ACTS 15:36-41 APPRECIATE OUR DISAGREEMENTS2017 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Acts 15:36-41 Appreciate Our Disagreements

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2017.

So this passage is, of course, kind of a famous passage because it's this notorious disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. And so I've titled the message this morning, Appreciate Our Disagreements. As we look at this passage, I think there's some very good lessons for us to take hold of and to take note of as we look at this situation that unfolds between Barnabas and Barnabas.

And these are good lessons for all kinds of disagreements, whether we're talking about situations that happen within the church, or if you want to jump into the realm of politics or in a marriage. Sometimes, occasionally, there can be disagreements within a marriage relationship, whether it be financial matters or whatever else, that we might have disagreements on a variety of topics with a variety of different people.

And we need to learn to handle those things because, well, it's part of life. Disagreement is part of the reality of our relationships with people around us because we are all different.

And so we're going to have disagreements on different things. And so I think we have some good lessons here. Now, before we get into the passage, I think it also is important to point out there are different types of disagreements. And depending on the type of disagreement, you know, will determine what kind of response we have to it.

Some types of disagreements are, well, it's the kind that you have to fight until you have victory. And I refer to Jude chapter 1 verse 3 where the author says, I wrote to you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints.

That when there's issues of salvation, you know, issues of eternal matters that have eternal consequences, then there's a disagreement that's worth fighting until you have victory or until, you know, there's nothing else to do. But holding your ground and standing firm and not budging, you know, there are some things that we need to hold on to and be able to disagree with

up until we have victory or up until our last breath. I think a good example of this is Jesus with the religious leaders. They had some strong disagreements. And Jesus explains why in Luke 11, verse 52. He says, look, you're not entering the kingdom of God and those who were entering, you hindered. And so there was...

reason for him to disagree strongly and to work against the doctrine that they were declaring, which was leading people astray and messing them up. Here in Acts chapter 15, we see a similar situation when Paul and Barnabas come back from their first missionary journey, and then there's a

who had been converted in the church at Antioch who are declaring, well, all those Gentiles who got saved, they need to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses. And, and earlier in Acts chapter 15, you have the Jerusalem council because Paul and Barnabas, it says in verse two, had no small dissension with them. They, they were going to fight that battle till the end until they had victory. And they did, they went down to Jerusalem and got the decision, uh,

made so that, you know, that was not a requirement placed upon Gentiles. And so you can think about a disagreement kind of like a tug of war. And so some disagreements, you know, you're going to keep on pulling, you're going to hold on to that rope, you're not going to give up, and you're going to keep on working at it until you get, you know, the other team onto your side. And that is appropriate for some types of disagreements. Now there's other types of disagreements that we should just avoid completely, right?

And Paul gives an example of this in Titus chapter 3. He says, And then he goes on to say, So there's some disagreements that we should just not even have any part of, that just divide people, that just, you know, raise up all kinds of issues, but don't have any real benefit. And so,

And so this might be doctrinal, but maybe not essential doctrine. Or it might be about methodology. Or it might be about a variety of things. But he says those things that are foolish, they don't have any real value. They don't have eternal value. He says just stay out of those disputes. Stay out of those things that are just...

dividing people and causing war. And so in the picture of a tug of war, don't even grab the rope. Don't even try to pull or, you know what I mean? Don't participate in that because there's no real value to it. And so there are some disagreements that are just not even worth discussing. They're not even worth getting into because they have no real value. And then thirdly, I would say the third type of disagreement is the kind that you need to discuss thoroughly.

And I think that's what we have before us here in Acts chapter 15. One that's worth talking about all the way through, understanding both sides and considering. And Paul says in Philippians chapter 3 verse 15, as he's talking about maturity and moving on and reaching forward, he says, look, as many as are mature, let's have this in mind. But if you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

So the idea here is, again, in the picture of tug of war, you know, you pick up the rope and you pull, you engage in the discussion, you engage in the disagreement, but not in such a way that you have to win.

