Reveal Week 4 - The Loving Spirit of Adoption

“God lives in the place of praise. If we want to be where He is, we need to go to His address.” - Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Having spent the last few weeks in reflective contemplation during Reveal, many people have done a lot of 'business' with God. We have been told on numerous occasions that the opportunity to be still and speak with God has meant that certain issues which had been put off for years had come to the surface and been dealt with. We also found ourself in a position where people were saying that they had met with God in completely new ways, had discovered things about him that they had never known before, been challenged and moulded and shaped by creating space in which he was able to manoeuvre. We had even had testimony of healing. We came to the conclusion that there was only one way we, as a body of people could react to this: Worship.

The beginning of the evening gave the congregation an opportunity to think; what has God done in my life in the last few weeks? What have I learned and gained from considering my father in this way? How am I able to process that? We allowed several groups about 20 minutes to consider and discuss this. After speaking with a lot of people I was massively encouraged by the response. it seemed like every person had in some way experienced something new of God. But we still realised there was so much more. We still knew that we could draw closer to God and deepen our relationships once more.

As we all left the hall and made our way to the sanctuary, a band struck up and began to play 'Great is your faithfulness'. Those in attendance seemed surprised and delighted by the presence of the band, which they were previously completely unaware of. Immediately I saw people with their hands in the air, on their knees, reflecting, praising, singing, worshiping and abandoning themselves to God. As the quote says, at the beginning of the evening we decided this is where we were going; Gods address. We wanted to meet with God in praise because we know that he is enthroned on the praise of his people (Psalm 22:3). I personally meet with God in worship more so than at any other time. This was not only a response to what God had been doing, but also a way to meet with him afresh and discover his heart for our congregation.

The band led us through a time of amazing praise and then into a time which allowed more reflection. As the evening went on God began to speak. One of the members of New Life church had been passing the building and saw all the cars so decided to come in and join our Reveal evening. She shared with me something she had felt God wanted to remind us of:Psalm 84. This person had no idea that we had gone through this psalm during our spring conference earlier in the year. We began to speak out the psalm and be reminded of the promises contained within it. Richard then began sharing with us some amazing news which he had heard regarding two of the members of our congregation who are battling cancer. He spoke about how their test results had shown dramatic positive changes in recent weeks. We had been reminded not only of the promises God has made, but the ways in which he is fulfilling them.

As the evening drew to a close I was personally struck by the way in which we had entered into the presence of God that night. We had postured ourselves not only to hear from him, but to pour back praise for what he had already been doing. His faithfulness to meet with us during these times has been unparalleled. We have been overwhelmed, and continue to be so every week. I am excited to see what he is going to do in the next couple of weeks.

Debbie.

Reveal Week 3 - The Son who became a Slave

God took the worst thing that man could do to his Son, and transformed it into the best thing he could do for man. - Anonymous

Our journey to discover more of the Father has inevitably led us to a point of transformation. The cross of Christ. Discovering the nature of our adoption would always have led us to this point. It is, after all, the pivotal point in our journey from orphan to heir. Considering the cross is something we do on a regular basis as Christians; we sing about it regularly during worship, devote ourselves to it again at the communion table, and relive the moment that the world was truly changed during Easter. The majesty of what was accomplished at the cross and resurrection has not escaped our notice. But I wonder how often we have considered the Son who became a slave.

We all know about Jesus earthly ministry, and his life was testament to what God wanted to accomplish; our adoption as children of God. But how often do we consider what Jesus had to relinquish in order that we might be adopted; HIS position as a son of the King. How often have we considered what Jesus gave up in order to die the death of a slave for us?

During reveal this week we wanted to create a space for those who came to consider this fact. We had set up two rooms which we called throne rooms. Each had an empty throne, with a candle on the seat. Flowing fabrics decorated the area around the throne. Scented rose petals gave a beautiful aroma, scattered candles provided an ethereal  glow and the sound of angelic choral singing reverberated around the room. This was a simple, symbolic representation of the throne room of Jesus; the privileges he relinquished to become our saviour, and our brother. We gave each person the first part of a scripture, Philippians 2:5-7 and asked them to consider the sonship of Christ.

