SENT - Part 4 Seasons of Friendship

Mark's story is proof that your failure doesn't have to be final, That God can turn it around. Barnabas stuck with Mark and he says, Mark, I'm a walk with you, I'm a help you, and by the end of the story, we see God turning it around. Paul, Barnabas takes Mark, but Paul takes Silas and he takes Timothy. He he he he no longer has this running buddy Barnabas with him now. But God's work is not always dependent on one person. God allows us time to go through seasons of change, seasons of transition, and God can send people in every season of our life. [00:28:42] (44 seconds)  #SeasonsOfSupport

Oh, somebody needs to understand that his failure was not final. I don't know who I'm talking to today, but somebody in the room needs to understand that if you've had some failures in your past like I have and many of us have, that your failure is not final. God can do a work in your life. He can turn your failure around if we are willing to trust the Lord for what God can do. [00:27:29] (30 seconds)  #FailureIsNotFinal

And I don't I don't blame Paul for his decision not to take you on the truth. I love you enough to tell you the truth. I'm not gonna get over here and start blaming Paul, talking about Paul always on you, Paul always riding you, Paul shouldn't have done that and all. I'm not blaming Paul for Paul's decision to deal with you the way he dealt with you. Mark, you are responsible. What you did and how you showed out on that trip, you you you gotta do better than that. But but Mark, I believe in you so much that I am risking this friendship. I am leaning into you because I believe in you because I know there's more in you. But listen, we're not gonna do this trip like we did the first trip. This ain't no time for you to be backing out. You ain't backing out of this thing. We end this thing. We're gonna finish this trip together. We're talk about what's going on. I know it may be hard. I'm gonna be patient with you, but listen, we're not gonna blame somebody else for decisions that you made. [00:22:49] (54 seconds)  #TruthWithLove

But I don't believe Barnabas is an enabler. I think Barnabas is a real helper. I think based on the pattern of what I've seen about Barnabas' lifestyle, I believe Barnabas has some tough conversations with Mark. I believe Barnabas says, Mark, now I'm risking my friendship for you. I love you, and I've been with Paul, but but Paul ain't wrong for not wanting to take you on the trip. The way you showed your tail on that trip that first time. Paul ain't wrong. [00:22:14] (35 seconds)  #EncourageDontEnable

You put yourself in this situation. So I wanna hear Paul this and Paul that and Paul no. Mark, this is your decision. Mark, you put yourself in this situation. So, Mark, we're get out of this. I'm with you, but, Mark, you gotta accept your own responsibility. And Barnabas walks with Mark. [00:23:43] (19 seconds)  #OwnYourActions

That there is something about having someone in your life that is committed to you. There is something that happens in your life. Matter of fact, studies say this, that your that that your good friends are the essential for a healthy life. That that when you have friends committed to you, they help us deal with depression and anxiety. They are a buffer against stress. Commitment. Not only do they help with commitment, they also help us in our character. [00:07:10] (28 seconds)  #FriendsAreVital

There is power in a visit. When you look at the caring nature of Paul, listen to Paul's pastoral heart as he cares for God's people. And Paul says to them, he says he says, listen, I want you to I want you to know that I I wanna walk with I wanna I wanna be with you. I wanna I wanna check-in on them. So Paul now begins to plan a time to go and visit them. Because Paul cares and wants to see how are you doing in the journey of your faith. How are you doing? Friends, there's power in visiting and checking on people. One, I was just visiting with a member last week. He said to me that his his grandchild was having some challenges in college, and it said to him, listen, I just need to see you. And he immediately began making plans to go and check on his grandchild, to spend the day, or just to have a meal, or just to have a a quick visit, because there's power in a visit. [00:05:07] (57 seconds)  #PowerOfVisit

There's something significant when somebody comes to check on you. I remember during COVID when when our daughter was graduating the class of 2020, and the school principal went to every senior's house and brought their diploma. I said there's power in a visit. [00:06:04] (20 seconds)  #DifferentPagesSameFaith

They see things differently. Matter of fact, when you actually read the text, the text is neutral on whether or not one is wrong or one is right. The text does not paint Paul as being out of order because he doesn't want him to go, and the text doesn't paint Barnabas as being right because he wants to go. No. The text presents it that there can be moments and relationships in your life where two people can love God and love his work, and yet they can be on two different pages. [00:14:13] (36 seconds)  #HandleConflictWell

Now you gotta understand, if you go through conflict, it doesn't mean something's wrong because conflict is a normal part of life. The question is, how do we deal with the conflict? And so so when you're watching this, when you're looking at this, you you see this moment, and then you have to ask the question. If they're if they're going through this, and Paul feels this way, and Barnabas feels this way, you gotta ask the question, how do you know when enough is enough? [00:15:09] (30 seconds)  #NecessaryEndings

Sometimes the Lord is leading us through a necessary ending in our lives that we didn't plan for, we didn't anticipate. Matter of fact, the text says in verse 39, there is a sharp disagreement. That word sharp is is a is in the heat in the Greek, excuse me. It means a tearing apart, a disagreement. This is a sad moment. [00:19:01] (26 seconds)  #GodsWorkContinues

