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O friend, we have in Jesus all our sins and grace to bear. All our privileges we carry, everything to God and prayer. O, all things we often forget, O, what needless pain we bear. O, because we do not carry, everything to God and prayer. Heaven rejoils in temptations, who kneels in trouble anywhere. We should never be disturbed. Take me to the Lord and prayer. Let me find a friend so faithful who will also share. Jesus knows our every need, so take me to the Lord and prayer. O, keeping him heavy given, O, with a load of care. Blessed is he who's still our prayer. Take me to the Lord and prayer. Do you, my friends, just ask for saving? Take me to the Lord and prayer. In his arms he'll take me, she'll give. And the one who's sure to spare. Amen. Good singing. Father, I'm going to pray for us. Thank you, Father God, for this day. Thank you for this morning. I pray that we pray today when we ask you, Lord, that you would bless the service and receive our singing and help us to understand the Christian today and receive it and apply it to our lives. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Let's turn our hymnals to someone of 51. What a magic song. Someone of 51. We are going to let it roll. I have heard of man on the far away strand. Tis the beautiful home of the soul. I have heard of Jesus on high, when we never shall die. Tis the land where we'll never go. Never go home, never go home. In the land where we'll never go home. Never go home, never go home. In the land where we'll never go home. In the beautiful home, where we'll never go home. We shall be in the sweet quiet time. Have your praise to the King, to return as he sings. Tis the land where we'll never shall die. Never go home, never go home. In the land where we'll never go home. Never go home, never go home. In the land where we'll never go home. When our working is done, and our life come as one, and our troubles and trials are won, all the sorrow will fail, and our voices will fail, when the love comes to come on before. Never go home, never go home. In the land where we'll never go home. Never go home, never go home. In the land where we'll never go home. Amen. At this time, we're going to do announcements. Immediately following, we'll be singing cell number 324. If you'd like to turn it now, the cell number is 324. All right. Good morning, everybody. Thanks for coming out. If you need a bulletin, go ahead and slip up your hand. We're going to have them bring you one. As always, we've got our service time. Every Sunday at 10.30 a.m., again at 5.30 p.m. is our evening service. Thursday is at 7. We're going through the book of 1 Kings. And we've got our salvation and baptism listed below that, as well as some notes about the church. And also, if you are reminded, please silence your cell phones to remain here for service. Over on the right-hand side, keep working on the 9th grade. Just hit the New Testament challenge. So this is the home stretch. Today is the 86th day of the year. So we've got a makeup day there at the end. I said at the beginning of this, I was going to give you any grace. But look what I did there for you. There it is. I gave you one day, right? So anyway, you've got that one day. This should be pretty easy. Just a couple chapters every day working with the book of Revelation. Who's going to have it done? All right. Who's already got it done? All right. OK, good. Keep working on that. And then we'll have the details about the festivities that will take place for those who have completed it. Below that, don't forget the FWBC Tucson Movie Night. Our double feature is this Friday, April 1st at 7 p.m. So don't let the double feature scare you away. The first double is like 45 minutes. I think the next one's about 53. So it works out to about a full-angle feature. It's about an hour and a half-ish. So come on out to that. There'll be, of course, the popcorn, the hot dogs. Now, note on the popcorn, the hot dogs. Popcorn, we can make an abundance. That's not really a deal. I'm not serving dinner here. Don't come like, oh, I haven't eaten all day. I'm going to just eat all the hot dogs. It's like, no, there's a limited quantity. And we want to make sure everybody gets one. Maybe some of you can have a second, or a third, depending on how the night goes. But if this isn't potluck, it's a snack. It's just something to boost, spike your insulin one last time. So anyway, that'll be there. Popcorn will be an abundance. So you can help yourself with as much of that as you want. But we'll also have some fresh mints, some sparkling water, some disease, and things like that. A quick note, too, on the beverages in the fridge. The Gatorade are reserved for people that are going soul eating. Once it starts to warm up a little bit, we'd like to have Gatorade in there for our soul eaters. So please don't just help yourself with that throughout the services. Reserve that for the people that are actually going out and losing electrolytes and all that stuff. So they can reach hard. That's what that's for. That's for our soldiers. If you go soul eating, freak out. Otherwise, please reserve that for soul eating. Also below that, we've got the men's preaching night coming up this Tuesday at 7. So we're going to have the 5 o'clock soul eating time, the extra time this Tuesday. We're just going to hit the neighborhoods right around here and just kind of invite folks out to live nearby. So that Tuesday at 5, we're going to have another push to go out and hang out. Probably the last of our invites at that point. But then the next preaching night will be at 7. Please take note of some of the things regarding the preaching night below that. It's open to men only. We're at least 18 years of age. So there's no spectators. If you're not preaching, don't come, basically. And if you're not a soldier, if you don't have a regular soul eating time that you go to or you just get out solely. I'm not saying you have to go out every week necessarily. But if you're someone that would be considered a soul winner, then by all means, be prepared to preach. As long as you meet all these other criteria. Those of you that are going to participate, please prepare a five to 10-minute sermon. It's a smaller class right now, so if you