Materials
Conflict
and Community in the 1st and 21st Century
Choosing God's Leaders
Acts 6:1-7
by Dale Pauls and R. Todd Bouldin
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Over the past few weeks, we have looked at how Jesus teaches us to deal with each other as disciples when we have conflicts and when we are trying to make or keep the peace. As we have seen, it takes a lot of work and spiritual growth to be a peacemaker. It requires that we be people of humility, that we seek the best interests of others, that we try to understand a person before we judge them, and that we see the humanity of ourselves and our neighbor. Being a peacemaker also will require that we tell each other the truth. Truth is always balanced by grace, and confrontation balanced by lavish forgiveness.
B. Before we leave Jesus and move on to the experience of the early church, I want to remind you of the familiar text in John 13 where on the night of his betrayal, Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. These same disciples within hours would deny him, would betray him, and would desert him. Yet, Jesus takes a towel and bends down to wash their dirty feet. What do we learn from Jesus in this act that teaches us about being peacemakers?
1. Whoever wants to be great among you must first be your servant.
2. Our orientation should not be how we will get our needs met by the church but how we can meet the needs of the church.
3. Do not get caught up in who is boss, who is to blame, who might betray you. Just serve. Wash the feet of all the disciples. Look out for your brothers and sisters. Always do what is best for them.
C. Today we consider how the early church handled one of its first crises, and how the qualities of the leaders they chose resolved the problem, met the unresolved needs, and brought peace.
II.THE HELLENISTS COMPLAINED AGAINT THE HEBREWS (Acts 6:1)
A. As I said the first Sunday, it seems that the early church was almost built on a foundation of Jesus and a flooring of conflict. Today we come to the first recorded conflict in the early church. Why was this story recorded?
1. How the church should respond to a complaint
2. How the church should resolve conflict
3. How to appoint leaders
4. Follows Luke’s concern for the poor and women
B. Describe the problem the first church faced here.
1. Racial and ethnic division or prejudice. Grecian Jewish Christians (Greek-speaking Jews scattered during the Diaspora like Paul and Barnabas) vs. Hebraic Jewish Christians (Hebrew speaking Palestinians).
How is this type of conflict present in our churches today?
2. The widows were being neglected. Widows always were a special concern of the early church. Essentially this conflict was a budget complaint – “We don’t like the way you are spending the budget.”
3. Rapid growth of the church (v. 1) -- How does growth present opportunities for conflict?
III. CHOOSE SEVEN MEN FROM AMONG YOU (vv. 2-7)
A. What were the solutions available to the Apostles at this point?
1. Ignore the problem and sweep it under the carpet
2. Jump in and solve it themselves
B. At your tables, discuss the solution the apostles chose. How did this solve the problem? How were the leaders chosen?
C. The Solution: DELEGATION
1. Jewish precedent: setting up boards of seven men for particular duties.
2. Why is delegation difficult for leaders? Why is it particularly difficult in volunteer associations and churches?
a. Loss of control
b. Inefficiency – I could do it faster or better
c. No built-in incentives to do the work – termination, etc.
3. What are the motivations for delegation of ministry?
a. In this case, for the apostles to fully use their gifts.
b. Allows every person to share in the ministry
c. Recognizes that you can’t be all things all the time
IV. RESOLVING CHURCH CONFLICT THEN AND NOW
A. “The twelve called together” – those with the ministry of the word set the parameters and priorities, delegated the leadership, trusted them, and got out of the way. (vv. 2-3)
B. The whole community was involved in hearing the problem and the whole community was pleased with the decision. (vv. 2, 5).
1. Why did the apostles involve the whole community? Could not they have just decided on their own without telling everyone about the problem?
2. What are the risks involved in telling everyone?
3. Always a tension in churches between majority, consensus and aristocratic leadership.
C. Qualifications of those chosen to lead – “known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom”
1. How is this different than our typical qualifications for leadership? Who tends to emerge for leadership in our churches?
2. What qualities:
a. Honorable reputation
b. Competent in administration
c. Full of the Holy Spirit and faith (Stephen)
d. Qualified to deal wisely with delicate situations
e. Made sure the disenfranchised felt well represented
3. Interesting that all the names are Greek – does this mean that the Hebraic Jews acquiesced to the complaining group or that the names are just incidental?
D. The result (v. 5, 7)
1. Was pleasing the whole community the goal or the result?
2. What was it about this decision that pleased the whole community? Isn’t that impossible?
3. Were they pleased with the result or pleased with the process?
E. Returning to the Mission
1. The point of resolving conflict is so that the church can continue in its mission to devote itself to the Word and the spreading of the gospel. Internal conflicts should be blips on the screen – not permanent barriers to mission.
2. The way we handle conflict will say a great deal about the authenticity of our faith. When we handle conflict lovingly and wisely, we model a different vision for the world, a vision built on the foundations of love, respect and service. Then I believe the number of disciples will increase greatly, when they see how we love each other.
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