LUKE 10:38-42, OUR FOCUS

LUKE 10:38-42

OUR FOCUS....

Psalms 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”

INTRODUCTION

Earlier this week, I had expressed to my wife how dissatisfied I was with my devotional and meditation time. I was rushing and not truly focused on the word of God.

Why was I rushing? Because I chose to stay in the bed a few extra minutes so I was cutting my Christ time down and then rushing thru it so I could make sure and get my daughter to school on time.

Here’s the funny part, I still be rushing to get her to school on time.

Then God gives me this word for today. A lesson that surely has touched me and prayfully it will touch you. But if you have together, I understand.

We put our focus on the wrong things at time. That doesn’t mean that they are not important..... Let me explain, getting my daughter to school on time and safely is important but is it more important then focusing on Jesus.

Remember what you put before God can become your God. And we serve a jealous God.....TALK, PREACH

If we can learn how to focus on the main thing, everything else will fall into place....Jesus will help us......TALK, PREACH...

Our lives are out of order because we are out of order with Jesus.

This world is out of order because we are out of order with Jesus.

1 Corinthians 14:40 “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

Paul here lets us know there is a order for all things and it should be decent and in order. The order starts with Jesus first…TALK, PREACH...

There are so many distractions in this world today. All you have to do is turn on the news....distraction

All you have to do is go to work, distraction

Family gathering....distraction

Church…distraction...

Distractions everyone and they come in every possible form...

Let me call the roll.....cell phones, video games, gossip, work, finances, spouse, children, health, this heat....and the list goes on....

Distractions everywhere....

Something pops up and we take our focus off the main thing and the other thing becomes a bigger thing when we could have taken it to the main thing and watch it get handled....TALK,PREACH

Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”

keep your focus, your eye on Jesus.....

Once again its nothing wrong with the list of things I called off early, the whole point of it is too not let them get your head down and focus off of Jesus....

It’s just a matter of focus....You and I can lose sight of who we are and whose we are very easily. The good things in life—family, job, community service, even good works—can begin to choke out God’s life in us. As we make God and His presence in our lives our primary focus, we find He is the key to everything.

And as we get ready to jump into the text and look at Martha and Mary today, the one thing I want us all to walk away with today is this....their experience teaches that waiting and sitting at Jesus’ feet is much more important than running to and fro trying to work one’s way into God’s favor. The basic essential in life is to be sitting at jesus’ feet and hearing His word....(REPEAT)

Why is this so important? Paul told the Ephesian church over in chapter 2, that it is not by works that man can be saved…but by the word of God....

How do we get the word by sitting at the feet of Jesus.....

What does sitting at Jesus’ feet show....

To sit at the feet of Jesus implies readiness to accept and obey what Jesus teaches.

To sit at the feet of Jesus implies submission to Jesus; rebellion is done with.

To sit at the feet of Jesus implies faith in who Jesus is.

To sit at the feet of Jesus implies discipleship.

To sit at the feet of Jesus implies love

TALK, PREACH......

OUR FOCUS.....

BODY/POINTS

Mary and Martha

Martha and Mary, along with their brother Lazarus, were two dear friends of Jesus who lived in Bethany

If you have been around church any time in your life, you know the story of when Lazarus died.....TALK…TELL STORY...

Jesus stayed with them when He was in town. And he is again at their house and this is where our lesson begins....TELL STORY…V38-42....

And our story today shows a contrast between the sisters. Mary and Martha are often contrasted as though each believer must make a choice: be a worker like Martha or a worshiper like Mary.

What we see is Martha’s distraction and Mary’s desire.

Let’s walk....

Luke 10:40 “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.””

Martha did nothing wrong in working hard for Jesus — that was good. Her problem was that she became distracted with much serving. She was distracted from Jesus......

there is nothing wrong with working for Jesus…we just have to remember who we work for and why we work for him....TALK, PREACH

One thing about working for Jesus is that at times it becomes cumberson and tiresome and we wonder if it is worth it....but that’s where the word comes in to help to revive us....TALK,PREACH....

Even in the church when only a few work...There are many people who become crabby and irritable in their service for the Lord like Martha was. It is easy to look at all we do and to criticize those who don’t seem to do as much.....TALK, PREACH...

Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Chapter 10)

she was so preoccupied with work and her own “burdens” that she ignored her guest and was rude to her sister. She was “anxious and troubled” as she tried to serve the Lord, and yet she was missing the greatest and the most lasting blessing.

look what it causes her to do....she disrupts his teaching....(b clause of v40)

Luke D. Dedication in Daily Decisions: Choosing Your Master (10:38–41)

Martha went straight to Jesus for authority to force her sister to work

However Jesus checks her....look at v41...

In biblical times, When you hear your name spoken twice, take double heed!…you better listen up

when I was growing mama would call your full name, that means you better listen up.....

Jesus tells her, v41 thou art careful and troubled about many things

Theologian Jon Courson says, if you know guests are coming to your house, do you find yourself busy, busy, busy—only to be exhausted when they arrive? People don’t care whether your windows are spotless or your floors waxed. What they care about is substance, peace, love. And those qualities can’t be nurtured if we’re spending all of our time frantically making sure there are no leaves on our lawn.

Martha distraction was her trying to work to hard for Jesus..

what is your distraction? TALK, PREACH...

Next we see Mary’s desire....v42

She just wanted to listen to Jesus and was doing it at his feet.

Mary’s good part was her simple devotion to Jesus, loving Him by listening to His word. This was Mary’s chosen focus

And Jesus was not going to take that away from her.

Mary was living as the scripture says over in Deut 8:3 “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

I said earlier about my devotional life but we see Mary getting her devotional on. Seeking to hear His word is to be a daily experience. A time to focus on Jesus and the word.

Because His word will stir up a revival in you..

People say we need revival; we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.

People say we need unity; we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.

People say we need to win arguments; we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.

People say we need to reach the world; we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.

The way to get the revival is to begin at the Master’s feet; you must go there with Mary and afterwards you may work with Martha.” (Spurgeon)

Our Focus should be on the Lord. On His everlasting word.

His word will help you get the work done and so the word must be first.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 10

What we do with Christ is infinitely more important than what we do for Him

Church stayed focused on the Lord...

His eye is on the sparrow and your eye should on Him.

What are you looking for? I am glad you asked....TALK, PREACH, CLOSE.....