Sunday a.m. - January 20, 2008
“Beauty For Ashes”
(NOTE: This message was the first one I gave to a church that had just gone through a split and the congregation was hurting and confused how such a thing could happen)
I. Background: The church in Antioch has gathered together. A word of prophecy comes forth and the Holy Spirit calls Paul and Barnabas to the mission field. Paul and Barnabas leave Antioch and sail to the port of Salamis on the island of Cyprus.
I'm reading from the NLT.
Acts 13:5, "And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant."
a. This was actually John Mark or Mark who wrote the Book of Mark.
b. He was probably just a young man and went with Paul and Barnabas to look after them.
II. Verse: 13, "Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, (or Mark) departing from them, returned to Jerusalem."
a. For some reason Mark decided to leave Paul and Barnabas.
b. Looking at a map they had traveled by boat through the Mediterranean Sea for about 500 miles.
c. This could have been Mark's first time away from home & he may have been homesick.
d. It doesn't say how Paul reacted when Mark left but it stuck in his mind, which we'll see in a little bit.
III. Paul and Barnabas have finished the mission trip and returned to Antioch. They report to the church and tell them all about their trip. Then they spend some time in the city teaching and preaching.
Acts 15:36-41
"Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing."
a. Paul and Barnabas had become very close friends and they worked as a team.
b. After Paul got saved and started preaching the Gospel he tried to join the Christians in Jerusalem but they remembered how Paul devoted his life to hunting down Christians.
c. They remembered how the people laid their coats at the feet of Paul while they stoned Stephen.
d. Acts 8:1-4, "Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. (New Living Translation)
e. But one day when Paul was on his way to Damascus the Lord got a hold of him.
f. Paul got saved and later when he tried to join the church in Jerusalem, he was rejected.
IV. Acts 9:27, "But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus."
a. Barnabas was the only man that stood up for Paul.
b. The people remembered Paul's past but Barnabas knew Paul was a new creature in Christ and God had a purpose for his life.
c. Barnabas wasn't his real name. His real name was Joses. (Acts. 4:36)
d. The apostles changed his name to Barnabas which means "the encourager".
e. Acts 11:25-26 says Barnabas was a "good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith"
f. The same verses also tell how Paul/Barnabas worked together at Antioch for a year teaching and preaching.
g. Those two men loved and respected each other.
h. A special bond developed between them.
V. Look back to Acts 15:36-41, "Then after some clays Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing." Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches."
A. Paul wanted to return to the cities they had ministered in to see how the churches were doing.
b. Barnabas agreed to go but he wanted to take Mark.
c. Paul told Barnabas, "No, we're not taking him with us. He deserted us in Pamphylia he'll probably just desert us again."
d. Barnabas didn't dwell on Mark's past failures.
e. He only saw his potential for the future.
f. That's why the apostles renamed him "the encourager".
g. That's a lesson for all of us. Don't judge others by their past.
B. Look at verse 39 again, "Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another."
a. The words "sharp contention" really don't describe how serious this was.
b. I looked up "sharp contention" and found that it means there was such a difference of opinion it caused physical, mental, and spiritual pain.
c. It touched every bit of their 3 part being. Spirit, soul, and body.
d. When it came to the physical suffering they didn't come to blows but they probably both had some indigestion and a few headaches.
e. Both men were hurting very deeply.
f. But they were both stubborn enough not to budge in their opinion when it came to Mark.
g. It caused strife.
Prov. 17:14, Amplified Bible: "The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [like a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarreling breaks out."
a. In other words, nip it in the bud if you can or it will just get worse.
b. Paul and Barnabas were too stubborn to give in to each other.
c. What happened?
d. Verse 39, "they parted from one another"
e. They split and parted company.
f. Barnabas took Mark and went back to Cyprus, where Barnabas was born and raised.
VI. Now look at Acts 15:41, "but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. " And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches." NKJV
a. When Paul & Barnabas first started the trip the church laid hands on them & prayed over them.
b. We know they were led by the Holy Spirit to carry out the great commission by going into the whole world and preach the Gospel.
VII. Question: If they were led by the Holy Spirit, why did they take Mark?
A. God has never said, "Wow, I didn't see that coming!"
a. God is never surprised. He knows the end from the beginning.
b. God knew Mark was going to desert Paul and Barnabas.
c. God knew there would be such a disagreement that both men, who loved each other deeply, would go their separate ways.
d. With the advantage of hindsight, all of us could have told God how to handle the situation.
e. But that's the problem with man.
f. We operate in "hindsight" but God operates in "foresight".
g. What was the outcome of this situation that caused a separation between two friends?
h. Instead of one mission, one ministry, now there were two.
B. Barnabas and Mark went to Cyprus.
a. History tells us that Barnabas had a great ministry in Cyprus and it carried over into North Africa.
C. Paul went from the first missionary journey to the second and third, raising up churches and preaching the Gospel in Asia and over to Macedonia which is Western Europe.
D. Mark went on to write the Gospel of Mark.
a. But what about Paul, and his feelings about Mark?
b. Paul ended up in prison at Rome while he was there he wrote his last epistle.
c. 2 Tim. 4:11. (These are some of the last recorded words of Paul,) "Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry."
d. Paul died in prison but his last thoughts were good ones towards Mark.
E. Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
VIII. When I was asked to minister this Sunday I prayed and asked God what to say.
A. He gave me one word.
a. It was "Ashes"
b. I went to the concordance and found a lot of verses containing the word ashes.
c. But one verse jumped out and I thought to myself, "that's the one".
It’s from Isaiah 61:1-3 which says,
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind tip the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."
