Worship And Serve

delivered on 11/13/2016

                      
 
Luke 10:38-42
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
 
This afternoon, we will be looking into the lives of Martha, and Mary. A Martha vs Mary, type of service. What brought you here today? Was it a sense of duty, you feel a sense of obligation, a responsibility to the Lord for all that he has done for you. Is it possible to serve the Lord out of habit rather than out of love?
 
In our text this afternoon. In Luke chapter ten Jesus has been discussing with a Jewish religious leader the two great commands of the Scripture, that we are to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus has just used the story of “The Good Samaritan” to illustrate how we should love our neighbor and now he uses the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary, to illustrate how we should love God.
 
Since Martha welcomes Jesus and His disciples…she is probably the older sister who has primary responsibility in hospitality. Mary sits among the disciples learning from a Rabbi, a position that most scribes at the time would find unacceptable for a woman. Yet the objection raised about Mary is her sister’s resentment that she is not sharing the serving of the meal.
 
From what we can learn from this passage and if you would like to do more reading in regards to these two sisters, you can read more about them on, John chapters 11 and 12, Martha lived with her sister Mary and their later to be famous brother Lazarus. It appears that Martha is a widow for she is the head of the household. Here in the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus Jesus and his disciples sit down for some relaxation away from the press of the crowds.
 
Here is a home that Jesus had been many times, a place that he knew He was loved and accepted. Both sisters are delighted to see Jesus but as you will see they express their enthusiasm in very different ways. In verse 38 we are told…
 
Luke 10:38-39
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 
 
We all have varying temperaments, some are active always needing to be busy, never able to sit still. Others are thoughtful, willing to sit back and think things through. Martha is a very activity oriented person, her sister appeared to be of the more thoughtful nature. I believe that we…at many times have wrongly contrasted Martha and Mary, as though each Christian should make a choice to either be a worker like Martha or a worshiper like Mary. But in so doing I think we miss the point, the Lord wants each of us to imitate Mary in our worship and Martha in our work, and to achieve balance in both.
 
Mary is content to sit at Jesus’ feet soaking up the Word, and not “do” anything. But her big sister, Martha was looking around at all the guest and sees the need to prepare a meal. Martha was obviously a great hostess, she got up and began to prepare food for Jesus and all those there with Him. Martha looked and said to her self “What privilege to prepare a meal for the Master!” Mary on the other hand would have said, “What a privilege to sit at the feet of the Master.” Is one right and the other wrong? No. Worship and Service are both necessary but there must be a balance.
 
Every action, every relationship, every institution has a basic focus, which is its reason for existence if it hopes to succeed, if it loses that focus it will fail. When you lose your focus, which why you do what you do, then you are in trouble. This afternoon, Let us look at this story and what it teaches about the cost of a losing focus.
 
The loss of focus Caused Martha to resort to Self-Pity…
 
Luke 10:40
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
 
All of you ladies can know what entertaining unplanned visitor’s is like and why Martha is flustered and feeling more and more frustrated with each passing moment. The first part of verse forty tells us, “But Martha was distracted with much serving,…” the sense of the word translated “distracted” here is “to be pulled away” or “dragged away.”
 
The implication is that Martha wanted to hear Jesus herself, she wanted to be seated at his feet too, but she was pulled away by the sense of her “duties.” Fretting about the meal has robbed her of the joy of her service to the Lord. We should of course, take our responsibilities seriously, but not ourselves to the point that we overestimate our importance. The problem did not lie in the work that Martha was doing. It was the attitude that she was doing it, with that became the problem. Martha’s problem was one of balance, between the going and doing and the sitting and listening.
 
My greatest fear in saying that is that is that someone out there who is doing nothing will gratefully say “Amen” to what they think I said, and so excuse themselves from doing anything except ‘sitting”. The truth is that there are too many ‘sitters” now. The difference between Martha and Mary is not that one served and the other did not, but one served out of duty and the other out of devotion. One wanted to worship, and one served!
In our daily lives we can become so busy with the everyday things of life that we neglect the most important. Its interesting to think back, when I was a child there was a cartoon series on television called “The Jetsons” many of you may remember it. I used to love that cartoon. This show conveyed the common misconception of the time, that in the future modern conveniences would produce more and more leisure time in people’s lives. The facts are that today, many are overworked. You quite simply work too many hours.
 
