This is Sunday evening, July the 2nd, 1972,
in Richmond, Virginia.
Ministry given through Brother Stephen Kong.
In the fountain, cleansed by his blood, Join
us with Jesus as we travel this path.
I'm part of the family, the family of
God.
May we have a word of prayer?
Lord, we do confess we are unworthy to
be here.
But we praise and thank Thee.
We belong to Thy family.
Thou has included us in the family of
God.
Thou has washed us with Thy precious blood.
Thou has given us Thy own life.
That we may be born into this family.
Oh, how we praise and thank Thee.
We can commune with the Father.
We can commune with Thyself.
We can commune with one another.
What a family.
We worship Thee together.
Lord, make Thy presence very real to us.
Remove from our hearts any veil that may
be there.
We want to see Thee.
We want to hear Thee.
We want to know Thee, Lord.
Knowing Thee is eternal life.
Lord, there is nothing in our hearts that
we desire above this.
To know Thee.
To know Thee, Lord.
So we pray that as we study Thy
word together, Thou will breathe upon Thy word.
Make it very living.
Let us see Thyself that we may be
transformed and be conformed to Thy image.
And it is all to the praise of
Thy glory.
We commit ourselves to Thee, Lord, for this
hour.
We trust Thy Holy Spirit to anoint every
one of us that in one spirit we
may be taken up, we may see Thee
and hear Thee.
In Thy precious name we pray.
Amen.
I believe as you go on with the
Lord, more and more your heart will be
occupied with the Lord Himself.
I believe that more and more you will
go back to the full gospel.
I do not know how you feel, but
this is the way I feel.
I feel we have to go back to
the full gospel.
Not because this is fundamental, but also because
this is the consummation.
That we may see Him.
We may see Him.
We may know Him.
Our knowledge of the Lord Jesus comes from
the records of the full gospels.
As we mentioned last month, if you still
remember, there are not full gospels.
There is only one gospel.
The gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
But our Lord Jesus is so full, so
rich, we are not able to know Him
in all His fullness unless He is presented
to us in these four different records of
the gospel.
And this is the reason why we have
the gospel according to Matthew, the gospel according
to Mark, the gospel according to Luke, and
the gospel according to John.
All of them try to present to us
the same Christ.
But it is the Christ that each one
of them knows personally in a very special
way.
This is the reason why we say this
is the gospel according to Matthew.
Because it is the Christ that Matthew knows
in a special way.
And as we mentioned last time, Matthew knows
Christ as the King.
So His gospel is the gospel of the
Kingdom.
This time, God willing, we would like to
go into the gospel according to Mark.
The Christ that Mark knows.
The Christ that Mark himself experienced in a
very special way.
And out of his personal experience of the
Lord, he is used by the Holy Spirit
to present to us a picture of our
Lord Jesus.
That we may know the Lord Jesus in
the way that Mark knows Him.
As we must know the Lord Jesus as
Matthew knows Him, too.
Now before we can go into the gospel
according to Mark, we would like to know
something about Mark.
Not that Mark is so important.
It is the Lord that Mark presents to
us that is important.
Mark is only a vessel.
But if we know the vessel, it will
help us to know the Lord.
And it is only in this connection that
we would like to know something about this
man.
And why is it God uses him to
present Christ in such a special way?
As we find in the gospel according to
Mark.
So let us read a few passages from
the New Testament.
The book of Acts.
Acts chapter 12, verse 12.
This is the first mentioning of the name
Mark in the Bible.
Acts 12, 12.
And having become clearly conscious in himself, that
is Peter.
You remember an angel was sent by God
to open the iron gate to relieve Peter
out of prison.
And after he came out of prison and
went to the next street, then he began
to come to himself.
At first he thought it was a dream.
Then he began to realize it was real.
So here you find, and having become clearly
conscious in himself, he came to the house
of Mary, the mother of John, who was
surname Mark.
Where were many gathered together and prayed?
The same chapter, verse 25.
