Hope Sabbath School: Lesson 7 - When Conflicts Arise (4th quarter 2018)

Welcome to Hope Sabbath School an in-depth interactive study of the Word of God we are being blessed in this series on oneness in Christ today when conflicts arise and it will happen because the church is full of human beings even though Christ is our head but we'll learn some valuable lessons that will bless not only your life but the lives of those you love and those that you worship with so welcome to Hope Sabbath school what do you think about the series on oneness in Christ a very challenging amazing inspiring all of the above yes and we're being blessed that we're glad you're part of our series if you've missed any in this series go to our website hope TV org slash hope SS you can watch the whole series I'm still impressed by a young Chinese professional who contacted us she said I went to your website I watched a hundred hours of interactive Bible studies they're all there you have to pay for any of them they can change your life you can share them with people and we're always happy to hear from you write to us at SS hope at hope TV dot org here's a note from Joseph in Zambia how many Hope Sabbath school members do we have in Zambia you know I keep saying we've got more than a million hope Sabbath school members around the world we've done the math I think we have more than a million in Zambia God is just working an amazing way in that country and Joseph writes and he says greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I'm a regular follower of Hope Sabbath School every Friday night you are so amazing how you handle the studies we say well we're enthusiastic but God is amazing right I'm so blessed by the program may God continue blessing you as you touch many souls across the globe well we're glad that from Lusaka Zambia Joseph that God is blessing you Lourdes has been Lourdes I need you to wave can we get a camera alright Lourdes Lourdes went and held meetings in Zambia she said they they didn't have walls on the church they had a roof but they had the power of the Holy Spirit there and then some of us have walls and that's about it so we need the Spirit of God to make the church alive Thanks for writing Joseph here's a note from Patricia in Australia who's been to Australia Malena we want to wave actually milena keep the camera on milena man what's your wave again milena just went through a training program in Australia and is going back in a few days to do a six month assignment and we're gonna pray that God will bless you in an awesome way Patricia writes and she's writing from Adelaide that's in the south of Australia she says I love watching Hope sabbath-school I can watch it on my laptop but sometimes I watch it on my Android phone or Android tablet so she's got the app and she can just push the button that the next program comes up but whichever way you're watching it I just want to thank you Patricia she signs it Trish so I should say Trish that's an a contraction of Patricia Trish whichever way you're watching it we're glad you're part of the Hope Sabbath school family all right and we just want to pray that God will bless you there in Adelaide in southern Australia here's a note from a donor in California don't mention the name but she says hello hopes have a school having spent most of my life in the children's department at my church I'd almost forgotten how to study the Bible for myself technology has slipped right by me so I'm writing a letter to you here's a handwritten letter she says being old parenthesis very old it's nice to have hope channel especially hope service school and I have a number of friends who are not church members who are watching Hope Sabbath School with me that's missionary work is you know you can download the outline and you can have an interactive Bible study in your own home or you can just invite them to watch her Sabbath School with you she sends a donation the person sends a donation for $25 you say that's not very much when we all work together 25 times a thousand is 25 right and you're part of a great miracle of God thanks for writing to us from California thanks for being part of this great merest ministry here's one Guyanan lives in Guyana living in Trinidad Tobago my name is Noelia from Guyana living in Trinidad Tobago greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus really I learned about Hope Sabbath School from my friend i'd say way to go friend yeah i've enjoyed it so much I started telling my friends in Guyana they need to watch Hope Sabbath School you know what makes me smile and Sabbath school every week knowing that I studied and I can share with my class please pray for my family most of them take God for granted and refuse to give their lives to him well Noelia that's a that's an important prayer we all need to pray not only for your family and we do want to join with you in prayer but for our families too right the time is short Jesus is coming soon thank you for being part of Hope service thanks for sharing hope Sabbath school with other people one last note from Vanina in Paraguay Vanina and Paraguay god bless you I'm Vanina from Paraguay actually living in Brasilia the capital of Brazil I like hope Sabbath School a lot I appreciate the great blessing with participants from many countries I mean just take a look right now we've got many countries represented here a big hug in Jesus our Savior amen Vanina you sound like you'd be a good participant on Hope Sabbath school because people tell us we love the way you smile and the love of Jesus radiates we know that's a miracle of God because when we just think about