Facing Failure

       Do you know that someday I’ll be perfect?  You will be perfect too.

       I’m not talking about heaven.  For me, I’m talking about when I retire from this place.

       Not only am I the founding pastor of this church but I will have served here for maybe thirty years.  Whoever follows me in this role will have to try to the fill particularly Dave shaped hole I will leave behind -- the expectation I’ve created – good and bad -- as to what the pastor of Moorpark Presbyterian should be and do. 

       That will be hard enough.  But it will be far worse if the church goes through rough water.  Some people will then vocally long for the old days when they “had a pastor who was truly wise and a whole congregation that was fully committed and truly Christ like.”  

        That’s not unique to us.  As the chair of the Committee on Ministry for the Presbytery, I’ve seen it in other places -- other perfect former pastors in perfect former churches. I am not that wise.  I think you know that.  We are not all that saintly.  But that’s how we will be remembered.   For some old timers, these will be the good old days.  

       We also see the phenomena in the church as a whole.  Many modern believers look back to the church of the Books of Acts as the golden age when everything was the way it is supposed to be.  I can see why. 

       The first fifteen chapters of Acts are a marvelous record of accomplishment.  In these chapters, we see the church grow from a tiny mustard seed in Jerusalem into a major force set loose in the world. We read of a string of unbroken success for the church as a whole, and for Paul and Barnabas in particular.  Chapters 13 and 14 tell the marvelous story of their first missionary journey on the island of Cyprus and into modern Turkey – culminating with the carrying of the gospel to people like us—the Gentiles.

       Acts 15 tells the story of Paul and Barnabas at the crucial Jerusalem council.  It is here that the church recognized the validity of you and me becoming Christians. They determined that the good news of Jesus Christ is not just for Jews, but for people of every race and nation.  Here, the leaders of the young church make the crucial decision to allow no barriers of diet or custom between us and Jesus Christ.

      Now, in verse 36 of chapter 15, we read Paul’s words to Barnabas: “Let us return and visit the brothers and sisters in every city in which we proclaimed the word of God and see how they are.”

       I love that verse.  It describes a successful planting and a successful continuation of the ministry. It also shows Paul’s confidence that God is continuing to do something with the people he and Barnabas had led to the Lord – even though Paul and Barnabas have not been physically present with them. Paul’s words remind me once again that this church here belongs to Jesus Christ, and that we can trust Him for it.

      Everything in Acts has been going so well to this point that it almost makes us wonder what’s wrong with us today. How can we get ourselves back to the power, peace and joy of the early church?

      But now something happens that brings that question up short – something which reveals the intensely human nature of the early church.

      Paul says, “Let’s go back.”  Barnabas says, “Yes, let’s go back and let’s take John Mark with us.”

      This is where the trouble starts.

       Who is John Mark?

       The evidence suggests that he was a youth at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry and that the Last Supper was eaten in his home.  In Mark 14, we read an interesting side note on the arrest of Jesus in the Garden – how “a certain young man” had followed Jesus and his disciples to the garden “dressed only in a linen sheet over his naked body.”  The soldiers had grabbed hold of this young man to arrest him but he left the linen sheet in their grips and escaped naked.  Now Mark is the only gospel writer who includes this little streaking episode – with good reason.  I believe that Mark is telling what happened to him when he tagged along on the night Jesus was betrayed.

      At the time of the events recorded here in Acts, Mark is a part of the church in Antioch .  He was probably the youngest member of the apostolic circle.  Later in life he will be with Peter in Rome – and Peter will be the primary source for the gospel Mark will write.  Years after that. Mark will become the patron saint of Venice -- which is a pretty cool job.

       But all of that will come later.  Right now, there is a problem.

       Acts 13 tells us that Mark goes with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.  But at Pamphylia – at the half-way point, when pressure starts to build, Mark leaves and goes back to Jerusalem .

       Luke doesn’t tell us why Mark leaves Paul and Barnabas.  We can only guess.  But Paul doesn’t see any excuse for Mark’s action.

      Maybe Mark had become home sick.  Or maybe the excitement of the venture had paled against the reality of sea sickness, bug bites and malaria.  Perhaps he took a look at the grim Taurus Mountains, or had heard rumors of the bandits and robber tribes that roamed through the mountains between Pamphylia and Galatia .  Paul and Barnabas were getting into dangerous territory.  They were beginning to write the history of what Paul will call “perils of waters – of robbers – by my own countrymen – of the heathen – in the city – in the wilderness – in the sea.”  Possibly Mark saw what was coming and didn’t want any part of it.  He didn’t have the stomach for it.  He left elderly Barnabas and sickly Paul to cross the mountains by themselves and took the first boat back to Jerusalem .