People expect us to be busy, overworked. It’s become a status symbol in our society, if we’re busy, we’re important, if we’re not busy, we’re embarrassed to admit it. Busyness is where we get our security, It’s validating, popular and pleasing, It’s also a good excuse for not dealing with the first things in our lives.
 
Loosing focus resulted Martha in self pity. Because she lost her focus, she became angry at everyone else. Our world is full of distractions. And the more the pressure, the most tempting it is to focus on the urgent rather than the essential. I truly believe that Martha wanted to honor Jesus. I even believe that she began her work with the right attitude.
 
All of you ladies can identify with what I am about to say. You begin the task of huge festive meal, special occasions, birthdays, parties, and the one we have coming up, Thanksgiving. With the greatest of enthusiasm, as time passed, you came to realize that you are running out of time and you can not possibly finish everything that you planned to do. Sounds familiar?
 
When that happens, you get angry… angry at yourself for letting yourself get in this fix and angry with anyone else who might have made a difference in accomplishing your goals. Martha was like that, the harder she worked the more worked up she became. Some people “burn out” in service but Martha was “burned up” in hers. It is bad enough to have to do everything. It is even worse when we can think of someone who we do not feel is pulling their weight and who has let us down. That is what I see happening to Martha.
 
Tension and frustration mount when we are performing the wrong tasks or trying to cram too many of the right activities into a given period…. A critical spirit develops and we begin to judge and condemn others for what they do or don’t do. Anytime you feel a wave of criticism gaining momentum in your spirit remember that it’s completely out of line as far as God is concerned.
 
Loosing focus caused Martha to find fault in others. In second part of verse forty, Martha finally exploded and she comes boiling out of the kitchen, red-faced and furious and says… “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”. She just lashed out at Jesus. You decide what kind of feeling she was in when she made this comment…to the Lord!
 
She doesn’t even call her sister by name. In her defense perhaps she had already done everything she could think of to attract Mary’s attention and signal her that she needed help. She may have tried to make a lot of noise to get her attention? Maybe?
We all have ways that we use to get a message across. We clear our throats. We make attention-getting motions. We make a lot of noise, or at times…yelling out, HELLO!!!
A little help here please!
 
We have a situation like that in this text when Martha cannot get Mary’s attention. We are even more irritated when the other person ignores us. Mary was willing to face Martha’s anger, because sitting at the feet of Jesus meant everything to her at this point. No one can force us to be devoted, it is a voluntary decision out of love for our Savior.
 
Loosing focus even caused Martha to question if our Lord cared? Whatever Martha has already done to get Mary’s attention, she is totally frustrated now and speaks directly to Jesus. There is an accusation in her voice when she says, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." Martha was angry at Mary for being so selfish and she is angry at Jesus for allowing this to go on. Notice that Martha addressed her irritation to Jesus, you have to admit that she is one gutsy woman. Martha is accusing Jesus of not caring for her, because she was sure that if Jesus really cared for her He would tell Mary to get up and help her.
 
Today she would probably say something to the effect of “Lord you know what a ding bat my sister is, but you are a part of the problem too. You tell her to get her sweet self in there and help me!” (Sarcasm) In saying this she not only rebuked her sister but also the one for whom all of these preparations are being made. Whenever our service causes us to criticize others and pity ourselves because we feel overworked, we had better take time to examine our lives!
 
It is interesting how Martha links Jesus’ care for her with His willingness to tell Mary to get busy helping her. Martha thought that she knew how Jesus should demonstrate his care for her. I wonder do we do that as well? Do we ever accuse God of not caring for us, because we have already decided what his care for us looks like?
 
Part of the Martha’s problem was that she worried to much about what others were doing. Martha concern over Mary reminds you of Peter in John chapter 21 where Jesus was explaining to Peter what the future held for him…
 
John 21:18-22
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
 
 
Jesus reminded Peter that was not really any of his concern. He just needed to follow Jesus and obey His commands. In our text today, Jesus… by his refusal to do as Martha had asked demonstrates that although what she was doing was valuable work, she should worry lest about Mary’s choices. It all boiled down to the fact that Martha wanted to force Mary to serve Christ her way.
 
