Sermon Reflections from Going Places: Navigating Conflict | Alex Hardt | August 11, 2024
Pastor Alex delved into a very familiar area for all of us- conflict. Since we live with others, it is unavoidable. By our very human nature, we are prone to sin and seeking to resolve conflicts without sinning is our challenge as Christians. Whether the conflict is with family, friends, acquaintances or even enemies, we are bound by Jesus command in Mark 12:3-31 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Who exactly is your neighbor? That person or persons can be someone close, someone you don’t know very well or even an enemy. Jesus commands us to show love to them. How can we do that when we are at odds with them?
Pastor Alex suggests looking for ways to honor the person and make that relationship better. It is not always possible to please everyone but with prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit, we can navigate the waters. Easy? Not usually. Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement on whether or not to take John Mark with them on their second missionary journey. For some reason, not stated in scripture, John Mark had left them and disappointed Paul to the point of causing mistrust. Whatever the reason, Paul did not agree with John Mark’s leaving. We do not know if he was young and was homesick, had fallen ill or was needed back home. His leaving left a mark on the relationship to the point of Paul not trusting him to follow through a second time. Paul and Barnabas knew the most important thing was the ministry and decided to part ways. Paul and Silas went to Syria and Barnabas and John Mark went to Cypress. That may seem harsh but God blessed both of their ministries. The people of Cypress heard the good news as well as those in Syria.
History tells us that John Mark was mentored by Peter. In 1 Peter 5:13 Peter ends his letter with greetings “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.” Peter must have worked with him and grown very close for him to refer to him as his son. I’m sure that Paul watched the growth and ministry of John Mark while he was with Barnabas and Peter. Over time, Paul came to see John Mark in a favorable light and trust him as he said in Colossians 4:10 “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),” Paul was persuaded by the change he saw and heard in John Mark. He allowed the Holy Spirit to remold his thinking and revise his opinion of John Mark. How often do we stand so firm that we do not allow God’s grace to intervene? Seeing others with the eyes of Jesus means allowing grace to have reign over our thoughts and opinions.
Loving our neighbors as ourselves does not mean taking a blind eye to their actions. We don’t do that for ourselves, if we do we get into trouble. Nor does that mean forgetting what the person did. Paul did not forget John Mark’s actions but he did not hold that opinion forever. He allowed time and the Holy Spirit to work on them. We need to seek restoration in relationships. Sometimes that is not possible as forgiveness and restoration are a 2-way street. We may want to forgive and restore our relationship with someone but they may not be at the same point. Paul was not at the same place as Barnabas but that did not mean that at some point there might be restoration. If the other person does not want to forgive, then we need to more on and move forward. We need to pray leave it to God. In His grace, He will work on the others.
Do you have a conflict that needs to be handled with a large dose of Grace? Seek the Lord’s guidance so that you do not fall into sin and that God is glorified in the resolution.
Linda
MESSAGE LINK
Click Here to View the Message on Youtube
Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am.
Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass
Pastor Alex delved into a very familiar area for all of us- conflict. Since we live with others, it is unavoidable. By our very human nature, we are prone to sin and seeking to resolve conflicts without sinning is our challenge as Christians. Whether the conflict is with family, friends, acquaintances or even enemies, we are bound by Jesus command in Mark 12:3-31 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Who exactly is your neighbor? That person or persons can be someone close, someone you don’t know very well or even an enemy. Jesus commands us to show love to them. How can we do that when we are at odds with them?
Pastor Alex suggests looking for ways to honor the person and make that relationship better. It is not always possible to please everyone but with prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit, we can navigate the waters. Easy? Not usually. Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement on whether or not to take John Mark with them on their second missionary journey. For some reason, not stated in scripture, John Mark had left them and disappointed Paul to the point of causing mistrust. Whatever the reason, Paul did not agree with John Mark’s leaving. We do not know if he was young and was homesick, had fallen ill or was needed back home. His leaving left a mark on the relationship to the point of Paul not trusting him to follow through a second time. Paul and Barnabas knew the most important thing was the ministry and decided to part ways. Paul and Silas went to Syria and Barnabas and John Mark went to Cypress. That may seem harsh but God blessed both of their ministries. The people of Cypress heard the good news as well as those in Syria.
History tells us that John Mark was mentored by Peter. In 1 Peter 5:13 Peter ends his letter with greetings “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.” Peter must have worked with him and grown very close for him to refer to him as his son. I’m sure that Paul watched the growth and ministry of John Mark while he was with Barnabas and Peter. Over time, Paul came to see John Mark in a favorable light and trust him as he said in Colossians 4:10 “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),” Paul was persuaded by the change he saw and heard in John Mark. He allowed the Holy Spirit to remold his thinking and revise his opinion of John Mark. How often do we stand so firm that we do not allow God’s grace to intervene? Seeing others with the eyes of Jesus means allowing grace to have reign over our thoughts and opinions.
Loving our neighbors as ourselves does not mean taking a blind eye to their actions. We don’t do that for ourselves, if we do we get into trouble. Nor does that mean forgetting what the person did. Paul did not forget John Mark’s actions but he did not hold that opinion forever. He allowed time and the Holy Spirit to work on them. We need to seek restoration in relationships. Sometimes that is not possible as forgiveness and restoration are a 2-way street. We may want to forgive and restore our relationship with someone but they may not be at the same point. Paul was not at the same place as Barnabas but that did not mean that at some point there might be restoration. If the other person does not want to forgive, then we need to more on and move forward. We need to pray leave it to God. In His grace, He will work on the others.
Do you have a conflict that needs to be handled with a large dose of Grace? Seek the Lord’s guidance so that you do not fall into sin and that God is glorified in the resolution.
Linda
MESSAGE LINK
Click Here to View the Message on Youtube
Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am.
Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass
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