Acts: Overcoming Disagreements for God's Glory

If you have your Bible, it's turned with me to Acts,

Act chapter fifteen, and we're going to pick up verse

thirty six. As if you have your bibles, you will

turn there with me. I hope you have them, hold

them up if you like, show that you have it.

I hope that you only have God's word, and you've

been in God's word this week, Acts Chapter fifteen, starting

verse thirty six. Now we're going to start out this morning,

and I want some participation. You don't have to say

this out loud, but I want you to think about something.

I want to ask you a few questions, and I

want to pull you, if you will, of what things

that you like? Which ones are the best? Okay? And

you don't have to say these out loud, but I

want you to think about them. Okay, Which one is

my favorite? Okay? And so I want to ask us

just think about it a little bit as you turn.

All right, first question, Duke Carolina or NC State. Now

I know some of your answers already. I said, well, now,

calm down, set up, settle down. Well there should start.

Maybe I should have ended with that one, all right,

A one or heins fifty seven? Okay, it's a good

good on Pepsi or coke, who Mountain Dew or Sundrop,

vanilla or chocolate, Walmart or Target Ford or Chevrolet. Uh

so I tell you we do that. I wanted to

do that this morning as we start with, because we

all have different opinions, we all have different things that

we like we prefer. Some of us like chocolate ice cream,

but we like vanilla ice cream. Some of us like

pepsis more than we like coke. Some of us like Duke,

some of us like tar Hills. There are some that

even like hen c State. I mean there, there's there's

We all have differences, right, we have, and we disagree

on things. We but we shouldn't allow maybe our disagreements

or differences on different things to separate us. They're right

that we should sometimes even though we may not agree

on certain things, we can still like beied, we can

still come together. As we come to this passage this morning,

we see not only do we have disagreement in church,

whether Pepsi or Cola or Duke of Carolina, but we

see in Acts chapter sixteen, there's a disagreement that happens

in the church. And this disagreement is between two leaders

in the church. These are two leaders within the church

that have been pivotal leaders that have led the church

to go and reach people for Jesus that have never

been reached before, and that is the Gentiles. And these

two leaders have led the missions what we see the

first missionary journey in reaching people of Christ. Yet in

chapter fifteen, at the end of this passage of scripture,

there's a disagreement between them two and this morning, I

want to explore what was their agreement was about about?

And I want to think about for us together, we

are going to disagree. We disagree about Pepsi and colon

in these different things. We're going to disagree about other things.

How do we overcome our disagreements for the glory of God?

You know, if you think about it for a minute,

when we at times where you may disagree with your spouse,

maybe you disagree with one of your children, or maybe

you disagree with one of your close friends, or maybe

a coworker. At the heart of sometimes our disagreements and

the reason why we want to be right is at

the end is really when it comes down to it,

it's about us wanting our way right. It's about us

being or let's say it, receiving the glory for being

right right. If you have a husband's he ever made

a mistake and you thought you were right, You thought

you're right, and ended up you were wrong right, And

you may have said your wife you're right, I was wrong,

and you ever heard her say, hey, could you say

that again? You know? And why why does she want

you to say it again? Or why do you want

your spouse to say it again? Because we want the

glory of being right right. Well, many times when we

disagree of things, the reason why we want what we

want is in the end, we want the glory from

being having what we want. And this morning, I want

us to look at how we overcome our disagreements, not

for our glory, but also for His glory. That means

there's times that we're going to disagree about something. Maybe

it's ever an individual, maybe it's ever a ministry style

or some style issue. But how do I say I

want to overcome my disagreement for God's glory? You know

it may me and me kind of swallowing into my

pride a little bit, but I want to overcome for

God's glory. And so I want to see that this morning.

