HAMMERED HOME Acts 15:36-38; II Tim. 4:9-11
[John Mark]
Background:
1. Read Scripture
2. Introduce the sermon by stating: “Imagine, if you would, a gathering of Roman believers. The time is A.D.63 or 64. Due to an increase in persecution they are meeting in secret. John Mark has arrived to encourage them in their faith.”
Monologue
Grace and peace be yours in abundance. It is good to be with you. I do not take for granted any opportunity to speak of my Lord or to share what He has done for me.
I bring you greetings from Paul, Luke and Timothy - - Paul is holding up well even though he is under house arrest. Unless God intervenes, however, I’m afraid he may not be with us much longer. As you are aware - we meet like this - because those of us On The Way - Christians as we’ve been called - are not well received by my own people the Jews or our ruling government. Our Lord said to the twelve: “All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mk 13:13) I have come to encourage you to stand firm. How well I know the difficulty in doing so.
It humbles me to tell my story. Ten years ago I thought the story of my life was over – finished – had been written. I was at my lowest point. I was John Mark “The Quitter”! How would you like to be known by a similar title? How do you live something like that down? Well, I guess, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Where do I start? Oh, I could tell you:
• of those moments with Jesus Himself
• of being a part of His entry into Jerusalem
• of making arrangements for His last meal with His disciples in our own home
• of the tragic events of Jesus’ betrayal, trial, and crucifixion
• of how our home was a key meeting place after the Lord’s resurrection
• even of the day we were praying and the Spirit of God came to dwell in our lives.
Another time will have to do for all those wonderful events.
Those were exciting days as we saw God add daily to our number. I was caught up in the miracles, the growth, and of seeing God transform lives. Our beloved Paul – known then as Saul of Tarsus – was such a menace to us believers as he sought to persecute and kill any one who followed Jesus of Nazareth. Yet God turned his life around. My own cousin, Barnabas, became one of us.
It seemed like we were always in a prayer meeting, asking God to touch another life or open another door. It was during one of those meeting in our home that Peter was led out of prison by an angel, while we were praying for his protection and soon release. God was answering prayer long before we even expected Him to.
There is nothing like being where the action is. Yet being there does not guarantee that action is taking place in your own life. That was the way it was for me. God was bringing about victories all around me. What joy! Could it get any better? Yet I was not allowing Him to gain much territory – here – in me. The tragedy is that I didn’t realize what was happening at the time. So when I heard that Paul (known then as Saul) and my cousin Barnabas were launching out on a preaching mission, I needed to be right there with them. Front lines are where I wanted to be.
Wow, did I feel important. We were moving out into new territory. From Antioch of Syria we went to the island of Cyprus and then on to Pamphylia. Again God was blessing our every move. And then - excuse me - I still have trouble with this - I, I deserted the other two – quit – had enough!!
How can I best describe it? Even today I can’t tell you exactly why I did what I did. There were so many issues for me.
• Hardship for one – I grew up in a well-to-do family. My life was protected and one of ease. Even during those difficult early years of God building His Kingdom, it was always someone else feeling the hot breath of persecution. The mission trip, however, was the first time in my life when things didn’t always go the way I desired. It was WORK, and I wasn’t use to that.
• Jealousy played its part I guess – I mean it was my cousin who stood up for Saul after his conversion. In fact Saul would not have been in Antioch, to be sent out on the mission, if Barnabas had not invited him to come. But on the trip, day-by-day, it was Saul who was taking the lead and making the key decisions. And Barnabas was letting him do it.
• Tradition had a hold on me – Though I mentally agreed to take the message of Jesus Christ to the world, it tore my bowels wide open, as a Jew, to see Gentiles responding as well as Jews.
• And then when Paul pushed on into the uncharted depths of Asia Minor – I mean Malaria infested – dangerous terrain known to be frequented by robbers – I got scared.
• Yes and one more – Only recently have I begun to realize this aspect of the situation. Up until then I had been on the receiving end of those dynamic early beginnings of the new work of God. Much joy was mine as others all around me were being changed by the Lord. On that trip, however, I was called upon to give what yet I had not fully and deeply made mine. Inside I did not have what it took. My faith was so shallow and immature.
So there I was, leaving like a stray dog with head and tail down. John Mark “The Quitter”! . . .marred for life. So that brings me back to what I said before. How do you live something like that down? I thought I was finished. Yet 10 years later I can affirm in your presence that I am not finished! No, God is not finished with what He is doing in my life and through my life. God has seen fit to use me on other outreach journeys, especially in establishing His Kingdom’s work in Egypt. I’ve been called to proclaim His message in word and print. You’ve already received my Gospel account of Jesus’ earthly ministry through Priscilla and Aquila. That message that wasn’t fully mine was hammered home to me through others. So now I have a story – His Story – my story to tell! Oh it is exciting. “Quit” is no longer in my vocabulary. I’ve got to tell!
