EVERY CHURCH NEEDS A LITTLE CONFLICT (1)
Scripture: Acts 6:1-10
This content is part of a series.
Title: Every Church Needs a Little Conflict (1)
Series: Acts
Author: Collin Wimberly
Text: Acts 6:1-10
CIT - Peter instructs the early church to choose out seven men to serve widows.
Proposition - The church today needs a biblical deacon ministry.
INTRODUCTION:
ILLUS: More than 15 years ago, I walked into a Wed. night prayer meeting with over 350 people present. It was contentious and destructive. By the end of the meeting, one staff member was asked to leave, and several people in the congregation left also. It was hard. For months, our church was at a standstill. We had been growing numerically and I thought spiritually, but that stopped. Attendance dropped. Giving went down. I had quite a few good friends, who were pastors, who doubted I would survive there as pastor. I did. But it was hard. That situation was very difficult for the Church. To be very honest, I could have managed that differently. Maybe, it would not have been so hard on the church.
I have a book on my shelf with the title, every church needs a little conflict. The premise of the book is that conflict, is inevitable, because people are imperfect. However, conflict within the Church, when managed rightly, can be time of maturing and growth for the church, and for any organization.
I agree. All churches will face conflict. So will we. The question is how will we deal with it? Will we get mad, form clicks and groups in the fellowship and fight it out? Will we have a big business meeting and solve our differences with a vote? Sometimes that is called for, but often there is a much better way.
That is what we will find this morning in our text.
Read passage.
How do we turn conflict into something good?
I) FIRST, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE - Acts 6:1-6
Last week we saw how Satan tried to sabotage the early church by sowing seeds of hypocrisy in the fellowship.
Through the faithful leadership of Peter, and the other apostles, God Hims ...
Series: Acts
Author: Collin Wimberly
Text: Acts 6:1-10
CIT - Peter instructs the early church to choose out seven men to serve widows.
Proposition - The church today needs a biblical deacon ministry.
INTRODUCTION:
ILLUS: More than 15 years ago, I walked into a Wed. night prayer meeting with over 350 people present. It was contentious and destructive. By the end of the meeting, one staff member was asked to leave, and several people in the congregation left also. It was hard. For months, our church was at a standstill. We had been growing numerically and I thought spiritually, but that stopped. Attendance dropped. Giving went down. I had quite a few good friends, who were pastors, who doubted I would survive there as pastor. I did. But it was hard. That situation was very difficult for the Church. To be very honest, I could have managed that differently. Maybe, it would not have been so hard on the church.
I have a book on my shelf with the title, every church needs a little conflict. The premise of the book is that conflict, is inevitable, because people are imperfect. However, conflict within the Church, when managed rightly, can be time of maturing and growth for the church, and for any organization.
I agree. All churches will face conflict. So will we. The question is how will we deal with it? Will we get mad, form clicks and groups in the fellowship and fight it out? Will we have a big business meeting and solve our differences with a vote? Sometimes that is called for, but often there is a much better way.
That is what we will find this morning in our text.
Read passage.
How do we turn conflict into something good?
I) FIRST, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE - Acts 6:1-6
Last week we saw how Satan tried to sabotage the early church by sowing seeds of hypocrisy in the fellowship.
Through the faithful leadership of Peter, and the other apostles, God Hims ...
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