But just that you're going to participate and you're going to, you know, share your perspective and then leave the results up to God to do the work. And here in Acts chapter 15, we have a good example of that where you have two godly men who are spirit filled, who are spirit led, and they have positions that are well thought out.

but are contrary to one another. And so we have these different types of disagreements, and we need to kind of, you know, think through and understand the disagreements that we have in our lives, and understand which kind they are, and if it's

The kind to discuss thoroughly? If it's the kind to engage in? Well, I think we have some good lessons here from Paul and Barnabas about how to do that and what's appropriate in those kinds of disagreements. And it's in those kinds of disagreements that we can appreciate the disagreement because there is great value for us in it.

And so before we talk about some of the details of our part or what we can learn from it, I want to take some time just to walk through the passage and understand the disagreement that is taking place here. So looking again at verse 36, it says, Then after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.

This whole scenario began with a good idea. Let's go back and visit the churches that we planted. Now it tells us it was Paul's idea. It came from a place of love and concern. He wanted to go visit the people of the churches that they had established on their first missionary journey.

And so we can begin and understand right away that we're talking about two men who care about people and want to minister to them, want to help them grow in the faith. Paul and Barnabas both agree this is a good idea and we need to go minister to the people. Verse 37, now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark, but Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

And so now we begin to see the disagreement. They both agree on one thing, and that is the trip is a good idea. It's needed to go and minister to those people in the churches that had been established. But they disagree on whether or not to bring John Mark. Barnabas wants to bring him. Paul does not. And it tells us that Barnabas was determined, but it also tells us that Paul insisted that

In other words, it's a deal breaker for both of them. Barnabas is determined this trip is not happening without John Mark. That's a deal breaker. Paul is insisting John Mark is not coming with us. That's a deal breaker. And so you have these two opposite positions recognizing the trip is needed, but they're stuck at this impasse over whether or not to bring John Mark on the trip with them. In verse 39, it tells us the contention became so sharp that

And so this disagreement was so strong that

that they could not continue on together. They went separate ways, not just kind of mentally or philosophically, but geographically. They went in opposite directions to go to the same places and visit the same people, but they went at it from different directions and different angles. And

And so the result was now this team, Paul and Barnabas, that had worked so well together on the first missionary journey and had done so much for the Lord, now they are divided, they're split, and they go different directions. The idea of not going on the trip, that wasn't an option. But at the same time, they couldn't go together. So they ended up going separately. You take your guy, I'll take my guy, and we'll go our different directions.

Now, throughout the years, as we've looked at this passage, as scholars and teachers have looked at this passage, you know, it really begs the question, who was right and who was wrong in this situation? I can kind of picture the conversation in my head. You know, Paul is there hanging out with Barnabas, and he just has this idea, let's go visit the churches that we planted. And Barnabas says, oh, that's a great idea. Let me get John Mark and we'll go.

And then Paul says, no, wait, wait, wait a minute. We can't bring John Mark. He left in the middle of the last trip. That's really the issue at hand for Paul. On the first missionary journey, John Mark was with them for a little bit, but he got like halfway through the trip. And for whatever reason, it doesn't tell us the details, he bailed. And Paul says, we can't bring, he left in the middle of the trip last time.

And Barnabas, you know, says to Paul, well, you know, he's grown a lot since then and he's going to do much better this time. I'll get him and let's go. And Paul says, no, wait, this is not a good idea. We should not bring John Mark. And Barnabas says, yes, we should. And again, they go back and forth. And in this discussion, it tells us in verse 37, Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. That word determined, it means to deliberate with oneself. Right?

The idea here is Barnabas has made up his mind, but that it's a thought-out position. He's deliberated in his mind. He's talked through. That's what deliberation is, that talking through the different sides. He's not just being stubborn. He's not just being stuck in his ways, and he has this idea, and he just can't do it any other way. He's weighed the different sides together,

And he's decided bringing John Mark was necessary and important. And so after deliberation, he is determined this is the right thing to do. But on the other side, you have Paul in verse 38. It says, Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia.

And that word insisted that describes Paul. It means to judge worthy or deem deserving. It's to esteem or to reckon. Again, it's a different word than Barnabas in his determination, but it's similar in the idea that it's a thought-out position. Paul is not just being stubborn.

He's not just being emotional, holding a grudge. You know, he really bailed on us last time. It hurt my feelings. And so I'm not going to let him, you know, come again. It indicates here, Paul had weighed out the different sides. And having weighed out the different sides, the different aspects to whether or not John Mark should come, he's decided bringing John Mark is not a good idea.

