Making God work

The title of today’s sermon is “Making God work.”

I don’t need to go into the nitty gritty of what Society is going through nowadays. Newly elected president, riots, and apparently trying to buy Gamestop shares. Even if you don’t know all those things, the world needs help. Surely we’re not dealing with the same things that our ancestors had to do deal with back during Biblical times. But to quote Lamentations “there is nothing new under the sun.” There are a lot of people out there who believe God left this world a long time ago, and that we are by ourselves. In the Christian realm, we surely don’t believe that. Instead we have a tendency to want God to work more. Hence, the title of the sermon. Christians who have the thorns in their side, Christians who want God to work harder and work sooner. Every Wednesday night we come together to pray for one another. To hear each other’s burdens. I hope we do that with the earnest expectation for God to answer that prayer. We pray for physicality, we pray for mental health, we pray for finances and evangelism. But why do we pray for all of that? Why do we want someone to get better? Why do we want someone to have more money? For God to provide? I hope, that we pray for all these things because there is something more then all of that. It all contributes to the spiritual. And that’s what we’re talking about today, priorities.

This is the question that I want all of us to answer and it’s simply, “what, where are your priorities?” Is it schoolwork? To get the highest GPA that you can? Maybe your like me, maybe your priorities are to have the most fun and relaxation. Or maybe your priorities is work and family. Now I’m not saying all those things bad. And as we go through today’s passage I want you to think on that question “what, where are your priorities?” Let’s get started.

Tonight we’ll be looking in Luke 10:38-42 and as your heading there I’ll give you some background surrounding this passage. Jesus and the Pharisees were going at it again with the Pharisees trying to trip up Jesus with hard questions and Jesus responding with the parable of the good neighbor. We’re not looking at the parable but instead what happens after. Jesus heads to Bethany which is east of Jerusalem where He would spend His final week on earth. Let’s read the passage, starting in verse 38.

It’s a very simple passage but it has a very profound meaning. We have Jesus, Martha, and Mary. Now, Martha is an interesting individual, it says she received him into her house. You’d think that receiving Jesus as your guest would garner more attention then she gave him. She was more concerned in preparing His meal rather then listening to Him. It was actually her sister Mary that gave Jesus her full attention. Martha, being more concerned with chores tells, Jesus basically do not care that my sister is doing nothing while I’m doing everything? The way Jesus responds is very much how a parent would respond to an anxious child. The use of saying the name twice conveys a loving rebuke. (Martha, Martha). I underlined and starred that phrase “thou art careful.” In the NASB it says “you are worried.” In the ESV it says “you are anxious.” In Greek it’s “μεριμνάω” meaning to be anxious. It carries the idea that one is constantly thinking about it. To be cumbered, to not necessarily exhaust yourself but to be bothered by it. We know the meaning of the rest of the text. One thing is needful, Mary hath chosen the good part, which will not be taken from her.

This is a lesson of the spiritual over the physical, obviously. This is something that is easily grasped and taught in many sermons and lectures but it’s a whole different thing to put it into practice. The lesson isn’t be more like Mary and don’t be like Martha that’s not the lesson. I believe a church full of Mary’s can just be as unspiritual as a church full of Martha’s. What we’re looking at here is priorities.

What was Martha’s priorities? To do chores and prepare the meal for Jesus. Nothing wrong with that, except, she didn’t hear what Jesus had to say. Mary, who was undistracted by the business of it all, heard Jesus speak.

Martha wanted Jesus to do something. “Bid therefore that she help me.” Sometimes in the Christian we want God to work in a particular way. Now I’ve never said this out loud or even prayed it because it’s not the best outlook to have about God. To say, “God, do this for me.” Won’t you do this? Don’t you care what I’m going through? We have a tendency to make God work. Or try at least. The key here is anxiety. Now you know why I asked that question of “where are your priorities.” Because those are the things that will give you the most anxiety. I don’t think we’re fully understanding what anxiety is. Let me give you some quick illustrations these may be a little over exaggerated but I’ve definitely felt these a couple times:

It can manifest physically - Like a knife stabbing you in the chest with each breath you take

It can manifest into self-judgement - Like a rain cloud of negative speak following your every move

It can manifest into a whole new person - Like an imposter hijacked your normal self

It can manifest into intense thought - Like an explosion in your brain, sending your thoughts spiraling out of control

The Bible does say that Martha had anxiety, what is to this extreme? Probably not but it does say she was cumbered by it. Like she was carrying around baggage. Jesus’ response is really, really important in these type of situations. Having a nice calming presence. Martha, Martha, it’s like Jesus is trying to calm her mind. I wonder how calming of a presence Jesus had. To look in His eyes and to hear Him speak your name.

We do have His spirit, and we do have His word. That’s how God speaks to us. The Bible has this amazing ability to not only calm the mind, but to calm the spirit. Some of us want God to work sooner, to work harder. In Martha’s case she’s even trying to make Jesus care. I hope you have someone in your life that has that calming presence. They may not Jesus, but hopefully someone who cares.

I love this church, it’s nice, being able to come here and to forget life’s worries for a little bit and to focus on God. I want to close with a small snippet from a pamphlet I read awhile back. It’s called the “The Tyranny of Urgent.”

The important task rarely must be done today, or even this week...But the urgent task calls for instant action...The momentary appeal of these tasks seems irresistible and important, and they devour our energy. But in the light of time's perspective, their deceptive prominence fades; with a sense of loss we recall the vital tasks we pushed aside. We realize we've become slaves to the tyranny of the urgent. This kingdom is not just a spiritual realm high above the concerns of human history. Nor is it a matter of geography and national boundaries. It is God's gracious rule in the hearts and lives of his people. Jesus and his apostles announce the present reality of the kingdom of God amid daily life. On one occasion Jesus declares, "The kingdom of God is within [or among] you"

But the root of all sin is self-sufficiency—independence from the rule of God. When we fail to wait prayerfully for God’s guidance and strength, we are saying with our actions, if not with our words, that we do not need him. How much of our service is actually a “going it alone”?

Tonight answer those questions, what and where are your priorities? What gives you anxiety? And are trying to make God work? We’re in the house of Lord, refocus your mind, let Him calm your thoughts, and keep your eyes on Him.