Introduction Welcome to Church on the 5th! We are so glad you are here. We gather like this in the months that have 5 Sundays believing that discipleship happens at the speed of relationships. In a midsized gathering like this we can facilitate relationship building that cannot happen in rows in a regular Sunday service. We can better follow what the Bible calls the “one another” commands. We look forward to how God will speak to you and through you today. In John 3:16 we read that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son”. This month we celebrate the coming of Jesus to our earth. You and I are like God when we give. As a response to God’s generosity to us, we give back to God. You are invited today to give financially to Gracepoint Church using the Church App, e-transfer, the website, etc. Give not out of obligation or duty but rather in response to God’s provision in your own life. God is good and He has been generous towards you. Worship Song O Come All Ye Faithful Verse 1 O come all ye faithful Joyful and triumphant O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem Come and behold Him Born the King of angels Chorus O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord Verse 2 Sing choirs of angels Sing in exultation O sing all ye citizens of heav'n above Glory to God all Glory in the highest Verse 3 Yea Lord we greet Thee Born this happy morning Jesus to Thee be all glory giv'n Word of the Father Now in flesh appearing C. Frederick Oakeley | John Francis Wade © Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain Our theme today is “The Affirmation of the Father Changes Everything” as we look at the account of Jesus’ baptism and the Father’s declaration of Him. And Jesus’ Sonship becomes the basis for how the Father sees us. And because of the affirmation of the Father, we can then repent of darkness and move more into the light. As apprentices of Jesus, we continually re-orient our lives to faithfully follow Him. We engage in practices such as: daily prayer, Scripture engagement, Sabbath, confession of sin, community, etc. to orient our lifestyle to imitate His. Matthew 3:1-12 NIV In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” John the Baptist Prepares the Way – Matthew 3:1-12 John’s message was a simple one. In one word: “repent”. He called people to turn away from sin. That seemed to be his sole message, calling people to forsake what God had forbidden. The word ‘repent’ means to ‘change one’s mind that involves both a turning away from sin and a turning to God’ (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). The Christian life is one of continual repentance. Every day we turn from sin and turn to God. Turn to 2-3 others near you and answer the questions on this handout or in the app: With John the Baptist having such a direct message (“repent” v. 2,8,11); why do you think crowds flocked to see and hear him (v. 5)? Who has been a John the Baptist for you (minus the locusts), someone who helped you take steps towards Jesus? Repentance is changing one’s mind that involves both a turning away from sin and a turning to God. What does repentance look like in your life? Matthew 3:13-17 NIV Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” The Father’s Affirmation Matthew 3:13-17 There are no righteous actions or good performance you can do to earn the Father’s approval. Every other religion says you must do something to please God. “Say this, don’t do that, touch this, chant that, etc.” In every other religion the prophet or leader gives you a plan to earn God’s favour. In Christianity the Saviour has God’s favour and He has given it to you as a gift. The author of Hebrews says it this way: “So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11 NLT Today, the Father affirms you as His son or daughter and speaks those same life-giving words over you. “You are my beloved child whom I love, with you I am well pleased.” Because of the affirmation of the Father, we can then repent of darkness and move further into His light. Turn to 2-3 others near you and answer the questions on this handout or in the app: Is it difficult for you to believe the affirmation of the Father that He is well pleased with you today? Why or why not? When was a time in the last 3 months that you experienced the love of God? Thomas Merton said “How does an apple get ripe? By simply sitting in the sun.” For us to “sit in the sun” is to rest in the gaze of God. When we are in the presence of someone who loves us, it changes us on a psychological level. When we are silent in the presence of God, His face shining on us, transforms us at both the neurobiological and spiritual level. Doing practices such as Sabbath, solitude, gratitude, prayer, etc. attune us to God’s gaze upon us and we recognize that we are deeply loved. Lighting of 1st Advent Candle Worship Song O Come O Come Emmanuel Verse 1 O come O come Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear Chorus Rejoice rejoice Emmanuel Shall come to thee O Israel Verse 2 O come Thou Dayspring come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death's dark shadows put to flight Verse 3 O come Thou Wisdom from on high And order all things far and nigh To us the path of knowledge show And cause us in her ways to go Verse 4 O come Desire of nations bind All peoples in one heart and mind Bid envy strife and quarrels cease Fill the whole world with heaven's peace John Mason Neale | Thomas Helmore © Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain In keeping with being a relationally-based practice-driven church community, we will be again offering courses in January to help you orient your life to Jesus by doing the practices Jesus did. We will again offer the nine-week introductory ‘Practicing The Way’ Course in mid January. You can sign up for this today on our sign up sheet, on the App, or by emailing steve@gracepoint.ca If you’ve already taken the introductory course, you can move on to one of the practice modules. We will also be offering the 5-week module on the practice of Sabbath, beginning in mid January. Please talk to your group leader or Pastor Steve. Prayer