And so we're looking at a situation where both sides are thought out. Both sides are prayed over. Both sides are considered and evaluated. And yet they come to a point where they still disagree. You know, sometimes we think if only, you know, they would think this through, then they would see it my way. But that's a little bit, you know, simplistic in our understanding of complex issues, right? That there is the reality that

Two people who are godly, who are spirit-filled and spirit-led can evaluate a situation, can pray through a situation, can understand the different variables and aspects, and come to different opinions about what is best or what is right for the situation. And that's what happens here with Paul and Barnabas. In verse 39, it tells us the contention became so sharp. It's a sharp contention. Now,

When we look at this passage, I think it's important to kind of evaluate and understand what we're looking at because this is not so much an instructional passage. This passage really just kind of lays out the facts for us. It doesn't really give us a lot of insight into what was happening behind the scenes. We don't have some insight from the Lord on his perspective necessarily.

We don't have God definitively say, you know, Barnabas was in sin and that's why he made this decision and felt this way or Paul was in sin and that's why he behaved this way. It's just recording the facts of what actually happened. And as we talk about a sharp contention, it's easy for us to think that that implies some type of sinful behavior. But if you look carefully at this passage, I think you'll find there's actually no indication that either one of these guys is in sin.

God doesn't show that at all anywhere in this passage. He's well able to, but he doesn't. Paul and Barnabas, I think what it's saying here in verse 39, it's not so much that they were sinful in their approach, but that they were passionate about their decision. They felt strongly. That's why the contention was sharp. Not because they were angry with each other, not because they hated each other, not because they were in the flesh, but because

After praying through, after weighing through the different sides of the issue, they were passionate about their decision. And so any conversation that they had, any discussion that they had, well, that passion would come out. It would be demonstrated, but not necessarily sinful or in a fleshly way. And there are many people who would look at this and, you know, just say, couldn't they just stop and pray about this and find out if God wanted John Mark to go or not?

But again, we need to be careful not to be too simplistic in our approach that the reality of life is there is a lot of complex things and they're not all resolved in simple manners. And sometimes there are disagreements that are going to stand. But it leaves us to wrestle with who was right and who was wrong. And again, Bible scholars and students have said,

discuss this round and round and thought about it and have a variety of perspectives. In fact, if you want to have a fun look at disagreements, just look at a bunch of different commentaries on this passage and see all the disagreements that happen about who was right and who was wrong. Was Barnabas wrong? There are those who say that he was. There are those who suggest that Barnabas made the decision to bring John Mark because, well, John Mark was his cousin.

Colossians chapter 4 verse 10 refers to Mark as the cousin of Barnabas. So he's family. So Barnabas had a soft spot for John Mark, and that's why he wanted to bring him. It wasn't necessarily that God wanted him to go, but just because Barnabas had that soft spot for him because he was family. And so Barnabas was wrong because he's just showing favoritism to his family. That's what some suggest.

Some suggest Barnabas was wrong because he should have just submitted to Paul. Paul was an apostle. Paul's leadership, you know, was made clear on the previous trip there in Acts chapter 13 that Barnabas started out leading the trip, but then by the end of the trip or even the middle, it was Paul that was in charge. God had raised him up. And so Barnabas should have just submitted and said, okay, fine, we won't bring John Mark. And that's what some would suggest that Barnabas was wrong. Others would say Paul was wrong. Was Paul wrong? They would suggest Barnabas

Paul's decision to not bring John Mark was based on too high of expectations, that Paul expected too much of people. He needed to understand that people make mistakes and needed to be given second chances. And Paul, you shouldn't be so strict on things. So, you know, Paul was wrong in his decision to not bring John Mark. Others continue on to say both of these guys were wrong in that they shouldn't have let this difference of opinion get to the point of separation.

and their view that the whole point that they went separate directions, that was a huge failure. That wasn't what God wanted. God didn't want them to go separate directions, go in different directions. And so they both were wrong because they let this little issue divide them in that way. Couldn't they just stop and pray and find out if God wanted John Mark to go or not? That's kind of the approach there. Now,

Again, as we look through these things, I would point out that disagreement is not automatically wrong. And sometimes we get real uncomfortable with disagreement. And it's interesting, you know, in our society, we have lots of opportunity to express disagreement to a wide variety of things. And yet our ability to disagree...

