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Acts 15:38-41 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to our text for this morning, which is Acts chapter 15, verses 36-41.
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Before we take a look at this morning's text, I would like to give a brief recap of some of the recent events recorded by Luke in his account.
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We're not going to go all the way back to chapter 1, but we're going to back up to chapter 11.
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Luke's account, I've said to you before, I like to call the Acts of the Risen Jesus, because it is a record of the extension of Jesus' earthly ministry.
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He is now ascended, he is seated at the right hand of God the Father, but he is working by the agency of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the church.
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This recap will serve our understandings of this morning's text by setting a stage with the characters contained within it.
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It's an interesting text before us.
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So let's begin our recap halfway through chapter 11.
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Chapter 11, if you'd like to turn back a few pages, beginning in verse 19.
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Luke writes,
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Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen.
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Luke's referring to Stephen, the first Christian martyr, martyred in Jerusalem.
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He's arrested, put on trial, makes audacious accusations to the Sanhedrin, and they have him stoned.
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And because of this event, a great persecution arises in Jerusalem.
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And by that, God swings open the gates of Jerusalem and the gospel goes forth to the known world.
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Luke records, chapter 11, verse 19.
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Because of the persecution, they traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.
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But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists.
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And the Hellenists were Greek converts or Gentile converts to Judaism.
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They spoke to the Hellenists also preaching the Lord Jesus.
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Verse 21.
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And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
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The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
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When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.
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For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
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And a great many people were added to the Lord.
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So Barnabas, because of the great many people, Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul.
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It is not until chapter 13, verse 9, that Saul is introduced as Paul, which was his Roman name.
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Verse 26.
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And when he had found him, Barnabas finds Saul, who we know as Paul.
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He brought him to Antioch.
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For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people.
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And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
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In the following, after verse 26, a prophet named Agabus informs the church in Antioch of a coming famine.
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A great famine that would plague the land.
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So the church decides to send aid to Jerusalem by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
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So Barnabas has journeyed.
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He's gotten Saul.
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He's brought him to together for a year.
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They've ministered to the church in Antioch because it's grown in number.
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Too much for Barnabas to handle by himself.
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He brings Saul along.
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So Barnabas and Paul begin their formal recorded ministry together in Acts chapter 11.
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Then in chapter 12, Luke kind of jumps location of narrative.
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Now we saw right at the end of chapter 11 that Paul and Barnabas are sent with aid.
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So this is the bridge to back in Jerusalem.
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What's going on back in Jerusalem?
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Luke tells us of the martyrdom of the apostle James and the arrest of Peter.
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The miraculous deliverance of Peter from the prison and the death of Herod.
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And then in Acts chapter 12, verse 25, Luke says,
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And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service,
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bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
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So it appears that Barnabas and Saul have been in Jerusalem for this entire event.
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If you're familiar with the story, there's a great number of believers gathered together praying for Peter as he's imprisoned.
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It's likely that Barnabas and Saul are there in that house ministering amongst the saints and praying for Peter.
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So, at the end of chapter 12, we see that Barnabas and Paul are joined by a man named John Mark.
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And all we know about John Mark up to this point in Luke's narrative is what he tells us in Acts 12.
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When Peter realized that the Lord had rescued him from Herod, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John.
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There's lots of Marys in this day.
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Mary, the mother of John, whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
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So, we learn that Mark, John Mark, is a brother.
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And he's likely, he doesn't say it specifically, but he's likely at this place meeting with the fellow believers
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and making earnest prayer for Peter.
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And that brings us to our text today.
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So, a little bit of background.
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And we'll get more into some events that happened with Paul and Barnabas and John Mark.
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But to kind of bring us up to our text for today, Acts 15, verses 36 through 41.
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Beloved, this is God's word to us.
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It was written for his glory and our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
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And I start reading in verse 36.
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And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas,
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Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are.
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Now, Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.
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But Paul thought it best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia
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and had not gone with them to the work.
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And there arose a sharp disagreement so that they separated from each other.
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Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
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But Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
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And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
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This is our text for today.
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And it's a difficult text for our study this morning.
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Not because its meaning is unclear.
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There's not some deep theological meaning that we must unravel from it.
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It's laying there on the surface for us.
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It's easy to discern.
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But it's difficult because its application is difficult to discern.
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What do we do with such a text?
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I want either its exclusion.
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This is in my flesh.
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Either its exclusion.
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Can we just jump over the fact that they disagreed and just say,
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and they went separate ways.
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Or, man, I want more details.
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How exactly did this sharp disagreement go down?
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Many commentators I have read over the past couple of weeks
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only give a couple of sentences or a very short paragraph to this text.
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Much to say about all of the events leading up to it
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and all of the events that follow.
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But very little.
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Typically just a repetition of what the text itself says.
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And there was a disagreement.
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And they went separate ways.
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And you go, great, thank you guys.
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One commentator I use fairly often just skipped it all together.
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And when, with all their pages falling out of the comment,
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they just skipped it and didn't talk about it at all.
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In our belief as a church that verse-by-verse exposition
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is the best habit for preaching,
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a text like this becomes a test of that conviction.
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This is not what's been on my heart this week.
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Other things have troubled me.
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And then this text.
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In our belief in the inspiration of the Scripture,
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that is that God wrote this text.
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He wrote it.
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Luke carried along by the Spirit.
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Through his pen, God wrote this letter.
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And he included certain details.
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And he excluded certain details.
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We must pick it up and turn it over
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and wonder why God has inspired such texts for us today.
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It means something.
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It has bearing on our lives today.
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I love verse-by-verse exposition
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because it presses me to this.
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I'll tell you that if I just picked text,
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this is not a text I would preach.
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I might use it as some kind of a support to something else,
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but I would not pick this as a main text.
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So this morning I'll do my best,
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certainly by grace,
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to answer that question for us.
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Why?
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Why did it happen?
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And why did God inspire the record of it?
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To help us pick up a text
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and see the glory of Christ contained within it?
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I'm going to structure our study in the following way.
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So for your note-taking benefit,
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these are going to be the three points this morning
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for Acts chapter 15, verses 36 through 41.
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First, and I'll go back to these first,
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the occasion for the disagreement.
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We'll look at this in verses 36 through 38.
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Secondly, the nature of the disagreement.
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The first half of verse 39, so 39a.
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And thirdly, the result of the disagreement.
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In the last half of verse 39,
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39b through the end of our text in verse 41.
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So firstly, the occasion for the disagreement.
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So note first, at the outset of our text today,
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the desire of Paul and of Barnabas
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to strengthen the church.
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The text begins with Paul saying to Barnabas,
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let us return and visit the brothers in every city
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where we proclaim the word of the Lord
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and see how they are.
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Now what he's talking about
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is their first missionary journey.
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The church in Antioch commissions
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Paul and Barnabas to go on the first missionary journey.
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It's often referred to as Paul's first missionary journey.
