Our concerns are His concerns.
A call to worship.
Themes
Intercession • Concerns • Care • Salvation • Our high priest • Incarnation • Holy Spirit • Comforter • Counselor • New life • Hope • Suffering • Longing
Through the Spirit, God hears the cry and longing of our heart articulated in its truest form—in accordance with His will. And so, whatever we ask, we know that we will receive what we ask of Him.
Scripture reading
Hebrews 2:17–18 Hebrews 4:14 1 John 2:1–2 Romans 5:1–2 Ephesians 1:13–14 Romans 8:2, 9–11, 15 Romans 8:26–27 1 John 5:14–15
This call to worship1 comes from several passages across the New Testament—passages having to do with how the Father, His beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit work together to help us in our weakness.
The Son of God had to be made like us —fully human in every way— in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest. Because He Himself suffered, He is capable —He is able— to truly help us. So we now have a great high priest —Jesus— who has ascended into heaven. So let’s hold firmly to the faith that we profess. And if we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. So then, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access into this grace in which we now stand. And… and you are marked in Him with a seal —that seal is the promised Holy Spirit— who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. And the law of the Spirit —the Spirit who gives life— that law has set you free from the law of sin and death. So now, you are no longer in the realm of the flesh; you’re in the realm of the Spirit. Christ is in you, even though your body is still subject to death— death… because of sin. In this realm, it’s the Spirit who gives you life— life… because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also then give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you. And the Spirit… He helps you in your weakness. We don’t even know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for you. And the Spirit intercedes in accordance with the will of God. And so this is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us —whatever we ask— we know that we have what we’ve asked of Him.
Prayer
Father in heaven, You are infinitely glorious and merciful. What matters to us matters to You. So this morning we come confidently to You. We come as worshipers. And we come as advocates, interceding on behalf of our friends — those around us. And our concerns… our concerns become Your concerns. As our Father, You care for us. You are generous with Your children. You care for Your people of Pathway. And You will come for us just when it is right, without undue delay, because You hear our cry, day and night. You save, not reluctantly, but relentlessly. Father, gloriously so, Your Son has become our access to You. He is the door, the gate, the way. He is our true and only high priest. He suffered. So He understands us. He sympathizes. He makes atonement for us. He is our advocate. And You always hear Him. And You are delighted to always answer Him. Indeed the whole purpose of His incarnation, His death, His resurrection, was to give us access to Your grace. And now this open door makes the success of our prayers assured. Father, we also have an earthly glorious advocate— Your Spirit. Through Your Spirit, You and Your son have made Your home with us. He is our Helper. He is our Comforter. Our Counselor. Our intercessor. He is the agent of Your presence and Your strength in our lives and in the life of Pathway. He seals us in Christ. He gives us new life. He sets us free— free to please You, which we cannot do by nature. He helps us to pray. You have given us hope to encourage us through our suffering. And You have given us Your Spirit to encourage us through our longing— longing for Your new heaven and Your new earth. We are no doubt weak— we are unable to pray as we should, even though prayer is at the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. To pray is to commune with You. It is the hardest of activities because talking to You is where we are most weak. But Your Holy Spirit, in all his great power and wisdom, transforms our inadequate prayers into prayers that You will hear and always approve. You know our hearts. And You know the mind of Your Spirit who takes and who shapes our prayers so that they accord with Your will. Through Your Spirit, you hear the cry and longing of our heart articulated in its truest form— in accordance with Your will. And so, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we ask of Him. In the name of Jesus, who gives us peace with God, who sets us free from the law of sin and death, and through whom we have gained access into this grace in which we now stand, Amen
Inspiring resources
A call to worship creates wonderment, amazement, curiosity, yearning, captivation, provocation, hopefulness, thankfulness, affection, rapture, delight. As these mix together, the response is worship.
If this call to worship leaves you wondering or curious or provoked or hopeful, consider diving into this awesome book which inspired me to write this call to worship.
1
This call to worship was given to the small assembly of Christians that gathered in Pathway Church, Beaverdam, Michigan, on August 7, 2022.