seems to be not that strong in many cases. That we really don't know how to handle disagreement a lot of times. And we handle it poorly. And so again, as we look at this issue, I would like to offer an alternate perspective. Not so much that Barnabas was wrong, not so much that Paul was wrong, not that they were both wrong, but I kind of lean towards the fourth option here, that they were both right.

that actually this disagreement was part of how God had created them and God's design for them and God's ministry that he had entrusted to each of them. I would say disagreement is not automatically wrong because, well, for one thing, we are different and we all have different giftings. We all have different callings. And separation is not automatically wrong. Now, of course, disagreement can be done wrong even when you're right on the issue.

Separation can be done wrong, even when you're right on the issue. But I think as we look at this passage, we don't see any evidence that they were wrong in their disagreement or that they were wrong in their separation. They didn't handle this poorly. They went on in different directions. Notice the church remained united. It would have been a different issue if Paul and Barnabas made people at the church of Antioch choose sides.

Which are you going to agree with? Are you going to agree with me or are you going to agree with Barnabas? Paul might say to the people. And to try to, then that's the idea of bringing division to the church. They didn't let it come to that. I would suggest also they didn't handle this wrong because the work of God continued. They pressed forward in the work that God had called them to. I think they're both right. Paul and Barnabas had two different perspectives because God had designed them that way

And it's, well, it's clarified their calling here in Acts chapter 15 with this disagreement. And so I think we can learn to appreciate our disagreements from their example. And so there's three points I'd like to walk us through as we look at this. Point number one is that disagreements reveal our strengths. Excuse me, my throat's still pretty weak. Disagreements reveal our strengths. As you look at Barnabas,

You can see clearly from the life and ministry of Barnabas, he was a very strong encourager. His strength was encouragement. He was really good at coming alongside people and helping them to rise up and accomplish what God had set before them. And so as we come to this idea that Barnabas wants to take John Mark, even though he left in the middle of a previous trip,

Barnabas would say, well, so what? Does that mean he never gets to go on a missionary journey again? Of course not. You can't take that approach. That's too harsh. I mean, you and I know what that's like, right? Have you ever fell short and bailed out on something you knew you were supposed to do? Of course you have. We all have. And Barnabas sees the situation and he says, okay, it's time for John Mark to now get a second shot and to try again to come with us on this missionary journey.

It's part of Barnabas' strength. He has a real gift to come alongside people and build them up. He helped people become all that God had for them, so much so that he gets the name Barnabas. Let me remind you, Barnabas is not Barnabas' name. Barnabas is a nickname that was given to him by the apostles. We find this out in Acts 4, verse 36.

It says, and Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles, which is translated son of encouragement, a Levite of the country of Cyprus. And it goes on to talk about something he does. But notice his real name is Joses. Now, I think, you know, on a normal day, if you ask us, hey, who's Joses? You know, in the Bible, we'd be like, I don't know. I never heard of Joses. It's the only time we see his real name. But even though that's his real name, we know him as Barnabas because the apostles nicknamed him that.

Now, why would the apostles nickname Joseph Barnabas? Well, it tells us the translation, son of encouragement. You get the idea here that

Peter, James, and John are, you know, just checking out the church at Jerusalem, and they're seeing this guy, and he's over there encouraging people and building them up. He goes over here. He's helping people overcome sin. He comes over here. He's helping people experience, you know, the calling of God in their lives. Over here he comes, and he's helping people discover their gifts, and he's just, boom, alongside people, and such a great encouragement. They say, I'm

We're not going to call him Joseph anymore. He's son of encouragement. I mean, he is so strong in this calling, in this gifting that he's named after, and we know him by the nickname that's given to him because of his strength. And here in this disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, you can see the revelation of his strength. He is wanting to build up

John Mark, to give him another opportunity. Barnabas was the guy who first reached out to Saul after his conversion. Before, you know, he was Apostle Paul, he was Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the church, and then he got saved, and then nobody wanted anything to do with him, and nobody trusted him, and nobody believed that he was really a Christian, except Barnabas. Barnabas in Acts chapter 9 verse 27 is the one who goes and spends time with Saul. And