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Barnabas accompanies him on it.
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And they go on a trip that we read about
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and have discussed along the way.
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Full of trial.
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Full of conversions.
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Many churches are established along the way.
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They've returned to Antioch.
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Then they've traveled to Jerusalem.
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And we see in Clay preach for two weeks
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on the Jerusalem council.
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What happens there?
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What's established concerning Gentile believers?
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Whether or not they should be circumcised?
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And then they carry a letter
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back to the church in Antioch.
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And that's where we find them.
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They've now been in Antioch for many days.
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They've been preaching,
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strengthening that church.
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And Paul turns to Barnabas and says,
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hey, let's go back to where we went before.
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It's been quite some time now.
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And let's be sure that they're doing okay.
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Let's see how they are.
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Now recall that Paul is commissioned by Jesus,
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specifically by Jesus,
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to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
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Paul is known as the apostle to the Gentiles,
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which he desired to do in broadening ways.
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He takes this one short trip,
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beginning his first missionary journey.
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His next two are much larger.
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He desires at the end of his life
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to take the gospel all the way to Rome
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and to preach it there.
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Always pressing further.
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Always going beyond.
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In Romans 15-20, Paul says this,
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I make it my ambition to preach the gospel.
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Not where Christ has already been named,
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lest I build on someone else's foundation.
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So there's this longing in Paul's heart
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to go further,
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to go to the unreached of the earth,
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to preach the gospel in places
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where the gospel of Jesus Christ
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has never been preached.
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Paul is a church planner.
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Paul is a missionary.
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He's a frontiersman going out
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and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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But he did not neglect
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the greater command of Jesus.
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Matthew 28, verses 18-20,
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Jesus said to the disciples,
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And Jesus came and said to them,
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All authority in heaven and on earth
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has been given to me.
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Go, therefore,
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and make disciples of all nations,
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baptizing in the name of the Father
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and the Son of the Holy Spirit,
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teaching them to observe
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all that I have commanded you.
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And behold, I am with you always
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to the end of the age.
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Paul is desirous of this.
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Not just to see converts,
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but to see people grow
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in their depth of knowledge.
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In fact, often in our narrative,
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we miss how much time he spends
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with the churches that he establishes.
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Sometimes it's not much time at all.
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The place that he shipwrecked,
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the island he shipwrecked on,
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history holds it that a church
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was established there.
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He was there three days.
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And they got passage on from that place.
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But many of the places that he went,
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he stayed on for some years.
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The church of Antioch is one example of that
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to deepen the believers there as well,
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to teach them all that Christ
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had commanded.
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We see that in his concern
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to return to these churches.
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Some time has gone on.
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How are they doing?
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Has any error crept in?
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Are they still being faithful
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to the teachings of Christ?
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In 2 Corinthians 11,
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after Paul is given a long list of suffering
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that he has endured for the sake of the Gospel,
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he concludes in verse 28 this.
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And this is astounding to me
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after all of the things he lists,
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the shipwreckings,
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the beatings,
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the stonings.
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He says,
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and apart from other things,
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there is the daily pressure on me
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of my anxiety for all the churches.
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A desire to see them grow in godliness.
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And so he has this desire.
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And Barnabas has the same desire.
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Verse 37 confirms that for us.
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Now Barnabas wanted to take with them
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John called Mark.
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So in a very brief way,
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Luke records for us,
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Barnabas agreed, right?
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They made a plan to go.
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And Barnabas adds to that
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that he would like to take John Mark along.
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Who we learn in Colossians chapter 4, verse 10,
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that John Mark is likely Barnabas' cousin.
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And I say like because we don't know for sure
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because the word in the ESV translator for cousin
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can also be used to mean uncle
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and it can also be used to mean nephew.
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Often Greek is so incredibly precise.
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It's a much broader language,
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more precise language.
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In this case, not so much.
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So most scholars guess
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that he was his cousin.
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Could have been,
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his uncle could have been his nephew,
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I suppose.
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That's also possible.
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But likely his cousin, right?
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And he wants to bring him along
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in order to give him a second chance.
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In order to give him a second chance.
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But why did he need a second chance?
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If you back up a bit in our narrative
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to Acts 13, 13,
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you get more of the detail
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of what Paul is referring to
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in Acts 15, verse 38.
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Paul says,
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we've read this already,
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but Paul thought best
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not to take with them
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one, being John Mark,
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who had withdrawn from them
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in Pamphylia
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and had not gone with them
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to the work.
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So Acts 13, 13,
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Luke records for us,
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now Paul and his companions
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set sail from Paphos,
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which is on the island of Cyprus.
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They've been on the island of Cyprus,
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right?
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They've seen some resistance
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to the gospel there.
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They've also seen many churches
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planted in this place.
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So they sail from Paphos
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and they came to Perga
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in Pamphylia.
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So another city.
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They land in the port city of Perga
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in Pamphylia
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and John left them
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and returned to Jerusalem.
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And that's what we know
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of this event.
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So we don't know for certain
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the reason that John Mark left them.
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That's the record we get.
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John left them
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and returned to Jerusalem.
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But we can surmise
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that he likely left
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because he was afraid.
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The journey that Barnabas and Paul take
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heading north from Perga
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was through a mountain area
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that was riddled with danger.
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In fact,
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back to the little bit of text
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I read to you
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from 2 Corinthians 11,
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all of the dangers listed before that,
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dangers in the wilderness,
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dangers from rivers,
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dangers in the mountains,
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dangers from thieves,
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like all of that
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is likely about this journey
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that he took heading north.
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A very treacherous journey.
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And John Mark has already seen
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resistance to the gospel.
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And what his guess is that
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he was seeing the possibility
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both of physical danger
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as well as spiritual danger
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that was ahead.
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And we know that Barnabas and Paul
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encountered that, right?
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Paul is stoned almost to death.
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They presume he's dead
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and they drag his body out
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and leave it outside of a city.
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He gets back up
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and continues to minister
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the gospel of Christ.
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Further, Paul's desire
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to not take him along
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certainly speaks to some measure
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of moral failure
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on John Mark's part.
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It wasn't like John Mark
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needed to go back
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and attend to the church
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and that's why he left.
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There's a reason
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that this particular leaving
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carries weight for Paul.
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And Paul says,
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no, he didn't go with us
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to the work.
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He left us.
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The word translated
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withdrawn in chapter 15,
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verse 38,
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and left in chapter 3,
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verse 13,
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can also mean
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abandon or desert.
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So I think it's
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a safe assumption to make
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that the reason John Mark left
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was because he was afraid.
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He abandoned the work
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that was ahead of him
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because he was afraid.
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And Paul wants no part
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of John Mark
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on this return trip.
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Barnabas wants to give him
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a second chance.
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Now remember,
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this is the same Barnabas
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that defended Paul
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back in Acts chapter 9.
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You remember Paul
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was a persecutor
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of the church.
