First Baptist Church
May 3, 2026

      • Galatians 4.4-5ESV

  • Christ The True And Better
  • Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
  • Behold Our God

      • Mark 8.27-29ESV

  • Our Great God
  • We live in a skeptical world and perhaps for good reason. So many things are deceptive and unbelievable, and it’s hard to know fact from fiction. More and more people are requiring proof… Where is the proof of that statement. Where’s the evidence that it’s real. It’s rather interesting that more and more young people are into the conspiracy theories of the day. I’m surprised at the number of people that I ‘ve spoken to who question the validity of say the first lunar landing or believe that events of 911 were staged by politicians in America. They want more evidence to prove it.
    What’s more frightening and alarming than being skeptical of this things is being skeptical of eternal things. That skepticism has reached it’s way into the church, into the faith, into our beliefs... they call them fairytales and a made up religion. The say the only way they will believe it is if their is concrete evidence. (show me the proof that it’s real)
    So as people who belief, we ought to ask the question..... what is the greatest evidence that the gospel is true?
    I would like to submit to you today… that one of the greatest evidences that the gospel is true isn’t just from a written document, but from a living one. It is the testimony of broken lives made whole. It’s the prove of change from a former lifestyle to a new one.
    Hebrews in fact tells us the same thing.
    Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900
    Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
    Our faith is one of the proofs that Jesus is alive. That the gospel is real, and that it’s beautiful and wonderful, overwhelming and fulfilling.
    John Mark’s life is a testament to that. And his life changed significantly as he witnessed the evidences of the Gospel in lives and actions of others. The Gospel made an impact. It left it’s ....Mark.… pun intended. (John Mark and the Gospel Mark). Therefore, the gospel was of chief importance to him. So we stop and consider the life of John Mark before diving into the Gospel he wrote. By doing so, the authority and credibility of the Gospel of Jesus Christ only increases as well as our motivation to follow it.
    Last week, we looked at the evidences of the Gospel in John’s Early Life.
    This week, we will look at the...

    II. Evidence of the Gospel at the Start of John’s Ministry

    We want to see the gospel surrounding the ministry and failure of John. Throughout all of these events, the gospel continues to be on full display. It’s the crowning jewel of adoration. The more you look at John’s life, the more you see it was never about him… but all about the greatness of the one he served and loved and what Jesus accomplished that is worth emulating in all of life’s great decisions.
    Lets turn in our Bibles to Acts chapter 12 where we will follow along the path that the Lord led John Mark on. Let’s start in verse 25 where our person of interest is next seen.
    Acts 12:25 ESV
    And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
    From this one text, we are going to see 3 different evidences of the gospels work in John Mark’s early ministry.

