Disagreement
Notes
Transcript
Unity in Disagreement
Unity in Disagreement
It depends on what we disagree about?
Toilet Paper: Over or Under -
Pepsi or Coke
Meat or No meat
Electric or gas cars
Republican or Democrat or Independent
Boycott Pro sports - Agree or disagree?
Boycott Netflix -
Pro-life or pro-abortion
Black Lives Matter or All Lives Matter
Trump or Biden
Inslee or Culp
Alcohol or no alcohol
Marijuana or no marijuana
Jesus or no Jesus
The early church was not free from humans and their disagreements. Last week we talked about how our style of approaching conflict can influence how we see and work toward resolutions in disagreement. We saw the importance of leadership in the church and how submission to godly leaders brings unity to all. What about when leaders disagree? Today we are going to talk about how to disagree and maintain unity. The answer is unbelievably simple.
PRAY
READ
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.
38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Good plan gone sideways.
Good plan gone sideways.
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
Is the plan a good and acceptable thing to do? Yes.
37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.
Is this a reasonable request? Yes.
38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Uh-oh. They split over this.
Barnabas leaves with mark to return to Cyprus where Mark was a part of the ministry.
Paul takes Silas and goes to the other churches. This also launches his second missionary journey.
Who are John Mark and Silas?
Who are John Mark and Silas?
John Mark:
13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem,
The one who left the mission.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),
Barnabas Cousin.
11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.
In the end, he was well thought of and respected by Paul. How important was this moment, when Barnabas followed what he knew to be right? From it came a faithful disciple of the Lord.
Silas
Roman: Sylvanus
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,
32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
Chosen as a representative of the counsel and was a prophet.
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”
Roman Citizen.
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.
Proclaiming the Gospel
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Likely very integral to the ministry in Thessaloniki
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.
Scribe for Peter
Disagreement isn’t always bad.
Disagreement isn’t always bad.
It depends on how we handle the disagreement.
Later in his letters Paul would write good things about Barnabas
6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),
In this case, we are not told if their was sin on the part of either party. It is easy to input our own judgement but we must refrain from adding to God’s Word.
God Uses Disagreement
God Uses Disagreement
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Even disagreements can be the fuel for shifting the church, waking us up, and pointing us in the right direction.
How to Disagree
How to Disagree
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
A worthy walk:
Humble
Gentle
Patient
Bearing with others in LOVE!
Maintaining unity: It’s and action
Being at peace
Why?
Because God’s purpose is greater than our disagreements.
This does not give license to sin:
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Our disagreements can include sin and repentance from sin but there are also times when we can disagree and both be without sin. We are not to bear with each others sins but to lovingly confront sin. See Jesus teaching on removing the log from your own eye in order to see clearly to remove the speck from your brothers eye. As the list from above notes, it must be done in love.
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
A good disagreement will build unity and not destroy it. Notice that Paul and Barnabas continued to minister. The Gospel spread and unity was maintained in the Body of Christ.