He has coffee with him, and he says, hey, you know, tell me about your story. You say you're a Christian. So how did that happen? And he hears the account of what God did, and then he comes and brings him to the apostles and says, hey, guys, you got to hear this story. You got to hear what God's done in his life. Now, as you look at this disagreement here in Acts chapter 15, is it any surprise that the guy who was nicknamed encourager is

wanted to encourage a broken and defeated brother who had messed up on the last mission trip. Is it any surprise that the guy who would reach out to Saul of Tarsus and give him a chance would also want to give a chance to this brother who messed up? I would remind you too, Barnabas is the guy who went and got Saul when he was living in obscurity in his hometown and he brought him to Antioch and engaged him in the work of

of God at the church that they were now part of at Antioch. And it's no surprise then that the guy who would do that and go out of his way to get Saul and bring him back and involve him in the work, that he is an encourager. He is the one who's going to be doing these things. It's not a surprise then that Barnabas would seek to bring John Mark on this missionary journey.

I like what Thomas Constable, the commentator, says, To that, I would say amen. And I would say easily, I would have dropped out of ministry without encouragers who gave me more opportunities.

I may have dropped out of walking with God altogether if I didn't have people who came alongside in this role like Barnabas to encourage and build up and bring strength. This was Barnabas' strength. And so I would suggest Barnabas was right. This is gifting. It's his calling. It's who God has created him to be. That's why he wants to bring John Mark on this missionary journey.

But again, on the other side in verse 38, but Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia. And so Paul refuses to bring John Mark because of his track record. You know, he really let us down last time. Notice again, it's the one who had departed from them and had not gone with them to the work. What's important to Paul? What's he focused on? What's he valuing greatly? The work, right?

The work on the mission field, the work of ministering to people, this is a serious work. This is not a personal grudge that Paul has against John Mark. It's not just an emotional thing. You know, he was wounded, he was hurt, and so automatically, no. This decision is born out of his high esteem for the work that God has called him to.

Think about what Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3 as he gave Timothy criteria and guidelines, requirements that people had to meet in order to be able to serve. In 1 Timothy 3.8, he says, Likewise, deacons must be reverent,

Now, deacon wasn't, you know, a super high role of authority in the church. The word deacon, it means servant. Right?

He says, look, let the people who are serving in the church have these qualities. And even before you give them that responsibility, there should be some testing. It's appropriate for them to be evaluated. It's appropriate for them to be given opportunity to see how they do and how well they measure up to these standards.

And so I would ask you, is it any surprise that the guy who was entrusted with establishing standards for serving within the church, is it any surprise that he had an issue with bringing John Mark on this trip who had been tested and failed? No surprise. It's kind of what you would expect because this is his strength. This is his gifting. We also know from 1 Corinthians 2, Paul says, Moreover, it's required in stewards that one be found faithful.

Now he's talking about himself in this passage, but saying, generally speaking, for all of us as stewards of the mystery of God, as those who have been trusted with things from God, that the most important thing is faithfulness. So is it any surprise with Paul's value of faithfulness that when one who had been unfaithful was now going to be brought with him on the next trip? Is it any surprise that Paul had an objection? It's no surprise at all.

It fits right in line with actually Paul's understanding, his strength, his gifting, and what God had called him to. Warren Wiersbe describes his position this way. The ministry was too important and the work too demanding to enlist someone who might prove unreliable. That's Paul's take. This is an important role. It's an important job. It's an important trip. And there's going to be hardships and difficulty there.

We can't risk bringing along someone who is unreliable. Again, I would say Paul was right. This is his strength. This is his gifting. This is his calling. And the reality is there are standards and people do need to be disciplined and faithful and prove themselves to be trustworthy. And so what I would suggest here in this passage is what we see is this disagreement reveals the strength of Paul and Barnabas. And I would encourage you to kind of

consider that in regard to your own disagreements. Again, this can apply to a variety of disagreements we might have, you know, in a variety of different aspects in our lives. For the ones that are worthy of discussion, not the ones that are foolish and don't have any value, not the ones that are, you know, this is clearly an issue of eternity. And so those ones, there's no negotiation. But on a lot of our disagreements, maybe take a step back and think,

I'm holding this position and I disagree because, well, I'm strong in this area. Perhaps on the other side, you need to also recognize this is their strength. They're disagreeing not necessarily because they're just really stupid. Excuse me. God didn't want me to say stupid, I guess. They're disagreeing not just because, you know, they're not as smart as you are or they don't understand as much as you do, but it might just be a different strength.

