1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 2 00:00:05,083 --> 00:00:10,083 [music] 3 00:00:16,500 --> 00:00:20,417 Father God, I pray for us as a people, as a church. 4 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:23,792 God, I pray that as we study your Word that we would have 5 00:00:23,875 --> 00:00:27,458 the heart of Mary who sat at the Lord Jesus' feet, 6 00:00:27,542 --> 00:00:31,458 that we'd be humble, submissive, teachable, and available. 7 00:00:31,542 --> 00:00:34,417 God, for those of us who have Martha proclivities, 8 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:36,458 I pray we wouldn't check our phone. 9 00:00:36,542 --> 00:00:38,958 I pray we wouldn't be working on our to-do list. 10 00:00:39,042 --> 00:00:42,167 I pray we wouldn't be ruminating over the fact that our friend 11 00:00:42,250 --> 00:00:44,792 or spouse didn't take the shortest route to church today, 12 00:00:44,875 --> 00:00:47,583 so we're very frustrated with them because we wasted some time 13 00:00:47,667 --> 00:00:49,833 and we didn't get the best parking spot. 14 00:00:49,917 --> 00:00:52,625 God, let it all go, may we let it all go. 15 00:00:52,708 --> 00:00:54,417 May we examine Mary and Martha. 16 00:00:54,500 --> 00:00:58,167 May we have Mary's heart as we sit at your feet to concentrate 17 00:00:58,250 --> 00:00:59,750 for a bit in Jesus' name. 18 00:00:59,833 --> 00:01:01,375 Amen. 19 00:01:01,458 --> 00:01:04,167 All right, Mary and Martha. Are you ready to go? 20 00:01:04,250 --> 00:01:06,542 We get to study two fantastic women today. 21 00:01:06,625 --> 00:01:09,375 So all of you women, it's a special one for you. 22 00:01:09,458 --> 00:01:11,375 There you go. 23 00:01:11,458 --> 00:01:14,167 All right, here we go, Luke 10:38-42, 24 00:01:14,250 --> 00:01:16,875 "Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. 25 00:01:16,958 --> 00:01:19,542 "And a woman named Martha--" Stewart 26 00:01:19,625 --> 00:01:22,083 "welcomed him into her house. 27 00:01:22,167 --> 00:01:24,792 "And she had a sister called Mary, 28 00:01:24,875 --> 00:01:27,667 "who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 29 00:01:27,750 --> 00:01:31,042 "But Martha was distracted with much serving. 30 00:01:31,125 --> 00:01:34,458 "And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care 31 00:01:34,542 --> 00:01:36,833 "'that my sister has left me to serve alone? 32 00:01:36,917 --> 00:01:38,917 "'Tell her then to help me.' 33 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,208 "But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, 34 00:01:41,292 --> 00:01:43,750 "'you are anxious and troubled about many things, 35 00:01:43,833 --> 00:01:45,708 "'but one thing is necessary. 36 00:01:45,792 --> 00:01:47,917 "'Mary has chosen the good portion, 37 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,625 which will not be taken away from her.'" 38 00:01:50,708 --> 00:01:53,208 Here's the story of Mary and Martha. 39 00:01:53,292 --> 00:01:56,750 Let me unpack for you six initial observations and then 40 00:01:56,833 --> 00:02:01,000 we'll dig and delve and dive more deeply into the story. 41 00:02:01,083 --> 00:02:06,042 Number one, Jesus had foes, fans, and friends. 42 00:02:06,125 --> 00:02:10,417 If you are someone who leads in ministry or business, 43 00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:12,500 or you're a musician or an athlete, 44 00:02:12,583 --> 00:02:15,000 whatever it might be, you will have foes, 45 00:02:15,083 --> 00:02:17,458 people who choose not to like you. 46 00:02:17,542 --> 00:02:20,625 You will have friends and you will have fans. 47 00:02:20,708 --> 00:02:23,542 The fans like you, the foes don't. 48 00:02:23,625 --> 00:02:27,458 The thing that is similar between fans and foes? 49 00:02:27,542 --> 00:02:31,542 They choose you. Friends you choose. 50 00:02:31,625 --> 00:02:34,458 So that's a special, unique relationship. 51 00:02:34,542 --> 00:02:37,333 There were many who had chosen to be Jesus' foes. 52 00:02:37,417 --> 00:02:39,958 There were many who had chosen to be Jesus' fans. 53 00:02:40,042 --> 00:02:44,458 There were only a few that Jesus had chosen to be friends. 