After a little while of consideration, we wanted to move the journey on. As we went into the throne rooms we said 'Ladies and Gentlemen, as we have considered the sonship of Christ, let us take you to the pinnacle on his slavery.' As the group made their way to the hall the were met with the cross. The room had scattered chairs, allowing each person some space to consider what Christ had done as he died the death of a slave.  We gave them the next part of the scripture, Philippians 2:8 and allowed them time to consider what Jesus had done, whilst there was a visual representation, a cross. The cross was draped in purple fabric, stones were scattered around it, and candles were lit. The angelic music continued in the background. We believe that in order for us to truly grasp our adoption, we must look at the way in which it came about. We had to look at what Jesus had given up. We had to realise that what he had before he came to earth, is what we have now entered into thanks to his sacrifice. We had to understand that his death was sacrificial in more ways than one. It is the pivotal point.

The end of the evening was the beginning of our next phase of discovery. We shared with the group that up until this point we have considered our journey from orphans to heirs, and in order to do that we have spent some time thinking, in different ways, about what our life was like before we were heirs. But that is the end of that. From this point on, we are living in the light of what Christ did for us. We are living in the truth that because of his sacrifice, we no are no longer considered orphans. We are to move into the mindset of heirs.

We wish to take the journey to the next phase; living as heirs in the kingdom of the living God. We are very excited about what this means to us. We are very excited about the ways in which we can explore this further. We hope you can continue to join us as we journey deeper into understanding our adoption, and our loving, gracious Father who accomplished it all for us.

Reveal Week 2 - The Glorious Father

'Many of us sigh when we hear this command to be perfect. We wonder how we will ever achieve the same quality of holiness that God possesses. Surely we will never attain the Fathers level of purity. Surely we will always have to settle for a less than perfect standard in this life, and at the same time hope that we will do enough to be made perfect in the life to come. ' Mark Stibbe - 'Orphans to Heirs'

The topic of the Glorious Father was one that Tom and I were really excited to tackle on this journey going deeper into knowing God during Reveal. We were looking forward to the prospect of tackling such a phenomenal subject, but it did leave us with a lot of questions. Chief amongst which was 'How on Earth do we creatively facilitate an experience of the glory of our Father in heaven?' After much discussion we came to the conclusion that there could have been two answers; either we do nothing and rely fully on divine intervention (which may have been the better option-who knows what could have happened), or we approach this subject with reverence, and consider what it means to come into contact with the glory of our Father.

We strongly feel that one of the tools that we want to use week on week during Reveal is taking people on a journey from what WAS, to what IS now, due to the gracious adoption we have received from our heavenly Father. As we considered in the first week, we first had to be orphans before we could become adopted children. But how does this relate to the gloriousness of God?

As we read books, scriptures and articles in preparation, one topic kept coming up. Holiness. Holiness seems to be, certainly from scripture, one of the most dangerous manifestations of Gods Glory. Very few people were able to come into the full presence of Gods holiness and live. Rabinnic culture teaches us that there was one day a year on which priests were able to come into the holy of holies, the place in the temple where the Glory of the Lord dwelt. The presence of God had such potential to overwhelm that a rope was tied round the foot of the priest in case they were overcome and had to be dragged out. Moreover they couldn't just walk into the holy of holies the way they were. There were ritual processes involving cleansing, anointing and sacrifice which needed to be adhered to. They had to make changes in themselves, physically and spiritually to prepare themselves to meet with this Holy God.

At Reveal on Thursday we took a journey through a symbolic process. Those in attendance were told they had to wash their hands, anoint themselves with oil, prepare a burnt offering (a small candle) and remove their shoes before they entered the most holy place. As they entered the sanctuary they found an alter representing the presence of God. They took their candles (burnt offering), lit them and placed them in front of the alter. We then allowed people some time to consider the process they had been on. The necessity for change before they reached this place. The process they had to go through. The old covenant.

