Restoring Broken Trust (cont.)

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Last week we looked at the John Mark and how he had broken the trust of Paul.  Now how did John Mark regain the trust and confidence of the apostle Paul?

You can imagine the insult and the hurt of John Mark from all this. He could have walked away and quit because Paul thought lowly of him. But instead he attached himself to a man that was an encourager. He went off to Cyprus with Barnabas. Guys like Barnabas can help you when you are trying to regain trust in your life. If Job had a Barnabas, his would have been a different story. When you are down, you need a godly mentor that will love you, support you, and tell you the truth. They won’t just shove you to the side, but they will encourage you to continue to serve the Lord in the capacity that is available to you. Sure, you may not be able to travel with Paul and be in the limelight, but there is something for the Lord you can do, and so get busy doing it!! People will still remember your failures, and you may carry that reputation with you, but determine to accompany an encourager.

I used to think that Christian leaders lived in an unattainable plain no one else could live up to. John Mark didn’t allow this disillusionment to detour him from following after God’s calling on his life. People watch the failures of others in leadership and use it as an excuse for not doing the right thing. No matter who the leader is, no matter the abilities, every leader puts his pants on the same way you do. Don’t be blown away by the humanities, frailties, and weaknesses of those in leadership. When you get right with God, people may not accept you back into ministry, and they are not always setting the best example. It is vital to remember that the ministry is not about how other people behave; it is about you and God and your relationship with Him. You can only trust God; you cannot trust yourself; you cannot trust others. John Mark had this same conviction. Later in Galatians 2, Peter went off into doctrinal error, and Barnabas was also carried away with it. Often this leads to discouragement and derailment from the work of God. It is imperative that we keep our focus on God.

He realized that his testimony needed to be rebuilt. He couldn’t write this for himself nor recommend himself, but Paul said, “I’m going to help you out. I’m going to write a letter for you and recommend you back into fellowship and service.” Colossians 4:10-11, “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye receive commandments: if he come unto you receive him.” Why did Paul say that? Colossae was about 10 miles away from where John Mark had said, “I’m quitting!” Paul is sending John Mark back to the church. In essence he said, “John Mark is the real deal, and you can receive him.” People tend to remember our mistakes a lot more than they remember our successes. John Mark accepted that. An arrogant man wouldn’t accept that and would refuse to reconcile or accept a letter from the apostle Paul. Many people who break trust never rebuild it again, because they never accept the fact that they need to rebuild it. Building anything takes time and patience, especially when it is your trust and testimony. But, oh, how worth the effort it is!!

God did something with John Mark that he has only done with 38 or 39 people in world history. God said to him, “I have an assignment for you; I want you to write a Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, along with Matthew the Tax Collector, Luke the Doctor, and John the Beloved.” Sixteen inspired chapters God gave to John Mark, a fellow that blew his testimony but regained trust. God let him write part of the Bible. In Colossians 4:11, Paul referred to him as “…these only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, which are a comfort unto me.” John Mark became a fellow-worker, servant, and a comfort to the very man that had rejected him. That’s God’s grace, and that’s how you regain trust and confidence.

So never let the devil whisper in your ear and tell you that there is no way to regain trust. He is the father of lies! It may not happen right away, or the next day or month, or even sometime very soon. But it can happen!

If you aren’t doing something trustworthy, then you are wasting your time. It is vitally important that you learn to be trustworthy. No one should wonder where you are, or if you are going to show up. The work of your ministry, the work of your home, the work of your business – it all depends on trustworthiness. And when we are not trustworthy, we cannot expect honest, hardworking, trustworthy people to sit by and accept us or trust us. Be trustworthy, and be encouraged that if you have lost confidence or trust, it can be regained by following the example of John Mark.

