康的教會。家庭若要健康,必須要由建立家庭祭壇開始。

   沒有祭壇的家庭是以個人和短暫今生為中心的家庭,不僅失去了 神設立家庭的目的與價值,更是缺少了 神的同在與祝福。

B)  家庭祭壇的根基:敬拜

     任何形式的事奉必須是屬靈真實敬拜的「副產品」,而不是敬拜的「替代品」- Warren W. Wiersbe

   家庭祭壇若不是建立在對 神真實的敬拜上,就不能算是家庭祭壇。

      神是個靈,所以拜祂的必須用心靈和誠實拜祂。(約6:24)

   「人人作祭司,家家有祭壇」- Unknown

C)  家庭祭壇的建立

a)    態度上:看重並渴慕,更要在乎 神的同在 (18:19-20)

b)    方式上:全家一起/夫妻之間/父子之間/母女之間

c)    內容上:唱詩/禱告/讀經(誦讀,禱讀,背誦...)/分享/代禱É

d)    時間上:固定時間/長短適度/眾人方便/持之以恆

e)    其它

 

 

 

From Worship to building the Family Altar

 

Memorization Verse: ÒAnd if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.Ó (Joshua 24:15)

 

A)    The significance and meaning of the family altar

   The definition of the ÒFamily AltarÓ is the regular periodic act of worship towards God by the entire household, such that truth and grace embodies the fellowship, where prayers and supplications are offered in one accord, that the Lord would have the first place in the family, and that the entire family will mature together in the grace and presence of the Lord. 

   The very first altar mentioned in Scripture was erected by Noah and his family as they exit the ark to make sacrifices to God

       ÒSo Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sonsÕ wives with him.  Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark.  Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.Ó(Gen 8:18-20)

   Without a healthy church there are no healthy families; conversely, without healthy families there is no healthy church.  If we desire healthy families, we must start with family altars

   A family without an altar is centered on individuality and the temporality of this life, it has lost the value and the purpose as to why God establish the family unit, but more importantly it will miss out on the presence and the blessings of God

B)   The foundation of the family altar: Worship

   ÒAny form of ministry must be the Òby productÓ of genuine spiritual worship, and not an altarnative.Ó – Warren W. Wiersbe

   If the family altar is not built upon a genuine worship of God, it cannot be counted as a family altar.

       God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.Ó (John 4:24)

   ÒEveryman a priest, an altar in every familyÓ – author unknown

C)   Building the family altar

a.    Attitude: Value and desire, and more importantly care about GodÕs presence (Matt 18:19-20)

b.    Format: The whole family together/husband and wife/father and sons/mother and daughters

c.     Content: Singing/Praying/Reading Scripture (out loud, prayerfully, memorize, É)/fellowship/intercession É

d.    Time: Set time/moderate length/convenient for everyone/perseverance

e.    Others