I shared for a few minutes the reasons behind the journey we had taken. That before our adoption, through the work of Jesus Christ, we were distant from God. We had to change ourselves in order to enter his presence. If we didn't, it might not go so well for us. The processes which were put in place were there to protect the priests, and to treat with reverence the God whom they were serving.  But now...Through the Restoration that Jesus brought, and the gracious adoption from our Father, there is no longer any fear in drawing near to Him. We no longer need to alter ourselves in order to come into contact with his holiness. Now we can come into contact with his holiness and be altered by it. His adoption of us has removed the need for us to view ourselves as unclean, unworthy, separated. He sees us exactly as he sees Jesus, spotless and blameless. Through the work of Jesus the son, we are able, without restriction or constraint, to draw near to our glorious father.

The quote from Mark Stibbe at the beginning of this blog may strike a chord with you. It certainly does with me. I, at heart, am a people pleaser. I want to feel that I am doing well, gaining approval from people, and as such, I had applied that to my relationship with God; subconsciously trying to win his approval by my own piety. Always feeling like my standards never quite made the grade. But truthfully, he is our father. In his adoption of us, he has brought us into a place where his view of us is exactly his view of Christ, a child, a son, an heir in his kingdom. What is our response to that? Does this not alter our mindset? Are we going to continue trying to please him with our own efforts, or should we allow ourselves to be changed by the knowledge of his glory and respond with love, adoration, a life lived in his purpose.

There are many aspects of response to this; considering our view of God, our view of ourselves, the processes we have put in place to try and make ourselves worthy of the life he has given us. This week was 90 minutes to tackle subjects which may have been years in the making. It is possible that to varying degrees, every person in that room needed fresh revelation. We realise that in a short space of time it may be difficult to grasp such major subjects. But thankfully, we are not trying to do it in our own strength.  Through the course of the evening a few words were given that the participants had felt were from God. The overwhelming theme was his love for us; his desire for closeness, his commitment to unique and individual relationship, and his perspective on each of us.

One word was given which stated "Don't you know, he doesn't see your sin."

That is a glorious Father indeed.

Reveal Week 1 - Adopting Grace

'Our Lord bases prayer on personal relationship. He taught us to call God our Father, and the implication of sonship changes the whole aspect of prayer....The wonder is not that God hears prayer, but that He is our Father. The greater wonder includes the less. The revelation that God is Father establishes the possibility and reasonableness of prayer....There is no lowering of his majesty in the intimacy of the family relationship. He is still the Holy and Most High God; the High and Lofty One, that inhabits eternity....there are many such revelations of the Divine Glory and Majesty, and it is well to ponder them in adoring worship; but Jesus Christ turned them into terms of filial value.  He is our Father! That is the crowning fact. To the child he is just father. Others may cringe in fear, but the child heart is a stranger to terror.' --The Path of Prayer, Samuel Chadwick, 1931.

The implication that God is our father changes everything. Our lives as his children are irrevocably altered when we embrace this knowledge. However the process of embracing it is often much more complicated than we expect. It is relatively simple to comprehend the knowledge; to understand the facts of the situation. God through his grace has adopted us into his family. Simple enough. What most, including me, often find difficult is accepting, believing, and living in the truth of this knowledge. We could spend our time learning different ways to outlive this truth and apply it to different situations. We could do bible studies, exploration groups, we could set up a resource library or get experts to come in preach about it, but ultimately "The Path of Prayer" by Samuel Chadwick (from which the above excerpt is taken) tells us a better way; 'Whatever difficulties may remain, communication must be possible between father and child, and to suggest that a child may not ask of a father would be to empty the terms of all meaning. It is a child's right to ask, and it is a fathers responsibility to hear in affectionate sympathy and discerning love.'

