DON’T GIVE UP ON THOSE WHO’VE GIVEN UP
Acts 15:35-40
I was raised in a Christian home. I came to know Christ at the age of 15. When I was 20 years old I realized that the Lord was calling me to preach. Instead of surrendering to His will for my life, I began to run from God. For about 2 years I lived life on my terms, I lived in rebellion. Not only did I refuse to surrender to God’s call, I quit church and walked away from the Father. During that time certain people refused to give up on me. My parents, my pastor and some great Christian friends encouraged me to repent and seek restoration. Among that crowd was one person who stood out above all the rest. My pastor’s wife was relentless, almost every week she would plead with me to make things right. Eventually I agreed to attend church one Sunday just to get her off my back. That was in 2004 and my life hasn’t been the same since. I returned to the Lord and began to go to church on a regular basis. Because of that I was surrounded by a great church family who loved me, discipled me and helped me mature in the Lord. Within a year I surrendered to God’s call on my life and I things have never been the same. I had given up, but that precious lady refused to give up on me.
There was a time when a man named John mark was faithfully serving the Lord. He was a fellow laborer with Paul and Barnabas. But there came a time when he abandoned his associates and the work that God had called him to do. Some time later, Barnabas sought to see John Mark restored to the Lord and to the Kingdom work. Living up to his name, Barnabas was a great encourager. The Bible records the wonderful story of his restoration.
As we look around this church today we see many empty pews. These empty pews were once filled by faithful followers of Christ. But now, these people have turned away from the Lord and are living in rebellion. They have abandoned the church, the work of the ministry and worst of all they have abandoned their Master. We have a tendency to we write the people off… in doing so we give up on those who have given up. May we never forget that these people are our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible says “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)
As Christians we should have the same kind of compassion that Barnabas possessed. We should reach out to those who have turned away and do all that is within our power to see them restored. We can’t restore them, but we can point them to the One who can.
I would like to look at the relationship between John Mark and Barnabas and preach on the thought “Don’t Give Up On Those Who’ve Given Up”.
- Let’s begin by examining the fact that:
I. IN CHRIST, WE ARE DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE SAME BODY
v35 Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. 36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
The book of Acts records the names of numerous members of the early Church. Our selected text mentions 4 of them: Paul, Barnabas, John Mark, and Silas. These are men who were born into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Today, we are assembled together as a congregation of believers. We are many members who make up one Body.
The Bible speaks of this in - Romans 12:5 we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
Also in - I Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body-so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 So the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I'm not a hand, I don't belong to the body," in spite of this it still belongs to the body.
The picture here is one of unity and togetherness. Concerning the physical body, if one part hurts the entire body hurts. The same is true concerning the spiritual Body, when one member hurts, we all suffer. Paul goes on to say in - I Corinthians 12:25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
- We are joined together in Jesus Christ. It is a great blessing to be a part of the body of Christ. The relationships are invaluable. However:
II. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN CERTAIN MEMBERS WALK AWAY FROM THE BODY
v37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. 38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
Paul and Barnabas traveled and shared the Gospel of Christ. There came a time when they selected a young man named John Mark to labor with them.
Acts 12:24 God's message flourished and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem after they had completed their relief mission, on which they took John Mark.
This was a great opportunity and honor for this young man. The church was growing rapidly and there was no shortage of people who would have loved the opportunity to learn from and serve with these two men. However, after traveling and serving for some time, John Mark walked away from the work of the ministry.
Verse 38 tells us that Mark" had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work."
It saddens me to think about how many people were once faithful servants in this church who have walked away. There are some who still attend but all they do is fill a spot, they have walked away from their area of service and their jobs go unattended. The Bible makes it clear that in the church “Body” each member has a specific purpose.
I Corinthians 12:14 So the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I'm not a hand, I don't belong to the body," in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I'm not an eye, I don't belong to the body," in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But now God has placed the parts, each one of them, in the body just as He wanted.
This passage proves that God has a place for you in His Church. v18 says "God has placed the parts, each one of them, in the body just as He wanted."
Not only does He have a place for you in the Church universal, He has a place for you in the local church. The Book of Acts shows time and again how the followers of Christ were faithful to the local church. God expects His people to be faithful to the Church. - Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Far too many of the Brethren have walked away from the Lord and His Church.
When John Mark walked away he walked away from a lot! He walked away from his fellow-laborers, he walked away from his spiritual progress, he walked away from the work that God had assigned him to accomplish. Worst of all He walked away from the Lord. Mark was not an apostate, but he walked away from the center of God’s will. I want to take a moment and look at Mark's story and see just what people walk away from when they turn from the Lord.
