SERMON: WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

2 July 2017

I.  Introduction

            -- as we open this evening, I want to read you a quote from Charles Sheldon's book, "In His Steps", which started the "WWJD -- What Would Jesus do?" movement

            -- in this book a tramp, a man without a home and without a job has been going from church to church looking for help -- and in each church, the answer is the same -- no help is available

            -- when he comes to the last church in town, he asks for permission to speak to the congregation -- this is what he says right before he collapses on the altar and must be taken to the hospital:

            "I'm not an ordinary tramp, though I don't know of any teaching of Jesus that makes one kind of tramp less worth saving than another.  Do you?  I was wondering as I sat here tonight, if what you call following Jesus is the same thing as what He taught.  What did you Christians mean by following the steps of Jesus? 

            "I've tramped through this city for three days trying to find a job and in all that time I've not had a word of sympathy or comfort.  What is meant by following Jesus?  What do you mean when you sing "I'll go with Him, with Him, all the way?  Do you mean that you are suffering and denying yourselves and trying to save lost, suffering humanity just as I understand Jesus did?  What do you mean by it?

            "It seems to me there's an awful lot of trouble in the world that somehow wouldn't exist if all the people who sing such songs went and lived them out.  I suppose I don't understand.  But what would Jesus do?"

            -- and with those words, the man collapsed at the altar

            -- what would Jesus do? -- despite how commercialized that phrase has become in recent years, with the WWJD wristbands, bumper stickers, magnets, and t-shirts you still see all over our community -- this is still a good question for us to stop and ponder -- what would Jesus do?

            -- for the past several weeks, we’ve been discussing focusing our attention on seeking God first -- on seeking His presence and drawing near to Him before anything else -- on putting aside the church’s worldly desires for more people, more money, more activity as a measure of influence and power and getting back to the basics of Christianity -- focusing on worshiping and serving God and trusting in Him to bring the increase

            -- but invariably, we have to ask the question -- what does God want us to do?

            -- contrary to what Bob Dylan might have us believe, the answer to that is not blowing in the wind -- but is found in the pages of Scripture -- Jesus came to show us how to live in relationship with God -- to show us what was expected of those who were the children of God -- those who believed in His name and who were filled with the Holy Spirit

            -- and in the Bible we can see what Jesus did and pattern our lives after His -- remember, the name “Christian” literally means “little Christ” -- it implies that we are following Him -- imitating Him -- becoming more and more like Him as the Holy Spirit works in us and through us to sanctify us and impart holiness into our lives

            -- so to know what to do -- to answer the question, “what would Jesus do?” in this particular situation -- we have to first answer two questions: 

            1) What did Jesus do? -- in what ways did He minister to others? -- for in His life and His example we find direction for our own -- this question is easy for us to answer -- all we have to do is read the gospels -- to see what Jesus did so we can do what He did -- Jesus ministered to the sick and the poor -- the widows and the orphans -- the hungry and the needy -- He spoke to the people about the Kingdom of God -- He told them the way to salvation was through Him -- that’s what Jesus did -- that’s what we should do

            -- the second question -- and the one I want us to focus on this evening is:

            2) What led Jesus to act? -- what was the catalyst that stirred Jesus to action?

            -- we know that Jesus healed many people during His time on earth, but He did not heal everyone -- He did miracles in many places, but He did not do miracles everywhere -- for example, the Bible tells us Jesus couldn’t do miracles in Nazareth -- so what caused Jesus to heal some and walk past others with physical ailments? -- what caused Jesus to do miracles in some places, but not others? -- what led Jesus to move and to act when He did?

            -- the answer to that question will inform the direction we go -- as Christians and as a church

II.  The Catalyst for Action

            -- so what led Jesus to act? -- what were the decisive factors -- the catalysts -- that made the difference in whether Jesus would do something or not?

