The first fruit of a new creation.
A call to worship.
Themes
The third day of Creation • Adam • Dead humanity • New Creation • Resurrection • Resurrected life • We belong to Christ
As Jesus Christ died, we, too, have died. As He was raised from the dead, we, too, have been raised from the dead. As He walks in new human life, we, too, walk in new life.
Scripture reading
1 Corinthians 15:20–23
This call to worship1 is from something Paul wrote in a letter to his friends in Corinth.
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. In fact, He is the firstfruits — the first of a great harvest — of all who have died. So you see, just as death came through a man, now the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. Said more specifically, in the same way that we all die because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be made alive. There’s an order to this though. Christ was raised from the dead first — He was the first of the harvest. Then all the others who belong to Christ, when He comes, they too will be raised.
Prayer
Father in heaven, there’s a lot we can be thankful for. But we’re most thankful for Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead on the third day according to your scriptures. On the third day of creation, you said, “Let the land grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants… all bearing fruit with seeds…” On that third day, you provided the very first fruits of creation — the first ever harvest, a harvest of fruit… fruit filled with seed — fruit filled with the next generation of fruit tucked away inside. And it was the same with Adam. He was the first fruit of humanity. You placed the seeds for all humanity in him. When Adam sinned, we sinned. When Adam died, we died. And so we’ve all been born into a dead humanity. And apart from Jesus Christ, it seems, Father, that we’ve all lived that out pretty well. Thank you for Jesus Christ. Who on the third day of a new creation, was the first fruit of new life — of new creation, of resurrection from the dead. And so as He died, we, too, have died. As He was raised from the dead, we, too, have been raised from the dead. As He walks in new human life, we, too, walk in new life. Father, because He was the first fruit of our new creation, can you continue, this morning, to breath new resurrected life in us? Can you enable us to live as though you have redeemed us? To live as though we are forgiven? To live as though Christ is our resurrection and our life? Because He is. Because we do belong to Christ. Thank you, Father. And He is here — here with us now. In this place. Teaching us, this morning, how to live new life. In the name of Jesus Christ, our resurrection and our life, Amen
1
This call to worship was given to the small assembly of Christians that gathered in Pathway Church, Beaverdam, Michigan, on Sunday, October 31, 2021.