And I would suggest, I think it's easy to relate to this kind of in marriage context and situations. Sometimes, you know, my strength is organization. And so if I have a disagreement, it might be because, well, the other side has a different strength. That it's strengths that are causing this issue, not necessarily a weakness, not necessarily the sin issue, but strength.

but a strength that God has given. And this can be used, disagreements can be used to identify those strengths in our lives. And maybe sometimes things that we don't even recognize are our own strengths can be revealed by stopping in the midst of this disagreement and recognizing, you know, we're taking these positions because this is part of who God has created us to be. It's part of how God has designed us. But it's not just strengths that are involved in disagreements. It's

I would go on to point number two and say disagreements strengthen our weaknesses. We can appreciate our disagreements because, well, it brings a revelation of the strengths that we have and the way that God has designed us and things that he has, you know, called us to and things that are important and valuable to us. But also, disagreements can be incredibly valuable because, well, we're not only, you

Filled with strengths, we also have weaknesses. And in fact, even our strengths can become weaknesses. If we overemphasize and are too far over in that strength, it becomes an issue. Now, there's no indication in the text that this is the case for Paul and Barnabas, but it is the reality that we face. We need balance. Barnabas was right in his decision. It was his strength. Paul was right in his decision, and it was his strength that

And so they have this disagreement. But we need to have balance in our strengths and in our weaknesses. Understand that God doesn't want us to be lopsided. That there are things that we're strong at, things that we're good at, things that he's designed for us and for us to be engaged in. But that doesn't mean that God then only expects us to be engaged in things that we're strong in, only do the things that we're comfortable with, only do the things that we like to do.

God doesn't want us to be lopsided. He expects us to be stretching and growing, and that includes not just our strengths, but also our areas of weakness. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul gives that long discussion about the body of Christ, and there's lots of different elements that we've pulled out to understand about the body of Christ and our roles and all of that throughout the years. But as I was looking at this again this week,

I was thinking about the friction between the members in the body of Christ. We're not one member, but many members, right? In 1 Corinthians 12, verse 15 and 16, Paul says, Now the answer to those questions are rhetorical. It's no, but...

As the members look around and compare themselves with each other, and I don't have those strengths, you know, does that mean I'm not part of the body? I'm not able to do those things. Does that mean I'm not part of the body? No, no. That's the way that God has designed us. We are different. We have different strengths, different functions, different ministries. In verse 17 of 1 Corinthians 12, Paul says, if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?

If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? That we wouldn't be complete without each other, that we need one another in our lives. And that's not just, okay, well, I have, you know, great strengths in sight or the eye, you know, and you have great strengths in hearing. And so we need one another and you do all the hearing and I'll do all the seeing. But I would suggest, you know, you're strong in hearing and God has you in my life so that I can learn to hear, right?

Not just you here, because that's your strength, but that even though it's not my strength, that I learn to grow in my weaknesses. That's why God brings us together. That there's a little bit of friction between us, because we're strong in different places and weak in different places. And the point is not, you know, everybody only do what's strong in you, you know, only do what you're good at. But God brings us and ties us together so that we can grow.

Well, learn to grow. And others benefit from our strengths, but also we benefit from their strengths and learn to grow in our weaknesses. And that's why God says, or Paul says in verse 21 of 1 Corinthians 12, the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. We can't just live without each other. We need each other. God's placed us in each other's lives.

for this reason, for this purpose, and called us then to work together because, well, even though we disagree, that can strengthen us in our weaknesses, build us up where we lack, and help us see where we can't see, and help us understand things that we can't understand. That's why God has brought us together. And so we can appreciate our disagreements because disagreements can strengthen our weaknesses.

We all need to be in this place of being teachable, continuing to grow, continuing to stretch, continuing to be becoming more and more like Christ. Proverbs 27, 17 says, as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. And that's a verse that's often used, you know, for like the men's ministry, that idea of iron sharpening iron.