            -- in reading the gospels, we learn there were three distinct reasons that led Jesus to do something:  1) The Will of God; 2) The Faith of Others; and, 3) Compassion

            A.  The Will of God

            -- turn over to John 6:38

38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

            -- now flip over to John 8:28-29

28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

            -- in these verses, we see the overarching catalyst or reason why Jesus did what He did -- to do the will of God -- everything Jesus did -- everything Jesus said -- was predicated on the will of God

            -- Jesus came to earth in the first place in obedience to the will of the Father -- the Bible tells us that Jesus put aside His glory and left heaven to become one of us -- to bear our sins on the cross -- to atone for our sin and pay the penalty we could not pay in order to redeem us and restore our relationship with the Father

            -- the ultimate expression of Jesus acting in submission to God’s will can be seen in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed -- He prayed three times to be released from the burden of the cross -- He asked that if there were another way, for God to let Him know -- but He concluded His prayer by saying, “not My will, but Thine be done” -- Jesus went to the cross in obedience to the will of God

            -- we see that in other aspects of His life, too -- in these passages in John, Jesus said that He did nothing on His own, but everything He did was in response to the will of God -- He spoke what the Father taught Him -- He went where the Spirit led -- He ministered to others as God directed -- His own personal desires and wishes and will were put below the will of the Father

            -- so what does that mean for us? -- if we are seeking to do what Jesus did -- if we are asking the question, “what would Jesus do?” in our own lives -- then the first answer is that we must know and do the revealed will of God

            -- turn over to Colossians 1:9-14

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

            -- Paul prays here that the Colossians might know God's will -- that they might live out God's will in their daily lives -- the will that Paul is referring to here is God’s moral will -- the will of God expressed to believers through His Word -- through prayer -- and through the church -- this is the revealed will of God given to us through Jesus

            -- we come to know God's moral will as we experience Him in our lives -- by hearing and by doing

            -- when we know God's will -- when we understand that He wants us to share our lives and our love with others -- regardless of the cost -- we live lives worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him in every way

            -- Paul points out to us here four aspects of God's moral will for our lives -- things that God has called all of us as believers to do that will give our days meaning and purpose

            -- in verse 10, Paul tells us that it is the will of God for us to bear fruit in every good work -- we need to start living each day with the thought, "Today I will do a good work for Christ -- if nothing else, I will at least water the ground by sharing my love through faith to others" -- this is implicit in the Great Commission -- to tell others about Christ -- to share His love with others -- this is always the will of God for us

            -- there at the end of verse 10, Paul tells us we should grow in the knowledge of God -- when Paul tells us to do this, he's not talking about facts -- he's talking about relationship

-- we study God's word and we come to church and we listen to sermons and Christian music, not so we can know more about God, but so we can know God -- so we can understand who He is and so we can share in His life -- that's what Paul is talking about when he tells us it's God's will that we grow in the knowledge of God

            -- in verse 11, Paul says we are to demonstrate endurance and patience through the power of God -- it is God’s will for us to learn to walk through the trials of each day -- to learn to trust in Him -- to lean on Him -- to depend on Him -- when things get hard -- and trust in the hope you have for eternity -- faith is demonstrated more in times of adversity than in times of blessing -- and others see that when you persevere and endure in faith and hope

            -- finally, in verse 12, Paul says we should thank God who has saved us "qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light" -- the Westminster catechism says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever

            -- it is the will of God that we glorify Him by praising Him for what He has done -- we should offer up prayers and hymns of thanksgiving every day for who He is and what He has done -- thanking Him for our salvation, our redemption -- for the forgiveness of sins -- it is because of these mighty acts of God through Jesus that we have eternal hope and enjoy the inheritance of the saints

            -- we don’t have to wonder what God’s will is for our lives -- He has revealed His will to us through His word and continues to reveal it through prayer and through the church -- the issue is not about knowing the will of God, but doing the will of God, as Jesus did

            B.  The Faith of Others

            -- turn over to Matthew 9:1-2

1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

            -- in this familiar passage about the healing of the paralytic man who was lowered through the ceiling into the room where Jesus was teaching, we see the second catalyst that caused Jesus to act in the scriptures -- faith -- not His faith, but the faith of others

            -- when Jesus saw faith and trust in Him and the Father, that caused Him to act

            -- look at Matthew 8:10

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

-- a centurion had come to Jesus to ask for healing of his paralyzed servant, and Jesus agreed to go -- but the centurion told Jesus there was no need for Jesus to physically attend to the servant -- if He would just say the word, the servant would be healed -- and we read here that the centurion’s faith astonished Jesus and resulted in the healing of his servant

            -- our faith and trust in Jesus should be a catalyst for action in our own life -- True faith is faith that believes although it hasn’t seen -- true faith is faith that believes despite what our eyes tell us -- true faith is faith in Jesus regardless of what our senses or the world tells us. 

