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From Failure to Fruitful "Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry." (2 Timothy 4:11)Paul is nearing the end of his life here on earth now as he pens this letter to Timothy. Without question we find in other writings that Paul is always thinking of and thankful for others. (Philippians 1:3-4) We can certainly see that in this little epistle which many consider to be his swan song.Paul tells us here in this little verse, "Only Luke is with me." Does that mean that everyone else had forsaken him? Not at all. Those others were out in the highways and by-ways spreading the Good News of Christ and ole Paul would have it no other way!But there's another piece of information here that we often overlook. Note the next statement, "Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry." Paul is saying to Timothy in so many words, "Listen Timothy, when you come to pay me a visit, make sure Mark is with you. He is very dear to my heart and will prove to be valuable in our Lord's work. I believe Mark had proven himself to be a good soldier for Christ."But you know what it wasn't always that way was it? In order to get a good understanding of the situation, we need to go back some 22 years and remember an event that took place in Acts 12:25-13:13.Paul and his sidekick Barnabas are setting out on the first of three Missionary Journeys and John, whose surname was Mark, accompanies these two giants of the faith. They traveled together thru several cities spreading the Gospel, but when they came to Paphos, they came face to face with a sorcerer who went by the handle of Bar-jesus.(Elymas) Now phony Elymas didn't want anything to do with Jesus or anyone who did, and he thought he was going to set Paul straight. But Paul stood his ground and went eyeball to eyeball with him till a mist and darkness fell on Elymas to the point of having to be led around like a stray calf.After this, the missionary team came to Perga and that's where we hear those words, "...and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem." (Acts 13:13) John, or Mark as he was called, evidently couldn't take the heat so he fled the kitchen. Well, the story goes on and 5 years later in Acts 15:36-41, we find that Paul and Barnabas decided that they would start out on their second leg as missionaries and journey again thru those areas that they stopped at on their first lap. Barnabas wanted to take Mark again this time, but Paul didn't want anything to do with that idea. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! Paul wasn't going to sit around and see if Mark was going to jump ship and run home again to Mama just because the sledding got a little bumpy. The Bible tells us in Acts 13:39, that the contention was so sharp between Paul and Barnabas that they departed asunder. Seeing that both these men were human, I can't help but wonder if clenched fists were visible that day. At any rate, they separated. The one good thing that came out of this bro-ha that day was that instead of having one missionary team, now we have two (v. 39-40)We fast forward now some 17 years to the verse we started with in 2 Timothy. Evidently Mark had proven himself. Now he was on Paul's top 10 list of Ministerial Workers. Mark is no longer viewed in Paul's mind as a PROBLEMED CHRISTIAN. Mark is now a PROFITABLE CO-WORKER and went on later to become a PROFITABLE WRITER penning the Gospel that bears his name.If it wasn't for Barnabas willing to give him a second chance, who knows where Mark might have ended up? I'm glad that God brought about a great change in the life of Mark, aren't you? But folks, God also brought about a great change in the life of Paul too. Paul wanted nothing to do with Mark nearly two decades earlier because he felt Mark might take off again at the drop of a hat and that spelled LOSS for the cause of Christ. But hear again Paul's words on the matter, " Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is PROFITABLE to me for the ministry."(caps mine)Friends, perhaps we know someone who started out like Mark. Maybe they threw in the towel years ago. Possibly they gave up on the Lord. You know, they just may be standing in need of a Barnabas who will give them a second chance. What do you say we go all out and contact that one that left the work some time ago and offer them the hand of a second chance of restoration like Barnabas did. Who knows, they just might turn out to be PROFITABLE for the ministry.