Mary & Martha

Mary and Martha

Preoccupied

This morning we are going to continue our series “Dark Horses”

So far we’ve talked about Deborah and Barak.

And then we talked about Elijah.

This morning I want to talk about two women who were very close to Jesus.

Mary and Martha

Many of us know about their brother Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead.

But I want to start by asking the question, “have you ever been distracted?”

Like this week when my wife has asked me to fix our brake light on our van and I keep saying I will but then I get distracted because my kids start talking to me or I’m busy working on my message.

So the title of my message is “Preoccupied”.

We’re going to look at what preoccupies us from spending time with Jesus.

So Jesus just got done preaching and is traveling to a village and this is what happens.

“ 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 few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

So let’s assess what’s going on here

Martha invites Jesus and his disciples to come over for dinner.

So naturally she has to get things ready. (clean the house, cook the food, etc.)

She’s in there busting her butt and walks by the living room and sees her sister just sitting there talking to Jesus.

It’s like a wife cleaning the house for company and the husband is sitting watching ESPN.

So naturally Martha is ticked

She’s doing all the work.

So she pleads with Jesus over what’s happening.

And Jesus basically just says, “Martha, you’re distracted by many things, but Mary’s got it right. She’s right where she’s supposed to be.”

So this morning I want to talk about what’s distracting you from sitting at the feet of Jesus?

Now think about what Martha is doing.

It said, “ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.”

Martha is busy preparing for her guests

IS THAT A BAD THING?

It’s not like she’s getting wasted in the kitchen

No, she’s doing something good.

She’s trying to make this the best party it can be for Jesus.

What that tells me is that even “good” things can distract or pull us away from spending time with Jesus.

It’s not just sin.

Because good things can become bad when we put them above God.

Because we’ve all said or have heard someone say, “I want to spend time with God, but I just don’t have any time.”

The problem isn’t your time, it’s your priorities!

So I want to talk about some things that may be distracting you from Jesus.

Technology

This is an easy one because technology today has CONSUMED us.

We live in a day where babies are coming out of the womb with an iPhone in their hand.

It’s not that technology is bad, it’s actually that it’s so good and enjoyable that we get lost using it for hours and can’t spend 10 minutes with God.

How many of you have been sucked into binge watching a Netflix show.

I remember when Kate and I got hooked watching Lost.

Or we sit there for hours watching different YouTube videos.

You know how many times I’ve gotten on YouTube to do research for a message and I get sucked into some random video of funny pranks?

It’s so easy to get consumed by technology.

Maybe we need to set some time aside where we put our phones down and turn our TV’s off and just sit at the feet of Jesus.

The list can go on with social media, watching sports, video games, etc.

These things aren’t bad in themselves.

It’s just we get so lost in them that we don’t spend anytime with God.

Relationships

Sometimes the people closest to us that God blessed us with can distract us from God.

Maybe you’re dating someone and you just can’t stop thinking about them and you try to spend every waking moment together.

All of a sudden your relationship with God has been put on the back burner.

The best thing you can do if you’re in a dating relationship is start NOW by putting God first in your relationship.

Spend time in the Word TOGETHER.

Our kids can distract us from God

How many parents feel like their whole life is just going to their kids sporting events?

Practice every night and tournaments every weekend.

Next thing you know you haven’t been to church in months or cracked open your Bible.

Again, there is nothing wrong with your kids being in sports.

But if it is consuming your life so much that your relationship with God is suffering maybe we need to adjust some things?

Because as a believer the NUMBER 1 priority in your life SHOULD be your relationship with God, then your spouse, THEN your children.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Then it’s your spouse

“ Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.”

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Then it’s your children

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Many marriages have ended in divorce because they put their kids over their marriage.

Your kids are only going to be living at home for 18-20 years.

Then they’re gone and it’s back to just the two of you.

And for many couples their kids have distracted them from dealing with their problems in their marriage and when their kids are gone and have to face them it’s too late.

We are to love our families.

They should be put ahead of EVERYTHING else in this world.

I’ve said the moment ministry gets put ahead of my family I’m done!

BUT NOT GOD

Take this time off with your kids and spend some quality time together.

Maybe spend some time with the Lord together as well.

But God has to take priority.

Ministry

This may seem a little odd.

But I can assure you that this is a real thing.

This is one that can be a struggle for me.

Maybe you aren’t in full-time ministry but you are heavily involved in serving in the church or with a different ministry.

You wake up every day and just can’t wait to serve for the Lord.

THAT’S AWESOME!

The problem is that we can get so caught up in working FOR the Lord that we don’t actually spend time WITH the Lord.

I know for me I heard a Pastor say a long time ago that it’s so important that your time with the Lord isn’t just when you are sermon prepping.

It’s so easy as a preacher to just spend time with God researching scripture and trying to figure out what your next message is going to be instead of just studying and reading the Word for your own personal good.

It’s so important that I read books and just open up my Bible randomly and just say, “God speak to me in a personal way. Not just for a sermon but for me.”

Some of you help lead ministries or volunteer and places like Lean on Me or City Impact.

That’s amazing.

God might be saying, “I love your heart and desire to serve FOR me, but I need you to do something even more important, and that’s take time to just sit at my feet and listen.”

Spending time with God is going to give you the fuel to keep going.

I could list 100 things that can distract us from God.

We live in the busiest time this world has ever seen.

With more things to distract us than ever before.

Martin Luther was quoted to say, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

I’m not saying you have to spend 3 hours in prayer, but I love the point he’s trying to get acrossed.

That BECAUSE we have so much going on in our lives, we NEED to spend quality time with God so He can help us through it.

If we don’t spend time with God it WILL affect us.

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

It’s like Martha is saying, “See Jesus look at me! Look at what I’m doing. Aren’t you disturbed that Mary isn’t doing what I’m doing?”

Our attention and focus is now on ourselves

We start to worry more about what other people think about us than what God thinks

NLT “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

We make decisions based on what other people want us to do.

We’re so worried about how people view us and how we look.

We spend an hour to get ready just to go outside and get the mail because our neighbor might see us but we can’t spend 10 minutes with God.

When you don’t spend time with God it’s easy for FEAR to take over.

Many people watching right now are afraid of what’s happening with the Corona Virus.

We’re spending all our time watching the news and getting the latest updates on how bad it’s getting out there that fear is taking over.

But when we spend time with God He reminds us of who He is and who He created us to be.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Spending time with God will allow Him to speak to you and give you the peace you are searching for.

A friend of mine sent me a video a couple months ago that talked about a study that came out and showed the difference it makes the more time we spend in the scriptures with God.

It talked about how people who are in the scriptures 1-3 times a week it didn’t have much of an effect on their life.

But when people spent at least 4 days a week in scripture the effects spiked dramatically.

Feeling lonely drops 30%

Anger issues drop 32%

Bitterness in your relationships drop 40%

Alcoholism drops 57%

Feeling Spiritually Stagnant drops 60%

Viewing Pornography drops 61%

Sharing your faith jumps 200%

Discipling others jumps 230%

The more time you sit at the feet of Jesus the more you are going hear His voice and take on His nature.

This is a RELATIONSHIP!

What Do You Need To Do To Spend More Time With Jesus?

What changes do you need to make so you can spend time with God?

Are you a Mary or a Martha?

Is your life marked by distraction or devotion?

Church this message is not to make you feel guilty for doing the things you do.

Like I said, many of these things are GOOD.

The point is to make sure you are seeking the kingdom of God first!

That you are taking the time to sit at the feet of Jesus.

Because we NEED Him for us to get through the business of life.

To give us the strength to do what He’s called us to do.

Altar Call