Out – Over – Move on

Acts 15:37-39   Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;

There had become a huge conflict in the early Christian church regarding the circumcision of the new Gentile believers. A meeting had been called in Jerusalem with all the apostles and the Jewish counsel. They had agreed somewhat that circumcision was not a requirement of the faith; 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Paul and Barnabas were to set off to deliver the news and encourage the early churches. An argument over John Mark who had earlier deserted them caused Paul and Barnabas to go their separate ways. The ministry doubled, and Paul was even reconciled to John Mark later in his life (2 Timothy 4:11).

If you stay in church long enough, you will have conflict in church. It is going to happen, it is going to divide, it can weaken testimonies and ministries. It can be a test of your faith; it can be a test of where your heart lies. If you take your eyes off the Person, you will surely be disappointed in where you place your hope. Satan loves dissension; Satan smiled at the argument of Paul and Barnabas; God doubled the ground covered by separating the two great men of faith. Barnabas headed to Cyprus; Paul headed to Syria, and then on to Cilicia. God was at work in all those men and He had a plan that included separating them to grow their ministries. Barnabas had chosen not to take their argument to the Jewish counsel, but to keep his eyes on his ministry and faithfully serve the Lord.

We are told throughout the Bible that when we fight we must forgive and make up. What if we are only forgiven the amount we are able to forgive? The Bible speaks directly to how we view one another, and that view may be held in how we forgive. Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. We are told not to even go to sleep with without resolving conflict; get it out, get it over, move on. Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. Putting conflict in the past is part of moving on with the ministry God has placed on your heart. God may be doubling the ground covered as a result; just like the days of Paul and Barnabas.