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He was dragging people
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out of their homes
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and sending them to prison
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so that the church
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had reason to be afraid of him.
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He could have been
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playing a double agent
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and trying to infiltrate
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the church
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by pretending to be
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a follower of Jesus Christ.
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But back in Acts 9,
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verses 26 and 27,
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Luke records this.
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And when Paul
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had come to Jerusalem,
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he attempted to join
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the disciples
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and they were all
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afraid of him
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for they did not believe
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that he was a disciple.
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But Barnabas
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took him
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and brought him
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to the apostles
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and declared to them
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how on the road
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he had seen the Lord
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who spoke to him
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and how at Damascus
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he had preached boldly
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in the name
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of Jesus.
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And so Barnabas
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is the one
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who had come
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to Paul's defense.
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Barnabas is not
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actually his
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given name.
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This is another
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Joseph of the Bible.
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But the disciples
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gave him the name
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Barnabas,
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which means
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son of encouragement.
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He seems to be
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an uplifter
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of those
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who are
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downtrodden.
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And so he wants
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to bring along
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John Mark.
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And Paul wants
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nothing to do
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with John Mark
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on another journey
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back through
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the same
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region.
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So who was right?
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I don't know.
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I don't know.
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I think that they both
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had good desires.
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I think both of them
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had kingdom
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advancing
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desires.
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I think part of
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Barnabas' desire
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in going back
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to see the churches
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and taking
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John Mark
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with them
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was the strengthening
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of John Mark
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who's part of
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the church
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of Christ.
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It's difficult
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to say
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if it was proper
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to take along
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John Mark
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or not.
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And Luke
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doesn't seem
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to make any
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judgment
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on the matter
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whatsoever.
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Some commentators
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suggest that he does.
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Verse 40,
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but Paul chose
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Silas and departed
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having been
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commended by the
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brothers
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to the grace
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of the Lord.
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Some suggest
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that this is Luke's
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account,
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that the church
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agreed with Paul
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because you see
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that Barnabas
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and John Mark
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just leave.
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The record just says
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and they departed.
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But Paul chose
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Silas and departed
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having been commended
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by the brothers
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to the grace
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of the Lord.
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I don't know
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if we can jump
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quite that far.
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I think probably
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verse 40
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is recorded that way
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because Paul is
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and will continue
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to be the main
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character in Luke's
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narrative.
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Luke's traveling
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with Paul.
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So I think he's
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giving us greater
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detail about what
22:48
happened after they
22:49
went separate ways.
22:51
So I can't say
22:52
that that is his
22:52
intention found
22:54
at the end.
22:57
So that's the
22:57
occasion for the
22:58
disagreement.
22:59
That's what brings
23:00
about this disagreement
23:01
between Paul
23:03
and Barnabas.
23:04
Secondly,
23:05
let's look at
23:05
the nature
23:06
of the disagreement.
23:08
Oh boy.
23:09
The nature
23:10
of the disagreement.
23:11
The first part
23:11
of verse 39
23:12
says,
23:13
and there arose
23:14
a sharp disagreement
23:15
so that they
23:17
separated
23:18
from each other.
23:20
Now,
23:20
in English
23:22
we have a phrase
23:23
which is a single
23:24
word in Greek.
23:25
Sharp
23:25
disagreement.
23:28
And the word
23:28
is in Greek
23:29
paroxysmos
23:30
which is the root
23:32
of the English
23:33
word
23:33
paroxysm.
23:35
Does anybody
23:35
know that word?
23:36
If I say that
23:37
English word
23:37
paroxysm,
23:38
anybody's like,
23:38
oh yeah,
23:38
paroxysm.
23:39
I learned it
23:40
this week.
23:40
I'm like,
23:41
oh,
23:41
the English
23:41
word paroxysm?
23:42
Okay.
23:44
You may want
23:44
to use it
23:45
in the coming
23:45
week.
23:47
Let me tell you
23:47
what it means
23:47
in English.
23:48
paroxysm.
23:48
A paroxysm is a
23:51
sudden attack
23:52
or violent
23:53
expression
23:54
of a certain
23:55
emotion.
23:57
So this word
23:58
in Greek
23:58
carries a
23:59
massive weight.
24:01
It's not any
24:02
kind of
24:02
gentle disagreement
24:04
that they have.
24:05
Paul didn't go,
24:06
I don't think so.
24:07
I'm not so sure
24:07
that's the best thing.
24:08
John Mark,
24:09
you know,
24:09
we're probably
24:10
going to have to
24:10
pay for passage
24:10
for him to leave
24:11
again.
24:12
He's kind of
24:12
proven his
24:13
merit on trips
24:14
like this.
24:17
Barna goes,
24:18
wow,
24:18
come on,
24:18
man,
24:18
give him a
24:19
second chance.
24:19
This is not
24:20
the kind of
24:20
disagreement
24:21
that they have.
24:21
Again,
24:21
this is why
24:22
I want
24:22
details.
24:23
What was
24:24
said?
24:26
The word
24:27
would lead us
24:28
to believe
24:28
that they were
24:29
yelling at each
24:30
other,
24:31
right?
24:31
A sharp
24:31
disagreement,
24:32
right?
24:33
They got in a
24:33
fight about
24:35
whether or not
24:35
John Mark
24:36
should go
24:37
on this
24:38
journey.
24:40
So,
24:41
are we to
24:42
learn from
24:42
this that
24:44
there are
24:44
appropriate
24:45
times for
24:46
such
24:47
disagreements?
24:48
If you look
24:48
at this
24:49
text,
24:49
you go,
24:50
oh,
24:50
Paul and
24:50
Barnabas,
24:51
look,
24:51
they got in
24:51
a sharp
24:52
disagreement,
24:53
right?
24:53
They got in
24:54
a screaming
24:54
match over
24:55
something and
24:55
then they
24:55
left each
24:56
other,
24:56
so that's
24:56
appropriate
24:57
in some
24:57
cases in
24:59
the church.
25:00
I don't
25:00
think so.
25:02
I don't
25:02
think so.
25:04
But let me
25:04
say this,
25:05
as we're
25:05
thinking about
25:07
this and
25:07
kind of
25:07
building it
25:08
out together,
25:09
that anger
25:09
is not
25:11
necessarily
25:12
the enemy
25:13
of
25:14
righteousness.
25:15
There is
25:15
such a
25:16
thing as
25:17
righteous
25:18
anger.
25:19
Ephesians 4,
25:20
26 and
25:21
27,
25:22
Paul writes
25:22
this,
25:23
be angry
25:23
and do
25:25
not sin.
25:26
So it's
25:26
possible to
25:27
be angry
25:27
and not be
25:28
sinful anger.
25:30
Be angry
25:30
and do not
25:31
sin.
25:32
Do not let
25:32
the sun go
25:32
down in your
25:33
anger and
25:33
give no
25:34
opportunity
25:35
to the
25:36
devil.
