Sermon Tone Analysis

May 10, 2005

Ron Lynn – DMIN Candidate

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

\\ Title: Take Time for Jesus

\\ Introduction:

\\ Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem for the last time together.

The disciples had just heard the parable of the Good Samaritan and now have come to the village of Bethany and the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

\\ After the normal customs of the day have been taken care of the disciples and Mary sit around Jesus to listen to Him.

Martha is off taking care of preparing a meal for them.

\\ (It is here in this peaceful setting that Jesus teaches Martha, you, and I one of the more important truths in all of the scriptures.)

Scripture Reading: 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./”

Message:

\\ There have been many times in my life when I wanted to please God, but other responsibilities have taken up my time.

I have found myself so over committed with the daily tasks of being a good father, pastor, husband, community volunteer, basketball player, and neighbor, not necessary in that order, where I get to the point by the end of the day that I fine myself so tired out I just want to lay down, go to sleep, and get ready for the next day.

Perhaps some of you find that you are in this same routine.

We just don’t seem to have enough time in a day to do all the things we want and need to accomplish.

Many times when we are in this flow of life we forget some of the things that are the most important to us.

\\ I remember the story of the man who finally was able to get a date with the girl of his dreams.

This man had been trying to date this woman who I will call Lisa, for more than three years when she finally agreed to a date.

When the day finally arrived, the man who I will call Bob, had scurried around the entire day to make sure everything would be in place for the perfect date.

After all, this might be his only chance to impress Lisa in this manner.

So Bob stopped at nothing.

There was to be picking up Lisa in the Limo, the drive around the better parts of town, a lunch at one of the better establishments, a play, and a ride in boats own boat, a thirty-five (35) foot yatah where Bob Would prepare a meal himself for Lisa in the boat’s galley.

As the date went on everything seemed to be falling into place for Bob and Lisa seemed to be really enjoying herself.

At the end of the meal on the yatch, Bob went to start the boats twin engines and they just kept sputtering and not starting.

Bob smiled at Lisa and then looked down at fuel gage, the tanks were empty as in the midst of all the planning and running around, Bob had forgotten to stop and get gas for the boat.

No more need to tell how this story ended.

\\ In our scripture lesson today, Martha finds herself in a similar place as Bob was in.

She is busy trying to get everything in place so that she can please Jesus and the disciples.

But, just as Bob, everything is not going well for Martha.

Martha has forgotten how much effort and work is required to make such a meal.

\\ It is at this time she approaches Jesus and asks for His help.

I’ve always wondered why Martha just didn’t approach Mary and try to get her to help.

But, in this account Martha asks for Jesus help to get Mary to help her.

\\ Jesus answers her with the truth He wants her to hear.

Let me read the scripture to you again.

Jesus says, “/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/.”

\\ What do you think Jesus is saying here?

\\ I have read many commentators explain this as if Jesus is scoaging Martha, but I rather believe that Jesus is explaining to Martha one of the fundamental truths in the scriptures in a loving and caring way.

He’s putting His arm on her shoulder and calmly telling her that sitting at his feet and listening to him is far more important than what she doing.

Some of you still might be wondering what is Jesus saying here?

Is He telling Martha and us that it is more important to sit and listen Him than to do service for Him?

That doing the Lord’s work is not important?

I think not, we all know realize that doing the Lord’s work is an important.

(There may be times when we find ourselves feeling the same way as Martha does in this story.

Let’s find out how Jesus helped Martha.)

What Jesus is saying is that communing with Him and listening to His Words are more valuable to her than the household items.

\\ I remember the time that I was out of work and was living in a city where the unemployment rate was around twenty-eight (28) per cent.

Yes, this was in a recession time.

In other words there just were no jobs to find.

I had tried everything to find a new job.

I read the newspaper adds each day, called the professional recruiters, asked friends and relatives, and bought the employment times in an effort to get a lead.

I had no success and I was beginning to get depressed.

Then one day someone told of a company that was looking for an Electrical Engineer to hire for a project locally.

I got really excited, as there would be no travel involved so I called and got an interview with the company’s projects manager.

He explained to me that there had been three other engineers that had to solve one of their clients, problems and had had no success.

As you probably could tell this wasn’t good news for me.

He asked me if I wanted to give a try?

And desperately needing job, I said, “Yes, I’ll do it.”

As I approach the gates of the company I was to work for, I began to get nervous and by the time the engineering manager took the time to see me I was almost shaking and in a cold sweat.

He told me that the others before me thought that with the equipment this company had, that there was no other solution to their problem other than scrapping their equipment and purchasing all new stuff.

This isn’t what this company wanted to do.

I told him I would do my best and assure him that I believe there was way out of it without having to buy new equipment.

I had been working twelve (12) to fourteen (14) hour days for about a week when it came to me that I was getting no where just as the others before.

For the last week I had been thinking of nothing else except this job and it’s troubles.

Here I was, believing that there was no answer.

Never had I taken time to be with the Lord during this week.

It was then that I gave up and went outside the plant and sat on one of the company employee pick nick tables.

At first I was angry at you know who for not helping here, then I was sad.

And in my tears I looked up to the heavens and realize that I had not even taken the time to ask God for His help.

Not even prayed during the day or at night because I so wanted to get this done and I was just too tired at night to pray.

It was then that I communed with God and asked for His help.

After some time, I don’t know exactly how long I got up from that table and went back into that plant and to make a long story short, I solved the problem!

God in His mercy had poured His grace out on me and He helped me.

I have never forget this lesson and truth, that I need to take the time, get my priorities straight, so that I have some time each day to be with the Lord and listen to His words.

(Isn’t it great that we have a Savior that wants to be there for us who we can commune with and get guidance from?)

\\ Conclusion:

\\ All of us remember the 911 incidents.

It was a day that changed the way most people in this country thought about their safety.

\\ Do you remember that airplane that missed it’s intended target and crashed in a field outside of Pittsburgh?

It was the plane a fellow named Todd Beemer was on.

Todd and his family were Christians, but were caught up as many us are in the busy world we live in.

The story of why Todd was on that particular plane is not important here.

The point I’m trying to get across is not that Todd and some fellow passengers prayed and over power the hijackers to save perhaps our countries capital.

The point I want to make is on that day, the day Todd went to airport, he was so busy running around and getting everything ready, that he forgot to kiss his good-by before he left for the airport.

Todd forgot one of the most important things in his life, his wife, for a job.

He never got to see her again.

\\ You see, we can so busy with our lives that we can easily forget what is really important.

It isn’t that our jobs and what we do isn’t important, that’s not the point, it is that we too often forget to take that minute or two and spend with our Lord.

\\ Some of you “Right Now!” may be wondering how you are going to find any extra time during your day?

\\ There use to be days when I would wait in my car at a fast food restaurant a Dunkin Donuts drive through line and just grit my teeth at how slow the service was.

Then one day I came to realize the five minutes I was waiting in my car to be served could be a time for Jesus and I to be alone.

\\ Some days I work out of town and it takes me approximately forty-five (45) minutes to get there.