And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having
fulfilled the service entrusted to them, taking also
with them John, surname Mark.
Chapter 13, verse 5.
The second part of verse 5.
And they had John also as their attendant.
The same chapter, verse 13.
And having sailed from Paphos, Paul and his
company came to Perga of Pamphylia.
And John separated from them and returned to
Jerusalem.
Chapter 15 of the book of Acts, verse
36.
But after certain days, Paul said to Barnabas,
Let us return now and visit the brethren
in every city where we have announced the
word of the Lord and see how they
are getting on.
And Barnabas proposed to take with them John
also, called Mark.
But Paul thought it not well to take
with them him who had abandoned them going
back from Pamphylia and had not gone with
them to the work.
There arose therefore very warm feeling so that
they separated from one another.
And Barnabas, taking Mark, sailed away to Cyprus.
But Paul, having chosen Silas, went forth, committed
by the brethren to the grace of God.
And he passed through Syria and Sicilia, confirming
the churches.
Colossians chapter 4, verse
10.
Aristarchus, my fellow captive, salutes you.
And Mark, Barnabas' cousin, concerning whom ye have
received orders, if he come to you, receive
him.
And Jesus called Justus, who are of the
circumcision.
These are the only fellow workers for the
kingdom of God who have been a consolation
to you.
2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 11.
Luke alone is with me.
Take Mark and bring him with thyself, for
he is serviceable to me for ministry.
And the last place is in Peter.
1 Peter, chapter 5, verse
13.
She that is elected with you in Babylon
salutes you.
And Markers, my son.
What we know of Mark today is found
mainly in these various passages that we have
just read.
But when you go through these passages, you
will see this man Mark.
And this is what we hope we'll do
tonight.
After Peter was released by the angel from
prison, he came to himself.
And he was trying to decide where he
should go.
Why?
Because at that time in Jerusalem there were
more than 10,000 believers in the church
there.
Sometimes they met together at the porch of
Solomon.
But at other times they met in homes.
And most likely during that time there must
be quite a number of homes open for
the saints to come together to meet, to
worship, and to pray.
So when Peter was released, now he had
to think a little bit before he could
decide which home he would go.
He knew that there would be a number
of homes open and there must be a
number of prayer meetings being held in these
many homes.
Now where should he go?
To notify the brothers and sisters that the
Lord has set him free.
So he thought for a while and he
decided to go to the house of Mary.
Mary, the mother of John, surname Mark.
Now John was his Jewish name.
Mark was his Latin name.
Because you know at that time the Jewish
nation was under the rule of the Roman
Empire.
So it is the custom of that day
people will have a Jewish name and a
Latin name.
And especially those who have Hellenistic background.
That is, the Jews at that time were
divided into two kinds.
The Hebrew Jews and the Hellenistic Jews.
The Hebrew Jews were those who were born
and reared in Palestine.
But the Hellenistic Jews were Jews born and
reared in the Gentile city.
So with the Hellenistic Jews especially they had
a Latin name as well as a Jewish
name.
And this happened to this young man.
John, surname Mark.
His mother was a believer.
His mother must be a woman of means.
We had no record of Mark's father.
Probably his father passed away in the early
days of his life.
But anyway we find his mother was a
believer.
And because God gave her means she had
a big house in Jerusalem.
And you know it was again the practice
of those days.
Some Hellenistic Jews they had their homes in
their Gentile cities.
For instance Mark's cousin Barnabas he had property
in Jerusalem too.
So it shows us that those people who
had means they maintained not only a house,
a home in their native city but they
also maintained a house in Jerusalem.
Because you know all the pious Jews would
go to Jerusalem at least three times a
year.
So if they had the means they would
have a house in Jerusalem just like people
may live in different places but they maintain
an apartment or a house in Washington D
.C. Now if a person can do that
he must be a person with means.
So here you'll find Mary.
Maybe a widow.
But she was a woman of means.
She had a big house in Jerusalem.
She offered her house to the Jews of
the church there.
So believers will come to her house and
meet during that time to open
her home.