            -- True faith is belief in Jesus as the sole answer to the promises of God in our lives -- true faith is belief in action, belief that we trust enough to depend our very lives and our souls on. 

            -- our faith should lead us to intercede on behalf of others -- to offer up their needs to Jesus -- to minister to them in the sure knowledge that Jesus will act because of our belief in Him

            C.  Compassion

            -- turn over to Matthew 14:14

14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

            -- the third catalyst that caused Jesus to minister and to act was compassion -- in this passage, Jesus is tired -- He is grieving the death of John the Baptist and He is weary from His ministry -- so Matthew tells us that Jesus withdrew by boat privately to go to a solitary place to be by Himself -- presumably, to recharge His energy -- to be in the presence of the Father and to be filled again with strength to carry on

            -- but the crowds heard that He had left and realized where He was going, and when Jesus landed His boat on the shore, a large crowd was waiting -- their needs overwhelmed Him -- their needs stirred His heart -- and Matthew tells us that Jesus had compassion on them and healed their sick

            -- many times in Scripture we read of the compassion of Jesus -- of how His heart broke at the condition of those around Him and He was filled with compassion for them and touched them and healed them and spoke words of hope to them

            -- the compassion of Christ comes from His great love for us -- and it causes Him to want to help

            -- in the same way, we should be led by our hearts and our compassion for others -- God will impress upon on and break our hearts for people and causes that He wants us to minister to

            -- every day, I walk past people in need -- most of the time, I am not led to act -- I see their need -- I may say a prayer for them -- but I don’t feel a compassion welling up within that causes me to move

            -- but, every now and then, God speaks to my heart -- and something catches my eye -- and I find myself drawn to that person and feeling like I must do something to help them -- even if they haven’t asked -- I think Kim had a similar situation just yesterday

            -- when that happens, that is a clear command from God to move and to act and to minister in His name -- compassion and love should drive us in our ministry as we seek to do what Jesus would have us do

III.  CLOSING

            -- the question that we have been asking ourselves as a church is when do we move forward in ministry?

            -- I think we should follow the example of the Israelites as they followed God in the wilderness -- they only moved when the pillar of fire or the pillar of cloud moved -- they only moved when God showed them where to go -- we must do the same if we are to be the people He wants us to be

            -- Jesus gave us the pattern of direction in His life, as He responded to the will of God -- to the faith of others -- and to the stirring of His heart with compassion

            -- these are the pillars of fire that lead His church today -- so we only move out when God clearly shows us His direction in one of these three areas:

            -- His revealed will -- God will reveal to us His plan and His purpose and give us clear direction on what to do when it is the right time -- we have to be careful to not take matters into our own hands or to bend our will just to be doing something -- it is better to do nothing than to be doing the wrong thing -- we must make sure what we are doing is what God wants us to do -- God will reveal His will to us, and when He does, then we have to be obedient to His leading and move out

            -- Faith -- our faith and the faith of others -- when God touches our hearts and confirms an action, we must have faith and trust in His ability to complete it through us -- we have to trust in Him -- likewise, when others come to us in faith because they expect to see God work in us and through us, this is a sign from God to minister in His name

            -- Compassion -- when God touches our hearts and stirs our souls on behalf of others, we can be sure this is something He wants us to do -- I believe that churches go through seasons of ministry, where God stirs their souls to minister in certain areas and to certain people for a limited season of time -- I feel the homeless ministry was a stirring of compassion from God in our souls, but I think that season has passed -- we need to be open to the next season that comes our way and ready to move when God leads

            -- Will, Faith, and Compassion -- these three are the catalysts for ministry in the church -- let’s pray for guidance and discernment in these areas -- and move out only when God shows us what He would have us do

            -- let us pray

SERMON: BEING MARY IN A MARTHA WORLD

                                 [image source: deborahsdescendants.com/tag/mary-and-martha/]

25 June 2017

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

            -- for the last several weeks, we have been discussing the Holy Spirit and how we need to recognize and focus our attention on His presence in our lives -- how we should stop focusing our attention on church attendance or programs or outreach or the things of this world, but learn to hear and see and experience God in our lives first

            -- it reminded me of the story of a child who sought God’s presence

"The little child whispered, "God, speak to me." and a meadowlark sang; but the child did not hear.

