The Method or the Mark

The Situation

Following the conclusion of the Jerusalem Council, the delegation led by Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch and delivered the news and began pastoring.

Paul was eager to not only pastor but to develop the believers that had come to faith during his first missionary trip.

This displays that heart of a true evangelist. They are not concerned merely with preaching the word but actual development of those that come to faith.

I remember when we got a house I was eager to have a garage. Some warmer place I could park our car in the winter, not have to worry about snow removal or defrosting. Help it stay cleaner and out of the rain. Instead, it’s been packed with various items that we’ve collected over the years. We’ve done some pandemic renovations, cleaning out clothes, etc. Yet I’ve never looked at the stuff in my garage and thought, “man this really increasing the value of my house. It really builds up it’s worth”. I could put it to use but right now although it’s added to the capacity it hasn’t contributed.

This is how some that evangelize treat people though. They are blessed to play a part in adding them to the Household of Faith but not with helping them to contribute.

There was not purely a concern with adding to the church but the actual building up of it with Paul

Make no mistake, the chief end of Paul was not just getting people to convert. It was to disciple them to holiness as he was evangelizing.

Some of us have been brought into the faith years ago and let’s be honest…we’re like the stuff in my garage. Present but not contributing. Having potential but nothing actual.

Do we really believe that somehow because of a virus or suffering that the Great Commission no longer applies? That discipleship has ceased.

We continue to say to use wisdom but I would add to that to use creativity. Use innovation. How can you active with each other and yet safe with one another? Here’s a hint: your phone ministry should be off the chain right now…calling, praying, laughing, etc.

This is where the rubber meets the road though.

So Paul tells Barnabas that he wants to run it back. Go visit the brethren that the Spirit birthed before, yet they have a difference of opinion.

Acts 13:13–14 ESV

Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

Here is a subtle yet important moment…Mark, who is Barnabas’ cousin, deserts them on the trip.

Now to be aware of what this means. When you are preaching a message that challenges the establishment it’s vital to know who’s with you.

Mark was fainthearted here without question.

As a pastor, by far and away the toughest thing for me to deal with has been those that have abandoned me. Without question. Not out of a call to a different ministry but out of weariness in the faith.

Because of Mark’s faintheartedness, he was understandably doubtful of inviting him a second time, when their lives could be on the line.

TR: Yet Barnabas, forever the encourager wanted him to join…which leads us to the confrontation...

The Confrontation

Paul is vehemently opposed to Mark joining them and Barnabas digs in as well in his belief that he should be joined.

It’s amazing that Luke is including this but it gives us a fascinating view into these two men.

The question then must be asked....”who was right??”

That itself is the fundamental question of our age is it not? We who claim the same God, desire the same things, have trusted in the same Lord…only one of us can be right…either we do it this way or that way!

Now allow me a little liberty if you will and imagine that Paul and Barnabas begin to recruit people to their side…they begin to lobby, run campaigns against each other on who is more foolish.

Let’s say Barnabas brings up Paul’s past as a church murderer and Paul brings up the fact that Barnabas has never seen the risen Christ like he has so his authority is questionable.

And then let’s say they go and spend years lobbying for who is more right, forever spending more and more time just trying to advance their position…

They could get schools to teach their line of argumentation, create value systems around deserters not being trusted or 2nd chances always should be given. They might even label the school of thought…I don’t know…American politics.

Or they might label it “who’s house do we go to for Thanksgiving, who does the dishes, does the finances, why did they post that” etc.

Well if that were to have happened they would have failed miserably at the ACTUAL WORK and instead swapped out the goal of developing people for Jesus for the goal of self-righteousness!

Christians, we have to choose between either the method…or the mark (pun intended).

Christians have magnified the methods and minimized the mark

Let’s be clear, there are clear parameters for how a believer ought to conduct themselves. However, the conduct in the disagreement doesn’t remove the disagreement and disagreement IS NOT something that is foreign to Christianity.

We as believers have fallen into two traps:

That in order for one of us to be right the other has to be wrong.

