Let's open our Bibles to Colossians chapter 4. We are finishing up our study in the book of Colossians after about three years or so. And looking at a final list of salutations that Paul makes to various people, friends and co-workers. And last time we looked at Aristarchus, Marcus This morning, we want to look at Marcus a little more closely. And also, we want to skip ahead a few verses to Demas, two men, two men who quit and some good lessons that we can learn from their lives. Colossians chapter 4 and verse 10. Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, saluted you and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, touching whom you receive commandments, if he come unto you, receive him. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for these moments that we have to open the word of God together to consider important lessons that we can learn from the lives of your servants and ages past. We just ask, Lord, that your Holy Spirit would Drive these truths deeply into our minds and hearts and teach us and instruct us. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Marcus and Demas mentioned in verse 14 to quitters. We know more about Marcus than we do about Demas, and I sure hope we get to look at Demas this morning. If not, we'll have to finish looking at him this evening. But we at least want to begin looking at the first quitter, Marcus. And something we can learn about Marcus is that he followed. He followed the Lord. He followed the Lord's leading. He went with Paul on a missionary journey, and then he quit. He fled. But he came back. Notice in verse 11 that this man, Marcus, as well as Aristarchus and Justus, were of the circumcision. They were Jews. Marcus was his Roman or his Latin name. John, as we'll see later, was his Jewish name. And sometimes he's referred to as Marcus. Sometimes he's referred to as John. Sometimes he's referred to as Mark. John, whose surname was Mark or John Mark. Turn to the book of Acts, and this is where we're going to be spending most of our time this morning, Acts chapter 12 and verse 12. John Mark grew up in a home where at least his mother knew the Lord and loved the Lord, and she opened up the doors of her home to serve as a prayer meeting. Remember, the church in Jerusalem grew in enormous leaps and bounds. Peter preached a sermon and three thousand people get saved, preached another sermon and a couple more thousand got saved. So after a while, the church in Jerusalem became very large. At first, they began meeting in the temple area. But remember, there was only one church in Jerusalem. So because of the large number of people, evidently they met for various functions in individual homes. And some of them met, at least in one region, a section of Jerusalem. They met in the home of Mary. Acts chapter 12 and verse 12. It says, and when they had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And they were praying, if you recall, the context of Acts chapter 12, Peter had been imprisoned. James had just been killed by the order of Herod with a sword. Peter had been arrested, imprisoned, and awaiting his sure death. And then an angel appeared to Peter in prison. His chains fell off and God supernaturally opened the gates of the prison, opened the outer gates, and Peter was able to walk out and he knew where the regular prayer meeting was. He knew folks were gathered at Mary's house praying. And so he went there and he knocked on the door and folks were there praying for him. John Mark was one of the young men at that prayer meeting. His mother, Mary, opened her house. We know nothing of John Mark's father. He may have been dead. Maybe he wasn't a believer in Christ. If he was alive, one would think that Luke would have referred to this as the house of the father rather than saying the house of Mary. Mary did her best to bring up her young son, John Mark, and the things of the Lord and to encourage him to believe on Christ. And one of the encouraging things that she did was to open her house up for the saints to gather to pray. Turn to the book of 1 Peter for a moment. 1 Peter chapter 5, we have another interesting note about this man, Marcus. In 1 Peter chapter 5, at the very end of the epistle, in verse 13, Peter says, the church that is at Babylon, modern day Iraq, elected together with you, saluted you. And so does Marcus, my son. Most believe that this Marcus was the John Mark mentioned in Acts chapter 12 and in Colossians chapter four. And the fact that Peter referred to him as his son indicates to us that just as Paul referred to Timothy as his son here, Peter very likely had led John Mark to saving faith in Christ. Maybe, maybe it was at that prayer meeting when all the saints were gathered at John Mark's home and maybe John Mark as a young man was more interested in playing ball and hanging around with the kids in the streets of Jerusalem than paying attention to spiritual things. But his mother brought him to prayer meeting. And they were praying, and he knew they were praying. They were praying for Peter to escape death that James had just experienced, and that God would somehow deliver him from this death sentence that was hanging over his head. And in the middle of their prayer meeting, Peter came