Free Sermon Outline for 2 Timothy 4:11

Second Chances
2 Timothy 4:11

1. Intro
   1. Has someone ever let you down?
      1. Maybe you trusted someone with something private.
      2. Maybe you depended on someone to do something you really needed done.
      3. And maybe that person failed.
      4. How did you react?
      5. Did you give them a second chance?
   2. Maybe you’re the one who failed.
      1. Something happened and you didn’t come through for someone.
      2. Maybe you let something slip that shouldn’t have come out of your mouth.
      3. What was the response you got?
      4. Did they give you a second chance?
   3. The Bible tells us about a man named Mark.
      1. Yes, this is the Mark who wrote the second Gospel of the New Testament.
      2. Mark led an interesting life.
      3. It was one of ups and downs.
      4. Let’s take a look at Mark’s life.
      5. In the life of Mark, we learn about our great God of second chances.
      6. And as we take this look at Mark, you may find that you have a second chance with the Lord.
2. Let’s take a look at Mark’s Early Life.
   1. He was possibly In the Garden of Gethsemane.
      1. In Mark 14:51, Mark added a strange side note to Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane.
      2. Many scholars believe that Mark was referring to himself
      3. If that’s true, Mark begins early in life in the presence of Jesus Christ.
   2. We see him With the Early Church.
      1. In Acts 12, when Peter was about to be executed, the church was praying for him.
      2. In verse 11, we find out that the church was gathered at the house of Mark and his mother.
      3. Mark was right in the thick of the building of the first church.
   3. He Went with Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem.
      1. In the last part of Acts 12, we learn that Paul and Barnabas carried Mark with them back to Antioch.
      2. Something about Mark impressed Paul and Barnabas.
      3. Mark’s Christian life and his zeal must have caught the eye of the great disciple, Paul.
   4. He was A Missionary in Cyprus.
      1. Paul’s first missionary journey began as a trio.
      2. Mark went along as Paul and Barnabas’ assistant.
      3. He saw the power of God work as they traveled through the island.
      4. He saw a man struck blind for opposing the work of the Lord.
      5. He saw the highest governmental official accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
      6. He witnessed the great power of the gospel to bring people to salvation.
   5. But Then Something Goes Wrong.
      1. In Acts 13:13, we’re told that Mark left Paul and Barnabas and headed home.
      2. What happened to Mark?
      3. Did he get homesick?
      4. Did he get scared?
      5. Did he not like the hardships that came with serving the Lord?
      6. All we know is that Mark left the mission and headed home.
3. Mark Became a Disappointment.
   1. He caused division between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41).
      1. When Paul and Barnabas got ready for their 2nd missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to try Mark
         again.
      2. Paul insisted that Mark had abandoned them and their work and was not worthy to go again.
      3. The disagreement was so great that these two great men of God split up over Mark.
   2. The last we hear he is with Barnabas.
      1. Mark went with Barnabas.
      2. The Bible tells us in Acts 15:39 that Mark sailed with Barnabas, and he sailed off into obscurity.
   3. He is not mentioned again for years.
      1. We hear nothing else of Mark for at least 20 years.
4. Mark makes a Comeback.
   1. We find Mark with Paul (Colossians 4:10).
      1. Paul calls Mark a fellow-laborer (Philemon 24).
      2. Paul considers Mark useful to his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11).
      3. He is serving with Peter in Rome (1 Peter 5:13).
      4. Tradition tells us Mark has a great ministry later in Egypt.
      5. Mark was chosen by God to write down the Gospel of Mark.
      6. Somewhere down the line Mark determined not to be a flash in the pan.
      7. At some point, Mark re-evaluated his commitment to the Lord and decided to do something about
         it.
      8. He didn’t want to be known as the Christian who started out strong and them just faded away.
      9. Mark stood up and sold out to the Lord.
      10. The last words we have about Mark was not that he was useless, but that he was useful for the work
          of the Lord (2 Timothy 4:11).
5. Here are some Life Lessons from the Life of Mark.
   1. A good Christian start is only the beginning.
      1. Mark seemed to have a strong start in his Christian walk.
      2. He may have spent time with Jesus Himself and he was active in the first church.
      3. But the Christian life is more than just starting well.
      4. Praise the Lord that He has given us the free gift of salvation!
      5. But our initial salvation is not the end, it is only the beginning.
      6. We have not completed our salvation when we accept Christ by faith.
      7. Our initial experience is just the entrance on the road.
      8. Many never move past the initial salvation.
      9. Those who never move farther are missing out on the greatest blessings that follow.
   2. We alone are responsible for moving forward in our Christian life.
      1. Mark was on mission with two of the greatest Christians ever, Paul and Barnabas.
      2. But being surrounded by such great men didn’t guarantee Mark’s relationship with the Lord.
      3. I love being around strong Christians; talking to them and just enjoying their company.
      4. They are strong influences in my life.
      5. But they can’t walk my Christian walk with the Lord.
      6. I am responsible for seeking the Lord with all my heart, soul, body, and mind.
      7. We don’t grow closer to the Lord through osmosis with others, but by continually deepening our
         relationship with Him.
   3. Christians can become disinterested and may draw back from the demands and hardships of serving the
      Lord.
      1. When things of this world become a greater concern than our walk with the Lord, we can lose our
         desire to seek and serve the Lord.
      2. When things get a little tough, we start looking for easier ways.
      3. When we come to a point in our lives when the Lord demands something from us, some rebel at the
         Lord’s authority and pull back in their relationship with Him.
      4. So many times I’ve seen people fired up about the Lord only to flame out when God’s way interferes
         with their own agenda.
      5. As big as God is, He can be crowded out in the lives of Christians who lose their focus on Him.
   4. Christians can become a disappointment.
      1. In the past, I’ve known many Christians who have brought shame to the name of the Lord and
         disappointed those who looked to them.
      2. In just the past couple of weeks, I’ve heard of one who destroyed a church with his revelations.
      3. We all know of Christians who have disappointed us.
   5. Christians can be restored.
      1. Think about Mark’s journey back to Jerusalem when he left Paul and Barnabas.
      2. Think about what he may have told the church at Jerusalem when he returned.
      3. Think about the mind of Mark after his return.
      4. He could have just faded away, back into the world.
      5. He could have written off this Christianity thing and moved on.
      6. But it’s apparent that he couldn’t let it go.
      7. It’s apparent that God would not quit pursuing him.
      8. Mark came back to the Lord and the Lord took him back.
      9. Maybe you’re in the position Mark must have been in when he got back to Jerusalem.
      10. Maybe you just can’t shake God’s constant pull back to Him.
      11. You can return to Him and He will take you back.
   6. Christians have another chance to do great things for the Lord.
      1. Restoration is waiting for you.
      2. You can repent of your unfaithfulness to the Lord.
      3. You can turn back to Him and seek Him again.
      4. When you turn back, God will know your heart and He will forgive you and take you back with
         open arms.
      5. God is the God of second chances.
      6. God still has great plans for your life and you still have time.