54 00:02:44,542 --> 00:02:45,875 Jesus had friends. 55 00:02:45,958 --> 00:02:47,500 You and I need friends. 56 00:02:47,583 --> 00:02:49,417 We get to choose those friends 57 00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:53,458 and he chooses Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. 58 00:02:53,542 --> 00:02:58,167 This is a family comprised of two sisters and a brother. 59 00:02:58,250 --> 00:03:00,917 We see them in relationship with Jesus through the gospels. 60 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,333 He stays at their house, he's friends with them, 61 00:03:03,417 --> 00:03:06,125 he loves them, he cares for them, they care for him. 62 00:03:06,208 --> 00:03:08,833 These are close friends. 63 00:03:08,917 --> 00:03:12,792 Isn't it amazing that Jesus hand-selected these people 64 00:03:12,875 --> 00:03:14,375 to be his friends? 65 00:03:14,458 --> 00:03:16,375 Who are your friends? 66 00:03:16,458 --> 00:03:19,208 Number two, second general observation, 67 00:03:19,292 --> 00:03:21,458 they were friends who ministered to Jesus. 68 00:03:21,542 --> 00:03:24,917 Isn't it amazing that Jesus ministers to a multitude? 69 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:26,792 Well, who ministers to Jesus? 70 00:03:26,875 --> 00:03:29,750 Mary and Martha. They feed him, house him. 71 00:03:29,833 --> 00:03:32,542 We see that Jesus is traveling quite a bit. 72 00:03:32,625 --> 00:03:34,250 He's often homeless, 73 00:03:34,333 --> 00:03:36,417 doesn't know where he's going to sleep or eat. 74 00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:38,250 Mary and Martha, along with Lazarus, 75 00:03:38,333 --> 00:03:42,250 they open up their home and they minister to Jesus. 76 00:03:42,333 --> 00:03:45,833 Those who are in leadership pour themselves out and it is 77 00:03:45,917 --> 00:03:50,167 really helpful if there are a few friends who pour into them. 78 00:03:50,250 --> 00:03:51,708 This is how it works. 79 00:03:51,792 --> 00:03:54,333 So if your friend is a community group leader, 80 00:03:54,417 --> 00:03:56,125 your friend is a Redemption Group leader, 81 00:03:56,208 --> 00:03:58,500 your friend is a deacon, your friend is an elder, 82 00:03:58,583 --> 00:04:01,417 your friend is a pastor, your friend's a leader in another 83 00:04:01,500 --> 00:04:03,417 church, or your friend's a leader in business, 84 00:04:03,500 --> 00:04:05,792 be asking yourself--maybe even it's a spouse or a child 85 00:04:05,875 --> 00:04:08,417 or a parent that you know, and you're in community 86 00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:10,042 and friendship with. 87 00:04:10,125 --> 00:04:12,250 How can you serve them so that they 88 00:04:12,333 --> 00:04:13,833 can more effectively serve others? 89 00:04:13,917 --> 00:04:16,250 Now, we don't know for sure how this worked, 90 00:04:16,333 --> 00:04:19,250 but perhaps at their house they had a guest room for Jesus. 91 00:04:19,333 --> 00:04:23,417 I can't tell you how nice it is to have friends who get hospitality. 92 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:26,208 Now, Jesus was traveling on foot a few-month journey 93 00:04:26,292 --> 00:04:28,542 from the region of Galilee, ultimately to Jerusalem, 94 00:04:28,625 --> 00:04:31,000 where he would be crucified. 95 00:04:31,083 --> 00:04:33,667 He travels far less than first class. 96 00:04:33,750 --> 00:04:35,250 He's definitely not coach. 97 00:04:35,333 --> 00:04:37,333 He's walking. All right? 98 00:04:37,417 --> 00:04:40,333 Now I could tell you, even just flying, when you show up, 99 00:04:40,417 --> 00:04:43,542 you're tired, you're exhausted, you're hungry, 100 00:04:43,625 --> 00:04:47,542 and everybody is ready to take the life out of you. 101 00:04:47,625 --> 00:04:49,333 That's how it works. 102 00:04:49,417 --> 00:04:51,333 They're all rested up and ready to go. 103 00:04:51,417 --> 00:04:53,125 They've had a few cups of coffee. 104 00:04:53,208 --> 00:04:54,542 They took a nap. 105 00:04:54,625 --> 00:04:56,542 They're ready for you. All right? 