A. Verse one said Jesus was sent to "bind up the brokenhearted".
a. To "bind" means to heal.
b. Brokenhearted, or heartbroken, means "to break, to be shattered, smashed, crushed."
c. Remember the dispute between Paul and Barnabas?
d. You know they had to be heartbroken when they went their separate ways.
B. Psalm 34:18, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
C. Verse 3: God said He was going to give "beauty for ashes".
a. Ashes: It was the custom in those days for people who were mourning to throw ashes into the air and let them fall on their heads. The ashes would color their face a dull, ugly grey color.
b. Tears running down their cheeks mixed with the ashes and would make a muddy mess.
c. They were not a very pretty sight.
d. Their appearance would draw people to console and grieve with them.
e. Christians are not supposed to be going around looking like we're grieving.
f. Jesus took our griefs on the cross.
g. Matt. 5:17, "Ye are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,"
E. Oil of Joy for mourning - The Oil of Joy is the unction, or anointing, of the Holy Spirit.
a. Nehemiah 8:10, "The joy of the LORD is your strength"
b. God doesn't force anything on anybody.
c. We make the decision to receive a gift from Him and then He gives it.
d. If God gives you the oil of joy you have to receive it by faith, just as we did when we received salvation.
e. That's why the Bible says the "sacrifice of praise".
f. Whether you feel like praying or not, you have to take the first step by faith.
F. Garment of Praise "for the spirit of heaviness"
a. Again praise is something we have to do by faith.
b. A garment is a piece of clothing.
c. When you get out of bed in the morning, who puts clothes on you?
d. God gives us the garment of praise but we have to dress ourselves.
e. Otherwise we stand naked and embarrassed.
f. A lot of people have it turned around.
g. They are embarrassed because they are asked to praise God.
G. Psalm 22 is a Psalm looking forward to Jesus on the cross.
a. In verse 22, "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You."
b. According to that scripture, when we sing and praise God, Jesus is in the midst of us and He sings too.
c. We need to remember that when we're singing praise.
d. If you hear someone singing off-key it will probably be me.
e. Don't blame Jesus.
IX. What is going to be the end result of God giving all these gifts to people who are hurting?
A. Isaiah 61:3, "that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."
a. Any time a person has a wound such as a cut or broken bone, healing begins.
b. That's the way God created us.
c. He has given our bodies ways of healing that even science can't explain.
In the spiritual, God has given us with another remedy.
The hymn: Balm in Gilead (based on Jeremiah 8:22)
There is a balm in Gilead, To make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead, To heal the sin sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged, And think my work's in vain, But then the Holy Spirit Revives my soul again.
Refrain
If you can't preach like Peter, If you can't pray like Paul, Just tell the love of Jesus, And say He died for all.
X. Following is an acronym for H-E-A-L
Humility:
A. When we're offended by someone God expects us to pray for them, not get even with words or actions.
a. Pride has been the cause of more sin in the world than anything else.
b. The devil was kicked out of heaven because of too much pride, he wanted to be God.
c. The KJV of Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
d. Here's it is out of the Message Bible: "First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall."
e. There was a vacuum salesman who went door-to-door and used this line: "M'am, could I come in and show you something that a lot of your neighbors say you can't afford?" (He was the top salesman in the company)
f. Listen to Colossians 3:13-15 out of the NLT, "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.", And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful."
Endurance:
A. Another way of saying, "Don't give up".
a. Healing takes time and a lot of patience.
B. Paul said, "I have fought a good fight,! have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7)
a. We're in the same race as Paul.
b. But do you realize that before you were born, God has been waiting at the finish line?
c. He knows you're going to make it.
d. You have to convince yourself by believing what He says in His Word.
e. No matter how bad things look in the natural, God always has a better picture painted in the spiritual.
Accountability:
A. We are all going to stand before the Judgment Seat of Jesus someday and give an account of all we have said and done since we were saved.
a. People like to talk & complain.
b. There's always someone who can quarterback a game after it's over and everyone has gone home.
c. It's like the boy who hitched his dog up to the lawnmower because it had run out of gas. The dog stops and starts barking at a man passing by. The boy says, "Don't mind the dog mister. He's just doing that cause it's easier than pulling the mower".
d. Christians have to guard their tongue.
e. Here are a few reasons why:
Psalm 15:1, "Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.
Proverbs 21:23, "Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief." Message Bible.
One probably most familiar:
Prov. 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 6:17-19, "There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family."
f. Those verses speak for themselves.
Love: Think of others more highly than yourself. Love just naturally follows.
1 Cor. 13:1-3, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." NKJV
A. Speaking in tongues, prophesying, words of knowledge, and having the faith to move mountains don't mean a thing to God unless they are manifested in love.
B. You could:
a. Protest in front of every abortion clinic.
b. Stand on a street corner passing out tracts 24/7.
c. You could sell all you have and go to the mission field.
d. You can even pastor a church.
e. But if you don't have love, you are nothing.
f. God's not impressed.
C. Jesus condensed all the Old Testament commandments into just one.
a. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
X. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cormeth in the morning. (Psalm 30:5b)
a. A new morning has dawned.
b. It's time for a healing.
c. It's time to put what has passed... into the past.
d. It's time to go forward with the leading of the Holy Spirit, to be a blessing to Shenandoah by preaching good tidings, healing the brokenhearted, & proclaiming liberty to those held captive by the devil.
Prayer:
Father God, we thank you that you have never left us and promised you never will. Sometimes we don't understand the way things happen. I'm thankful that all we have to understand is your word which says, "all things work together for good to them that love you”. Holy Spirit, you are always welcome here to manifest those gifts that bring glory to God the Father and Jesus, His son.
We ask your help to develop the Fruits of the Spirit in our lives so each of us may by Your light shining in this community, bring the lost to salvation, give healing to the sick, and deliver those in bondage.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
