TITLE: HURRY UP LORD, I'VE GOT THINGS TO DO
TEXT: Our text today is from Luke 10:38-42. We'll go there shortly
INTRO: If you are like so many other people today, then you have surely
noticed that there are many things competing for our attention.
I have. And with so much going on, I find myself constantly
sifting through projects, juggling priorities, and sorting out
what really needs to get done.
Many times, I feel like someone pushed the "Fast Forward"
button on my life. Everything seems to be happening in a hurry -
a big hurry. Finding out what is most important has become my
biggest challenge.
ILLUS. Three huge gates lead into the Cathedral of Milan in Italy.
Over one gate is an inscription in marble under a beautiful floral
bouquet that says, "The things that please us are temporary."
Over another gate is a cross with the inscription, "The things
that disturb us are temporary." Over the central gate,
however, is a large inscription that says,
"THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT ARE ETERNAL."
(That's a powerful thought, isn't it? Temporal or eternal)
In the 10th Chapter of Luke, verses 38-42, we are invited to examine
an interesting contrast between two sisters. Each sister made
decisions that day that reflected what each thought was "important."
But the way each sister "prioritized" her time revealed what was really
most important to each of them. Let's read these verses together:
LUKE 10: 38-42
38: Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39: And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40: But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41: And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
So just what is important?
Can I draw any conclusions based on the text?
Is the text relevant to my everyday life?
A very simple, but profound truth is revealed in this narrative -- a truth that answers the question we all have about importance. What is it? It is this:
A relationship with Jesus is the most important aspect of my life.
As John Maxwell says:
"PROBLEMS ARE THOSE THINGS WE SEE WHEN WE
TAKE OUR EYES OFF THE GOAL!"
If you can't see Jesus in what you are doing, then you can't show Jesus in anything you do!
For a better understanding of this truth, let's examine the text more closely:
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I. MARTHA & MARY EACH MADE AN IMPORTANT DECISION TO RECEIVE JESUS (vs 38-39)
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A. Martha had received Jesus into her house.
She made a decision to open her home to the Lord. We need to remember that the Lord never forces His way in. He only comes in when you open the door. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man open, I will come into Him, and dine with Him, and he with me." (REV 3:20)
Martha made a quality choice to invite the Lord in to her life and into the busy-ness of her routines. We don't want to be so busy that we can't invite the Lord in. The Lord does not deal with nameless people -- a certain woman named Martha had made an important decision -- she received Him into her house.
B. Mary had received Jesus into her heart.
Like her sister Martha, Mary also welcomed Jesus. But something distinguishes Mary from Martha. Mary made two more important decisions -- she sat at Jesus' feet and she heard His word. Mary stopped all the other so-called important things she might have had to do, and made the Lord the complete focus of her attention.
Mary placed herself into the proximity and presence of the Lord. "Draw nigh unto me, and I will draw nigh unto you." (JAM 4:8) "In the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy." (PS 16:11) Mary had made other important decisions after inviting Jesus in -- she stopped what she was doing, sat at His feet, and listened.
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II. MARTHA'S AND MARY'S PRIORITIES REFLECTED WHAT EACH OF THEM THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT (vs 39-40)
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A. Martha's priority was to serve.
Martha received Jesus into her house, and then apparently got busy with serving. There is no indication that she stopped or even slowed down after the Lord came in to her home. On the surface, her serving might even be considered appropriate. After all, shouldn't we serve God?
But, the term "cumbered" literally means to "distract" and/or "to drag around." In other words Martha made a big display of serving. It was more of a burden to her than a display of hospitality. Her response to the presence of Jesus was to attempt to impress Him with her work.
For Martha, it was more about what she "had" to do
for Him than what He could do for her.
Her true feelings came out when she complained that Mary was not helping. Martha was not serving out of a heart of abundance, but out of a mistaken need for attention and approval from Jesus. You can detect Martha's impatience with Mary, and remarkably, even with Jesus. Martha then began to see Mary has a solution to her "busy-ness" problem, "Lord, don't you care? Mary is just sitting around doing nothing, leaving me with all this work --- work that I'm doing for YOU, Lord!" But Mary was not the problem or the solution.