106 00:04:56,625 --> 00:04:59,333 So when Jesus pulls into a town, the crowd swarms him. 107 00:04:59,417 --> 00:05:01,542 Everybody needs, wants, demands something. 108 00:05:01,625 --> 00:05:04,750 He's like a rung bell. He's tired, he's hungry, he's thirsty. 109 00:05:04,833 --> 00:05:08,750 He needs a quiet place to be. Mary and Martha know that. 110 00:05:08,833 --> 00:05:11,417 So you kinda get the picture. They've got a guest room. 111 00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:12,958 "Here you go, Jesus. 112 00:05:13,042 --> 00:05:14,917 "Comfy bed, clean linens. 113 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,500 "There's a flower on the table, 114 00:05:16,583 --> 00:05:18,542 "maybe a couple of things to read. 115 00:05:18,625 --> 00:05:20,542 "Here's a nice meal. 116 00:05:20,625 --> 00:05:23,583 Take a nap, pray, get some rest." 117 00:05:23,667 --> 00:05:27,292 What a gift that is. What a gift that is. 118 00:05:27,375 --> 00:05:31,375 They understand that Jesus needs to be ministered to so that then 119 00:05:31,458 --> 00:05:34,083 he could minister to others. 120 00:05:34,167 --> 00:05:36,333 And they're his friends. 121 00:05:36,417 --> 00:05:40,500 Number three, the male Jesus, who was single, 122 00:05:40,583 --> 00:05:42,167 had female friends. 123 00:05:42,250 --> 00:05:45,250 Mary and Martha were friends of his. 124 00:05:45,333 --> 00:05:49,625 And they're like sisters to him. 125 00:05:49,708 --> 00:05:51,458 Jesus has female friends. 126 00:05:51,542 --> 00:05:53,667 And see, this is exceedingly important in our day, 127 00:05:53,750 --> 00:05:56,417 particularly at our church where maybe half of Mars Hill 128 00:05:56,500 --> 00:05:58,000 is single and unmarried. 129 00:05:58,083 --> 00:06:00,917 The majority of those at the Ballard or the Downtown Campus, 130 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,167 the closer you get to the urban core, the majority are single. 131 00:06:04,250 --> 00:06:07,000 Other campuses, they tend to have a lot of married couples, 132 00:06:07,083 --> 00:06:09,500 so sometimes married couples outnumber singles, 133 00:06:09,583 --> 00:06:12,792 but in a church like ours where there are so many singles, 134 00:06:12,875 --> 00:06:15,417 the relationships between the men and the women can get 135 00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:18,125 very confused because in our culture most relationships 136 00:06:18,208 --> 00:06:21,333 among those who are single and of the opposite sex 137 00:06:21,417 --> 00:06:23,417 gravitate towards sin. 138 00:06:23,500 --> 00:06:25,083 It becomes emotionally inappropriate, 139 00:06:25,167 --> 00:06:26,750 physically inappropriate. 140 00:06:26,833 --> 00:06:29,208 Things are not as they ought be. 141 00:06:29,292 --> 00:06:32,208 It's because the category that our world has is that a man 142 00:06:32,292 --> 00:06:34,875 and a woman are to have a physical, sexual relationship. 143 00:06:34,958 --> 00:06:38,542 In the Bible, another category is given that is a familial, 144 00:06:38,625 --> 00:06:40,667 friendly relationship. 145 00:06:40,750 --> 00:06:43,000 So the Bible says, for example, that gentlemen, 146 00:06:43,083 --> 00:06:45,500 we should treat the ladies as what? 147 00:06:45,583 --> 00:06:47,583 Sisters. 148 00:06:47,667 --> 00:06:50,208 With holiness and reverence and respect and propriety. 149 00:06:50,292 --> 00:06:52,333 That's what it says. 150 00:06:52,417 --> 00:06:55,333 So you can enjoy your sister, and have a friendship with your 151 00:06:55,417 --> 00:06:58,125 sister and there's nothing romantic or sexual 152 00:06:58,208 --> 00:06:59,917 or inappropriate of any sort or kind. 153 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,542 Of course, we need to guard our hearts and we need to be careful 154 00:07:03,625 --> 00:07:05,750 and not gravitate toward emotional affair or impropriety, 155 00:07:05,833 --> 00:07:09,333 but it is possible, categorically, 156 00:07:09,417 --> 00:07:13,333 to be a man and a woman who have a friendship in Christ 157 00:07:13,417 --> 00:07:16,958 that is not sinful and wicked. 