Mark 9:38 (MSG)
John spoke up, "Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn't in our group."
The disciples are upset because someone is ministering
a. but the other minister wasn’t from their crowd
Mark 9:39 (MSG)
Jesus wasn't pleased. "Don't stop him. No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down.
So Jesus is saying it’s ok for others outside your group to minister.
a. they may do it differentlyb. they may say it differently
c. they may present it differentlyd. they may interpret it differently
But at least that person is trying to win souls and change lives.
Anytime the Gospel is preached, there are three reactions.
a. Paul is preaching about the resurrection of Jesus
Acts 17:32 (MSG)
At the phrase "raising him from the dead," the listeners split: Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, "Let's do this again. We want to hear more."
REACTION #1.Some mocked him (laughed and made jokes)
REACTION #2.Some procrastinated ( we will do this later)
Acts 17:33 (MSG)
33 But that was it for the day, and Paul left.
Acts 17:34 (MSG)
34 There were still others, it turned out, who were convinced then and there, and stuck with Paul—among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.
REACTION #3.Some believed (They were convinced)
So what do you do when you disagree with a church leader or speaker?
WHAT NOT TO DO__________________________________________
#1. DON’T BREAK FELLOWSHIP________________________________________
Acts 15:37-39 (MSG)
37 Barnabas wanted to take John along, the John nicknamed Mark. 38 But Paul wouldn't have him; he wasn't about to take along a quitter who, as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. 39 Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways: Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus;
Barnabas got mad and left over a difference of opinions. (Verse 39)
#2. DON’T DISAPPEAR________________________________________________
John Mark disappeared when things got tough.
People will disappear over the slightest difference of opinion.
a. that’s a shallow person
#3. DON’T BACKSLIDE________________________________________________
2 Timothy 4:10 (NLT)
Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia.
Demas went back into the world and stop being a Christian.
#4. DON’T BACKSTAB________________________________________________
3 John 1:9 (MSG)
Earlier I wrote something along this line to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel.
denigrates - to criticize unfairly, disrespectful and rude
3 John 1:10 (MSG)
If I come, you can be sure I'll hold him to account for spreading vicious rumors about us. As if that weren't bad enough, he not only refuses hospitality to traveling Christians but tries to stop others from welcoming them. Worse yet, instead of inviting them in he throws them out.
Backstabbing includes:
a. criticizingb. spreading rumors
c. refuse to fellowshipd. bossy / bully towards others
e. runs off others
3 John 1:11 (MSG)
Friend, don't go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God's work. The person who does evil falsifies God, doesn't know the first thing about God.
WHAT TO DO______________________________________________
#1. THINK TWICE___________________________________________________
Psalms 105:15 (MSG)
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my anointed, don't hurt a hair on the heads of my prophets."
Just because someone disagrees doesn’t mean that they are not anointed.
a. think twice before you say anything ugly about them
#2. CHOOSE TO WALK IN LOVE________________________________________
1 Thessalonians 5:12 (MSG)
And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience.
Show honor, be respectful and show appreciation.
1 Thessalonians 5:13 (MSG)
Overwhelm them with appreciation and love! Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part.
Don’t let a difference of opinion consume you.
#3. PRAY FOR THEM_________________________________________________
2 Thessalonians 3:1 (MSG)
One more thing, friends: Pray for us. Pray that the Master's Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response, just as it did among you.
Pray for them.
2 Thessalonians 3:2 (MSG)
And pray that we'll be rescued from these scoundrels who are trying to do us in. I'm finding that not all "believers" are believers.
What should you pray for?
a. that the Word will increaseb. that people will respond
c. protection from fake believers who have a different agenda
If the vision of that leader is not your vision, your in the wrong place.
a. if your vision compliments or adds to the vision, your okay
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU DISAGREE WITH A CHURCH LEADER OR OR SPEAKER?___________________________________
Hebrews 13:17 (NLT)
Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
#1. STAY SUBMITTED AND COMMITTED_________________________________
Hebrews 13:17 (MSG)
Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?
A believer benefits when they do it God’s way.
1 Timothy 5:1 (KJV)
Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
#2. FOLLOW BIBLICAL ORDER_________________________________________
God will speak to them personally and correct them
a. it was their ability to hear and respond to God that made them leaders in the first place
Acts 15:1 (NLT)
While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Notice, a new teaching has entered this church.
a. these guys from Judea were ministering a different interpretation
Acts 15:2 (NLT)
Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.
A difference of opinion caused arguments to surface.
#3. BE WORKABLE__________________________________________________
They reached a mutual agreement to get outside counsel.
a. church counselb. not face book opinion
c. not unhappy sheepd. not former church members
Acts 17:11 (NLT)
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
#4. BE OPEN MINDED__________________________________________________
Learn to eat the fish and spit out the bones.
Search it out for yourself....with an open mind!
Acts 20:28 (NLT)
“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.
Here we see a warning to church leaders.
a. what seems to be the problem
Acts 20:29 (NLT)
I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock.
Some people in church will get a taste for sheep.
a. notice that they have a position in the church (teachers)
Acts 20:30 (NLT)
Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.
#5. DON’T GO PUBLIC________________________________________________
Don’t spread your disagreement or recruit people to disagree with you.
a. draw a following
Notice that when you disagree with a church leader or speaker, God wants you to focus on you.
a. he will deal with them
Matthew 10:24 (KJV)
The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
As long as we maintain our position, God will remedy the condition.