ourselves in our broken world we could get depressed but when we think about Jesus we can smile right and today we're talking about when conflicts arise and yet even in the midst of the challenges we can rejoice in our Savior right now though we're gonna sing a theme song it's from Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 to 3 when I say From it's actually the word for word in the New King James it's a scripture song I'm thankful to my wife for writing the beautiful melody that we can sing and it challenges us as those saved by grace through faith to walk worthy of the calling in other words to let the character of God and the oneness that Father Son and Holy Spirit experience to be manifested in our lives let's sing the theme song together I therefore beseech you to walk worthy of the calling I therefore beseech you to walk worthy of the call with which you with the loneliness and gentleness with long submarine bearing with or beseech you to walk worthy of the calling I therefore beseech you to walk worthy of the calling the spirit before beseech you to walk worthy of the Calling I therefore receives you to walk worthy of the calling with you amen you know when we forget a lot of the details if we just remember that scriptures are you're in a challenging situation or you get invited to a party that you go I don't know or maybe you're tempted to use some words in a conversation that aren't quite right and it comes walk worthy of the calling right amen we're not trying to save ourselves we just want to reflect the character of our awesome God and Savior and we're glad that you're part of Hope Sabbath School with us we ought to pray for special blessing as we study together when conflicts arise father in heaven we blessed already because your word is living and active and just to sing this beautiful song reminds us of our sacred calling even when conflicts arise to walk worthy of the calling as sons and daughters of the Most High God saved by your grace and I pray that there'll be lessons we'll learn in our study today that will not only keep us walking worthy but will bless the lives of those around us in profound ways and we thank you in the name of Jesus amen you know when we read the book of Acts I mean how would you describe the picture in the book of Acts powerful powerful right God is working in amazing ways we set it in a previous study about one heart one soul great power great great grace right just was remarkable and yet these are human people they're men and women who've been called out of darkness into his marvelous light and we're going to see times that conflicts come we're going to examine some of those today and some lessons we could learn so that if or should I say when we face a conflict we won't have the default human reaction what are some of the default human reactions when we face conflicts on anger anger defensiveness frustration frustration criticism blame I can think of it of all by myself I don't exactly what to do right rather than call out to Jesus and say by your spirit let's walk how worthy of the calling right so we're going to Acts chapter 6 as we start our study today and I just sense God is going to bless us in an amazing way man Elena would you like to begin our study just with one verse Acts chapter 6 and verse 1 it's a beautiful blessed church and then a conflict arises I'll be reading from the New King James Version now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Helenus because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution what's this daily distribution Gary what's that talking about probably the distribution of goods our food food right at this point because they've all kind of come for what we might call a they were they came for Passover but they became followers of Jesus it's now like a an extended convocation or camp meeting or whatever you want to call you know and they're and they're sharing all things in common so the foods being distributed right yeah and it seems that some of the widows the Greek or the Helenus the Greek widows are being neglected what might come to your mind Trevor if you were a Greek that some of your widows were not getting their daily provision of food mmm i would feel like others were being shown favoritism and i was being left out so I would feel neglected alright maybe even a prejudice against me yeah possibly is that possible Jonathan in a beautiful church where God is blessing that there might still be some old prejudices John what do you think yeah I mean there was a great manifestation of the Holy Spirit yes obviously no was taken to heaven at that moment there's some you know work that has to okay so so you're not saying definitely there was prejudice but it's not impossible right now it's not impossible Jonathan what do you think I was just thinking how often it's very easy to certainly we all have our challenges but it's easy to start looking at other people and start imagining what they're thinking and start imposing like oh they're thinking this way about me yeah okay speculating how large is the church at this point it's growing it's growing rapidly 3,000 of Pentecost chapter 2 chapter 4 I think this 5,000 men in Solomon's colonnade I mean you've got 10 15,000 people here so so whether it's real or imagined because of the way we've been treated in the past right as we've all seen prejudice there's a little friction here mm-hmm and and if no friction at least a problem because some people are being neglected right yeah so I want us to go and see how the Holy Spirit leads and Billy I'm gonna ask you if you'd read for us verses 2 through 6 now this is deep I