LCC Online Service - 12 April 2020
Welcome
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
We rejoice this day because Emmanuel, God with us, is with us today, tomorrow and for all eternity. He conquered the grave. Jesus’ death and resurrection was the making of all things right, the Kingdom is coming here on Earth, as God works forth His plan for us to be fully with Him as He is fully with us.
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (ESV)
As I prepared what I was going to write for this online service, I found the following words penned by John Calvin, which he wrote as a preface to a french translation of the Bible almost five hundred years ago. And it was a great reminder to me of the relationship that we are drawn into with Christ our Lord and King:
He, Christ, is Isaac, the beloved Son of the Father who was offered as a sacrifice but nevertheless did not succumb to the power of death.
He is Jacob the watchful shepherd, who has such great care for the sheep which he guards.
He is the good and compassionate brother Joseph who in his glory was not ashamed to acknowledge his brothers however lowly and abject their condition.
He is the great sacrifice and bishop Melchizedek who was offered an eternal sacrifice once for all.
Jesus is the sovereign lawgiver Moses writing his law on the tables of our hearts by his Spirit.
He is the faithful captain and guide Joshua to lead us to our promised land.
He is the victorious and noble king David bringing by his hand all rebellious power to subjection.
Jesus is the magnificent and triumphant king Solomon governing his kingdom in peace and prosperity.
He is the strong and powerful Samson who by his death has overwhelmed all of his enemies.
This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture:
Truly to know Jesus Christ and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father.
If one were to sift thoroughly the law and the prophets, he would not find a single word which would not draw and bring us to him.
Therefore rightly does Saint Paul say in another passage that he would know nothing except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
- John Calvin (expert from John Calvin’s preface to his cousin’s (Olivétan) french translation of the New Testament (1535)) -
We rejoice this day that Christ is alive and even more so that He is alive in us. Praise to Him forevermore.
Praise and Worship
If you missed the live worship time we had on Zoom, we invite you to still worship with us now.
Please select “play” on the image below and join with us in worshiping our Lord and Saviour. The video is a playlist so it should automatically transition to the next song.
Song List:
- King of kings - Hillsong (printable lyric sheet )
- Living hope - Phil Wickham (printable lyric sheet )
- Jesus paid it all - Kristian Stanfill (printable lyric sheet )
- Cornerstone - Hillsong (printable lyric sheet )
sermon
Sermon - Ken Bowker - Perspectives of Easter
Scripture: Luke chapters 22, 23, & 24; Matthew chapters 27 & 28; and Acts 2
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 it directly from Dropbox here:
Sermon Download
Prayer
Let us spend this time in prayer praising our Lord and King seeking His face and asking for His kingdom to come and will to be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Pray for all those who are fearful that they may be drawn to God's Word for peace.
Pray for the Government to find efficient and effective ways to manage the Country through the pandemic.
Pray for courage strength and recovery for Kate, Farai and Hope.
Pray for the Pastor Call Committee.
Pray for God's Mercy on Zambia.
Give Praise, Honour and Glory to God .
Give thanks for God's Word The Bible.
Additional prayer points during this time of COVID-19 can be found on a prayer guide that SIM put together: #praytoendcovid19 prayer points
Please share your praises and prayer needs with any of the Elders via WhatsApp or email the church email so that we can all continue being in prayer for one another.
Giving
Our church overheads continue to accrue each month and our income is not matching expenditure. We are well aware that we are all under tight financial conditions. We pray that we as a church can join together to further the ministries of the church and surrender our finances in this way for the Lords work.
If you feel led to give to the church you can drop-off your offering at the church office during regular working hours or can use online transfer facilities. If you would like to confirm with the church administrator for a drop-off please call, text, or WhatsApp: +260966800100
If you want your offering to go to a specific person/project/purpose simply write this on an envelope and place your offering inside this.
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
This is our third week offering an online service, and we are so thankful that we are able to join together through this. We are looking at additional ways to improve the online services in the future. And are praying about ways to stay connected as a church family. Please if you find this format helpful or would like to be encouraged other ways please let us know by completing the following form (responses will only be viewed by the elders):
Feedback - Click Here
Reminders
LCC Care Groups:
As a church, we have created LCC Care Groups to encourage each other and help each other through the next few weeks. We have divided the church under an elder and/or leadership member who is finding ways to connect us together in smaller groups. Some have started WhatsApp groups with the intention of being a place to check in with everyone, encourage each other and maybe have some video chats/prayer time together. These groups are not necessarily a place to share news updates/info about Covid 19 videos, but are intended to be a safe space to encourage one another.
If you have not been contacted by an elder or leadership member, please complete the following form so that we can add you to a Care Group within the church: LCC Fellowship Groups - Google Form
Grace and boundaries:
We can find ourselves confused, stressed, and fearful with all the news reports being shared with us on social media and news outlets. We need to remind ourselves to set specific boundaries on when and how long we will spend absorbing the never ending information available to us, especially if it is causing anxiety and fear.
If you are becoming anxious or fearful, disconnect from the bombardment of information and reach out to the elders and other Christians to pray and read the scriptures with. Place boundaries in your life regarding the 24/7 news we receive in this day and age. We encourage you to shut-off your devices and spend time in prayer and meditation on the scriptures.
May we spend time meditating on God’s greatness, might, and holiness, because when we do, the fear of this world will fade away. For God is greater than COVID-19, He is greater than death, and no matter what happens in this World, we are sons and daughters of the King. He has His arms wide open to us, if only we turn and fall into them.
Benediction
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
- 1 Peter 1:3-25 (ESV) -