{"id":28971,"date":"2020-12-25T17:15:53","date_gmt":"2020-12-25T23:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=28971"},"modified":"2020-12-25T17:31:48","modified_gmt":"2020-12-25T23:31:48","slug":"solving-church-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/solving-church-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Solving Church Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\tby Bobby L. Graham
\nSentry Magazine<\/em>, September 2003\n

Jerusalem: A Church with Problems<\/h2>\n

While it is true that Corinth is probably the church that most often comes to mind in connection with problems, it is also correct that Jerusalem was the first church with problems. The chief difference is that Corinth was a “problem church,” where problems were not soon addressed, while Jerusalem apparently took care of her problems quickly.<\/p>\n

Early in her history Jerusalem had the problem of caring for the physical needs of the saints staying there for further instruction and training (Acts 2, 4), and the problem of some lying members also arose in connection with the solution of the earlier problem (Acts 5). Another problem, one of neglecting certain ones in this physical relief, arose in Acts 6, and to it, we shall give special attention in this study. We might learn a lesson from this consideration, namely, that problems do not need to become a blight on a church. In the case of Corinth, the problems did become a blight, to the extent that the apostle Paul needed to write a letter based much on her problems; but in the case of Jerusalem, the people took care of the problems with more attention to the existing needs.<\/p>\n

The Problem of Neglect of Certain Widows<\/h2>\n

The number of disciples was then multiplying (Acts 6:1). During the endeavor to relieve the physical needs of some widows, possibly a part of the larger effort to care for needy ones in general in the Jerusalem church, there arose a complaint. The complaint was voiced by the Greek-speaking Jews, otherwise called Hellenists, because their widows were being neglected in the daily meeting of physical needs. The Hebrew speaking widows, whom we might refer to as the natives of the area, were receiving the relief. It is clear that there was discrimination based on ethnic identity, whether intended or not. As a consequence, there was a natural division of the people into two groups. There very well could have been an explosion in the congregation, but wise men\u00a0spoke and acted to “defuse the powder keg.”<\/p>\n

Two lessons stand out in this area. First, problems often arise when growth in numbers is taking place. Sometimes the sheer presence of more people contributes to problems, though it is often their spiritual immaturity or diverse backgrounds that bring the problems. Whatever the cause, it is a time for special attention to be given to the conditions that can cause such problems, to make sure that the problems not arise.<\/p>\n

Second, it is wise to investigate complaints.\u00a0While some might be constant complainers, it is better to be sure and to prevent problems that have the potential to destroy a church. It is for this very work that elders are qualified and needed.<\/p>\n

Solving the Problem<\/h2>\n

\"\"That the problem did not grow or cause an explosion in the Jerusalem church is explained by the care that was given to solving it. Such an accomplishment is no accident, but the result of dedicated followers of Christ acting as they ought\u00a0to act in relation to the Lord s will and to each other. The brethren involved in this local church situation were not content to let matters slide. Why do brethren sometimes do nothing, either out of fear of problems, ignorance of what to do, or apathy about the Lord’s work? Brethren, prepare yourself to serve and then serve the Lord! Know that problems will arise, but they are not usually unsolvable.<\/p>\n

It is interesting and edifying to note what happened in the solution to this problem.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The problem was not allowed to hinder the work of Christ being done by the church (Acts 6: 2). The apostles understood and wisely advised concerning the need for them to continue what they were doing over the work of relief, which could be done by others in the congregation. Problems can loom so large that they stop all work being done, but this must not happen!<\/li>\n
  2. This problem was solved under apostolic direction (Acts 6:2-4). We can never do any better in our problems than to turn to what the apostles have written. We enjoy the same apostolic guidance that the first century Christians had. The ideas of men, even those presented in the self-help books or those of exalted brethren, can never rival what the apostles have said on behalf of Christ.<\/li>\n
  3. The church was involved in the solution of the problem (Acts 6:3, 5-6). Apostles guided to this end, and all had an opportunity to participate in the selection of qualified men for the task.<\/li>\n
  4. The solution outlined by the apostles depended upon seven men of good report, filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). Such men are crucial to the welfare of any local church, especially to overcoming problems that arise.<\/li>\n
  5. The willingness of the members of the church to yield to apostolic direction was also essential (Acts 6: 5). However excellent the Lord s plan in any particular area, it works only when people of faith trust the Lord sway to be best and submit to it.<\/li>\n
  6. The plan apparently included a deliberate attempt to include men from the group with the complaint (Acts 6:5). Such a move, indicated by the Greek names of several of them, helped to assure the acceptance and success of the plan. When it is possible to obey God and also to placate offended brethren, wisdom dictates such a course. Brotherly kindness is still in style with the Lord (II Peter 1:7). Let us never forget, however, to obey God rather than men.<\/li>\n
  7. The Christians then sought the Lord s help in prayer (Acts 6:6). Nothing good can ever be accomplished without the blessing and help of God. Why do we not more often seek Him in our times of problems?<\/li>\n
  8. The men installed in the special role of servants in this distribution of food enjoyed the confidence of the church (Acts 6:6). The kind of endorsement seen here showed their acceptance by all involved in this matter. Workers in a local church will more likely succeed in their work when the entire church has participated in their selection and approval.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Progress Continued<\/h2>\n