And then lastly, I want to look at how God

uses differences or disagreements for his glory. So let's stand

on this read God's word together. It's starting in Acts,

chapter fifteen. We're starting verse thirty six. It says, after

some days Paul and Barnabas, I mean some days, Paul

said to Barnabas, let us return and visit the brothers

in every city where we proclaim the word of the Lord,

and see how they are now. Barnabas wanted to take

with them. John called Mark, but Paul thought it best

not to take him with them, the one who had

withdrawn from them in Panphomalia and had not gone with

them to the work. And there rose a sharp disagreement,

so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark

with him and sailed away to Cyprus, and Paul chose

silence and departed and have it commended by the commended

by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He

went through Syria and Cecilia, strengthening the churches. Let's pray together,

O Lord, we thank you your Lord for this morning.

I thank you for this message that you brought us

to this morning. Lord, I thank you that you use Lord,

many different things, different styles, different individuals, and you use

this for your glory. And Lord, I pray today we

would be individual we would be a church that would

overcome Lord, our disagreements. Lord, for your glory, that you

might be magnified in us individually. You might be glorified

in us, Lord, in our unity, in our church. And

so Lord help us today. See Lord, how important it

is that we overcome our disagreements for your glory? Or

I pray today for this message. I pray you give

me understanding speech, clarity of delivery. Or I pray in

Lord and only that you equip me to rightly divide

your word. But God, I pray for the hearers today,

the people gathered together in person and watching online or

a TV or to today that would be moved by

not by my words, but Lord, be moved by your spirit.

So Lord feel me today. Father, pour me out. Lord,

May we hear your word today and your name we pray, Amen,

you may be seated. So as we look at this,

how do we overcome our disagreements for God's glory? I

want you to see first, as we look at this passage, Scripture,

we overcome our disagreements over individuals for God's glory. We

we overcome our disagreements over individuals for God's glory. Scripture

tells us that this passage that we look at Acts

chapter fifteen. Here Paul and Barnabas they were the ones

who they were the influential leaders that we were talking about.

They were the ones that were commissioned by the church

in antiox Syria, to take the gospel to the Gentiles.

And they left together on their first missionary journey. And

they had John Mark with them, and they went to Cyprus.

Cypress was the island by the way that was out.

There was a little island there in the Mediterranean Sea,

and they went there first. That was actually where Barnabas

and John Mark were from. They went there and went

through all the way through the island, sharing the gospel.

And from there they left the island. They went to Pamphernalia,

and there from Pamphinilia they went in the area of Glacia.

We understand when they came to Pamphelia, John Mark left.

Now Paul and Barnabas they continued. They went all the

way through Glacia and started churches in Lystra, and we

saw all that we had Antiox to Citia and all

these different places in Glacia, and they returned and we've

looked at that. They've returned back, and they gave a

report to the church in Jerusalem. Now it's time for

them to go back. Paul wants to go back. They've

started all these churches in Lystra and Anti Austasidia and

all these different areas. And Paul wants to go back

and check on these churches in Derby and check and

see how they're doing. I think he wants to check

on them physically. I would think he wants to check

on them spiritually, see how they're doing, because they're young churches.

See tell us, old barn, Old barn let's go back,

Let's go check on these churches we started, which Barnabas says, hey, well,

let's take John Mark with us when we go back. Well,

the Bible says that they arose between them a sharp disagreement.

This term sharp disagreement in the Greek describes anger, irritation,

or frustration and disagreement. This is not just a casual misunderstanding. No.

Scripture is very clear. This is a strong disagreement between

Paul and Barnabas, two leaders. What is the disagreement over?

It's over John Mark. Scripture says, if you look at

the passage of Scripture with me now verse thirty seven nine.

Barnabas wanted to take with them John Mark, but Paul

thought it not best to take with them the one

who had withdrawn from them in Pamphernalia, who had not

gone with them. And in the work, barn says, hey,

let me take John with us. He went with us before.

And Paul says, no, nope, he should not go with us.

Why the two reasons that Paul gives that he should

not go with Well, he left us. You know, we

started on this mission together. The church commissioned us at Anti, Syria.

