“Fly High” – Acts part 13
On the Lighter Side of Life:
Thesis: The book of Acts teaches us that disagreements in the Body of Christ are normal and it matters for all eternity how you handle them.
Scripture Text: Acts 15:1-41:
1Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
6The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12The 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. 13When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me. 14Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’
18 that have been known for ages.
19“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. 23With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. 33After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. 35But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
36Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Introduction:
I love the Bible because it is an honest book. In our text today we have two situations which surface where two individuals or groups have a sharp disagreement over ministry. Yes, these people are Christians and yes they love Jesus but disagreements surface even in the church of Jesus Christ. But what I want you to learn and to understand is that these types of situations will arise but the key is, how do you handle times like these?
So today I want to address what to do when sharp disagreements occur in the church.
I. How do we as Christians handle sharp disagreements in the Body of Christ?
a. We do the Matthew 18 principle laid out to us by Jesus and His Word.
i. The Matthew 18 Principle for handling sharp disagreements is the prescribed guidelines that the Lord Jesus set up for his church to follow. This is also found in the New Life Handbook for those who would like a copy (please pick up a handbook in the foyer).
ii. Matthew 18:15-17: 15“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
1. I want to remind you that this is Jesus’ instruction on how to handle sharp disagreements in the Body of Christ. I also want to add a Scripture text from 1 Thessalonians 4:8 – “Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.” What instruction is Paul talking about here? He is referring to the instructions that come from the Word of God. To Paul when a person refused to be teachable from the Word of God then they literally reject God Himself.
iii. This pattern for handling disagreements is Jesus’ prescription for healing sharp disagreements in the church body. I honestly believe that if each Christian followed this approach then there would be less wounded people walking around in the Body of Christ. Today I see too many Christians walking around bleeding all over the church from misunderstandings, disagreements and conflict in the church. The result is we have dissatisfaction, dissension, division, disunity and destruction being brought against the Body of Christ.
b. The Matthew 18 Principle for Solving Problems has seven dimensions to it:
i. Keep the matter confidential - The Bible has much to say about those who gossip or malign others with their words.
1. James 4:11, 12: 11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
2. Proverbs 11:9: “Dishonest people use gossip to destroy their neighbors; good people are protected by their own good sense” (CEV).
ii. Keep the circle small - Most problems are solved at the two-person level.
1. Proverbs 25:9, 10: “If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray another man’s confidence, or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation.
iii. Be straightforward - Jesus tells us to be forthright and to love honesty.
1. Proverbs 24:26: “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.”
2. Proverbs 15:18: “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.”
3. Proverbs 14: 16, 17: “A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.”
4. Proverbs 11:6: “The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.”
iv. Be forgiving - Once the matter is resolved, we should wholeheartedly forgive and restore the person whose fault has offended us.
1. Matthew 6:14, 15: 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
v. The two should agree to discuss the matter with each other first -An open and honest discussion will most often reach an amiable solution.
1. Proverbs 12:14: From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.
vi. If this does not work, they should agree to share the matter with a pastor - The goal of such a meeting is to understand the problem clearly; solve the problem; reproof and correct, if necessary; and forgive and restore those who have made amends.
1. Proverbs 9:7-9: “Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;
Who ever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.”
vii. The pastor, if necessary, will explain the situation to the elder board for their appropriate response - If the problem is not resolved, the two parties will present their case to the elders; and the elders will present their solution to the parties.
1. Proverbs 12:15: The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
2. Proverbs 21:1-4: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!”
3. Satan would like to destroy harmony and fellowship between Christians. That is not possible if all of us follow the Matthew 18 principle of solving problems.
c. I want to point out that the seven step approach to resolving conflict and disagreements is rooted in Bible’s teaching. It’s not an optional practice nor can you only do one of the seven steps and say you tried but it did not work.
i. You have to go through all the seven steps to satisfy the Lord’s teaching and directives.
ii. Doing only one step and refusing to do the other steps in this process is not following the Matthew 18 Principle. You have to progress through all the steps and approach the difficulty with the right attitude.
T.S. – Conflict – disagreements are going to arise in the Body of Christ so it’s important that we resolve the issue for the sake of the Body of Christ
II. Why we should resolve differences that surface in the Body of Christ?
a. Because the Lord said to try to do so!
i. It is a Scriptural command to resolve conflict
1. Matthew 5:23, 24: 23“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
a. Reality Check – You will not get forgiveness if you do not give forgiveness to others!