have spent much time in past years studying just these seven verses Acts 6 1 through 7 and it's changed my life and the way I relate to people so it's deep and the Holy Spirit's leading so I want you to really listen attentively as Billy reads 2 through 6 is the problem real yes is there some friction yes let's see what the Holy Spirit does and he guides people in the process ok well I'll be reading from the King James Version so starting with verse 2 in the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said it is not reason that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables wherefore brethren Lukie out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business but we will give ourselves continually to prayer into ministry of the word in the same please the whole multitude and they chose stephen a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost and Philip and Prochorus and Nicolas and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch whom they said before the Apostles whom they had prayed they laid their hands on them so what you know something very interesting by the way I know those names were not that familiar but let me tell you they're not all Jewish names yeah ah what does that tell you what is that tell you you think about it for a minute it's a good mixture of ah say say it loud Sean I've seen it's a good mixture of people from different cultures so so why would the Holy Spirit lead with that selection find seven mm-hm and by the way any of you involved in leadership of any kind there are three characteristics don't just delegate this to anybody right what were the three things that needed to be there in your Bible what did you see well first was of a good reputation right a good report I think maybe your Bible said Billy alright good reputation full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom full of wisdom now later it talks about Stephen is also being full of faith but those are three important characteristics all right so that's the Holy Spirit guidance right if you're gonna deal with the conflict mmm don't just choose whoever the loudest person help me out don't just choose the same people strongest strongest necessarily the strongest or the that a seeker or the wealthiest person good looking good looking person or necessarily the most educated person in truth right I believe in education but choose people who have a good reputation should we stop now just have a prayer would that be worth saying when conflicts arise true yeah please don't just hand it to the loudest person mmm good reputation but but I want to come back to what Sean said and then Stephanie I see your hand Sean I don't just hear Rueben Judah Moses you know I don't just hear a list of Hebrew names there right and I think that's good because I mean there's a group of people who are being neglected that's not of the same culture so you you now you need to think about what are we being biased and especially due to the fact that they're widows they're gonna feel a certain ways a little bit more sensitive to what's happening to them so it's just something it's also possible that some of those people their first language was the same as the Helenus widows it's like having an ambassador you know we want to be fair and have everything together but I really understand what they're saying right Stephanie well I was just thinking there's a good representation of this multitude of individual yeah that's really important well I want to read verse 7 I didn't write it down at first but I just want you to notice what happens and Robert if you could read Acts chapter 6 verse 7 I just want you to notice something here it's just I was impressed by the spirit because I not only want to see the strategy that the spirit led but the good outcome which means when I face a conflict I don't have to panic mm-hmm if I'm following a Godly plan right what was the result in verse 7 I'll be reading from the New King James Version then the Word of God spread and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith amen so Jesus told the story about a man who sowed good seed in a field and then all of a sudden they come out and what's happening bad seeds weeds growing weeds and it's a store a parable and what does the the owner of the land say so the enemy's trying to sow seeds of discord and yet what did Robert just read happen what did you say great would have got spread disciples multiplied and obedient great so what principles could we take I may find myself in a conflict in in the church where we God wants us to have oneness in Christ right with him and with each other what what can I take out of this Travis I just want to point out too that when that before they chose us they made the decision in in sick chapter 6 verse 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the word they didn't stop sharing praying and sharing the gospel just because of this was going so one principle for the leaders and and we would say and everybody else too but leaders don't be so busy leading then you stop praying and sharing the word right right what else did you see what are the principles even back in verse 2 there's an important principle but you've got something on your mind to go ahead and share it what other things do you see that we're important when conflicts arise yes Lourdes when conflict arises we sometimes want to run away from it instead of facing it and there's a wrong way to face it in a good way to face it from what I'm able to see okay wrong way to either run away or do it the way you want to do it or hurt the other person or my opinion matters more but here they did