We left out and we went to Cyprus, and everything

was good with John and we went through his home,

we went to his island, and we left his hometown

and we went to Pamphernalia. And when things got tough

and we had to track that next one hundred miles

and go through the mountains and maybe face bandits and

maybe go to people that he had never reached, John

Mark left. He abandoned us, He left the work, He

went back home, and I mean, Paul says, no, he

should not go with us. Scripture says in this in

this passage of scripture, and there rose a sharp disagreement.

The disagreement about was over John Mark. Barnabas was John

Mart's cousin. They were family. Barnabas believed in him. He

wants to continue to bring him back, to take him,

to give him another chance. Paul does not. So they

disagreed over an individual. And their disagreement over an individual

separated them. You look at this passage of scripture. You

know what I like about this passage of scripture. Some

would say, you know what, this is not good. This

is the early Church, and this is two key leaders,

and now we see a scripture where there's a disagreement

between two leaders. You know what I like about this

passage because it makes Paul and Barnabas look human. They

had disagreements just like you and I had disagreements. They

argued over things, just like you and I might argue

or or we might argue in our family, and we

might argue over different things in our church, we might

argue over different things in the world. They're just like us.

But you would say, as you look at this passage scripture.

How can two people argue so much over an individual

that they would allow that to separate them? Three words

Trump or Harris. Those three words have divided our entire country.

You see relationships with people, friends, friends who will be

close and one friend votes, wants to vote for Trump

one and wants to vote for Harris, and they'll break

over the relationship over that. Hey, listen, I don't know

where used ten politically, but we shouldn't end friendships on

how we vote. We shouldn't allow these things to be

so divisive in our world. But they have. And so

just as we see them in the early Church, we

see things like this in our world. We see things

like this in our life, can I tell you? And

not only do we see it in acts, we also

see it in the early Church of Antioch. We see

it in America. There's also a church called Corinth, and

we let to the church a lot over the last

few weeks. And in Corinth, in chapter three, the Bible

says that there were those in the church that were

divided over individuals. Some said, you know what, I followed Paul.

Some say I follow Apolus. And Paul brings this out

that the church is divided over the leaders in the church.

And he says this in verse three and four, as

for you are still the flesh, So why there's jealousy

and strife among you? Are they not of the flesh,

having behaved only in a human way? For when there

one says I follow a Paul and another says I

follow Apoulos, are you not merely being human? Heard of

a story I was reading of a church and they

were trying to find a new pastor. And there were

two different groups. They were trying to bring the pastor

before the church, and so they brought both pastors in.

One group had their pastor they wanted. Another group brought

their pastors their pastor in, and they had them speak

at two different times in the church service, and the

church fault all Sunday morning that they had to call

the police in to separate the church people because they

were arguing of which preacher they were going to get.

I tell you, I don't know what those pastors were thinking.

I would have stepped foot in the door of that

church if they were arguing like that. But we see

this happen at with Paul and Barnabas. We see this

happening in America. We see this happening in the church

at Krinth and too many times in our lives. We

argue every individuals it can have happened in our personal life.

So you know, I came from my parents separated when

I was fourteen years old, and my parents both were remarried.

It's difficult now a stepfather, had a step mom. It

was hard. It's hard for me to accept another mom,

a step mom, hard for me a step to stepdad.

At times it was a struggle because I thought, I

can't really show a lot of love to this person

or that person because they're not my mom, and I

don't want to. I don't want to lose my loyalty

to my mom and there should never be my mom.

Or I can't really care for him because he's my

stepdad and I don't want he can never replace my dad.

And I had to learn as a young man of fourteen, fifteen,

sixteen year old to overcome my struggles with an individual,

and for the glory of God loved them. But we

can divide. These divisions can divide us in our homes.

We can divide us in our workplaces. Right, we have

a new boss comes in and he's not like the

old boss. He's not as organized as him, he's not

as visionary as the other one, he's not as personable

as the last boss. And so I just I know

I've got to respect him. I know why I got

to follow him, but I don't really like him. I

don't really like her. We can divide us in our home.

