Which Dis are you?

JOKE:

The Sunday School teacher was describing that when Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom she turned into a pillar of salt, when Bobby interrupted. “My mommy looked back once while she was driving,” he announced, “and she turned into a telephone pole.”

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After dying in a car crash, three friends go to Heaven for orientation.

They were all asked the same question: “When you are in the casket, friends and family are mourning over you, what would you like to hear them say about you?”

The first guy immediately responds, “I would like to hear them say that I was one of the greatest doctors of my time and a great man.”

The second guy says, “I would like to hear them say that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher who made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow.”

The last guy thinks a minute and replies, “I’d like to hear them say…LOOK! HE’S MOVING!!!”

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Which Dis are you?

Luke 10:38-42 (NIV) – ³⁸ 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.”

Isn’t it easy to get distracted?

We get distracted from the important because we find something that seems to have become urgent.

I think, one of the tactics of the enemy, is that he wants to make us busy. He wants to make us so busy doing things that really don’t matter, so that we neglect the things that do.

I think all too often we think what is important is urgent. But I’m

convinced that is not always true. It may be important to you, but

it isn’t always urgent.

Definitions:

Urgent – (of a state or situation) requiring immediate action or attention.

Important – of great significance or value

Martha is the sister that gets so overwhelmed by what she considered urgent, that in the process she misses what is really important.

Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.  Mary chose what was important, Martha did what many of us do, she gave in to what appeared to her as urgent.

Here is Martha she wants everything to be just perfect. House cleaned, great meal, making sure all the preparation is complete.  And she wants a little help from her sister Mary. Not an unreasonable request.

I think our hectic lifestyles need to just slow down a bit.

In our culture of hectic schedules and the relentless pursuit of productivity, we are tempted to measure our worth by how busy we are, by how much we accomplish, or by how well we meet the expectations of others.

But we need to step back and have a relentless pursuit after Jesus.

Martha became more worried about the biscuits than she was about blessings.  More concerned about her roast than she was about her relationship with the Lord.

Look at verse 40 again:

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!”

Martha was what? Distracted by all the preparations. . .that what?  That had to be made.

Distracted by the preparations that had to be made. Not should be but had to be. I don’t know maybe she should have planned a little further ahead, maybe she could have said, you know dinner might be a little late.

Let me just pause here for a moment, with all the stuff we have, the technology available to us. it is so easy to get distracted.

Television program comes on the moment we decide to spend some time with the Lord.

Distractions seem to be everywhere, disguised as anything.

Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. So, she goes to Jesus and what did she do?  Complains, tells on her sister.

Even accuses the Lord of not caring.

Look at it again

Luke 10:40 (NIV) – 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!”

Martha so frustrated with Mary that she doesn’t even call her by name just says: “my sister.”

Martha’s problem was that she expected Mary to serve and worship Jesus Martha’s way, not Mary’s way.

And I think we sometimes expect others to love, honor, and worship Jesus just like we do, and if they don’t, we think they are less Spiritual, not as passionate about Jesus.

Maybe you could say I’ve been distracted from spending time with Jesus, I haven’t put him first, I haven’t had intimate time feeding on his word, I haven’t aligned my heart with him, I haven’t really spent time praying, I have been distracted from this that is important to something I considered urgent.

Look at how Jesus responds to this whole distracted thing.

Luke 10:41 (NIV) – 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,

You are. . .let me pause here for just a moment. You’re worried and upset about many things.

How many of us get worried and upset about some really almost insignificant things sometimes?

Luke 12:25–26 (NIV) – ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

What can happen is if we are not careful as that we will begin to find fault in others because they not doing what we find as the urgent need.

If we are not careful we may end up with a kind of service that is lacking of love and joy and causes us to be resentful of others.

Trying to serve without being nourished by God’s word is like expecting good fruit to grow from a tree that has been uprooted.

I can almost see Jesus leaning over to Martha telling her your worried about the meal, I can feed thousands with a little boys lunch.  With just a few fish and loaves.

Hear this church, Jesus invites all of us who are worried and distracted by “things” to sit and rest in his presence, to hear his words, to know that we are loved and valued.  There is need of only one thing: attention to our guest.

Martha had given into what she perceived as urgent, while Mary was surrendering to what was truly important.

Listen, if we’re not intentional about this, it is so easy for the urgent to crowd out the important.

Time with Jesus matters.

Listen, you have a choice, you have time for what you choose to have time for. You can make excuses, or you can make progress, however, you cannot make both.

Luke 10:40 (NIV) – 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!”

The word translated “distracted” here means “to be pulled away.” In other words – to be taken captive. The implication is that Martha wanted to hear Jesus herself. She wanted to be seated at His feet as well, but she was pulled away – taken captive – by her sense of “duty.” Fretting about the meal has robbed her of the opportunity to hear Jesus herself.

Martha’s distraction and worry left no room for the most important aspect of hospitality — and that is to give attention to the guest.

And so, Jesus says to her:  “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary….”

Sometimes, you need to step back from your responsibilities for a moment and focus on Him.

What we need to understand that you are going to have to focus on something and if it’s not Jesus it will focus on something else.

And many times, that something else will not be all that good for us to focus on.

Martha, somewhat overanxious became wrapped up in the affairs of the moment. She said to Jesus, Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Of course, He cared! He was more concerned about Martha than she was for herself.

I think there is an important question that needs to be asked, why was Mary listening at Jesus’ feet and not hosting alongside her sister?

Luke 10:42 (NIV) – 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.

He says Mary has done what? Mary has chosen what is better.

What has Mary done? She has chosen what is better. She made a choice.

Mary has “chosen” the good part. It is a choice she made.

For you and I sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His Word will not happen automatically.   Lots of good things, seemingly better things, will give opportunity to themselves but the best thing is always to be at the feet of Jesus.

Listen church I’m not saying we do nothing else,  but there are those times when we just need to slow down and send time in our closet with the Lord.

Mary is also found elsewhere in Scripture and each time do you know where she is?  She’s at the feet of Jesus.

John 12:1–3 (NIV) – Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Being at the feet of Jesus is the most important thing you will find yourself doing.  Spending time with Him is most important to all that we do.  The good news is, he is always there, always available, always ready to talk.

I called this message which dis are you?  And so far, I talked about really one dis and that was dis-tracted.  And it’s vitally important that we don’t allow ourselves to become distracted from spending time at the feet of Jesus.

But let me close with a couple others disses.

We cannot dis-obey.  James 1:22 (NIV) – ²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

You cannot dis-card what the Lord is telling you.  Nor can you dis-miss it.  But rather dis-cern the truth.

We need to be careful not to dis-rupt what He is doing.

Make sure you’re not in dis-believe.  (Now faith. . .)

You need to spend time with Jesus so that you can become His dis-ciple.

Sometimes spending time with the Holy Spirit will cause some dis-comfort.  But without that you could become dis-connected.

Don’t dis-continue being in His presence.

Don’t be dis-couraged, because God is going to allow you to dis-cover some things if you don’t dis-engage or become dis-traught.

Remember He heals all you dis-eases.

And please refrain from going to the dis-go, for that is dis-gusting and dis-turbing.

And you need to understand this:  You are not dis-carded, or dis-qualified.   He cares for you.  So, don’t be dis-heartened.