The book of Acts records the very real story of the first century church. As its author, Luke tells us the honest truth about both the persecution from without and the tension from within the church. What was the nature of the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas? How did the church handle their disagreement and what does it teach us about the Christian faith? Join Pastor Jim for this insightful and practical study from Acts 15:36-41.
Sermon Notes
1. Paul and Barnabas remind us about…
The honesty of the Bible and the real humanity of church leaders.
“Indeed, the primary trait of effective Christian leaders is humility: humility before Christ, whose subordinates we are; humility before Scripture, of which we are stewards; humility before the world, whose opposition we are bound to encounter; and humility before the church, whose members we are to love and serve. As I have traveled around the world, I myself am convinced that the authentic characteristic of Christian leaders is not severity but gentleness.”
John Stott
2. John Mark reminds us that…
We all need a Paul and a Barnabas in our lives.
3. Silas reminds us that…
Faithfulness is more important than fame and character is more important than control.
“I have lived a life of vague moral aspiration – vaguely wanting to be good, vaguely wanting to serve some larger purpose, while lacking concrete moral vocabulary, a clear understanding of how to live a rich inner life, or even a clear knowledge of how character is developed and depth is achieved.”
David Brooks
The Road to Character
4. The early church reminds us of…
The practical benefits of a church community.
“Autonomous Christianity never works, because our spiritual life was designed by God to be a community project.”
Paul Tripp
Dangerous Calling
5. The point of the pericope is…
Reconciliation is rooted in Christ and in the Gospel as our shared and ultimate mission in life.
“If sin is the great separator, Christ is the great reconciler.”
Philip Yancey & Paul Brand
In His Image