Lee Street Church
Notes of Meeting 23rd August 2020
The Zoom meeting was attended by about 23 people.
Sue and the Worship Team led the service.
Psalm 95: v1 -7
“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”
What a tremendous inspiring psalm!
SONG - Come let us worship the King of Kings (1203)
Psalm 47 v6-8
“Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.”
SONG: Crown Him with many crowns (77)
In the Gospel of John, an all-important phrase, spoken by Jesus, is repeated seven times. Jesus repeats the words “I am.” The Gospel of John is the only Gospel that contains all seven of Jesus’ “I am” statements, and each one is significant and has special meaning.
These “I am” statements point back to the Old Testament and also forward to the kingdom. They actually prove that Jesus is God and was the God of the Old Testament. That’s what the Apostle Paul seemed to understand as well.
God revealed Himself to Moses, in the burning bush, with a resounding “I AM,” and “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Ex 3:14). I AM meaning always “being,” unlike us who only came into being after birth. We are human, finite beings, but God is and always was, since He dwells in eternity.
When God calls Himself the “I Am”, it’s a pivotal moment in redemptive history. God reveals Himself to His people and comes to redeem them out of exile and lead them into a new life. God’s name discloses who He is and what He is like. He is the I Am, the eternal, unchanging, self-existent one, infinite and glorious in every way, and above and beyond all created things. He is God.
Jesus used the same words to describe Himself:
In John 4 v26 Jesus declared: “I who speak to you am He”.
In John 6 v20: "It is I, don’t be afraid.”
And in John 13 v19: “I am telling you before it happens so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.”
When Jesus applies the title “I Am” to himself, he claims to be God. Not a helper to God or a great teacher, but the divine, eternal, pre-existent, infinite, perfect Being. He is Israel’s God. He is as much greater than Moses because he is the God of Moses. He has life in himself and he can give life to us.
In the repetition of the seven I AMs in John, we see the fullness of His character.
It is these seven I AMs that we’re going to be looking at throughout this morning’s service.
SONG: You are the sovereign I AM (1657)
You are the sovereign I Am,
Your name is holy
You are the pure spotless Lamb,
Your name is holy...You are the Almighty One,
Your name is holy
You are the Christ, God's own Son,
Your name is holy
In Your name, there is mercy for sin
There is safety within, in Your holy name
In Your name, there is strength to remain
To stand in spite of pain, in Your holy name
Brian Doerksen
I am the bread of life
In John 6 v35 Jesus said “I am the bread of life.” He also said in chapter 6 v41: “I am the bread that came down from heaven”; in v48: “I am the bread of life; and in v51: ”I am the living bread”
As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life. "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
Jesus spoke these words after a quiet night alone in the wilderness. He fled to this wilderness after the miracle of feeding the 5,000 men (and more women and children) with just five loaves and two fish. Following this miracle and these words, the people, somehow, still asked for a sign that they could believe in Him. After all, they argued, their ancestors had manna. He told them in v26 “you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” They only wanted more bread for their stomach, so Jesus said, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal” Jesus assured them that although their ancestors were given manna, they were dead. He offered the kind of Bread that those who ate would never die.
Jesus, as the Bread of Life, offers each of us life everlasting.
SONG: Break Thou the bread of life (50)
BREAK THOU THE BREAD OF LIFE,
Dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the bread
Beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page
I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit longs for Thee,
Thou Living Word.
Thou art the Bread of Life,
O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth
That saveth me;
Give me to eat and live
With Thee above;
Teach me to love Thy truth,
For Thou art love.
O send Thy Spirit, Lord,
Now unto me,
That He may touch my eyes
And make me see;
Show me the truth concealed
Within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed,
I see Thee, Lord.
Bless Thou the Bread of Life
To me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the loaves
By Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease,
All fetters fall,
And I shall find my peace,
My all in all.
SONG: Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah (148)
I am the light of the world
In John 8 v12 Jesus states His 2nd I AM - "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
Jesus uttered these words to a group that witnessed an incredible scene. Teaching in the temple, a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. As the accusers attempted to trick Jesus by asking if He thought the woman should be stoned, Jesus mutely wrote in the sand. The accusers evaporated and the embarrassed woman was set free with forgiveness and the admonition to turn away from the darkness. Now, turning to the remaining assembled people, Jesus tells them that He is the Light of the world.
For those who don’t believe, whether they realize it or not, they are walking in darkness and in the ways of their father the Devil, however, such were we too. The light of Christ brings us out of darkness and into the light, and for those who believe, they will no longer walk in darkness.