This is where Reveal comes in. Our aim on Thursday nights is to allow space for us to commune with God; to come as children, and speak to our father. The only issue is that in order to do this, we must first believe and accept our position as his adopted children. This is easier said than done for several reasons. Some may have been part of the family of God for so long that they can barely remember they were once an orphan. Others may feel as though they are not worthy of such extraordinary grace (indeed that may be true for almost everyone.) Others still may have a very different experience of fatherhood which makes the knowledge of a loving, gracious father very difficult to comprehend. As we prepared for Reveal, we were keenly aware that many may come to the events with varying levels of baggage in this area. What we didn't want to do was allow the issues that had held us back in the past to become the focus. What we wanted to do was allow God to speak about the journey that he had already taken us on; to give us a chance to consider our new found position in the Kingdom of God.

'We were orphans'...the screen read as people began to arrive. The room was set up with several chairs dotted around, quite spaced out from each other, low lighting, and some reflective piano music on a loop. We considered the best environment to allow individuals to consider their lives before God. From what I understand, this room was particularly challenging for some. The prospect of thinking back to a life without God is unpleasant and uncomfortable. It forces us to remember how abandoned we felt, how hopeless, how alone. Whilst we knew this may push some, our aim was not to undo that which had been done, but to reflect on it. How often do we get a chance to look back and genuinely consider the journey on which God has taken us? How often do we forget that in order for us to become adopted we had to first be in a place of orphan hood? This space was designed for us to allow God to speak into the emotions that our status as orphans conjured. Where was HE during that time? Why were we in that place?

Thankfully this room was only part of the story of the evening. As those reflecting began to make their way to the sanctuary they were greeted with the sight of a vast, long table. The table was covered in fruit, flowers, bread, grape juice, plates and candles. A banqueting table fit for a King. But the seats prepared were not for dignitaries or VIP's; they were for us. You and me. We are seated at the table of the King. We are heirs in his Kingdom.

   'The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are Gods Children. Now
    if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...'  Romans 8:16-17a

This, our first evening of Reveal, gave us an opportunity to consider the transition we made from orphans, to heirs through the grace of God our Father. This evening was not a definitive answer to the question of our adoption. I am sure it evoked as many questions as it answered. I am also sure that we may need, as a church, to continually consider the journey we have already taken. However we began here for a reason. Reveal, as we see it, is an opportunity for us as the family of God to devote time to better getting to know our father. For us to do so, we must be able to approach him as his children; and to do this, we must first consider OURSELVES his children, and heirs with Christ. We do not claim that week on week you will go away with a neatly wrapped bundle around different issues, but we hope that as the time goes on we may be able to build a picture, as a community covered in his grace grace, of our Father in heaven.

Looking forward to seeing you all next week.


Debbie MacDonald


During lent, Reveal will be running every Thursday evening from 7:30. If you are unable to attend it may be possible for us to make any resources/music/PowerPoints/discussion topics/prayer points we used available to you. If you would like more information please contact Tom or Debbie.

What Kind of Father?

Exploring the fullness of God's character

Throughout 2013 at SBC we are going to be considering 'What Kind of Father?' God is to each of us. We are really excited to further explore the grace, love and compassion He extends towards us; but also just how reverent and Holy He is as our heavenly Father.

We hope this series is both a blessing and a challenge to all of us as we continue in our walk to know our father more.

As part of the series we are reading through a book together, and the preaching team will be exploring and expanding through its content as we go through Lent towards Easter. The book is entitled 'From Orphans to Heirs' by Mark Stibbe. If you are wanting to join with us through this season and would like a copy of the book please be in touch with out Staff Team.

Also throughout Lent we are hosting a weekly event called Reveal. This is an opportunity for us all to come and spend some time in the presence of God, and seek after Him. Although it is good for all of us to learn and grow in knowledge, we also believe passionately that our relationship with God is to be experiential. So it is an opportunity for us to try and connect with God in new and different ways. You are welcome to join us every Thursday evening from 7:30pm.

May God bless you in this season of Lent, and throughout our pursuit to discover more of our Heavenly Father.

Exciting Month Ahead!

October is looking like being a very exciting month in the life of Scunthorpe Baptist Church, and we want you to get involved!

