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- Jesus made it clear that we are the people of the less travelled road.

- I think Paul travelled that road, in his response to Mark’s desertion. Paul held him accountable, and he allowed him to face consequences.

- Unbelief always wants to justify its own sins, and unbelief wants to be well liked.

- When we exempt others from responsibility, we cut them off from hope, and render them powerless to shape a better future.

- Mark choose the freedom of forgiveness, rather than the bondage of blame and bitterness.

- Time doesn’t heal all wounds, it just buries them in shallow graves.

- Forgiveness is the result of a choice. Not a choice to forget, but a choice to remember differently.

- Forgiveness is setting a captive free, only to discover the captive was you.

- But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.

So that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished and that all the gentiles might hear

and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. 2 Tim 4:16-17

- God is able to weave our hurts, into our destiny.

- Believers who are Spirit-led are not immune from conflict.

- When believers disagree our adversary provides weapons for both.

- The Holy Spirit can provide wisdom to both sides.

- Believers see things differently due to our different backgrounds, experiences, personalities, gifts and callings.

- Don’t divide the church.

The unity of Christ’s church must never be sacrificed for personal disagreements.

- Don’t avoid, lash out, or vent.

When we start building walls between ourselves and another believer, the reality is, you start building a wall between yourself and God.

- Don’t talk rubbish, don’t gossip, don’t make accusations.

The things you should do in conflict.

- We need to work at finding the common ground for resolution.

- We need to work at finding that with a spirit of humility.

- God-honouring resolution doesn’t necessarily mean agreement.

- When you can’t agree, move on from that issue.

- A Spirit-led church is not a problem free zone.

- The Spirit frees us for God’s glory to deal with Problems.

- The Jewish people were chosen to special relationship and service to humanity.

- They were not chosen for special acceptance.

- Scripture shows us that God entrusts key decisions to his appointed leaders.

- All believers are equal, but not all are called or gifted to lead.

- The point Peter was making: no one can earn God’s grace, faith begins with confession of need.

- Spiritual liberty does not negate the need for love and sensitivity.

- Even when we walk in spiritual integrity we may still encounter suspicion.

- We must never have more rigid requirements than God, or make our Christian customs more important than the truth they were intended to maintain.

- The most deceitful spiritual attacks/distractions that come the way of believers are the subtle ones.

- Frontal assaults on the faith keep believers distracted, while allowing the enemy to attack on other flanks, with more subtle seductive distractions.

· Because Gods ambassadors don’t seek to be called great.

Rather they call us to a great Christ!

1. Satan tempts the church to embrace the idolatry of being more inclusive than God.

Compassion becomes evil when it attempts to be more caring than God.

Compassion becomes idolatry when it elevates our hearts and thoughts above His.

The rebellious person is offended at the suggestion there in only one way.

2. Idolatry desires a God on its own terms.

A God that echoes the heart rather than challenging it.

We lose the ability to speak to idolatry when we ourselves participate in it.

The Spirit’s purpose is always the same. That purpose is the glory of Jesus.

- The Spirit’s workings are not always the same.

They cannot be reduced to a predictable pattern or formula.

· We must not build an expectation, or theology, on one event.

· We must not try to put the Spirit in a box.

• We must not try to box the Spirit in regards to our own situations and prayers.

· “Persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! “ (2 Tim 3:11)

· "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)

· Sometimes his deliverance will come through miraculous intervention.

· Sometimes his deliverance will come by way of stones.

Relying on human abilities/capabilities, can replace reliance upon the Holy Spirit, and leads to disappointed people and unacceptable results.

This chapter shows us:

1. When the Holy Spirit is leading He determines our assignments

2. When the Holy Spirit is leading we accept our assignments.

God’s work is impossible without the Holy Spirit, but it’s also unlikely without us.

3. The Holy Spirit generally leads through the assembly.

4. When the Holy Spirit leads the path may still have difficulties.

5. When the Holy Spirit leads humility follows.

When the Spirit leads we agree on God’s mission, but may disagree on the details.

6. When the Holy Spirit leads some challenges will remain.

· We struggle with changes and delays, even when ordered by God.

- Mission-focused faith accepts divinely ordered changes and delays.

- Mission-focused faith is a mindset that orients all things around God’s mission in the world.

- Worship, service and growth, are simply a means to an end. Essential disciplines for those who are committed to, and effective in God’s mission in the world.

- A mission-focused church recognises that when the Holy Spirit is leading, God’s character, Word, and mission are the only things that remain the same.

Everything else is subject to change.

- The Holy Spirit often leads mission-focused people through long delays, but delays are not denials.

- Mission-focused people prepare for their future assignment by doing the work before them.

- Mission-focused hearts don’t fear change and don’t stumble with delays. They listen for God in both.

- The Power of the Holy Spirit is given to make us witnesses.

The Spirit is given to make us effective communicators of the grace and the hope of the gospel.

- Witnessing isn’t just about spouting words.

It involves a profound shift of caring for and about and suffering with people.

- In Acts we see that it is the Spirit that gives life.

The life of God is a loving, people-focused, sacrificial life.

- The power of the Holy Spirit isn’t meant to make us “sizzle”.

Neither is it given to make us “celebrities”.

- The ability to witness is not supposed to be natural.

It must be super-natural. The power of the Holy Spirit is given to make us servants.

- This will only happen when they are tired of being filled with things that leave us empty.

Then we are willing to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

- Times of trouble in our lives bring 2 things:

Opportunities to better understand prayer.

Opportunities to better understand God’s sovereignty.

- Humility asks boldly, and it trusts completely.

- If God did everything on the miracle level, you would never mature in the image of God.

- We can miss what is knocking at our door:

Due to preconceptions of what’s needed or what God will do.

Due to past events that shape our expectations.

Due to the false security we find in a problem.

Because at times of a request for person growth, God may bring across our path, a person with needs.

Because at times of a request, we don’t see that some answers come in instalments.

- God is sovereign, but his sovereignty does not make prayer pointless.