Being A Mary In A Martha World

INTRODUCTION

OPENING STORY: SEVERAL YEARS AGO HARRY CHAPIN WROTE A SONG CALLED CATS IN THE CRADLE. IT’S A BEAUTIFULLY DISTURBING SONG, AS HE TALKS ABOUT A DAD WHOSE SO BUSY THAT HE MISSES OUT ON THE MAJOR MOMENTS OF HIS SON’S LIFE. IN ONE VERSE HE SAYS: My son turned ten just the other day He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today I got a lot to do", he said, "That's okay" And he walked away but his smile never dimmed And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah You know I'm gonna be like him"

THIS FATHER SHOWS US A FUNDAMENTAL TRAGEDY SO MANY OF US MAKE- AND THAT IS WE GET CAUGHT UP ON DOING THAT WE MISS OUT ON BEING. THIS IS EXACTLY THE POINT IN OUR PASSAGE THIS MORNING- MARTHA IS IN THE KITCHEN CAUGHT UP IN DOING FOR JESUS WHILE HER SISTER IS IN THE LIVING ROOM BEING WITH JESUS. AND JESUS SHOWS HER THAT MARY IS RIGHT WHERE SHE NEEDS TO BE.

WHY SHOULD I LISTEN: WE LIVE IN A MARTHA WORLD- A SOCIETY THAT VALUES DOING OVER BEING. NOWHERE ELSE IS THIS MORE TRUE THAN IN SILICON VALLEY. IN 2017 A NYT ARTICLE CAME OUT CALLED, “IN SILICON VALLEY, WORKING 9-5 IS FOR LOSERS” (8/31/17):

Gary Vee, an entrepreneur and angel investor who has 1.5 million Twitter followers and a string of best-selling books with titles like “Crush It!,” tells his acolytes they should be working 18 hours a day. Every day. No vacations, no going on dates, no watching TV. “If you want bling bling, if you want to buy the jets?” he asks in one of his motivational speeches. “Work. That’s how you get it.”

Gary Vee, an entrepreneur and angel investor who has 1.5 million Twitter followers and a string of best-selling books with titles like “Crush It!,” tells his acolytes they should be working 18 hours a day. Every day. No vacations, no going on dates, no watching TV. “If you want bling bling, if you want to buy the jets?” he asks in one of his motivational speeches. “Work. That’s how you get it.”

Mr. Vaynerchuk is also a judge on Apple’s “Planet of the Apps,” a reality show where app developers compete to win funding from a venture capital firm. A recent promo depicted a contestant alongside this quotation: “I rarely get to see my kids. That’s a risk you have to take.”

A venture capitalist named Keith Rabois recently boasted on Twitter that he worked for 18 years while taking less than one week of vacation.

THE MARTHA/BUSY TEST:

A venture capitalist named Keith Rabois recently boasted on Twitter that he worked for 18 years while taking less than one week of vacation.

DO YOU CHECK WORK EMAILS AND PHONE MESSAGES AT HOME?

HAS ANYONE EVER SAID TO YOU, ‘I DIDN’T WANT TO TROUBLE YOU BECAUSE I KNOW HOW BUSY YOU ARE?’”

DO YOUR FAMILY OIR FRIENDS COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT GETTING TIME WITH YOU?

IF TOMORROW EVENING WERE UNEXPECTEDLY FREED UP, WOULD YOU USE IT TO DO WORK OR A HOUSEHOLD CHORE?

DO YOU OFTEN EXCEED THE SPEED LIMIT WHILE DRIVING?

DO YOU HAVE A HOBBY IN WHICH YOU ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED?

DO YOU EAT TOGETHER AS A FAMILY OR HOUSEHOLD AT LEAST ONCE A DAY?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO TWO OR MORE OF THESE YOU’RE PROBABLY A MARTHA. FROM CRAZY BUSY BY KEVIN DEYOUNG. MARTHA RUNS DEEP IN US.

WE NEED MARTHA-

EXPLANATION: TELL THE STORY. HOW CLOSE JESUS IS WITH THESE TWO SISTERS. WEPT OVER THE DEATH OF THEIR BROTHER BETHANY. THEY SHARED THEIR HEARTS WITH JESUS. MARTHA IS OLDER, AND SOME BELIEVE SHE’S EVEN A WIDOW. AN EXTRAVERT. SHE WELCOMES HIM. HOSPITALITY. EXCITED, AND SHE’S GETTING AFTER IT. VERSE 40. BUT LET’S NOT THROW SHADE ON HER, WE NEED MARTHA’S. WE NEED PEOPLE WHO WILL GET IT DONE.