25:36
So there's
25:36
a proper
25:38
way to
25:39
be angry.
25:40
We don't
25:42
have time
25:42
to talk
25:42
about that
25:43
at great
25:43
length.
25:45
But let
25:45
me kind
25:46
of sum
25:46
up the
25:47
only way
25:48
that it's
25:48
okay to
25:48
be angry.
25:50
To be
25:50
righteously
25:51
angry is
25:54
to have
25:55
your anger
25:55
aimed at
25:56
offenses
25:57
against the
25:59
glory of
26:00
God.
26:01
So not
26:02
offenses of
26:02
yourself.
26:03
No righteous
26:04
anger when
26:05
somebody pulls
26:05
out in front
26:06
of you on
26:06
the road
26:06
and they
26:08
slow you
26:09
down.
26:09
That's not
26:10
righteous
26:10
anger.
26:11
Even if
26:11
you're headed
26:11
to church,
26:13
it's not
26:13
okay.
26:14
I'm going
26:15
to be late
26:15
now because
26:15
of you.
26:17
You should
26:17
have left
26:17
earlier.
26:18
It's not
26:18
their fault.
26:20
The world
26:20
does not
26:20
revolve around
26:21
you.
26:24
But anger
26:25
at heresy
26:26
being taught
26:27
in our
26:27
communities
26:28
can be
26:30
rightly
26:30
motivated.
26:32
Righteous
26:32
anger funneled
26:34
at things
26:34
that are an
26:35
offense
26:35
to the
26:37
glory of
26:37
God.
26:38
So could
26:39
that be
26:40
what's
26:40
happening
26:40
here?
26:41
So there
26:41
is a type
26:42
of anger.
26:43
There's a
26:43
time in
26:44
the life
26:45
of a
26:45
Christian
26:45
where you
26:46
might find
26:46
yourself in
26:47
a sharp
26:48
disagreement
26:48
with someone
26:50
else.
26:51
Is that
26:52
what's
26:53
happening
26:53
here?
26:54
I don't
26:54
think so.
26:56
I don't
26:56
think so.
26:57
Luke gives
26:58
us no
26:59
hint that
26:59
Barnabas was
27:00
sinning by
27:02
taking John
27:02
Mark with
27:03
him.
27:04
He doesn't
27:04
give us any
27:04
idea that
27:05
that would
27:05
be the
27:05
case.
27:06
That
27:06
Paul would
27:06
be defending
27:07
the glory
27:08
of God,
27:09
the advancement
27:09
of the
27:10
kingdom of
27:10
God,
27:11
because
27:11
Barnabas
27:12
wanted to
27:13
give John
27:15
Mark a
27:17
second chance.
27:17
I can't get
27:19
there that
27:19
that's what's
27:19
happening,
27:20
that Paul's
27:21
anger is
27:23
righteous.
27:25
I suggest
27:26
to you that
27:26
Paul and
27:27
Barnabas
27:28
entered into
27:30
a sinful
27:30
argument
27:31
concerning a
27:33
matter of
27:33
personal
27:34
preference and
27:37
opinion.
27:39
Now,
27:40
if that
27:41
feels
27:41
unsettling to
27:42
you,
27:42
it does
27:42
to me a
27:42
little bit
27:43
too,
27:43
because in
27:44
so many
27:44
ways,
27:45
Paul should
27:45
be our
27:46
hero,
27:47
but he's
27:48
not Christ.
27:50
And we
27:51
see the
27:51
moral failing
27:52
of almost
27:53
every biblical
27:54
character
27:55
presented to
27:55
us.
27:56
Not every
27:57
one.
27:57
Some of
27:57
them come
27:57
and go
27:58
quickly,
27:58
and it's
27:58
just
27:59
righteousness
27:59
and that's
27:59
fantastic.
28:00
We get so
28:01
little account
28:02
of their
28:02
life.
28:03
So many
28:04
of the
28:04
great
28:05
fathers of
28:06
our faith,
28:07
there's
28:08
record of
28:08
their failing.
28:10
And I
28:10
believe that
28:11
God pins
28:11
this for
28:12
us intentionally.
28:13
So here's
28:13
part of the
28:13
answer.
28:14
Why did
28:14
God inspire
28:14
this text?
28:15
Through the
28:15
pen of
28:16
Luke,
28:16
that we
28:17
wouldn't
28:17
worship
28:18
Paul.
28:19
He wasn't
28:20
perfect.
28:21
To be
28:22
emulated in
28:22
so many
28:23
respects.
28:26
Here he is
28:26
early in
28:27
his ministry,
28:29
I believe,
28:30
sinfully
28:31
arguing a
28:32
matter of
28:33
personal
28:33
preference and
28:35
opinion.
28:36
Beloved,
28:37
we look to
28:39
Christ for
28:39
our supreme
28:40
example of
28:41
righteousness.
28:42
Right?
28:43
Our supreme
28:44
example.
28:45
Who was
28:46
angry at
28:46
times?
28:47
The story
28:48
of Jesus
28:48
making,
28:50
weaving
28:50
together,
28:51
taking the
28:52
time to
28:53
weave
28:53
together.
28:54
He's not
28:55
shooting off
28:56
the cuff.
28:57
He takes
28:58
the time
28:58
to weave
28:59
together a
28:59
whip so
29:01
they can
29:01
drive money
29:02
changers out
29:02
of the
29:02
temple.
29:03
Why?
29:03
Because it
29:04
was an
29:04
offense to
29:05
the glory
29:05
of God.
29:07
There is
29:08
such a
29:08
thing as
29:09
righteous
29:09
anger.
29:10
I don't
29:10
think that's
29:10
what we're
29:11
observing
29:11
here.
29:15
Listen to
29:16
some of
29:16
Paul's
29:16
later writing
29:17
concerning
29:17
our conduct
29:18
with other
29:19
believers.
29:20
I think
29:21
Paul indicts
29:21
himself.
29:23
Colossians 3.13,
29:24
he says,
29:24
bearing with
29:25
one another
29:26
and if
29:27
one has
29:27
a complaint
29:28
against
29:29
another,
29:31
he does
29:31
not say
29:31
yell at
29:32
each other
29:33
and then
29:33
part ways.
29:34
He says,
29:35
forgiving
29:36
each other
29:37
as the
29:38
Lord has
29:39
forgiven
29:40
you,
29:40
so you
29:41
also
29:42
must
29:43
forgive.
29:44
So we
29:44
as having
29:45
been,
29:46
if we're
29:46
now in
29:47
Christ,
29:47
having once
29:48
been enemies
29:48
of God,
29:50
being in
29:51
sharp disagreement
29:52
with him,
29:53
God
29:54
graciously
29:55
extended to
29:56
us a
29:56
hand of
29:57
reconciliation
29:57
in the
29:58
personal work
29:59
of Jesus
29:59
Christ.
