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September 1, 2022 3:00 am
Disagreement and conflict is almost inevitable in human relationships. When that happens, some people put up their fists . . . others call up their lawyer. Others look up the Proverb that says a soft answer turns away wrath. In the big picture, those moments can either undergird our efforts to share Christ, or undermine them. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us deal with everyone in a spirit of grace and humility. We’re in Acts chapter 15.
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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.
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Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners.
If this program is impacted you, I love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org we're essentially walking, talking billboard Christians look like coming up today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie says we each have an important choice to make. Some people bring joy wherever they go. Some people bring joy whenever they go to person are you are you the person that likes a rumor turns off the line. Are you the person that brings everything down to the person that feels others in this is almost inevitable human relationship. When that happens. Some people put up there for us others. All of their lawyer others.
Robert is a soft answer turns away when the big picture. Those moments can either undergird our average price undermine everyone. 15 about biker dude pulled up to a road I café one day, and they walked in, and here's smallest man sitting on a stool having a meal and they looked at this guy started laughing hassling him one of them took his meal away from another push them off his stool and the man just went over and paid for his bill quietly walked out got into his semi he's a trucker okay and one of the biker says to the waitress.
He's not much of a man is he, she said well I guess not. She's looking out the window and watching the trucker driveaway. She says I guess he's not much of a trucker, either because he just ran over three Harleys. Maybe that's not the best way to resolve, but we all deal with conflict each and every day right there just no way around it. I don't know how you were raised within my home. As you know there was a lot of domestic violence.
My mom would get drunk and get in fights with their husbands or boyfriends and just mean yelling. I mean, throwing things, getting I would sometimes get up in the morning thing versus mass all over the floor dents on the wall.
It was horrible environment to be brought up in that I think is a very early age is a little boy I first developed desire to be a peacemaker. I wanted to resolve conflict. I didn't want to see people fighting conflict. Another thing I sort of retreated into was my own little world of arts in cartoons where I can kind of have another place to live instead of the crazy world. I was living in and I developed this rather warped sense of humor.
My observations that I could you think of a great sometimes you're very sarcastic and in your humor is a little odd.
You don't know what I holdback you don't know what comes into my mind. I have five things ago Vito be Toby, Toby, if I let that one through, that's out works okay and that even that is a defense mechanism that I develop what I bring all of this out because I became a Christian and I thought okay now no more conflict know no more disagreements are all going to just get together and sing Kumbaya and perpetuity while I came to discover that is not the case because conflicts and arguments will happen even among Christians. You know, there are some people that create conflict unnecessarily.
Conflict follows them wherever they go.
It's always some kind of drama like you invite them over. There's going to be something that happens and sometimes you don't want to invite those people over because in a way they're kind of like troublemakers. I make up imaginary characters Bobby buzz kill Debbie downer.
I'm in out a new one. To that, Bobby buzz kill Debbie downer and Tina troll. Oh yeah, oh yes, I'm sorry to make her female, but that this is the person that always counterpoints everything even when you don't need to.
And I find most of the trolls go there on Instagram and Facebook. Many of these trolls are on twitter right so you you post a picture with some friends had a great meal tonight and the troll will come back and say it must be nice to eat with people around the world are starving it is.
I'm sorry about that, but it was a nice meal.
Or here's a picture with my family and then the troll comes back and says not everyone has a family try to be more sensitive do better really and then you do another post so you know beautiful photo of a sunset check it out and they come know what Bible verses. First John 215 says love not the world me that the things that are in the world you know really that's a lot of contacts you post a picture had a great laugh with some people owe, you know, let your laughter be turned to sorrow and your joy in the morning will link these are verses in the Bible, but people are misusing them and there are some people that use the Bible to beat people down rather than build them up and there are people out there that will mistreat you.
They'll slander you though her choose. So what do we do with these people.
Well, one thing you can do on social media is block them. I loved up block people. Now you see some I don't agree with.
I might delete your comment but if you attack all block you and I wish I could do it in real life course can't do that. So you have to learn how to resolve conflict. Let me have these words to the best of our ability.