knocking on the door. This must have been astounding to this young man, John Mark. He saw how God answered their prayer. And I'm sure that when Peter came into the home and he sat around and he shared, it must have been one inspiring testimony as Peter shared how he was lying there in prison and an angel appeared to him and his chains fell off and the prison gates opened and he just marched right out. John Mark must have been impressed with Peter's faith and courage. Peter believed the gospel so deeply that he was willing to suffer, to be imprisoned, and even to die for it. And no doubt, the testimony that Peter gave that evening in the home of Mary and her son, John Mark, left an indelible imprint on the mind and heart of John Mark. Maybe that was the night Peter led him to the Lord. You know, it is a good idea for parents to bring their children to prayer meeting, even if the kids might think it's a little boring, even if they'd rather stay home and play Nintendo. It may be just the thing that God uses to lead them to saving faith in Christ. You know, kids are not to rule the roost. That's their parents responsibility to set the spiritual tone and the example in the home. And I know that prayer meeting here is held on school night. But I also know from many years of observation that kids who have faithfully come out to prayer meeting have not flunked out of school and become losers in life. That somehow, even though they had to stay up an hour later, perhaps on one night of the week, the Lord is able to honor those who honor Him. And if we go the extra mile, God usually gives us that extra oomph and that extra strength that we need for the next day. Not to mention the nearly 400 lessons they could have been receiving from the book of Proverbs. Prayer meeting was good for John Mark, and I think prayer meeting would be good for your families as well. Turn back to Acts again in chapter 13. Now we want to see another chapter in the life of John Mark, led to faith by Peter. His mother opened her home up for a gathering place for the church in Jerusalem, a place where they held prayer meetings. In Acts chapter 13, we want to read about the very first missionary journey. And let's begin reading in verse 2. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, separate me Barnabas and Saul, that's the Apostle Paul, for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them away. So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia and came from thence and sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And notice this. And they had also John. This is John Mark to their minister. John Mark went along with Paul and Barnabas on their very first missionary journey. Colossians four tells us that John Mark was a nephew to Barnabas. which probably influenced the fact that Barnabas chose him to come along and to be their minister or to their servant, their associate, their attendant in the work. And so John Mark came along with Paul and Barnabas on this very first missionary journey. And he was given duties. He was their servant. He had many responsibilities. Perhaps he had to take care of the supplies and setting up of tents and providing food. And and there must have been an awful lot of work that was that entailed following these two preachers as they went on this first missionary journey. And John Mark volunteered to go and to do that work. And rigorous work it was. They didn't travel around in an air-conditioned Winnebago. They walked. They hiked. They did a lot of carrying of heavy loads. They were hungry and dirty and thirsty and sweaty. And there was a lot of opposition in every city they went. The gospel message they preached was hated. The Savior they preached was hated by the world and crucified. And Jesus said those who follow him can expect not much different. And John Mark, no doubt, experienced much of this difficulty and opposition as he followed Paul and Barnabas. Now, notice in Acts, chapter 13, skip down to verse 13. Now, when Paul and his company loosed from Pamphus, they went to Perga in Pamphylia. And notice this, John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. John quit. When they came to this point in their missionary journey, John Mark departed. We're not told why, but we are told that he went home. He went home to Jerusalem. He didn't want to travel with the missionaries anymore. You know, this often happens with missionaries becoming a missionary, signing up for missionary work sounds very exciting. Traveling to exotic locations around the globe. Grandiose ambition of establishing flourishing churches in a foreign land. And very often, young people read missionary stories and biographies of those who led hundreds and even thousands to faith in Christ in foreign fields, and it sounds so appealing and attracting and thrilling and exciting. And sometimes, folks, like we're about to do, go on a two-week missionary journey and get to experience a bit of that thrill. Seeing dozens of cute little Indian kids come and you get to share the gospel or our little children from Zambia or wherever you might be. And it's even fun and exciting sleeping on the floor of a grass hut. But in a couple of weeks, we come home. But the real missionaries, those who have called