go a little longer, it's all right. It's not a strict time limit. But depending on how the sermon goes, and I'm just like, two minutes is enough. I would never do that. I just discouraged everybody that was going to come and tell me. But come on out, learn to preach, and get up behind a pulpit. That's the big first step, is just getting up behind it. So we could definitely use more preachers. On the back, hopefully we have Mexico Monday coming up. That's going to be next week, excuse me. But if you plan on attending that, please speak with me and just let me know any word of your regret where you speak with Brother Segura who runs that. That's fine too, but just make sure you speak and that means to stop by here and to expect from you. And don't forget, join us next Sunday, April 3rd at 10 a.m. for Donuts and Coffee, and I'll go celebrate your birthdays in a month like April. So if it wasn't in last year, and you haven't gotten your birthday or anniversary since then, it's not going to be in this year either. So when you get that information to me, you can watch me include it. We believe the Bible memory message is below that. We're working on verses 9 and 10. The children and young people who can recite that word perfectly are welcome to a ice cream bar. Who's got last week's stuff? Alright, who's going to get this one this time? Who's going to get it done by the end of morning service? Maybe some of you. I know some of you that way. That's going to be it for announcements, and we'll go ahead and sing one more song before we get into the exhibit this morning. So the 300 is 44. We're on the air. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] Drowning near the earth, near the best of all, to the cross where thou hast died. Drowning near the earth, near the best of all, to the precious, green, and tall. And once you've made me now to thy service, Lord, by the power of grace be gone. Let my soul of God with us stand first, Lord, and my daily loss be done. Drowning near the earth, near the best of all, to the cross where thou hast died. Drowning near the earth, near the best of all, to the precious, green, and tall. I'll appear in the daylight of a single hour, and before I go as well. When I'm healing, where empathy lies, Lord, I will be with you as my dear friend. Drowning near the earth, near the best of all, to the cross where thou hast died. Drowning near the earth, near the best of all, to the precious, green, and tall. I'll appear in the sunlight of a single hour, to the cross of heaven's sea. There are hearts of joy that have been loved, to the rest in peace with me. Drowning near the earth, near the best of all, to the cross where thou hast died. Drowning near the earth, near the best of all, to the precious, green, and tall. The elders which are among you I exhort, who also am another, the witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also partake of the glory that shall be with thee. If you believe it's not the God which is among you, they can oversight their own. Not by constraint, but willingly, not because of Luther, but of a ready mind. Madam, if any lord, or the God's errand, is being established in the flock, and when a sheep shepherds shall come out of fear, and receive count of four glories, that fate is not awaited. Likewise, if the elders submit themselves into the elders, they all of them will be subjects unto another, and be filled with humility. For God is distant and proud, and with grace and honor. Probably to some, wherefore, in the mighty hand of God, he may exalt you in a new time. Cast you on your care upon him, and prepare it for you. He sowed that you did it, because your adversary, the devil, and the voiding lion, walketh out, seeking with whom he avowed, to resist, steadfast in faith, but with the same afflictions are accomplished in the brethren and in the world. For the God of all grace, who hath called us unto the eternal glory of Christ Jesus, have they yet suffered a while, making perfect, established, strengthened, settled, to whom his glory is remaining forever and ever. Amen. I seldom, as the faithful brother unto you, have as opposed, ever increased you, absorbed and testified, This is the true grace of God, where you may stand. The Church has been Babylon, elected together with you salutately, and so that the markets must come, freely known in others as kings and chariots, peace be with you all, and are in Christ Jesus. Amen. Well, thank you for the day, and for the opportunity to be in the Church. I pray that you will come preach the Lord, and open our minds and hearts to hear the word, and receive it, and learn from it. Amen. Amen. So, there in the beginning of 1 Peter 5, rather, about verse 8 there, this is a really familiar passage. This is something we preach a lot about. I know this is a passage I often turn to, but in the beginning of 1 Peter 5, rather, about verse 8 there, this is a really familiar passage. This is something we preach a lot about. But, you know, and it's a really stern warning. It's really something that we have to pay attention to if we're going to live a successful Christian life. And, you know, I just feel like so often this is a passage that just seems to fall on deaf ears, that people really don't let this sink in, the spiritual reality that we're living in. And Peter here has a firm grasp of it, and is trying to get it across to us, where he says in verse 8, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, the soaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. And notice he says there it's your adversary. No, it wasn't just the adversary of the apostles, or it's not just the adversary of Jesus Christ, it's the adversary that we have. You know, we have an adversary today. And I think people kind of, you know, are lackadaisical when it comes to this. They don't really take it that seriously. They're very casual about their Christian life because they really don't understand that they have an enemy that's personally trying to attack them, and he wants them to get out of church, to not serve God, to not live for the Lord. And even those that would, you know, stay in church, those that would be, you know, faithful to the services, you know, if he can't get you out of church, you know, the devil wants to rob your joy. You know, he