Transformed By God’s Grace
God’s Transforming Grace • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Acts 12:25 ; 15:37-39 ; 2 Timothy 4:11
25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.
37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.
38 But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.
39 Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.
11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.
INTRODUCTION:
Last week we looked at the Prophet Jonah. Pride, bitterness and rebellion led Jonah to make the choice of “Resisting God’s Will,”.
Today we will take a look at the flip-side of the coin.
We will see an individual who allowed the Lord to transform him by grace.
The beauty of seeing this individual, “Transformed By God’s Grace,” is that it means that there is hope for you and I. We may have spent months, or even years resisting God’s will and purpose, but God’s grace is “greater than all of our sin.”
In order to get a grasp of the hope that is ours, we must answer two questions:
I. WHY DO WE RESIST GOD’S GRACE?
I. WHY DO WE RESIST GOD’S GRACE?
A- Fear of People.
A- Fear of People.
(Mark 14:51-52)
51 One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him,
52 he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.
1. Our fear of men is greater than our Love for Christ.
(1 John 4:18)
18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
a. This fear is a snare to us.
(Proverbs 29: 25)
25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.
b. We are not to fear men.
(Psalm 27: 1 ; Psalm 34: 9 ; Matthew 10:28 ; Romans 8:15 ; 2 Timothy 1:7 ; Revelation 2:10)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.
28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
B- Unwilling to pay the price of obedience.
B- Unwilling to pay the price of obedience.
(Acts 12:25 ; 15:37-39 )
25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.
(Acts 13:5)
5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.
(Acts 13:13)
13 Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.
38 But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.
39 Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.
1.Sometimes the price seems too costly to pay.
a. Paul listed some of the hardships he went through.
(2 Corinthians 11:23-33)
23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.
24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?
30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.
31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.
32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.
33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.
Mark would have seen at least some of these.
· Perhaps it was the hardship of ministry that was too much.
(2 Corinthians 11 : 26)
26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
· Perhaps it was too costly in terms of opposition.
(John 15:18–20)
18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.
19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.
· Perhaps the cost in terms of what was to be missed is too great.
(Matthew 10:37-39)
37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.
39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
II- WHAT HAPPENS IF I SURRENDER TO GOD’S GRACE?
II- WHAT HAPPENS IF I SURRENDER TO GOD’S GRACE?
A- Tranformation into a new creature through the new birth.
A- Tranformation into a new creature through the new birth.
1- Jesus never turns away an individual who asks for salvation.
(John 6:37)
37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.
2- Jesus makes them new creatures.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
B- Transformed into a blessing to other believers.
B- Transformed into a blessing to other believers.
(2 Timothy 4:11)
11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.
1- John Mark was transformed from deserter to a profitable person.
a. Profitable by way of encouragement.
(Romans 14:19)
19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
(1 Thessalonians 5:11)
11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
(1) Philemon was that kind of person.
(Philemon 5 – 7)
5 because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people.
6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.
7 Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.
b. Profitable as a co-laborer.
(Colossians 4:10-11)
10 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.
11 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!
(1 Peter 5:12-14)
12 I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.
13 Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark.
14 Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.
(1) We are to be co-laborers.
(1 Corinthians 3:5 – 9)
5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.
6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.
7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.
9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
· What kind of co-laborer are you?
C- Transformed to impact the lives of unknown people.
C- Transformed to impact the lives of unknown people.
1- John Mark wrote the gospel of Mark.
a. Through Mark's gospel account, he continues to impact lives today.
2- Your life can impact people for generations to come.
a. This is why judgment and reward awaits the time after all Saints go home to be with the Lord.
(Revelation 14:13)
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”
(Philippians 4:17)
17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
CONCLUSION:
Christian, just because you have resisted God’s will in your life does not mean that you have lost all opportunity to become a useful and profitable servant. John Mark had a rather inconsistent testimony in the early New Testament accounts.
As a young man, he ran from the enemies of Jesus when the Lord was arrested… running away scared and naked.
He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey, proclaiming the Gospel to Gentiles.
He deserted Paul and Barnabas for undisclosed reasons.
Paul refused to take John Mark on their next journey, leading to Paul and Barnabas parting ways.
Later we find John Mark was transformed by God’s grace, resulting in him becoming a profitable co-laborer to both Paul and Peter.
John Mark authored the Gospel account attributed to him. (Many scholars believe that Mark may have been the first penned of the four Gospel accounts).
Tradition also indicates that it was John Mark who delivered the Epistle to the Hebrews to believers in Palestine and ultimately carried it to Hebrew believers in Alexandria, Egypt.
Ultimately, Christian Historian John Foxe records the following:
“After Paul’s mention of him (John Mark) in 2 Timothy 4:11, … tradition tells us that [Mark} was dragged to pieces by the of Alexandria when he spoke out against a solemn ceremony for their idol, Serapis.”
If John Mark could be transformed by God’s grace and become a man powerfully used by God, the same can happen to you!
The choice is yours.... Will you repent of your resistance to God’s will and direction for your life and allow him to make you a powerful tool in His hands?