The Big Squeeze

We are exciting that on a Sunday morning we are going to have the opportunity to join together with New Life Church Scunthorpe and hold one large celebration. We are also pleased that Russ Howell will be sharing God's word at this special event. 

Russ Howell has been a friend of both Scunthorpe Baptist Church and New Life Church for many years, and during that time has often spoken key prophetic words in to the life of the churches, as well as in to Scunthorpe and the North Lincolnshire area.

There will be no celebration happening at SBC as we are encouraging everyone to join us at New Life for what is sure to be a fantastic morning.

This amazing opportunity to unite with our friends at New Life will take place on Sunday 7 October at 10am, although refreshments will be served from 9:30.

SBC Autumn Conference

Every year at SBC we are blessed by a variety of conferences, and this year we believe our annual Autumn Conference is going to be incredible.

It is a great privilege that this year we are going to be blessed with the teaching and ministry of Dr John Andrews. John is a highly respected and gifted bible teacher who has been in full-time Christian Leadership since 1987. A lecturer at both undergraduate and graduate level at Mattersey Hall Bible College, John is also the author of a number of highly recommended books.

Unpacking his latest book "2:52 Learning to GROW on Purpose" John will inspire us to GROW intentionally, as Jesus did, "in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man".

Scunthorpe Baptist Church Saturday 13 October
09:00 - 16:30
£15 per person including refreshments and lunch
(Early bird to Sunday 23 September £12:50)

Joint Praise Celebration
During the Raising the Flag season at both SBC and New Life Church we have committed to hosting Joint Praise Celebrations throughout the year. In 2012 we have already held 3 events, and they have proven to be a huge success, and an amazing opportunity to petition to heavens and declare God's goodness and love over our town and region. 
It has been a huge blessing to have Andy Wooldridge & the New Life Church band leading us in worship, and we will be joining together again to raise the roof and give God all of the praise and honour he deserves. We would love for you to join us.

Scunthorpe Baptist Church Sunday 14 October 17:30 for refreshments 18:00 start

Cross Britain
Mark Ritchie, a well-known and respected evanglist in the UK, is going to be walkin 700 miles in just 70 days to share some of his story with the nation, as well as sharing the amazing story of God's love.
While praying Mark saw a picture of Britain as a crowded room, busy and distracted. He felt led to walk into the room and put the Cross down in the middle. Some people will accept it, some will reject it, but no one will ignore it. This is what God has put in his heart to do - to put the Cross in front of Britain.
He started walking in the UK on 26 August, and has already hosted some fantastic events, but we are fortunate that right at the end of the tour Mark is going to be in North Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire. In fact the biggest event on the whole tour is right here in Scunthorpe!
The churches in the area have joined together to book out the Baths Hall (all 1000 seats!), and Mark will spend the evening making people laugh, cry, and hopefully encounter the amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There are also going to be events across the region, including Brigg, Epworth & Barton, as well as Mark finishing the tour in Hull.
Why did the Scotsman Cross Britain? Mark Ritchie Scunthorpe Baths Hall Wednesday 24 October - 19:30 Just £1 a ticket! http://www.crossbritain.co.uk/index.html

Get Involved
We are so excited about the amazing events that are taking place across our region in the coming weeks, and we want you to get involved, join in, and make the most of these fantastic opportunities. 
For more information and to get booked in to any of these events please contact the Staff Team at SBC. 
You can call the office on 01724 848388 or email at office@scunthorpebaptist.co.uk

Operation Mustard Seed

Today not only sees the start of August but also our launch of Operation Mustard Seed 2012.


So what is it all about?



Operation Mustard Seed is our campaign to raise the profile of mission by increasing opportunities for social action and sharing the Gospel. We are running it throughout the month of August.


We want you to get involved. Whether you have an hour to spare to mow someone's lawn, a week to get involved in a community project or serve on a beach mission, or even longer to serve overseas.


You can arrange your own opportunities with friends or take advantage of some of the various projects we have already organised. There is something for absolutely everyone to do.