    A. In the Benevolence of Inter-Church Giving

    (Acts 11:27-30, 12:1-3, Eph. 5:1-2, 1 John 3:16)
    Before we dive too deep into John Mark… let’s first gather some context of this verse because verse 25 is a significant transitional verse.
    This is about the year 46 AD, just about a year before the first missionary journey took place as most scholars would agree on.
    Paul and Barnabas had just been sent by the church in Antioch, where they served for over a year, to provide a really sizeable donation to the church in Jerusalem as they were experiencing a significant famine.
    Acts 11:27–30 ESV
    Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
    As if the famine wasn’t bad enough, God allowed the Jerusalem church to face extreme persecution and suffering at the hands of Herod. Acts 12 begins with the phrasing.
    Acts 12:1–3 ESV
    About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
    Man, talk about a time of great uncertainty and fear. We often can be shaken with what’s going on in our churches today, but wow can you imagine being part of this. Think of the impact the famine would have had on the economy of that time. Food is sparce… supply and demand make everything more expensive… and you have a whole church to provide for. What a great pressure that would have been for them. On top of that, the people who God has given to the church to shepherd them and encourage them, to lead them and guide them through difficulty are MIA along with others in the church.
    It truly must have been a time of great discouragement. It must have felt like there was no safe place to run to. When the world is going nuts around us, I usually find great encouragement when we gather with our brothers and sisters at church. I think about some of the Covid ordeals and how much of a joy it was to gather in whatever capacity during the time of uncertainty. Yet, here, the believers in Jerusalem can had uncertainty not just outside the “walls” of the church, but now also had uncertainty “within” the walls. Amongst those, who would have been facing this discouragement and fear were Mary and her son John Mark.
    And yet, here the gospel saturates this narrative. Amidst the turmoil, God’s work is carried out thru the benevolence of his universal church. When I think of this I think of a poem I’ve heard before… You’ve might be familiar with it as well. It’s entitled... “No man is an island.” I would strongly affirm that the Bible not only suggests that is true but add to it that “no church is an island.” If a church is to be a gospel-centered church & gospel saturated, it is required that this church thinks not only of itself and its members, but also the members of God’s churches around the world.
    And how is the gospel is connected to that.
    Paul says in Ephesians 5:1-2
    Ephesians 5:1–2 ESV
    Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
    Or what John says in 1 John 3:16
    1 John 3:16 ESV
    By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
    If Christ came and gave Himself up for us that we ought encourage us and motivate us to also to give of ourselves as well.
    But notice the extent of that gospel gift. Not just so a small group of people in a small community in one area. NO, Christ gave himself up for the world. That includes people of every tribe, every nation, and every tongue. So should we be so exclusive in whom we give to. Should we be so selfish in only hording funds for those closest to us. That’s not to say we shouldn’t be discerning or careful in whom we give to. But it is to say that we ought to far more concerned with people way outside of even this community. Why because the gospel itself is concerned with that.
    Can you imagine that joy the church in Jerusalem experienced upon receiving the gift from Antioch. More than just the financial benefit, the joy in knowing others care and your not alone. The joy in knowing God is working and your not forgotten. Think about this… had Barnabas and Saul not arrived with the gift… would it be too easy to believe that God just walked away. Yet, Barnabas and Saul’s arrival meant for them that God still cared.
    So what about you. When you fail to visit those and share in the sufferings of others, what can that leave them feeling. ALONE and abandoned by God, and yet your simple willingness to care about them shows that God still cares about them. That He’s still working in peoples lives to push them to serve the afflicted. It’s not merely about obedience. It’s about protecting and honoring the character of God. We don’t want people to think less about God because of our unwillingness or insensitivities.
    Mark was a witness to the love of God thru the benevolence of the church in Antioch, and you can bet it impacted his life.
    So the gospel can be clearly seen in the inter-church benevolence, but it can also be seen in...

    B. In the Forgiveness of John Mark

    (Acts 6:2-5, Eph. 4:32)