30:00
He's
30:00
forgiven us
30:01
in him
30:02
and Paul
30:03
is saying
30:03
in Colossians
30:03
3.13,
30:04
you need to
30:05
forgive in
30:05
the same
30:05
way.
30:07
You extend
30:08
a hand of
30:08
forgiveness
30:09
in the exact
30:10
same measure
30:11
that forgiveness
30:12
has been
30:12
given to
30:13
you.
30:15
Paul
30:15
writes in
30:16
Ephesians
30:17
chapter 4
30:17
verses 1
30:18
through 3,
30:19
I therefore,
30:20
a prisoner
30:20
for the
30:21
Lord,
30:22
urge you
30:22
to walk
30:23
in a
30:23
manner
30:23
worthy
30:24
of the
30:24
calling
30:24
to which
30:25
you have
30:26
been
30:26
called.
30:27
So walk
30:28
in a way
30:29
that exhibits
30:30
what God
30:31
has done
30:31
for you
30:32
in a way
30:33
that's worthy
30:34
of the
30:34
calling
30:35
to which
30:35
you have
30:36
been
30:36
called.
30:36
Verse 2,
30:38
with all
30:38
humility
30:39
and,
30:40
do you know
30:41
the text?
30:42
Gentleness,
30:44
with patience,
30:47
bearing with
30:47
one another
30:48
in love.
30:51
Verse 3,
30:52
eager to
30:53
maintain the
30:54
unity of
30:55
the Spirit
30:56
in the
30:57
bond of
30:58
peace.
31:00
So if
31:00
there was
31:01
a proper
31:01
thing to
31:02
do
31:02
concerning
31:02
John Mark
31:03
and this
31:04
trip,
31:05
I think
31:05
Paul is
31:06
suggesting
31:06
here to
31:07
us and
31:08
even to
31:08
his past
31:09
self that
31:10
he could
31:11
have walked
31:11
patiently
31:12
with
31:12
Barnabas,
31:14
led him
31:15
to the
31:15
proper
31:16
conclusion
31:16
rather than
31:18
screaming
31:18
in parting
31:19
ways.
31:21
Paul writes
31:22
in 1 Corinthians
31:22
chapter 13,
31:23
not just for
31:24
married couples,
31:24
this is written
31:25
to a church,
31:26
verses 4-7,
31:27
love is
31:27
patient and
31:29
kind,
31:30
love does
31:31
not envy
31:31
or boast,
31:32
it is not
31:33
arrogant
31:34
or rude,
31:35
and I love
31:36
this in
31:36
verse 5,
31:37
it does
31:37
not insist
31:38
on its
31:39
own way,
31:40
it is not
31:41
irritable
31:42
or resentful,
31:43
it does
31:43
not rejoice
31:44
at wrongdoing,
31:44
but rejoices
31:45
with the truth,
31:45
love bears
31:47
all things,
31:47
believes all
31:48
things,
31:49
hopes all
31:50
things,
31:51
endures
31:52
all things.
31:54
So I
31:55
suggest that
31:56
these two
31:56
brothers who
31:57
had ministered
31:58
alongside each
31:59
other for
32:00
as many as
32:01
five years,
32:02
and just
32:02
catch that,
32:03
right?
32:04
Luke's narrative
32:05
is so punchy
32:06
sometimes that
32:06
you miss the
32:07
time that's
32:08
gone on,
32:09
right?
32:09
So depending
32:10
on the
32:10
approximations of
32:11
dates and
32:12
who you're
32:13
reading,
32:13
somewhere between
32:14
three and
32:15
five years,
32:16
Barnabas and
32:16
Paul have
32:17
been together
32:18
all of
32:19
that time,
32:21
right?
32:21
Dear brothers,
32:22
partners in
32:23
ministry,
32:24
they have
32:24
fought in
32:25
the trenches
32:25
together.
32:28
They parted
32:28
ways over
32:29
opinion and
32:31
preference.
32:33
Now there is
32:33
an appropriate
32:34
time for the
32:36
parting of
32:36
fellowship amongst
32:37
followers of
32:38
Christ.
32:39
It will come
32:40
to that,
32:40
right?
32:41
There are
32:42
brothers,
32:43
that I have
32:44
in this
32:45
community,
32:45
that I am
32:46
happy to
32:46
fellowship with
32:47
on some
32:48
level,
32:49
partner for
32:50
the gospel
32:50
in our
32:50
community,
32:51
but we
32:51
could not
32:52
fellowship in
32:52
a church
32:53
together.
32:54
We disagree
32:55
on particular
32:56
doctrines,
32:57
right?
32:57
And amiably,
32:58
we can disagree.
32:59
Yeah, I just
33:00
don't see it,
33:01
right?
33:01
I can't see that
33:01
in the scripture.
33:03
I think it
33:03
could be
33:04
dangerous.
33:05
I'm not
33:05
saying that
33:05
you believe
33:06
heresy,
33:06
but maybe
33:08
you shouldn't
33:09
be a member
33:09
of our church.
33:11
These things
33:11
happen,
33:12
right?
33:12
There's times
33:13
for that,
33:14
for believers
33:15
to go in
33:16
separate directions,
33:17
but I do
33:17
not think
33:18
this was
33:20
one of them.
33:21
The evidence
33:22
for me
33:23
is the use
33:25
of the word
33:26
paroxysmos,
33:28
sharp
33:29
disagreement,
33:31
sharp
33:32
disagreement.
33:33
I think
33:33
Luke,
33:35
inspired by
33:36
the Spirit,
33:36
uses a very
33:37
particular term
33:38
to tell us
33:38
this is not
33:39
the way,
33:39
this should
33:40
have been
33:40
handled,
33:41
right?
33:41
Not with
33:42
sharp
33:42
disagreement.
33:46
Righteous anger
33:47
is expressed
33:48
in godly
33:49
ways.
33:53
On your
33:53
bulletin,
33:54
Charles
33:54
Spurgeon,
33:55
quote of the
33:55
day,
33:57
Satan greatly
33:58
approves of
33:58
our railing
33:59
at each
34:00
other.
34:01
Oh,
34:01
he loves it.
34:02
He loves it
34:04
when the church
34:04
is fighting
34:05
over preference
34:07
and opinion.
34:09
He greatly
34:10
approves of
34:10
our railing
34:10
at each
34:11
other,
34:11
but God
34:11
does
34:13
not.
34:15
Now,
34:16
I am very
34:17
happy to
34:18
report that
34:19
the relationship
34:19
between Paul
34:20
and Barnabas
34:20
appears to
34:21
later be
34:22
repaired.
34:23
We don't
34:23
get much
34:23
hint of
34:23
that.
34:24
Barnabas is
34:24
nowhere else
34:25
found in
34:26
the book
34:26
of Acts.
34:27
It drops
34:27
out of the
34:28
scene.
34:28
Paul is
34:28
definitely
34:29
the main
34:29
character
34:30
throughout
34:30
the rest
34:30
of Luke's
34:31
narrative.