So the child yelled, "God, speak to me!" And the thunder rolled across the sky, but the child did not listen.

The child looked around and said, "God let me see you," and a star shone brightly.  But the child did not notice.

And the child shouted, "God show me a miracle!" And a life was born.  But the child did not know.

So the child cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here!"
Whereupon God reached down and touched the child. But the child brushed the butterfly away and walked away unknowingly.

            -- this story points out a poignant truth -- God is always there -- He is always around us -- His presence permeates all things of life -- but we have to be open to Him -- we have to listen for His knock and open the door to experience His presence in a real way -- otherwise, we’ll miss seeing and hearing and knowing Him just as this child did

II.  The Presence of God

            -- when we’re talking about seeking the presence of God, we need to understand that the Bible speaks of two different understandings of His presence

            -- first, there is His omnipresence -- God present everywhere around us -- this is the providential presence of God -- this is the hand of God on both the sinner and the saint -- on those who believe and those who don’t -- the presence of God that calls to us in the night and that keeps us safe and provides for our need -- it is the omnipresence of God that caused Jesus to point out that God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous -- God is here and God is always at work in this land -- He is a present God

            -- the second type of presence that the Bible mentions is God’s manifest presence -- this is God making His presence directly known to us -- God revealing Himself to us in ways that we can see or hear or experience -- in ways that leave us knowing that we are or have been in His presence

            -- God would make His presence manifest in various ways throughout Scripture -- He spoke to Jacob in a dream -- He spoke to Moses face-to-face and allowed Moses to see His glory passing by -- He spoke to Elijah in a whisper -- He communed with David’s heart to inspire the Psalms

            -- other ways were more dramatic -- the parting of the Red Sea -- the miracles of healing -- the pillars of cloud and fire that led the Israelites through the wilderness -- and, of course, the Shekinah glory of God -- the cloud of His presence that settled in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and Temple

            -- as you move to the New Testament, you see the manifest presence of God taking human form as the Word became flesh and made His dwelling place among us -- God’s presence was manifest through Jesus, and all who came into contact with Him knew they had been in the presence of God

            -- now, in our lives, we have the Holy Spirit who manifests the presence of God in our lives -- through spiritual gifts -- through wisdom and scriptural insights -- through intercession -- through protection and sanctification -- the Bible tells us that our bodies are now the temple of God, so in a very real way, the presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling believers is akin to the Shekinah glory filling the temple

            -- the problem is that we have closed the door on the presence of God and instead focus our attentions on the more material things of the world -- the things we can see and touch and feel and count

            -- so what do we do about that? -- how can we experience the revealed presence of God in our lives? -- how can we hear Jesus’ knock on the door so we can open it?

            -- the Christian singer Matt Redman shared that there was a time when his church had forgotten the presence of God -- the pastor sensed their worship services were flat -- the people were just going through the motions -- worship wasn’t flowing through the heart as it must -- also, when you’ve got a worship leader like Matt Redman, it is easy to get lost in the entertaining presence of the band and focus on them rather than the One that should be worshiped -- so the pastor knew something needed to change

            -- he stripped the sanctuary of all the extras that were diverting the focus of the worshipers -- he removed the sound system -- he removed the band -- he took away the instruments -- he made them gather and worship with their voices alone -- as Redman later said, “His point was that we’d lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart was to strip everything away.”

            -- the pastor challenged the congregation to be participants in worship, not consumers -- to bring themselves as active worshipers and not passive observers -- to engage their hearts and seek God through their worship -- as the people’s focus changed -- as their worship and hearts changed -- as they began to experience God’s manifest presence again -- it was only then that the pastor allowed the reintroduction of the sound system and the band, piece by piece -- so that it would not distract from worship, but add to it

            -- Redman’s song, “The Heart of Worship,” is his reflection on the process of finding God’s manifest presence again, the very thing we have committed to doing ourselves¹

III.  Scripture Lesson (Luke 10:38-42)

            -- with that in mind, let’s look now at this familiar story of Martha and Mary -- probably one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament, although it only occurs here in the Gospel of Luke