2. Resolving conflict in the Body of Christ is not optional. It is mandated by the Word and by the teachings of Jesus.
b. Because we are to be driven by love and not hate!
i. The response is found in the old song, “They will know we are Christians by our Love – by our love – yes they will know we are Christians by our love.
ii. Resolving sharp disagreements in our Christian relationships is to be driven by Love!
1. 1 John 3:11-15: 11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
iii. In Acts 15:1-35 – We see love driving Paul and Barnabas to stand up against the Judaizers who were pushing circumcision on the Gentile Christian believers. The issue was salvation and how one is saved – grace or works!
1. Love – manifested through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and administered through the Holy Spirit said “This is wrong – works do not save you!”
2. Peter said it well in Acts 15:11, “No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
a. So Peter aligns with Paul and Barnabas and then James aligns together and the church stands behind them. The church in Jerusalem followed the pattern of Matthew 18 and saved the church from a major split in its infancy.
b. They went through all the 7 steps to resolve the conflict between the two groups of Christians.
iv. The end result was the Decision was made that Gentile Christians needed to not be circumcised. But there was an edict ordered by the Jerusalem church to the Gentile Christians to warn them not to fall in to a mind set of “Cheap Grace.”
1. So in Acts 15: 23b-29 they sent a letter to clarify their position and to warn the Gentiles to live holy lives for the Lord:
a. The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
2. The Jerusalem church said we agree you are saved by grace and not by works but because you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit you do need to live holy lives and separate yourself from practices that would “Disgrace –God’s grace!”
a. Do not eat food offered to idols!
i. Have nothing to do with idol worship is the message – worship God alone!
b. Do not drink blood!
i. This is forbidden in Scripture as unhealthy and associated with the cults that worship the Devil.
ii. Have nothing to do with it!
c. Do not eat meat from strangled animals!
i. A practice associated with pagan rituals.
d. Do not practice sexual immorality!
i. Another common practice associated with the worship of pagan gods and goddesses.
ii. The cities of the Roman Empire were frequented with Temples of prostitution.
3. The Jerusalem council agreed that people were saved by faith alone but this decision for Jesus should create a change of lifestyle for the gentile Christian and these would be to abstain from doing the above sinful practices.
a. A converted Gentile Christian did not need the works of circumcision to save them but there salvation should create a changed lifestyle that rejected all forms of pagan worship and idolism.
b. They were not to use the “grace of God” as a get out of sin free card.
i. Paul addressed this issue in Romans 6:1-15: 1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? …14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
4. What is “Cheap Grace” this is a term defined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a very exceptional person, a Christian clergyman who challenged Hitler publicly (even returning to Germany after having escaped for a time first to England and then to America). The Nazis arrested him in 1943 and Himmler himself ordered him hanged in April, 1945, just a few weeks before the allied liberation of his concentration camp. Thank God, however, his insightful book, "The Cost of Discipleship", survived the Nazi book burnings. I believe that his idea of "cheap grace" explains not only the hollowness of German Christianity, but that of American Christianity as well…
We may never know where the Nazis disposed of Bonhoeffer’s body, but this web page hereby erects a shrine to Bonhoeffer’s tremendous contribution to Christianity, the exposure of the heresy of "Cheap Grace". See Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 866 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022, 1963 and reprinted in paper back by Simon Schuster in 1995.
Cheap Grace
"Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like a cheapjack’s wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut-rate prices. Grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! And the essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. What would grace be, if it were not cheap?
. . . In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. . .
Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. { p. 42}
. . .
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, (it is) baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate." { p. 43-4}
________________________________________
(True) Costly Grace
"Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake of one will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. . .
. . . Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: "my yoke is easy and my burden light." { p. 45} (From the website http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/about/cheapgrace.html)
v. The edict from the Jerusalem Church was an agreement between the two opposing parties.
1. Salvation is a gift from God and is received by Grace alone.
2. But because you have received this wonderful-costly gift then change the way you live and do not cheapen grace and Jesus sacrifice by continuing to practice sinful ways.
c. So that peace can be maintained in the Body of Christ:
i. Ephesians 4:1-3 – Tells us to resolve conflicts so that peace is maintained with in the Body of Christ.