of God to give their whole lives to that kind of service, stay there. And you know, if you have not been called to serve as a missionary, the novelty of sleeping on the floor in a grass hut can wear off in a hurry. And living in a difficult, hot, dirty location with lousy food and riddled with disease and unsanitary conditions with no relief in sight can get to you after a while. And many mission boards have to deal with this very problem. They spend time and years and and thousands of dollars training and preparing young people to serve on the field. And after one term, they return home. I'm convinced that a lot of those young people went. Because of an emotional appeal. Or a guilt trip. that a well-meaning but misguided pastor or missionary speaker imposed upon them at some evangelistic service. And they came home because they were never really called of the Lord in the first place to go. They just were put on a guilt trip or some arm twisting by the preacher, and they were made to feel like everybody needs to be a missionary, and they went. And very often they return home discouraged and defeated and dejected, feeling like a traitor to the cause of Christ. Now, we don't know why John Mark returned home, but we do know a couple of facts that he left on the missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas and midstream, he went home, he quit. Maybe it was a more difficult journey than he expected. Maybe it was more dangerous than he had anticipated. Maybe he discovered he just wasn't cut out for that kind of work. Maybe he left on impulse and and his uncle Barnabas had convinced him and and told him wonderful stories about how exciting it would be. One thing we do know is in Acts 13, we read that the Holy Spirit said to Paul and Barnabas. That they were called to the work. Paul and Barnabas went out and chose their own assistance. Doesn't say anything about the Holy Spirit calling John Mark. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. We just don't know. We don't know why he left, but we do know that he went home and he left the work. And that meant that all the work that he had been doing on this missionary team had to have been done now by Paul and Barnabas. All the chores that he had been doing that John Mark was responsible for. Now, all that was laid upon the shoulders of others to do. And perhaps it caused the work to go slower. Maybe it hindered them and stalled. And maybe there were projects that they wanted to get done that never got done. Paul was a man who was driven by his work. And the fact that John Mark quit in the midst of the work was a very hard pill for Paul to swallow. And he saw this from a very different perspective than did Uncle Barnabas. Turn to Acts chapter 15, and we want to see here that a rift was caused, a division was caused over this very issue, over John Mark departing from the work. Acts 15 and verse 36. And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do. The first missionary journey is over, some time had gone by and now Paul and Barnabas get together and decide it's time to go on a second missionary journey to try to help confirm the churches that have been established and to preach the word elsewhere. And evidently, in the interim between the first missionary journey and the time that this second missionary journey was being planned, John Mark had a change of heart. Now we wanted to return to the work of the Lord. Now we wanted to minister to Paul and Barnabas all over again, as he had done before. No doubt he apologized for any inconvenience that he was to them. And he probably tried to convince them both that things would be different now. He had matured in the faith. He was more dedicated to Christ now, and he wouldn't depart. And look in verse 37, and Barnabas, his uncle, determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. And here we read that Barnabas determined, a very strong term that he uses here, It is a word that means resolve or purpose after deliberation. Barnabas thought about his relative. And he purposed in his heart that this man is going to come back on the missionary journey with us. Remember, Barnabas, his name means son of consolation. He was a comforter. He was an encourager. His nephew had failed in the first missionary journey and now evidently had a change of heart. And his uncle, who was a comforter and an encourager, wanted to put his arm around his nephew and welcome him back to the second missionary journey. And we read here that Barnabas determined he was resolved to have John Mark come with them on the second missionary journey. But Paul had a very different view. Look in verse 38. But Paul thought it not good to take him with them, who had departed from them from Pamphylia and went not with them to the work. John, rather, Paul thought that this was a lousy idea to take John Mark with them, a proven failure. And the reason he departed. This is why this was in Paul's thinking. John Mark departed. Now, in chapter 13, when it said he departed, they used a different Luke, used a different word that just means he went away. But here, when we're given Paul's view of it, it says that he departed and he uses another term that means to forsake, to desert, to withdraw from. It's a much