Weekly Newsletter 5/31-6/7
FBC Marysville Weekly Newsletter
Announcements:
- Grow and Know 100: This Sunday at 9:15 am, our Grow and Know 100 class will begin. This discipleship cohort focuses on the spiritual habits such as: Prayer, Bible Study, Worship, etc... All are welcome.
- Background checks: If you work in security or with our children, please fill out the info sheet in the foyer so that we can run background checks and protect our little ones.
- Chad and Sarah Deible: Our missionary friends who we partner with have sent us a few copies of their two recent newsletters. They are available in our Next Steps room located outside the sanctuary and foyer for your viewing ability.
Prayer requests:
- Gospel Opportunities: Pray for the Lord to provide you with opportunities to share Jesus with others, and for opportunities to invite others to church with you.
- Madisons: Continue praying for Dale and Patti Madison as well as their family as they deal with many hard things at this time. These including Patti's mother being placed on hospice care due to cancer.
- Ailments: There are several in our church family dealing with health struggles. Pray for them, that they would be able to join us again and be restored to full health.
Weekly Devotional: from Acts 25
This past Sunday we discussed all of chapter 25 in the book of Acts. This passage covered Festus replacing Felix, another planned attempt on Paul's life, and Agrippa I entering the scene to question Paul. We talked about several things concerning Paul's resilience and integrity, but what I would like to focus on this week is Festus' motivations for making the decisions he made.
The text says, "But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him."(Ac. 25:25-27 ESV).
The context of Festus' words can be understood quite simply. Festus was made aware of Paul who has been in prison for two years and left behind by Felix. The elite Jewish leaders asked for Festus to try Paul again, hoping they would have an opportunity to kill him. Festus however, asks them to state their complaints against Paul, so they do, but without any evidence. As a result, Festus does not make the right decision which would be to release Paul and throw the case out. Instead, he appeals to other people in order to try to build a case that would please both the Jews and the emperor.
Now, I know what you are thinking. Of course, it was God's will to send Paul to Rome to testify about Jesus. This being said, The Lord uses Festus' poor judgement and ability to be influenced to accomplish His will in the end. Think with me for a moment about what is playing out in the text here.
Festus did not live for an audience of One
I want to lay before you a man who cared far too much about what others thought, which in turn swayed his decision making ability. See, Festus wanted to be popular with both his Roman boss, as well as the Jews who had been volun-told to be his constituents. The issue is, Festus was made to act against what was right in order to please people. We cannot make the same mistake. We are to live for an audience of One. Namely, for God. God ultimately is the only opinion which should matter to us. All other advice and opinions as well as criticism should be measured to what Jesus says about us.
We need to be thinkers who see all things through a biblical lens. When we strive to please God, and to be fair and just in all that we do, we will do what is right. Festus could not do what was right because being liked and having a good rep with the people was his primary focus, not to honor the Lord.
This week, let us think through the things which might hinder us from being obedient to God. Let us think through what is influencing us, and whether or not our influences draw us closer or further away from Jesus. Who and what is influencing you is greatly important because we will be swayed in one direction or another by what we allow to pour into us. If we are fixated on Christ and His Word, we will be influenced rightly. But if we desire to be of the world, we will be influenced wrongly.
John Stott said, "We become like the God we worship." This can be good in that we pursue The God of the universe. Or bad because we become like the world, people, or things we admire.
Anthony Lampron, Pastor