PROBLEM SOLVING
A 4.6 earthquake tore through the ocean town and shook the residents awake. A sharp crack like a giant rifle sounded in the night, followed by ominous rumblings that flowed in waves across the metropolitan area. When he felt the shaking, police officer Dennis Johnson rolled out of bed and instinctively grabbed his service revolver. “Dennis,” his wife said calmly, “not even you can stop an earthquake with a gun.”
Humanity expresses an insufferable arrogance. We are convinced we can solve human problems if enough intelligent people work at it for long enough. All the solutions, however, reduce themselves to the same few: government spending, stiffer laws, more prisons, harsher sentences, and more police on the streets.
The church today faces and will always face problems! To us as Christians here is a fact of life: whenever God’s people are doing something good for God, Satan the enemy of God and goodness is there trying to destroy. Early in her life, the church had to face with problems. The church faced the problems of needy (2:44-45; 4:32-37), worldliness (5:1-11, 8:1-25), persecution (4:1-31; 5:17-8:4; 12; 16), Grecian Jew widows (6:1-7), and the problem of the Gentiles (10:1-11:18; 15; 21). All these problems provided opportunities for the church to grow.
Together we will see in the book of Acts some of the things the early church did to face the problems in order to draw principles from them to apply today to our problem solving needs.
When faced with problems the church took one or more of the following actions:
a. They turned to God.
b. They exercised an attitude of love and generosity.
c. They became organized.
d. They looked into the past, present and future of the church.
[The first action they took was to turn to God]
I. THEY TURNED TO GOD.
When we have problems where do we turn to? To whom do we turn to, reveals a lot about our character and make up. I believe that all of us want someone who is dear to us, one whom we can trust; one whom we know will not reveal our secrets; one who will take genuine care for us. Having a friend like this is a rare commodity. Only God can fulfill all these requirements for us.
The early church understood this truth very well, for they kept turning to God for their needs. The apostles were beaten and thrown in prison for preaching Christ. When they were released they went home and prayed. "When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:”‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”" (Acts 4:24-30, NIV).
When Peter was imprisoned by Herod in Acts 12, the church was praying for him at the house of John Mark. They did not grab guns, rallied armies and got ready to fight. They prayed to God and their prayer to God opened prison bars.
The apostle Paul together with Silas was thrown in prison in Philippi. That is not a pleasant place to be in. But what do they do? Acts 16:25 tells us "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:25, NIV).
This is a remarkable attitude that they showed in the face of persecution. They did not focus on themselves, complaining and worrying. They turned boldly to God in prayer. We need to learn that it is not about us, it is about God. God only has all the answers. We need to understand this and make use of the access we have to God through prayers. God has provided an avenue to walk to Him in prayer. We need not to walk in narrow neighborhood roads! When faced with problems, let us turn to God in Prayer!
[Because they turned to God, they were also able to exercise an attitude of love and generosity.]
II. THEY EXERCISED AND ATTITUDE OF LOVE AND GENEROSITY.
One of the early problems the church faced was the problem of the needy. Many people had come from different areas of the world at Pentecost. They came to be present at one of the three major days in the life of the Israel (Deut. 16:16). They did not come, nor planned to become Christians. They did not have enough resources to stay in Jerusalem for longer period. Since they needed to hear more of the apostles’ teachings, it was necessary for them to stay longer in Jerusalem. The answer to this problem came from the believers themselves. There is no indication that this came from the apostles. Out of love and generosity "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." (Acts 2:44-45, NIV).
Again later in chapter 4:32-37 this same attitude is continued as the need is present. Under this example we have the name of Barnabas appear. Barnabas was, a man from Cyprus, who became the companion of Paul in his 1st missionary journey. "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet." (Acts 4:32-37, NIV).
However in the midst of this generosity and love appeared a problem of worldliness (5:1-11). Ananias and Sapphira, they also sold a piece of land and agreed to hold a part of the money for themselves. They wanted to appear righteous and better than the others in the face of men, and God put them to death. As a result great fear seized the church. God would not tolerate that they “act” right. They had to be right.
Christianity is not a show religion (Matthew 6-18). The Lord Jesus hates this wickedness to take place. He wants the church to love and not harden the heart to the needy, but He hates and judges severally the seem-right-in-front-people attitude. We should not close our hearts to the needs when we can. Knowing to do good and not doing it is a sin to God (James 1:17).
[Attitude is very important, but allocating the energies at the important things calls for organization.]