For believers to meet became more and more
dangerous.
In the beginning you'll find there wasn't much
persecution.
But then later on Herod noticed that the
Jews would like to see him persecute the
believers.
He put James the brother of John to
death and he saw the Jews were very
happy about it so he put Peter into
prison.
In other words you'll find persecution began in
those days.
Stephen was told during the time of persecution
to open your home for believers to come
together and meet.
Well that was very dangerous.
It might cost her her life because the
government, the Roman government was not favorable and
the Jewish people were persecuting the believers and
yet this sister Mary she loved the Lord
so much she did not count the cost
of even losing her life.
She was willing to lay what God had
prospered her what God had given her at
the feet.
Believers met in her home.
Most likely Peter frequented that home very often.
That's the reason why he chose to go
to that home above all the other homes.
It came naturally.
Most likely the other apostles had been to
that home.
Most likely many believers had been to that
home.
And you know this young boy John called
Mark was reared in such an environment and
atmosphere.
He was exposed to good Christian influence.
It is true.
The first generation cannot pass on their faith
to the second generation in the sense that
if the parents are saved that does not
guarantee the children are saved.
Everyone has to believe the Lord himself.
That is true.
New birth is not something that can be
passed on that can be inherited.
New birth is something that each must come
to the Lord himself.
But even though the parents are not able
to pass on new birth yet they can
provide for the younger generation the best atmosphere
and environment which will help the younger generation
to trust the Lord.
That is something the old generation can do.
So here you find this young man.
He was given the best Christian environment that
anyone could have.
And under such an environment he was brought
to know the Lord.
Most likely through Peter.
Because Peter called Marcus my son.
That is Mark my son.
Not in the physical sense but in the
spiritual sense.
Just like Paul called Timothy his son.
Whom he begot in truth.
So brothers and sisters very very likely most
likely this young man Mark was exposed to
such good Christian influence and he was finally
brought to know the Lord personally through the
ministry of the Apostle Peter.
Now this was the background of this young
man.
He showed spiritual potentials in his early days.
Now we do not know whether he had
seen the Lord or not.
We don't know.
Some people think you know in Mark chapter
14 verses 51 and 52 when they took
the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane all
his disciples fled but there was a young
man following.
Now this young man was curious about things
you know as all young men are.
Young people are.
They are all curious.
So when they took the Lord this young
man followed and then people began to see
him.
So you remember he threw off his linen
cloth and fled naked.
And you know of all the four gospels
only Mark recorded this thing.
And he didn't tell us who this young
man was.
So everybody was guessing this must be Mark
himself.
It might be so.
We don't know.
It might be so.
You know.
This young man was curious.
But when he found that the danger was
so too big well he threw off his
garment and fled naked even.
Now if this young man was Mark then
he had seen the Lord.
But probably he had not known the Lord
at that time.
You know a person can be under certain
environment but he may not be really saved.
So maybe it was afterwards.
We don't know.
But anyway whether he has seen the Lord
or not anyway you'll find he was exposed
to the best and finally he was brought.
As a young man he showed great potential.
Remember there were over 10,000 Christians at
that time.
But he really showed great spiritual potential.
So when Barnabas and Paul came to Jerusalem
to fulfill the ministry of help supply
to the poor in Jerusalem after they fulfilled
this ministry of love they went back to
Antioch.
But when they went back to Antioch they
took Mark with them.
Now remember it is true that Mark was
Barnabas' cousin.
There was a blood relationship between Mark and
Barnabas.
But I do not believe that Barnabas took
Mark with him just because Mark was his
cousin.
You know in the things of God you
cannot decide things on the basis of natural
relationship.
Mark must have shown some potential in his
spiritual history.
And because of that Barnabas, you know he
is the son of consolation.
Barnabas was a good man.
Oh he was tender hearted.
He could detect the good in anybody very
quickly.
And you know he was the one who
found Paul's soul out of Tarsus and brought
him to Antioch.
And now he saw his cousin.