God's Way and he actually blossom something better maybe grew from it yeah keypoint some people which depends on your personality some people when a conflict comes they they run right does that solve the conflict no are the people when the conflict comes they they want to fight right does that solve the conflict No so you're saying those are both not constructive ways so what some practical things though did you see in there Billy we seek counsel this accounts of God you know from others there was a sense of any others a lot of people yes right what does it say multitude Wow that takes time yeah so I was just gonna finish up saying that you know they should have they could have felt entitled saying that well we were the twelve with Jesus so we're in the smartest you know we we know the best you know we we walk with Jesus and they could have felt like well you know you guys are too you know you bring you to the feet so I don't need to hear from you but because they were so humbled in the Holy Spirit work in your heart that they seek counsel from everybody in order to make the best decision so that's a good good principle they're broad counsel anybody else so Robert if I could take analogy from sports they shared the ball with other people they didn't they say no we're the ones and we can do it by ourselves no they say you don't maybe there's someone else who can do this job even better and so not only did they seek counsel but they actually released the authority delegate to say we want you to be part of the solution yeah all right anybody else what do you see Stephanie well I think even before that they listened to the need and they recognized that it was it was something that needed to be dealt with and then they stepped and acted out on that so if we just took the one story here in acts six we would say don't run from conflict and certainly don't go in with boxing gloves and try to fight pray yeah devote ourselves to prayer right pray seek broad counsel release delegate responsibilities be diverse Sean and the people you did delegate to right I think that sent a message to the church that we're not trying to exclude anybody right right so all of those are important John and I was just gonna say this isn't when they had prayed they laid hands on them which shows that this was a public you know demonstration of delegating that Authority it wasn't done in secret this is no these you know folks have the authority to do this and by the way at least two of those I'm thinking of Stephen and Phil went on to become two of the most powerful leaders in the Christian Church great preachers great evangelist so it's amazing what God can do I think someone said you know could have been really bad God made it a really good outcome another bad situation in we're gonna look at in Acts chapter 10 the us than them attitude us and them attitude what was the attitude of the Jewish people in the time of Jesus towards the Gentiles hmm they're out and we're in yeah they're out and we're in unclean they're unclean they're inferior we can't keep company with them we can't even keep company with them it was very much of an us and them mentality yeah would you agree and yet Jesus would challenge them that God so loved the world not just the children of Israel sons of Abraham God so loved the world world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish soon something's gonna have to change in fact you remember we studied in Acts chapter 1 when Jesus sends them out in the power of the Holy Spirit he says you're gonna be my witnesses we're in Jerusalem Judea Samaria ends of the earth so let's see how God addresses another issue and and it's it's kind of a conflict point Acts chapter 10 verse 28 when I can tell the whole story of Cornelius but Cornelius was Roman centurion and his heart is open to God and what lesson does Peter have to learn Gary do you have Acts chapter 10 and verse 28 yes I do and I'll be reading from the New King James version acts 10 verse 28 then he said to them you know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean now the the vision he had was about this sheet sheet with all kinds of animals in but the Spirit says it's not about the animals in the sheet it's about people I shouldn't can call any person common common or unclean the US and them attitude let's see how this was confirmed in the activity of the Holy Spirit someone read for us acts 10:44 - 48 Jonathan do you have that for us Acts 10:44-48 all right I'll be reading from the New King James Version while Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell on upon all those who heard the word and those that the circumcision who believed were astonished as many as came with Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also for they heard them speak with tongues met and magnify God then Peter answered can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord and they asked him to stay a few days what is that receive job Pentecost right when the Spirit is poured out and the apostles testify this is like Pentecost again what's the big difference and there Gentiles and it's going to take some time for the US and them mentality to change but God continues to work look in Acts chapter 11 verse 18 when the report comes as to what's happening Travis acts 11 :18 when the report comes back to the Apostles in Jerusalem of what God's doing what does it say and I'll be reading from the New King James Version Acts chapter 11 verse 18 when they heard these things they became silent and they glorified God saying then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life what do you think they were thinking