III. THEY BECAME ORGANIZED.
Efficiency and effectiveness are two important words when it comes to problem solving. We need to understand that we need to do the right things (effectiveness). At the same time we need to understand that we need to accomplish the desired goal with fewer resources possible (efficiency). We are stewards of God-given time, treasure, talents and truth. We can not, and should not waste what He has entrusted us with.
Acts 6:1-7 give us a problem that the early church faced. Let’s read it together. "In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. [THE PROBLEM] So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. [THE SOLUTION.] So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith [THE OUTCOME]." (Acts 6:1-7, NIV, emphasis added).
What is evident in this case is that the apostles took the lead and saw the need to organize things. They saw the need to share responsibilities and have the work focused. They said “…It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables…” They would not focus on something that others could do. If the apostles waited on the tables, they would neglect two important ministries: Word of God and prayer (vs. 4). It is important to note that the apostles wanted them to become part of the solution and take ownership of it. If one becomes involved in the process and takes ownership it is most likely they are going to act on bases of it.
It is very important for us to understand our God-given abilities and use them for His glory. The apostles organized the ministry of the church to answer the current needs of the church. They allowed for opportunities for other members to serve, and at the same time grow through service. They offered them “on job training.”
Recently, we faced a problem in regard to cleaning the building where the church meets. It was eye-opening for us to see that we were spending over 25% of our budget toward this end. So the decision was made not to pay for cleaning, but instead ask the members to serve by offering voluntarily to clean the building. This would solve our problem with the cleaning and provide room for growth and service for Christians.
[Attitude and organization are very important, but the vision that is focused on the past, present and the future is equally important.]
IV. THEY LOOKED INTO THE PAST, THE PRESENT, AND THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH.
In the Jerusalem conference the problem of Gentiles in the church was discussed. It had been a problem for a long time and the church was suffering from it. Many Gentiles had become Christians. Jews wanted to push the Law of Moses into Christianity. They wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised according to the Law and then be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. This was no small issue. It was a source of “sharp dispute and debate” (15:2). So the brothers at Antioch appointed Paul and Barnabas to go up to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders (vs. 2).
The outcome was what has come to be known as “the Jerusalem conference.” The way they dealt with the problem offers a very important insight into our theme.
First, the apostle Peter got up and addressed them (7-11). Peter’s speech consisted on three lines of thought:
a. He related the Cornelius’ experience (7b-9).
b. He reasoned with them why they would want to put on them a burden that was not able to be born neither by them, nor by their forefathers (10).
c. Salvation is by grace (11).
Peter asked them to look on the past and not forget it. Many problems come because the mistakes of the past are repeated, and the lessons from them are forgotten. We need to learn from the mistakes done in the past and not repeat them. The wisdom of our nation says “after every mistake there is lesson.” I believe there is even more wisdom to learn from the mistakes of other people. Paul tells us that things in past were written for our learning (Romans 15:4). The examples of the Old Testament are for us, so that we will learn and not make the same mistakes.
Second, Paul and Barnabas focused on the present (12). "The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them." They spoke of what God has done among the Gentiles. They were offering evidence of what was happening.
We also need to focus on the present, and deal with the problem in the context of its events and outcomes.
Finally, James spoke up (13-21). James vision on the future is very important, especially verse 19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God."
…should not make it difficult for… is in Greek ðáñåíï÷ëÝù [paranokleo] (cause) trouble, make it more difficult for, annoy
Our solutions should not be difficult. We should think of the ways that can bring solutions that are applicable and that can be implemented.
So the lesson for us is that we should look into the past for its mistakes and lessons. We should not forget the past! We should focus and evaluate the present. We should look into the future to make sure that our solution will solve the problem and will not cause additional problems.
CONCLUSION
Brothers and sisters, as sad it is the truth is: we face and will face problems. The fact should not scare us if we keep the right attitude and focus, as well as we are equipped to deal with it. Acts offer us at least four attitudes to keep in mind when dealing with problems:
a. Turn to God. How? In faith through prayers.
b. Show love and generosity. They had love, which made them generous. Love will move us to become unselfish, turn the other cheek, walk the second mile.
c. Be organized. Organization will help us not waste resources. Thus, being good and faithful servants of the God-given gifts.
d. Look into the past, present, and future. Look into the past and learn from it, but don’t stay there. Focus on the present. The needs, the events so the solution will be to the specific problem not to some other problems. Think of the future. The solution should solve the problem and not generate more problems in the future.
