Unity in Disagreement

Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension/dispute with them about this, to which they realized the need for involving the leadership of the church in Jerusalem to resolve the issue.

Once amongst the leaders in Jersualem, Paul and Barnabas shared the miracles and works God had done among the Gentiles, and James stood and with Scripture, gave reasoning and direction for the church to not command circumcision as necessary for salvation.

James shared that if the churches abstain from things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, things strangled, and blood, they would do well. The leadership and the whole church, who sent out Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas to deliver the letter. (Why? Context of this is the jewish believer’s around the gentiles in the church- and the wisdom of remaining sensitive to Jewish convictions in support of the Unity of the Spirit)

Now Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas are sent off, to deliver the letter solving the issue.

PRAYER

Continuing Ministry in Syria

Vs 30-31

We open up vs 30 now with the solution to the problem being delivered to the church.

Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas went back to Antioch- the place where the disagreement first originated.

-After reading the letter, the whole church rejoiced over its encouragement.

-Do you realize how much we have to rejoice over because of what God has done?

-it’s encouraging and uplifting to be reminded of the true freedom we have in Jesus Christ. When we really understand all of the law that the Jewish people were under, it’s genuinely amazing to know that we don’t have to keep ordinances and laws, or any sort of tradition or ritual for salvation, just the believing in faith that Jesus died and rose again, that those who believe in Him will have eternal life.

Vs 32-35

Judas and Silas spent time and many words, in order to exhort and strengthen the church.

-Story of realizing who God created me to be

-Want to speak to those of you that have a similar heart to these 4 here.

You want to see others grow in their walk with Jesus, in their worship, in their understanding of scripture. You have a deep burning desire to see others walk more and more in obedience to Christ, to know what the Word of God says, to communicate sound teaching of it, and you’re willing to set your life and goals aside to meet the needs of the church. Be Encouraged, God sees you and He has so much in mind for you, He plans to use you in reaching others and encouraging those who are broken and in need. Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

-These four that God is using to encourage, strengthen and teach the church, just had to go through the most divisive time the early church had seen at that point. They had to learn and watch and experience complex and challenging issues before this point, with not a whole lot in the old testament to refer to for black and white approaches. They were experiencing persecution from their own people, living every day with the realization it could be their last- so count the cost, and remind yourself of the necessary prepping every vessel goes through before it’s able to be used for its intended purpose.

-VS 34 ”It seemed good to silas to remain there.” *PAY ATTENTION* In a few verses we’ll talk about why this was so important, and how this was actually an insight into one of the main ways i’ve seen God move amongst His people.

Division over John Mark

VS 36-41 The Division

Read passage,

tell story of disagreeing with Amanda/Mike over connect:

-Overseeing HS/MS group back in NY

-After some time it became apparent to us from the things we were experiencing at the church and from the leading of the Holy Spirit, that it would be dangerous for our marriage and our walk with God to continue to fellowship at this church.

-our friends didnt really see the big deal, thought we were blowing things out of proportion, and they opted to stay at the church.

-It became heated contention between us, i felt like my marriage wasn’t being supported by our friends and they were ignoring the truth because they didn’t want to leave.

-I failed in letting my anger get the best of me in that situation, demanding that they see the truth and the danger, instead of after communicating my concerns, committing it to prayer and for the Lord to work it out.

Raise of hands- who here has had an argument with a friend/best friend that’s a believer?

Those of you raising your hands, are you still friends/have a relationship with this person?

For those of you that aren’t, I really want you to ask yourself in your own quiet time- was this for a godly reason that you left the friendship? Or were you tired of being annoyed with them?

For those of you that still have a friendship with this person, I’m willing to bet you don’t regret staying friends after the argument.

(if anyone says they regret it, call them out and ask why they regret it)

-ultimately my friends did leave 4 months later for the same reasons we did, having witnessed the issues begin to spiral and get worse, but it’s not about who won and who lost, it’s about trusting the Holy Spirit to lead them just as He leads us, and to realize God is in control. Some people just have to learn things the hard way, i am one of those people most of the time. But when you’re trying to help someone have wisdom in a situation, remember the help part of that formula. If it’s becoming an argument or they’re not listening to you, resolve to handle the issue in prayer for them, and love them well while you’re with them.

-We need to stop elevating our petty disagreements, and start learning how to actually be longsuffering toward each other. We need to learn how to have Unity in diversity, because that’s exactly what God commands from His church.

Ephesians 4:1–3 (NKJV): I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Earlier in this chapter we just read how there was much dispute over an important doctrinal matter of salvation, but here we see the sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas is clearly less important and more a matter of personal opinion.

I’ll say it now and end with it- KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

-We need to know the difference between what is a doctrinal or salvation issue and a personal/conscience issue. How? By reading and studying the Word of God.

Proverbs 4:7 “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

Godly Wisdom and Discernment is what helps us navigate these tricky issues that are more secondary in nature.

Do you think it’s right to get into a heated argument with someone over the broncos being absolutely terrible? Or about whataburger being more mediocre than mconalds?