when they became silent seriously basically you can only give me Jonathan your opinion but what do you think they were thinking when it says when they heard these things they became silent I mean I think it almost seems like it's some of that same amazement of Peter it's like so like it was it was like so God's doing what like it was so against what they had thought and where this picture that they've given to it was yeah it was mind-blowing mind-blowing for those of you from other parts of the world it just means it's so challenging the normal way you think that this would actually happen but they do end up glorifying God don't they yes let's keep reading and hey could you read for us beginning with verse 19 through verse 24 and lets that see how God continues to challenge them to abandon the us and them mentality I'll be reading from the New King James Version and it says now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to no one but the Jews only but some of the men were were men from Cyprus and Cyrene who when they had come to Antioch spoke to the Helenus preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as aunt when he came and had seen the grace of God he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord for he was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith and a great many people were added to the Lord so even after the report had come back that we should consider no person in common or unclean and even after the supernatural manifestation with Cornelius at his house what does it say that the folks did in verse 19 so the us-and-them hasn't changed as a men but then it says some of them someone ought to say amen some of them amen went to Antioch yes and the result and it's in Antioch that the followers of Jesus are first called and Antioch becomes a missionary center it's actually from Antioch who sent out on the missionary journey oh yeah Paul and Barnabas are sent out from Antioch so it becomes I think many Bible scholars would say a key Center for the Christian Church Antioch because someone said it's not just for us whoever the US is it's also for it so now I wanted to get really personal mm-hmm practical without offending and I don't want to offend anybody that's watching or any of you but this us and them mentality we we embrace it so easily and yet here the Spirit of God is challenging the people of God back in the first century you got to let go of that us and them mentality so what does that look like where we live mmm what who do we tend to exclude from being part of us Travis I think we can do that denominationally okay think we can do that while they're not there this a denomination or that denomination but I mean there is no us in hmmm okay so you're saying we should be if we see a person who's a follower of Jesus we should rejoice amen no we should cheer truth to them that's why we have Hope Sabbath School right if we see a person who's not a follower of Jesus we should rejoice we tell them that there's a God who loves them right so we're building bridges rather than walls so you'd say people who have different world views or even same Christian worldview but different understanding of the Bible we could have an us and them mentality well what else each other I think we also see it when we start looking at those that we call the minority in society based on their race and culture and I love in this lesson where God shows us he's not a respecter of person race all culture and so I think we have that us-versus-them when it comes to different races or people that are in the minority and that can happen in a country I was in central Africa you know I could mention countries where they're of the same race but they're a different tribe you know and it's us in them unless by the grace of God a heart is changed it becomes us in them right so you would say a different race or a different ethnic group or even a different tribe or clan mm-hmm it could be in us in them so what have we learned from Acts 10 and Cornelius and acts 11 how do we address that that we are all God's children and if we can remember that I think that will break down some of these walls and barriers that is a child of God and just as God loves this person I need to love that person all right what a do you want to respond still to the to that aspect Jonathan just from personal experience I've can think of something fairly recently that I was like a little uncomfortable because I saw this change happening and there's like wait a second that's changing the identity of who we are and it's like it so it's like you know but we aren't that and like it's not it wasn't about race it was more about culture or something it's like but no but no this is our culture if we change it then we're giving up who we are and so I mean that certainly you can imagine that that was some of their concern it's like we've got so much history and so to give up on that and to say okay instead I'm gonna rely upon Christ who is the one true foundation of whatever temple and whatever identity and let him redefine each of us each day I think is a but but you know it's not always easy because where I grew up we sang like this you know and then I go somewhere else where they sing like this right and and that's like wait a minute you know that's not how we sang we sang like this so it's gonna challenge some of our culture right culture and and and Christianity shouldn't be like in conflict yeah they should be so welded together right yeah I should be able to rejoice when someone's different all right what else what are the what other us and them mentalities so you have another one Robert I'm