Men's Connection Event 6/25/21

Welcome/Intro

I just want to start by thanking everyone who put this together!

Thank you Doubling Gap and Pastor Don for Hosting tonight, Thank you to Pastor Ben for Leading us in Worship- Worship changes us Amen?

Who is ready to grow closer to the Lord tonight? Who is ready for Jesus to change lives tonight can I get an Amen?

if you dont know me, I am Joe Kindon, I am the lead pastor at Diller Mennonite Church and I am Glad to be here with you tonight.

One thing I struggle with is that...

Competing expectations in my life. Different people and situations expect different things from me.

My jobs I work three expect me to meet my commitments and deadlines.

Church, launchpad, grocery store

My wife expects certain things from me

Dishes, laundry, help keep the house clean, care and love for her.

I have competing expectations from other areas too

Health- I am supposed to go to the gym

Family and friend commitments I am expected to meet.

Im not going to mention what I want to get done!

Does anyone else feel like they are battling competing expectations in their life?

Family, Job, Church, Health, friends

As men we carry a laundry list of expectations around with us.. I dont mean the ever-growing “honey do list”

Problem with this is these expectations can often take precedence over our spiritual lives, these expectations can actually drive us away from Jesus.

Transition: This evening we are going to talk about expectations and stumbling blocks that keep us from Jesus and we are going to end by asking one big question that could fundamentally change our lives as we know it, but first would you pray with me?

Walking Through the Text

Read: Luke 10:38-42

The Story: Mary and Martha have Jesus and the disciples over for dinner and for Martha, expectations take over!

It is my role as a woman to provide for and host dinner for these guests- I have to get food set, table set, and all of these things done.

She has the King of the universe sitting in her living room and she is worried about what she’s expected to do as a host/woman

Yet, Jesus’ expectation of fevery disciple is not providing him with a good meal, its relationship! Relationship with Jesus is more important than what you do for Jesus!

We see this in Matthew 7 - didnt we do all of these things in your name

We struggle with this too? What should take priority when there is so much to do..?

Sometimes we try to fit Jesus into our to-do list as we add him in our devotions or prayers, but as soon as we are done, its on to the next thing!

How much better will the rest of our to-do list for any given be if we invite Jesus into the details of our task, instead of him making spending time with him another item.

Martha wasnt just tripped up by what she was expected to do as host/woman , a stumbling block got in her way of spending time with Jesus.

if we look back at the story, Martha bursts into the room and starts comparing herself to Mary

“Look at what I am doing, Dont you care that Mary has left me to do it all by myself?

If we are honest men comparison can be a stumbling block for us too!

we compare ourselves all the time

Things we have, Trucks, Jobs, Salaries, Gifts and abilities

What are some other things we compare?

Are these things worth comparing?

Mary’s Question to Jesus: Do you care about what Im doing? and what Mary is not doing?

This question and the comparisons we make are rooted in insecurity and a lack of understanding of who God says we are and what we should value ourselves by?

Maybe you arent tripped up by comparisons, we all have other stumbling blocks- trip us up

Sin, Struggle, hobbies, basic distractions - anything that gets in the way of or distracts you from spending time with Jesus

Final thing I want to point out tonight from the story is found in Jesus’ response to Martha

“Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things. Only one thing matters. Mary has chosen the better part and it wont be taken from her”.

In Jesus’ statement to Martha is a question that is perhaps the most important question we can ask ourselves today:

is Jesus the better thing in your life right now? (x2)

is Jesus the best thing in your life right now (Pause)

Honestly, that answer isnt always yes..

Sin looks like the better thing

What I want looks like the better part.

Thats the one question we need to wrestle with together tonight!

If Jesus isnt the better part right now

What is and Why?

if do one thing tonight, answer the question: is Jesus the better thing in my life?

is spending time with Him my priority as a man, as a father, as a husband, as a church leader, as a man of God.

When Jesus becomes the priority and the better thing, everything Changes! When we make Jesus the best part everything changes!

expectations that we carry dont matter because Jesus is directing us

comparisons fade away like dust in the wind because it doesnt matter what anyone else has or does, because Jesus has and has done everything we need.

We can squash even the strongest sin our lives with Jesus!

In fact everything else will fall into place!

Would you pray with me?

I am going to pass it over to Pastor Don and We are going to break into small groups to unpack this passage. Thank you!