PART 16OPPOSITION WITHIN

High Temp – Good or Bad?• Moms and Dads…what is

your attitude toward a high fever in your child?–Good parts of your body causing adversity to the benefit of the rest of your body.

• Christian…what is your attitude toward challenges within the Body of Christ?

Foreign Bodies in Acts• Gentile Association (Acts 11)• Unlikely Answer to Prayer

(Acts 12)• Circumcision Requirement

(Acts 15)• Disagreement on Mission

(Acts 15)• Unnecessary Purification

(Acts 21)

The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the

Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to

Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, “You went

into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

ACTS 11:1-3

“As in…Gentiles?”• What was upstanding about

the objections of the circumcised believers?

• How did Peter respond to the criticism?

• What was their reaction?

When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that

leads to life.”

ACTS 11:18

Lessons• God sometimes puts

uncharted or unprecedented issues before us.–Hear your brother out and evaluate it against WDJS? (What did Jesus say?)

• Evaluate the evidence, give praise to God, and move on!

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to

answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so

overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at

the door!”

“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his

angel.”

ACTS 12:13-15

“It just can’t be…”• What about Rhoda degraded

her credibility with the prayer warriors?• What was Rhoda’s response

to their skepticism?• What incredible lesson in

prayer did this group learn that night?

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw

him, they were astonished.

ACTS 12:16

Lessons• When God gives you a gift,

invite it inside.

• When praying for a miracle, don’t try to rationalize the answer to that prayer away.

• Be sure you have a stage that goes past “astonished.”

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 keep the law of Moses.”

ACTS 15:5

“I have to do WHAT?”• What was innocent or well-

intended with the circumcision assertion?–What more modern examples have we seen?

• How did the Church go about addressing this question?–“Met, considered, discussed.”

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the

Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food

polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of

strangled animals and from blood. “

ACTS 15:19-20

Lessons• It was an orderly process.• 3 Tests:–What is the testimony of credible witnesses?–Does the Holy Spirit give evidence of approval?–What does the Scripture say?

• Outcome: Clarification, instruction and inclusion.

They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but

Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the

grace of the Lord.

ACTS 15:39-40

“Fine, be that way…”• Paul and Barnabas agree on

a mission (important) but disagree on a detail (less important).

• This particular disagreement goes unresolved.

He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

ACTS 15:41

Lessons• Not every conflict is meant

to be resolved.

• Not every conflict involves life-or-death matters of importance.

• Unresolved conflict does not necessarily equal failure.

They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among

the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our

customs.

ACTS 21:21

“Good job, but…”• Paul is a figure of

controversy in an issue previously “resolved.”

• He is urged to perform a ritual as a demonstration to his doubters.

The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them.

Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of

purification would end and the offering would be made for each of

them.

ACTS 21:26

Lessons• Why did Paul entertain this

demonstration?

• What key human ingredient did Paul clearly purge in this instance?

• What was Paul’s “reward” for this humility and obedience?

Application• Do you view conflict or

controversy as an opportunity to bring more glory to God?• Do you approach arguments

with a true sense of selflessness and humility?• What are your objectives?

Vindication or edification?• What do you do after the

conflict is over?