A New Covenant Call to Worship

This call to worship invites the congregation to turn their attention toward God. Brief, to-the-point, and motivating. This call to worship is taken from the twelfth chapter of Hebrews. Chapter 12 comes directly after the “Hall of Faith” of Hebrews chapter 11.

The new covenant

The ultimate reward of enduring hardship and discipline folds back into the theme of Hebrews: the superiority of the new covenant. Here, a comparison is made between the manner in which the old covenant was introduced, as opposed to how we perceive the new covenant. Unlike the “shock and awe” of Mount Sinai, which inspired reasonable fear, the new covenant offers us peace and security. While the fallen world, and even the earth itself, were rattled by the Word of God, and will one day be destroyed, the new covenant offers us grace; this is the only way we can be members of “a kingdom that cannot be shaken”

The writer contrasts Mt. Sinai, and the giving of the Law, with the heavenly Mt. Zion, and the blessings of grace in the church. There is a solemnity, and even terror, that were involved in the giving of the Law. The people were afraid to hear God’s voice, and even Moses feared and trembled!

Mount Zion

What a relief it is to move from Mt Sinai to Mt Zion! Whereas Mt Sinai represents the Old Covenant of Law, Mt Zion represents the New Covenant of grace in Jesus Christ. He describes the “citizens” that make up the population of Mt. Zion. Innumerable angels worship there, doing as we are called to do. The church is there, for believers have their citizenship in heaven and their names are written in heaven. God is there of course, and so are the Old Testament saints. Jesus Christ the Mediator is there the One who shed His blood for us.

Look up

When the days are difficult and we are having a hard time enduring that is when we should look up and contemplate the glories of heaven. One way to lay hold of God’s grace is to look ahead by faith to the wonderful future He has prepared for us.

Scripture recitation

You, too, can recite passages of Scripture, speaking God’s word into the lives of others. This is one of many recitation videos in the collection at the By Heart videos webpage. It is a wonderful example of how, in whatever way you naturally communicate, you can convey the message of the Bible. Visit the By Heart website to learn how you can memorize Scripture and learn to recite.