Rev. David Holwick ZF
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
September 19, 1993
Acts 15:22-33
|
I. Conflict is a fact of life.
A. No one can avoid arguments and fights completely.
1) Church fights can be particularly nasty.
[Unnamed to protect guilty] Baptist Church in Ohio, 1989.
Pastor used to give revivals in my first church.
He was removed as pastor by a secret business meeting.
He held his own meeting, declared himself Pastor-for-Life,
changed the locks and excommunicated the malcontents.
The executive minister of Ohio Baptists only became aware of
the conflict when the State Police contacted him.
The police were afraid of an armed confrontation.
#1347
2) Even early church was divided by factions.
a) Some focused on personalities, most on doctrine.
b) End result was conflict, as is often the case.
1> "Denominationalism" is nothing new.
2> At times in church history, real bloodshed resulted.
3) Eternal issues are at stake.
B. Options are usually clear-cut:
1) Conquer, or be conquered.
2) Compromise is seen as defeat.
C. Some issues are do-or-die, but many call for compromise.
1) Meeting half-way is preferable to mutual annihilation.
2) How do we distinguish?
II. Principles cannot be compromised. #1604
A. Issue in Acts 15 is the basis of salvation.
1) It is still a divisive issue today.
Article in "Daily Record" on Southern Baptists and
salvation.
By surveys and formulas, "unsaved" are calculated.
Severely criticized for presumptuousness.
Problem is not believing in salvation, but assuming
we can analyze human heart.
Only God knows those who are his.
But Southern Baptists are correct on this - God reveals
his requirements of salvation in the Bible.
#2540
2) In Acts 15, some Christians were adding qualifiers. 15:1,5
a) Become a Jew first (circumcision), then a Christian.
1> All of the Jewish laws are still valid and required.
b) Groups have added qualifiers to salvation ever since.
1> Practices (baptism) or beliefs are expected.
2> Most religions are an attempt to do something for
God, add heavy requirements.
3) Grace is only basis of salvation.
a) God's free gift in Jesus. 15:11
1> Not what you do, but what he does for you.
2> No other basis for salvation.
b) Other requirements point to a false religion.
B. It took years for Christians to grasp this.
1) Galatians written just prior to Acts 15.
a) Peter and Barnabas rebuked for wavering. Gal 2:12f
b) Cornelius had been converted 10 years previously.
2) In end, Peter, James and Paul were all united on grace.
C. There can be no compromise on Christian principles.
1) Compromise may produce momentary peace, but ultimately doom.
a) Lindsell and importance of inerrancy. (1970's)
Seminaries and denominations that wavered have fallen
by wayside.
Those that have held firm have grown.
2) Doctrine is the life blood of the church.
a) It is what is truth for us.
b) If we don't believe anything, we have no right to exist.
III. Preferences should be settled by consensus.
A. Not every issue is worth dying for.
1) The middle ground can be just as important.
2) "Compromise" is an ugly word, but "unconditional surrender"
can be worse.
3) Church had to distinguish between principles and preferences.
B. The church made its decision together.
1) They searched the Scripture, and the Spirit. 15:15,28
2) Leaders were prominent, but everyone took part. 15:22
a) Church councils have been critical ever since.
b) Majorities can be wrong, but there is strength
in numbers.
c) Baptists and principle of association.
C. The restrictions were reasonable. 15:20
1) They were visible sticking points with Jews.
a) Food from idol worship.
1> Not forbidden - unless it trips someone up.
b) Sexual immorality.
1> Probably marriage of cousins, prohibited in O.T.
2> Immorality in general is forbidden in New Testament.
c) Meat of strangled animals.
d) Blood.
1> Similar to above. Life in blood.
2) They were easy to observe.
3) They did not promote excessive legalism.
D. Sensitivity is important.
1) Jewish laws were not necessary for salvation, but for peace.
2) Flaunting them would create difficulties in evangelism.
IV. Priorities must be kept focused.
A. We must know what we are fighting for.
1) Gen. Haag: "Some things are worth dying for."
a) There are critical issues which demand conflict.
b) Avoiding a fight can lead to defeat later.
2) Pick your fights carefully.
B. Areas where the church must take a stand today:
1) Godly lifestyles.
a) We cannot dictate how the world lives, but we must
be very clear about how we live.
b) Loose morality of world is pouring into church, especially
in area of sexuality.
c) The principles that are consistent from the Old Testament
to the New, are also valid today.
2) Sanctity of life.
a) World is valuing life on what you produce.
1> Suicide trend, euthanasia and Dr. Kevorkian.
2> Abortion accounts for 24% of pregnancies.
b) Bible's clear message: choose life. Deut 30:19
1> Each life has value because God made it.
2> Christians can't just preach it, but act on it.
3> Show concern for handicapped, unwanted, aged.
3) Objective truth of God's Word.
a) Where everything is relative, nothing is true.
b) Moral decay and violence in society stem from a lack
of foundation.
c) God's Word provides that foundation.
C. In all things practice love.
1) Too much fighting is based on selfishness and ego: the flesh.
2) Even when we differ with people, we must love them.
3) When a church is united on God's principles and tolerant
of diverse preferences, it will prosper.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
Created with the Freeware Edition of HelpNDoc: Full featured Documentation generator