Sunday Service

A good morning everybody, we haven't met before. My name is Jack holvey. I'm the associate minister of discipleship. I've been very blessed in my life with my family. I'm very appreciative of my family might my parents, my grandparents, and all they've taught me and they taught me a lot from My Life. One such thing that they've taught me and they would tend to remind me of this as I was a child quite often. Is this idea that? As you get older time seems to move faster. Time seems to just keep moving faster and faster and faster, as you get older. So it's important to stop and take it in. Just be there in that to absorb with. What's going on around you. I appreciate it. So very much. Frank Lloyd's communion meditation and offering meditation goes along very well with this message. You're very busy. We in life. Very, very busy with a lot going on. So much going on and I want you to hear me out on this, to say, stop doing the things that you're doing. No, instead of encourage you to, maybe do what you're doing out of a different place.

So we started our sermon series called simply transformed last week, and we talked over this idea of how we're supposed to be different from the world and our call to be different from the world. And as we're going to go along in this sermon series, we're going to see that there are some different ways that we can achieve that or pursue after that. I'm also going to look at how it was just what it looks like to be a transformed person and how that translates into our relationships with others. Before we get started. I want to again read the Oxford dictionary definition of transform, which is this make a thorough or dramatic change in form appearance or character of Estero. or dramatic change in the form appearance or character of Not supposed to say the same or we took look different as we talked about last week. But how how do we actually pursue after that? Okay, we know we're supposed to be different. How do we actually pursue after being different? We'll talk about that this morning. The word that I want you to hold on to this morning is B. very, very simple were two letters, two letters, just just be Be there, be in the moment. Be with Jesus. Slow down, take time to be with him. And then, guess what we can do out of our being, like, my class on discipleship has heard this a lot. We've been talking about this idea of doing out of our being so much over the past ten or so weeks. And now I'm, I'm excited to be able to share that. With with the rest of you, just say, hey, I'm not going to tell you to stop doing what you're doing. In fact, I'm going to tell you to keep doing what you're doing, but maybe just maybe you might be in a place where we need to slow down and just be with Jesus. So, therefore, we can continue doing but also, we can recognize why we're doing what we're doing. How are supposed to love others while we're doing what we are doing. And what exam forward you looking at in scripture. Today is a pretty natural jump to read about Mary and Martha. As we talked about this idea of being with Jesus. Let's go there. Now. We're going to start off, Luke chapter 10. Does this as Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. Now, if you had been in my discipleship class, you would have known that this is a wonderful start. Martha is off to a wonderful wonderful start because if we're discipling, people were building relationships with people and guess what? That involves inviting people into our lives. Inviting people into our homes saying Hey, I want to get to know you, I want to eat with you. I want to spend time with you. I want to, I want to just be with you and just kind of just Learn about you, learn where you're from. Why why you do what you do and with Martha, right? She's obviously heard of Jesus before because she seems very excited to host Jesus and his disciples. So she's very excited to welcome him and the disciples into her home. Or did you see that? So Martha opened her home to Jesus and two others and that's something that we should be doing. We should be opening our home to people. We should be wanting to get to know them. Learn more about them. Wanting to understand them where they're at, why they are at where they are at. Simply just building a relationship with someone. Simply just getting to know people.

Our culture is so focused on just doing all the things that we need to do personally in our own lives. Sometimes it's hard to be focused on others and where they are at. But Martha is off to a wonderful start. She said, hey. Come on in, we'll feed you will talk to you will build a relationship with you.

And also her sister Mary, right? She the sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said, listening to what you said. The Mary took time to be at Jesus feet soaking in what he has to offer. Mary took time to be at Jesus feet soaking in what he has to offer. So, last week, the question that was kind of continually happening throughout the sermon. Is it who's in your chair, right? If you don't know what that question means, you can go back in and listen, to the sermon who's in your chair. But then also, once you've established that Jesus is in your chair, are you now sitting at his feet learning from him listening to him? Experiencing what he has to offer. Are you there just in a childlike man, or just ready to soak in who Jesus is and what he has to offer you. Does Mary took the time to do just that to sit at his feet and learn from him just to Simply Be there in the moment with Jesus?