            -- when we’re considering what we can learn about seeking the presence of God in our lives, it’s important to note the context of this passage -- we find the story of Martha and Mary immediately after the sending out of the seventy-two disciples and the parable of the good Samaritan -- both stories of action -- of mission -- of doing

            -- but then we see the story of Martha and Mary, which reminds us of the importance of seeking the presence of God in the midst of that busyness -- let’s look at this story now

            -- look back at Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

            -- Martha and Mary are not strangers to us -- they appear several times in the Gospel narratives, along with their brother Lazarus -- Martha seems to be the older sister -- the head of the household -- in fact, her name is the feminine form of the word Master -- she was the lady of the house -- the mistress in charge of the home -- the one responsible for all of the day-to-day operations of the household

            -- now one thing we need to realize here is that Martha loved Jesus and He loved her -- this isn’t the story of someone who didn’t know Jesus -- of someone who was not part of His circle of friends -- no, Jesus knew and loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus and they, He -- He spent time in their home -- they invited Him in and cared for Him during His travels -- Martha knew Jesus and served Him and supported Him -- along with Mary and Lazarus, she was one of His earliest disciples

            -- notice it says in verse 38 that Martha opened her home to Him -- that says a lot -- she welcomed Him into her home -- she invited Him in -- He was not a stranger to her -- she knew Him

            -- when someone visited your home in that day, there were certain standards of hospitality and comfort that were expected -- water to wash their feet -- food and drink to satisfy their hunger and thirst -- a place to sit and rest -- and Martha obviously took her position as the head of the household serious, especially given who her guest was

            -- she immediately began making preparations and doing what needed to be done to make Jesus welcome and comfortable in her home -- but we read that Mary did not help -- instead of pitching in to help Martha, Mary took a seat at the Lord’s feet and began to listen to what He said -- and this didn’t set well with Martha

            -- I’m sure Martha tried to get Mary’s attention so she would come and help with the preparations -- I’ve know what ya’ll do in the kitchen when it’s a big meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas and you need help getting ready -- the sound of dishes clanging together gets a little louder -- the spoon on the side of the pot makes more noise than normal -- there’s throat-clearing and all kinds of other stuff trying to get someone’s attention so they’ll get up and help -- dropping ice and slamming the oven door closed -- I’ve seen it and you have, too -- and I guarantee you that Martha did all of that trying to get Mary to come into the kitchen and help

            -- but Mary wouldn’t have any of it -- she just continued to sit at Jesus’ feet while poor old Martha did all the work -- finally, Martha had enough -- she went into the room where Jesus was and interrupted Him in the midst of His message and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? -- Tell her to help me!”

            -- Martha played the trump card -- she told on Mary to Jesus -- you know you’ve crossed the line when someone tattles to Jesus about what you’re doing, or not doing, as the case may be -- but can you imagine Martha’s surprise when Jesus gently rebuked her -- “Martha, Martha -- you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed -- Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her”

            -- Martha’s focus and attention were not where they should be -- she allowed the doing of things -- service for Jesus -- to get in the way of communing with Jesus -- the action became more important than the experience

            -- reflecting on the context of this passage following the action of the sending out of the seventy-two disciples and the ministry of the good Samaritan, Warren Wiersbe wrote, “It is important that we be busy ambassadors, taking the message of the gospel to lost souls -- it is also essential to be merciful Samaritans, seeking to help exploited and hurting people who need God’s mercy -- but before we can represent Christ as we should, or imitate Him in our caring ministry, we must spent time with Him and learn from Him -- we must take time to be holy”

            -- there was nothing wrong with what Martha was doing -- she was honestly trying to serve Jesus -- to take care of His needs -- to minister to Him -- but the doing became more important than anything else -- in the midst of the preparations, she forgot who she was trying to serve

            -- we can get lost like that so easy as Christians and as a church -- you see this in congregations where the programs take precedence over the presence -- where people just go through the motions and are active, for action’s sake rather than for Jesus’ sake

            -- ministry and action and outreach must be balanced with worship and renewal in the presence of God -- it is the presence of God that empowers our action and ministry, not vice versa

            -- Martha had gotten so worked up over the preparations, that she missed seeing and hearing Jesus in her very own home -- it is inconceivable of us to imagine that someone would ignore Jesus sitting on the couch to go into the kitchen to make Him a meal -- but we do the same thing every single day and every single worship service