wants to steal your love, your joy, your peace, your long suffering, your patience, your goodness, your faith, your meekness, your temperance. He wants to steal these things from you. You know, he'll do that. If he can't get you, keep you from getting saved, you know that he's going to keep you from serving God. And if he can't keep you from serving God, he's going to try to turn the Christian life into just this, this drudgery that you have to go through and try to make life difficult for you. Look, life is going to be difficult. I mean, he said there in 1 Peter, chapter number 5, if you look there, it says in verse 10, but the grace of God who hath called us unto his glory by Christ Jesus, after that he hath suffered a while. So, you know, we're not sugarcoating up here. I'm not saying, look, that if you, you know, if you have the right attitude, you're never going to suffer. No, Christian life is suffering. You know, we are, you know, life in general is suffering. We are going to go through suffering, but you know what? We need to be what? Perfect. We need to be established, he says there, strengthened and settled. You know, Christians need to learn to be people who are perfect, meaning complete, people who have been established, people who are going to be continually strengthened and settled and, you know, casual about their Christian life. And the title of the sermon this morning is Casual Casualties. Casual Casualties. People who get lackadaisical, people who are casual, people who are, well, you know, what's that word mean? Casual? Very relaxed, right? Very unconcerned with the things of the Christian life. They end up being casualties in the Christian life. And look, and I say casualty, you know, we probably instantly think of, you know, some horrific, you know, people from some war or something like that where bodies are piled up or, you know, those would be considered casualties, wouldn't they? But, you know, we're talking about spiritual casualties here. And people can be successful, people can have wealth, people can seem to have everything together on the outside, but spiritually, inside, they're a casualty. You know, the world would look at them and say, oh, what a success. But God looks down and says, you know what? You're not serving me. You're not filled with joy. You don't have your Bible, you're a spiritual casualty. And why is it that people end up being casualties? Casualties, it's because they're very casual about their Christian life. And this is a very stern warning here to not be casual when it comes to the Christian life. That's what it means to be sober. You know, we often associate that word with just, you know, not being intoxicated. But it also means being serious. You know, you should take your Christian life seriously. You know, take your devotion seriously, you know, for God, going to church. You know, it's just something you should take seriously. And to be what? To be sober and to be vigilant, meaning being alert, be aware of the fact that you have an adversary who is seeking whom he may devour, who is looking for somebody that he can turn into, what, a casualty. You know, what he often gets is the person who's just very casual, very relaxed, very just laid back, just kind of nonchalant about the Christian life. We don't want to act with a plan or purpose in our life. You know, we should have plans, we should have purpose, we should have, you know, intention when it comes to our Christian life. We should be, you know, act with care, we should act with thoughtfulness when it comes to the Christian life and not have this casual attitude. I mean, if you think about, you know, the word casual to kind of illustrate that, think about, you know, the term casual dress, right, what does that mean? You know, I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, okay. Not you, you were, what, you were in a three-precuit or something, what? No, but you know, at the workplace, they have the casual Friday, right, what do they mean? I mean, just a little bit more of a relaxed dress, maybe you don't have to wear the button down, you can wear the polo or, you know, you can wear the jeans, not the dress slacks or whatever. Look, that's great for the business world, you know, as far as our physical, outward appearance. I'm saying, when it comes to, you know, the things of God, to our walk with God, we don't want to have a casual life when it comes to the things of God. We want to take it seriously and we want to not end up being a casualty, somebody who's just, you know, been affected negatively by our adversary, who's just trying to, you know, pick us off. And I think there's a great example of somebody in Scripture, and if you would, go to Mark 14, we're done in 1 Peter, Mark 14, there's a great example of somebody that just kind of had a casual attitude when it came to their Christian life, and actually ended up being ashamed. Actually, it's kind of an embarrassing story. And if you look there in Mark 14, in verse 43, and of course this is the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is praying, and they come and arrest him. Okay, and it says in verse 43 of Mark 14, and immediately while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great from the chief priests, and scribes, and the elders, and he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, the same as he, take him, and lead him away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master, and kissed him. And they laid their hands on him, and took him. And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus answered, and said unto them, Are you come out against me I was daily with you in the temple, and you took me not, but the scriptures must be fulfilled, and they all forsook him, and fled. Now, get verse 51, it says, And there followed him, meaning after the others have fled, after they have arrested Jesus, there is one that followed him, meaning Jesus, a certain young man. And I'll get to who I think this certain young man is. You know, and it's all speculation, okay, I'll just let you know right now. But a certain young man having a linen cloth cast about his naked body, and the young man has to lay hold on him. So, you have this guy that shows up at the arrest of Jesus after everybody's scattered and fled, who's