How about someone that says they don’t see a problem with watching porn, and they teach others to do the same because “It’s not hurting anybody, what’s the big deal?”

I wonder which of these topics you think is worth standing your ground on, regardless of what happens to your relationship with that person?

I think some of you might have some relationships or friendship that you’ve known for a long time that you need to let go of them. That it’s negatively affecting your walk with Jesus, you find yourself cursing more, making fun of people more, and not being true to who you actually are in Jesus.

-Story of Dad getting tooth pulled, numb both mentally and physically, he couldn’t even tell i was in the room

-Mom helping him get back to normal, took care of him in his time of need

I think that’s the condition for some people here tonight. You’re so numb that you can’t hear Him, you’re on your back and just wasting your life. PAUSE. You surround yourself with people that aren’t going to hold you accountable and challenge you when you mess up, they’re not going to tell you to go spend time with Jesus.

You’re so numb and apathetic that you don’t even realize, He’s in the room. PAUSE.

My advice to those of you in this situation, don’t confuse evangelism with fellowship. And don’t think hanging with that group you know you shouldnt, is evangelism. it’s not. Evangelism is preaching the gospel to those around you, and living a life that shows others who Jesus is. Fellowship is becoming one with one another in our pursuit of Christ and sharing the love of Christ with each other, when you do that with non believers, this is when you start to be conformed to the world as Scripture says.

Romans 16:17–18 NKJV

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

We are called to mark and avoid those who cause division and offenses, contrary to DOCTRINE- what Bible black and white teaches. An example of those who do this would be the mormon people, who say that Jesus wasn’t really God.

Now do we think that Paul and Barnabas were noting and avoiding each other because of this issue? No, because it wasn’t a doctrinal issue.

Romans 14:6–10 “He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”

-He’s Saying, why are you trying to take the position of Christ and judge your brother and sister over conscience/doubtful issues?

Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;”

You may not like someone else’s decision. You may think that it’s foolish, unwise, maybe even outright dangerous to their walk with God. Maybe you think someone is giving too much grace in a situation or not enough. That’s probably exactly what happened between Barnabas and Paul, and it was heated, it was sharp, and it was divisive.

When looking at Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement, What kind of an example was that to John Mark, a younger believer? PAUSE. What kind of an example are YOU to younger believers when disagreements happen? PAUSE.

We see later on Paul is reconciled with Mark, and says in 2 Timothy 4:11 that he’s useful for ministry. Clearly things can change, and they often do. It’s much more regrettable to flip out on someone and find out you’re wrong, than just having grace, giving preference to the other like Scripture tells us to.

(RESUME)

In vs 40 We see here that the brethren in Antioch commended Paul and Silas to the grace of God, and God still used Paul even after this heated argument he had with Barnabas. If you’re feeling the weight of the realization that you argue with other believers alot, or maybe you just don’t treat them in a way that Jesus would, God has grace for you- just as He did with Paul and Barnabas, and i want to talk about how we see God’s grace in this situation.

Remember earlier how i mentioned Acts 15:34 “However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there.”? Look now- Silas is available and ready to go with Paul to Derbe and back to Lystra. (SIDE NOTE IF TIME AVAILS- Pauls second time again in Lystra, last time he was stoned and nearly killed, and yet here he is back again)

This is important, because as simple as “it seemed good to Silas” to me shows the sovereign leading of the Holy Spirit. Silas may not have even been aware that God was leading him to stay with Paul. God knew that there would be this heated disagreement, and therefore prepared silas to go with Paul so there could be 2 missionary groups.

My point in bringing this up, is this: If you’re feeling the weight of the realization that you argue with other believers a lot, or maybe you just don’t consistently treat them in a way that Jesus does, God has grace for you just as He does here. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” He still has plans to use you and move through you to reach other people, despite your flaws. I’m still learning that one, and it’s incredibly humbling, but be so hungry and willing to accept the grace God has for you.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16: 1-2

We see now the first time Paul meets Timothy, and for those of you that don’t know, their relationship was beautiful. Paul refers to Timothy as his own son in the faith. Paul spent a lot of time and love pouring into Timothy as a young pastor, and God i’m sure used Timothy to remind Paul that just because Paul was getting older and nearing the end of the race, God was going to use Timothy, and from generation to generation continue to raise up godly leaders to help the church. Find someone to pour into the wisdom God has given you, and find someone to pour into you the wisdom they have learned from the Lord.

(if extra time)

So to my Paul’s here, well seasoned and nearing the end of the race or getting ready to move on from this ministry- God is not done with you. He’s not finished with you until He says you’re finished. He still has work for you to do, and as you can see, there’s a lot of Timothy’s here, and out there, and they are hungry for God, more than they appear, more than they might say.

To my Timothy’s- i know your hunger for walking with Jesus. I know you want to grow and learn and serve and bless others, and do all of the things that are on your heart to do. But with knowledge of the Truth combined with isolation, pride begins to form, and you render yourself useless for the Kingdom. Humble yourself. Find a Paul, cry out in prayer for one, ask your leaders for help, reach out to Pastor Tim or your parents and ASK to be discipled and poured into, so that you can walk in the good works God has pre ordained for you to walk in.

