LCC Online Service - 06 December 2020
Welcome
Please click below for the video welcome message.
Good Morning everyone and a warm welcome to our LCC online church service,
This morning, I would like to share the following scripture with you:
2 Corinthians 3:17
…Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (freedom). We have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, He is everything we need for life on earth.
Let us pray and commit this service to our Lord Jesus Christ and to the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit.
At our men’s prayer meeting a few weeks ago, we discussed the power of God and how we, as Christians, need to have a revelation of what power has been delegated to us through the Holy Spirit and through the name of Jesus Christ. We so aptly tack onto the end of our prayers “in the name of Jesus” but do we have a revelation of the mighty power that is in the name of Jesus? Today, I will briefly share some Bible verses on the name of Jesus. These are just the tip of the iceberg - there is so much to the name of Jesus.
Let’s read from Matthew 1:21,
“Mary, you will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
We see this idea of God being with us repeated in Matthew 18:20, “For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in My name, there I Am in the midst of them.”
Acts 2:38 Peter said to them,
“Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Not only we are saved by the name of Jesus, but we are also baptized into the Name of Jesus.
Jesus gave the body of Christ this promise: John 14:13-15 “And I will do whatever you ask in My Name, so that the Father may be glorified through the Son. I will grant whatever you shall ask in My Name. If you really love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.” This is like being given a signed blank cheque, but it comes with a condition, obedience. We like the first part, but perhaps not the second as much.
In Acts, as the church met in homes, the name of Jesus was the centre around which everything revolved. Here are some instances how the name of Jesus was used:
Colossians 3:17:
“And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.”
Ephesians 5:20:
“At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”
Hebrews 13:15:
“Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.”
1 Corinthians 6:11:
“…And you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God.”
James 5:1:
“Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders. And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s name.”
1 John 3:23
“And this is His order (His command): that we should believe in (put our faith and trust in) the name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another, just as He has commanded us.”
From these scriptures, we get a picture how the church in Acts were taught; they were totally dependent on the Name of Jesus.
May we, as the body of Christ, receive a revelation that our hearts may be enlightened to know the mighty power in the Name of Jesus. As a church, may we move as the church did in the book of Acts to bring glory to God. God’s story is not finished. He can use us mightily to do His work, if we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to work through us and not in our own strength.
Now we are going into praise and worship and then onto today’s sermon.
Praise and Worship
Please select “play” on the image below and join with us in worshiping our Lord and Saviour.
Song List:
- Hosanna: Praise Is Rising - Paul Baloche
- Hope Of Heaven - Emmanuel North Point Worship
- O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Sovereign Grace
- O Little Town of Bethlehem - Studio Musicians
sermon
Sermon - Andrew Betteridge - Advent Series Part 2 - Prophecy-Waiting-Preparation
Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25, Luke 1:26-55 , Isaiah 11,
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
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”- Luke 1:46-55
Praise God for His mercy.
Praise God that nothing is impossible with Him.
Give thanks to God for His never-ending love.
Pray for Chad, Callie and family as they spend time with family and prepare to join us in the the new year.
Pray for Kate who has been transferred to hospice care. Praise that she has divine peace in this time, but we continue to pray for good management of pain and comfort for her and her family.
Pray for those in our Church family going through health issues.
Pray for financial provision, sustainability, and stewardship for LCC.
Pray for continued wisdom for the government in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pray for the prison ministry work.
Pray for the work in Chipata.
Pray for wisdom and guidance for the Elders.
Pray for opportunities to proclaim the Gospel fearlessly as we should.
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
If you are able to commit to regular giving, please click on the following link and complete the form: Pledge Form
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
Thank you
Thank you for joining us today in worshipping God together.
Benediction
Go now: wait and work for the coming of the day of God.
In the wild places, prepare a straight path for the Lord.
Lead lives of holiness and godliness,
strive to be found at peace,
and speak freely of the Lord’s comfort and promise.
May God, our shepherd, gather you in loving arms;
May Christ Jesus reconcile justice and peace within you;
And may the Holy Spirit baptize you into the life of God.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ.Amen.