      Or maybe it’s not just fear.  It could be something much worse from Paul’s point of view. Mark could have left because Paul is starting to focus his ministry on Gentiles -- and at this point Mark isn’t that hot on Gentiles being saved. 

       In any case, Paul doesn’t forget.  Mark’s desertion doesn’t sit well with him.  Barnabas says; “Let’s take John Mark.”  Paul says: “No way.  No quitters.  No cowards.” As Luke phrases it in verse 38: “Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.”

      Now, watch what happens.  A sharp contention arises between these friends and co-workers and heroes of the church, Paul and Barnabas.  They break off their partnership.  Barnabas takes Mark and sails to Cyprus .  Paul recruits Silas, identified in verse 32 as a prophet in the church in Antioch , and also departs.

      The church has had great success – unbroken success.  But now the church experiences a jarring jolt – a sharp dispute between two key leaders.

       This is certainly a very human story.  Maybe it is also a bit disappointing.  It’s all so institutional.

      You know, the people who say “I love Jesus but don’t like the institutional church” would have a field day with this passage.  Because here we see the institutional church having a typical institutional crisis.  They’re having a staffing problem – the same thing that most institutions suffer from.  “This is the woman to handle the western division!  I don’t think she has what it takes!  Bingo!  A crisis!

       Every year, the second week after Easter, I attend a conference at Mt. Hermon in the Santa Cruz Mountains called the West Coast Presbyterian Pastor’s conference.  It used to be called the Young Presbyterian Pastor’s Conference but some of the participants are starting to show their age.

       It is interesting that over the years many of the same people have gathered year after year.  And, as we share in ministry, we find that we tend to experience the same things at about the same time.

       When we started out most of us were assistant or associate pastors. One of the main topics of conversation was the problem of working with stubborn hide-bound senior pastors.  But we don’t talk that way anymore.  We have grown to the point that we now talk about the problem of working with immature, inexperienced associate pastors.

      Staffing problems.  They are so institutional.

      But shouldn’t Paul and Barnabas, at least, be above this kind of thing?  Shouldn’t they spend their time talking theology?  But this isn’t a theological discussion. 

       Paul sounds emotional and hard.  “Mark let us down!  He’ll hinder the work!”  Paul comes off hard and severe.  He seems to be showing us a bit of the old Pharisee. 

       Barnabas sounds better.  We tend to be on his side.  He’s kind.  He’s forgiving.  “Sure Mark failed.  Who doesn’t?  But look at how gifted he is.”  We begin to see how Barnabas got his nickname – “the Son of Encouragement.”   He may have had a good long talk with John Mark at the Jerusalem Conference.  

       Barnabas comes off nice.  But, is it weakness? Or, is it nepotism?  For we learn in Colossians 4:10 that Barnabas and John Mark are cousins.  Maybe Barnabas isn’t being such a great guy after all.  Maybe it’s family.

       All in all, this is a very tough passage.  It’s very human.  It doesn’t seem to have much in the way of a theological footing.

       However, despite all that, there are five very valuable lessons that we can learn.  There may be more but these are five I see.  I must say that my vision he has been greatly assisted here by a sermon by Dr. Earl Palmer who is pastor of University Presbyterian in Seattle .

       First of all, we should note the fact that Luke tells us the story at all.  He    spells out the issues. He lays it out warts and all.

      This gives us confidence in Luke as a historian.  This is important for us as we go through Acts.  For we realize that we aren’t reading a propaganda document. These are real people in a real situation and Luke tells us their real story.

      The second thing we should note is that there is a lesson for us in how this situation is handled by the church in Antioch .  They keep the controversy focused on what the controversy is about. They don’t make it a symbol for fighting over other problems.  “This is an honest difference between honest people about John Mark.”  They don’t enlarge the problem.

       You know, it’s not a bad thing to have an argument once in while -- in the family, at work, or in the church.  What’s bad is when the argument gets out of focus and becomes the battle ground for digging up every hurt and frustration one can think of for ammunition.

      When this happens – at home, at work, or in the church – it is usually a result of what some psychologists call “gunny sacking.”  Every hurt and every failure is carefully stored away to be brought into play on the big day.  Everything is stored up and is fair game in every fight -- in-laws, income, mistakes ten years ago.  Everything is stored up and everything comes out.  Often the trigger isn’t that big of a thing.  But the fight is big because it just happens to ignite a lot of emotional combustible material that’s been left lying around.