THEOLOGY OF WORK: LET’S NOT BE HARD ON MARTHA, WORK MATTERS. THE BIBLE OPENS UP WITH GOD WORKING FOR SIX DAYS CREATING THE SUN, MOON, NIAGARA FALLS. HE WORKS SO HARD HE RESTS ON THE SEVENTH DAY. WHEN HE CREATES ADAM HE CREATES HIM TO BE A GARDENER AND COMMISSIONS HIM TO CULTIVATE THE GARDEN…THAT’S RIGHT, BEFORE THE FALL. AND WHEN JESUS COMES TO EARTH WHAT DOES HE DO FOR A LIVING? HE’S A CARPENTER. IN HOLMAN HUNT’S PAINTING SHADOW OF THE CROSS WE SEE A TIRED JESUS WORKING AS A CARPENTER. SO WORK IS GOOD.

THINK ABOUT YOUR DAY TODAY AND IF YOU LOOK HARD YOU’LL SEE A WHOLE BUNCH OF MARTHA’S: BREAKFAST- MILK, COWS MILKED BY MARTHA (SORRY, I’M IN CALIFORNIA, SOMEONE MILKED THE ALMONDS), THE COFFEE YOU GOT WAS SERVED TO YOU BY A MARTHA, THE LIGHTS AT YOUR JOB TURNED ON BY A MARTHA...

ILLUSTRATION/APPLICATION: FATHER OF SIX KIDS WHO WOKE UP EVERY MORNING AROUND 5A.M. TO GO TO WORK WITH NO ALARM CLOCK. HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? RESPONSIBILITY WOKE ME UP. HELICOPTER PARENTS WHO HAVE TO BE AT EVERYTHING. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR KIDS IS JUST THE MODEL OF HARD WORK. MY KIDS WERE DISAPPOINTED AND TRIED TO GUILT ME. I GOTTA WORK. HERE’S HOW WE PAID YOUR ATHLETIC FEES AND CLEATS.

WORD TO THE CHURCH AT ALCF: I WANT YOU TO THINK OF YOUR MORNING SO FAR. THIS AUDITORIUM IS CLEAN BECAUSE OF MARTHA’S. THE HEAT IS TURNED ON COMFORTABLY BECAUSE OF MARTHA’S. THE PRAISE TEAM AND BAND, MARTHA’S. THIS CHURCH ACTUALLY NEEDS MORE MARTHA’S. ILLUSTRATION OF A FOOTBALL GAME, WHERE 60K PEOPLE ARE WATCHING 22 MARTHA’S GO AT IT SWEATING WHILE WE ARE DRINKING, EATING AND LAUGHING. THAT’S HOW MOST CHURCHES ARE. WE NEED MARTHA! HOP IN A GROWTH GROUP, SK VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, ETC...

DOING GOOD FOR JESUS WITHOUT JESUS-

EXPLANATION: HERE’S MARTHA WORKING HARD…PAINT THE PICTURE…BUT THE TEXT SAYS SHE WAS DISTRACTED WITH MUCH SERVING. THE WORD DISTRACTED MEANS TO DRAW AROUND IN A CIRCLE. SHE’S GOING FROM PLACE TO PLACE, JUST RUNNING AROUND HERE AND THERE. A PICTURE OF PROFOUND BUSY NESS. EVER BEEN THERE. WE ARE THERE WITH OUR KIDS RIGHT NOW…WE NEED YOU TO DRIVE! TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE HER SISTER IS CHILLING WHILE SHE’S GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES. MARY IS AT THE FEET OF JESUS BEING WHILE MARTHA IS IN THE KITCHEN DOING. SHE TELLS JESUS TO TELL HER SISTER TO GET BACK THERE, AND JESUS SAYS NO. THAT MARY HAD ACTUALLY MADE THE BETTER DECISION. WHAT THIS REVEALS IS THAT IT’S POSSIBLE TO DO THINGS FOR JESUS WITHOUT JESUS.

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ANALOGY OF KORIE AND I FIRST LOVE. I WAS AN INTROVERT WHO FELL IN LOVE AND TURNED INTO AN EXTROVERT. NO YOU HANG UP…KCI AND JO JO. BUT MARRIAGE HAS A WAY OF DRIFT…WHERE WE LOSE FIRST LOVE.