stronger term. In fact, it's the term that's used in Hebrews chapter three, where it speaks about if any of you have an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God. It's the term that Paul used in first Timothy chapter four, when he says in the last days, there will be perilous times when men shall depart from the faith. A much stronger term. Now, I don't think it means that Paul saw John Mark as an unbelieving apostate who forsook his faith in Christ altogether. But it is a much stronger term. And evidently, Paul saw John Mark's departure as a much more serious issue and understandably so than Uncle Barnabas did. Perhaps Paul had in mind the work, the words of the Lord Jesus, he who loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. John Mark went home to be with mummy. He quit in the middle of the missionary journey and went home to Jerusalem. And Paul was not pleased with that at all. And it says at the end of verse 38 that he went not with them to the work. When the real work began, this man quit and he returned to his comfortable home in Jerusalem. And Paul saw John Mark as derelict in his duties. He abandoned the work of the Lord. Paul saw John Mark as a soldier who, in the middle of a campaign, went AWOL, a deserter. And so, Paul saw the work of the Lord as something too serious with which to take a chance on this young man again. Paul would have nothing to do with taking John Mark on the second missionary journey. And notice in verse 39, this caused Paul and Barnabas to part company. It says, and the contention was so sharp between them, between Paul and Barnabas over this issue, that they departed asunder one from another. So Bonibus took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. That's where Bonibus was from, Cyprus. And Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. Here we see something that often happens among God's people. A debate, a serious rift, an argument, a separation. Barnabas was determined. He was resolved to take John Mark on this journey. But Paul saw him as a deserter and refused to take him along. And the contention was heated and sharp between Paul and Barnabas. This was a big argument that they had and they were unable to resolve it. And so they split company. And, you know, we might wonder as we read through this chapter, who was right, Paul or Barnabas? I don't think that's the right way to look at this rift. I think these two godly men who both love the Lord looked at the same issue from a very different perspective. Barnabas had a good point. Here was a young man who failed, but he repented. And now we wanted to return and serve the Lord again. And Barnabas thought it was wise to encourage him and comfort him and lead him along in the things of the Lord and to give him a second chance. And there's good Bible principles to base that on. Ye that are spiritual, restore such in one in the spirit of meekness. Barnabas had a good point. But, you know, Paul had a good point as well. If John Mark failed once, he could do it again. He probably wasn't the very best candidate to choose for the job, and Paul thought it too risky to take along with him a proven failure. And that, too, was based upon good biblical principles. The Lord said, Be wise as serpents. You know, Barnabas looked at this. Barnabas was a people person. And as a comforter and an encourager, he looked at the person. He looked at John Mark and he saw a young man who really did have a heart for the Lord, but he failed. And so Uncle Barnabas wanted to encourage him and lead him along and guide him so that he might get back up serving the Lord again. Paul, on the other hand, was a very different personality than Barnabas the Consoler. Paul was a man who was driven by the work of the Lord. He was driven by the desire to see souls saved and churches established. He looked at this from the perspective of the work of God. And from the perspective of the work of God, he didn't think it wise to take someone who had bailed out midstream the last time around. Men with good intentions often differ and sometimes differ sharply, as was the case with Paul and Barnabas here. And, you know, in spite of their differences, right or wrong, however you want to look at their differences, God used it. And instead of there being one missionary journey with one group of folks ministering in one place, now we have two different missionary journeys going to Cyprus and also to Cilicia and Syria. God can bring good even out of nasty disputes and separation. And, you know, God can still bring good out of nasty arguments and separation amongst God's people today. God hasn't changed a bit. God is in the business of restoring. And think about how he restored John Mark. You know, the life of John Mark ought to be an encouragement to every one of us. Because like every one of us, he failed. He had a job to do, like I'm sure every one of us have had. And like every one of us, at one point or another, or maybe several points in our lives, we too have failed and have fallen flat on our faces. But John Mark fell on his face, but he got up again. And he had repented. And now he wanted to return to the work of the Lord. And you know, God is able to use somebody that repents. But think of how