And how does iron sharpen iron? Well, you know, when iron sharpens iron, sparks fly, right? I mean, it's a good picture of disagreement. But that's effective on both sides. That disagreement helps strengthen, helps sharpen both sides. It's beneficial to both. And so again, there's some disagreement that's worth discussing. Sometimes we get the idea or we get the understanding that

Any disagreement is automatically wrong. And some people are really uncomfortable with any kind of disagreement. But I would suggest we need to learn to appreciate our disagreements because it can be really helpful for us to sharpen us, to help us to grow and to be strengthened and to overcome and to have a better, fuller understanding and be well-rounded in our understanding of the issues at hand. Now, that doesn't mean we get in the flesh. It doesn't mean, you know what I mean? But to take time to

to understand what the other side is saying and what's their strength, what's important to them and why they're taking the position that they're taking. Here we see Paul insisted they should not take with them the one who had departed, the one who had not gone with them to the work. But the cool thing is later on towards the end of Paul's life, we see in 2 Timothy 4, verse 11,

Paul writing to Timothy says, And somewhere between the beginning of the second missionary journey of Paul and the end of Paul's life, there is some kind of reconciliation that happens. And he discovers, he learns that Mark, he has a valuable part to play. Not only in ministry, but in Paul's life. He's useful to me for ministry, Paul says.

And I would suggest to you that this is part of the influence that Paul and Barnabas have on each other. Mark gets raised up to meet the standards. Barnabas is gracious. He wants to include John Mark. He wants to give him another chance. Paul says, no, he's got to meet the standards. Barnabas takes John Mark and goes off in this other direction. And through the process of that, and who knows what else God had in store, but

But through that process, John Mark is raised up to meet the standards. And then on this side, Paul, holding to his standards, says John Mark can't come with us, but perhaps through his relationship with Barnabas, recognizes the value of grace and the second chance, and he gives John Mark another opportunity at some point.

and includes him in his ministry team so that later on at the end, he's in prison, he says, bring John Mark. Man, he's a good brother. I could really use some help from him right now. And I would suggest that Barnabas and Paul strengthened each other in their weaknesses as they engaged in this disagreement. That's part of what God wants to do, and it's part of the usefulness of disagreements in our lives. Well, finally, point number three is,

I would suggest that disagreements clarify our calling. In verse 39, it says, As they engage in this disagreement, they come to the conclusion, we can't work together anymore.

They both agreed the trip is necessary. They both agreed this trip has to happen. And those churches, they need to be encouraged. But they disagree about who should be involved in that trip. And so now they part ways. It's the only solution that satisfies everything. The trip has to happen. So in this decision, the trip continues to happen. John Mark has to come, Barnabas says. In this solution, John Mark does go.

John Mark can't come, Paul says, in this solution. John Mark doesn't go with Paul. Silas goes with Paul. And so all of the issues are resolved in this going of separate ways. Conflict is refining their calling. They're getting a better understanding of God's anointing and will for their life. And so they go separate directions.

again i think a lot of times it's easy for us to think of a separation and automatically think it's a failure but i would suggest that it's not now on the one hand god hates division but in the same at the same time i would say god loves diversity god hates division but he loves diversity

And that's what we see unfold here. I don't think the issue of them going different directions is an issue for God. It doesn't say that they were angry with each other and that they hated each other. It doesn't say that they were fleshly or anything. Just that one went one way and one went the other way. God loves diversity. Again, in 1 Corinthians 12, we have some good insight on this. In verse 4, 5, and 6, Paul tells us there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

Different kinds of gifts. There's great diversity, but it's the same Holy Spirit at work. There's difference of ministries, he says, but the same Lord. There's diversities of activities, but it's the same God who works all in all. That the body of Christ is comprised with all these different members who do different things, and yet there's the unity that we're all submitted to the same Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.

But God operates in our lives and calls us to operate in a variety of ways. And so we have different callings, different functions. Not everybody is supposed to teach different

Not everybody is supposed to, you know, do certain roles or fill certain capacities. And then even those who are called to teach, let's say, they're not called to teach the same way that I teach necessarily. They're not called to, you know, do exactly what I do. Nobody else is called to do exactly what you do. That God has created us in such a way, there's huge variety. And in our disagreements, we can learn to understand better

the specifics about God's calling in our lives, the different ministries, the different giftings, the different activities that he wants us to be part of. Paul talks about this a little bit in Galatians chapter 2 as he talks about after he was saved and began his ministry to the Gentiles in Galatians chapter 2 verse 9.