So we create echo chambers of people that agree with us.

We misrepresent that other person, their views, or their motives.

That in order for me to be Christian, disagreement must disappear. Unity looks like uniformity of methodology.

So we cave in or try to remain morally neutral to be a psuedo “peacemaker”. We focus on only common ground.

We begin to try to colonize our ways of doing things along with the focus of those things.

How I do something must be the same as how they do it or else we’re serving two different Gods.

So here’s where we have to land, Christians…thinking christianly can come to different God honoring conclusions on certain things.

I know that makes you wiggle a little bit because we don’t like it. That they may be right. Yet it’s the truth!!

Paul and Barnabas weren’t arguing over Mark’s salvation, if he was presently in sin, etc.

They were arguing about his trustworthiness WHICH OBVIOUSLY WAS DEBATABLE!!!

The faith is governed by BOTH firm commandments AND biblical principles...

Here’s what should happen if disagreement arises…go and pray, then come back, believe the best about each other. Discern if there is an ability to submit in good faith to the other person. If not, possibly trust that the Lord is leading you both.

As I previously stated, people’s abandonment of me was the most difficult thing to deal with as a pastor. But there is legitimate abandonment and then there’s a calling. My sin, lead me for a season to see any departure as abandonment. I could only see the error in the other person’s ways. So bitterness and resentment took root. I would just cut them off.

When I let go of my need to be right at someone else’s expense my attention turns toward the mark rather than purely the method.

And I’ll tell you family…there is great joy in having your focus right....even in the midst of disagreement.

TR: So if this is the case then we have a separation…but not one that you’d expect...

The Separation

If we could come to terms with this reality, that they may be just as right as we are…from their vantage point. AND that they, like us, may be led by the Spirit in their path…there would be a tremendous blessing.

We’d forego self-righteousness, we’d forego the bitterness and the vitirol that has so engulfed our lives.

Whether it’s politics, marriage, parenting, friendships, work, etc.

Let me be clear. Neither Paul or Barnabas gave any ground. Paul leaves here with Silas and Barnabas with Mark…they still disagreed....but what happened?

Instead of the Gospel going in one direction, it was sent out in two!!!

What?!?! This is crazy…you mean to tell me that God can use disagreement, even amongst believers, for His glory? YES!!!

When the disagreement doesn’t get in the way of the goal, absolutely!!

When it doesn’t become the chief thing, absolutely!

Here’s what’s even more crazy. When disagreements are done properly they don’t destroy personal relationships!! OH LORD!

Paul mentions Barnabas favorably in 1 Cor. 9:6 and states Mark is actually with him in Philemon 1:24 and requests him again in 2 Tim. 4:11

See here’s the thing…what do you notice happened with their disagreement? THEY BOTH STILL WENT TO DO THE WORK AND WERE USED!!!

Being equal recipients of grace, we are empowered to unify in our goals even if we deviate in our methods!

Stop taking the bait of this world that somehow the person on the other side isn’t your family in Christ!

Believe the best about each other!

Disagree…even vigorously if need be but when it’s done, get to work using Scripture to constrain both your methods and mindset!

God has redeemed us from foolish ways of thinking and given us a higher calling.

That was the battle with the Jews and the Gentiles and yet here were are 2000 years later still trying to take each other out.

LAND IT LOUD

NO! Let us show the world MATURITY!!! Let us show the world how beautiful our varied approaches, cultures, ways of addressing issues truly is!

Let the world see that Christianity isn’t monolithic, it’s filled with opinionated people who think deeply about issues, care passionately about people, and give grace when those run against each other!!!

That although we may go in two different pathways, that’s simply Google Maps or Apple Maps but our address is the same!

Because we both desire to see the glory of our God championed! Above all other flags, positions and goals!

We passionately desire and compassionately move to have people be conformed to Jesus image JUST AS WE HAVE BEEN!!

LET THE GRACE OF GOD, THE MEMORY AND REALITY OF YOUR REDEMPTION TEMPER YOU SO THAT THE SALVATION OF GOD MIGHT BE SEEN....