    Luke also speaks of the progress of the gospel continuing, after the problem had been solved (Acts 6: 7). It ought not to surprise us that progress followed on the heels of this problem, especially its solution. The Lord designed His word to accomplish good, even in its application to problems. It is when problems continue, without sincere efforts to overcome them, that the progress wrought by the gospel stops.<\/p>\n

    Sometimes brethren fear that correcting wrongs in a congregation will bring problems, more specifically that using corrective discipline taught in the New Testament will cause problems, in the form of hurt feelings, broken relationships, and loss of members in a church. All must recall that such thinking betrays a lack of trust in God s way. When this kind of thinking rules, problems linger, fester, and grow larger because the apostolic direction is not being followed. Is it not far better to follow God s will and remove the problem, thus eliminating the hindrance to progress? When we solve church problems with the use of God s plan, we make progress possible by removing the barriers to it.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Bobby L. Graham Sentry Magazine, September 2003 Jerusalem: A Church with Problems While it is true that Corinth is probably the church that most often comes to mind in connection with problems, it is also correct that Jerusalem was the first church with problems. The chief difference is that Corinth was a “problem church,”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1200,456],"class_list":["post-28971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-disagreements","tag-unity"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63757,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-there-are-problems-in-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":28971,"position":0},"title":"When There Are Problems in the Church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 2, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One way to learn how to handle various situations that arise in any congregation is to examine similar situations \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Our problem will not be exactly similar, but what was done, how it was done and why it was done can be greatly useful. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes we think\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":83178,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-an-eldership-direct-multiple-congregations\/","url_meta":{"origin":28971,"position":1},"title":"Can an eldership direct multiple congregations?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We teach that elders are appointed in local congregations and that no congregation oversees another congregation. Neither does the elder of one congregation have overseeing power or responsibility over another congregation. In Acts 15, we know that there were Jewish Christians who insisted that Gentile Christians must circumcise and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34789,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/judaizing-teachers\/","url_meta":{"origin":28971,"position":2},"title":"Judaizing Teachers","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 10, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Galatians 5:1-6 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In the beginnings of the church, Christians first came from the ranks of the Jews \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Jews had a hard time at first with the gospel being preached to Gentiles - Acts 11:1-3 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As the gospel spread to the Gentiles, trouble arose as some Jewish Christians\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3750,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-church-organize-tasks-without-elders\/","url_meta":{"origin":28971,"position":3},"title":"Can a church organize tasks without elders?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 20, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I would like your thoughts on organizing works in a church that does not have the luxury of elders, such as visitors,\u00a0 attendance,\u00a0 sick members, evangelism. Can men be appointed or volunteer to serve as leaders over these areas with an assistant? Wouldn't this make these areas offices?\u00a0 Do\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61801,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-autonomy-of-the-local-church-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":28971,"position":4},"title":"The Autonomy of the Local Church (Hamilton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 9, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One area that sharply distinguishes the Lord\u2019s church from the various denominations is its organization \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The church is the organization through which God\u2019s wisdom is made known - Eph 3:9-11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is a product of that wisdom and is organized by God. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The head of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62894,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-jerusalem-conference\/","url_meta":{"origin":28971,"position":5},"title":"The Jerusalem Conference","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 21, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 11:1-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The meeting in Jerusalem, recorded in Acts 15, is used to justify many things \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The gathering of denominational bodies to consider issues is justified by this passage. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many go a step further to justify decisions of what rules the denomination will support\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28971"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28971\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}