How To Be An Optmist

Ekklesia- the called out and set apart gathering of God’s children. The Way- Early followers of Jesus were called The Way. Before GPS there were theses things called Maps. I had on that I kept in my glove box. I mean I kept it there and never pulled it out. In northern Rural Indiana I would go to a concert or visit a friend in a different county. On the way home at night everything looked different and I could not navigate by landmarks. If I could not find my way home, I would look around and look for a large light glow in the distance. Then I would point my car towards that and drive. If I could find a town, I would find a bigger road and I would know where I was. If I found the light, then I could find my way home. Let us open the book of Mark. John Mark is the author. John Mark was a disgraced disciple in his younger years. He was a follower of Paul and Barnabas. Then he got homesick or needed a break and ran away. Little history about Mark. This will give you context of our narrator’s personal view. Mark is the author of this gospel account that recalls Peter’s direct experiences with Jesus. Acts 13:13 13Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But Paul and Barnabas traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia.c Mark MIA for a couple years. Ran away. Perhaps homesick and afraid. His mom had a big house he could go back to. So, he runs away and is out of the picture for a couple years. Paul and Barnabas come back to Jerusalem to update the Ekklesia there and to argue against the need for circumcision. Then Barnabass is like well its time to go back and check on the churches we started let’s take Mark with us and Paul says over my dead body. I don’t trust him. He’s your cousin but to me he’s a coward. And he’s not coming. Barnabass says yes, he is, and Paul says get lost. Acts 15: 36After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” 37Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. 38But Paul disagreed strongly since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. 39Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. 40Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. 41Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there. God uses this to multiply teams and what seems horrible probably leads to more of the Gospel being preached. So Mark goes with Baranabas but he reappears in Peters writings as His Spiritual Son with Peter and so he is listening to Peter teach and talk about his experiences and this is where he gets the info for his narrative. Mark reappears in Paul’s life in a few different letters. One when Paul is in prison in Rome, he says that he is sending Mark. And a final time in 2 Timothy 4:11 when Paul calls him useful and requests, he comes to help him. Mark writes down Peters teachings on Jesus around d 64A.D. about the time of Peter’s Death (Martyrdom in Rome) Mark writes this for gentile believers in Rome and he writes it almost in the style of an article. He is primarily concerned with ACTION. If the books of the Bible were different genres. Romans would be a deep-thinking movie. John would be a broad view of the teachings of Jesus in the style of a documentary and Mark would be an action movie. Less talk more explosions. Have you ever lost your way like MARK? We all want to have the apostle Paul story of full bore never stop. But I can relate to Mark and the desire to run away. To not always get it right. To be afraid of what God wants and to go back to comfort. Open to Mark 1:16-20 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simong and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18And they left their nets at once and followed him. 19A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James, and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men. Simon and our buddy Drew. Andrew. Simon becomes who? Peter or Petros / Rock cool name. And Jesus says that upon this Rock I will build my Ecclesia. THE CHOSEN When Jesus found his disciples, he did not hand them a Bible or ask them to apply for the position. He said Follow ME!!! Mark 2:14-17 What are Disciples? Here is what they are according to Mark. Mark has a big focus on discipleship. Mark 8:34-38 Follow Jesus by denying yourself and taking up the cross. Jesus invitation to you is to come and follow Me. What will it cost? It is free but it will cost you everything. Simple-> but difficult. You ca...