- Notice that:
A. THEY WALK AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE CHURCH
Mark abandoned Paul and Barnabas. He also abandoned all of the people that he could have reached with the Gospel. Those members of this church who have walked away have abandoned every other servant in the church. As a result the workload has increased for the faithful few. Often when this occurs those who are among the faithful become burned out from shouldering so much of the load. In time, they too may walk away.
- Those who walk away, walk away from the people within the church. It is also true that:
B. THEY WALK AWAY FROM THEIR OWN SPIRITUAL PROGRESS
Mark had the opportunity to learn from the Apostle Paul. But he neglected that opportunity. Imagine all that he could have learned first hand from the greatest Christian who ever lived! God has designed the church where the members build each other up. We comfort one another, care for one another, and we pray for one another. There are times when we must rebuke one another in love. In the church we learn together from God’s Word, and we are able to learn from the wisdom of our fellow believers. As the Pastor, I am the spiritual leader of this church, But even though I am the leader, I learn so much from the people of this church. Many of you have wisdom, knowledge and experience that I do not have, and through serving together I have benefited spiritually.
Let it be said that God expects His people to serve TOGETHER! I have never seen a spiritually mature, surrendered servant of God that was not active in a local church. When you walk away you miss out on the opportunity to grow and mature in Christ. Your spiritual progress comes to a screeching halt.
- We also find that when Christians walk away:
C. THEY WALK AWAY FROM OPPORTUNITIES TO MINISTER TO OTHERS
People who turn away also abandon the people that God could have used them to minister to within the church. My life has been blessed by people through the years who were willing to serve the Lord in hard times. They spent time teaching me one on one, they invested in me by teaching in Sunday School, volunteering in Bible school, and working in the Nursery and Children’s Church. These people may not have received much recognition down here but I believe that they have treasures in Heaven because of their faithfulness.
Many of us would not be where we are on our spiritual journey if it were not for faithful servants who continued to serve when others walked away. On the other hand, how many eternal rewards have you forfeited because you walked away from the ministry? How many people could you have reached for the Lord, or helped grow in the Lord if you had remained faithful to the task that God assigned you?
- There are many negatives that come when one walks away, but the most tragic fact is that when a Christian walks away:
D. THEY WALK AWAY FROM THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD
I can’t tell you what John Mark did when he abandoned Paul and Barnabas. We don’t have the details about his time away. But it is apparent that he was not where the Lord wanted him to be. And that brings about a host of problems. A Christian does not have to return to the life they lived before their conversion to be out of God’s will. The fact is that if you are not where God would have you to be, doing what God would have you to do then you are living in rebellion.
- Consider the fact that:
1) THOSE IN CHRIST SHOULD BE SERVING HIM
God has a place for you to serve. There are people that He would have you to reach for Him. He wants you to witness to the lost and disciple those who are saved! Not only should you be serving:
2) THOSE IN CHRIST SHOULD BE LEARNING ABOUT HIM
One of the greatest benefits of the church is edification. When we assemble together we can learn and grow in the faith.
- Also:
3) THOSE IN CHRIST SHOULD BE TELLING OTHERS ABOUT HIM
Mark left the mission field. There is no way to know how many people he could have reached if he had not abandoned the mission. If you have turned away from the Lord chances are pretty good that you are not sharing your faith with others. And if you attempt to witness to lost people they are not going to take you serious when you are not faithful to the Lord yourself!
- We should be serving, learning, witnessing and:
4) THOSE IN CHRIST SHOULD BE WORSHIPPING HIM
Our God is worthy of worship. He desires it, He deserves it and He demands it. There is no excuse for a Christian not to worship their Lord. If you have no desire to worship Him, it may be that He is not the Lord of your life! Walking away from the Lord is not something that a Christian plans to do. But when it happens it brings about devastating consequences. We must recognize that many of our brothers and sisters are in danger.
- When we come to this realization:
III. WE MUST CHOOSE HOW WE ARE GOING TO RESPOND TO THOSE WHO HAVE TURNED AWAY
v39 And the contention was so sharp between (Paul & Barnabas), that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them on their journey. Paul did not think it was a good idea. As a result they parted ways. Paul teamed up with Silas and Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus. We have dozens of John Marks that are members of this church. They were once faithful and active. But somewhere along the way they abandoned the work. We must choose whether we will neglect them or will we do all that is within our power to see them restored?
Church history would have been much different if Mark had not been restored. He didn't know it at the time but his greatest days of service were ahead of him.
I often wondered where I would be if those faithful Christians had given up on me when I gave up on the Lord. I can't tell you how much of an impact I have had on the Kingdom of God but it would not have been much if I had not been restored. God used some compassionate people to assist in my restoration. Let us have a heart like Barnabas and seek to minister to those who have walked away.