158 00:07:17,042 --> 00:07:20,542 The Bible says this using the language that God is our Father, 159 00:07:20,625 --> 00:07:23,458 that Jesus is our big brother, that he dies and rises 160 00:07:23,542 --> 00:07:25,917 for our sin, that he gives us the Holy Spirit, 161 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,708 that he adopts us into the family of God, the church, 162 00:07:28,792 --> 00:07:31,292 and therein the guys are like brothers 163 00:07:31,375 --> 00:07:33,542 and the gals are like sisters. 164 00:07:33,625 --> 00:07:36,458 That's all Bible language. 165 00:07:36,542 --> 00:07:39,792 And I didn't know this until I was traveling a few years ago 166 00:07:39,875 --> 00:07:43,083 through Australia and I met with a professor, 167 00:07:43,167 --> 00:07:45,375 I think he's Ph.D., and he was lecturing 168 00:07:45,458 --> 00:07:47,500 for years at Cambridge. 169 00:07:47,583 --> 00:07:49,667 And his specialization is cultural context 170 00:07:49,750 --> 00:07:51,292 of the New Testament. 171 00:07:51,375 --> 00:07:53,417 Brilliant guy, loves Jesus, was super helpful. 172 00:07:53,500 --> 00:07:56,458 And he had me into his home, very gracious and generous, 173 00:07:56,542 --> 00:08:00,667 and he taught me some stuff I had never heard and it was really enjoyable. 174 00:08:00,750 --> 00:08:04,208 One thing he said was that in the Roman Empire in the days 175 00:08:04,292 --> 00:08:07,625 of Jesus and in the days of the New Testament era, 176 00:08:07,708 --> 00:08:11,458 it was actually illegal to call someone "brother," "sister," 177 00:08:11,542 --> 00:08:14,917 "mother," "father," who was not a biological relative 178 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,792 because that was family name, 179 00:08:17,875 --> 00:08:20,958 and, as a result, inheritance and property rights 180 00:08:21,042 --> 00:08:23,375 were tied to the family name. 181 00:08:23,458 --> 00:08:25,375 So you can't say, "That's my brother," or, 182 00:08:25,458 --> 00:08:28,792 "That's my sister," because that upsets the entire social order. 183 00:08:28,875 --> 00:08:32,417 And so when the Bible tells us that we're brothers and sisters 184 00:08:32,500 --> 00:08:36,417 and that God has created a new family over which he is Father, 185 00:08:36,500 --> 00:08:39,875 it is radically altering and upending the entire 186 00:08:39,958 --> 00:08:44,792 civic structure of what was, to that day, the largest, 187 00:08:44,875 --> 00:08:48,083 most powerful nation in the history of the earth. 188 00:08:48,167 --> 00:08:52,583 It's because, through Jesus, our relationships are so radically 189 00:08:52,667 --> 00:08:56,333 altered that we need new language to contain them 190 00:08:56,417 --> 00:08:58,500 and it is the language of family. 191 00:08:58,583 --> 00:09:01,500 And Jesus here demonstrates this in his friendship 192 00:09:01,583 --> 00:09:03,542 with Mary and Martha. 193 00:09:03,625 --> 00:09:07,167 He's demonstrating that he is like a big brother to them 194 00:09:07,250 --> 00:09:09,917 and they're like little sisters to him. 195 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,167 And it's a good precedent and paradigm for all of us 196 00:09:13,250 --> 00:09:16,458 in relationship with the opposite sex. 197 00:09:16,542 --> 00:09:20,750 Number four, Jesus discipled women for ministry. 198 00:09:20,833 --> 00:09:23,750 To sit at someone's feet was an official position. 199 00:09:23,833 --> 00:09:26,958 In that day, you were not accepted to a school. 200 00:09:27,042 --> 00:09:29,333 You were accepted by a teacher. 201 00:09:29,417 --> 00:09:31,583 So you didn't apply to Harvard. 202 00:09:31,667 --> 00:09:35,458 You applied to your rabbi. 203 00:09:35,542 --> 00:09:38,417 And if you applied to your rabbi and they examined and 204 00:09:38,500 --> 00:09:42,542 investigated you, then you would be accepted and you were given 205 00:09:42,625 --> 00:09:44,583 the honorable position of sitting at their feet 206 00:09:44,667 --> 00:09:47,458 while they lectured and instructed. 207 00:09:47,542 --> 00:09:51,250 And so your commitment was more to a teacher, a professor, 208 00:09:51,333 --> 00:09:56,875 a rabbi, than it was to an institution or an organization. 