Call to Worship March 22 2015
We worship our God in thanksgiving of His grace toward sinners. Charles Spurgeon said, “What an honor to have been among the first to hope in Christ.” Quoting Paul, in Ephesians 1, Spurgeon reminds us of this great honor and blessing granted us by the Father, in the Son, through the Spirit. We come today in thanksgiving and praise remembering this honor. The honor reminds us of the grace of God in His plan before time and humbles us in His presence. The honor reminds us of the purposed painful plan of redemption and we bow in awe of its candid complex completion. The honor reminds us of the gripping, gracious, gradual work of the Spirit and focuses us on our inability. All of these reminders point us to the power of our one God in three persons and the reality of the deathly dreadfulness of sin. So, may we never forget the honor endowed to us of hearing and believing in Christ.
1 Peter 5:6–11 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. Pastor Brandon F Smith