Weekly Newsletter 3/15-3/22
FBC Marysville Weekly Newsletter
Announcements:
- We will officially launch our new children's curriculum this Sunday 3/22. The Gospel Project curriculum provides our youngest family members an opportunity to study the entire Bible in just a few short years.
- This past Sunday, we celebrated our janitorial volunteers who give of their time to several our church by making sure our space is clean. This helps our building be a space which reflects God's holiness, as we provide a safe and neat place for our folks to gather, share meals, worship, and feel at home. Thank you, wonderful servants who love our church in this way!
- Reminder, we will hold our Palm Sunday (3/29) and Easter Sunday (4/5) gatherings at 11 am as we normally would, but we will also have a Good Friday (4/3) gathering at 6pm to reflect on Christ's crucifixion.
Prayer Requests:
- Continue lifting up our dear brother Russ Williams and dear sister Betty Williams. Russ is still recovering from his abdominal blockage, and Betty is set to undergo a surgery for her spine this week.
- Pray for our community groups, that truth would be taught, and love would be shared. Pray that these groups would serve our church by providing discipleship, instruction, fellowship, and companionship within our members.
- Pray for the lost in Marysville, seeking the Lord and His help to reach more people in our community. Pray this week for gospel opportunities, meaning opportunities to share the gospel with friends and family in our community. Remember our 'who's your one' charge that we have been receiving on Sunday mornings.
Weekly Devotion from Acts 19:1-10
On Sunday, we discussed Acts 19:1-10 where we saw Apollos move off to Corinth on his mission trip, and Paul arrive back at Ephesus after his discipleship tour through Galatia and Phrygia. The story picks up with Paul meeting some 'disciples' but Paul thought something may have been off about them, so he asks them whether or not they had received the Holy Spirit. When they told him they had not even heard of the Holy Spirit, Paul clarified the gospel message for them further. Then, they were baptized in the name of Jesus since they had previously only been baptized for means of repentance under John's baptism, which was only meant to prepare people's hearts for Messiah and to point to Jesus who they were to turn to for salvation.
After this point of clarification and their reception of the Holy Spirit, Paul then enters the synagogue where he ministers to the people for months on end. Passionately persuading them and conversing with them about Jesus. However, our friend Paul, who is no stranger to rejection and adversity faces another challenge in Ephesus and what followed is what is heavy on my heart today. "And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the Word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." (Ac. 19:8-10 ESV).
I'm struck by the willingness and ability to persist despite inconveniences in the part of the church here. Paul, their faithful leader recognizes the harm being done by hostile opponents to the gospel, so he pivots and begins renting out the Hall of Tyrannus, likely a school of some sort. They would meet in that space from 11 am to 4 pm daily when students and teachers would be on their break in the heat of the day. Now, it may seem at first glance that the church has taken its ball and gone home, but when you look at how this ministry move plays out, the church has only grown and flourished in this time of change and persistence despite uncomfortability. The church finds a new space to gather in because of the persecution they had endured, but they did not run into hiding. No, they continued to be faithful for years in Ephesus, training and sending ministers with the thought in mind that they could reach all of Asia Minor.
What we should think through this week is the extent to which the early church was willing to go to reach the world with the gospel. We have been placed in a specific place for a specific time and a specific purpose. May we live our lives missionally and persistently in the face of struggle with the same heart that Paul had. The heart that is broken for the lost, the heart that is fueled by the gospel and love for His Savior. Do we love Jesus? Do we care about the eternity of others in our context? Let's be bold and persistent in our gospel ministry, as well as our pursuit of Christ and His work.
Anthony Lampron, Pastor