Demas the Deserter

Intro

Deserter: A person who forsakes his cause, his post, or his party or friend; particularly, a soldier or seaman who quits the service without permission, and in violation of his engagement.

Another man that we don’t have a lot of scriptures on, though his impact was large...

1. He Assisted Paul

Colossians 4:14 KJV 1900

14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

Philemon 24 KJV 1900

24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

2. He Abandoned Paul

2 Timothy 4:9–10 KJV 1900

9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

*Paul is in prison, but won’t be killed for some time

1 John 2:15 KJV 1900

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Demas was:

A casualty in the cause...

A deserter

His name is abhorred and rejected but he has a great following

What happened to Demas?

1. A Disengagement from Ministry

2 Timothy 4:10 KJV 1900

10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Demas was no longer serving with Paul...

Demas had left Paul entirely and went to Thessalonica...

Paul took the ministry seriously and so should we:

2 Corinthians 3:6 KJV 1900

6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Acts 20:24 KJV 1900

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

2 Corinthians 4:1 KJV 1900

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2 Timothy 4:5 KJV 1900

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Full proof: complete; entirely accomplish

Paul said to Archippus:

Colossians 4:17 KJV 1900

17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

Look what happened to John Mark:

Acts 13:13 KJV 1900

13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

*This is right after the incident on the isle of Paphos with the Sergius Paulus and Elymas the Sorcerer...

Acts 15:36–40 KJV 1900

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. 37 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. 39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; 40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.

But look at what is said right after Demas forsakes Paul:

2 Timothy 4:11 KJV 1900

11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

John Mark departed from Paul and went back to Jerusalem, he quit on the ministry...

At the next missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with him, but Paul refused to allow that to happen...

Paul had no time for quitters in the ministry...

Paul was so convinced he did not want John Mark with him again, that he and Barnabas separated over the matter...

Now after Demas left because he loved this present world, Paul is requesting the presence of John Mark because he is “profitable to the ministry.”

Demas just completely left the ministry altogether...

John Mark left the ministry, but regrouped and returned and was pronounced “profitable” to the ministry...

Paul goes from vehemently rejecting John Mark on his journey to inviting him...

John Mark is a great example to us that if we have quit on the ministry in any fashion that does not determine the future of our profitability to the ministry or not...

There was a disengagement from ministry

2. There was a dangerous mingling

2 Timothy 4:10 KJV 1900

10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

1 John 2:15–17 KJV 1900

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Lust of the flesh

Lust of the eyes

Pride of life

All of this is of the world… not the father...

What is of the Father is this:

Galatians 5:16–17 KJV 1900

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Galatians 5:22 KJV 1900

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

John 21:1–6 KJV 1900

1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

Sometimes you catch no fish and become discouraged...

Continuing sounds foolish and not worthwhile...

But sometimes you just have to cast your net on the other side to see results...

Demas was a deserter...

He quit on the ministry because he loved the things of this world more...

I think of faithful men:

Pastor Caviness was here for 30 years faithfully serving the entire time

My grandfather has been in the ministry for 65 years faithfully serving

Pastor Perkins in Coquille for 25 years this year

Pastor Goodrick in Newport

Dr. Smith still preaching

Pastor Trieber in Santa Clara, California

Pastor Ray in Napa

Pastor Johnson in Redding

I guarantee if you ask any of these men about their decades long journey in the ministry, they wouldn’t, but could give you event after event after event of disappointments, discouragements, sometimes depression in the ministry…

The difference is they don’t keep their wounds as trophies for all to see and hear about...