just kind of an onlooker, who's just kind of looking in, you know, and this is taking place, you know, early in the morning, late at night, you know, before the sun is up, and you know, because if you read the story, they're having trouble staying awake, you know, it's a late hour. And this guy shows up, this certain young man, but notice, all he's got about him is just this linen cloth. You know, and you can't say, well, this guy doesn't have enough money for clothes. Who is this guy? Who is this certain young man? And I'm going to develop a point here, but the first thing I have to do is I have to kind of give my thoughts as to who this certain young man is. I believe that this certain young man is John Mark, the author of the book of Mark. And I have, you know, some internal evidence, I believe, for that, and you know, people can speculate about this, and people can disagree with me about this, but at least for the time being, just, you know, amuse me for the sermon's sake that this is John Mark, it'll make my application a lot easier, alright? But you say, why would you say that's John Mark? Well, I believe it's John Mark because it's the author of the book. Because, let's say, you know, and again, people don't necessarily agree that John Mark is the author of the book of Mark. I believe that it is. That's kind of just something that's generally accepted. Now, I believe it's John Mark because of the fact that John Mark is the author of the book, which is something I also believe. And if, and if, let's just think, just think about it. If this is where you come into the story of Jesus Christ, and you're writing the story, you know, are you really going to tell on yourself like that? And be like, yeah, and then I, then I showed up, you know, naked with something but a blanket around me, and then I had to run away, you know, in my birthday suit. You know, you're not probably going to want to include, let people know that that was you, alright? Maybe he's kind of trying to save a little face here. That's why, one reason why I think he's doing that, why he's referring to himself in the third person, right? He said, and we won't take the time to go there, in John chapter 20, and throughout the book of John, refers to himself as that certain disciple, right? He's always saying, and that disciple, the one that leaned upon Jesus, you know, that certain disciple that outran Peter, you know, he's kind of like getting a dig on Peter there, right? And then he says in John 21, this is the disciple which testify of these things and wrote these things. Say, look, I'm that disciple, I'm the one that wrote the book. So, it's not, it's not some new thing for the author of the book and I believe it's, it's, John Mark, but another reason why I believe it's John Mark is because of the fact that, you know, John Mark lived in Jerusalem. We know that. If you would, keep something in Mark 14, go to Acts 12. Because think about it, this guy is showing up late in the night and all he's got on is a blanket. It's telling you that he probably just rolled out of bed. You know, it's probably somebody that knew the apostles, had known about Jesus. This is the end of his ministry. It's been the three years. He kind of knows that Jesus is in town. You know, he even knows that there was a supper. He knows that Jesus is wont to go to the garden probably and make prayer. That that was somewhere that they were probably going to be later. He seems to kind of know what's going on or maybe he was, you know, saw the group of people going out and just kind of wanted to see what's going on. But for whatever reason, whatever drew him to that place, the fact that he's showing up with nothing but a linen garment, you know, a blanket showing, cast about his naked body shows you that he probably, you know, was just rolled out of bed. Maybe he was just out on his porch eating some coffee early in the morning. I don't know. And he sees what's going on and he goes to check it out. But, you know, he's just kind of casually showing up. He's just kind of casually showing up there. And John Mark, you know, lived in Jerusalem. This is where it's all taking place. It says in Acts chapter 12, verse 12, and when he, Peter, had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark. This is when Peter was, you know, rescued from prison, right, in Jerusalem when the angel comes and tells him to get up. I always love that story. And they leave and where did he come? He came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark. So he came to John Mark's mother's house which was in Jerusalem. So we know that John Mark is somebody that lived in Jerusalem. So it makes sense that this could be John Mark because, you know, he was somebody that lived close enough by to where maybe he could be caught in such a circumstance. Where he could be somebody, you know, if you don't live there, you know, chances are you've got to change of clothes with you. You know, casually at home just sleeping through the night. So this is some internal evidence why I believe this is John Mark. And honestly, that's really all I have, okay, that's it. That's about as much evidence as I got. But, you know, everyone kind of speculates who this is and I don't think anyone can say a hundred percent who this certain young man is. I believe personally it was John Mark and when we can, the more important thing is that we need to learn a lesson from him. Is that, you know, when you have this casual attitude, right? When you're not vigilant, when you're not sober, you know, that's when you get devoured. When you're not established and strengthened and settled, you know, bad things are going to happen to you spiritually. Now, if you would, go over to Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15. John Mark is a character that shows up a couple more times throughout Scripture. And John Mark, I believe, is this character in Book of Mark 14 where we just were, where he's showing up kind of with a casual attitude, isn't he? I mean, think about the other apostles. None of them are dressed in this manner. They've all, they've got their clothes on. Jesus is welcome. I mean, the people that arrest him, they're all ready. They're suited up. They're ready to do business. But you got this other guy, this certain young man, John Mark, who's just showing up and he's just kind of there just to kind of see what's going on. Not taking things very seriously, is he? He's taking things very casually. And in fact, this casual kind of attitude that John Mark had was something that he had alert, he had to get over I believe. If you look there in Acts chapter 15, verse 35, it says, Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also. 