34:33
I'm sure
34:33
that Luke
34:34
didn't even
34:34
know what
34:34
was up
34:35
with
34:35
Barnabas
34:35
and John
34:36
Mark
34:37
as they
34:37
traveled
34:37
around.
34:38
But there
34:38
is a hint
34:39
of this
34:39
in 1 Corinthians
34:40
chapter 9
34:41
verse 6.
34:42
Paul is
34:43
making a
34:43
case for
34:45
ministers of
34:47
the gospel
34:47
of Jesus
34:47
Christ to
34:48
receive their
34:49
living by
34:51
their ministry.
34:52
And he
34:52
just says
34:53
this.
34:53
It's a
34:53
very small
34:54
hint at
34:54
this,
34:54
but in
34:55
1 Corinthians
34:55
9
34:56
verse 6,
34:57
he says,
34:58
or is it
34:58
only,
34:59
this is
35:00
tongue-in-cheek,
35:00
or is it
35:01
only Barnabas
35:02
and I
35:03
who have
35:03
no right
35:04
to refrain
35:04
from working
35:05
for a living?
35:06
So that's a
35:07
rhetorical question.
35:08
Is it only
35:08
Barnabas and I
35:09
who have
35:09
no right
35:10
to refrain
35:11
from working
35:11
for a living?
35:13
So there's
35:13
this mention
35:14
of Barnabas,
35:15
and at
35:15
very least,
35:16
as Paul's
35:17
writing to the
35:17
Corinthian church,
35:19
Paul is
35:19
commending
35:20
Barnabas'
35:20
ministry.
35:21
It would
35:21
seem that
35:21
the Corinthian
35:22
church knew
35:22
who Barnabas
35:23
was.
35:24
He's not
35:24
just some
35:24
random
35:25
character that
35:26
Paul brings
35:26
into the
35:27
scene,
35:27
but they
35:28
knew who
35:28
Barnabas
35:28
was,
35:29
so he
35:29
mentions him
35:30
in this.
35:31
So at the
35:31
very least,
35:32
it's that.
35:32
He's commending
35:33
Barnabas'
35:34
ministry to
35:34
the Corinthian
35:35
church.
35:36
At most,
35:37
and I'd love
35:38
to think this,
35:39
they ministered
35:40
together in
35:40
Corinth.
35:41
They met
35:41
back up
35:42
somewhere along
35:42
the way,
35:43
and he's
35:43
referencing a
35:44
brother who
35:45
he ministered
35:45
alongside when
35:46
he says,
35:47
is it only
35:48
Barnabas'
35:48
who have no
35:49
right to
35:50
refrain from
35:50
working for
35:52
a living.
35:53
Paul's
35:54
relationship is
35:54
also restored
35:55
with John
35:56
Mark.
35:58
In Colossians
35:58
4.10,
35:59
I mentioned
36:00
earlier,
36:01
we see that
36:01
Mark is
36:02
with Paul
36:03
in his
36:04
Roman prison.
36:05
He's
36:05
alongside him.
36:07
He's now
36:08
joined back
36:09
up in the
36:09
mission that
36:10
Paul had
36:10
set God
36:11
on.
36:12
And we
36:13
know that
36:13
God sees
36:14
fit to
36:14
use Mark
36:15
to pin
36:16
one of the
36:17
four
36:17
gospel
36:19
accounts.
36:20
It's a
36:20
wonderful
36:20
picture of
36:21
restoration
36:21
of one
36:23
who was
36:23
a
36:23
deserter
36:24
being
36:24
back
36:25
very
36:25
close
36:26
at the
36:26
center
36:26
of
36:27
God's
36:27
work
36:27
and his
36:28
advancement
36:29
of the
36:29
kingdom.
36:30
Okay,
36:32
so the
36:32
occasion for
36:33
the
36:33
disagreement,
36:34
the nature
36:35
of the
36:36
disagreement,
36:37
and thirdly
36:38
and finally
36:39
and briefly
36:40
the result
36:42
of the
36:43
disagreement.
36:45
The result.
36:47
The last
36:48
part of
36:48
verse 39,
36:49
we know
36:49
what happened.
36:50
We've said
36:50
it now a
36:51
few times.
36:53
They separate,
36:53
Barnabas takes
36:54
Mark with
36:55
him,
36:55
and they
36:56
sailed away
36:56
to Cyprus.
36:57
That's where
36:58
Barnabas was
36:58
from,
36:59
and this
36:59
was the
36:59
beginning of
37:00
Paul and
37:01
Barnabas'
37:01
ministry.
37:04
But Paul
37:04
chose Silas,
37:05
who we'll talk
37:06
about more
37:06
in some
37:07
coming weeks,
37:09
and departed,
37:10
having been
37:10
commended by
37:11
the brothers
37:11
to the grace
37:11
of the Lord.
37:12
Churches
37:13
prayed for
37:14
him,
37:14
they've
37:14
said,
37:15
God,
37:15
you're in
37:16
control,
37:17
you are
37:18
working in
37:18
the life
37:19
of Paul
37:20
and now
37:20
Silas.
37:21
They
37:21
committed
37:21
to the
37:21
grace of
37:22
the Lord,
37:22
and he
37:23
goes through
37:23
Syria and
37:24
Cilicia
37:24
strengthening
37:25
churches.
37:26
So what's
37:26
the result?
37:27
They go
37:28
separate ways,
37:30
but we see
37:30
missionary
37:31
multiplication.
37:33
One
37:34
missionary
37:34
team
37:34
turned into
37:35
two
37:36
missionary
37:37
teams.
37:38
Men that
37:39
have grown
37:39
in the
37:40
grace of
37:40
Christ
37:41
together,
37:41
learned
37:42
much on
37:42
their
37:42
journeys
37:43
together,
37:44
part ways
37:44
and bring
37:45
along new
37:46
disciples that
37:47
they train
37:48
up and
37:48
equip so
37:49
that they
37:49
can continue
37:50
to send
37:51
them out.
37:53
I'm reminded
37:54
of the
37:55
words of
37:55
Joseph to
37:56
his brothers.
37:57
You remember
37:58
Joseph's brothers
37:58
throw him in
37:59
the bottom
37:59
of a well
37:59
because they
38:00
hate him.
38:00
They change
38:01
their mind,
38:01
they pull
38:01
him back
38:02
up,
38:02
they sell
38:02
him into
38:02
slavery.
38:03
He ends
38:03
up in
38:03
Egypt in
38:04
charge of
38:05
all of
38:05
the grain
38:06
in Egypt
38:06
through a
38:07
lot of
38:07
fantastic
38:08
events.
