Mar 12, 2023: Worship Service Family Worship Series No.5  ,"Foundation of the House” 

Family Worship (5) "Foundation of the House"

Bible: Matthew 7:24-29

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."

 

James:

Dad, I saw on TV that the earthquake in Turkey and Syria killed over 52,000 people.

Dad:

Yes, Kushimoto town has a good relationship with Turkey, so the town hall is also running a donation campaign. We also put our donations, and people all over the world are supporting them. Let us pray for them in our pre-dinner prayer.

All:

Yes! 

Mom:

Jesus spoke to the many people gathered on the mountain. He shared about the parable at the end of his message. Let’s share it today.

 

Prelude: "Thank You Song"

Video. "House built on a rock"

Dad:

Now, what was the theme of this parable?

Sophia:

I felt it was easy to understand this time. 'Build your house on a rock.' right? Because the rock is strong.

Dad:

Yes, it is so helpful that a house built on a rock is sturdy. Due to earthquakes and tsunamis, about 30% of people can get injured by collapsed houses or furniture. It’s important to research the foundations firmly when we build a house.

James:

I think the rock is a metaphor for Jesus’ words. I think it means that we should firmly believe in Jesus.

Dad:

You are right, James. What you said is very important. Grace, what do you think the house is a metaphor for?

Grace:

I think the home is our life or faith. Even if we listen to the story about Jesus and we believe it, if we don't practice it, it will be like a house built on sand.

Mom:

Each of you has good points. There were many crowds like Jesus' disciples, the scribes, and the Pharisees.

Dad:

Yes, in the last verse, verse 29, the crowd was surprised at what Jesus told.

Grace:

Yes. Unlike the scribes, where there are rules of what you can’t, Jesus explained it easier for everyone to understand, right? But even if we understand it, it is difficult to practice it. What can we do?

Mom:

It is very true. Even for Christians, there is a big difference between accepting Jesus and practicing what Jesus preaches.

Dad:

Shall we make a list of things Jesus has said, but what we feel we are unable to do?

1) We cannot forgive and make up.

2) We cannot value even those we love more than ourselves.

3) W cannot be honest at all times.

4) We often are lazy.

5) We envy others.

6) We are timid.

 

Mom:

That's quite a lot. Listing them all out like this makes me reflect on how pathetic I am.

Dad:

Hahaha. I am sorry that you have pressure because you are a pastor.

Sophia:

Mom, I feel sorry for you even though you have a wonderful job.

Mom:

Thank you, Sophia. I am so glad for your kindness. I wish I could be more myself without being tied down by being a pastor.

James:

Do not worry, mom. We are here for you.

Grace:

Mom, I know you have trouble sometimes because of your nosiness, but I think everyone likes you, so you should not worry too much.

Dad:

I am glad that everyone is on mom's side. I also try to be as kind as possible to the patients and their families, but I run out of patience sometimes and get angry with them. However, thanks to our jobs, both mom and dad manage to keep our emotions under control, which is probably one aspect of being able to show kindness.

Mom:

Shall we think about how we can overcome these lists? Jesus does not demand things we cannot do unlike the scribes.

Grace:

Well, we make a list of these, too.

Dad:

That is a good idea.

1) Make it a habit to apologize when we recognize we have faulted even a little.

2) Think about what kind of person Jesus is every day. I guess that means knowing the model.

3) Be honest with Jesus at least even if we cannot be honest with others.

4) Try to be inspired to improve ourselves instead being jealous of others.

5) Do not be afraid to fail. We should confirm whether it is good or not for us.

6) Do not be alone, instead think together about what we can do.

7) Build a family where we can laugh every day.

 

Mom:

I have a favor to ask. We should not misunderstand. What Jesus told us to do is very important in our lives, but being able to do it is not a condition for going to heaven. In other words, salvation is not something we can receive only after much effort, but it is a gift that Jesus gave us unconditionally. If we misunderstand this, we will make the same mistake as the scribes.

Let us trust Jesus with this request.

Mom's prayer:

Heavenly Father, we praise your name. 

We thank you for always protecting us. We have good and weak character, but please help us to grow and move forward that is pleasing to Jesus. We pray for the people of Ukraine and Russia. Please give them peace as soon as possible. I also ask you to protect those people who are suffering from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. 

I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

Postlude: "To Be His Child"

 

Information

We did some modifications to our furniture to prevent injuries from Earthquakes.

You can check the following Link of our Disaster Prevention site.

 

 

 

 

 

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