It happens a lot. You can get so busy working for God, that you miss out on the most important dimension of your relationship with God -- the RELATIONSHIP itself! In Martha's thinking, Jesus represented work; a job to be done, a wage to be earned; a service to be performed. Here comes Jesus, time to GET BUSY!!
B. Mary's priority was to sit.
We almost get the impression that Mary plopped herself down and simply basked in the presence of the Lord. "Jesus is here! What wonderful truth will He speak to me today? I'm just going to enjoy His presence and His company. My heart burns within me every time He's with us. I don't want to miss out on even one second. Here I am, Lord, I'm all ears! This is so wonderful, Jesus is here"
For Mary, it was more about what "He" could do
for her, than she could ever do for Him!
Surely, Mary noticed Martha banging and clanging the pots and pans in the kitchen. Then again, maybe she didn't. Mary made Jesus her priority because her time with Him was the most important thing she could be doing. And nothing could DISTRACT her from that fact. Interestingly enough, Martha didn't ask Mary for help, she asked Jesus to bid Mary -- "tell her (lazy thing that she is), to get in here and help me!"
There is always a lot of work to be done in any church or in any ministry. But "the Lord loves a cheerful giver". If your service for God is not done as a service to God, it is just work, not ministry. The Lord does not ask you to do anything He does not equip you for. Here comes Jesus, LISTEN TO HIM!
"We can not become what we need to be by remaining who we are." are.
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Some once said:
Someone's got to change.
Mary or Martha? Martha or Mary?
Serving or sitting? Which is most important?
Which one takes priority over the other?
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III. MARTHA MADE SERVICE TO JESUS HER PRIORITY, BUT MARY MADE JESUS HER PRIORITY (verse 41 & 42) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A. MARTHA'S PRIORITIES BROUGHT SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS.
Martha's priorities were okay until Jesus reminded her that she was full of cares and troubled about many things. In effect, he was saying, "Martha, your priorities are bogging you down. Because you have chosen to turn everything you do into a task to be performed, there is no rest in sight. You can't relax, you only see the unfinished work that needs to be done. You are miserable and you're making everyone around you miserable. Let me show you a better way."
Then the Lord went even farther. He let Martha know that Mary's priority was the right priority and it was something that Martha should also choose.
There is a modern saying: If Jesus is not Lord OF all,
He won't be Lord AT all.
B. MARY'S PRIORITY BROUGHT SPIRITUAL RESULTS.
Mary does not participate in the conversations included in our text. But she is the example of a proper response to the presence of the Lord. Can anything or anyone be more important to you than Jesus? Everything in life is a choice -- Mary's choice was the right choice. Jesus even reinforced her choice, and used Mary's response as an example for her sister Martha.
It is a wonderful affirmation when God says that something will not be taken away from you. Jesus not only said that Mary had chosen the good part, but He also says that it shall not be taken from her! Jesus is the #1 priority for every Christian. God Himself is committed to helping you do that!
THIS TRUTH IS ALSO ILLUSTRATED IN MATTHEW 6:33
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you."
No matter how much you have to do, Jesus must be #1.
Our promise is that all these things (that you need) will be added.
THIS TRUTH IS AGAIN ILLUSTRATED IN PSALM 37:4
"Delight thyself also in the LORD;
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
John Wanamaker, an outstanding American businessman of the 19th century, put together one of the most successful careers of his time. When asked what he considered to be his best investment, he replied,
"Of all my investments, the one I made when I was only 11 years old, was the best purchase of all. I bought a small, red leather Bible from
my Sunday School teacher for $2.75."
Like Mr. Wanamaker, we must choose to make Jesus, His Word, and His presence our top priorities. Only then will you be able to MAKE THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING -- AND KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!! JESUS IS THE MAIN THING.
DOES JESUS HOLD FIRST PLACE IN YOUR LIFE? Make Him #1 today!
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