This young man Mark showed real spiritual promise.
And he felt he would like to help
this young man.
And of course he would never take Mark
without the consent of Paul.
Because they worked together.
So this shows that when they took Mark
with them to Antioch it was not on
the basis of natural relationship.
It was because Mark had shown some spiritual
potential.
Well they took Mark with them.
And you remember in chapter 13 of the
book of Acts five prophets and teachers they
were ministering unto the Lord together fasting and
praying.
And the Holy Spirit said set me apart
Barnabas and Paul for a wider ministry.
And when they went out they took Mark
with them as their attendant.
As their helper.
You know.
Not because this young man showed spiritual potential.
Therefore he could go out independently.
A person may show potential.
But there is still much that needs to
be done in that life yet.
This young man Mark he showed spiritual potential.
But remember he was a young man and
if that young man in Mark 14 was
himself then it showed that he was very
impulsive.
He was an impulsive young person.
He would do things suddenly.
And he can drop things suddenly too.
And he was a young man that came
out of a wealthy family.
He was used to comfort and maybe luxury.
He didn't know hardship.
He might be a young man who shows
some spiritual promise and yet basically he was
still an arrogant independent self-willed self-centered
young man.
All brothers and sisters thank God He raised
up young people.
And really give them spiritual potential.
And the church should be quick to discern
that.
You know many young people the Lord really
had His hand upon them but the church
was blind.
These people were buried.
They were not given the opportunity.
They were not given the training that they
should receive.
But in the early days you'll find that
God raised up young people and the church
was very quick in discerning.
And would do everything for these young people
to mature them.
That they might be useful vessels in the
hand of God.
How we need Barnabas today.
How we need Paul today.
Those who are able to see God's working
in the lives of young people and try
to complete them to perfect them.
But on the other hand young people not
because you have show some spiritual promises therefore
you can just launch out on your own.
And you know many young people were shipwrecked
when they do that.
There is much yet to be done in
these lives.
Before God can really use them.
And that is the reason why Barnabas and
Paul took John's surname Mark.
They took Mark with them.
In order that Mark might be under their
wing.
To learn.
Not only to learn the technique of work.
But more to learn the building of Christian
character.
You know people today put too much emphasis
on methods and techniques.
If we can learn the techniques or the
methods then we can do the work.
In the work of God character is more
important than technique.
It is very easy to learn a technique.
You go to a school and you learn
it.
But that doesn't guarantee that you are able
to do God's work.
There must be that building of character in
a person.
There must be that maturing of life.
And this is the reason why Paul and
Barnabas took Mark with them.
Not just to learn a technique.
He could learn that in a school.
But he had to learn these under the
discipline of two elder brothers.
All right?
They went out.
And naturally Barnabas came from Cyprus.
So the first place they visited was the
island of Cyprus.
Their native place.
And probably Mark was born in Cyprus too.
We don't know.
But anyway that was their native place.
Cyprus.
So first of all they went to Cyprus.
And they passed from one end of the
island to the other end of the island.
When they come to Paphos something happened.
The pro-council the Roman pro-council Sergius
Paulus was an intelligent man.
And he wanted to hear the gospel.
But in his court there was a magician.
Elymas.
And this magician tried every means to hinder
the pro-council to hear the gospel.
So Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit looked
at that person and said God will blind
your eyes because you resist the truth.
And this magician became blind.
And the pro-council saw it.
And willingly he listened to the gospel.
After this happened they moved on.
But when they left Cyprus and went to
Pamphylia Perga of Pamphylia John left them and
returned to Jerusalem.
Why?
Later on you will find in chapter 15
of the book of Acts Paul considered the
leaving of Mark at that moment as a
desertion.
They went out on a mission.
And only through a short period Mark deserted.
He abandoned them.
He deserted them.
And he returned to Jerusalem.
Now why?
We do not know exactly but there might
be several reasons.
Number one Mark being brought up in a
wealthy family he was used to a life
of ease and comfort.
So probably he couldn't endure the hardship of
the journey.