38:10
And his
38:11
brothers find
38:12
themselves in
38:12
the midst
38:13
of a
38:13
famine and
38:14
they come
38:14
to him,
38:15
not knowing
38:16
who he is,
38:16
not recognizing
38:17
him,
38:18
realizing who
38:19
he is,
38:19
they fall
38:20
down at
38:20
his feet
38:20
and he
38:21
says to
38:21
them,
38:21
what you
38:21
meant for
38:22
evil,
38:23
God
38:23
meant for
38:25
good.
38:27
Nothing
38:27
escapes the
38:29
good grasp
38:30
of our
38:31
sovereign God.
38:32
He is
38:33
never not
38:34
in control.
38:36
He providentially
38:37
reigns over
38:38
all things,
38:41
even our
38:42
failing,
38:43
even our
38:44
sin,
38:45
God reigns
38:46
over all
38:47
of that.
38:47
Nothing
38:47
escapes the
38:48
good grasp
38:50
of our
38:51
sovereign God.
38:53
Please never
38:53
grow tired of
38:54
Romans 8,
38:54
28.
38:56
I always fear
38:56
quoting things
38:57
that you guys
38:57
should be
38:58
familiar with.
38:59
Don't grow
38:59
tired of
39:00
this.
39:00
And we
39:00
know that
39:01
for those
39:01
who love
39:02
God,
39:02
all things
39:03
work together
39:04
for good,
39:06
for those
39:06
who are
39:06
called
39:07
according to
39:08
his purpose.
39:08
God is
39:09
bringing about
39:09
good even
39:11
in the midst
39:11
of our
39:12
failures.
39:14
That doesn't
39:14
mean that we
39:15
should be
39:15
careless
39:15
concerning our
39:17
own failures.
39:18
That is not
39:19
to say to
39:20
Paul and
39:21
Barnabas,
39:22
that's cool
39:22
guys,
39:23
God's got
39:23
it,
39:24
it's alright,
39:25
no,
39:25
no,
39:26
repent.
39:28
If I'm
39:29
reading it
39:29
right,
39:29
and I believe
39:30
I am,
39:30
that they're
39:30
being sinful
39:31
here,
39:32
repent,
39:32
turn back,
39:33
be burdened
39:34
by your
39:35
separation.
39:37
We shouldn't
39:37
be careless
39:38
concerning our
39:39
own failures,
39:40
leaning on the
39:41
promise that
39:42
God will work
39:42
good,
39:43
but in our
39:44
failures,
39:45
when we do
39:46
and we will,
39:47
we should be
39:48
confident in
39:49
God's promise
39:50
of good.
39:52
Boy,
39:53
this thing has
39:53
not turned out
39:54
the way I
39:55
thought it
39:56
should.
39:57
Praise God,
39:58
he is sovereign
39:58
and working good
39:59
in all things.
40:01
So we saw the
40:02
occasion for the
40:02
disagreement,
40:03
the nature of the
40:03
disagreement,
40:04
and the result
40:05
of the disagreement.
40:06
Mission,
40:07
multiplication,
40:09
what they
40:09
likely meant
40:11
for evil,
40:13
God turns
40:14
to good.
40:16
So what does
40:16
it mean for us?
40:17
Here's some
40:18
application.
40:18
I'm going to
40:18
ask a series
40:19
of questions.
40:21
Take a little
40:21
time just to
40:22
consider these
40:24
questions for
40:25
your own soul.
40:27
Number one,
40:29
do you have
40:30
any concern
40:31
for strengthening
40:32
the church?
40:34
If we can learn
40:35
something here
40:35
from Paul
40:36
and Barnabas
40:37
in the
40:38
positive,
40:39
they had a
40:40
concern for
40:41
the strengthening
40:42
of the church.
40:44
They're in
40:45
Antioch now
40:46
many years,
40:47
two years
40:48
they've been
40:48
there,
40:49
ministering
40:50
the Word of
40:51
God to
40:52
God's people.
40:53
And their
40:53
desire to go
40:54
from that
40:54
place is to
40:55
go back to
40:56
the places
40:56
and to
40:57
strengthen
40:57
the church.
40:59
Is your
41:00
intention in
41:00
being here
41:01
to serve
41:01
others with
41:03
the gospel
41:03
of Jesus
41:03
Christ or
41:04
to just be
41:05
served?
41:06
And you
41:06
should be
41:07
served as
41:07
it's my
41:08
desire and
41:08
other people's
41:09
desires to
41:09
serve you.
41:11
Is your
41:11
motivation in
41:12
coming here
41:13
to sit down
41:14
and consume
41:15
nom nom nom nom
41:17
and not turn
41:19
around and
41:19
invest anything
41:21
in anyone else?
41:23
Number two,
41:25
do you need to
41:26
give someone a
41:27
second chance?
41:27
could you
41:30
have a
41:30
John Mark?
41:32
A John
41:33
Mark that
41:33
God intends
41:34
to do
41:34
wonderful
41:35
things with
41:35
and you
41:36
just blew
41:37
them off?
41:39
You fail to
41:40
follow through
41:41
with somebody
41:41
who's walking
41:42
through hard
41:42
times.
41:43
An axiom,
41:45
beloved,
41:47
is that when
41:47
people are
41:47
going through
41:48
difficult times
41:48
in their
41:49
lives,
41:49
their walk
41:50
with Jesus
41:50
Christ,
41:51
they are the
41:51
least likely
41:52
to seek you
41:53
out and ask
41:54
for help.
41:55
I wish that
41:56
wasn't the
41:56
case.
41:58
People
41:58
withdraw
41:58
inside
42:00
themselves
42:00
when they're
42:01
going through
42:01
difficult times
42:02
and it
42:02
takes pursuit
42:03
of people.
42:05
You've got to
42:06
drag them
42:06
kicking and
42:07
screaming
42:08
out of their
42:09
little place
42:10
of isolation
42:11
and bring them
42:12
out into the
42:12
light and
42:13
minister the
42:13
gospel of
42:14
Christ to
42:14
them.
42:15
Is there
42:15
someone in
42:16
your life
42:17
that you need
42:18
to give a
42:18
second chance
42:19
to,
42:19
that needs
42:20
your investment
42:21
for the sake
42:23
of response
42:24
to the gospel
42:24
of Jesus?
42:26
And along
42:27
the same
42:27
lines,
42:28
this is still
42:28
question two,
42:29
second question
42:30
of question
42:30
two.
42:31
Do you
42:32
need to
42:32
cut someone
42:32
loose?
42:35
Often Clay
42:36
and I have
42:37
conversations
42:37
as we're
42:38
working at
42:39
discipling
42:39
young men,
42:42
it's always
42:42
nice to have
42:42
a second
42:43
opinion when
42:43
someone is
42:44
just not
42:45
following
42:46
through.
42:47
You've
42:48
asked things
42:48
of them,
42:49
basic
42:50
things,
42:51
Christian
42:52
things,
42:52
not extra
42:53
burdens,
42:53
but just
42:54
the commands
42:56
of God.
