How fast the time runs! Can you believe RCCG Abundant Life Chapel, Columbus, Ohio is TWELVE? Glory, honor and adoration to the Most High God for the opportunity that He has given us as a church as we celebrate a milestone of twelve years of the inauguration of our church – RCCG: Abundant Life Chapel, Columbus, Ohio. To the members of the Board of Trustees, Ministers of God, the entire congregation and friends of the RCCG Abundant Life Chapel, greetings and grace in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we celebrate this twelfth anniversary, we can truly say, “We have come this far by His grace”. The Lord had brought us a mighty long way and because He will not leave us nor forsake us, the future of the church is blessed. Psalm 66:5 says “Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men”.
THE LAMB OF GOD
JOHN 1:29
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was given one of the most striking and frequently used of His titles at the beginning of His Ministry. He was called “the Lamb of God” in the Gospel of John, (John 1:29), where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. He will repeat it in verses 35–36: “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’”
The lamb was used in the Old Testament as a sacrifice to temporarily take away sins from man. This was done to represent Jesus who became a permanent sacrifice for our sins. The lamb symbolizes purity and innocence just as Jesus is pure and innocent. When John identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God, he is revealing for the very first time, a theology of the role of Jesus Christ. Jesus was able to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world because He is the God-Man. He is the God-man because God ordained that the way the Word would become flesh would be through a virgin birth. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14). And now we see the central reason why – to take away the sin of the world. When John wrote his first letter, he put it like this in 1 John 3:5: “You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.” The core significance of the use of a lamb to define Jesus Christ’s saving work is the idea that Jesus is the sinless, self-sacrificing, sin-bearer.
Apostle Peter also takes up the theme of the Lamb in his first letter (1 Peter 1: 18 – 20). Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that “God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him”. Isaiah in Isaiah 53:5 says that “Christ was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed”. All these inform us that Jesus is the “sinless sin-bearer” who came to suffer the wrath of a holy God that was due to sinners. He stood in our place! Jesus places himself between God’s justice and the condemned people He saves. He takes away their sin, by soaking it up in His own person. “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9: 28). He paid the penalty and expiated God’s just anger to effect reconciliation between God and sinners.
Brethren, everyone here is a sinner deserving of God’s wrath. There is only one way to have your sins taken away and find favor with God. The one way is believing in Jesus as the glorious Lamb of God. Jesus said in John 8:24, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” Believe in Jesus as your Lamb and your Lord. And you will say with the apostles, “The blood of Jesus [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The rapture does not have a second batch, accept Jesus now!
I wish to recognize and appreciate all those that have participated in this anniversary celebrations and thank you on behalf of the church Board of Trustees, the Ministers and the entire church congregation. Our Guest Minister, Pastor Ifeanyi Palmer – our ever-constant friend of this Parish all the way from Cleveland, Ohio and other Men of God that have blessed us during this anniversary celebrations. Members of the Anniversary Planning Committee have done a wonderful job. Thank you all and may God bless you all mightily and abundantly.
HAPPY 12TH ANNIVERSARY