From Drop-Out To Dependable

“From Drop-Out To Dependable”

Acts 13:13

David P. Nolte

Some of the greatest achievers are also known for some failure, or seeming failure, in their lives. To cite some famous “failures” we note the following:

· Cut from the high school basketball team, he went into his bedroom and cried. He is Michael Jordan – 6 time NBA champion, 5 time NBA MVP, 4 time NBA All-Star.

· He didn’t speak until he was four and his teachers said he would never amount to much. He was Albert Einstein.

· He was fired from a newspaper for lack of imagination and original ideas. He was Walt Disney.

· He started well but partway into a mission trip, he left the team and went home. Paul, one of the mission leaders, refused to let him go on the next trip. He was John Mark the writer of the gospel.

Let’s consider 3 stages in this young man’s life.

I. MARK THE DROP-OUT:

A. On the first missionary journey, Barnabas, Paul and John (Mark) teamed up to preach the Gospel to Gentiles. We read, “Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.” Acts 13:13 (NASB). The Message puts his departure like this. “John called it quits and went back to Jerusalem.” Acts 13:13 (MSG).

B. What made him change his mind? We are left to speculate, but from a later event, we can surmise his leaving was problematic to the team.

1. Perhaps he left because he was home-sick.

2. Perhaps he left because the trip was more demanding than he had imagined – sea sickness, poor accommodations along the way, whatever.

3. Perhaps he left because he felt Paul was taking over leadership from Uncle Barnabas.

4. Perhaps he left because he didn’t want to evangelize gentiles after all.

5. Perhaps he left because he was fearful of opposition and persecution.

6. Perhaps he left because his heart was not in the mission trip. He was like the prospector who sold all his possessions, bought prospector tools, and joined The Gold Rush. After weeks of fruitless searching, he buried his tools and went home. A few years passed and a mining company discovered a vein and just about 6 inches away from the vein they found his buried tools! He lost heart for prospecting and dropped-out 6 inches short of riches!

C. For whatever reason, Mark dropped out and went home:

1. Leaving the team short-handed.

2. Losing the respect of an apostle.

D. Two relevant questions arise:

1. Have you ever had someone, upon whom you relied, drop out on you?

a. Maybe an unfaithful spouse.

b. Maybe a treacherous friend.

c. Maybe a promise maker / breaker.

d. Maybe someone you looked to as a mentor.

2. Have you ever dropped-out on someone who trusted you?

a. You made a promise and forgot it.

b. You made a commitment and had second thoughts and changed your mind.

c. You said you would do something but never intended to do it.

d. You obligated yourself to a task for which you had no skills or resources.

E. Let me illustrate NOT dropping out. A man named Mark Coleman loves to hike, and he wanted to pass that love on to his son, Peter. So, when Peter was only 5 years old, Coleman planned an easy hike on the northern part of the Appalachian Trail. His plan was to walk around a mountain to a lake in Vermont where they would spend the night. Coleman made thorough preparations for the trip, which included coaching his son. Over and over Coleman told his boy that it would be tough, and it was okay to be tired, but they had to keep on walking. They had to keep on walking.

Unfortunately, the walking was longer and tougher than expected, because Coleman accidently led them OVER the mountain, not AROUND it. The trail was steep and broken. Little Peter stumbled time after time on loose rocks, but they kept on walking. The hike was a burden, not a joy, but they kept on walking. Peter fell so many times that he ripped the knees of his jeans, but he kept on walking. Finally, after one fall too many, he sat and cried.

As Mark approached him and began to speak, Peter cut him off: “I know, Dad. It's okay to cry, as long as I keep on walking.” (From a sermon by Mark Coleman)

Mark may have dropped out – but only for awhile. And it is evident that he just kept walking. We next see:

II. MARK THE DEFENDANT:

A. “After some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.’ Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.” Acts 15:36-40 (NASB).