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. And Barnabas, excuse me, and Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. Right? So here's John Mark again. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them, from, excuse me, departed from them from Pamphylia when he, and went not with them to the work. So why was it when these, when Paul gets this idea, hey, let's go visit our brethren and see how they do, and Barnabas says, hey, let's take John Mark with us, and Paul says, no way, I'm not taking him. Why would he say that? You know, you have to be, I mean, think about that, to refuse somebody, just say, no, he's no good, I mean, sometimes you're just kind of like, all right, yeah, bring so and so. But he's specifically saying, uh-uh, I'm not going with John Mark. Right? Why? Because he went not to the work. What is that? What does that show about John Mark that he just has this kind of casual, you know, laissez-faire, just this kind of blah attitude towards doing the work of God. Right? And look, that's not something we want to characterize our Christian life, where we're just kind of you know, maybe I'll get to my Bible reading, maybe I'll say a prayer, you know, have this casual, just relaxed attitude when it comes to your Christian life, when it comes to the work of the Lord. You know, we want to be people who are driven, who are motivated, who want to be on fire. And look, I know sometimes the flesh gets involved and we just have to drag the old man along with us. You know, we were just out soul winning at St. Oboe yesterday, you know, sometimes even me, you know, the preacher here, yeah, I have an old man too, I have flesh too, I have two natures too. You know, but what I said is this, is that as soon as, and this happens to me so many times, where I'll be like, oh, you know, it's Saturday, it's my time, I got to go lead this whole winning, and I'll take the people out. But as soon as I'm knocking doors, as soon as I'm seeing, even if I'm not the one getting people saved, I see a team over there talking to a group of people, they're getting people saved, these people over here talking, getting those people saved, and we're handing these things out, why is I so casual about doing the work of the Lord? I'm glad, there's nothing I'd rather be doing. I just want to keep going. You don't want to be like John Mark. You know, in John Mark, it's a black eye here, doesn't he? In scripture. Why? Because he had this casual attitude. Now, what are some of the causes of John Mark's casualness? You know, if we don't want to be somebody that's going to be considered, you know, just kind of casual and lazy when it comes to the work of the Lord, you know, that might have caused John Mark to be so casual, to the point where the apostle Paul is just like, nuh-uh, I'm not doing it. And you know the rest of the story, the contention was so sharp between them that they split up. They went their own ways, Paul and Barnabas. You know, Barnabas did take John Mark with them, and there's a whole other lesson to be learned there, and we'll touch on that towards the end. But I mean, talk about a missed opportunity. I mean, it'd be great to hang out with Barnabas, don't get me wrong, a pretty minor character in the New Testament, isn't it? You know, if I had an opportunity to go hang out with the apostle Paul, you know, I mean, John Mark might be looking back, up in heaven looking back and going, what? I could have, I was this close, I could have gone with the apostle Paul and done all these great things and not had that said about me by the apostle Paul. I mean, what a missed opportunity. What led to that? Because he was casual, because he went not to the work, because he was just going to church or whatever. You know, it's a casualty. You know, that missed opportunity, you know, that's a, you know, that's a notch on the devil's belt. You know, the same thing for us. You know, when we just, you know, stopped soul winning, we stop our Bible reading, we stop going to church, you know, the devil, he's just putting another notch on his belt. Another Christian I got to just, you know, get lazy and get out of church, you know, that's a victory for him. You know, that's a casualty. What were some of the causes of John Mark's casualness? One is that he wasn't a disciple. I mean, he wasn't in the upper room, was he? He's showing up after the arrest. It doesn't seem like he was somebody that was following Jesus day to day. You know, he's there when Jesus is in Jerusalem where he lives. I mean, he's, oh yeah, I'll show up, you know, at a certain time when it suits me, when it's convenient that's going to have you running away naked from the enemy and ashamed, right? That's going to cause you to be a casualty. That's what John Mark, that's what his problem was, is that he just had this, you know, he wasn't a disciple. He wasn't there, you know, following Jesus day in and day out forsaking everything. You know, I mean, think about the other apostles, they're leaving behind their family, they're leaving behind their boats, their nets, their business. If we came down to it, if we had to forsake everything, then we should be willing to do that. But, you know, praise God, he's like, he's not even asking us to do that. He's just saying, hey, can you just serve me, you know, a little bit? Can you just go to church? Can you just win a soul? Can you just read your Bible and pray? Can you just, you know, care about your brothers and sisters in Christ? He's not saying, hey, forsake everything and follow me and leave all. You know, I'll show up when Jesus is in town, you know, when he's near my house, when it's just so convenient for me that I don't even have to get dressed, when I can just throw on a little, you know, a little linen cloth and just walk out there and see what's going on and I'll go talk to Jesus for a minute. It's