just thinking about someone's background where they came from and it may be it's a background that we don't like or we appreciate and I'm just really humbled by Barnabas and Saul cuz we know who saw was and what he did to the church Barnabas went knowing this recruited him and Saul Paul became who he is today because someone recruited him and accepted him for who he was so just what kind of backgrounds might I go that's them that's not us what kind of background we're not talking now ethnicity or even religion well what just background what Oh Gary Oh former convicted felon who can't have her life to God yeah yeah you know who's got tattoos that I don't even want to read yeah you know or earrings you know the bored ear or whatever and I go whoa and I'm hearing you say precious son of God right precious daughter of God right hmm I remember a young lady I saw she had a cross tattooed on her forehead Wow I don't know why she put it there you know but precious daughter of God right so easy to get us in them any other us in them attitudes Travis I just think it's just come to my mind when I read verse 23 when about Barnabas this is when he came and had seen the grace of God anytime we have this us in them and we have this us mentality we become grace limiters we're limiting God to His grace and God's grace extends for us and then we want to talk about what to do with these attitudes Limon I was gonna say that a another way of looking at was in from a school aspect or like a social aspect towards people and how you view them if they're not in your let's say group or your friend like your clique that was what they use now and then schools and say that um we don't feel you we we don't like how you are and no push them away when we should be seeing them and saying that you know what we love you no matter what you do or how you dress or how you act we love you and that's you know something that it amazes me you know and how people you know reacting towards the school and you're in university right now so it can happen it may have absolutely nothing to do with that think background everything but you just form a clique yeah and everybody out of your clique is just someone else in the back had a hand up Shawn I was going to say along the same lines lines but a little bit further you can take education we tend to think that because someone has 10,000 degrees that thought man this is the right person and oh you know maybe a GED or whatever else it's like well they know nothing or maybe doesn't know how to read because no one everybody something like that you know and that that's a horrible mentality to have because I mean some of the people who have done a great work for different churches or denominations they didn't have that many degrees and you know they've done wonderful things so before we move on to a doctrinal conflict which is Acts 15 we've looked at kind of a logistics conflict and we've looked here at an us-and-them how do we how do we deal how did they deal with the US and then Mentally maybe I should say how did God deal with it maybe that's the key yeah how did God deal with the US and them mentality back then how do we do with those us and them mentality so easily come to us yes but we should follow maybe the example of Peter of being pioneers you know we're not going to a different continent in you know be the first ones to be in that continent but on we can be you know in some communities you know be the first ones to reach out to that community of suffering or I am reminded of a friend of mine who used to be homeless and he he remembered in a time when somebody who who was a Christian came to him while he was in the supermarket and he was actually you know stealing awesome meat because he was really hungry and don't give us his name but but he so a Christian man noticed that he was you know stealing some meat and when he went to the counter the Christian man went after him and he paid for him and then he was you know really a gas at that he was shocked that you know he would do that I wanted to find out that this man uses in the in the States you have no welfare cards so you use his and he had a pregnant wife with him so he basically said that I'm gonna pay for that man even though I have a family that I need to feed and that stuck with him and today that guy every month he goes out and you know my hometown is Boston he goes out in Boston and preach to homeless people because of that experiment so he didn't get converted that moment but remember that you know that kindness that's something somebody showed to him so it is possible to change the break out of their us and them mentality it's going to take an intervention of God does anybody have a short Testament we've got to move on to acts 15 with the doctrinal conflict that God rescued you from an us and them mentality hmm yes Haiti a very simple one I'm embarrassed to say but I was in a church in a new church we've had to move a lot and I saw that the people were not at the same spiritual level that my family and I were so there were people that maybe dress different or didn't keep all the commandments properly etc that type of thing and so I started to think like aha I don't even know if I want to be here we should switch we should go to a different church where people are you know holier at a different level in their walk with Christ is how I saw and being honest and I began to pray about in pray about a night told the Lord about it and the Lord led me to that verse that says it is not the sick who need a doctor but those or it is not those who are healthy I'm saying it wrong who need a doctor but those who are