Lee Street Church
Notes of on-line meeting held on 10th May 2020
We welcomed 25 people on-line, including Stewart and May Smith from Sydney.
Sue led the worship time.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve thought of Easter and the resurrection and that tremendous hope we know we have, through belief in Jesus as our Saviour.
Take time to ponder on all the blessings we have been given in Christ. Let this lead to praise.
Psalm 96 v1-9
“Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. “
Ephesians 1 v18
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance.”
BLESSÈD BE YOUR NAME
In the land that is plentiful,
Where Your streams of abundance flow,
Blessèd be Your name.
And blessèd be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place,
Though I walk through the wilderness,
Blessèd be Your name.
Every blessing You pour out I'll
Turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord,
Still I will say:
Blessèd be the name of the Lord,
Blessèd be Your name
Blessèd be the name of the Lord,
Blessèd be Your glorious name.
Blessèd be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me,
When the world's 'all as it should be',
Blessèd be Your name.
And blessèd be Your name
On the road marked with suffering,
Though there's pain in the offering,
Blessèd be Your name.
You give and take away,
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say:
Lord, blessèd be Your name
Blessèd be the name of the Lord,
Blessèd be Your name
Blessèd be the name of the Lord,
Blessèd be Your glorious name.
Matt & Beth Redman Copyright © 2002 Thankyou Music
Very apt words for times we are in.
The name of Jesus is the most powerful name there is. God gave Jesus the name that is above every name.
Philippians 2 v9
“Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Ephesians 1 v18 +19
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every title that can be given , not only in the present age but also in the one to come”.
Why is this name so powerful? It is the sacrifice He made through living the perfect life; dying a sinners’ death; and being resurrected. The name is powerful because of Jesus Christ the person.
The next verse instructs us;
Colossians 3v 15-17
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him.”
When we pray, we have the power of Jesus, at work within us. We acknowledge the power of Jesus’ name.
Hillsong Video- “What a beautiful name” (Available on YouTube)
Poem- from friendship book
I felt this poem could give us some encouragement, because it reinforces on what we’ve been thinking about in the name of Jesus being so powerful because it reflects His person. This poem speaks of the centre of that person- His amazing love.
“His love is like a gentle breeze, that brushes my cheek and travels with ease.
His love is like the open sea, so wide and deep and flowing free.
His love is like the prettiest flower, that brings such joy in a dismal hour.
His love is like the sun’s warm rays, brightening even the saddest of days.
His love is like a crystal stream, that sparkles with the sunshine’s gleam.
His love is like a warm embrace, making our troubles fade without trace.
He loves us with a love so true, that we can’t help but love Him too.”
Revelation 15 v3-4
Great and marvellous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to your Name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.
Acts 4 v12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Jesus, what a beautiful name.
Son of God, Son of Man,
Lamb that was slain.
Joy and peace, strength and hope,
Grace that blows all fear away.
Jesus, what a beautiful name.
Jesus, what a beautiful name.
Truth revealed, my future sealed,
Healed my pain.
Love and freedom, life and warmth,
Grace that blows all fear away.
Jesus, what a beautiful name.
Jesus, what a beautiful name.
Rescued my soul, my stronghold,
Lifts me from shame.
Forgiveness, security, power and love,
Grace that blows all fear away.
Jesus, what a beautiful name.
Tanya Riches
Copyright © 1995 Tanya Riches/Hillsongs
Australia/Kingsway’s Thankyou Music.
Notes on Euan Menzies talk.
Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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Euan began by talking about communication, and the new methods we are using to counter isolation in national lock-down
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God wants to speak to us, to reveal who He is, and for Him to be known by us.
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There appears to be a growing desire to learn about Him, judging by the number of people who have tuned in to services on TV, radio and on-line in the past 4 weeks.
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We don’t need to look far to see how God has revealed himself in His world. We see His glory declared (i) in the immensity, complexity, and variety in every part of creation, (ii) at all times - every day and night 24/7, and (iii) everywhere to the ends of the earth.
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Think about the sun – in just the right place to support life here on earth.
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Romans 1:20 “Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
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What God wants is a response – for people to worship the Creator, not just His creation.
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As Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”.
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So we need to take heed to how God has revealed Himself in the Bible
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His word shows (i) His authority (ii) His ways (iii) His will , and (iv) His judgement verdict.
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It is trustworthy (in contrast to much which we read each day in the “news”).
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When read, it – revives the soul, gives us wisdom, rejoices the heart, opens our eyes, it is completely right, and it endures for ever.
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What God wants is for his word to change our lives – He wants a response from us. The way we treat His word and His world reflects what we think of God Himself.
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Are we learning from His word how great He is? What His will is for our lives? Are we whole-hearted in our response to Him?
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Re-read Psalm 19, and consider the ways in which the heavens truly declare the glory of God.
Bryan shared a thought – the Bible is Basic Information Before Leaving Earth”
BEML
11/5/2020