To say, hey, I know life is crazy. I know we have all these people in our home. That isn't that aren't normally in our home and it was probably a lot to do, but guess what? I don't get to see Jesus very much in person. So I'm going to sit at his feet and learn from him listening to him. Actually listening, not just sitting there and pretending like she's listening but actually being there cuz she wants to go. She loves Jesus. Are you at Jesus's feet? Are you there listening to him learning from him?

Luke 10:40, 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. Listen to your music. She's sitting in front of you, looking for me. Tell her to help me actually, like make all the preparations that need to be made. So meanwhile, Martha is running around tending to every little thing and was interesting that were distracted. As the only time that word ever happens in the Bible in Greek, the only time but she's distracted. Her attention is taken away from Jesus by the things that she feels the need to accomplish by the things that she feels the need to do. But in all actuality based on Jesus's reaction and we'll get to that later. I think those things would have been taken care of regardless whether she had sat at Jesus's feet and listen to him or whether she was just doing the things that she felt she needed to do.

Do you have these two sisters writing? And like I said, Martha started off really? Well, it's not all bad with Martha. Does in this story. Right? She's kind of the the, the agent of inviting the people into the home. It seems like she opens up her home to these people because she wants to build a relationship with them. The problem is, she doesn't actually build a relationship with them because she is running around tending, to every little thing. But her sister Martha, her sister Martha is at Jesus's feet. So ask you again. Are you at Jesus's feet?

Navigate to take a brief, pause from the store. I'm going to come back to it later on. If I want to look at a few different examples of this idea of just being with God. I'm just being with him being present with him.

A certain ruler asked him, good teacher. What must I do to inherit eternal life. Why do you call me? Good? Jesus answered. No one is good. Except God Alone. You know the Commandments. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother. All these I have kept since I was a boy he said When Jesus heard, this he said to him, you still lack one thing, sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me. I Jesus says you lack one thing. In my brain, that's a lot more than one thing to sell. Everyone liked all of your possessions was none. The less. Jesus says you still like one one thing that you are lacking. This is what I believe it is. The Rich Young Ruler. He lacks one thing and that was being with Jesus.

He's convinced. Like I've done all the things. I've done all the right things. I've kept the Commandments. I've done them all like I've kept them all since I was a boy. What must I still do to get into heaven? And Jesus says, I'm convinced. It's because Jesus knows the Rich Young Ruler better than he actually knows himself. Right? So Jesus says, you're caught up in the wrong thing. You're caught up in the wrong thing. You're convinced that what you do get you into heaven, and that's not true. You just need to be with me. You just need to follow me and that's why you challenges him to sell all of his possessions. Because guess what he knows that is what is causing him to stumble. Jesus knows that is what is causing the Rich Young Ruler to stumble.

All you need to do is just follow me, be with me. I don't think that that means that we're all supposed to sell all of our possessions, right? But there are things in our life that sometimes going back to Martha. They distract us from Jesus. They distract us from actually, being with him of spending time at his feet. They distract us and keep us from actually being there to listen. For Jesus's voice. To learn from him, but that is what the Rich Young Ruler lacks. He lacks. Just simply being with Jesus. You so caught up and they have done everything. I've kept all the Commandments. I don't need. What, what else do I need? Jesus says, just simply be with me. That's all you need. His mind is in a separate going in a separate Direction. He's distracted from actually being with Jesus. Psalm 27. David says this, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom Shall, I Fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom. Shall I be afraid? When the wicked Advance against me to devour me? It is my enemies in my photos who will stumble and fall do the Army? Besiege me. My heart will not fear the War break out against me even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to Gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to see him in his Temple. David one, and only one thing, and that was to be with God forever. One thing, do I ask one thing do I want and that is to be with you. God forever to dwell in your presence forever. To see your face. Forever. Just the one thing. The one thing do I want his God. That's that's that's it. All the stuff that's happening around me. All these enemies that are attacking me. One thing, one thing and that is God himself.