sick and that he wanted us to stay there because we were meant to help them to get to the next level so that that was one thing that God helped me with us and them that can even happen a different spiritual levels then and we are like there's us and there's them but beautiful change of heart of saying God you brought me here to be a blessing just like the man going out and caring for the homeless people we've got to move on to Acts chapter 15 but you know really it is a miracle of God it may take a vision like in Acts chapter 10 it may take supernatural manifestations like in Acts 11 for us to go that's wrong I need to let go of that us and then mentality that that doesn't belong in in a church that is wanting to experience oneness with God and oneness with each other so right so let's go now to acts 15 now we've got a doctrinal conflict Limon could you read for us Acts 15 and verse 1 and what's the conflict here of course I'm reading from the New King James Version and it says in certain men came down from Judea and sought the brethren unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses you cannot be saved what's wrong with that picture salvation by works it's salvation by works whenever you say Jesus plus something else you're trying to save yourself mm-hmm for by grace we've been saved through faith that not of yourselves it is a gift of God right not of works from Ephesians 2:8 and 9 lest anyone should boast they've come and said there could be anything else but they came and their doctrinal twist was okay with Jesus Plus let's look in verse 2 we'd read that for us Malena acts 15 and verse 2 let's see if we see a pattern from what we've learned in the past about how to deal with conflict I'll be reading from the New King James Version therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and elders about this question what do you see what do you see what pattern do you see all that reminds me Stephanie I see them going to the leadership and let's talk about this okay Billy had reminded us they went to the multitude in act six right so here they're saying listen maybe this isn't just a problem here let's go talk to the leaders mm-hmm and several went right and let's consult together so that's an important insight the the chapter goes on and we we don't have time to read the whole chapter 15 but to to give some counsel I want to just highlight a few verses if I may and I'd like someone to read verse 6 of Acts chapter 15 Trevor now let's let's glean some principles this is a doctrinal conflict but maybe the principles would work for any conflict - verse 6 I'll be reading from the New King James Version now the Apostles and elders came together to consider this matter all right what do you learn they went said let's go and seek counsel yes and what happens in verse 6 the Apostles don't say what we're too busy whatever it's like no they pause they come together alright somebody read the first half of verse 7 we're in acts 15 the first half of verse 7 we'll read that Levon and I'm reading from the New King James Version Acts 15 verse 7 and it says and when there had been much dispute Peter rose up and said to them hold it right there and it won't have another word besides dispute any other translation translates anything besides dispute discussion discussion no any other word okay what is dispute imply there's a conflict there's a conflict there is a argument difference of opinion right right but what can you learn from those first few words we're talking about how to handle conflict Lord has said one way people handle conflict is right what are they doing here what do you see in China he's insane oh yeah or sharing what their opinion is at this point yeah so they took time it's a little more than just they took time what does it say after there had been rushed by like I want to hear all of this so why take the time for there to be much sharing of differing ideas Jonathan what is it what does that do I think it allows people to really be heard it allows us to know that we've really explored the issue and we're not just saying okay well this person says such-and-such so have you ever been in a discussion like that where you finally come to the point where you're like okay we've heard it right now let's talk about what to do but if you don't allow that time hmm then what happens you can come up with a poor decision yeah you can come up with a poor decision and people walk away frustrated saying I was not her wasn't hurt right or you can feel like it's being pushed on you as an authority thing it's not really an honest engagement of the issue but but I don't feel that comfortable when everybody starts sharing divergent opinions hmm answer it's not about you it's about the body it's finding your way forward under the guidance of the Holy Spirit right Trevor it also allows for clarity of what the issue is because sometimes we have these disputes and it's really a misunderstanding I thought he said I thought she said but if you let everyone speak you get clarity to want to go on two versus seven B through 12 and Gary could you read that for us 7b so this is after they've allowed much dispute now Peters gonna stand up I think and I want you to I wanted you not just to listen to his words but listen to the approach here what's happening here that that would help us when dealing with conflict because Christ wants us to experience what you need what what are you here okay and I'll be reading from the New King James Version men and brethren you know that a good while ago God chose them on us that by mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe so God who knows the