he describes the time when he was in Jerusalem. He says, when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived that the grace had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. He's talking about the situation that happened earlier in Acts 15 when they went to Jerusalem for the council. And they realized, he says, look, they distinguished that

We have a distinct calling to the Gentiles. And so, all right, great. You guys go minister to the Gentiles like you're supposed to. And we'll continue to minister to the Jews like we're supposed to. Separation is sometimes part of God's plan. It's part of God's work that we go different directions, that we do different things. It's part of who God has designed us to be. And disagreements can clarify our calling and what God wants of us. So that can be really helpful in

to bring clarity to us on the direction that God wants us to go. Pastor Chuck Smith said one time, I know that there are people I can reach. I know there are people I cannot reach. And I praise God that there are other ministers that have a different emphasis of ministry who are able to reach these people that I cannot reach. Sometimes we can look at the variety of churches that we have all around us and think, oh, what a failure of the Christian church to

And probably there are some examples that that is true. It's a failure. That's why there's different churches. But I would say just as much or maybe even more, there are different churches because there's a variety of functions. There's a variety of things that God is doing and wants to do in ways that he does it. And that is appropriate and good. And it's a clarification of the calling that he has placed in our lives.

And so again, as we look at this example of Paul and Barnabas, I think we can learn to appreciate our disagreements. It helps us to understand our strengths, how God has designed us, the strengths he has given, the giftings that he's placed there. It helps us to grow and develop in our weaknesses as we learn better the other side and understand where we differ.

need to grow. We need to develop in other areas of our lives that we don't be just lopsided one direction and only one thing. But it also helps us to have clarity in our calling, to understand the direction that we need to go as we follow what the Lord tells us to do in the strengths that he's given to us as we grow in our weaknesses. We're able then to go forward in the life that God has called us to live.

And so I want to encourage you as we look through this, as we finish up this morning, to engage in disagreement. Now that doesn't mean just, you know, stir up issues and, you know, but when there is a disagreement, again, that picture of tug of war, understand the different types that some you got to fight until there's victory that you can't give up. You can't compromise on those things. Those are essentials to eternity, essentials of the faith. Some disagreements don't even join in, just avoid completely disagreements.

But there's a lot of disagreements that we should discuss thoroughly.

that we can get tremendous benefit from if we will engage and seek to understand the other side of the disagreement and seek to understand what is happening there and what's the values there, what's the strengths there, what's the weaknesses there, what's the calling there. There's great value in understanding the other sides to help you develop and grow and become understanding

more in line with who God has called you to be. And so, kind of a strange exhortation, I know, but engage in those disagreements. Discuss them thoroughly. It's worthwhile and beneficial. Don't be afraid and just run away from every disagreement. But a good discussion has great value to help you become the man or woman that God's called you to be. We want to finish our time with prayer as we usually do, so...

I'll begin and then leave it open and you can be bold and pray according to what God has upon your heart in response to the word this morning. We can be praying for the services that are happening today, the youth as they drive to the Dodger game and all the other stuff that's going on. So we can lift those things up and Richard will close us when the time is appropriate. Heavenly Father, this morning as we come before you, Lord, I thank you for the great

and your creativity and how you have designed us and created us and allowed for such differences, Lord. And Lord, sometimes that's difficult for us in the conflict that it brings and the disagreements that happen. And yet even those things are useful for you to sharpen us, to refine us, and to cause us to be more like you. And so God, I pray that you would help us

to not shy away from those things that, well, we need to be engaged in and those disagreements that we need to interact with and have good discussions about. I pray that you would help us, Lord, to grow and mature, that we would be able to engage in the tug of war without having to be right, without having to have everybody say exactly what we say or believe exactly what we believe. But, Lord, where there is flexibility,

flexibility as far as your word is concerned and what you've declared, I pray that you would help us to be flexible and, Lord, able to receive from and benefit from

the variety that you've created in others as well. And so, Lord, I pray that you would build us up, that you'd give us a strength in you to be able to build up one another and exchange with one another the strengths that you've provided, the insight that you've given, Lord, that we could grow in our weaknesses, that they could grow in their weaknesses. Lord, help us to be faithful, to be engaged in these things as you lead us. In Jesus' name I pray.

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