SONG: Light of the world (1419)
Jesus, as the Light of the world, offers a choice between the darkness of sin and the glistening light of a life in His presence. To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide.
SONG: Jesus Hope of the Nations (1385)
I am the door/gate (in some bible versions)
In John 10 v7 “I am the gate for the sheep.”
And again in v9: "I am the gate. Whoever enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."
How does God describe Himself to His creation? In John 10, Jesus tapped into something familiar to each of His listeners—shepherding. Likely, the bleats of nearby sheep echoed behind Him as He spoke. Anyone sneaking into a sheepfold by any means than the door/ gate was not there legitimately. The only legitimate access to the sheep was through the door/gate. He guards the door to the sheep pen, by lying down at the door, as shepherds used to (and some still) do. That’s why He says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture”. No one gets in the pen without going through the door, and that door is Jesus Christ.
Jesus protects His followers as shepherds protect their flocks from predators.
Jesus is that Door/gate and He alone offers the true path to salvation.
SONG: Seek ye first (493)
The next I AM is interwoven with the last
I am the good shepherd
John 10 v11 tells us” I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep” and in v14: “I am the good shepherd I know my sheep and they know me- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jesus is the door and so much more. He is the Shepherd—the One whose voice the sheep know and trust. The sheep are helpless without the shepherd because the shepherd leads them to green pastures; leads them to still waters (Psalm 23) (because sheep are easily frightened by moving water),- I hadn’t realised the meaning behind these words that we sing so often until preparing for today!) This Shepherd says willingly, “I lay down my life for the sheep”
The Shepherd will protect and save the sheep at any cost. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, died to save each of us.
Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His.
The words of Song 1649 read:
“You are my Shepherd, I have no needs, You lead me by peaceful streams and You refresh my life. You hold my hand and You guide my steps. I could walk through the valley of death and I won't be afraid because You are in control. You cause everything to work together. You truly have a sovereign plan. You know who I am, You made me who I am, and You love who I am!”
SONG: The Lord’s my shepherd (1030)
I am the resurrection and the life
John 11 v25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Jesus’ friends, Mary and Martha, are distraught. Jesus has arrived too late—their brother Lazarus is dead. The grieving Martha hears Him say, “Your brother will rise again,” and she responds in faith, affirming that he will rise in the last days. But Jesus has other, more immediate plans for Lazarus.
Since Jesus raised people from the dead, He could say this with authority. Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters, found this statement to be true, even though Jesus was speaking of those who have eternal life by believing in Him.
Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, will raise all who believe in the last days, just as He raised Lazarus. After this life and death, all who trust in Christ will, live again. Jesus has been asking this question for 2,000 years; “Do you believe this?”
SONG: Oh the mercy of God (958)
Oh, the mercy of God, the glory of grace,
That You chose to redeem us, to forgive and restore,
And You call us Your children, chosen in Him
To be holy and blameless to the glory of God.
To the praise of His glorious grace,
To the praise of His glory and power;
To Him be all glory, honour and praise
Forever and ever and ever, amen.
Oh, the richness of grace, the depths of His love,
In Him is redemption, the forgiveness of sin.
You called us as righteous, predestined in Him
For the praise of His glory, included in Christ.
Oh, the glory of God expressed in His Son,
His image and likeness revealed to us all;
The plea of the ages completed in Christ,
That we be presented perfected in Him.
Geoff Bullock.
Copyright © 1997 Watershed Productions/
Kingsway’s Thankyou Music.
Death is not the final word for those in Christ.
SONG: He came to earth (161)
HE CAME TO EARTH, not to be served,
But gave His life to be a ransom for many;
The Son of God, the Son of man,
He shared our pain and bore our sins in His body.
King of kings and Lord of lords,
I lift my voice in praise;
Such amazing love, but I do believe
This King has died for me.
And so I stand, a broken soul,
To see the pain that I have brought to Jesus;
And yet each heart will be consoled,
To be made new, the joy of all believers.
And from now on, through all my days,
I vow to live each moment here for Jesus;
Not looking back, but giving praise
For all my Lord has done for this believer.
John Pantry.Copyright © 1990 Kingsway’s
Thankyou Music.
I am the way, the truth, and the life
In John 14 v6 we read: “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Thomas and the rest of Jesus’ disciples could not comprehend His leaving them. He warned them—on multiple occasions—but they could not seem to accept it. As they struggled with this, Jesus helped them to see the Father and to understand that they were one.
