LCC Online Service - 04 April 2021
Welcome
Please click below for the video welcome message.
Good morning and welcome to the Lusaka Community Church Easter service. We are glad you have joined us!
We look forward to joining our hearts and minds together in worship through this on-line medium, through those who will gather today in person at The Retreat, and in unison with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who today offer their lives and voices to worship the risen Lord.
Through this Lenten season we have prepared ourselves once again for the remembrance of Christ Jesus’ work of salvation, his death on the cross, his burial and finally, wonderfully, his resurrection from the dead. In the shedding of his blood, he bought forgiveness for our sins and brought about a new covenant, where we can know restored fellowship with God through faith in him. In his resurrection he brought about victory over death and the grave, and we can now have a confident hope in our own resurrection and life eternal. Praise be to God!
I would like to read from the Gospel of John as we begin our time together this morning, the account of the empty tomb found in John 20:1-18. John 20:1-18 and I am reading from the New Living Translation.
20 Early on Sunday morning,[a] while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home. 11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
We say together this day: Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Let us pray together:
Father God, we thank you this day for your great love that sent your only son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on our behalf, not wanting any of us to perish, but to know eternal life through faith in him. Lord Jesus, we thank you this day for your submission to the Father’s will and your obedience, even to death on the cross. Thank you for all that you accomplished, finally and eternally on our behalf, the forgiveness of sins and life abundant, everlasting. Holy Spirit, thank you for sealing us in this great salvation, for indwelling us as your temple, for empowering us to live our lives as an offering of worship to our loving, gracious God.
Father, Son and Spirit, we offer you the praise from our lips and the surrender of our lives, that you would receive the glory due your name this day and forever.
We pray these things in the name of our risen Lord Jesus, amen.
Lift your voices in praise as we sing together now…
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Please select “play” on the image below and join with us in worshiping our Lord and Saviour.
Song List:
- O Praise the Name - Shane & Shane
- See What a Morning - Kristyn Getty, Margaret Becker, Joanne Hogg
- Happy Day - Hillsong
- In Christ Alone - Keith & Kristyn Getty, Alison Krauss
- Blessed Assurance - Jeremy Riddle
sermon
Sermon - Chad Morreau - Surrender
Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-10; 1 Samuel 2:26
Please select Play below (depending on your bandwidth it could take a few seconds to buffer and play):
If you have issues playing the sermon, you can download the audio version directly from OneDrive here:
Sermon Download
Prayer
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.20 But the wicked will perish:
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.34 Hope in the Lord
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
- Psalm 37 (NIV)
He is risen - Praise be to Him forever and ever
Pray for Chad, Callie and family as they continue to settle into their new home.
Pray for those who are ill and give thanks for those who are healed of sickness.
Pray for Daniella during her period of mourning.
Pray for those doing the Lord’s work in Chipata. Please ask God to show you how to pray over Chipata.
Pray for all healthcare providers and their families for strength and encouragement. And pray for all who minister in Hospitals and clinics in evangelical ways for the Church to pray more and care more.
Pray for the prison ministry work.
Please share your praises and prayer needs with any of the Elders via WhatsApp or email the church email or via the Prayer Form so that we can all continue being in prayer for one another.
Giving
Tithing and giving can be done through online transfer facilities (wire, mobile, & bank). We currently do not offer direct debit or credit card donations, but some have found TransferWise to be a helpful platform for transferring money locally or internationally (minimal transaction fees).
If you are unable to use contactless methods, you can still drop-off your offering at the church office during regular working hours. You can confirm any details with the church administrator by calling, texting, or WhatsApp: +260966800100
The church bank account details are below if you would like to use online transfer facilities:
Account name: Lusaka Community Church
$ acc #: 8700220232300
K acc #: 0150420232300
Bank: Standardchartered
Branch: Manda Hill
Branch code: 03000
Swift code: SCBLZMLX
Address: Roma Park, 609 Zambezi Drive, Lusaka, 10101
Benediction
May the celebration of resurrected life bring new hope to your being.
May the victory over earthly death turn your eyes to the promises of heaven.
May the empty tomb help you to leave your sorrows at the foot of the cross.
So that God's hope, promises and forgiveness reign in your life forever.Amen