A GROWING CHURCH WITH GROWING PAINS
(Part 2)
Acts 6:1-7
Several years ago we had a precious elderly member of our church who had been placed in the nursing home. I did my best to visit her on a regular basis but there was a problem. Experience had taught me that there was no way to just pop in for a quick visit; every time I would go to see her it would take a minimum of an hour. As a result, when it came time to visit her I would say “I am going to go on Tuesday”. When Tuesday rolled around I would put it off until Thursday. On Thursday I would postpone my visit until the following Tuesday. This went on for far too long and by the time I finally went to see her it had been 5 months since my last visit. As I exited my car and made by way to her room I was filled with dread because I knew what was coming. Sure enough, the moment I walked in the door this precious, frail, elderly saint “unloaded on me with both barrels!” She was very offended because (as she put it) she had been a member of our church for decades, yet months had gone by and she had not heard from a single member of her church family. As she proceeded to chew me out, I realized that she was not angry, it was worse than anger; the reality was that she was disappointed and hurt. As much as I wanted to defend myself I couldn’t; mainly because everything she said was true. I had no choice other than to hang my head, agree with her and sincerely apologize.
Though I did not enjoy that visit, it was very beneficial. I learned a hard lesson and it helped me to become a better pastor. Obviously I began to visit her on a more regular basis!
In our selected text, the Lord’s Apostles were confronted with a serious issue. We are not told exactly what their emotions were when the Hellenists complained about their widows being neglected. Though we don’t know how they felt, we do know what they did. Because of a bold confrontation, the Lord’s Apostles realized that there was a need that had to be addressed.
Scripture shows us that they addressed this issue promptly, compassionately, scripturally, and prayerfully. When problems arise within our own assembly we should respond in the same way.
Last week we began to examine “A Growing Church With Growing Pains”. I would like for us to pick up where we left off and see how the Apostles addressed these “growing pains”.
- We have already covered the fact that:
WE SHOULD EXPECT GROWING PAINS WITHIN THE CHURCH
When a church experiences growth, whether it is a large number of people or just a single individual it has the potential to change the entire dynamic of that church. This does not always mean that there will be problems and growing pains, but many times there will be.
- As we move forward I would like for us to see that:
WE MUST ADDRESS GROWING PAINS WITHIN THE CHURCH
Time does not permit us to revisit all of the many ways that growth can cause problems within the church; but I will sum it up by reminding you that these issues are called “growing pains” for a reason.
When problems arise within the church we must address them. Conflict and dissention within the assembly cannot be ignored. These problems must be confronted head on. Let’s look to verse 2 and consider the fact that:
GROWING PAINS MUST BE ADDRESSED PROMPTLY
v2 the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples…”
As soon as this issue was brought to their attention, the Apostles were moved to action. They called the church together and presented their solution for the problem. When any kind of conflict arises in the church we cannot ignore it.
It would be foolish to think that dissention within the church will just “work itself out”. Satan hates the church and wants to destroy it. He is not content to just get his foot in the door; he wants to come all the way in and cause as much destruction as possible. Therefore, when trouble arises we must respond promptly!
We have a great church, but we are not a perfect church. We are an assembly that is comprised of many imperfect people. There have been certain issues that have demanded our attention in the past and there will be more in the future. As in any church, there have been hurt feelings and moments of frustration and anger. In many instances, such issues are caused by simple misunderstandings.
I could give you several examples where people were much like the Hellenists; there was a problem that offended them greatly and they were not afraid to express their concern. When growing pains manifest within a local assembly, it is important to have spiritually mature leaders and members who are willing to address and resolve these issues quickly.
If the Apostles had not addressed the problem concerning the Hellenists, it would not have just gone away. In fact, it is likely that this one problem would have led to other problems that would have quickly spread throughout the entire church. In the same way, if problems arise in the church today and they are not addressed they will multiply and spread. As a result growth will be hindered and it may lead to a decline in membership.
- Three devastating things will happen if problems in the church are not addressed promptly. First of all:
CHRISTIANS WILL BE HURT
Genuine believers will suffer when problems go unaddressed in the church. We are more than members of some organization; we are brothers and sisters in Christ. When there is conflict or any type of trouble family it has the potential to cause great harm within the family.
Tragically, there are many Christians who are currently estranged from the family of faith because of conflict in the church. There is no question that these people have a responsibility to remain faithful to the Lord in spite of the actions of others. But at the same time, if we know that they are hurting we have a responsibility (and should have enough compassion) to at least attempt to heal the hurt that they are experiencing.