In doing God's work to be a good
soldier of the Lord.
One thing you have to learn and that
is to endure hardship.
It may have nothing to do with spirituality
but it has lots to do with serving
God.
You know why is it that when a
young man is drafted he has to go
to the boot camp?
So far as fighting is concerned that may
be a waste.
Why should people have to get up at
a certain hour and have to march and
do all these things?
What's the use of all these things?
When you go to the battlefield you cannot
march in formation.
Why is it you have to go through
all these trainings, strenuous trainings running with the
full pack on and live in such a
primitive condition?
Why?
Why the hardship?
I was told that secondhand that in this
country the young people are just too soft.
In comparison with the young people in Europe
we are too soft.
Because we live a life of ease and
comfort and even luxury.
Brothers and sisters such a life will not
make you a good soldier even in this
world.
How can you become a good soldier of
the Lord Jesus?
By indulging yourself in ease and comfort.
Now I'm not preaching on asceticism.
I'm not preaching on suffering or hardship.
No, not at all.
Not at all.
But it is a necessity that young people
should learn to endure hardship for the Lord.
If you do not learn how to endure
hardship not to say spirituality you are disqualified.
You know the story of Huston Taylor?
The founder of the China English Mission?
When he was a young man he felt
the call to go to China but he
felt that he should learn medicine to be
a medical doctor.
That would be useful in China.
So he went to London and there he
began to study medicine.
He lived in a small room.
He tried to save every money he could.
He ate the most simple food.
He would not tell anybody his need.
He worked for a doctor at that time.
But this doctor was very forgetful and always
forgot to give him his salary.
But he had to pay his rent.
And he could easily say well, doctor, you
haven't paid my salary.
He could easily do that.
But he felt if he went to China
he had to live by faith.
So he would have mentioned it.
And if you read his life you know
how he was tested.
The doctor closed the office without mentioning his
salary and there his rent was waiting there.
It was not necessary for him to live
such a hard life in London.
He could live much more comfortably in London.
But in view of the work in China
he had to train himself to hardship.
And no wonder God used him.
Brothers and sisters, being spiritual does not make
you any less practical.
Here you find this young man.
He was brought up in such a comfortable
environment.
Probably he had developed a habit of self
-indulgence.
And when he just passed through Cyprus that
was his native place.
He could go.
But when they let the native place Cyprus
go to other place he was just frightened.
No, no, I go back.
Anyone who could not, cannot endure hardship or
even willing to do so is not qualified
to serve the Lord.
So he went along happily.
But when he came to Cyprus something happened.
God seemed to use Paul in such a
way that from then on it was Paul
and Barnabas.
Now you read the book of Acts carefully.
You'll find it became Paul and Barnabas.
Paul had went ahead in spirituality.
Barnabas seemed to be behind.
And the order, the spiritual order is Paul.
Brothers and sisters, who is before and who
is behind?
It is not fixed, not fixed.
Whoever has the greater measure of Christ is
before.
It is not a human appointment.
In a human arrangement you may arrange this
person to be the president, that person to
be the vice president.
But in spiritual order you'll find it can
change anytime.
It depends on spirituality.
So when it came to that point you'll
find Paul seemed to manifest more spiritual power
than Barnabas.
And naturally the Bible, the Holy Spirit began
to say Paul and Barnabas, and this young
man.
Thank God for Barnabas.
Even though he might be older, even though
at one time he helped Paul, yet he
knew the Lord.
He was willing to recognize the Lord and
the Lord's authority.
He was willing to take the second place.
He was willing to play the second fiddle.
Oh, there's much to say about Barnabas.
He really knew the Lord.
Now if he did not know the Lord
he would strive with Paul and say, well,
I'm the head.
I'm the leader.
That's how we came out.
And it should be continued like that.
No, no.
He knew the Lord.
He knew that the Lord had a greater
place in the life of Paul than in
him.
And he was willing to go along.
But this young man had not learned.
This young man was not happy with it.
Why should my cousin fail into the second
place?
