09.13.2020 - Learning in the Family of God

Scriptures:

Matthew 12:46–50 NLT

As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.” Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

Luke 10:38–42 NLT

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Summary

We become the family of God when we learn and do His will together.

Some people are just a little closer to Jesus than others.

Some talk more like him

Some act more like him

Some people sing in ways that make us think of Jesus.

One thing that I have noticed is that people who are aware that they have a shorter lifespan live more like Jesus.

I don’t mean they are necessarily nicer people.

I mean they use every day they have with more purpose.

If you could go back in time, but only had 33 years to live, what would you do differently?

Most of us would make choices (to keep or change) regarding our relationships

Many of those would involve family, because we spend so much time with family.

Yours might include church family as well, because, for some of you, that is a large number of your relationships.

Jesus had a whole world full of people, but He was very intentional about who He spent His time with and what He did with them.

How did he decide how to spend his 33 years?

He told us how!

John 5:19–20 NLT

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.

Jesus lived His life based on knowing and doing God’s will.

How can we do that?

We have to learn from Jesus

That might seem like a really obvious answer.

It wasn’t for those closest to Jesus.

Matthew 12:46–50 NLT

As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.” Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

Context: Between Jonah and the Ripe Harvest

Both of those messages that not everyone is able to receive the teaching of God the same way.

The Gospel message is not a simplistic idea like 2+2=4

It is a profound idea that has life-changing implications — like finding out you were adopted. It changes how you view your past, your present, and the choices you make in your future.

Some people choose to ignore the teachings of Jesus or refuse to put them into action in their lives.

Actually, most of us do that with some of His teachings, which is often why we get spiritually stuck in life.

Swallowing pride and being willing to learn

I cannot imagine the brothers of Jesus treating Him as their teacher.

I really cannot imagine Mary, His mother, doing that either.

What do you think it took James, the younger brother of Jesus, to soak up enough of His teaching to write one of the most powerful letters of the New Testament?

Swallowing a lot of pride and recognizing that the family into which you are born is not the family into which you are REBORN.

Not just getting close

Mary and the half-brothers of Jesus had been close to Jesus, but they did not stay close

They were not trying to learn from Him

If anything, in this passage, and the few other times they are written about in the gospels, they are trying to manage Him.

They exemplify the attitude of: Jesus come and bless this mess.

Instead of asking Jesus to come and guide their lives.

Jesus calls them out

In this passage, Jesus calls them out on that attitude.

He is focused on learning and doing the will of God.

Even His own mother does not get to interrupt that.

He points out that the true family of God is not just that know about God, or even know God...

It is those who know and DO God’s will.

As GI Joe says, knowing is just half the battle.

We have to STAY close to Jesus to learn from Him

Here is another passage about a gathering of people and a question of who is really considered family.

Luke 10:38–42 NLT

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Many of you know this passage well.

In a small sense, this is a passage about complaining.

I have done a LOT of complaining this year.

I have to regularly disconnect from facebook to break away from the fire hydrant of complaints that that can quickly become.

I have to diligently keep from getting sucked in and adding to those complaints myself.

We complain the most when we think something is being taken away from us

As a church of doers, we really get frustrated when the things we want to DO get taken away from us.

Martha wanted to put on a great meal for Jesus and the disciples. That was her contribution and it fit perfectly with that culture and with her role as head female of that household.

She knew she needed help doing that though, and her sister Mary was not there to make it the best meal ever.

We don’t know if Jesus ended up eating that meal or not. It wasn’t important enough for the gospel writers to add in.

They added in the fact that Mary, contrary to culture, was sitting in and learning right along with the guys.

And Jesus praised her for that.

Why?

God back to what Jesus calls the family of God

Those who know and do the will of God

Martha did not know what Jesus wanted her to do.

She only knew what she wanted to do for God.

It was assumed that if they guys came over, there should be food.

The best ministry I have done has not involved food or music

Conversations I used to have in the hospital that changed people’s view of me, God, and the church

Talking with people who were lonely

Learning from others and witnessing to them with humility

Praying with others before school

Just listening to others to hear where Jesus was working in their lives.

CTA

We become the family of God when we learn and do his will together.

Who holds you close to Jesus and keeps you learning God’s will?

Who keeps you putting what you learn into action?

Who are you helping learn and do God’s will?