Disagreement
Discovering the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 56:22
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· 122 viewsA failure to be of one mind, which should be avoided whenever possible within the church, the family and other areas of everyday life. Christians are urged to maintain the unity of the church and avoid damaging division.
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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38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.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.
A failure to be of one mind, which should be avoided whenever possible within the church, the family and other areas of everyday life. Christians are urged to maintain the unity of the church and avoid damaging division.
As we “Discover the Church” it is evident that Disagreements can occur.
We learn from Paul and Barnabas that Disagreements do not have to become the basis for division.
Let’s begin by talking about “Disagreement within the Church...
I. Disagreement within the Church
I. Disagreement within the Church
A. Between individuals
A. Between individuals
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
See also ; these differences later reconciled; see ; ; ; ;
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?
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.” Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 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. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
B. About doctrine
B. About doctrine
1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.
See also ; ;
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.
13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Whether our disagreements are based on personality or doctrine we are encouraged to pursue unity and not destructive division.
Disagreements are common in the Church as they are common in the family...
II. Disagreement in the family
II. Disagreement in the family
A. May cause estrangement
A. May cause estrangement
6 for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
See also ;
B. Is unpleasant to live with
B. Is unpleasant to live with
; ; ; ;
A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
It is better to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
Family relationships can become estranged and unpleasant. That is why Godly wisdom is needed when dealing with disagreements.
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
The background to this statement is Dt 19:15, which demands that conviction can only take place on the testimony of two or three agreed witnesses.
A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
III. Wisdom in handling disagreement
III. Wisdom in handling disagreement
14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.
See also ; ; ; ; ;
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
To prevent division
To prevent division
25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
See also
We need to follow righteous teaching from scripture when dealing with disagreements because we are ill equipped to deal with sin on our own.
IV. Sin provokes disagreement
IV. Sin provokes disagreement
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,
See also ; ; ;
12 A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech,
13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger,
14 with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord;
Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,
11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Nahash’s suggestion to the men of Jabesh Gilead; Ben-Hadad’s demands on Ahab
Sin is at the root of our disagreements but the Lord gives us ways to resolve them.
Examples of resolved disagreement
Examples of resolved disagreement
Abraham and Lot resolve their disagreement over land and livestock; Isaac settles a disagreement about the water supply; Solomon resolves a disagreement between two prostitutes.
V. Ways to resolve disagreement
V. Ways to resolve disagreement
A. Settlement out of court
A. Settlement out of court
25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
See also
1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?
B. Accepting weaknesses
B. Accepting weaknesses
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
C. Striving for harmony
C. Striving for harmony
10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
See also ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
D. Appointing wise leaders
D. Appointing wise leaders
Moses realised that he was unable to deal with all the people’s disputes alone.
See also ;
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers,
6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?
E. Being of sound doctrine
E. Being of sound doctrine
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,
4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
See also
9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,
VI. Those who seek to resolve disagreement are blessed
VI. Those who seek to resolve disagreement are blessed
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
See also
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.