A Quitter Who Finally Came Back
Acts 15:36-40
Open your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark. What do you know about him?
a. He is mentioned briefly in 12 New Testament passages.
b. His Hebrew name was John, while Mark was his Roman name. Sometimes called John Mark, but usually simply Mark.
The references to him outline an interesting life story, but he is best known as "a quitter who finally came back."
Mark started with great advantage, opportunity and promise.
A. He was from a good family.
1. His mother was Mary (father not mentioned) in whose home the church met (Acts 12:12).
a. Such an atmosphere is bound to help in rearing children to become useful citizens in God’s kingdom.
b. Does the church meet in your home?
2. His Uncle was Barnabas (Col. 4:10).
3. So this young man came from a Christian family.
a. A blessing often not appreciated.
b. It is tragic that some "second and third generation" Christians do not realized what a great blessing it is.
B. He was converted by Peter. (I Pet. 5:13)
1. He lived among the Apostles during the exciting early days of the church.
2. It is possible that he had seen the Lord and heard Him speak "as never spoke man."
3. He was likely was with the group at his mother’s house when Peter was miraculously released from prison.
C. He was invited to join Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:25).
D. Here we have painted before us, a young man who:
1. Loved the Lord and His church.
2. Was impressed with the great work of Paul and Barnabas and wanted to be a part of it.
a. He bids farewell to his family and brethren and goes to be their assistant.
b. He expects to do much and much is expected of him.
c. He has the opportunity to be part of missionary history.
3. There is so much to commend this young man. We need more boys, girls, men and women like him today.
But part way through the mission, Mark quit and went home (Acts 13:13).
E. Why? We don’t know, perhaps;
1. Homesick (not mature enough, independent or self-reliant).
2. Afraid
a. Hardships, self-denials and dangers.
b. He may have gotten "cold feet."
c. The work was no longer glamorous.
d. A missionary, on the eve of returning to Africa was asked: "do you like your work?" His quiet, but stunning answer: "Of course I don’t like it. Who likes dirt, disease, sin, danger and separation from loved ones? But heaven help us if we only do for God what we like."
3. Prejudice
a. The work in Jerusalem was among the Jews, his own people.
b. But Paul was going to Gentiles, barbarians, etc.
F. Whatever the reason, it was not satisfactory to Paul.
1. Paul and Barnabas differed and went their separate ways.
a. Apparently Barnabas was willing to forget Mark’s record and give him another chance.
b. Notice that they did not fight, abuse each other, or split the church.
2. The very fact of this contention puts Mark in a very unfavorable light. How embarrassing it must have been.
G. But we can say this for Mark, it is obvious he had quit the work, but he did not quit the church.
1. Some do quit altogether.
a. Very obvious quitters because we don’t see them anymore.
b. While visiting sometimes we hear – "Just because we’ve quit coming, don’t think we have quit the church."
c. What else would one have to do to quit?
d. Lk. 8:13-14
e. Lk. 9:62
2. But others are like Mark and their failure is not so obvious.
a. Some simply "give out."
b. Some rest on their past accomplishments.
c. Others get discouraged.
d. Maybe at all the services but still quitters.
e. On the wall of a large university is written: "On the plains of hesitation lie the blacken bones of countless millions, who, at the dawn of victory, sat down to rest, and resting died."
f. When Isaiah received his commission he asked, "Lord, how long?" (Isa. 6:11)
Ø
We can’t quit until every soul has heard the gospel.Ø
We can’t quit until we have reached our final destination.However, the rest of Mark’s story is simply this: he was a quitter who finally came back.
H. Listen to what Paul said about him later.
1. Col. 4:10
2. Philemon 24
3. II Tim. 4:11
I. Lesson: God leaves the way open for any quitter who wants to come back (Peter, you).
J. What were some of the factors, which may have aided in his restoration?
1. Paul’s rebuke.
a. There are times when the greatest cruelty we can do our friends is to be too gentle and too kind to tell them the truth. Many a man has been saved by having some brave Paul or brave Nathan look him squarely in the eyes and say, "Thou art the man."
b. Please forgive your preacher for not doing this more. It is the hardiest part of being a preacher.
c. Mark may have at first resented it; then brooded over its truth; and finally appreciated its merit and changed his life.
d. I hope you will do the same when rebuked.
2. Barnabas’ confidence in giving him another chance.
a. Barnabas opened the way for him to prove he had "learned his lesson."
b. Such confidence goes a long way in restoration.
c. Sometimes we don’t get this part right.
d. "I just want to say to you, man to man, that it saved my soul to have someone believe in me when I scarcely believed in myself."
3. Mark did not think his failure was final and irrevocable.
a. I Jn. 1:9
b. How wonderful to know that God forgives if we come back.
c. We would not have the wonderful gospel of Mark if this quitter had not come back.
Let’s bring the lesson home to our hearts.
Mark was a quitter who came back.
a. Some never start.
b. Some quit and return.
c. Some quit and are forever lost!
You can come back or start today!
The fact that you are yet alive is evidence of God’s mercy and confidence that you can make it.
Are you a quitter?
If you will do nothing else at least plan to come back tonight.
Jim Pharr
Lenoir, NC