As I grow up as a little kid. I I just I pictured, I pictured images of Heaven and Hell, what do they look like? I'm so caught up with the question of, what do they actually look like? And what is the physical like atmosphere of Heaven and Hell going to look like and more and more as I grow older. I'm convinced, that's not the important question. That's not the important factor. The important thing is that heaven is spending eternity with God and he'll is spending eternity separated from God. That is what I'm convinced of. That's why I come alongside David and saying. Hey, the one thing that I want, the one thing that I want is just to be with God forever. And isn't that what we should all want? I just want to be in the presence of God. That's it. That's the one thing. The one thing. And the Rich Young Ruler. He couldn't see it. So I just, I just got to get into heaven. That's what I got to do. So, what do I got to keep doing to get into heaven and you just says, no, you're missing the point, you're missing the point, sir. You just have to be with me. You just have to be in my presence. And then David, at least in this moment. She seems to get it. The one thing that I want is to be with God forever. Alice return, back to the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus is responding to her now. Martha, Martha. The Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed. Only one thing Mary has chosen, what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

There's only one thing needed. And Mary chose that I wanted to marry choose. Well, Mary chooses, the one thing, and that is to be with Jesus. Just a Simply Be At. His Feet learning from him, hearing him understanding him a little bit more, not fully but hearing Jesus actually hearing him and she takes time to do that. Right? It's not just hey, I have all the time in the world. A Tailor's things that could be done right now, but I'm going to make an effort and make time to sit at Jesus feet.

That's why I enjoyed so much Frank's meditations this morning. Are they offering meditation to talking about? If I had, if I had the time, if I had the time, I would give it to God, right? The problem is we have the time. It just calls us into being disciplined and saying, I'm going to make time just to Simply Be With Jesus, just as simply be there. Just simply listen for his voice.

Justice simply sit there in silence and feel what I feel and then reflects Jesus. What is this leading me into? How can I, how can I listen to what I'm feeling? How can I how can I move forward from this? But Mary chooses that one thing and notice how Jesus says it's not going to be taken away from her. Amarr that you're you're convinced that you need to do these things. And now you're upset with your sister that she's, she's sitting at my feet, but guess what? She chose. The one thing that truly matters and so I'm not going to take that away from her.

Now that the last section of of, your bulletin was kind of these questions. And I feel that the questions really actually, they help me think through that, the points that are kind of coming forth from a few of these two different stories at least in my own head, right? And so I want to ask the first question. Are we able to choose to be with Jesus and put aside the other way of life? I with the Rich Young Ruler. This this is the question that he's being asked, essentially. Hey. Are you able to choose to actually be with Jesus? Or are you going to choose your possessions and just just doing the things that you think you need to do to get into heaven?

That was essentially what the entire summer was about last week. Was this idea of? Hey, are you able to choose choose God's way of life or the other way of life. And I can be a difficult question. Right? That's kind of three different steps here. And this first question is, is simply asking you pay if you are in this position of choosing God or choosing your other way of life. Are you are you able to choose God? Are you able to come to him and say, I want to be at your feet?

And first guess what God needs to be in your chair right there. The chair is a symbol of of making decisions for your life, the direction of your life. And if you are in the chair, then you're making the decisions for your life in. If God is in the chair, then God is making decisions for your life. So are you able to say God you're in the chair? I'm going to sit right in front of you at your feet, listening to you learning from you. So I ask you again. Are you at Jesus's feet? Are you listening for his voice? Are you trying to take in what he has to offer you? Cuz guess what? We we should we know about Jesus. He's this amazing amazing person. Who yes. On the cross for your sins. And so are you able to Safe? Yes, I want him in my life. I want him to be governing my life and I want to sit at his feet and just simply be there with him. I just want to be there with Jesus.

I want to be there with Jesus. And the next question comes from David salm. Are we able to maintain being with Jesus? Are we able to maintain that? So notice that that step from if you're in the decision-making process, right? Am I going to choose to follow Jesus? Now you're in a spot of hay. You've made the decision. Are you able to maintain being there? Because our relationship with God isn't this big decision that we make and then we just carry on living the life that we once lived. No, we're supposed to look very different than we did before. And so maintaining being with, Jesus has this idea. Are you making time in your life to actually just sit there and be with Jesus?