He was not happy with it.
And he wouldn't go along.
He returned.
He had yet to learn spiritual authority.
That's possible.
And thirdly, it was also possible.
You know, even though Mark was most likely
a Hellenistic Jew, just like Paul.
Paul was a Hellenistic Jew.
Barnabas was a Hellenistic Jew.
Now, the Hebrew Jews were stricter in their
practice of Judaism than the Hellenistic Jews.
And if you read the book of Acts,
you'll find that was a problem at that
time.
The Hebrew Jews thought that God's blessing could
only come upon the Jews and not upon
the Gentiles.
Now, if a Gentile should come into the
blessing of God, he had to become a
Jew first.
He had to be a Apostolite first.
And then the blessing of God would come
upon.
You know, he had to be circumcised first.
But Paul was a Hellenistic Jew, you know.
So his view was much freer and broader.
Now, Mark was brought up, remember, in Jerusalem.
He was under the influence, probably, of Peter.
And James and others.
So maybe, in this matter of the nature,
the scope of the gospel, he had a
different view from.
So after he had listened to Paul's preaching,
he couldn't agree.
He thought Paul was too broad.
Too broad.
You know, young people have lots of opinions,
right?
Well, I do not say only young people
have opinions.
Older people have opinions too.
But the good thing is, young people can
change their opinions.
That's a good thing.
But anyway, you'll find young people usually are
full of opinions.
And because they have their ideas, they have
to fight for it.
You know, they may change, but they will
not change unless they put up a fight.
So probably, Mark, you know, he was not
happy with Paul's style of preaching.
He was theologically at odds with Paul.
And because of that, he wouldn't go along.
Wouldn't go along.
But anyway, whatever the reason might be, he
left them and returned to Jerusalem.
He thought by leaving them and returning to
Jerusalem, then everything was solved.
Brothers and sisters, escaping the cross is
to forsake an opportunity.
In the sovereignty of God, he was put
under the authority, help of Paul and Barnabas.
But this young man couldn't.
He was an undisciplined, gifted, showing signs of
promise, but undisciplined, unbroken in the flesh.
And he was not willing to accept the
cross in his life.
By deserting them and going back to Jerusalem,
he was escaping an opportunity of his life.
It was sad, very sad.
But thank God.
He thought by going back to Jerusalem, certainly
his problem would be solved.
He went back.
And you can imagine.
After he went back, he probably would go
straight to Peter and pour out all his
complaints about Paul.
Certainly Peter would stand by him and say,
well, this Paul was really bad.
But he didn't got it.
Even though Peter might not see eye to
eye with Paul, and yet Peter knew the
Lord.
When this young man came back, I believe,
Peter, especially maybe, maybe others, they helped this
young man.
They put him under discipline.
Thank God for that.
He escaped one discipline, but he entered into
another discipline.
How do we know?
Because he was restored.
If he should come home and his mother
would just pat him and say, now, poor
boy, you have suffered a great deal.
Or if Peter said, well, well, well, you
better stay here.
You have gone with the wrong person.
What would happen to this young man?
He would be spoiled for life.
A total failure.
But in God's mercy, I believe when he
came back, he tried to get sympathy from
Peter.
But Peter wouldn't give him sympathy.
Peter helped him to see his weakness.
Thank God for that.
Oh, I cannot forget an incident about our
brother, dear brother Watchman Lee.
Now forgive me to mention him because I
think he will illustrate this point.
After our brother was saved, he was a
young man.
He was saved when he was 20.
He was 18.
He was saved when he was 18.
And then a number of people began to
meet together.
And he became one of the three brothers
who were in charge of the meeting.
And it so happened that he was not
only the most brilliant one, humanly speaking, the
most talented one, but it so happened that
he was one whom God gave much more
revelation than the other two brothers.
He saw things more than the other two
saw.
But whenever he tried to communicate what the
Lord had shown him, these two brothers just
put him down.
And our brother was full of complaints in
him.
Now where should he go?