The Bible says as much as it is possible, live at peace with all men.
Aren't you glad the Bible says as much as it's possible because with some people. You can't live at peace with Belize you want to make the effort. So let's explore that together because that's the subject before us and that's 15 conflict the book of acts as a told you at the outset is a very honest look at church history if one of the people in the story does something wonderful and recorded that they mess up that to his recorded.
We see the heroes of the Bible and asked that all the books of Scripture, warts and all the great British legend Oliver Cromwell wanted to have his portrait painted in this particular printer was known for removing any blemishes in making the penny look better than the person look in real life. So Cromwell instructed the pain or go ahead and paint me warts and all, and the printer did in the Bible, we have the heroes warts and all. We see them as a really are.
So what is the backdrop of this story. We have some troublemakers bettered the scene their believers in Jesus there Jewish and they have a Jewish background and they felt that one had to be circumcised before they could become a Christian. This is basically a right of the Jewish religion was never required of anyone but a Jew when they're saying you have to be circumcised.
So number one, this hurts. If you don't know what I'm talking about. Talk to your parents or someone else or will explain it. Circumcision hurts number two they were placing an unnecessary barrier on these new believers.
So, Paul and Barnabas are no missionary team and they're not happy about.
Remember I told you Barnabas's name means encouragement for the scent of encouragement. It wasn't his given name. It was effectively his nickname. He was literally Mr. encouragement so Mr. encouragement was and encourage something was wrong. There was a saying in that day one along the lines of if Barney isn't happy, ain't nobody happy so that wasn't really the same.
There is a saying of mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy right Barnabas was not pleased with this. Paul is not pleased with this and they thought we need to go back to the leaders in Jerusalem and get this resolved. So, another going to make the journey back to Jerusalem because these Judaizers. These legalists were saying James authorized what were saying and as it turns out James did not authorize it at all, so they were not being truthful so they wanted to go in, get it from the horses mouth, so to speak. Now James is the brother of Jesus, we could say half-brother because obviously Jesus was supernaturally conceived in the womb of Mary, but James was a son of Mary and Joseph. He grew up with Jesus and by the way, if you grew up with Jesus that be hard not to drop that into every conversation you know you know I met with Jesus and I were just boys. This happened or a member. Mary, our mother made us dinner the other day what a meal it was you know you did but he didn't do that. He didn't play the I'm the brother of Jesus car when he was a man known for his great wisdom and he pretty much was the leader of the church at this point, along with Peter and so they need to go and speak with James now again is input.
Because of these legalists and you know there are people like this that we know and you can probably think of them and I don't know if the people who are these people know their these people but let me just give you a clue if no one ever wants to hang around you, you might be one of these people consider it this way some people bring joy wherever they go.
Some people bring joy when ever they go with person are you are you the person that lights up the room or turns off the light. Are you the person that brings everything down where you the person that builds others to Greg Moore will have the second half of his message just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they received from the resources we make available at a new beginning like this. Listener Pastor Greg. I was sitting at my grandmother's funeral this weekend, talking to my cousin is not. During the conversation, I found out my uncle was given a copy. Can you believers Bible on the last day of his life just before he died from a brain tumor can understand a simple engineer where he was going after this life. I think God for the hope of the gospel and its power. Thank you for being bold.
So many happenings to get out the gospel. If you like information about Pastor Greg's new believers Bible just contact us@harvest.org that's harvest.org from our study of Paul and Barnabas. In acts 15 Pastor Greg is pointing out how to show grace and mercy in dealing with others, especially in moments of conflict, so they go back to Jerusalem and this is what happened is they meet with the apostles starting in verse four. Acts chapter 15. Let's read it together, reading from the new living translation. When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were awoken by the whole church including the apostles and elders and they repeated everything that got it done through them.
But then some of the believers who belong to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted that Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses, so the apostles and elders went together to resolve this issue. The apostles gave a ruling. So basically they said okay were not to require circumcision and all the Gentiles collectively said another going to give a ruling of verse 19. So my judgment is in this is James speaking my judgment is we should not make it difficult for Gentiles were turning to God that said we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols and sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals from consuming blood. There so one of these conclusions dealt with morality.
The other two dealt with sensitivity. Let's start with the no-brainer, the one that dealt with morality tell these Gentile believers who come to Christ the following. They should not commit fornication absent the King James Bible says new living translation. They should not engage in sexual immorality. This comes from a single root word Cornelia we translate this word today to pornographic pornography, etc. and it is a word that speaks of all sexual activity outside of God's proper order. What is that the only place for sexual activity can take place legitimately in the eyes of God is between a man and a woman in a marriage relationship. Right. That's that there are no exceptions.
Extramarital sex is forbidden in Scripture. Premarital sex is forbidden in Scripture. People say I want to know the will of God. God says very clearly in first Thessalonians 43 here's God's will be holy and stay away from all sexual sin, so I don't know what's happening in your life and if you wondered about this, but this is clearly taught in Scripture. But now we come. Doing this you have sensitivity with a C tell them to not eat food that was offered to idols know this is hard for us understand today's Olympic give you a little history back in this day there were pagan temples everywhere. Temples built for all these gods that the people worship these of the Gentiles and they would offer me or animal sacrifices to these idols so you could get a killer deal on this me. You could go in and fired at a greatly reduced price. It was a lot cheaper than the kosher meat out of the market sold by the Jewish merchants and so the Gentiles are like a weed. We know these idols are false. We don't believe in these idols. Why pay retail when you can get it wholesale. Let's go by this read. But this offended the Jewish believers because it was offered to idols and so here's what Paul is saying, look, even if this is a mean a lot to you and mean something to your Jewish brothers and sisters.
So, for their sake, don't eat it and stumble them spiritually. So take away truth for us.
We should not put up a wall where God is opened the door, we should be a bridge not a barrier to people coming to Christ, we should be a steppingstone not a stumbling block. It should never be difficult for someone to come to church say for the first time, and clearly they may not be a believer and that that's obvious for a number of reasons, but whatever it is they come in they should always feel welcomed into the church in a couple may commit and their living together and they come to church or someone may come in and their gay or someone becoming under the third a drug addict or whatever it is or the dress in a way that makes some people uncomfortable and you'll see what why is the church there, sitting next to me in church.
I don't think this is a good thing that would be like going to a hospital in St. why are there so many sick people here because it's a hospital and that there to get better and I'm glad they're in the hospital and I'm glad nonbelievers coming to our church because we want them to come.
As I said before, the church is not a museum for Saints. It's a hospital for sinners now having said that, I would also add this, they don't need to clean up their life and come to Christ they need to come to Christ and he will clean their life up aright. Jesus said, he that would come to me I would in no way cast them out. Jesus cleans his fish after he catches. Having said that, now, once they become once they've heard the gospel and that they made a profession of faith, the person who is gay needs to repent. No longer live that way. The couple that are living together need to move out and consider things to get married at all without continue living on that way. The person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol should be and can be delivered by Jesus Christ. Okay so the cheese has to happen but I think sometimes you get the cart before the horse will get them all cleaned up first and then they can come to church so let's get of the church, let him hear the word of God. But it all starts here, let them come into a relationship with Jesus in the before I was a Christian I use drugs that that shouldn't come as a revelation view and I didn't know what was wrong. I just did with everyone I knew was doing at that time, and after I believed in Jesus. He spoke to my heart and made it clear to me that was not the lifestyle I was to live anymore, but would truly was not somebody berating me telling me how wrong I was. My lifestyle was. It was Jesus. I was drawn to Jesus Christ who love me and accepted me and went and gave me and I thought I want to follow him.
Now my obedience comes as a result of that love right we love him because he first loved us.
The Bible says Jesus is if you love me you'll keep my commandments. So let's not get this in reverse and miss what this Bible that were holding is saying to us, we should not do anything that would keep people from hearing the gospel delivering this to the present day. Let's say that I'm a mediator and you're a vegetarian.
By the way, I am a mediator.
I'm happy to be a mediator. My wife took me out to a vegetarian restaurant the other day and didn't tell me until after the meal was done I was in the vegetarian restaurant because she knew I wouldn't go with her. She told me ahead of time so I had the meal was very good. She said out until I get this great said there was no meat… No, there was no it's a vegetarian restaurant. You know, I didn't really like it that much. That's a true story. And so, so let's say you and I go out to a meal.
You're a vegetarian or vegan, and there's differences I had to actually look this now of vegan is on a different diet that excludes all meat and animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, NA pretty limited diet. Then there's a vegetarian if you need eggs and cheese without me, poultry and seafood, then there's a Pesca Terry note that is a Pesca Terry and as someone who eats fish with no other meat products then there's a Presbyterian Pesca Terry and they can only eat fish in church. I don't know if you made a part of the Pesca Terry apart is true.
So let's say there were sitting number meal and I'm I meeting my beautiful laying and you're having your broccoli and your offended your offended you know I wish you would need that that efficiency I can forgo my steak so I don't offend you.
Let's apply in a different way.
Let's say we go to a restaurant in we order some pasta and you order a glass of wine you say I love wine with my Italian food.
What if I say but I was an alcoholic and if I have one sip of wine. I could fall off the wagon.
It's hard for me to sit here while your treaty will not your problem, man, no were a family not a consideration for that person you would say well forgo that I won't do that because I don't want to do something that would cause you to stumble. Romans 1419 says labor harmony in the church try to build one another up enrichment today. Pastor Greg Laurie aim for harmony in the church try to build one another up and there's more to come from this lesson here on a new beginning. Pastor Greg is titled it how to resolve conflict and then we want to mention Pastor Greg's book is called revelation, a book of promises yesterday. There's a lot of symbolism in Bible prophecy, you study the subject. A great deal yes how much of that symbolism. Do we know for sure what it means and how much is open to interpretation were godly people do disagree well I think it's very important to understand Bible prophecy. There are constant expectations to understand these things Jesus when he was speaking of an event called the abomination of desolation said, let the reader under Stanton. In the book of Thessalonians.
Paul writing to the believers there.
He says brothers I would not have you be ignorant.
Then he went on to talk about the rapture so we don't want to be agreement we want to understand and the very word revelation means to on veil now. There are different ways that we can view these truths and I think godly people can and they do frankly disagree on some of these think know my position is I believe that there is an event called the rapture that could happen at any moment.
I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. Now the tribulation period is last seven years starts with the emergence of antichrist. It ends with the return of Jesus Christ. I don't believe we as Christians will go through the tribulation. I believe will be ruptured before that time comes now that belief alone will affect you in the way that you live because if you believe you could be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and you see the signs of the time showing how close the tribulation. Could potentially be you realize of the tribulation. His close then the rapture of the church is even closer so I can use the illustration of seeing Christmas decorations up and you know the goats overly now.is it August or something. I can't believe Christmas decorations are up against.
What if I see the decorations for Christmas going up. It says this Thanksgiving is coming casino. Greg gets his Christmas is coming know, I know. But if Christmas is coming Thanksgiving is coming even sooner because Thanksgiving precedes Christmas doesn't it. So the point of it all is if I see signs of the times out there telling me that the tribulation period is coming and that means that Jesus is coming even sooner for his church. That belief alone will affect you in the way that you live I talk about that and a lot more in this book that I've just written called revelation, a book of promises. This is going to be a resource that you keep it home and hopefully you consulted again and again in my prayer and my hope is it will help unlock this great book. The final book of the Bible, the only book of the Bible.
I might add it as a special blessing promised to the person who reads cheers and keeps the words of it and I want you to get this book I've just written simply called revelation, a book of promises. Yeah that's right it will rush a copy back to you to thank you for your investment in these daily teaching opportunities is only through listener support that we can continue to come your way. So get in touch today for Pastor Greg's book Revelation, a book of promises you can write us at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24 seven phone number 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.well next time more insight on harmony in the church. Pastor Greg gives us a practical insight on conflict resolution join us here on the new beginning. Pastor and Bible feature will by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God learn how to become a harvest partner, sign up for daily devotions and find resources to help you grow in your faith harvest.org