Restoring Broken Trust

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

RESTORING AND REBUILDING CONFIDENCE AFTER IT HAS BEEN FORFEITED IS ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES IN LIFE. Trust is a sacred and securing attribute that every one of us ought to covet, and we ought to work diligently to build and maintain it. Often we forfeit confidence by bad choices we make. Even the business world realizes the value of trust, and when that is broken businesses are hindered. Jim Burke, former CEO of Johnson & Johnson said, “You cannot have success without trust. The very word trust embodies everything you could strive for that will help you to succeed. Tell me any relationship that works without trust. A marriage? A friendship? A social interaction? In the long run the same thing is true about business. They can only succeed when there is trust.” Acts chapter 12 introduces us to a man whose life has become a story of hope and encouragement for everyone who has gained and then lost the trust or confidence of someone. Unfortunately, this is something that happens often through bad behavior or foolish decisions. This is the first time we are introduced to John Mark, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, but was a native of Cyprus. This young lad had the opportunity to be part of the miracle of seeing Peter released from prison. Earlier, Peter had led John Mark to Christ; and in verse 25 of Acts 12, we see him again. John Mark had been given great responsibility as a ministry assistant to Paul and Barnabas, and he was greatly used of the Lord. Out of the thousands of young men, John Mark was chosen to serve the Lord alongside these great and renowned men of God. But, in spite of his unique opportunities and usefulness, he blew it. He decides to quit and go home and walks away from the work. John Mark in essence said, “I’m going home,” and he forfeited the confidence and trust of Paul. Acts 13:13, “Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.” He wasn’t the first person who has walked out on God, or on the preacher, or on the will of God. Many faithful Christian servants, employees, parents, and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ have lost trust because of a similar departure from their Lord, their church, or their family. That trust is in need of restoration, but it seems so difficult to repair. In Acts chapter 15, we see John Mark four years after this event as Barnabas and Paul are preparing for their second missionary journey.  Acts 15:36-37, “And some days after, Paul said Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city, and see how they do.  And Barnabas was determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.” Barnabas invited his nephew John Mark to go along; however, Paul did not think this was a good idea.  Unfair?  Maybe a little bit, but John Mark had broken the trust and confidence they had in him. When you break the trust and confidence someone has in you, you cannot expect it to return instantaneously. Paul was not some carnal man that held a grudge for no reason; he was a man of God. Barnabas had taken in Paul when the church didn’t want to accept him, and now Paul was rejecting John Mark. This must have been hard for Barnabas to accept. Verse 39 says, “… the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed one from the other.” You can imagine the pressure of Barnabas; Mark was only 3 years old in the Lord when he quit, and so Barnabas refused to go with Paul as a result. Verse 40 says, “Paul chose Silas, and departed.” Let’s look at a later event in AD 66-67.  Fifteen years have passed, and Paul is in prison, ready to lose his head as a martyr for the cause of Christ. John Mark is now serving the Lord at Ephesus with Timothy. Timothy receives this request in the form of Paul’s last written letter: “Take Mark, and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”  (II Timothy 4:11) John Mark is regaining lost trust. It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen. And let me say to you that it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen for you, too! 

Next week, we will discuss how John Mark regained the trust and confidence of the apostle Paul.

WE ARE TRANSLATED

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

There are only two verses in Scripture in which you will find the English word “translated.” It is the Greek word “methistemi.” Thayer and Strong translate this word, “to transfer, carry away, put out or remove, depose or figuratively exchange or remove from one place to another.” There are only two verses in the Bible where you will find this English word. Colossians 1:13: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” and in Hebrews 11:5: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

Although the word is translated in a few other places in the Bible differently, it bears the same meaning such as in Acts 13:22, “And when he had removed him….” The word “removed” is again “methistemi” which means King Saul has been put away from the throne, meaning he would never come back and in the latter part of this verse God declares David was his replacement. I cannot resist making the application that David’s lineage will never be removed from this eternal dynasty for Jeremiah 33:17 says, “For thus saith the LORD; David shallnever want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel.” Rejoice with me at these opening words of the New Testament: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David…” (Matthew 1:1). In examining Hebrews 11:5 see that the transference of godly Enoch from earth to heaven reminds us that we, through salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ, have now been translated to a heavenly existence. The Bible says that God has “…raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

Today we would like to begin a Bible study in Colossians. Allow me to bring six characteristics of the translated life to your attention.

I. Influence of God’s Will

In Colossians 1:1, Paul describes himself, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God….” Six times in the New Testament Paul refers to himself as serving Christ “…by the will of God.” Paul knew he did not deserve to be one of God’s leading servants; quite frankly, Paul marveled for the rest of his life that God had even reached down to save him. He said, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (I Timothy 1:15). Not only did he want you to know, he needed desperately to remind himself that he was where he was by the mandate and order of Almighty God.

A man or woman convinced they are in the will of God will overcome all obstacles. Every boon is a blessing from God and every perceived setback is a set-up. Never underestimate the influence of the knowledge of God’s will for your life.

II. Interworking of the Body of Christ

In the latter part of Colossians 1, verse 1 Paul says, “…and Timotheus our brother….” Please observe other places Paul refers to Timothy and even more especially how he refers to him: “…Timotheus, who is my beloved son…” (I Timothy 4:17); “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ…” (Philippians 1:1); “…Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ…” (I Thessalonians 3:2); “But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state” (Philippians 2:19, 20).

God has designed us to serve him together. John Donne wrote, “No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main.” Even more importantly, God said through Paul, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:5).

III. Intercessory Importance

Colossians 1:3 says, “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” Prayer is vital. We see in Colossians 1:9-12 and Colossians 4:2-4 that Paul prays perpetually, specifically and effectually. We will never see the work of God advance unless we pray. John Bunyan said, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

IV. Interplay of Heaven and Earth

Colossians 1:4, 5, 18-20, 27 displays the interworking of heaven and earth. In the model prayer our Lord taught us to pray, “…Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Luke records it like this , “…Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” (Luke 11:2). I often quote this partially, but allow me to give you the full quote by Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.” I agree with Mrs. Browning’s conclusion; for those who are not looking for the interplay  between earth and heaven, life will become as insignificant as merely “picking blackberries.” For those dedicated souls, there is but a thin veil between earth and heaven.