a casual attitude. That's what he has. He's not a disciple. You know, here's what led to his casualness. Here's what led him being running away, naked and ashamed from the enemy. He wasn't in church. He wasn't in church. You know, he missed the upper room. That was right before the garden, right? I mean, go read John 14, 15, 16, 17. I mean, it's all one long sermon in the upper room. It's church, folks. It's Jesus getting together and saying, hey, you know, I'm going to be forsaken of all men. You know, he that is betrayed with me, his hand is with me on the table. He's saying, you know, the apostles, they're kind of going into this, the 12 disciples, you know, a little prepared. They still didn't fully comprehend it. You know, it kind of clicked with them later. But, you know, John Mark, he's just kind of, he misses church and just shows up at this ruckus and doesn't really probably know what's going on and next thing you know, they're trying to grab hold of him and get the picture. You know, the disciples all get away because they're people with these staves and these swords and these, you know, these torches aren't showing up to, you know, have a party. They understand what's taking place and they're able to flee, although that's not something they should have done, you know, they were trying not to, but how is it that they got away so easily? Because they were clothed, right? They weren't casual. They had the garments on and they took off. I mean, you know, try it privately by yourself sometime, right? You know, when no one else is home. You know, put that comfort on and see how easy it is to just run around the house, right? It's not that easy to get away when you're trying to cover your nakedness and he doesn't get away until he just says, well, I guess, I guess it's got to go and then he's able to get away but he's running away naked, right? He wasn't there hearing or preaching the word of God. That's what led him to being a casualty and that's what happens today with Christians. They miss church. They're not there to hear the important message that they needed to hear. They're not there to hear the message of fornication or drunkenness or sin or marriage or whatever it is. They're not there to hear the message that they needed to hear and the devil knows it and he comes along, you know, he brings all his crew with their swords and their staves and they attack you and they say, why am I running through life naked and ashamed? It's because you miss church. You miss the message. That's what happened to John Mark. He missed the message. He wasn't there in the upper room. Oh, this is the night you're betrayed? You know, and he also missed the message of being a servant, didn't he? Because that's something that Jesus went into depth in the book of John in the upper room. He started, and remember how he starts out? He took a towel and he girded himself and he washed their feet kind of paraphrasing? Remember that in the upper room how Jesus gives them an example of being a servant? You know, John Mark missed that message and that's why you find him in Acts 15 where Paul's like, don't take him. He's lazy. He doesn't want to go to the work because he wasn't in church to hear the message that night. He just wanted to show up when it was convenient. He just wanted to be casual about getting with Jesus. You know, he missed the message in John 14 where Jesus said, He also ought to wash your feet. He also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you as an example that you should do as I have done to you. Verily I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord, neither is he that sent greater than him that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. You know, that is the Christian life. It's servitude. It's servitude. It's serving others, isn't it? It's going out and reaching people with the gospel. It's serving in the local church. It's serving our families. It's serving our brothers and sisters of Christ. That's what the Christian life is. It's work. You know, that's why a lot of Christians, they don't want to show up to church because they know if they keep coming to church they're going to get what? Put to work. You know, they just want to have this casual Christianity. And you can go ahead and have your casual Christianity but when you're running away naked from the devil and his crew, you know, you can't say and that's what I'm getting at this morning. That's the main takeaway is that people who have just this take it or leave it attitude towards the Christian life, they end up casualties. They just say, yeah, you know, I know I should be serving God. Yeah, I know I should do that stuff but I got other things that are important. You know what? That's a surefire recipe to end up just being a spiritual casualty. Look, you might even succeed in all those other areas but you're going to do whatever earthly accomplishment you did. He's going to say, what did you do for me? Remember, did you not read John 14? Did you not read all the times I told you to work and to serve and to labor and to win souls? Did you not hear Mark 16 going into all the world? Did you hear all that? That's what he's going to be concerned with. You know, I was singing that song on the way over here. Must I go empty handed and thus meet my redeemer so not one soul with which to greet him? Must I empty handed go? You know, I was in a church that wasn't necessarily big on soul winning. You know, they didn't go out door to door. I'm just thinking, man, I'd love to just win a soul to Christ. And I just hear that song, must I empty handed go? What a shame if that's the song you're going to sing being in this church where we're out soul winning, we're out knocking the doors and you get to heaven and you don't have one soul with which to greet Christ, the one who died and you'll agree with me then and I'm just warning you now that's exactly what will happen if you have this casual attitude towards a Christian life. Where it's just like, oh, I'll get to it whenever I feel like it. You know, I'll throw on a robe and go out when it's convenient for me. When the work's near me. You know what? That's not going to work. Now, that was the cause of John Mark's casualness. Right? The fact that he didn't want to learn and just had this laissez-faire attitude. We don't want to have that. We don't want to need to take it or leave it. People, go to 2 Timothy chapter 4. We're going to look at several quick passages here. I'm almost done. The good news about John Mark is that he corrected it. Because he got it right. He didn't remain that way. He didn't remain a casual observer in the Christian life. He got involved in the work. The good news about John Mark 14, that he's that certain young man. He's named by the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 15. Saying, we're not taking him with us. He gets called out in Acts 15. But the good news is that he corrected that later. He learned to watch. Isn't that what we read in 1 Peter 5? That we're to be sober, to be vigilant, to watch, to not be casual, but to have some drive when it comes to the things of God. Look at 2 Timothy 4 verse 5. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. And say, oh yeah, that's for the preacher. Timothy's going to be a preacher. That's Paul admonishing him to be that's for the guy in full time Christian service. I understand that there's qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 for both the bishop and the deacon in Titus 1. I understand that there's certain things that you have to meet, but ask yourself this, why is it that the preacher and the deacon have to meet these qualifications because they're in samples to the flock. It's not just that they can take all the work on themselves and say I got this guys. And so we can show you that watch now in all things endure afflictions. Timothy's a young man. This is good advice for young men. Watch now in all things. Be sober. Be vigilant. Your adversary the devil walking the bottles of roaring lions seeking whom he may devour. Endure afflictions. Oh, I don't want to do anything hard. Endure afflictions the Bible says. We get this lazy They weren't you know staying up late scrolling through YouTube and playing video games all day. Their life was not about having fun. And look, I'm not against having fun. We have fun. Have some fun. But you know newsflash, you know responsible adults their life don't make their life about having fun. You know your parents children their main concern for you is not how much make sure you don't starve to death or you don't die from exposure you know making sure you have an education so you're not just some dummy living life. That's what they're concerned with not entertaining you 24-7. You know and that might involve you having to do something hard in life. You know and this just goes for everybody. You know I know I'm kind of picking on this. They're not ready for it. I mean you couldn't ask John Mark that night to you know go dig a ditch. You have to go get dressed first right? He's just too casual. I can't do anything hard because I'm not even ready. And do refrictions. Do the work of an evangelist. Get out there win the souls. Make foolproof of thy ministry. He goes on there in verse 6 for I am now ready to be I've fought a good fight. Not you know I've occupied a lazy boy in the Christian life. You know I laid down a good laying down. I napped a good nap for the Lord. I fought a good fight. I finished my course. I got most of the way there. I started but I didn't finish. You know no one's impressed with oh I started running. Did you finish? No? Oh well I trained. I got in shape. I registered. I showed up at the event and the gun went off and I said I quit. Aren't you proud of me? You know put a gold star right here in my chest. You know you're a loser. You know you've got to finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish. Right? You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually finish the course. You don't get to brag about it unless you actually doing a course. So you already got to break off the course. In other words, what is your work. The Bible says in Colossians 3, I'll read to you, lie not one with another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after him in the image of God that created him. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10. Ephesians chapter 6 or Ephesians 4, he's talking about putting off the former conversation, putting off the old man, and he says in Ephesians 6 10, finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might, put on the whole armor of God. You know, that's what you need to do. Because you, like we read in the beginning, you have an adversary who's seeking who he may devour. And I know I quote that so often, and I know we read it so often, and there's this, I'm wondering sometimes it just falls on deaf ears. It's like, listen, we have an adversary. And people always think, oh, if the devil gets after me, that means, you know, he's going to, they have like, maybe they just have some grandiose idea about what it means to be attacked by the devil. Like, oh, he's going to light me on fire, literally. It's like, no, the devil's not going to show up and throw a pitchfork at you. You know, he's not, a little porky pig with his little horns and his little tail, you know, and you're trying to throw a pitchfork. That's not how the attack to the devil works. It's going to be subtle. I mean, this is not what we learned about Satan. It's not one of the first attributes we learned about him all the way back in Genesis. He was more subtle than any other beast of the field. It's going to be such a subtle attack. And it's going to be like, oh, a year went by, haven't you read my Bible? Yeah, it's a subtle attack of the devil. That's the old man sneaking up on you again. It's just a subtle attack of, oh, I'm not in church anymore. Yeah, that's in a subtle attack of Satan. That's what he's trying to do. That's why you have to be strong, Lord, and in the power of his might and put on the whole armor of God. Oh, but the armor is so heavy. You know what? Self-reflections. You know, do something hard. You know, armor is heavy for a reason, because it protects you. Well, I put the armor on, but it's just so heavy. I put the armor on, but, you know, it's just not very in. It's not cheek or whatever that is, you know. Chic, cheek, whatever. I don't know. It's not vogue. Am I using that word right? I don't even know. Right? It's not in. It's not cool. It's not what all the other kids are wearing. They're not wearing