ISSUES ARISING IN THE CHURCH
The Do’s and Don’ts of conflict
Acts 15:1-19 Some 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."
2 This 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. 3 The 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. 4 When 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. 5 Then 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." 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After 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. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now 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? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." 12 The 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. 13 When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15 The 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.
INTRODUCTION: THE PASSAGE WE HAVE BEFORE US TODAY IS ONE THAT DEALS WITH CONFLICTS THAT RISE UP IN THE CHURCH.
IN FACT CONFLICTS OCCUR ON A REGULAR BASIS. SOME OF THE CONFLICTS ARE SMALL, AND EASILY RESOLVED, OFTEN INVOLVING ONLY A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, OVER A MINOR ISSUE. OTHER CONFLICTS HAVE DEEPER ROOTS. THEY HAVE FESTERED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THEY HAVE GARNERED SUPPORT AS THE ISSUES HAVE BEEN WHISPERED AMONG PEOPLE. WHEN THESE ERUPT, THE FALLOUT IS SIGNIFICANT, THE DAMAGE IS EXTENSIVE, AND THE EFFECT LINGERS ON FOR DAYS, OR WEEKS, OR MONTHS.
AT TIMES, UNRESOLVED CONFLICT – OR RESOLVED CONFLICT ATTAINED APART FROM BIBLICAL TEACHING CAN AT TIMES INJURE, HOBBLE, OR EVEN KILL A CHURCH.
SUCH SITUATIONS WE WOULD BE WELL TO AVOID!
TRANSITION: HERE WITHIN THE INTERACTION OF THE CHURCH OF ANTIOCH AND JERUSALEM, WE CAN SEE GOD’S DESIRE FOR DEALING WITH CHURCH CONFLICT.
I. ISSUES NOT OPEN FOR DISCUSSION
a. THE ISSUES THAT DEFINE US AS AMERICANS
i. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
ii. THE BILL OF RIGHTS
iii. THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
iv. WHEN THESE ISSUES ARE THREATENED THEY ILLICIT TREMENDOUS RESPONSE, PROTEST, AND PASSION
b. ISSUES THAT DEFINE US AS A CHRISTIAN/BIBLICAL CHURCH
i. OUR PRACTICES
1. BAPTISM
2. LORD’S SUPPER
3. REGENERATE MEMBERSHIP
ii. OUR BELIEFS
1. BIBLE
2. GOD
3. JESUS CHRIST
4. HOLY SPIRIT
5. CHURCH
6. SIN
7. ANGELS
8. MAN
9. SALVATION
10. THE CHURCH
11. END TIME
AGAIN THESE ARE ISSUES AND SHOULD BE ISSUES THAT WHEN THREATENED, CHALLENGED, ETC. WOULD DRAW TREMENDOUS RESPONSE TO
c. UNIQUENESS OF THE EARLY CHURCH
i. THERE ARE NO ISSUES CLOSED FOR DISCUSSION
ii. THE FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES AND DOCTRINAL ISSUES ARE STILL BEING DEFINED.
iii. FOR THE EARLY CHURCH – EVERY ISSUE WAS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, AS WAS THE ISSUE OF SALVATION AND GENTILES
II. THE ISSUES OPEN FOR DISCUSSION
a. THE LEVEL OF DISCUSSION
i. “DISPUTE AND DEBATE”
ii. “MUCH DISCUSSION”
1. STRIFE
2. DISCORD
3. DISUNION
4. RIOT
5. INSURRECTION
6. INQUIRE
7. QUESTION
8. DEBATE
b. SALVATION AND GENTILES
c. NO DOUBT AS TO THE REALITY OF GENTILES BEING SAVED
i. HAPPENED IN THE LIFE OF PAUL
ii. HAPPENED IN THE LIFE OF PETER
iii. WAS PART OF THE GREAT COMMISSION
d. WHAT WAS IN QUESTION WAS THE EXTERNALS OF SALVATION
i. FACTION ONE – BELIEVING JEWS FROM CHURCH IN JERUSALEM
1. THE NEED FOR BELIEVERS TO BE CIRCUMCISED
a. CIRCUMCISION WAS THE IDENTIFYING MARK OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
b. CIRCUMCISION WAS A SIGN OF THE COVENANT
2. ULTIMATELY THEY WERE SAYING THAT IN ORDER TO BE A CHRISTIAN YOU NEED TO BE A JEW FIRST
3. THEIR REASONING WAS THAT CHRISTIANITY BUILT ON JUDAISM; IT DID NOT BY PASS JUDAISM
4. THE LAX STANDARDS OF THE GENTILES WOULD ULTIMATELY SERVE TO WEAKEN THE CHURCH
ii. FACTION TWO – PAUL, BARNABAS, AND PETER
1. PARTICULARLY INTERESTING IN THAT PETER AND PAUL HAD AN ISSUE WITH JEWS IN THE CHURCH BEFORE
Galatians 2:11-20 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? 15 "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. 17 "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2. GENTILES WERE SAVED BECAUSE GOD BROUGHT THEM IN THE WAY THEY WERE
a. DIVINE ACTIVITY INDICATES DIVINE WILL
i. GOD WANTS GENTILES IN THE CHURCH
b. THE LAW WAS MEANT TO SHOW US THAT WE COULD NOT LIVE BY IT. IF WE AS JEWS CANNOT, HOW CAN WE EXPECT GENTILES TO?
Galatians 3:24-25 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
c. GOD PERFORMED SIGNS AND WONDERS IN THE PRESENCE OF SALVATION OF GENTILES
i. SIGNS WERE MIRACLES WHICH POINTED TO GOD
ii. WONDERS WERE EVENTS THAT ELICITED AWE FROM THOSE WHO WITNESSED THEM
iii. REGARDLESS OF OUR THOUGHTS, THE ULTIMATE TEST OF TRUTH IS THE WORD OF GOD – VERSES 15-18
iii. THE END RESULT IS THAT THE CHURCH SHOULD DO NOTHING TO HINDER THE ABILITY OF GENTILES TO COME TO JESUS
III. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN AND AFTER CONFLICT
a. NOTICED THAT THE DISPUTE WAS LEGITIMATE
b. THE DISPUTE WAS INTERNAL AMONG BELIEVERS
c. THE DISPUTE WAS DEBATED INTENSELY
i. EACH SIDE WAS GIVEN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
d. THE ULTIMATE DECIDER WAS THE ACTIVITY OF GOD AND THE WORD OF GOD
e. THE RESULT WAS TO SEND DIRECTION OF GODLY LIVING AFTER SALVATION.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN THERE IS DISAGREEMENT IN THE CHURCH
EACH GROUP HAS A RIGHT TO BE HEARD
IT NOT OUR OPINION BUT GOD’S WORD THAT MUST HAVE PREEMINENCE
AFTER A DECISION, WE ARE NOT TO DELAY BUT TO PROGRESS.