When I was ready to give up on myself, God wasn’t and neither were several other key people. I’m here today because of them. They picked me up when I was down. They took an infant believer and taught me God’s Word. They shook me out of being a spectator into being a participant. The first one I’d like to thank is Paul. When I heard that he and Barnabas were setting out again to visit the churches established on their first trip I had to go. This time I’d show them. I had to live down the nickname I was carrying. But Paul refused to let me go. He told me the truth in love. He said he had forgiven me but could not trust me. In fact he and Barnabas had a serious, shall I say, discussion over the whole issue of me accompanying them. The end result was I didn’t go and neither did Barnabas. God used Paul to hold a mirror up to me, making me see what I was. The hammer of God in my life, at that moment, was Paul. I began to come to myself, which led me straight to God. I’m glad to report that Paul recently wrote a letter to Timothy asking our brother to bring me with him to Rome - insisting that I was an asset to the ministry of our Lord. His early rebuke was what got me started in that direction.
I thank Barnabas who wouldn’t give up on me. He took my desertion seriously yet would not accept my failure as final. Love is a risky business. My cousin was willing to take a risk on me. He took me with him to Cyprus to help proclaim the gospel. Barnabas was another effective hammer of God in my life. And that time God was building me from the inside out. It wasn’t like before when I was caught up in the excitement of someone else’s growth. Now that growth was a personal experience. So, I didn’t run away like I had done earlier. No, I was beginning to run with the Lord. Our journey together has led to so many places.
Then there is Peter. From the first time Jesus and His followers entered our lives, Mary (my mom) and I were drawn to Simon Peter. I can’t tell you just why he was my favorite. Maybe because he reminded me of what I wanted to be - bold – take charge – involved - kind of a guy. It seemed he took an interest in me. In fact much of what I’ve learned about the day-to-day activities of our Lord came from sitting at Peter’s feet, listening to him reminisce. After I had turned back on Paul and Barnabas, Peter seemed to seek me out a bit more. I remember returning from Cyprus with Barnabas. Our ministry there had gone quite well. Yet Satan was hammering me with the thought that I was a failure. Cousin Barnabas wouldn’t always be there to protect me from failure. That is who I was, “A failure”. Well Peter came to me in my depression. He sat beside me for a long time, and then I felt his strong fisherman’s arm around my shoulder. “Mark,” he said, “I want to tell you something. I, too, have failed. When our Lord was on trial for His life, I denied Him. Even with cursing I denied him. Mark, did you desert 3 times? I deserted Jesus 3 times! But, though I had failed Him utterly, He forgave me and called me to feed His sheep. I was Simon the unstable one. Now by His grace I’m becoming ‘Rock’”. Then he paused to let his words sink in. Finally he said: “Son”, that is what he calls me (I Peter 5:13), “God has already forgiven you. People who have known the anguish of failure can be used of Him to help the rest of us when we fail.” Wow, what a hammer of the Lord. Every experience we have which illuminates our inadequacy and God’s sufficiency is hammering out the gospel to and in us. It’s not about us, but all about Him. This gospel of grace is something we need to share with others. All of us failures need to hear it.
Speaking of sharing, God used so many others in my life as they just came along side to journey with me for a while – sharing their story – praying for and with me – encouraging me in my faith walk. Growth comes in our lives so often through God’s use of other people. They are His hammers. The wise Jewish king, Solomon, said it well “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). We need each other. We are our brother’s keeper.
More than ever I’m grateful for my name – or should I say names? John, my Jewish name, means, “God is gracious”. I want everyone to know how He sent Jesus Christ, His Son, to serve and give His life as a ransom for us (Mark 10:45). He came to forgive our failings and to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. He is soooooo gracious.
My Roman name, as you well know is Mark – meaning large hammer. It took some mighty big hammers of God to hammer home the gospel in me. I’m so grateful for those who let God use them as hammers in my life. Now I’m no longer “The Quitter”. Today I’m Mark, His hammer, seeking to be His instrument in sharpening the lives of others. I’ve come today to tell you how well I can identify with the temptation you face to give up under pressure and persecution. As I’ve heard Peter say on more than one occasion, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (I Peter 5:9)
So take it from one who has felt the jaws of that lion. Yet God has been gracious to use others as larger hammers in my life than the one who was trying to bring me down. Stand firm brothers and sisters. Allow others to sharpen you so you can be the iron that God uses to sharpen them. Be honest with your own failures so that you can have compassion for everyone else who fails. Already you know of someone who has fallen away. Will you be the hammer that God uses to restore them? Within the reach of all of our lives are those without God. God’s hammers are those of us who will, in our daily lives, seek to hammer out the gospel before the lost. Though they may tell on us, possibly bringing stronger persecution our way, we must tell them about Jesus. Our lives must demonstrate the difference the Lord makes. They just might turn to God. What ever it takes, we must be faithful hammers, giving one loving blow after another after another. Remember the same One welding us, as that hammer, is the same One responsible for the reaction of those on the receiving end. Our calling is to be available, letting God hammer others Home through us – Home is life in Him – Home is a renewal of life in Him – Home is growth in Him. We all are at different stages in our journey with the Lord. Hammers get someone else a little closer to where God desires him or her to be – in other words, Home. I’ve come here tonight with the sole desire to hammer you closer to Home.
Now grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You don’t do that alone, but you do that together. I need you. You need each other and me. I promise to be your iron. Will you be mine? We are all in the process of being made by our gracious Lord into larger hammers. To Him be the glory both now and forever.
