Take a Stand: With Others

Introduction

SCRIPTURE: And from those who SEEMED to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me…and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that has given to me, they gave the RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember THE POOR, the very thing I was EAGER to do.

STORY: Might Ducks Formation

PROPOSITION: God desires for ALL of His children to link TOGETHER to experience LIFE to the fullest.

INTERROGATIVE: How do I prioritize others first in a world where we put ME first? Why don’t I like to link with others to further the gospel? What keeps people from feeling like they belong?

TRANSITION:

POINT 1: Unity does not mean UNIFORMITY.

Paul and Peter were way different when it came to the calling that they had on their life. One was called to the Jews primarily and one was called to the Gentiles primarily. Did that make either of them wrong? That was the hot topic during that day. That’s what Paul came to Jerusalem to discuss. He wanted them to know the gospel he was preaching was the same they were preaching. It was just primarily to the Gentiles that Paul preached and ministered to. Your calling does not determine your SIGNIFICANCE in the Kingdom. Your worth is found in CHRIST.

DISAGREEMENTS don’t always mean disunity. However, the way we handle them can. Look at what happened with Paul and the apostles in Jerusalem. They were being told that Paul was preaching something that he wasn’t, so he went to them and explained to them what he preached to the Gentiles and the ministry that God had called him to with the gentiles. They talked about it, Paul wasn’t intimidated, and they unified in the gospel and encouraged one another. Conflict happens, but how you handle it matters more than the conflict itself many times.

Even when you see the mighty ducks, they didn’t all have the same purpose. One of them was supposed to shoot the shot but all of them were so important to the mission that was given. Same with Paul and Barnabas and Peter and Timothy and ANY believer for that matter during that time. They all were entrusted with the gospel. They were all being changed by the Holy Spirit. Our MESSAGE is the same but our MINISTRY might look different. Everyone doing their part in the MISSION to spread the gospel to all nations might look different but each play a part to accomplish the goal.

POINT 2: If you want to go far with the gospel, go TOGETHER.

There are 30,000 parts on average in a car counting everything down to the nuts and bolts. Each one of those pieces plays a part. Each piece has a PURPOSE. If all of those pieces are trying to do their own thing that wheel might go as far as you can roll it. That bolt might go as far as you can throw it, but together they go farther. Think about it guys. Paul couldn’t do everything himself. Peter couldn’t either. If Paul rolled up into a town, shared the gospel, and told everyone that was transformed by the gospel “good luck” and rolled out, how well would that go? Not well at all! Paul set up CHURCHES with LEADERS to OVERSEE the group to GROW! Paul shows that even with how he travels. He always travelled with others. whether that was barnabas or timothy or Titus. It didn’t matter. The gospel message goes out with GREATER STRENGTH in those that work together. We weren’t meant to do life ALONE.

POINT 3: The gospel drives us to CARE for those around us.

Lastly, a family cares for one another and those around them. The gospel doesn’t redeem us to be couch potatoes. The gospel tells us to get in the game. And the same message came from the the disciples in Jerusalem to Paul in his ministry to the Gentiles. “Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” The good news of Jesus transforms us and makes us a new creation. That new creation cares for others like you would yourself. Your ACTIONS reflect what you care most about. If Paul went everywhere he was called to go and kept everything that he was given to him for himself he would be a SELFISH person. The call to be a Christian is a call to forsake YOURSELF and embrace CHRIST. Matthew 25:40 “ The king will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” The most applicable thing that you can find in these verses is verse 10. It doesn’t get more blunt than that. This point is probably the easiest to find when I was studying because it’s so plain but so profound. The first thing on our minds as we are ministering to others is their needs, both physically and spiritually. Living your life on MISSION becomes MISERABLE when it becomes about YOU.

APPLICATION:

UNITY doesn’t mean UNIFORMITY.

Handling conflict well is part of UNITY.

Linking together with others is part of the POWER shown through the gospel.

Caring for others is our PRIORITY as believers.