Weekly Newsletter 5/3-5/10
FBC Marysville Weekly Newsletter
Last Week:
- Walk for Life: Our family was represented at the New Path Pregnancy Center's Walk for Life by Chuck Levine. They had a great turnout and are grateful for your missions giving in April which they will benefit from.
- Missions giving: Our missions giving month of April was incredibly God honoring. Our total as of Sunday was just north of $4500. Thank you for your generosity, for willingly, and for joyfully supporting our missionary brothers and sisters. You have served the Kingdom well.
Announcements:
- Fellowship Meal: On May 17th, we will get together for a fellowship meal after our morning gathering. There are sign-up sheets in the foyer to bring sides or desserts. The church will provide the mains. Lord willing, we plan to cook out.
- Discipleship Cohorts: Our Grow and Know 100 cohort is set to begin June 7th. These courses will be held before our regular Sunday gatherings and we will meet at 9:15. There are descriptions of when these classes will be held and what they cover in the next steps room located outside the sanctuary.
Prayer Requests:
- Russ Williams: Continue praying for our brother as he is still undergoing testing and recovery from his abdominal issues.
- Children's Workers: Pray for those who work with our youngest family members, that they would be godly influences for our little ones. Pray that they would be steeped in the Word in order that they could be able to relate the Scriptures to our kids.
- Gospel Opportunities: Pray for opportunities to share the gospel with others, to invite others to church, and to influence the world for Jesus.
Weekly Devotional from Acts 21:15-36
The Virtue of Humility
St. Augustine is famously credited with saying, "It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels." This provides a vivid illustration of the perils of pride and the virtue of humility. This past Sunday, we continued our journey through Acts and found ourselves in chapter 21 and verses 15-36. Here we see Paul and his companions finally making their way to Jerusalem around the time of Pentecost. Paul lodges with Mnason, then goes to see James and the elders. Paul tells of all of the wonderful things that God has done among the Gentiles through his ministry which was a cause for celebration. However, this is immediately followed by James and the elders expressing concerns about rumors that have been circulating among the Jewish Christians. These Jewish Christians claimed that Paul was teaching believers to forsake the Law of Moses. Because of this, James and the elders devised a plan for Paul to prove the emptiness of their claims by taking a Nazarite vow alongside four other men. He was to pay their expenses as well, and Paul does exactly what they called him to do. Towards the end of Paul's ritual, some Jews from Asia saw and recognized Paul. They got everyone in the temple crowd stirred up by speaking lies about him, and as a result, they rush Paul and nearly kill him by beating him. It was Claudius Lysias who intervened, arrested Paul, and brought him to the barracks.
In the midst of the chaotic and suspenseful story, it might be easy to miss the virtuous humility that Paul exhibits throughout these 21 verses. Here are three examples for us to consider:
1.) God as the Source
As Pastor Anthony explained, when Paul is telling James and the elders of all that was accomplished among the Gentiles, it says in verse 19, "he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry." Paul does not say, 'Look at all that I've done!' Paul knows that it is God who saves and God who makes all things possible. Paul was the vessel at the well that brings the water to the thirsty, he was not the well.
2.) Submission to Authority
When James and the elders tell Paul to take part in the purification ritual, Paul doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t argue or justify why he shouldn’t have to do this; he just does it. It's important to recognize that not only is he being told to participate in the 7 day ritual, he is being told to pay the way of the other four men. It is estimated that this would have cost 20 - 30 denarii or more, which would have been well over a month’s wages. You see, they would have had to buy animals, bread, drink, temple tax, and many other expenses that would have been required for the ritual. Paul could have argued that these were lies and that he did nothing wrong, and he would have been right in doing so. He could have said, “Do you know who I am? Do you know all of the things that I have done? I’m not taking any vow, and I’m not paying anyone’s way.” He didn’t do that. Verse 26 says, “Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.”
3.) Sacrifice of Reputation
When the Jews from Asia got the mob stirred up by making false accusations against Paul, Paul didn’t attempt to argue with them, plead his case, or fight them. Paul wasn’t concerned with his personal safety or his own good name. Paul was focused on spreading the Gospel. To further understand Paul’s perspective, we can look at his earlier letter to Corinth. Paul says the following:
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. - 1 Timothy 1:15
Paul didn’t care about his own safety or security. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone or seek his own glory. Paul understood his rightful place in relation to God. Paul knew that everything that he had accomplished was only possible because God had willed it to be so. His mission was to be the bridge for both Gentile and Jew so that they might come to know Jesus Christ as their savior and share in that eternal blessing with him.
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, give us the desire to humble ourselves such as Paul humbled himself in order that you might use us to accomplish your will. Allow us to rightly see ourselves as filthy rags before your righteousness. As David proclaimed, What is man that You are mindful of him? We don’t deserve a moment’s glance of your attention, yet you shower us with grace and love and sacrificed your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that we might be saved! For that we give you all glory and praise. Let the realization of this undeserving grace keep us humble and cause us to exercise that humility in the presence of others. Cause us to extend a mere fraction of the grace to others that we have been shown by you. Amen.
Supplemental Reading: Luke 14:7-14
Justin Price, Church Member