Seasons may change, but you gotta be open that God will send who needs to come at the right time, at the right moment. You'll be open to it. Oh, it hurts to lose some seasons and some relationships, but look at what the text says in verse 41. He went to Caesarea, strengthening the churches. Look at what the text says in sixteen five. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Look at how the Lord works. Even through seasons of transition, God's work continues to move forward. [00:30:45] (36 seconds)  #WhenHelpingHurts

the text doesn't stop there. The text continues on and you enter this final part of my sermon, is that it says a season of connecting. Someone says, what's what's happening here? What happens here is that Barnabas takes Mark. Barnabas, the text says, he he he says, I'm I'm gonna take Mark. And so he takes Mark. One one one writer talks about the theme of when helping hurts. Some would say, is is Barnabas enabling Mark? Like, is he making excuses for Mark and trying to take up for Mark and trying to explain away Mark's behavior? [00:20:44] (40 seconds)  #StopEnabling

I mean, Paul and Barnabas have been together, but this moment right here, this will be our last glimpse of Barnabas. This will be our last moment where Barnabas and Paul are together. There they are. They decide they're gonna go separate ways. Paul Paul gets his bag and starts packing up his stuff, and Barnabas gets his stuff. He starts packing up his stuff and says, no, you you can take that. You can have that. No, that's that's yours. No, that's that's mine. And no, we use that the first year. No, we and they start dividing their belongings, and and it's a time of anger, and a time of sorrow, and a time of difficulty, because they are headed in different directions. And we don't like to talk about it much, but sometimes breakups do happen. [00:19:27] (51 seconds)

Everybody ain't gonna go on the trip, and they start talking, and and Paul says, listen. Barnabas says, I wanna take John Mark. And Paul say, oh, no. Oh, oh, no. No. I'm not no. Uh-uh. Don't you remember the last trip? We took that brother. He made it two stops. And he talking about I gotta go. I ain't feeling it. I I wanna go home. How long we gonna be out here? He the youngest one. He complaining the most. [00:11:44] (33 seconds)

And I I'm not taking him. I you know, he's like, no, man. I and and and Barnabas Barnabas bless Barnabas' heart. He he's the friend that has a graceful heart. You all know this because Barnabas is the one that when when people didn't when Paul first came to faith and the church wouldn't accept him, Barnabas is the one that's that goes after Paul and says, listen. I I've heard his testimony. Give him a chance. It's Barnabas that when he's at Antioch doing ministry, he goes down to Tarsus, gets Saul, gets Paul, and brings him to do ministry. So Barnabas has a heart. Matter of fact, the name Barnabas means son of encouragement. [00:12:16] (41 seconds)

We get we see these two names in the text, Paul and Barnabas. They've shared so many great seasons together. When we look at their text, they they visited Antioch, they've seen Cyprus, They've been to Pergar, They've been to Antioch. They've been to Iconium. They've been to Lystra. They've been to Derby, and now they're returning back to Antioch Of Syria. They've preached in synagogues. They've been put out of cities. They've defended the gospel, they've healed people, they've opposed false teachers, they've tag teamed priests, they've faced hardships, they've debated those who wanted to claim it was Jesus plus something else, and even recently, they have left the Jerusalem council. [00:03:50] (43 seconds)

I ain't forgot the last trip. I just don't think this is for him. He we we tried last time. He made a good effort, bless his heart, but I don't think he needs to go on this second trip. I I don't think he's ready. I don't think he's ready. Paul Paul Paul, Barnabas sees an opportunity. Paul sees an obligation. Paul Barnabas sees potential. Paul sees a problem. And these these are these are two godly men, but they see things differently. [00:13:35] (39 seconds)

the text doesn't stop there. The text continues on and you enter this final part of my sermon, is that it says a season of connecting. Someone says, what's what's happening here? What happens here is that Barnabas takes Mark. Barnabas, the text says, he he he says, I'm I'm gonna take Mark. And so he takes Mark. One one one writer talks about the theme of when helping hurts. Some would say, is is Barnabas enabling Mark? Like, is he making excuses for Mark and trying to take up for Mark and trying to explain away Mark's behavior? [00:20:44] (40 seconds)

There is power in a visit. When you look at the caring nature of Paul, listen to Paul's pastoral heart as he cares for God's people. And Paul says to them, he says he says, listen, I want you to I want you to know that I I wanna walk with I wanna I wanna be with you. I wanna I wanna check-in on them. So Paul now begins to plan a time to go and visit them. Because Paul cares and wants to see how are you doing in the journey of your faith. How are you doing? Friends, there's power in visiting and checking on people. One, I was just visiting with a member last week. He said to me that his his grandchild was having some challenges in college, and it said to him, listen, I just need to see you. And he immediately began making plans to go and check on his grandchild, to spend the day, or just to have a meal, or just to have a a quick visit, because there's power in a visit. [00:05:07] (57 seconds)