LCC Online Service - 13 December 2020
Welcome
Please click below for the video welcome message.
Welcome everyone to today’s Lusaka Community Church Online Sunday Service.
Today we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent – which is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday…
Gaudete is the Latin term for “Rejoice”…
This comes from the latin Bible, the vulgate of Paul’s letter to Philippians, the Vulgate..4:4-7
Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.
Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say rejoice.Philippians..4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The theme of the 3rd week of advent is more about joy and peace that comes with it...in view of the expectation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The joy that comes with the Christmas is the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem.
Gaudete Sunday and the days that lead to the Nativity of the Lord Jesus – is an opportunity for all of us to rejoice because our Salvation is at hand.
Christian joy is the experience of knowing that we are unconditionally loved by God our Father – who when the fullness came – gave his only beloved Son to be our Redeemer and Saviour.
No sickness, failure, distress, oppression, war, or even death - can take this love and this joy away from us.
The Gaudete Sunday, the "Sunday of joy", is a great occasion for us think deeply and to be grateful to God for all that he gives us… above all for giving us Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
Praise and Worship
Please select “play” on the image below and join with us in worshiping our Lord and Saviour.
Song List:
- What a Beautiful Name / Agnus Dei - Travis & Lily Cottrell
- O Holy Night Lyric Video - Hillsong Worship
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing - Chris Tomlin
- Joy To The World - Phil Wickham
sermon
Sermon - Paul Cumming - Advent Series Part 3 - Joy & Peace
Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7; Luke 2:10-11; John 14:27; Romans 5:1-5; Philippians 4:7; Psalm 16:11
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
communion
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
Rejoice in the Lord.
Praise God for His provision this year.
Give thanks to God for the rains and new seasons.
Pray for Chad, Callie and family that they find rest during this wonderful time with family. Pray that their house sells and that all the other logistics continue to progress well, including immigration submission in the coming weeks.
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 and wisdom for LCC.
Pray for continued perseverance and wisdom for the government in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please pray for Vanessa (Swart) who is scheduled to undergo abdominal surgery on Monday. Pray for God's leading, and guidance, in and over the whole procedure.
Pray for the prison ministry work and for God’s presence to be experienced by staff and inmates .
Pray for the work in Chipata.
Pray for wisdom and guidance for the Elders.
Pray for opportunities to proclaim the Gospel fearlessly.
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
Benediction
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.- Philippians 4:4-7
Amen.