Theology

 *29/12/2021* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 42:2-5 *The Servant of the LORD III* The Servant's rejection is heard for the first time. Isaiah 49:4 Isaiah 50:5,6 Isaiah 53:4-9 The phrase *a bruised reed* represents the poor and needy according to Isaiah 41:17; 42:7. The phrase *not break* is an understatement for the positive equivalent: "mend" or "restore". A *smoking flax* represents those who have almost lost their faith and hope in the Lord. *The Servant has come to restore the poor and needy and encourage people in the faith*  Matthew 11:5 *The Servant is more than another Moses* Deuteronomy 18:15-18 Acts 3:22-26 *The Servant has mediated the New Covenant* 2 Corinthians 3:3 Hebrews 8:7-13 *The Lord God introduces Himself as the source of all physical and spiritual life - breath and spirit - for He has enabled the Servant to free people from dea

 *26/12/2021* *ANOINTING HEALING AND COMMUNION SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 42:1 *The Servant of the LORD* The Lord formally presents His Servant. The title *My Servant* is identified with Jesus Christ in the New Testament according to Matthew 12:15-21. Isaiah may have foreshadowed Him, but *only Christ brings universal justice (Isaiah 42:4) and an everlasting covenant (Isaiah 42:6).* *When God upholds a person, nothing can bring him down (Isaiah 41:10)* The Servant - that is, Jesus - possessed the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 4:4; 11:2; 48:16; 59:21; 61:1; Luke 3:22) which empowered Him to bring *justice* to the world. *©2021* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS*

 *2021 CHRISTMAS SERVICE* THEME: *A KING IS BORN* Text: Isaiah 7:10-16; 9:6-7 Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-23 Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-52 Two thousand years ago a man appeared on the scene of history. He was born into the world and grew up into manhood just like every other person, but this man was different to anyone else. He was no ordinary man. A virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit to bring Him to birth. He was God, Himself, coming to the earth in human form. He was the "Son of God" according to Luke 1:26-35. *"In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth "* John 1:1,14. *The Prophecies of Jesus' Birth* 1. The Messiah would be the seed of a woman. Genesis 3:15 Galatians 4:4 2. The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham. Genesis 12:3 Matthew 1:1 3. The Messiah would be a

 *22/12/2021* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 42 *The Servant of the LORD* Hebrew meaning 'ebed' Isaiah 20:3; 42:1 2 Samuel 10:19 Jeremiah 7:25 The word "servant" is derived from a verb meaning "to serve", " to work ", or " to enslave ". While 'ebed' can mean slave (Genesis 43:18), slavery in Israel was different than in most places in the ancient Middle East. Slavery was regulated by the Law of Moses which prohibited indefinite slavery and required that slaves be freed on the Sabbath (seventh) year (Exodus 21:2) - and the Year of Jubilee - the fiftieth year (Leviticus 25:25-28). Sometimes the Hebrew word can refer to the subjects of a King (2 Samuel 10:19). But usually the word is best translated servant. *God referred to His prophets as " My servants " (Jeremiah 7:25) and spoke of the coming Messiah as His

 *19/12/2021* *THIRD SUNDAY SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 40:27-31 *Comfort V* *My way is hidden from the LORD* does not question God's omniscience, but His good will. Would the Lord bless His people? *The Israelites had a just claim because God had promised to make them a blessing to the nations* Genesis 12:3; 28:13-15 *God is not only everlasting - transcendent over time - but also the Creator of the ends of the earth - transcendent over space* He is omnipotent and inscrutable. *To wait entails confident expectation and active hope in the Lord - never passive resignation* Psalms 40:1 *Faith brings spiritual transformation to a person* *The Lord gives power to those who trust in Him* *©2021* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS*

 *15/12/2021* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 40:25,26 *Comfort IV* *To whom then will you liken Me* and other questions in the verse form part of an important biblical theme, *the incomparability of God* Isaiah 40:18 Since God is *the Holy One*, He is distinct from all others. *Human beings are responsible to discern the greatness of the Creator in His creation and are held guilty for suppressing such discernment* Romans 1:18-32 The Babylonian gods were identified with the heavenly bodies. The words here would have had particular relevance to Israel as they learned to say no to Babylon and yes to the Lord. *Each of the stars is known to the Creator; to each He has given a name* Psalms 147:4 *©2021* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered

 *15/12/2021* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 40:25,26 *Comfort IV* *To whom then will you liken Me* and other questions in the verse form part of an important biblical theme, *the incomparability of God* Isaiah 40:18 Since God is *the Holy One*, He is distinct from all others. *Human beings are responsible to discern the greatness of the Creator in His creation and are held guilty for suppressing such discernment* Romans 1:18-32 The Babylonian gods were identified with the heavenly bodies. The words here would have had particular relevance to Israel as they learned to say no to Babylon and yes to the Lord. *Each of the stars is known to the Creator; to each He has given a name* Psalms 147:4 *©2021* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered

 *12/12/2021* *SECOND SUNDAY SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 40:10,11 *Comfort III* Reward describes the spoils of victory - namely, the delivered people. The rescued exiles merge with the *messianic community*  Isaiah 65:15,16 *In the ancient Middle East the ideal King was often depicted as a shepherd* Psalms 23; John 10 *Gather the lambs with His arm* is a description of the Father's love for His people. Micah 5:4 *©2021* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS*

 *08/12/2021* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 40:5 *Comfort II* The glory of the LORD began to be revealed in the restoration of the captives of Judah from the Exile. Isaiah 44:23 More grandly, the glory of the Lord would be displayed in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 4:2 Luke 2:29-32 John 1:14 *The ultimate revelation of the glory of the Lord will be in His glorious Kingdom* *Isaiah 60:2; Zephaniah 3:14-17, where the Saviour King dwells in the presence of His people for all eternity* Revelation 22:1-5 *©2021* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS*

 *05/12/2021* *THANKSGIVING SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 40 *Comfort* The book of Isaiah is a book of comfort, written about 150 years before the time of Cyrus, promised the exiles from Judah that they would return to Jerusalem (Isaiah 40:1,2) where God would meet them in the form of *the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 42:1-4) - the very One who would become a great King* (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6,7; 11:1-5). The restoration after the Exile pointed to the coming of the Lord's Kingdom. In Isaiah's prophecy, this first taste of salvation merges with predictions of the *full salvation* that Jesus Christ brings. *©2021* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS*

 *01/12/2021* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 11: 13-15 *The Reign of Jesse's Offspring VIII* Not only will God destroy the enemies of the Israelites and Judeans, but He will also remove their ancient enemies. Isaiah 9:20,21 Israel's traditional enemies (the Philistines, Edom, Moab and Ammon), may represent the adversaries of the Messiah's Kingdom. As God had provided a dry passage across the Red Sea in the first Exodus, so in the second Exodus He would remove any physical barrier that would hinder the return of His people. *©2021* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS*