“A SUCCESS STORY OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION”

Acts 15:13 - 35

I. INTRODUCTION:
A. Satan’s agenda, division (separation from God and each
other): (See Eph. 6:12) (The garden, Jacob and Esau, Job,
David and Absalom, before the crucifixion, the early
churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, Philippi, Paul and Mark,
Paul and Barnabas, your marriages, children, friendships
etc..)

B. Why God allows conflict and His promise in advance:
1. The necessity for both sides to humbly grow up
“through it all”: (“To God be the glory”)
(II Cor. 12:9-10)
2. The reality of never being overwhelmed in the
magnitude of a conflict: (See Job 1:10; I Cor. 10:13)

C. The mandatory prerequisites for resolving all conflicts:
1. Right thinking, Biblical facts not feelings: (Acts 4:12;
Gal. 2:16; 3:11)
2. Right behavior: (Eph. 4:30-32)

D. The “faith vs. works” issue that created the conflict:
vv. 1-15

II. PREVAILING THROUGH CONFLICT TO THE “GLORY OF
GOD”:
A. The priority of getting the facts with “two ears” and “one
tongue”: vv. 6, 13a (Ja. 1:19)

B. The Senior Pastor, where the buck stops in making the
final decision:
1. James, the Senior Pastor: v. 13
2. The blessing of the Holy Spirit: v. 28

C. Pastor James addresses the problem along with the
symptoms:
1. The essentials (law vs. faith alone):
2. The non-essentials (being a stumbling block):
(See I Cor. 8:9)

D. Communicating the decision to the body: vv. 13-22
1. The oral decision: vv. 13-22
2. The written statement: vv. 23-29
3. The public announcement: vv. 30-35
a. Why these men were sent: v. 32
b. Why Paul and Barnabas stay at Antioch: v. 35

E. Evaluating the results of the decision: vv. 21-35
1. The unity of both churches:
2. The unified witness to lost Jews: v. 21
3. The joy to Gentile churches everywhere: v. 31

III. PRINCIPLES TO PERSONALLY APPLY:
(Together becoming “people of the Word” in principle AND in practice)
A. Our conflicts in life must be bigger than what we can
handle, so we and others will experience the “glory of
the Lord”. “Incredible joy awaits those who die to self.”
(Review Mt. 19:26; Eph. 3:20-21)

B. Once again, we see the importance of spiritual criteria
for church membership, so we can embrace whole
heartedly the Lord’s criteria for selecting spiritual
headship.

C. As a member of a local church, I must look for
decisions being made to be first Biblical, and then both
physically and financially, impactful to the surrounding
lost community. (Jn. 17:20-21)

Sinners Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I was made by you and I was made for you,

but I have been living for myself.
I am sorry for that self-rule you call sin.
I believe that Jesus Christ being my creator God,

died, was buried, and rose again

to pay the insurmountable debt that my sin has created since birth.
So right now, I am turning from a life of going my own way,

to by faith, place my trust in Jesus Christ,
to pay the debt of all my sin,

and to get me to heaven, when I breath my last breath.
Lord Jesus, from today on, I am yours. Thanks for saving me,

this very moment, in Jesus name, Amen.

If you just made this life changing decision, we would love to draw
along side and help you grow now in Christ. Call Grace Bible Church
at (509) 684-5936. If get an answering service, we will promptly get
back with you as soon as possible. You can also connect with us on
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who might have hesitated to visit this local church or with those who
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