VS 3-5

Wait a minute, Paul had Timothy Circumcised? Rough way to start out a relationship with someone you’re discipling but hey, we read that it was actually wise of them to do this. The letter they were delivering from first church council, was specifically stating you DON’T need to be circumcised to be saved. And Paul was in total agreement with this, so why?

Where did Paul go first when he visited cities while traveling around preaching the Gospel? The synagogues! He would go into the synagogues first and preach the gospel there! Scripture says that the jews in that region knew his father was a greek, and the father being the one who makes the final decisions- they knew he wasn’t circumcised, so he wouldn’t have been allowed to go into the synagogue because of this.

Two things:

One, i believe that this shows the heart of 2 leaders that genuinely love the Lord more than anything else. They were both willing to do whatever it took to preach to gospel to the Jews, even something like circumcision. Paul KNEW this was prevent Timothy from reaching the Jews, he knew the law, he knew the customs; Paul says about himself that he was a pharisee of pharisees before coming to know Christ. He was well aware of the difficulty this would present if he didn’t circumcise Timothy. But their hearts were for the gospel of Jesus Christ going out.

Second, i believe that this shows the heart of 2 genuine leaders that love the Lord and want to serve Him with their whole lives. They both were Willing to do this, in order that they might reach the Jews with the Gospel. Paul KNEW this was such an issue for them, that Timothy wouldn’t be able to witness to them because of it. They would be so bothered by Timothy’s lack of circumcision, that it would be a barrier for the gospel going out to them.

Are you willing to let go of things in your life to respond to God’s call to go out? Maybe you’ve felt called to the ministry for months, maybe years, and you just don’t want to trust him with the money. Maybe you feel like you’re not public speaker so you can’t pastor and you don’t want to make mistakes in front of people? Maybe you just like being comfortable?

Maybe you’re just passionate about the wrong things in life and youre not willing to let them go for the sake of follow God’s call on your life. PAUSE.

SUMMARY

Lets recap-

1. Don’t have heated contentious arguments with people about things that are not doctrinal.

2. We need to learn and practice having godly wisdom and discernment in all of our relationships.

3. When you walk in total obedience to the Lord and His Word no matter the cost to yourself, you will watch the Lord move through your life blessing others, and transforming you into the son or daughter He has called you to be.

Closing

Having dogmatic passionate sort’ve in your face approach about every single possible thing is foolishness, and it misrepresents Jesus when we choose to cause division over doubtful things, instead of seeking unity, grace and godly wisdom. We need to learn how to exercise discernment in all of our relationships, so how do we do that?

-Study. PAUSE. Study God’s Word. Study by yourself, study with a trusted believer, ask questions when you don’t understand something.

-Pray. Ask God for wisdom, James 1:5 says God gives liberally to those who ask Him for wisdom, that it’s promised to those who ask in faith, because He wants you to behave wisely.

-Be accountable. Talk with other people who you know love Jesus, people that have wisdom, and people that will be truthful with you when you’re in the wrong.

Maybe you’re saying Greg, i’m in highschool, i’m not dealing with disagreements over doctrine or wondering how to have godly wisdom in relationships because i don’t have friends. Even if both of those things are true- YOU WILL. They were true for me at your age, and now as i’ve gotten older and started really pursuing Jesus, we learn these lessons one way or another.

Invite the band back up

Maybe you’re saying well Greg i don’t have disagreements over doctrine because i always have grace for people and i never get annoyed when i shouldnt. I already have wisdom in my relationships. That’s good, then you need to get with me after service and teach me your ways on how you’ve attained perfection in all things.

No, i think you’re just not taking a hard enough look at your life, at who you are deep down in your heart of hearts. If you can’t see issues, you’re deceived by pride and in serious error- and you’re asleep.

Matthew 23:37 ““O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

-Oh my son, my daughter! How often i wanted to gather you under my wings as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing!

-You think God doesn’t speak, or you can’t hear Him, so what’s the use? Hear Him now; REPENT and turn back to Jesus with open arms asking for His forgiveness, and watch Him pick you up and hold you for the rest of your life. PAUSE

-Those of you that are walking with Jesus, don’t tune out. Look around, there are people here who are in need of deep genuine godly friendships, but most of them think that the group is full and theres no room for them. MAKE ROOM for them.

You cannot do this on your own. That has never been God’s design or intent for you. You don’t know everything, you haven’t figured it all out, and you have no idea the things in your life you will have to go through. It’s ok to admit that and ask for help.

For those of you that are struggling in a relationship, or you’re ready to come back to Jesus, you need help and you know you need to ask- ask for it tonight. Find Pastor Tim, me, one of the leaders, and let us share your burden with you and pray with you. I believe that Jesus is extending out His hand to you tonight, asking you to let Him take it. To let Him have that situation, that friendship, that argument, that heated sharp tension between you and that other person, that spiritual numbness. This is your chance to respond to Him, to cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.