When the Hellenists came to the Apostles they did not respond by saying “deal with it” or “get over it”. Those men knew that these precious widows were new members of the body of Christ and they deserved to be cared for just as much as the Hebrew widows. A segment of the church was hurting and the Apostles were filled with compassion and moved to action. The same should be true for us when problems, issues, and various circumstances affect our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Church at Philippi was a great church but it was not without problems. There were two women in the church who were involved in some unknown conflict. Paul knew that this issue had to had to be addressed before it became worse. Though his letter to that church was filled with joy, praise, and commendation, he took a moment to exhort them to put aside their differences and focus on the Lord’s work.
“I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life” (Philippians 4:2-3).
We don’t know the details, but we do know that these women were sisters. Disagreements between siblings are to be expected. But those disagreements must be addressed before they grow worse and before they have an impact on the rest of the family. That is true in the nuclear family and it is true in the family of faith!
- Another problem that arises when problems go unaddressed in the church is that:
LOST PEOPLE GO UNREACHED
When a church is embroiled in conflict, the mission of the church often suffers. When an assembly gathers and there is tension or discord, they will be distracted by their own problems and inevitably will become inward focused. As a result, the members of the church will be distracted and in many cases evangelism is non-existent.
It is heartbreaking to know that lost people in certain communities are not being reached because the local church is consumed with dissention. Furthermore, when a church has problems that are not addressed, word of those problems spread outside the church. When lost people hear that the church is filled with turmoil and dissention, they will inevitably use this as one more excuse to reject Christ.
This leads us to the worst problem that occurs when problems go unaddressed in the church. When problems go unaddressed, saved people are hurt, lost people go unreached, and when problems within the church are not addressed:
CHRIST IS DISHONORED
The Church is to gather to worship, praise and honor the Lord Jesus. He is to be the sole focus when a body of believers assembles together. When a church is consumed with conflict, it makes it nearly impossible to focus on Him. Tension becomes a distraction and problems divert our attention away from the Savior.
There is no guarantee that Christ is honored just because a group of people assemble in His name. Paul made this fact abundantly clear to the Corinthians. There were many problems in that church that had to be addressed In 1 Corinthians 11 he said that when they gathered together it was not for the better but for the worse! (1 Corinthians 11:17 now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.)
Obviously that is a very bold statement; what was it that prompted the Apostle to confront them in such a way? Well, he goes on to explain in the following verse. He says: “For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you…”
The immediate context of Paul’s rebuke was concerning their detestable actions when they gathered together to observe the Lord’s Supper. In the early days of the church, Christians celebrated the “agape,” or “love” feast along with the Lord’s Supper. The love feast was fellowship meal that was intended to be shared in a spirit of love. It was common at the conclusion of this meal for the Saints to partake in the elements and observe the Lord’s Supper. This really is a beautiful concept, but over time the Corinthians had lost sight of the true purpose of it. Some of the more wealthy people within the assembly would gather for a lavish meal and not invite the poorer brethren to attend. After feasting on the best food and partaking in the finest wine, the wealthy people would then go to a common area and observe communion with the rest of the people. Because of this when the entire church gathered together “one was hungry while another was drunk.”
Paul makes it clear that if this was how they were going to operate, they might as well have stayed at home because their actions were not pleasing to the Lord; Rather than coming together for the better, it was “for the worse”. The members of that church were gathering in the Lord’s name but they were doing more harm than good.
The problems that the Apostles were dealing with in the earliest days of the church had not reached the level of the corruption that would later be seen in the Church at Corinth. Their problem was not intentional sin; it was that the church was growing at such a rapid pace that certain people were being neglected. However, if they had not addressed this (seemingly small) issue, it had the potential to cause great harm within the Body of Christ. Their actions teach us the importance of dealing with problems or “growing pains” in the church promptly.
As a church we are to assemble together to honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We join together and observe the ordinances that Christ has commanded. We worship and praise together. We pray together and seek to bear one another’s burdens. We study, learn, and grow together. All of these things prepare us to serve the Lord together.
When problems arise and go unaddressed, all of these things will be hindered and likely harmed. We must guard against becoming an assembly that gathers together, “not for the better but for the worse”! We must ensure that nothing is allowed to happen in this church that would harm other Christians, hinder the work of the church (especially concerning reaching the lost with the Gospel), or dishonor the Lord.
Let us never forget that the church is more than just an assembly of people, it is the very Bride of Christ! Ephesians 5:25-27 tells us that Christ “loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
When we do anything (or allow anything to occur) that would harm the church, we are living dangerously. Christ loved the Church so much that He gave Himself for her, she is precious to Him and there will be consequences for coming against His Bride. Therefore, when problems arise, (whether they seem to be big or small) they must be addressed promptly!
As we continue our study we will see that these problems and growing pains must also be addressed compassionately, scripturally and prayerfully. I pray that we will continue to be a growing church. If so, there will likely be certain growing pains along the way. Thankfully, we have the Word of God to tell us how we should respond when troubles come. Let us ensure that we listen and obey the instructions that God has given for “A Growing Church With Growing Pains”.
01212026