    Returning to our primary verse in question. Acts 12:25.… we see another critical component.… forgiveness.
    We’ve already spoken about this from the angle of Barnabas, but I want us to again look at this from the angle of John Mark cause forgiveness played a huge role in his life on both sides.… as the forgiven, as we know, but also the forgiver.
    Just consider all that has happened… stressful times have occurred, many of your church family members perhaps even friends have been taken captive and killed thru the hands of wicked men. Money is tight and times are rough. Life may seem to be on the edge right now. Along comes Barnabas and Saul. They deliver the gift. It probably lifted many spirits, but now they have come to you (John Mark) and asked you to join them in their mission. Again, we have stated that scripture doesn’t say what John Mark’s reaction was to this proposal but you have to wonder what he might have felt. One of those very possible feelings may have been a strong distrust or perhaps even bitterness towards Saul.
    Think of it. Roughly 10 years before that, Saul was enemy and murderer of the church. At the hands of Saul, the godly leader of the church in it’s early years was murderer. Acts 6 records how 7 men were specifically chosen to serve the church by “serving tables”. This job was to oversee the distribution of food and resources fairly among the Christians, especially for the Greek-speaking windows who were being overlooked. It’s quite possible then that Mary, (John’s mother), might have been well known by them since she fit the Greek-speaking widow part. These first “deacons” had a special love for people and for meeting physical needs and in return, they were probably very well loved by the church. One of them in particular really stood out.
    Acts 6:2–5 ESV
    And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
    Stephen is the only one is the list to get extra attention. He’s the only one to receive additional descriptions about his life.… a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. On top of that, he is one of the few to be mentioned elsewhere in the book of Acts. Stephen’s virtuous actions continued to be highlighted in the book of Acts where in chapter 6 and 7 he does great signs and wonders, intelligently debated with leaders from the synagogue, and boldly preached a powerful message connecting the entirety of scripture to Christ.
    For this he was put to death.
    It would be easy to imagine that his death hurt the church family greatly and would have been not so soon forgotten.
    You think about our own lives, when something has been so traumatic in our lives, how often are we phased by something years later that reminds us of the past. James is dead and Herod and killed others, and now standing before you is the man Saul, who once was a killer himself, and he wants you to come with Him.
    And Mark forgave him. How do we know that, because Mark goes with him.
    What we see of Barnabas and John Mark in this partnership with Paul, is the results of forgiveness.
    Bitterness which is the opposite of forgiveness, keeps us isolated.… forgiveness draws us together in unity and partnership.
    Think about Jesus. Once again, the way Jesus offers forgiveness is not merely that he choses not to remember the sin no more. It’s far more than that. When Jesus forgives, He doesn’t remain far off. But when He forgives, He draws near.
    So if that’s true forgiveness… how then ought we to forgive.
    Ephesians 4:32 ESV
    Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
    If we ought to give because He gave, then we ought also to forgive as He forgave.
    How do I know if I truly forgiven someone? Actually a better question then to ask is, How do I know if I have bitterness against someone? Here’s the real test. If you can’t partner up with someone to do the will of the Lord… if someone bothers you so much that you can’t join them in doing a task together… then there is bitterness still in your heart and you perhaps haven’t forgiven them for an offence they have caused against you.
    But you know forgiveness has many great effects. Dr. David Jeremiah says it like this. He says....
    “Two great things happen when you forgive somebody. They get forgiven, and you get released from your bitterness.” - Dr. David Jeremiah
    Forgiveness sets them free but it also sets you free.
    Many times, the person that you need to forgive isn’t even aware of the damage they cause so they go about unphased from the actions, whereas you carry the weight and the burden. By you forgiving others, you thru the grace of God, set yourself in a manner of speaking free from that weight.
    This is the true nature of the gospel and it’s evident in John’s Mark’s life.
    So we’ve seen the evidence of the Gospel in the inter-church benevolence, we’ve seen the gospel in the forgiveness of John Mark, but now we will see the evidence of the gospel...