            -- rather than sit at His feet and enjoy His presence, we busy ourselves doing things just for the sake of doing -- a lot of times, we leave Jesus sitting alone while we busy ourselves doing things for Him

            -- Jesus tells Martha here that she was worried about many things, when the one thing that was the most important she didn’t even consider -- sitting in His presence as Mary was doing -- Jesus didn’t care as much about the conventions of hospitality as He did enjoying the presence and company of those He came to see

            -- Luke’s account of this story ends abruptly here, but I can’t help but picture Jesus taking Martha by the hand after gently rebuking her and guiding her to an empty spot on the floor by His feet so she could listen as He continued to teach

IV.  Closing

            -- how like Martha are we? -- without a doubt, we are people of activity -- we like to be doing things -- we like to be active and moving and doing at all times -- we have a hard time with relaxation, and even when we take time off from our labors, our recreation is often a whirlwind of activity -- we work at work -- we work at being relaxed -- we work at church -- and we work in our personal spiritual lives, as well

            -- the message of this passage is that work for the Lord is good, but it’s not the end-all, be-all, of our relationship with Jesus -- Jesus didn’t come and die on the cross so that we would just work for Him -- He didn’t die on the cross to add a new level of busyness to our lives

            -- He came and died on the cross so that we might be forgiven of our sins and be restored in our relationship with the Father -- He came so that we might know Him and love Him and experience Him just as Mary was doing in this passage

            -- serving God -- working for God -- reaching others for God is important -- it’s a natural outgrowth of a thriving relationship with God -- but it’s not the most important thing -- the relationship with God is more important than anything else -- remember this: God doesn’t want our activity -- He wants our hearts

            -- there is a reason why God gave us the Sabbath -- one day to cease all activity -- one day to stop doing and start being -- to rest in His presence -- to bask in His grace -- to experience His love -- to know Him

            -- He knew what we were like -- He knew how we busy ourselves doing things, even spiritual things -- and He knew that we could lose focus and replace the relationship with the doing, just like Martha did in this passage

            -- I do not know a single person who ever takes a Sabbath day -- whether we’re talking pastors or lay people or whoever -- I don’t know anyone who really takes a day off to just be with God -- to sit at His feet -- to bask in His presence -- to renew and recharge their lives

            -- let me close by sharing with you some thoughts on the Sabbath -- too many people think that a Sabbath is supposed to just be a day when you spend all your time at church or all your time reading the Bible and praying -- others think it's just supposed to be a day off of work where you have fun all day

            -- both groups are right, but only partly right -- to be a true Sabbath means that you have both -- you need praying and playing to do it right

            -- praying without playing results in a day of legalistic and religious monotony

            -- playing without praying results in a day of hedonistic pleasure without meaning -- and neither are what God had in mind when He commanded us to remember the Sabbath

            -- John Calvin taught that the "right observance of the Sabbath does not consist in idleness...but in the celebration of the Divine name" -- in other words, the Sabbath is a day of celebration that is expressed through our praying and through our playing

            -- to pray on the Sabbath means that we reflect and praise God for His promises -- for His faithfulness -- for His creation

            -- to play on the Sabbath means that we enjoy all that He has provided -- that we accept His gift of creation and of life and that we take a day away from work and from the toil of everyday life and just spend time with our family and friends by enjoying God's creation together

            -- the Sabbath is meant to be a time when we cease from our labors and enjoy God's providence and His grace -- when we just relax and praise God for all that He has done for us -- when we allow God's grace to restore us and renew us and our relationship with Him

            -- the first step back to truly experiencing God’s presence in our lives and in our church again is to take a Sabbath -- to sit at His feet and listen to His teaching -- to just be in the His presence without doing -- to worship from the heart and not just with our hands

            -- this week, I want to challenge you to take a Sabbath -- even a mini-Sabbath -- take time this week to just be with the Lord -- not studying the Bible where you’re trying to get everything out of Scripture -- but just reading His word to find Him there -- listening for His voice -- looking for His presence -- sitting at His feet

            -- even if it’s only ten minutes, try to seek Him in this way this week

            -- let us pray

If worship is just one thing we do, everything becomes mundane. If worship is the one thing we do, everything takes on eternal significance. —Timothy J. Christenson

1 http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/back-to-the-heart-of-worship