1. Eph 4:1-3: 1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
ii. Dr. Dale Robbins states this about what our text tells us:
1. Whenever there is friction and turmoil in the body it hinders people from entering into worship and receiving from God’s Word. It hinders people from coming to Christ, creates an uninviting atmosphere for visitors, and can even grieve the Holy Spirit.
iii. The bottom line in the eyes and the teaching of Scripture is peace is to be maintained in the Body of Christ.
d. So that Satan has no advantage over the parties and the ministries involved in the disagreement;
i. 2 Corinthians 2:10 -11 – inform us that disagreements need to be resolved so Satan cannot gain advantage over the church and the one involved in the dispute.
1. 2 Cor. 2:10, 11: 10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
ii. Dr. Robbins adds, “For our own spiritual well-being, we must be quick to resolve our differences with other Christians and be willing to forgive. Satan can hinder our spiritual life, and even deceive us into apostasy, through harbored bitterness or unforgiveness.”
1. Matthew 6:14, 15: For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
2. Matthew 18:23-35: 23“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
a. This parable by Jesus makes it clear that we better forgive each other or the Lord will wave our forgiveness and hold us liable for our debt.
e. We are to resolve conflicts because the Gospel is all about reconciliation between us and God and with others in this life.
i. Galatians 6:1 –tells us to make sure that we restore our fallen brothers and sisters in Christ.
1. Galatians 6:1-5: 1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load.
ii. Dr. Robbins notes this about this verse:
1. Christians must make every attempt to restore brethren who fall into sin. Especially when the transgression had been committed against you personally, your love for your brother’s spiritual well-being demands that you confront the brother so that he might be reconciled to God.
f. Working through conflict and trials are part of the Christian faith walk.
i. They actually help us to mature in Jesus Christ.
1. James 1:2-4: 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
ii. Conflict and disagreements are inevitable when people have a relationship with each other.
iii. But without conflict then growth is very limited the truth is conflict is essential for growth in Christ. It is essential for maturing in the faith and learning how to get along with others.
1. There are various ways that people deal with conflict within the Body of Christ:
a. Avoiding – When people avoid conflict they often withdraw themselves from any hot issue or topic. They are unwilling to work through an issue because they do not want to compromise or come to an agreement with another. Instead they will withdrawal and separate so as to hold onto their view of the issue.
i. People with this type of conflict management jump from church to church.
ii. John Bevere in his book The Bait of Satan said, “You are not the one who chooses where you go to church” (49).
iii. He also adds, “Remember that, if you’re in the place where God wants you, the devil will try to offend you to get you out. He wants to uproot men and women from the place where God plants them. If he can get you out, he has been successful. If you will not budge, even in the midst of great conflict, you will spoil his plans” (49).
b. Accommodating – This is were one person will do what ever the other person wants to do so as to help them get there way. They will even do things to hurt themselves or the organization to just appease the situation. They want peace at any cost – even costly ones to themselves and to others.
i. This is where an individual will please a man over doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
1. But Acts 5:29 tells us “We must obey God rather than men!”
c. Competing – Others will get into a competition to “be right” and to make the other party be “totally wrong.” They will even demonize the person they disagree with to try to sway people to their right point of view.
i. Fred Smith stated, “True power and peace come through humility and obedience. That’s the price few are willing to pay.”
ii. Shelley states, “We’ve been so imbued with the idea we must fight Satan that we get the notion faith involves lots of fighting. But rather than personifying purity of Christ, more likely we’re trying to establish our self-righteousness” (55).
iii. Proverbs 8: 13, 14: To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.
iv. John Bevere states, “Offended people will be able to find Scripture passages to back their position, but it is not the correct division of God’s Word. The knowledge of God’s Word without love is a destructive force because it puffs up with pride and legalism (1 Cor. 8:1-3). This causes us to justify ourselves rather than repent of the unforgiveness. This creates an atmosphere in which we can be deceived, because knowledge without the love of God will lead to deception. Jesus warns of false prophets immediately after His statement of many being offended: ‘Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many’ (Matt. 24:11).
d. Compromise – This is where individuals are willing to “give and take” with others in the Body of Christ. It’s the idea that it does not have to be totally my way but we can come to an agreement.
i. This is what happened with the believing Pharisee’s and Judaizers and the Apostles in Acts 15.
ii. They worked through the issue and came up with an agreed upon position on salvation and the Gentiles.
iii. But sad to say this did not occur between Paul and Barnabas.
T.S. – How do you handle disagreements in the Body Christ between spiritual leaders?
