Being an Useful Instrument for the Lord

Start: an well-known passage from Acts that sounds ominous.

Acts 15:36-41

36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

I am not going to speak about dissension. Though I will say that from experience, Satan will try to cause dissension, disagreements, or, at least tension, within our team. We need to be aware of this danger and when it does occur, recognize it for what it is—Satan’s attempt to undermine the start of this new Harvest location.

My focus is transpires in Mark’s life from this moment until years later, Paul writes these words to Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:11 NLT

Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.

What happened in Mark’s life that moved him from being someone who caused a division between two good friends and colleagues to Paul’s praise of Mark to Timothy?

There are two elements I will look at briefly

The People who influenced Mark

What God accomplished in Mark.

I. The people in Mark’s life

A. Mark’s mother.

Acts 12:12 NLT

When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.

Some pastors have disparaged Mark, claiming that when Mark abandoned his cousin Barnabas and Paul during the first journey (Acts 13:13), he “ran home to his mommy.” Yes, he did return home.

But his mother was a person who prayed. When Peter was released from jail, he went to a place where he knew believers would be gathered. Peter went to a house of prayer—Mary’s house.

Have any here had a mother who prayed for you? Is there anyone more incessant in prayer than a mother for her children and their walk with the Lord? Yes, Mark returned home, but it was a home where a mother prayed for her son.

Our prayers for others make an impact. We need to be faithfully praying for our families as well as for others to come to Christ.

B. Mark’s cousin

Acts 15:39 NLT

Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.

Barnabas was a person who saw potential in others. Luke described Barnabas:

Acts 4:36 NLT

For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.

Acts 11:24 NLT

Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

After the disagreement with Paul, Barnabas gave Mark another chance. He chose Mark and together they sailed for Cyprus. This verse concludes the biblical, historical narrative of Barnabas.

Barnabas first appeared in Acts in 4:36 shortly after Pentecost in AD 33. He disappears from the story of the Bible when he and Paul part company at the start of the Paul’s second missionary journey in AD 49—about 15 years. Yet, I believe that Barnabas did not stop disciplining others, especially Mark.

We deduced Barnabas’s influence on Mark, from a comment Paul makes to the church at Colosse.

Colossians 4:10–11 NLT

Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!

Paul tells the Colossians, “Make Mark welcome if he comes your way,” and “What a comfort they have been!”

Barnabas was a discipler. He discipled the church at Antioch. He discipled and mentored Paul. And he discipled his cousin Mark.

As members of the core team for Harvest-Westfield, we ought to be disciplers of others. We ought to encourage. We give others a second, and third chances.

C. Mark’s spiritual father

Peter likely knew Mark through Mark’s mother, Mary. Remember, when the angel freed Peter from prison (Acts 12), he went to Mary’s house.

Now, about 30 years later, Peter concludes his first letter to the diasporic Jews with this aside:

1 Peter 5:13 (ESV)

She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.

Most scholars understand Peter’s statement to mean that Peter was Mark’s spiritual father—he led Mark to faith. We don’t know how long Peter and Mark spent together, but I believe it was a considerable amount of time.

In a little bit of background, each of four gospels rests on an apostolic source. The gospels of Matthew and John are by those two. Who was the apostolic source for the Gospel of Luke? Most attribute Luke’s source to be the Apostle Paul. Now, who was the apostolic source for the Gospel of Mark? Most scholars attest that Peter was the one who related his recollection of the life of Jesus to Mark. Peter alludes to this goal in 2nd Peter 1:15.

2 Peter 1:15 (NLT)

So I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.

I believe that Peter who may have led Mark to the Lord shortly after Jesus’s ascension, later spent a considerable amount of time with Mark. Peter told Mark about Jesus’s life, and I think Mark wrote those stories down (as he was guided by the Holy Spirit)

We should seek to bring people to Christ. We should strive to become spiritual “fathers” and “mothers” to new believers. And we are to tell others about Christ. Tell about what Jesus did to save us—his death, burial, and resurrection. We should tell what Jesus is doing in our lives day by day.

We have looked at three people who influenced, guided, and shaped Mark’s life. What was the purpose? What was achieved?

II. The Purpose of Mark’s Life

Paul uses a word play in Second Timothy that describes the outcome in Mark’s life.

2 Timothy 4:11 (ESV)

Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry [emphasis added].

One other time, Paul references a person with the same descriptor.

Philemon 11 (NLT)

Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful [emphasis added] to both of us.

Looking back in 2nd Timothy we find where Paul uses this phrase initially.

2 Timothy 2:21 (ESV)

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

The phrase that Paul uses to describe Mark (and Onesimus) is the same as the phrase in verse 21, “useful to the master.”

Paul describes the various tools and instruments found in a home. Some of these instruments are made of valuable material—gold and silver. Others are made of more common elements—wood and clay. Paul describes their use—some are for special occasions while others are used in everyday, mundane chores.

But Paul’s focus is not on the material or the status of the vessels, rather he emphasizes the usefulness of the instruments. And that usefulness comes from a spirit of purity, guarding oneself against unclean, sinful activities.

Usefulness results from being “set apart,” i.e., being holy and clean. This is the prerequisite for being a useful instrument in the Lord’s hands and for the Lord’s work. Paul follows his metaphor about being useful for the Lord with guidelines for Timothy to follow (2:22-26).

We would do well to live a similar lifestyle so that we may be useful instruments in the Lord’s hands.

As we engage in the launch of Harvest-Westfield, let’s be a group of people who pray, who mentor, and who evangelize others in our lives.