JOHN PIPER DIGS THIS OUT IN HIS BOOK, BROTHERS WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS. IT HIT ME HARD, BECAUSE IT UNVEILS AN UGLY TRUTH- I CAN GET UP AND PREACH WITHOUT HAVING REALLY SAT AT THE FEET OF JESUS. I CAN HUSBAND WITHOUT BEING WITH JESUS. YOU CAN SING ON THE PRAISE TEAM, SERVE IN KIDS MINISTRY, PASTOR PEOPLE WITHOUT JESUS. MARTHA SHOWS US THE HORRIBLE TRUTH TO NEVER CONFUSE SERVING JESUS WITH BEING WITH JESUS.

HOW DO I KNOW? TWO INDICATOR LIGHTS IN THIS TEXT: 1. PRIDE; 2. COMPETITION.

PRIDE. LOOK AT THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS IN VERSE 40- ME. ME. ME. SHE CAN’T GET PAST HERSELF. HER SERVING ISN’T FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS- BUT FOR HERSELF.

ILLUSTRATION OF LITTLE BOY WHO CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL AND GAVE HIS MOTHER A CARD HE PUT TOGETHER WITH A PICTURE HE DREW, AND A SWEET NOTE TELLING HER HOW MUCH HE LOVES HER. MOTHER GIVES HIM A KISS AND TWENTY DOLLARS. HIS LITTLE BROTHER SEES THIS AND GOES INTO THE ROOM THEN COMES OUT WITH A CARD. I JUST DREW THIS FOR YOU AND WROTE THIS. MOTHER JUST GIVES HIM A KISS. SONS LIKE UH WHERE’S MY $20…MAMA SAID SHE DIDN’T HAVE IT. HE STARTED TO CRY…HE DIDN’T DO THE CARD FOR HER, BUT FOR HIMSELF. SADLY THAT’S MANY OF US.

2. COMPARISON. SIBLING RIVALRY HERE. JEALOUSY HERE. ONE OF THE WAYS YOU KNOW YOU’RE NOT DOING IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS IS IT KILLS YOU WHEN OTHERS GET RECOGNIZED FOR SOMETHING AND YOU’RE NOT BEING RECOGNIZED. I SEE THIS WITH MYSELF IN PREACHING- WELL WHY DIDN’T I…. PAUL CAN REJOICE BECAUSE HE KNOWS GOD IS BEING GLORIFIED. HE’S IN IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.

YOU CAN BE MARTHA AND MARY-

EXPLANATION: JESUS TELLS HER MARY HAS CHOSEN THE GOOD PORTION. WHAT IS THE GOOD PORTION- . IT’S JESUS! “THE DISCIPLE WHO CHOOSES TO SIT AT THE FEET OF JESUS NEVER MISSES A MEAL”. BUT I DON’T THINK THIS IS TO PIT THE TWO AGAINST EACH OTHER. ALL OF US NEED TO BOTH BE AND DO.

BROTHER LAWRENCE: WROTE A STUNNING BOOK, THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN WHICH HE SHOWS US IT’S POSSIBLE TO BE BOTH MARY AND MARTHA AT THE SAME TIME IN REDEMPTIVE WAYS- “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen…I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament”- Brother Lawrence.

SPONGE ILLUSTRATION: SPONGES ARE GIVEN TO US TO DO THINGS LIKE CLEAN. BUT SPONGES WORK AT MAXIMUM CAPACITY WHEN THEY FIRST SIT AND SOAK…WHEN THEY BE…IN THE WATER, AND THEN GET FILLED WITH THAT WATER, SQUEEZED OUT, AND THEN DO. IN OTHER WORDS SPONGES WORK BEST WHEN THEY ARE FIRST MARY AND THEN MARTHA.

APPLICATION: OUR CULTURE HERE IN THE BAY IS FORMING YOU TO BE SOLELY A MARTHA. AND IT WILL KILL YOU! TELL PASTOR SHAZIER STORY AND HOW IT DEVASTATED ME. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? IT’S WHEN YOU BECOME ALL MARTHA AND NO MARY. YOUR SOUL DIES. I’M NOT BEYOND THIS. MY TIME/YOUR TIME WITH THE LORD IS EVERYTHING. SENSED GOD CALLING ME INTO AN HOUR TO MEET WITH HIM DAILY.