discouraging it must have been for John Mark when he got back up, spiritually dusted himself off. He knew he failed. He knew he let the team down. And now he had repented. He had a change of heart. Now he wants to go back to the team and serve with them again. And what does he get from Paul? No way. You're not coming on this trip with us. I'm sure that was a hard blow for John Mark to take after the humiliation of knowing that he had been a failure. And now he wanted to repent and now we wanted to return and serve the Lord. And he got a big fat no from the apostle Paul. But you know something, he didn't let that no get him down. John Mark did return to the work of the Lord, and he proved himself to be a faithful servant of God. And over time, even the apostle Paul had to acknowledge the value of this servant of the Lord. And in the book of Philemon, Paul refers to John Mark as his fellow servant. And in Colossians, remember, in Colossians four, he sends an epistle to the Colossians and he says, when John Mark comes, receive him. Now, my guess is that he told the Colossians to receive John Mark, because just as is the case today, when there are arguments in God among God's people, very often the news spreads. And Paul wanted everybody in Colossae and Ephesus to know that the rift was healed, that the argument was over, that reconciliation had occurred. And now Paul felt that John Mark was now worthy of acceptance and worthy of the work of the Lord again. He had proven himself. As a young man, John Mark fell and failed. But he grew up. He matured and he became a useful servant of the Lord. A good lesson for all of us, because I'm sure I know I have and I'm sure others have as well. We failed. And if you've fallen, here's a good example, get back up again. Get back up and start serving the Lord all over again. Don't sit around licking your wounds and feeling sorry for yourself because you failed. You're wasting God's time licking your wounds and feeling sorry for yourself. Take your eyes off yourself. Focus again on things above and get busy serving the Lord. Remember in Colossians 4, Paul just said, redeem the time. Turn to Proverbs chapter 24. Proverbs chapter 24 in verse 16. Here's a passage I have to keep returning to from time to time. The wisest man who ever lived writes in Proverbs 24 in verse 16, for a just man falleth. Righteous men fall. In fact, he goes on to say, for a just man falleth seven times. A number of completions it. Godly, righteous men often fall, that's the point here, but notice, but he rises up again, the wicked fall into mischief and notice the period. The wicked fall, and they stay there. But Solomon says, even righteous men fall, but they get up again, and they keep on going, and they repent and recognize their failure, confess it to the Lord, and keep on serving Christ. That's the way of a righteous man. There hasn't ever been a righteous man who has never fallen. Turn to Psalm 37. Psalm 37, in verse 23. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." Now, notice what the psalmist says here. Good men, men who are walking in the straight and narrow way, men who have ordered their steps in the way of the Lord, and in whose life God is delighted, David expects that, yes, even those men fall. And though he fall, he's not going to be utterly cast down when a good man falls. That's not the end of his life spiritually, because the Lord is able to lift him up again and hold him and reorder his steps. And, you know, in our lives, if we fall, if we're willing to get back up, We can expect just what John Mark experienced. We can expect if we've fallen and failed, that if we get back up, there will be men like Barnabas who will be willing to put their arm around us and encourage us and welcome us back into the service of the Lord. And there might be skeptics like Paul who aren't quite so ready to receive you back. So what do we do? I suggest that we'd be like John Mark. If he couldn't serve with Paul, he served with Barnabas. He returned to serve where he could, where he was received. And you know what he did over time? He proved himself and God honored him for that. And even Paul, who was a skeptic at first, had to acknowledge and notice, turned to Paul's last letter, turned to Second Timothy, chapter four, in 2 Timothy chapter 4, in verse 11. The last words we have from the Apostle Paul, he says, Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry. He wasn't too profitable in the first missionary journey, He was rejected on the second missionary journey by Paul. But over time, John Mark proved himself. And now in Paul's final days, Paul saw John Mark as a servant of the Lord who was exceptionally profitable to Paul and also to the service of Christ. The disappointment, the distrust, the hurt, the resentment over Mark's departure was completely restored. And the wound was healed. You know, relationships can heal. There is a balm in Gilead. And men, women, and children who fail can repent and can return to the Lord and can be used of God again. God wasn't finished with Abraham when he went down to Egypt. God wasn't finished with Moses when he smashed the Ten Commandments in anger. God wasn't finished with David when he went in unto Bathsheba. God wasn't finished