III. When two leaders of a ministry disagree what then?
a. The question could be asked, “Why would spiritual leaders like Paul and Barnabas argue with each other?”
i. The answer to that question is very easy to address – because they are imperfect people!
ii. This chapter has two notations to sharp disagreements between individual Christians and groups of Christians.
b. The main thing you always look at is who is following the Word of God.
i. If they both seem to be following the Word then do the following seven things.
1. You look carefully at the spiritual life and fruit of these two leaders.
2. You carefully observe the spiritual condition of their families.
3. You see if they practice what they preach – are they people in essence who keep their word.
4. You observe to see if they have a humble heart through the conflict.
5. You observe to see if they have bitten into the Spirit of Offense.
6. You observe to see if they are forgiving or unforgiving.
7. You pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal who is following His directions.
c. Let’s look at our second scenario which is between Paul and Barnabas. They sharply are disagreeing over whether the deserter John Mark should have a second chance to go with them on another missionary journey.
i. Listen to the situation Acts 15:36-41: 36Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
ii. Quest Study Bible makes these comments about this explosive situation:
1. Paul and Barnabas quarreled partly because they held such passionate convictions about God’s will. For Paul, nothing could eclipse the mission of preaching the gospel and building churches. If John Mark jeopardized that mission, he should minister elsewhere. For Barnabas, nicknamed the son of encouragement (4:36), the restoration of one sincere Christian worker justified the risk. In sense, both Paul and Barnabas were right. Yet in another sense, both were wrong: Although they were spiritually mature, Paul and Barnabas allowed anger to influence them (1529).
2. This is a very good point – each leader has a call to a certain type of ministry.
a. Barnabas is the one into and gifted with the ministry of encouragement. He strongly believes in standing up for the underdog and taking them under his wings.
i. He is focused on the individual.
b. Paul a former Pharisee sees John Mark as going to cause hurt on their second missionary journey. He is concerned with others in Body being affected if he deserts again.
i. He is focused on the mission.
3. But I do want you to know that this situation is worked out over time.
a. Listen to Paul’s remarks about John Mark later in time:
i. Col. 4:10: 10My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)
ii. 2 Tim. 4:11: 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
iii. It becomes obvious over time that they worked out their differences. Paul admitted his error in not being willing to use John Mark and to give him a second chance at ministry.
iv. The Holy Spirit through the Word reveals the truth and who made the right decision in this situation.
iii. James 4:1, 10 tells us this about why we have arguments and conflicts in the Body of Christ. Listen to what he says, “1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?... 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
1. Arguments and disagreements surface from the self-centered interests that we all have.
2. But this is not to be the case in the Body of Christ.
a. We are to die to self and submit to God.
3. We are told to humble ourselves before the Lord and not try to manipulate a plan to get my way and to get what I want.
4. The key is will you humble yourself or will you allow pride to take root and cause destruction to the relationship and the ministry you are involved in?
Conclusion:
Disagreements will arise in the Body of Christ because it is a reality of life. Where there are imperfect people then there is imperfect behavior. The key is not if there are disagreements the point is how are you going to handle those disagreements!
If you are driven by pride and self-centered interests the disagreement will result in conflict-dissension and division. This is never the plan nor the way of the Lord.
Matthew 18 is Jesus plan for handling disagreements and conflicts in the Body of Christ. If the church commits to follow this plan I believe the majority of disagreements can and will be worked out so that God is honored.
So why do we have determine to work out our disagreements?
Because the Lord said so!
Because we are to be driven by love and not hate!
Because we are to chose the path of forgiveness and not unforgiveness.
Because peace needs to maintained in the Body of Christ!
Because if we don’t Satan will have foothold and a means of causing division, destruction, and disgrace to the Lord Jesus.
Because when we work through difficult situations we will grow and mature in our faith.
When leaders disagree then we must look at what the Word of God says and then align ourselves with it because the Lord will make it clear by their spiritual fruit who is in the right frame of mind and who is following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Remember to do the seven insightful ways of wisdom before you make a decision of who you will support:
1. You look carefully at the spiritual life and fruit of these two leaders.
2. You carefully observe the spiritual condition of their families.
3. You see if they practice what they preach – are they people in essence who keep their word.
4. You observe to see if they have a humble heart through the conflict.
5. You observe to see if they have bitten into the Spirit of Offense.
6. You observe to see if they are forgiving or unforgiving.
7. You pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal who is following His directions.