I'm a terrible. Terrible reader. Not that I am not good at reading. I just don't do it. Well, well, that's confusing now, okay. I get very distracted. When I read, it's very hard for me to actually sit down and pay attention to the pages because guess what? Birds are singing outside? My cats, doing something funny, in the living room. You notice all these different things that are very distracting to me.

But I know that reading my Bible is very, very important in my face. Walk. It was really hard for me to sit down and actually be there with Jesus as I read, right? Cuz the kids are told. Hey, read your Bible, read your Bible and then they kind of put time time time limits but time expectations on at least four for myself. I have to. Otherwise I'm like, okay, if I do line and I'm distracted by the thing, I might go do that thing, right? So 15 minutes. I'm going to read my Bible, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, whatever, whatever might be. The problem is I'm so distractible. Hey, I'm sitting there in the Bible is open and I read a few words and I'm distracted by this other thing that I read a few words and I'm distracted by the other thing and I'm not actually there in the moment taking in what Jesus has to offer me as I'm reading scripture. I'm not actually there with Jesus.

I'm not at Jesus's feet instead. I'm off somewhere else completely distracted, even though I have the Bible open in the words are there.

Now, I don't assume that all of you are struggles, reading. Like, I do. But there might be something where it's like this. This practice that I have in my life. I'm just kind of, I'm like, a robot when I do it. I just been walking through the motions, walking through the motions, going through the motions. I'm not actually there with Jesus as I'm doing them. So are we able to maintain being with Jesus? At the last question? The question that comes from Mary and Martha story. Are we able to put aside the hustle and bustle of life and be with Jesus? We get so, so busy in life. So so busy. There's always so many things going on. Right? And in Frank's communion meditation is talking about all these things that could be happening, right? The mortgage in the car and the car is broken. Now, I got to fix the car. I got to do this. I got to do that, right? There's so much going on, so much. So are you able to say? No, I I know that I have to make time not just like say I'm going to have time later because often the time gets taken up, but I'm going to make time to be with Jesus. I noticed on my calendar when I have an hour free, I'm like a half an hour to do whatever I want. That our often times it's taken up by something that comes up that I need to do. But if I say this hour that I have space in my calendar for, I'm going to make that a time where I spend it with Jesus, make it a time. I'm less likely to then, allow something else to overtake that. So are we able to put aside the hustle and bustle of life and be with Jesus? No. Relationships are huge thing in our lives. Okay.

So I have friendships. I have family members. Write a lot of you. I assume have spouses, right? If if we spent, if we took our relationships and we didn't make time to actually be there in the moment in those relationships, how they work out.

They probably just that they wouldn't work out very well or is when workout at all, right? I'm not married, but I know a lot of people who are married and I know from what they tell me. They're experienced their lived experience. They need to make time to spend together. I actually make time to say, I'm not going to let this slide. I'm not going to say I have two hours free on Saturday and they're going to remain free cuz then it doesn't remain free cuz something comes up that you got to do. But instead I'm going to make time to spend it with my spouse. And even if you had children into the equation, that's even more complicated, because then they have their own schedules and, man, we get busy. I don't get busy, I guess, with, in that type of relationship in a relationship. I get busy, but none, the less, right? But we need to make time to build relationships with people. Make time to actually be able to be with the person that we say that we love that we care about what the people that we say that we love and that we care about. And if that's true, then that translates over into a relationship with God. If we say that, we love God, that we need to make time to be with him to say. Hey, I know I'm busy. I know I've got a lot going on, but guess what's really important? My time with God today. So I'm going to take an hour. I'm going to take 2 hours. I'm going to take the day and I'm just going to spend it with God the whole day.

Because I know how important that it is. Now we send that the topic of transformation. I believe that this this topic, this topic of of just being with God is so so valuable. It's not the only way that we can pursue after trans transformation, but I do think that simply just saying, I'm going to make time to be with God is is a way that we can pursue after transformation to say, I know I'm called to be different and I know that I actually needed it to, you know, make time to pursue after being different to understand. Got a little bit more to understand my face a little bit more to understand my relationship with Jesus a little bit more. And so this is a way where I can just stop, I can slow down and I can just be with Jesus, be with God. You just experienced him. What he has to offer me to know him? Understand him more understand. My love for him. Understand his love for me even more. And a few ways I didn't want to just leave you without. I have a few examples for before that. Sorry, before that, right? God desires us for us to be. God desires for us to be just simply to be there with him. To be there in relationship with him. God desires for us to spend time with him. To spend time with him.