We can even create groups into workplaces that are still

loyalists to the old boss. We'll put up with a

new guy, but we really won't try to be nice

to him. We can do this in the church. Pastored

to churches before Bethesda and the previous pastors that were

in the church, whereas Pastor Jack Pastor Jack Stafford at

Spring Branch, Pastor Jack Halloway, I think in Olive Grove,

and every time I went to both of those churches,

well Pastor Jack did this, Well Pastor Jack did I'm

thankful that I don't think there was any Pastor Jackson.

But that's done because if not, Pastor Jack just followed

me everywhere. But I say that to say because we

there was comparisons always to me to this other former

leader and likes that they like things about him that

they did, and as a result, there becomes disagreements over individuals.

We become disagreements of individuals in the church. Oh my goodness.

I have seen church members who had arguments and disagreements

of her in one another in the church and have

done divided. I'll never get one church member say to

me one time, well, well, Pastor, I'll be nice to

that deacon, but I'll never forget what he did in

that business meeting. And I'll be nice and I'll say hello,

but I'm watching him. It's disagreements in the church, and

they will because disunity, separation, division. I think we must

ask ourselves a question, maybe these questions. Is my disagreements

over an individual stopping me from living for Jesus? I

have seen many church members, many Christians, who have had

a disagreement over an individual and that allows them to

get out of church and stop following the Lord like

they should. Is my disagreement over an individual stopping me

from going to church and being part of the body

of Christ. Is my disagreement over an individual stop me

from living on mission? Stop me from using my gifts

and my talents for the Lord? Is my disagreement over

an individual, stop my relationship with someone, I disagree with

that person about this, and our relationship has never been

the same. I think there's questions that we must ask

ourselves and in the end is a disagreement because we

want to be right, want our glory or do we

come to a place that says, you know what, I

must overcome my disagreements over this individual for the glory

of God. Not for my glory, but for His glory,

which you see. Secondly, we overcome disagreements over ministry styles

for God's glory. Barnabas says. You look at this passive scripture.

Barnabas say, is his name means son of encouragement. I

mean he's an encourager. That's his emma. That's what he does,

is he encourages people. He one who encourages others. He

restores others. There's even a time in Paul's life that

he really encouraged Paul. Do you remember this? And acts

chapter nine, there was this character scripture tells us his

name is Saul. He's a Pharisee and he persecutes these

newest group that's moving called the Christians. And this Saul

is so zealous for Judaism that he persecutes and even

kills Stephen. And he leads this kind of localized persecution

throughout Jerusalem, killing and putting in prison Christians. On the

way to go catch some Christians in the area, he

went on the road called Damascus, and on the road

of Damascus he met Jesus, and Jesus says to Saul,

who will later become Paul, why are you persecuting me?

You remember that Saul gets saved. What does he do?

He gets saved and he becomes a Christian. What does

he want to do? Well, his first step is, like

many of you, the first step is to go join

the church. So he goes to the church in Jerusalem,

the very church that he's been trying to eradicate, the

very church that he killed one of their leaders, Stephen.

He goes to the church. Well, the church is scared

the death of him. I mean he's killed Stephen. He's

been chasing Christians all around Jerusalem or Israel for the

last months, and now he wants to join the church.

The Bible says and Acts Chapter nine, verse twenty six.

And when he come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join

the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, for

they did not believe that he was one of the disciples.

But listen to this, but Barnabas, Barnabas took took him

and brought him to the apostles and declared to them

how on the road he had seen the Lord who

had spoke to him, and how Damascus he had preached

boldly in the name of Jesus. You see, barnabas ministry

style was to restore the broken people who had a

terrible past. Barnabus liked to come along them with song

and encouragement, I mean the son of encouragement, and come

alongside and restore them back to a right relationship. This

what he did with Paul. Now, his ministry style is

John Marks messed up, he's abandoned the mission. Barnabas wants

to go alongside of him and said, let's the story. Yeah,

he made a mistake, just like you did, Paul. But

let's her story, Paul. Paul's minister style was a little different.

