Special Guest Editorial from November 2007: by Kip McKean
“God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10
Have you ever considered giving up your Kingdom dreams? Have you ever been paralyzed by depression from a broken heart, when your dreams once so close become seemingly impossible? Have you ever asked God or yourself “Is it worth it?” and teetered on the brink of quitting being a disciple? I have. Therefore, I was particularly encouraged this past week during my preparation of the First Principles sermon on Acts 9-15. I was so inspired by our brother, John Mark.
The date is around 44 AD. The reader of Acts first encounters John Mark at the house church, where Peter returns after being freed by God’s angel from Herod’s imprisonment and certain death. (Acts 12:12) The house church met in the home of Mary, John Mark’s mother. Just prior to this event, Paul and Barnabas brought the poor collection from the Antioch Church to help the brothers in Judea. (Acts 11:27-30) The Holy Spirit was moving bringing all these people together in Jerusalem. (Acts 11:26) After Paul and Barnabas had completed their mission, they ask John Mark to accompany them back to Antioch. (Acts 12:25) Interestingly in 1 Peter 5:17, Peter shares that John Mark is his son in the faith and from Colossians 4:10 we learn he is Barnabas’ cousin. At this time, John Mark was perhaps the most high profile young preacher in the brotherhood!
John Mark participated in the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas and was selected because he was considered a “helper.” (Acts 13:5) The missionary expedition sets out from Antioch and sails to Cyprus, Barnabas’ homeland. (Act 4:32) While in Cyprus, John Mark witnesses the incredible miracles of the evil sorcerer Elymas struck blind by Paul and the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus being baptized! Following this excitement, the expedition sails to Perga in Pamphylia. Shockingly, without warning, “John left [Paul and Barnabas] and returned to Jerusalem.” (Acts 13:13) The Scriptures do not detail whether it was persecution, physical hardship, sickness, cowardice or a combination, but clearly John Mark quits on his fellow preachers, Paul and Barnabas, and on the dream of world evangelization. In his heart at that moment, he felt the sacrifice just wasn’t worth it.
Sometime later around 50 AD, Paul and Barnabas urge James and the brothers in Jerusalem to keep the rapidly expanding Christian movement unified by not requiring circumcision for Gentile converts. After this, Paul and Barnabas consider returning to strengthen all the churches they had planted during their expedition. However, “Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pampyhylia.” (Acts 15:39) Ironically, after the unifying of the movement, Paul and Barnabas have a “sharp disagreement” and part ways over John Mark.
Eleven years pass. In this time span, Paul leads a second and third missionary journey, yet the record of Acts is silent about Barnabas and John Mark, except that they had returned to Cyprus. Acts of course ends with Paul’s first imprisonment in approximately 61 AD. During this imprisonment, Paul writes Colossians and shares, “My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas.” (Colossians 4:10) Mark is by Paul’s side once again, presumably healed by the nurturing love and discipling of Barnabas. During Paul’s second imprisonment five years later in late 66 AD, Paul writes to his beloved son in the faith Timothy, “Do your best to come to me quickly… Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:9-11) Lonely and sensing death was near, Paul had only Luke with him and desired the company of only two other brothers, Timothy and John Mark! John Mark had repented. Paul had forgiven. Now, they were the closest of brothers, forever bonded by the cleansing blood of Jesus and His great cause.
Bruce Springsteen wrote a song called “Glory Days.” In the last verse Springsteen sings,
And I hope when I get old
I don’t sit around thinking about it
But I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back
Trying to recapture
A little of the glory of
But time slips away
And leaves you with nothing mister
But boring stories of glory days.
Glory days they pass you by
Glory days, the wink of a young girl’s eye,
Glory day! Glory days!
John Mark’s life gives me inspiration. Six long years ago (now 11 years ago), I saw my dream to evangelize the world in a generation renounced by friend and foe. My dream of seeing all my family in heaven with me seemed impossible. I wrestled with not just quitting the ministry, but because of bitterness toward God and men, even quitting being a Christian. Thank God for His grace and Barnabas-like brethren who helped heal Elena and me – such as Bob and Pat Gempel, Nick and Denise Bordieri, Bob and Marcia Bertalot and Tony and Therese Untalan. Thank God for the Scripture, “God is not unjust, He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” (Hebrews 6:10) Today my old glory days of Gainesville, Philadelphia, Charleston, Boston, Manila, Moscow and Cairo still bring a smile to my face, but for the most part these are not the stories I tell. Refined by the fires of persecution, insults, desertions and financial difficulties, having been stripped by God of everything, (and now) because of my repentance and from this a new found zeal, He has given me back the dream of evangelizing the world in a generation and the hope of all my family in heaven. Paul’s words ring true, “Through glory and dishonor; bad report and good; genuine yet regarded as imposters… dying, yet we live on… sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:8-10)
Now through the Spirit working through His new discipling movement, I am again witnessing God’s amazing miracles in Portland, London, Santiago, Chicago, Phoenix and Los Angeles (as well as Kinshasa, Manila, Kiev, Moscow, Washington DC, New York, Eugene, Syracuse, Boston, San Diego, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Chennai, Paris, Hilo, Honolulu, San Francisco, Abidjan, Curacao, Ethiopia, Guam, Hire-Ouatta, Madrid, Mumbai, New Deli, Novosibirsk, Stockholm and of course Orlando: all added in the 5 years since the original writing of this article)! The Word is increasing and spreading rapidly as new Bible Talks of sold – out disciples have been initiated in the past few weeks in Paris and San Diego! These are the faith-building stories of God’s glory I now share in sermons. From time to time after a discouraging talk or event, Satan grabs my heart late that night and that sadness returns from my earlier dark days. Yet through faith and by praying every night with Elena before we go to bed, I am absolutely sure “it is worth it!” Like John Mark, the difference now is that I realize here on earth I have nothing and I am nothing. Nevertheless, glory awaits me and all those we are saving by And to God be all the honor, praise and glory!
Kip McKean
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