I like I said, I have several examples of what this could look like. First off prayer is a big one. But like I said earlier, was with my scripture reading, right? Again also has a child as you know taught hate. Infanticide times you can pray before bed. Pray. As you wake up in the morning for a dinner time, write those types of things. And they kind of turned into Times where it's like, I know exactly what I'm going to say. Every evening, every morning. Instead. What I found in my adult life. What I need to do, just set aside a large chunk of time. So, that whatever I might say, daily. Is done and then I can just be there with God. Play. Hey. Oh, yeah, I forgot. This thing is happening in my life. This thing is going on. It's hard. I I could use your help in this could use your support in this.

The prayer but not just prayer. We just do it. We just get it done cuz it's honor to do this. But prayer that says, no. I'm going to spend time talking with him. Talking with him. I've had actually several several gentlemen in my life. Give me, give me advice in a way of of, when, when you get married Jack, when you get married. I don't know why this happened is coming up so much within this sermon, but I guess it's relevant when you get married. When? So and so whoever it is asks you, how was your day? Don't you say good? Don't just say it was fine. I'll just say all was bad.

The person that's closest to you in life, and they want to know more than good or fine or bad. They want to hear stories as to why it was good or fine or bath, right? And I assume it's true because I've had several different people at different times of my life. Say the same thing, right? But if I were to just, you know, whatever, maybe if I, if I were to come home and just say they was good, day was good, right? Or if I'm in prayer and I say, thank you for the day and I was it, there's not a whole lot of substance there. There's not a whole lot of of digging deep into what I was actually feeling in this moment throughout the day. That's what it's like to just talk with anyone, right? How are you doing this morning on a Sunday morning? I'm doing good. Even though my life is falling apart. Right? No, we want to know. We want to build relationships with each other. We want to know is going on. God wants to know what's going on in your life. Are you at his feet? Telling him about your day? Are you at his feet? Actually telling him about your day? Cuz he wants to hear it scripture reading already kind of talked about this one earlier, right? But just as a little reminder, actually spend time in the scripture. One of the things that really helps me write a lot of people that Bible reading plans, really helped. I find that to be a huge struggle because then it just becomes a to-do list task just to get through. Those verses is to get them done, and I'm on to the next thing of my day. What I find just to help me in my own mind, right? It's just say I'm going to focus on, you know, maybe this this chapter of this book or part of this chapter of this book. I'm going to give myself more time that I actually need to read it because then I'm called into reflecting on that scripture. Say, okay. What do I actually hear in the scripture? What's going on? Maybe that I'm in Courage, like, I have more time than than just reading through it. Oh, there's this reference back to a song. Let me go back and read that song. So then it's not just getting through Reading scripture. It's like, I get to take it in. I get to be with Jesus. In this moment. I get to hear him and what he's saying. The scripture reading in that way, moving forward from that memorizing scripture, right? Memorizing, scripture takes time. You don't just read it once and then boom. It's there. It takes time to memorize scripture. I guess. What happens when you memorize scripture. You spend time there with Jesus, you read it over and over and over and over again.