It so happened there was an elderly Miss
Margaret E.
Barber.
Now this sister from England helped our brother
the most.
And it was through the prayer of this
sister there was a revival in that city.
And many young students were saved.
So naturally these students would go to this
sister for help, for spiritual help.
So brother Lee often went to this sister.
And he said every time he went to
this sister to complain.
You know, this sister lives on an island.
So he went to see that sister.
Now he said, surely this time she will
stand with me because I have all the
reasons.
So he went time after time trying to
complain.
And he thought surely this, this, this is
time he will surely stand with me.
And you know what this sister said?
I heard my brother say this himself.
He said whenever he complained about the other
two brothers and he knew he was right,
the other two brothers were wrong.
And it was true.
And you know every time he went there
the sister said, the young obey the old.
And our brother went back and said, oh,
I'm just five years younger than they.
And I have to obey them?
And this continued at least two years.
Two or five years, I forgot, two years
probably.
And do you know?
Because of this our brother learned before the
Lord.
And if you read his recent book, Spiritual
Authority, you know why.
He learned it when he was a young
man.
Brothers and sisters, especially young people, if the
hand of the Lord is upon you, remember
one thing, you cannot escape.
Without discipline, you cannot become a vessel fit
for the Master.
Thank God after several years, Barnabas, Paul and
Barnabas went to Jerusalem again.
And this time for an important conference, you
know, in Acts 15.
And after the conference was over, they took
Mark with them again to Antioch.
If Mark had not been corrected to a
certain degree or restored to a certain degree,
this would never happen.
And the reason why they took Mark was
they must have seen that there was a
change.
So they gave him.
Oh, how we thank God for giving us.
If we have only one change, we may
have lost it already.
How patient is our God.
He is willing to give us another chance.
If He can see there is some change
in us.
If He can see that we are softened.
If we can see that we are broken.
If we can see that we are willing
to be disciplined.
We accept the discipline.
Then you find they took him back to
Antioch.
But when they wanted to go out the
second time, Paul said to Barnabas, let us
revisit those churches that we established in the
beginning.
And Barnabas agreed with him.
But then Barnabas said, let's take Mark with
us.
You know, Barnabas was a kind-hearted, soft
person.
Well, he really wanted to perfect Mark.
He really wanted to help Mark.
Not for any selfish purpose.
It is for God, you know.
But he was that kind of person, you
know, soft-hearted.
So he wanted to restore Mark completely, you
know, by taking him out.
Not to make it too difficult for him.
But Paul was a natural disciplinary.
So Paul thought, well, he said, well, it
was all right to bring Mark back to
Antioch.
But to bring Mark again in our travel.
Well, no.
He was not ready for it.
He deserted the first time.
He had to learn more before he could
be taken out.
And unfortunately, there was heated.
So finally, Barnabas took Mark with him and
they went back to Cyprus.
And Paul chose Silas.
And they went to other places.
Well, everybody is interested to know who is
wrong and who is right.
Is Barnabas wrong?
Or is Paul wrong?
Is Barnabas too soft?
Or is Paul too hard?
Well, I'll keep back my opinion.
You may have your own opinion.
But I think the point is not who
is right or who is wrong.
I feel that the point is how sovereign
is God.
How sovereign is God.
God allowed this thing to happen.
Barnabas took Mark, but you know what?
Even though the Bible did not record anymore
the work of Barnabas.
As if.
Barnabas must have worked for years for the
Lord.
Good work, maybe.
But it is not recorded in the Bible.
Now, even though this is the case, when
Paul was in Roman prison, when he wrote
a letter to the Colossians, he told us,
Mark, of the three fellow workers that were
of the circumcision, Mark was one of them.
And he was a convert.
Now, who did a good job of restoring
Mark?
In the sovereignty of God, God used Barnabas
to perfect so that he could be fully
restored to Paul.
And Paul said, Mark, a convert.
So, brothers and sisters, the question is not
who is wrong and who is right.
The question is, God in his sovereign mercy
has overruled and brought it into good.