Remembering why we are doing what we are doing?
 
Luke 10:41-42
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
 
Jesus responds with great tenderness. Notice first that Jesus did not rebuke her for making preparations for Him and the other guest. He is not rejecting Martha’s attempt to serve Him. Martha’s problem was not that she was preparing food for her guest to eat, this was necessary. But she gave too much importance to it. Today we still have to be careful that we do not let the necessary things that must be done to get out of balance and distort our lives.
 
The core of Martha’s problem is that she tried to impose her value system on Mary. Note that Jesus did not tell Martha to do what Mary was doing. It was Martha’s attitude that needed correction, but Martha’s work was both good and necessary. The reality is that as believers today we need to cultivate both the Martha and the Mary in each of us, in Worship And Service!
 
Martha came to Jesus because she wanted Him to lighten the load that day. He did what she wanted but not in the way that she had expected. He lightened her load not by having Mary help her but by giving her a new perspective on her work. When we forget why we are doing what we are doing we can get turned upside down, and we may end up feeling overworked and unappreciated.
 
A quote the I read from a devotion…
 
“If we forget God while serving God we will probably quit God!”
                            ( Add to Powerpoint )
 
When we keep our attitude right we find that God will enable us to do what “needs” to be done with joy and satisfaction. Unless we take time to spend time with Jesus personally and privately, we will soon end up like Martha busy but not blessed.
Martha was not wrong nor was Mary. It is a case of where one did good and the other better.
 
The Christian life is learning to balance duty, devotion and obedience. Sitting without serving is powerless. Serving without sitting is has no direction. Serving after sitting produces power and balance, and much needed rest.
I don’t want to close our story of these two sister’s without understanding the part they play in Biblical history. One of the two greatest confessions concerning the person of Jesus.
 
Christ mentions Martha and recorded in… John 11:27
 
John 11:27
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
 
The setting for Martha’s confession was that the death of her brother Lazarus, Jesus had arrived and was seeking to comfort her and told her, “I am the resurrection and the life and He who believe in me will never die.” In turn he asked Martha if she believed this. Her response is one of the greatest confessions of all time, for Martha replies, “ Yes Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world.” She evidently overcame her propensity to be distracted long enough and sat at the feet of Jesus enough to grow into a woman of profound faith.
 
We also have more recorded verses about her sister Mary. We meet Mary two more times, in Scripture, and each time she is at the feet of Jesus. In John 12…
 
John 12:1-3 (NIV)
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
 
She was severely criticized by at least one apostle and possibly others for her action. Did she quit because of the criticism? No. She was one of the women at the tomb on the morning of the resurrection. When you sit at the feet of Jesus you learn not to quit because of hard feelings. You learn to turn the other cheek and go on. You continue to do job that you were called to do. “You were called for His purpose”.
 
In Matthew 26 we find Jesus had these words of compliment to say concerning this…
 
Matthew 26:13
13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
 
I believe this was Mary. These two passages, concerning Martha’s confession and Mary’s worship, give evidence that both these sisters achieved the balance between duty and devotion. Neither one of them was wrong. But we can all learn from these two sisters of what it means to WORSHIP AND SERVE.
 
In conclusion:
But the question remains, “What about you?” Will you just take a moment to reflect? Where is your focus this afternoon? Have you been giving yourself to non-essentials things that are here today but tossed out tomorrow?
 
1 Corinthians 15:58
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
 
Our service to our Lord, and His saints has value, and meaning for at least two reasons.
1) God is the One behind it, empowering us through by His Spirit. 
2) He promises to reward us incredibly well for faithful service.
“ Behold I Am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done”.  ( Rev 22:12 )
 
When one knows and serves God, every product of his or her life will be rewarded, either in this life, or in heaven. God watches over all our ways, and He has promised to perfectly give His reward. The christian who seeks to please God lays up treasures that can never be devalued, or depleted.
 
When you have no helpers, see your helpers in God. When you have many helpers, see God in all your helpers. When you have nothing but God, see all in God. When you have everything, see God in everything. Under all conditions, stay thy heart only on the Lord.
                                                        Charles Spurgeon
                         ( Add To Power Point )