the armor of God. They're wearing skinny jeans, you know. Now, look, I don't think skinny jeans are any easier to get on. Now, I've never put on a pair of skinny jeans. Let me just clarify. Right? I might have put on jeans that were turning into skinny jeans, but that's my fault. Right? When you see some of these guys in skinny jeans, like, that must have took some work. You know, like, do you have, like, a contraption where you jump off something into that? Like, how do you even get into those things? Right? But, boy, they get them on. But the armor of God is heavy, you know. But it's hard to get on. You ever see, like, in the movies or something like that, where the knight suits up. It's like two other guys. He's just kind of standing there. Everyone else is putting the stuff on. But you got to get it on. That you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. That's the purpose of the armor of God. It's not so that you can walk around and everyone go, oh, man, look at you. Nice threads. Oh, you're looking sharp, man, in that armor of God. No, that's not the point. You know, it's that armor, once you get it on, you wear it out like anything else. I don't want some bright, shiny, I hope God looks down and sees us and he doesn't see us in just this, you know, mint, just bright, fresh armor with no nicks on it. You know what I mean? I want God to look down and see some battle-worn armor in this church. I mean, there's dents over here. There's a scratch over here. You know, it's getting a little rusty. You know, it's just been on for so long. That's the kind of armor that we want. But, look, you'll never get that battle-worn armor if you never put it on to begin with. If you're going to reach, you know, you go to the spiritual closet in the morning, instead of reaching for the armor of God, you're like, well, no, I'll take the knit sweater. You know, I'm going to put that on. All right, but that's fine. You know, you might feel casual and maybe you won't have the pressure. Maybe you won't feel any affliction. Maybe you won't have to go through any suffering, spiritually speaking. Maybe you don't have to do anything hard for God. Maybe you won't have to put it on the old man. But you know what? When you're wearing that knit sweater and that armor sitting home, you know, you're not going to stand against the wiles of the devil. You know, he's out there. And it's not a joke. It's real. It's a spiritual reality that we need to wake up to that the devil wants to attack. And the only thing that you have to withstand it is the armor of God. It says in verse 12, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Don't let the devil disrobe you. Go to Revelation chapter 16. We'll close there. Look, don't let the devil disrobe you. That's what I'm getting across tonight, this morning. Don't have this casual approach to Christian life. Don't end up like John Mark. I mean, if you're John Mark this morning, go ahead and end up like John Mark. But end up in the, like the, you know, the Timothy John Mark. Where he's saying, hey, bring John Mark. He's profitable for this. Go ahead and be that guy. But don't be the John Mark in Mark 14, that certain young man, you know, doesn't even want to really be identified because it's such an embarrassing story, being caught off guard, spiritually. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5, here in Revelation 16, it says this, For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness. He's saying, look, we're not going to get caught off guard. We're not in darkness. That that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. Don't be, you know, John Mark, just kind of casually getting up. Oh, what's going on? Let me put a robe on. Let me get something else. I'm not walking out naked. And just casually showing up. Well, what's happening here? Getting caught off guard in the night. You need to wake up, be sober, be vigilant. You know, you need to not sleep as do others, but watch and be sober. Understand that we have an enemy. Revelation 16 verse 15, he said, Behold, I come as a thief. He was going to take the world, I surprise, but he shouldn't take us. Blessed is he that watcheth, and what? Keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. Blessed is he that watcheth. Look, you want to keep your garments? You don't want to be ashamed? You don't want to walk naked? Then you have to watch. That's the what? That's that's the trade-off. Meaning this, you have to watch. You have to be sober. You have to be vigilant. You can't be casual and expect to keep your garments. People who live the Christian life casually, you know what? They end up walking naked and their shame is seen. You know, they're weak. They get run over by the devil. They don't accomplish anything for God. They have nothing to show for their Christian life. They're casualties. And it's all because they have this casual approach to the Christian life. And if that, you don't want that to be you, then you know what? It takes some watching. You have to keep your garments. You got to have to fight to get that armor on every single day. Don't let the devil disrobe you. Watch. Be sober. Be vigilant. Because we do have an adversary. Let's go ahead and pray. Dear Lord, again, thank you, Lord, for the many examples that we see in Scripture, both good and bad. And I thank you for this example of this certain young man, whoever he is, Lord. I pray that we would not be caught in such a way spiritually, Lord, that we wouldn't just stumble through the Christian life, just showing up whenever it's convenient and just only doing things when we feel like it, Lord. But that we would understand that there's a battle, that there's a fight, that there's an old man, a devil, a world that wants to draw us away, that wants to steal our garments, Lord, that wants us to cause us to run away naked and ashamed, Lord, before you. Lord, I pray that you would help us to be people who are profitable for the ministry, people that would be pleasing to you in your sight for the work that we do, for the souls that we save, and for the service that we render. We ask these things in Christ's name, Amen. Alright, we'll go ahead and sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning. We'll sing one more song before we go this morning.