What Do You Do When You Have A Church Squabble?

NOTE: I have the Power Point to this message. If you email me at LarryJ713@aol.com and ask for it by referring to 06-08-13pm – I will send it to you.

"WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE A CHURCH SQUABBLE?"

ACTS 6:1-7

A. Now there is no doubt that the disciples may have done some murmuring doing the personal ministry of Christ but to my knowledge this is the first place that the organized church had a big squabble.

I have been in some real dories of church squabbles. I hate them. I have been in Baptist Church business meeting where people would stand on the pew and scream at one another.

I am convinced that kind of behavior has hurt the image of the church worse than any that I know of. The lost world don’t expect Christians to be perfect. They do expect them to act like Christians.

That is why Jesus gave us iron clad instruction on what to do when problems arise in the church. We will never avoid problems – we can avoid acting like a spoiled child when they come.

B. Now there is no doubt that murmuring in the church is against the will of God. If fact there are so many Scriptures that I could have just read passage after passage on just that subject. Let me share a few with you:

Num. 11:1 "And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the anger of the Lord was kindled: and the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed those who were in the uttermost parts of the camp."

I Cor. 10:10 "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things. . . . . . . ."

Phil. 2:13-15 "For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that ye may be blameless and harmless, children of God. . . .

and many, many more could be quoted.

How good and please it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. . . keeping the unity of the Spirit. . . be joined together in mind in all things. etc.

D. However, we should know that when problems arise – it is our signal to take divine action. The leaders of the church at Jerusalem were masters at knowing what to do when a squabble arose.

So, even amid problems God can work his own blessed will. When we follow God’s pattern we can see God bring Purpose out of our Problems.

E. He is a place where the church had a problem and God took this incident and used it for His will and His purpose.

T/S WHAT GOOD DID GOD BRING FROM THIS SQUABBLE?

I SEE 5 BLESSINGS THAT GOD BROUGHT FROM THIS BAD INCIDENT.

Now just before we look at these 5 blessings maybe we should take the time to notice just what cause the murmuring.

An increase in church membership.!!!!!

I. FIRST, I SEE HERE THAT MURMURING IMPOSED ACTION ON THE CHURCH.

A. Read verse 2.

You know, sometimes trouble make us realize we have to do something. The disciples realized that something had to be done.

B. I am convinced that sometimes we need to call ourselves together and review the basics and then take divine action.

C. If we are not careful we can get so caught up in doing the job that we forget why the job is being done.

The Basics:

The soul purpose of this church is to win souls. Do mission work. Baptize converts. Teach the word of God.

D. If we are not careful we will start planting flowers in the wilderness.

(Imposed Action)

II. SECOND, I SEE THAT THIS SQUABBLE GOT OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH. V-3

A. God has a job for you and you need to know what it is. You have a ministry at Central.

(Imposed Action - Involved others - )

III. THIRD, I SEE THAT THIS SQUABBLING IDENTIFIED THE PASTOR’S JOB AND THE DEACONS JOB. V-2-4.

(Imposed Action- Involved others - Identified the pastor’s job but . )

IV. FOURTH, I SEE THAT THIS SQUABBLE INFLUENCED HARMONY AMONG GOD’S PEOPLE.

V-5

(Imposed Action- Involved Others - Identified the pastor’s job - Influenced Harmony- but )

V. FIRST AND LAST, GOD USED THIS SQUABBLE TO INCREASE THE BLESSING OF GOD IN THE CHURCH. V-7,8

1. It gave the church some of the greatest men. Steven, Philip, deacons for the church.

2. V-7 The Word of God increased

3. Number of disciples multiplied.

4. Priest got saved. (religious crowd)