with Peter. And, well, we could go right down the line with the things Peter did. Virtually every hero of the faith, about which we know anything in the Scripture, also has listed in Scripture some of their failures. And God didn't cast them away because they failed and they fell, not when they had a desire to change. The Good Shepherd is in the business of restoring souls, and he leads us to the green pastures and to the still waters where we might be strengthened and where we might return to the work of the Lord that he's called us to do. John Mark forsook the Lord's work for a while, but he returned. And God wasn't done with him. In fact, God used him to write one of the books of the Bible, the gospel of Mark. Now, let's go back to Colossians once again in chapter four. And here we have the account of another man, Demas. In Colossians chapter four, in verse 14, Paul says, Luke, the beloved physician and Demas greet you. Demas was another one of Paul's friends, a servant of the Lord. He's mentioned here and he's also mentioned in the book of Philemon as one of Paul's fellow laborers. Now, we don't know for how long and in how many different circumstances and places Demas served with Paul, but we do know that he was a trusted friend and co-worker. And by the way, Paul was a very careful planner. He didn't take, we know with John Mark, he didn't take just anybody to be his co-worker. He wanted to make sure they were faithful, dedicated, loyal, godly. They loved the Lord. They were spirit filled and they were doctrinally sound. And no doubt, the apostle Paul grilled and interviewed and put through an extensive screening process anybody that was going to be his co-worker in one of the missionary journeys. And evidently, Demas passed the test. Paul was impressed with him. And took him on as a co-worker. Now, turn back to 2nd Timothy again, Paul's final letter. In his final letter, Paul had some encouraging words to tell us about John Mark. He's profitable. But he has some very discouraging words to tell us about Demas. And in 2nd Timothy, chapter 4 and in verse 10, Paul writes, For Demas hath forsaken me. having loved this present world and has departed into Thessalonica. Demas, just like John Mark, started off well. And also, like John Mark, midstream, he quit. He departed. And we're told here why. He forsook Paul. He forsook the work of the Lord because he loved the present world. Not all who start well, end well. And I'm sure this must have broken the heart of the Apostle Paul to have to write about his former co-worker and his friend and brother in the Lord, Demas, that he forsook him and he turned back to the world. And you can almost envision the internal struggle that this man Demas must have been going through. On the one hand, he saw Paul and maybe many of his other friends in a dingy Roman cell. These were selfless, sacrificial servants of the Lord who were hated by the world and mocked and imprisoned and perhaps waiting, awaiting a death sentence. And on the other hand, there he was in the city of Rome, the capital of the known world, dazzled by all the lights and the tempting sounds that he heard, with the glitter of fashion and the gorgeous gardens and the magnificent halls and the palaces of all the Caesars. And he had access to the nightlife and to the plays and women and the countless distractions and festivities of that outstanding city. And over time, all the allurements of the world got to this man Demas. Do I want to end up like Paul and the others in that dingy cell or do I want to enjoy life? And in verse 10, it said that he loved the world, literally the spirit of the age. The philosophy of the world. You know, the world says you only go around once, grab for all the gusto you can in life, live it up, eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may die. It's sort of the mindset of Esau. I want my fun and my pleasure and my porridge right now, and I don't care about the future. Demas started loving the world. Now, turn to 1 John, chapter 2. 1 John, chapter 2. Can a true believer love the world? He sure can. That's why John writes to me and to you and to believers of the church age, he says in verse 15, don't love the world, love, not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the father is not in him for all that is in the world. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world. Demas became enamored by all that he saw in the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh. And he became enticed by the pleasures of the world, and as a result, Demas forsook Paul, Demas forsook the work of the Lord. And this is the same word forsake as is used in in Hebrews chapter 10, where it says forsake not the assembling of yourselves together. That's exactly what Demas did. He stopped assembling with the believers and he started assembling with the world. And Paul had to write about this, and I'm sure it broke his heart. You know, it's always painful when we come to know and love folks in the Lord and they seem to start off so well. They seem to love the Lord and love his word and want to serve the Lord. But there comes a point when they get enticed or tripped up over something. and are drawn away to the things of the world and forsake Christ and forsake the assembling of themselves. Turn to Second Timothy, chapter three. Paul wrote and warned us. That this is exactly what we should expect to see in the last days, perilous times shall come, and he tells us In 2nd Timothy chapter three in verse two, in the last days, expect to see men who are lovers of their own selves. Now, we should love the Lord. In fact, we should love the Lord with all of our heart and all of our might and all of our soul. But Paul warns us, expect to see men who love themselves. And look also. In verse four, at the end of the verse, he says, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Now, remember, Paul is describing not the ungodly, the heathen. He's describing the religious world that has a form of godliness. And here Paul is describing not those who hate God and love pleasure, but he's describing those who love the Lord. But they love pleasure more. They are lovers of pleasure more than they are lovers of God. And that pretty well sums up the hard attitude of Demas. He loved God, but he loved his pleasure more. You know, God will not tolerate second place. And this is a debilitating blight on the churches of Jesus Christ, perhaps more than anything else in our day and age. Believers who do love the Lord, but they love pleasure more. And as a result, the work of Christ suffers. And it's hard to find qualified servants who are willing to commit themselves to serving in the local church, willing to commit their lives to serve as missionaries, because even though they love the Lord, they love pleasure more. Demas looked at where Paul's sacrificial stand landed him in a dingy prison. That's where faithfulness got Paul. In fact, Paul says, if this life is all there is, we're of most men, most miserable. It isn't fun and pleasurable to live the crucified life. And after looking at the where Paul's faithfulness landed him, Demas decided to make a choice and go in the other direction. And he chose the earthly. He chose the here and now. And it seems so reasonable to him. OK, I'm saved. I love the Lord, but I'm just going to live it up for myself while I'm here. And Paul's heart must have been broken because Paul knew. that at the bama seat of Christ, it would be revealed to Demas just how foolish his worldly decisions were. And what a waste of God's time when he could have been serving the Lord. Yes, it might mean suffering now. Yes, it is the way of the cross, the old rugged cross. But one day, the rugged cross will be exchanged for a crown. And Demas wanted his crown and his pleasure and his fun now. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross. Till my trophies at last I lay down, I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown. Demas had his fun in this life. He missed out. He will miss out. on what really counts, the opportunity to cast a crown as a form of worship to the Lord Jesus in heaven. But before we close the book on Demas, we may not have the final chapter on this man. Just like John Mark, he started following and just like John Mark, he quit. Different reasons, but they quit. We happen to have additional information about John Mark. He repented and got right with the Lord and served the Lord all over again. And God restored him and used him in a wonderful way. We don't have the final chapter on Demas. We don't know for sure where he stood. But I'd like to believe. That he got sick and tired of the chaff and the emptiness of this world. and repented. And you know what happens when a believer in Christ gets sick and tired of the life in the world? Remember the story of the prodigal son? When he was sick of eating with the pigs and eating pig slop because he had wasted what his father had for him in riotous living, he repented, he changed his mind, and he came back and his father was waiting with open arms. Picturing our heavenly father ready to receive us back. If we're ready to repent and return to him. Maybe we've got a John Mark here. Maybe we've got a demons here. You know, there's no time like the present. To repent, to see the error of our way and return to the Lord. You know, Jesus said, he that cometh to me, I shall in no wise cast out. That verse is good forever, not just when we come to him for salvation, but if we've blown it in life and if we fall and flatten our face and we want to return to the Lord in repentance, he's willing to receive us back. God wants us to use whatever time we have left in his service. God is still in the business of restoring souls. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the lessons that we can learn from the lives of men recorded in your word. Father, help us to be reminded. That even godly men fall, but they get back up and we thank you, Lord, for your grace and your mercy and willingness to restore us and to restore our souls and to bring us back into a close communion and fellowship with the And Lord, we pray that we would keep this in mind anytime we fall. And Lord, if there be here any today who have never put their faith in Jesus Christ, that even today they might see God's grace in a new and fresh way and come to him in simple childlike faith, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. And we'll thank and praise you for this in Jesus name. Amen.