V. Investigation of God’s Servant

As we examine Colossians 1:7,8; 4:12 and Philemon, verse 23 we see that the pastor of the church at Colossae was Epaphras. Upon a closer examination of this man we see that he was loving: “…a dear fellow servant…” (Colossians 1:7b), he was faithful: “…a faithful minister of Christ” (Colossians 1:7c), he was a bridge builder: “…declared unto us your love in the Spirit” (Colossians 1:8), he was a prayer warrior: “…always laboring fervently for you in prayers…” (Colossians 4:12), and he was willing to go anywhere and do anything for his Master, the Lord Jesus: “…Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus” (Philemon, verse 23).

VI. Intimacy with Christ

To take in Colossians 1:13-18 is like trying to take a drink from a fire hydrant! We are inextricably linked to Jesus Christ and our life must be always operating from this vantage point. We are to love Him fully, completely, and always. To operate in this intimacy we need to make sure:

A. The interference of the world must be broken.

God has, “…delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). Billy Sunday said, “You can’t love flowers unless you hate weeds and you can’t love Jesus unless you hate sin.”

B. There is appreciation of Christ’s blood.

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). This is the price that our Savior paid to save us. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18,19). This is where we find cleansing from sin (I John 1:7, 9).

C. Honor should be given to Jesus as Lord and Creator.

Jesus is described as Firstborn, meaning He has the right to rule as Sovereign over the universe and our lives. Colossians 1:16,17 tell us that Jesus created everything that we see and even those things we do not see. Colossians 1:18 demands that in all things Christ is to have the preeminence. The word preeminence is from the Greek word “proteuo” which means to be first in rank or influence. If I may take it a step further, Jesus is to be number one in our lives in both rank and influence! Is Jesus Lord of your life?

THE WILL OF GOD

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

God’s will shall be done! He sovereignly declares, “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:3). In Isaiah 46:9, 10 God says, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” God is in control. Man is not going to thwart or disrupt God’s ultimate plans for the universe. “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand” (Prov. 19:21). Under inspiration Solomon declares, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  God works with, through and sometimes in spite of man’s blunders and disruptions.

God’s will shall be done. What is our part in this grand scheme of things?” Allow me to lay down three principles:  (1) we must give ourselves to God. Paul said these kind words of the membership of the surrendered Christians in the churches of Macedonia: “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God” (II Corinthians 8:5).  (2) We must be committed with our hearts. Paul was addressing people who were not living under the best circumstances how to serve the Lord: “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6).   (3) We should consider the will of God a lifelong pursuit. Paul discloses this principle in the prayer of his friend: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12). My prayer also is that everyone whose eyes fall upon these words stands complete in all, not some, of the will of God. We should not be so consumed with the will of God after graduation from high school or college or marriage that we decide, “Okay, I found the will of God; now I’m on my own.” Oh no, this is to be a lifetime pursuit, for every avenue and adventure of your life. Every decision no matter how large or small should be made with the will of God in mind. I commend to one and all the will of God for your life.

1. The will of God will bring intimacy with Christ.

“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:35). These are the very words of Jesus when his mother Mary and his half-brothers came looking for Him. He was saying that any of us can be as close to God as we want to be. I don’t want God in the peripheral of my life. Colossians 1:18 tells us, “…that in all things he might have the preeminence.” The will of God is so much more than rules; it is relationship with our Lord. I say with Peter, “…to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

2. The will of God is revealed to us when we deal thoroughly with our sin.

This is the potentially the most uncomfortable point of this message, but it is vital. “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (I Thessalonians 4:3, 7). We cannot know the will of God apart from a transformation from conformity to this world to Christlikeness as expressed in Romans 12:1, 2.

Furthermore God reveals, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). Isaiah informs us, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). The Bible says, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the LORD,  and thy thoughts shall be established (Proverbs 16:2, 3). What an insight! When we depart from sin and do right, God will remove the confusion from our minds.

Read all the books on the will of God. Talk to all the counselors you can find about the will of God. If, however, we are not willing to confess our sins and forsake them, the will of God will not be discovered and enjoyed.

3. The will of God can be found and done by every earnest seeker.

God says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Here are three green lights I look for in finding the will of God: 

1. Pray. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

2. Search the Scriptures. “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm119:130).

3. Observe circumstances. Jesus said, “…Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it…” (Revelation 3:8).

It is a formula that the great man of prayer, George Müller incorporated in his life. I challenge you to hang on to this, as I have done, for the rest of your life.

How to Ascertain the Will of God

1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's Will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

3. I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.

6. Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.  George Truett said, “Success, what is success? Success is finding and doing the will of God in your life.” I love you and I am praying for all of you to know as Paul did the joy that comes with knowing and doing the will of God for your lives. “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed” (Romans 15:32).