Barna Us wanted their store, Paul wanted to hold him accountable.

You know Paul's writings, as we see in one Timothy

Iree is writing of an elder as a leader, he says,

is trust this, this thing is trustworthy. Of anyone aspires

to the office overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore,

an overseer must be above reproach. The husband of one

wife so reminded, self control, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.

In Paul's giving qualification of an elder, of a of

a leader, of a pastor, he says, if anyone inspires

to the office overseer, he desires a noble task. But

verse two says an over Therefore an overseer must be

above reproach. This is free from accusation, free from anything

that could be brought against him. And he only believes

that so within the church, but also for those outside.

It's the idea that he should have a good testimony,

a good reputation, a reputation good within the church and

those with outside the church. For Paul John Mark has

lost that reputation, and therefore he thinks he's not above

approach anymore and should not continue. So therefore, they have

two different styles here, one who wants to show grace

and restore, one who wants to hold accountable. Can I

just tell you today, neither one of these are wrong.

These are both biblical styles. It's not a right style.

There's not a wrong here. Barnabas wasn't wrong, nor is

Paul wrong. I would say they're both right. I think

they just had two different styles of leadership, but that

style of leadership divided them in that times in church,

if we're not very careful, will allow ministry styles. We

let individuals divide us, but we let style issues divide us.

And therefore, my second thing that we should think is

when we think about overcoming disagreements, we overcome disagreements with

over individuals, but secondly, we should overcome disagreements over ministry

styles for God's glory. I could tell you how many

times I've had people who have not come back to

church or who left church, and they left the church

over a style issue. Never forget. One time I had

a deacon came up to me before church services. I

was at the church that wasn't here, and he said, Pastor,

we got a visitor here today. It's a missionary. I said,

oh great. He said, he wants to talk to you

right after church and just tell him about what he's

doing on the mission field and maybe see if we

were partner I said, that's great, I'll, you know, look

forward to talking to him. And so I got into

service of you know, preach and I was looking out

and I was looking forward to seeing the any visitors,

and I didn't really notice him. At the end of service,

I came back and I followed. I followed up with

that deacon. I said, hey, you there was a missionary

here today that was going to be here and wanted

to talk to me at service. I didn't see Hi.

Where is it? He says, well, you know, services about start.

He leaned over to me and asked me what kind

of Bible you preach from, and he said I told

him that you use the ESV Standard Universion and he left.

You see, he was King James only and therefore he

never stayed for the service. So someone just are I

mean a style issue not attend church, would just leave

the church, not just stand a church service. I've thought

about as I was thinking of preparing this message, I

was thinking about things that I've heard of different people

through my ministry, not just here, let's say, through my

twenty years in ministry, different reasons. I've heard people who

didn't come back or left or whatever it may be

too long of invitation. Your invitations are too long. You

give too much Bible expeditions. Nobody wants to hear all

that historical stuff. Your church is too friendly. I've heard

that one not enough hymns, not enough contemporary, all kinds

of style issues, even so much meticulous things right, And

this did not happen to Betessa. So I want to

say this, but I know many pastors dealt with us

in twenty twenty. So many people left the church over

a mask or no mask, I mean wearing a mask

on your face because they asked you to wear a mask,

because they did not ask you to wear a mask,

people left the church. Can I tell you we can

disagree on different styles, and listen, there's not a right

and wrong with some of these things. They are style issues,

they're not unbiblical issues. But it comes a problem when

we divide over those. We allow our disagreements and our

desire to be right and our desire for our glory

to stop us from being what God's called us to be.

Can I tell you today you disagree with your spouse

at times, or whether you put the toilet paper over

the top or under the bottom, right, you disagree with

ever a lot of other things, but you overcome your

differences for the glory of your marriage and the glory

of God. I hope some of you, I would say,

some of you may not be today. Some of the

biggest battles maybe you're facing today and your marriage is

disagreements in this overstyle issues. How do you say in

my marriage, how do I overcome these things? I'm allowing

this to really hinder my marriage today. Jesus pain,