Paul treasured Mark so much during his second
imprisonment in Rome.
As he was to be martyred, he wrote
to Timothy and said, Bring Mark with you.
He is serviceable to me in ministry.
Oh, brothers and sisters, when you read that,
you praise the Lord.
This young man, who started out well, and
then he seemed to be shifted.
When he was tested, he seemed to fail
in the testing.
But by God's sovereign grace, through the instrument
of various persons, Paul, Barnabas, Peter, this young
man came out as a vessel safe.
It reminds me of that scene in Jeremiah
chapter 18.
God told Jeremiah to go down to the
potter's field and there to watch a potter
making a vessel.
When the potter put a clay on the
wheel, he turned the wheel and then he
tried to mold and fashion that vessel.
But that vessel, did he throw it away?
No.
He remade it into a new vessel, more
glorious than before.
Now this is the work of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, that gives us hope.
How often, when the Lord put us on
the wheel, turned us around, and his hand
is trying to fashion us, we broke, we
cramped.
There was something in us that hindered his
work.
But did God, does he throw us away?
No.
He took us and remade us into a
new vessel, more glorious than ever.
That is the glory of God.
The glory of God.
After Paul was martyred, the last mention of
Mark in the Bible, so far as historical
record is concerned, was in 1 Peter.
We find Mark was again back with Peter
in Babylon.
Of the four Gospels, most people believe the
first Gospel written was the Gospel according to
Mark.
That's chronologically speaking.
Mark was the first one chosen by God
to write the life.
You know that these men, Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John, they are more than historians.
They are evangelists.
In other words, they are not just giving
us a historical record, impersonal, accurate but impersonal.
No.
They are evangelists.
They are presenting to us the Christ that
they know personally in their lives.
And this is the Christ God wants us
to know.
And Mark was the first one chosen by
God to give us the life.
And God considered his writing as the script.
What a vessel he has become to be
used by God to write the Bible and
the life of Christ.
Now if there should be any impurity in
him, and if any impurity of that person
should get into his writing, he will give
us a distorted picture.
God has through the years worked in that
vessel, mowed and fashioned that vessel, until finally
God said, now this young man is ready.
He can present to the world the life
without distortion.
It is the Bible.
It is the Christ that God wants us
to know.
What a work of mercy.
What a work of God.
What is the message?
What is the Christ Who is the Christ?
What is the Christ that Mark presents to
us?
Everyone who reads the Bible knows.
Mark presents to us Christ as the servant
of the Lord.
The servant.
And how can he present Christ as the
servant of the Lord?
In such a way, he himself.
You cannot present Christ.
You cannot impart Christ to others more than
you have learned.
You have to learn Christ first.
And it is what you have learned of
Christ you can impart.
This is spiritual.
This is the gospel that you will preach.
The measure of your gospel is based on
the measure of the Christ you know.
And when you present the gospel in this
way it is religious.
It is effective.
Because it is the person, Christ.
So dear brothers and sisters, what do we
learn here?
We learn one thing.
In order to preach the gospel, in order
to present to this world as the servant
of the Lord, God has to work in
our lives to mold us, fashion us, transform
us, discipline us, break us, make us, until
we are fit to be his vessel in
presenting Christ.
And that kind of gospel we preach will
be very effective.
Shall we pray?
Our Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank
thee thou dost apprehend people to be thy
chosen vessels to present thy Son to this
world.
But Lord, thou dost not choose and not
work in these lives until they are fit
to be used.
Oh, how we praise and thank thee for
thy faithfulness in spite of our resistance, in
spite of our failures.
Thy hand is still upon us.
Lord, take not thy hand away from us,
but mold us, fashion us, make us, until
we may be vessel, fit, for the Master's
need that we can present Christ to this
world in a living, effective way.
Oh, Lord, remember every one of us here,
whether we are young physically or older physically,
Lord, we just offer ourselves to thee and
trust thee to perfect thy work in all
of us.
We ask in the name of our Lord
Jesus Amen.