42:57
Next week
42:58
I get to
42:58
talk about
42:58
how Paul
43:00
required
43:00
Timothy to
43:01
be circumcised
43:01
if he was
43:01
going to
43:02
go with
43:02
him.
43:03
We're not
43:04
asking any
43:04
of you to
43:04
do that.
43:06
Just to
43:06
be obedient.
43:08
Just to
43:08
do the
43:08
things that
43:09
God has
43:09
commanded you
43:09
to do,
43:10
and they're
43:10
just people
43:11
who will
43:11
not.
43:13
As much
43:13
as we
43:14
try to
43:15
pursue,
43:15
they will
43:16
not.
43:16
And it's
43:16
always nice
43:17
to have
43:17
that second
43:17
person that
43:18
goes,
43:19
it's time
43:19
to cut
43:19
them loose,
43:19
man.
43:20
You're
43:21
wasting your
43:22
energy right
43:22
now of
43:23
an individual.
43:24
And the
43:24
time comes
43:24
for that
43:26
time comes
43:26
for it.
43:28
Sometimes
43:28
people need
43:29
to go
43:29
off and
43:30
feel the
43:30
own weight
43:31
of their
43:31
sinfulness,
43:32
and not
43:33
have you
43:33
crutching
43:34
them up
43:34
all the
43:34
time.
43:35
So ask
43:36
yourself
43:36
that
43:36
question.
43:38
Can you
43:38
give someone
43:38
a second
43:38
chance,
43:39
maybe play
43:40
the Barnabas,
43:40
do you
43:40
need to
43:41
cut someone
43:41
loose,
43:42
as Paul
43:43
did?
43:45
I've got to
43:45
think,
43:46
this is an
43:47
aside,
43:47
I've got to
43:47
think that
43:48
in some
43:48
way,
43:49
for John
43:49
Mark,
43:50
there was a
43:51
motivation
43:52
birthed in
43:53
him when
43:54
Barnabas
43:54
said,
43:55
Paul wants
43:55
nothing to
43:56
do with
43:56
you,
43:57
because you
43:57
bailed on
43:58
us,
43:59
you abandoned
44:00
us,
44:01
we could
44:01
have used
44:01
you and
44:02
you left
44:02
us,
44:03
that there
44:04
was a
44:04
weightiness
44:04
to that
44:07
accusation,
44:08
and I hope
44:08
John Mark's
44:09
response.
44:11
Number three,
44:13
do you need
44:13
to repent
44:14
of any
44:15
unrighteous
44:16
anger?
44:17
anger?
44:19
I can
44:20
tell you,
44:21
unless you
44:21
spent time
44:22
recently
44:22
repenting
44:23
of unrighteous
44:23
anger,
44:24
that the
44:24
answer to
44:24
that question
44:24
is yes,
44:26
you do.
44:29
Most of
44:30
our anger,
44:31
the vast
44:32
majority of
44:32
our anger,
44:33
which we
44:33
cloak in
44:34
other words
44:34
like frustration,
44:35
I do that
44:36
a lot,
44:37
I say I'm
44:38
frustrated,
44:38
I'm angry,
44:39
we make
44:44
lots of
44:45
justification
44:45
for the
44:46
way we
44:46
feel,
44:48
but in
44:48
most of
44:49
those cases,
44:50
I know for
44:52
myself anyway,
44:53
that when I'm
44:54
angry it's
44:54
because I'm
44:56
functionally
44:57
believing that
44:58
the world
44:58
revolves around
44:59
me,
45:00
that I should
45:01
be placed at
45:01
the very
45:02
center of
45:02
it,
45:02
and then
45:03
something
45:03
happens that
45:04
disproves
45:04
that,
45:05
that shows
45:06
me otherwise,
45:07
and it makes
45:08
me mad.
45:09
Stop
45:10
getting at
45:11
my worship
45:12
of myself
45:13
is what my
45:13
anger is
45:14
communicating
45:14
outwardly.
45:16
So beloved,
45:16
there's much
45:17
room for
45:19
repentance of
45:20
our anger.
45:22
You need to
45:22
recognize that
45:23
firstly and
45:23
for mostly,
45:25
our anger has
45:26
a vertical
45:26
offense,
45:27
it's unrighteous
45:28
anger,
45:29
you need to
45:29
repent first
45:30
to the Lord,
45:31
but so often
45:32
our anger
45:32
comes out of
45:33
us,
45:34
and it has a
45:35
horizontal offense
45:36
as well,
45:37
and you may
45:37
find that your
45:38
repentance requires
45:38
you go to
45:39
going and
45:40
confessing that
45:41
sin to
45:41
somebody and
45:42
making apology
45:43
for it.
45:44
I'm really
45:45
thankful that
45:45
for the most
45:46
part,
45:47
our church
45:47
feels unified,
45:50
see a lot of
45:51
love,
45:52
a lot of
45:52
togetherness,
45:54
I hear very
45:54
little about
45:56
dissensions,
45:57
but maybe I
45:57
just don't
45:57
know,
45:58
it's very
45:59
possible that
46:00
I don't,
46:00
and I would
46:01
encourage you
46:02
to labor to
46:04
maintain the
46:05
unity of the
46:05
spirit,
46:06
and the bond
46:06
of peace.
46:09
Fourthly,
46:10
do you
46:11
believe that
46:13
you have
46:13
been delivered
46:13
from God's
46:15
wrath in
46:16
Christ?
46:17
Do you
46:18
believe that
46:18
you've been
46:18
delivered from
46:19
God's wrath in
46:19
Christ?
46:20
Even as you
46:20
may be feeling
46:21
some conviction
46:21
for unrighteous
46:23
anger on your
46:23
part,
46:25
can you stand
46:26
knowing that
46:27
you've placed
46:27
your faith in
46:28
Jesus Christ,
46:29
that he is
46:30
your sufficiency
46:31
before God?
46:32
Romans 8,
46:33
1,
46:33
there's therefore
46:33
now no
46:34
condemnation for
46:35
those who are
46:35
in Christ Jesus.
46:37
Beloved,
46:38
those of you who
46:38
are followers of
46:39
Jesus,
46:39
this is great
46:40
motivation for
46:41
confession,
46:42
for seeking
46:43
reconciliation with
46:44
those that you
46:44
have sharply
46:45
disagreed with.
46:49
Unbeliever in
46:50
the room today,
46:51
I always think
46:52
of a crowd this
46:54
size,
46:54
it's not a
46:55
massive crowd,
46:55
but I always
46:55
got to think
46:56
there's someone
46:56
who believes
46:58
they're a follower
46:58
of Jesus Christ,
46:59
but is not.
46:59
The judgment
47:03
and the guilt
47:03
you may be
47:04
feeling now may
47:05
be the conviction
47:05
of the Spirit
47:06
in your life.
47:08
Look to Christ,
47:09
his perfect
47:10
sacrifice on
47:11
your behalf.
47:12
Let's pray
47:13
together.