heart acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did us and made no distinction between us and them purifying their hearts by faith now therefore why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear but we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles so what's the next piece what what's an important part of resolving the conflict Chaves one thing that I just saw that I just hit me is like the Jews are thinking that's not fair they get to they don't have to be circumcised they don't know they're getting salvation for free and he says yeah we got worth saved just like they are it's like an amazing thing it's like they were almost jealous because they got to do it without doing something but Peter isn't just sharing theology what's he doing yes giving a testimony he's sharing what the Lord has done right so when we're trying to resolve a conflict you know we take time to listen together we maybe listen more to more than we'd like to but we give people the opportunity to be heard but then let's let's hear some testimony of what the Lord has done does that make sense yeah we got to move on to verse 13 want someone just to read verse 13 for us Robert and I'll be reading from the New King James Version and after they had become silent James answered saying men and brother listen to me this is James the stepbrother of Jesus she's the leader of the church in Jerusalem now this is the one that many believed wrote the book of James I just want you to notice he stat he's a leader and the verse is afterward don't say but all the crowd shoulders oh no no no no yeah so what does that tell me in the process of resolving a conflict not only do we need to listen to all crowd and hear testimonies but we also need to listen to pray that those leaders are devoting themselves to prayer and the Ministry of the word right but then the time comes that God uses leaders and the OEL in the end says it seems good to the Holy Spirit and also to us mm-hmm and an outcome is received I need to go over to verse 30 and 31 Stephanie if you could read those verses when the message goes out resolving the conflict as a community under the guidance of the Spirit what's the reaction of those in Antioch ooh here I write in the King James Version says so when they were dismissed they came to Antioch and when they had gathered the multitude together they delivered the applause epistle which when they had read they rejoiced for the consolation and then I want to ask you milena if you keep reading verses 32 to 34 because having heard the report they rejoice praise God we've resolved this issue it's not over let's see what we read in verses 32 to 34 of X 15 I'll be reading from the New King James Version now Judas and Silas themselves being prophets also exhorted and strengthen the Brethren brethren with many words and after they had stayed there for a time they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles however it seemed good to Silas to remain there what do you learn what do you learn you make sure that that's all gonna go all right that's right we're not just going okay that took care of that you know let's stay any questions anyone and let's keep teaching I've got more to learn follow there may be some other us-and-them attitudes there may be some other doctrinal confusion hmm there could be some other apparent prejudices we're on a journey together aren't we what's the most important lesson you've learned today when conflicts arise anybody most important lesson when conflicts arise Jonathan I think follow the pattern of Christ follow the pattern of Christ who goes and reaches out to the woman from Samaria from Samaria and these different examples and if we have that heart then that'll prepare us to do the same all right follow the example of Jesus and configs are also opportunities for transformation conflict is also an opportunity for transformation one less short comment there's beauty and diversity so there's beauty and diversity and if I don't run away from the conflict but I follow the example of Jesus and I think the principles we've studied today that instead of destruction we can experience transformation you're listening to our study today you're saying I need that in my home I need that in my church I need that in my own heart that instead of destruction we can experience transformation we can follow a biblical model when conflicts arise and it can actually lead us to a greater oneness with Christ and with each other I want to pray if there's a special issue you're dealing with someone you know you love and pray for that that miracle can happen in fact that it could happen for each one of us let's pray father in heaven we've been challenged today we've looked honestly at some conflicts that arise but we're so thankful that what could have ended in destruction can end in transformation when you were leading God give us humble teachable spirits that we would follow your pattern and that we would allow you to lead each step of our way and that your beautiful character would be demonstrated in all that we do for the honour of your name in Jesus name Amen well thanks for joining us for hope service co challenged you say I need to live what I've learned and I pray that you do that and not to try to win but let Jesus win go out and make a difference in the lives of those around you

Channel: HopeSabbathSchool

Views: 20,110

Rating: 4.5978837 out of 5

Keywords: seventh-day adventist, hopesabbathschool, hope sabbath school, religion, gospel, unity, Bible study

Id: NMVryRcOpGA

Length: 58min 29sec (3509 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 12 2018