Jesus, in saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”, was declaring He was not one of many ways, but the one and only way. (In Acts 4:12: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”).
He is also “the truth,” not “a truth” or “having truth,” We know He was full of grace and truth (John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”)
Grace without truth could lead to a license to sin, but truth without grace can end up as legalism. Jesus, as “the truth,” means Jesus is truthful in everything He says. Jesus is the source of all truth and knowledge about God.
Finally, Jesus says He is the life, meaning He is the resurrection and the life. There is no other way, than through Jesus, to receive eternal life.
SONG: All my days (1158)
Jesus, as the Way, the Truth and the Life, is God, and is our only Source of salvation.
I AM The Vine
The last of the seven “I AMs” in John is found in chapter15 v5: "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.
As Jesus spoke, the vines hung heavy with ripened fruit throughout the region. His listeners understood the significance of the vine and the dependency the branches had to the source of nutrition and water.
The vine was symbolic of ancient Israel. So much so that it was actually engraved in the temple and other various places. Israel was to be a fruitful vine, however, Jesus, as the Vine, is the only way a branch can produce fruit. Without abiding in Christ, the true Vine, we can do nothing. He is the source of the fruit of our branches.
If we do not abide in Him, there may be no further use for the branch (John 15:6: “ If anyone does not remain in me, he is like the branch that is thrown away and withers such branches are picked up and thrown into the fire and burned.”
However, verse 7 goes on to say: “If you abide / remain in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” and in this way, Jesus says in verse 8: “my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples”.
Notice it proves we are His disciples if we bear “much fruit.” This fruit is borne in many different ways (Matt 25:34-39 is where we hear of the King calling home his people those who had fed the hungry; invited the stranger in etc which sums up that whatever we do for others, we are doing for God.
If we are abiding in the Vine, there will be fruit. John 15 v1: “I am the true vine.” By being attached ourselves to Christ, we enable His life to flow in and through us. Then we cannot help but bear fruit that will honour the Father.
Jesus, as the Vine, is our Source of life—life today and everlasting life.
SONG: You are the vine (629)
The Gospel of John records this repeated phrase “I am” seven times. Each repetition adds another layer of understanding of His character until we see His form perfectly.
SONG: You are the great I AM (1129)
You are the great I AM,
Forever You will be.
Let every angel sing
Of Your perfect authority.
Every knee will bow
And every tongue confess;
You are the great I AM,
The First and Last
Mighty, (Mighty)
Eternal, (Eternal)
Immortal, (Immortal)
Awesome One. (Awesome One)
Mysterious, (Mysterious)
The Wonderful, (the Wonderful)
The Holy One, (the Holy One)
The Beginning and the End.
Tommy Walker.
Copyright © 1991 WeMobile Music/Doulos Publishing/Adm. by CopyCare.
Conclusion
The seven “I Am” statements in John might best be understood as falling under and echoing this initial, ultimate claim of Jesus. He is God, and he is the God of Israel. All the Old Testament and God’s redemptive acts were pointing to the coming of Jesus as the God-in-flesh, the true and better Israel, and the fulfilment of all the Old Testament.
John adds another “I AM,” of a sort, in the Book of Revelation, where he wrote about seeing Jesus; “I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore.” “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and was, and who is to come.”
Some glorious day, we will see Jesus. In the meantime we need to be living every day in His strength and remaining in His love.
SONG: Throughout the earth Your glory will come (1064)
Throughout the earth Your glory will come,
A day of power, of salvation.
To thirsty hearts Your rivers will run,
Changing lives for the glory of God.
From Satan’s hold this land will be free,
The deaf will hear, the blind will see;
To walk in truth, in victory,
To live for the glory of God.
Lord, come and reign by the power of Your Spirit,
Shower this land with Your rivers of
life,
That Jesus the Son would be glorified
Within the heart of Your Bride,
Lord, come and reign
Upon the earth may Your kingdom come,
Within our lives may Your will be done;
Under the reign of Jesus the Son
We will live for the glory of God.
The gates of heaven are open wide,
To bless this land, to turn back the tide,
To welcome in Your glorious Bride,
To live for the glory of God.
James Wright.
Copyright © 1996 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music.
Prayer Time
We remembered a number of our members and friends in special need of God’s comfort, healing and peace at this time.
Next Sunday:
Zoom meeting 10.30am – speaker Mark Watts
24/08/2020