       The cure for this, of course, is to deal with things as they come up and then put them away – for good.  As Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:26: “Be angry but do not sin- and don’t let the sun go down on your anger.”  You see, anger isn’t sin.  But it can become sin.  It becomes sin when it turns into a grudge.  So if you are angry, fine.  But don’t nurse it.  Deal with it right away and then put it away – before the sun goes down on the day.  Put it away and never bring it up again.

      The church in Antioch doesn’t expand the crisis.  The people face the fight for what it is.  But they don’t launch a two year power struggle between the Paul faction and the Barnabas faction.  “They’re both right. They’re both wrong. Let’s leave it at that and get about our job.”  The church commissions them both as missionaries and then sends them in opposite directions.  “Maybe when they meet again, they’ll be friends.”  That’s what happens.

       That’s a lesson for us on handling conflict.  Don’t over interpret the crisis.  Keep minor things minor and major things major. Don’t attach a symbolic import to a problem beyond what it deserves.

       A third lesson is that we need to work out a theology of failure – for ourselves and for others.  We need to realize that one action or period doesn’t make a life.

       Winston Churchill’s first schoolmaster wrote his belief that “Churchill will amount to nothing.”  Albert Einstein’s first dissertation was rejected as “fanciful”.

       Imagine that ship sailing westward to Cyprus with Barnabas and Mark on board.  On the previous journey Paul had been with them in friendship.  But now they sail without Paul because Paul regards Mark as a quitter, a coward and a deserter – not fit to go to the field.  One of the bravest people who ever lived had told Mark that he lacked the guts to do the job.

       But that is not the whole story for Paul and Mark.  Look some time at 2 Timothy 4:11.  Paul writes this letter from imprisonment in Rome shortly before his death.  From the Mamertine dungeon Paul writes to Timothy in Ephesus , telling him to bring a cloak he had left behind in Troas . He wants some books, too and some parchments.  He wants Timothy to come and to come before winter, for he says: Demas has left me and has departed to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia , Titus to Dalmatia .  Only Luke is with me.”  Then Paul adds another request.  There is another friend who he wants to have by his side at these last hours.

       Who will that friend be?  Silas?  Epaphrodites who had ministered to him once before?  Priscilla or Aquilla?  No, none of these.  This is the message Paul writes.  Here is the one he desires to have by his side in the crucial, dangerous hour as Paul faces the Roman lion.  He tells Timothy: “Take Mark and bring him with you – for he is profitable for the ministry.”

       It was if Paul said, “As I face death, I want Mark next to me – the same Mark who deserted me at Pamphilya and left Barnabas and me to climb the mountain passes by ourselves and face the perils of robbers and the mobs of Lystra and Iconium – Mark, the quitter and the coward – Mark, who caused me to separate from my dear friend Barnabas – bring Mark with you. I’ve leaved some things about him.  I know how he’s grown from my rebuke.  I know the man he’s become.  He is profitable for the ministry.  Mark is one I can count on.”

       Hopefully, we won’t wait until the end of life to experience such reconciliation.

       The fourth lesson is about God’s way of working through us human beings.  It’s interesting to note on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit doesn’t seem to be too troubled by the whole thing.  Here is a gift of insight for us.  We see here once again, that God isn’t shocked by our sin, surprised by our humanness or immobilized by our failure.  Paul and Barnabas go different directions and God honors them both and prospers their work.  Now the split wasn’t God’s will.  But God can work His will in spite of the split.

       The fifth and final lesson is about our motivation for being a part of the church of Jesus Christ .  If you join the church because of a leader, or if you join because everyone and everything is always so wonderful – then guess what.  You are going to be disappointed.  Every human being here is going to fail you at some time or another. That includes me – no matter how perfect I become someday.

       You see, up to this point in the book of Acts, the church has been wonderful.  A person could read Acts to this point and become a Christian because of the wonderful fellowship of the church.

      But not after Chapter 15.

       After 15, if anyone becomes a Christian it will not be because of the church but because of Jesus Christ.  After 15 you have to become a Christian not because of the church but in spite of the church -- just like today.

       And that’s a gift to us because it clears the air.  We see now the strength of Jesus Christ – not the strength of the Apostles.  We see the strength of Jesus in the weakness of the church – real people in a real place facing real situations.

       After Acts 15, if we are drawn we are drawn to Jesus Christ – not to the church.  We are in the church because of Jesus Christ and because He calls us to be part of His church – warts and all.  We aren’t drawn to Paul and Barnabas, because we see them as sinners like us.  We are drawn because we belong to the Lord, to whom they also belong.