Wow, will you put a little bit of a from this word? Wow. Was I really opened it up for me? That's really exciting. That's really cool. Awesome, the memorizing scripture lining lying down in the quiet. This is one that I love. This is not mean taking a nap. I wish it did but it doesn't Okay. Few different books that I've read about how to spend time with Jesus. Right? I know people who lay on the floor because it's hard to fall asleep on their floor. Right? I know people who lie down on their bed and just laying there, just listening to Jesus. Just saying, hey, I just want to spend time with Jesus cuz you know what this also helps us do. It helps us reflect on how we're feeling, what emotions were going through. It helps us reflect on what is happening in our life and then therefore how to how to consult God on that. To say. Hey God, this thing is happening in my life. I forgot about it till I just I lay down for a few minutes and now and I really just this is hard going through. This is really hard on a man is just so exciting. I'm so I'm so happy that this is going on. This is so cool. So, lying down in the quiet. The quiet can be such a, a freeing in, in an amazing thing is a sweat often times our life, especially here in the states that it's so loud. There's so much going on. There's a screaming kid. There's there's loud roads. There's just so much happening. When I get to take time or make time just to lie down in the quiet, how beautiful that is? Allow yourself to feel. Allow yourself to feel. This is just be there saying I'm in. I've been having this this weird feeling throughout the whole week and I haven't really understood it. So I'm going to make time to actually sit there and reflect on that to sit there and say, why have I been feeling? That's why have I been feeling of frustration towards this person. Why have I been feeling resentment towards this person? Why I've been feeling these things as opposed to just letting it go and letting it faster and letting it become worse. Right. Now, I have been feeling these things reflect on those things. Why have I been feeling so down lately, lately? Why have I been feeling so excited lately? Right? Allow yourself to feel those things in and reflect on those things. Make time to do that.

I just wanted. This one might be a little bit hard. Change up. Your habits change up your habits, right? So, when I was a kid, but the Bible reading schedule in the prayer schedule, right? It required me to change up my habits to say, I'm not going to keep doing the same thing. Because what's the, what's the saying, people say, with the definition of insanity to the keep doing the same thing over and over and over again, expecting a different result, write the whole thing. That would have been me if I was like I'm doing the same thing but it's not changing anything. Right? I need things to change or actually need to develop different habits rhythms of Life, some call them. Maybe, maybe we're at that point. I one thing that can be really helpful as just to go away, somewhere in and be on our own for a afternoon, a day, right? I do like to kind of I've mentioned this before, I like to go camping, but everyone has a different definition of camping. So I like to go camping in the way of, you know, I'm not in the middle of literally in the middle of nowhere. There's a place for me to put my tent that has been made for a place to come anyway. So so go away to be on your own and just be there with Jesus, right? I feel so free sometimes when I'm separated from my phone people. You know, I mean that everybody has their own schedules and I can't assume people are going to be able to reach me on my own schedule, but it's really nice to go somewhere and be out of cell service. Sometimes I'm just to be able to turn my mind off and be with Jesus, right? Along with the going away to be on your own also, going away with other spending time with others. Right? We'll do you have a friend group that you love to go do things with and say, hey, we're going to go to the coast and when we spend time together in and do these things that we love together and just be with each other, spend time with Jesus together and do all these things. Will it be with a spouse or a family member that you really enjoy hanging out with you spending time away with others, is also a wonderful wonderful way to be with Jesus, just to be with him. I'm so,

Long story short. We're called to be different. In terms of transformation. We're called to actually be different actually be different. And the thing about it is not calling me different on the outside. Like only on the outside, right? Just doing the things, that's what the Rich Young Ruler thought he was. Like, I just got to do the things on the outside. I look like, I'm, I'm, I'm well and saved and going to happen. Right? I'm doing the things different on the inside. That's why we're talking about this idea of transformation, this full transformation from the inside out, that leads us into doing the things that are good. I believe this is a way of just just simply this idea of being with Jesus, just sitting there with him at his feet. This is a wonderful way for us, to say the sound pursuing after transformation. Turn off spending time with him is actually going to affect me from the inside out. Just outwardly. I'm just out weird face, but the inside, On out transformation difference from the inside out. I'm as we move forward. It's some next steps for you, right? In terms of the questions, right? Am I able to be with God and put aside the other way of life? If that's where you're at? And you make a decision. Yes. I am. Then. I'd encourage you to give your life to Jesus as we sing Our next song. You can come forward and I'll chat with you for a brief moment and I'm walk through that process with you. You can join us small group or a service team. If you want to maybe maintain being with Jesus more even sign up for the classes. At a time where you, you spend Lunchtime with with Matt, and he kind of tells you about the church and, and you know, what, we believe in from the things that we do and say and why we do them, so, I did encourage you to be reflecting on those things as we sing our final song.