- This is a great work, and one that the Lord will bless, but let me warn you:
IV. SEEING THE RESTORATION OF A FALLEN BROTHER TAKES EFFORT
v39 so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
Barnabas was willing to do what was necessary to help Mark return to the Lord and to the work of the ministry. If you have a burden for a fellow Christian who has fallen away, God can use you to minister to them. Are you willing to do that? Is there one or many people on your mind right now that you know need to be restored to the Lord? If so there are a few things that we must do.
-First of all:
A. WE MUST PRAY FOR THEM
One of the greatest assets in the Christian life is prayer. Take that brother or sister before the throne, not once but as long as it takes.
- Secondly:
B. WE MUST CONFRONT THEM
These people need a friend who cares enough to confront them. They need someone who will tell them the truth and warn them of the danger of being away from God.
- Also:
C. WE MUST INVEST IN THEM
The ministry of reconciliation takes time and effort. We must reach a place where we are willing to do whatever is necessary to see that brother or sister return to the Lord.
- Along with this is the fact that:
D. WE MUST NEVER GIVE UP ON THEM
We cannot put a time limit on this process. We cannot get frustrated and write them off. We must be steadfast and committed to seeing them restored.
- Finally:
E. WE MUST LOVE THEM
Barnabas loved John Mark. He was willing to sacrifice for him, he was willing to invest in him, he was willing to do whatever it took to see him return to the ministry. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to see your fallen brethren restored? Are you motivated by your love for them to reach out and invest in their life? If you were in their situation wouldn't you want someone to minister to you?
- When a fallen brother is restored, there will be eternal benefits involved. Notice:
V. THE ACTIONS OF BARNABAS SHOW US THE ETERNAL BENEFIT OF THE MINISTRY OF RESTORATION
God still had a plan and a purpose for John Mark. Because of Barnabas compassion and obedience that plan came to fruition.
- When we are faithful to minister to the fallen:
A. THE FALLEN WILL BE RESTORED
God's Word tells us that John Mark did return to the mission field. Paul said in - Colossians 4:10 - Mark, Barnabas’s cousin {sends you his greetings}. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way
Paul describes Mark as a co-laborer in Philemon 1:24. Mark was serving with Timothy in Ephesus when Paul wrote him during his second imprisonment. Paul describes John Mark as being “profitable to the ministry” in II Timothy 4:11 Oh yeah, have you ever heard of the Gospel of Mark?? Yep, that's the same Mark that we are reading about today. How about that for a comeback? I have often wondered what would have happened to Mark if it had not been for Barnabas’ compassion and love.
Many of you have been impacted by someone who cared enough to reach out to you when you had abandoned the mission. Why not do the same and reach out to someone who has turned away?
- Another eternal benefit of this work is the fact that:
B. THE FATHER WILL BE GLORIFIED
The greatest tragedy of Mark's turning away was the fact that he disobeyed God. He damaged his witness. He refused to do the work that God had called him to do. But when he was restored, he once again brought glory to the Father. Folks, that is our purpose! Our lives should bring honor and glory to the Father's name.
- Finally, when our fallen brethren are restored:
C. THE KINGDOM WILL BE ADVANCED
v40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41 and he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
John Mark returned to the Lord and to the work of the ministry. I'm sure that Satan was excited at the possibility of Paul and Barnabas parting ways. But God turned division into multiplication. Paul & Silas ministered in one region, and Mark & Barnabas went in another direction. And the great benefit is that the Gospel spread everywhere they went. The Kingdom was advanced and Mark's restoration was one reason why.
Can you imagine what this church could do for the Lord if all our members who have turned away would turn back to the Lord? God can use you to do what Barnabas did for John Mark. Are you willing to be a Barnabas?
There are several different kinds of people in this building. Some of you are lost and headed for hell and you need to be saved. Jesus can and will save you today!
Some of you are like John Mark: You have abandoned the work of the ministry. You have neglected your responsibilities in the church, You have deserted your brothers and sisters in Christ, But worst of all you have turned away from the Lord. You can be restored today!
The rest of us have a decision to make as well. We must decide what we are going to do about all of our brothers and sisters who have turned away. Are we going to neglect them, or are we going to seek their restoration?
Maybe you feel led to come and pray for a specific person, or even a group of people that you know should be actively involved in the work of this ministry. We want to give you that opportunity today.
But the sad truth is that some of you simply do not care. You don't have enough compassion or concern to reach out to those who have turned away. It could be that you need to come and pray that the Lord would soften your heart and give you a burden to minister to the brethren.
Whatever the need, now is the time to respond to the work the Holy Spirit is doing in your life. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let's do what is necessary to see our family restored. "DON’T GIVE UP ON THOSE WHO’VE GIVEN UP"