    C. In the Mentorship of Barnabas and Saul

    (Acts 13:1-5, Eccl. 4:9-12)
    The second part of this verse we have been studying gives us our clue.
    Acts 12:25 ESV
    And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
    While Barnabas and Saul are returning home from completing their mission, another significant thing happens. They don’t just return “home” with nothing or no one. Instead the verse points out that they bring with them John (His Jewish name), whose other name was Mark (his latin name)
    At this point in our text, we should all as students of the Word of God stop and ask the question, why? This isn’t just insignificant data that Luke the writer is randomly recording. It’s important because understanding this bears gospel insights..… so why bring John Mark along?
    Nothing can be too certain as too why they chose John Mark… perhaps because of his relationship to Barnabas, perhaps because he was part of a faithful group of christians, it’s hard to know for sure.
    But show definitizes can be placed.… Mark agreed. It doesn’t say that he him hawed or debated… the text doesn’t state that they forced him. Just says they brought him along. So we can assume that their was a willingness to go.
    Second, the inclusion of John Mark showcases the willingness of Barnabas and Saul to invest in the lives of others, encouraging their growth for the tasks ahead. In this text, we can see the early stages of mentorship, theme repeated throughout the New Testament. John Mark might not have held the same prominence as Barnabas and Saul at this point, but the fact that he’s chosen to accompany them signifies his role in the unfolding story of the early church. Had Barnabas and Saul not taken the time to invest in this young man, it would seem pretty obvious to us today that his gospel, the gospel of Mark, may not have ever been written nor would his fruitful labor had effect later. But this is the beginnings of a trajectory that would have long-lasting impacts. Learning from seasoned believers prepared this young Christian for his future roles and responsibilities just as is the case today.
    So another fair question can be asked, what did this mentorship include?
    Starting in chapter 13, we get a glimpse of what Mark did.
    Acts 13:1–5 ESV
    Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.
    Mark functioned as huperetēs (literally meaning under-rower). It gives the idea of an assistant (other versions use the words helper or servant). It is not exactly clear what John Mark did but it seems entirely possible that he handled logistical needs, managing daily necessities, even perhaps reading scriptures in the synagogues. Certainly, his presence freed Barnabas and Saul to focus on proclamation. Some have speculated that it is likely he may have also assisted in preaching as well as is possible by the use of the word “also” in the text in certain translations…
    Acts 13:5 NASB95
    When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.
    The began to proclaim and also had John.… also perhaps describing who also participated in the proclamation.
    So what this does, it that it serves as a reminder that ministries succeed collaboratively. You rarely ever see in scripture people soloing the work of the ministry. It’s almost always done in pairs or greater. Think about Jesus with the 12 or even with the 70. When He sent them out, he sent them out in pairs. That takes us all the way back to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament.
    Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 ESV
    Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
    God seems to agree with himself then when he commissions people to do the work.
    So what are the Gospel Implications seen here. To many to count, quite frankly.
    But for one, it once again bears the imagery of Jesus. Jesus walking along the lakeshore and seeing the fisherman, Peter & John and their brothers, instructs them to follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Interesting that the gospel doesn’t merely end at follow me… it’s follow me and I will make you fishers of men.… What Jesus is describing isn’t just evangelism but it’s evangelism and discipleship. Receive new life thru me but also receive a new life goal… that goal continued to pass down thru the christians. Paul says the same… follow me as I follow Christ.… Our followership of Christ demands that we do as He did.
    Christ spent much of His earthly ministry raising up and training others so that they could do the same. The first church followed suite. Barnabas mentoring Saul, John Mark… Paul mentoring Timothy, Titus, Silas, and so many others. It’s so common in the New Testament that it is nearly impossible to miss. History then goes on to record for us that this mentorship continued well on past what the scriptures recorded for us. Men such as Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna were leaders of the church following that of the apostles. Both of these men were said to be mentored by the apostle John.
    So tracing back to the beginnings of the gospel message… it was so critically tied to the idea of bringing in and raising up others to join in the work and it’s still as vital a ministry today. It was so refreshing to have Ron Self join us. Later that day and in email, I asked him some practical questions about how it was that they were able to plant so many daughter churches in Argentina. And here is what he said. In a nut shell, he said it all started with people opening up their homes to study the Bible in throughout different areas of the city. Those relationships formed within their individual communities and the group their began to grow. They would then send people from their own mother church to assist in planting the church their and provide structures. These people that were sent were people that they had trained up for the task. People that were just locals of the church. Not specialized missionaries. Not professions of church planting. Just young men and families that they had intentionally worked with to labor for the Lord.
    This is what brought about the great work of God in Argentina as well as the great work that it did in the 1st century church.
    And yet, as easy as it all sounds in theory, it is and can be quite difficult. Anytime you decide to bring someone along and invest time into, it will be challenging. You with kids know this to be true. “Do what I do” is so much harder than “just let me do it.” How many times do we ask our kids to do things only to find that they aren’t done correct, or done very quickly, or even done at all. If we didn’t already know the end of the narrative, we might have considered that Jesus might have had more success if he didn’t bring along those pesky disciples. Anytime there was problems, it wasn’t because of Jesus. Yet, Jesus was in it for the long haul. And history bears witness, that though there was issues in bringing them along, the reward in the end is far greater. Same is true with the raising of children. Same is true with bringing along others today in ministry.
    An encouragement I want to share of this is the testimony of Katie and Brenda.
    So my encouragement from the life of John Mark is, rather than doing things yourself. Bring others along to share in the ministry. It will be a joy. It will bear great future reward. It will honor the gospel and the Lord to walk in His paths. It may at times be difficult but there is no reward greater than to do the work of the ministry in raising up others to serve.
    Application Questions:
    Does your life bear evidence that the Gospel is true? What tangibles can people see that you are changed?
    How great is your level of concern for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Does your giving reflect a gospel-centered “Christ dying for the world” kind of giving?
    Is there someone in this church whom you greatly struggle to work alongside of? Are you still harboring bitterness in your heart?
    Whom can you invite to “come along with you” as you minister for the Lord? Whom are you investing into?

        • Hebrews 11:1ESV

        • Acts 12:25ESV

        • Acts 11:27–30ESV

        • Acts 12:1–3ESV

        • Ephesians 5:1–2ESV

        • 1 John 3:16ESV

        • Acts 6:2–5ESV

        • Ephesians 4:32ESV

        • Acts 12:25ESV

        • Acts 13:1–5ESV

        • Acts 13:5ESV

        • Ecclesiastes 4:9–12ESV

        First Baptist Church
        howardcitybaptist@gmail.com
        2319374809
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