Paul In Prison—Rembrandt, 1627, Stuttgart, Staatsgalerie: Depicted is Paul in prison as he longs for his reconciled brother John Mark (2 Timothy 4:11)
When Paul and Barnabas set out on their first missionary journey in Acts 15, they brought along a young helper named John Mark. But somewhere along the way, Mark abandoned them and went home. Paul saw it as a betrayal, serious enough that, when planning a second journey, he refused to take Mark again.
Barnabas (whose name means “Son of Encouragement”) disagreed. He saw something worth saving in Mark. Yet, the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was so sharp, they parted ways.
However, years later, something beautiful happened: Paul, near the end of his life, wrote to Timothy and said, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11). Somewhere between Acts 15 and 2 Timothy 4, restoration happened. A brother who had failed was not only forgiven—he was reclaimed, restored, and put back to work in gospel ministry.
The story of John Mark shows us that the early church, led by men like Paul, knew the pain of conflict, the need for confrontation, and the power of restoration.
We are not foreigners to similar pain and conflicts. Everyone in the church has been hurt by someone else and has hurt others. We all need to forgive and to repent.
These situations can often be sensitive and tender, whether the hurts are recent or they happened a long time ago. And because of these difficulties, I wanted to notify you all of my next three sermons in advance. The passages we will be considering will challenge you in more ways than one, yet on the other side I believe you will see the plan of God's mercy in a refreshing clear manner.
So, I have favors to ask of you. First, look over these passages and familiarize yourself with them. Second, consider the people in your life that you have hurt, but you have withheld repentance. Third, consider the people in your life that have hurt you, but you never sought restoration with them. Forth, pray over all these things.
Here is our lineup for the next few weeks:
Barnabas (whose name means “Son of Encouragement”) disagreed. He saw something worth saving in Mark. Yet, the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was so sharp, they parted ways.
However, years later, something beautiful happened: Paul, near the end of his life, wrote to Timothy and said, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11). Somewhere between Acts 15 and 2 Timothy 4, restoration happened. A brother who had failed was not only forgiven—he was reclaimed, restored, and put back to work in gospel ministry.
The story of John Mark shows us that the early church, led by men like Paul, knew the pain of conflict, the need for confrontation, and the power of restoration.
We are not foreigners to similar pain and conflicts. Everyone in the church has been hurt by someone else and has hurt others. We all need to forgive and to repent.
These situations can often be sensitive and tender, whether the hurts are recent or they happened a long time ago. And because of these difficulties, I wanted to notify you all of my next three sermons in advance. The passages we will be considering will challenge you in more ways than one, yet on the other side I believe you will see the plan of God's mercy in a refreshing clear manner.
So, I have favors to ask of you. First, look over these passages and familiarize yourself with them. Second, consider the people in your life that you have hurt, but you have withheld repentance. Third, consider the people in your life that have hurt you, but you never sought restoration with them. Forth, pray over all these things.
Here is our lineup for the next few weeks:
- 8/10/2025: Mathew 18:12-20 "When a Brother Sins Part 1: How to Love"
- 8/17/2022: Guest preacher
- 8/24/2025: Matthew 18:15-22 "When a Brother Sins Part 2: Perserverance"
- 8/31/2025: Matthew 18:21-35 "When a Brother Sins Part 3: When to Forgive"
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