209 00:09:56,958 --> 00:10:00,333 And lots of people would want to sit at Jesus' feet, 210 00:10:00,417 --> 00:10:05,750 but only a few were allowed to and Mary was among them. 211 00:10:05,833 --> 00:10:07,917 That's why we see with the Apostle Paul, 212 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,708 in Acts 22 when he's reflecting back on his former life, 213 00:10:10,792 --> 00:10:14,583 before he met Jesus as savior 214 00:10:14,667 --> 00:10:18,333 he says that he was formerly trained by, quote, 215 00:10:18,417 --> 00:10:23,583 "sitting at the feet of the rabbi Gamaliel." 216 00:10:23,667 --> 00:10:28,500 That's his articulation of his academic pedigree 217 00:10:28,583 --> 00:10:30,292 and instruction. 218 00:10:30,375 --> 00:10:34,000 So when we see Mary sitting at Jesus' feet, 219 00:10:34,083 --> 00:10:39,125 that means she has been selected as one of his honored students 220 00:10:39,208 --> 00:10:43,375 to be a disciple of his and to receive formal ministry training 221 00:10:43,458 --> 00:10:46,708 from none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. 222 00:10:46,792 --> 00:10:51,000 Some have wrongly maligned the position of Mars Hill to say 223 00:10:51,083 --> 00:10:53,333 that we don't believe in women in ministry. 224 00:10:53,417 --> 00:10:55,458 That's not true at all. 225 00:10:55,542 --> 00:10:58,458 No one can read the Bible and not see that women, 226 00:10:58,542 --> 00:11:01,667 from beginning to end, are involved in ministry 227 00:11:01,750 --> 00:11:03,917 and should be involved in ministry, 228 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:05,333 should be theologically trained, 229 00:11:05,417 --> 00:11:08,708 encouraged, developed to use the gifts that God gives them 230 00:11:08,792 --> 00:11:11,750 to introduce others to Jesus and to help those who know him 231 00:11:11,833 --> 00:11:14,417 to grow in love with him. 232 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:19,375 All women who belong to Jesus should be prepared for ministry 233 00:11:19,458 --> 00:11:22,750 because they're all in ministry to varying degrees and ways 234 00:11:22,833 --> 00:11:25,458 according to their gifts and calling. 235 00:11:25,542 --> 00:11:29,708 Now Jesus doesn't have any women among the 12 apostles, 236 00:11:29,792 --> 00:11:32,500 just like the New Testament church doesn't have any women 237 00:11:32,583 --> 00:11:36,000 among the office of elder, and we follow that same precedent 238 00:11:36,083 --> 00:11:39,417 and pattern at Mars Hill, but that in no way denigrates, 239 00:11:39,500 --> 00:11:43,625 disregards, dishonors, disrespects the women. 240 00:11:43,708 --> 00:11:47,042 We see it here. And this was a radical thing. 241 00:11:47,125 --> 00:11:49,542 Imagine going to a very traditional, 242 00:11:49,625 --> 00:11:54,833 religiously oriented, western nation 2,000 years ago 243 00:11:54,917 --> 00:11:56,667 where women were not regarded, necessarily, 244 00:11:56,750 --> 00:11:58,292 as equal to men. 245 00:11:58,375 --> 00:12:01,375 They were not present in the instruction among men. 246 00:12:01,458 --> 00:12:06,208 And you walk in to Jesus' instruction and there are men 247 00:12:06,292 --> 00:12:09,542 and women sitting together, both getting trained and developed 248 00:12:09,625 --> 00:12:12,042 for formal ministry. 249 00:12:12,125 --> 00:12:14,542 This is radical. 250 00:12:14,625 --> 00:12:17,958 This is revolutionary. 251 00:12:18,042 --> 00:12:22,542 And this is the gift that was given to Mary. 252 00:12:22,625 --> 00:12:26,500 Number five, siblings in general, 253 00:12:26,583 --> 00:12:29,667 but sisters in particular, are just different. 254 00:12:29,750 --> 00:12:31,417 Again, six initial observations. 255 00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:35,167 How many of you have a sibling who is different than you? 256 00:12:35,250 --> 00:12:38,083 Okay? Slight chuckle. 257 00:12:38,167 --> 00:12:42,458 How many of you ladies have a sister who's different than you? 258 00:12:42,542 --> 00:12:44,167 Here's Mary, Martha. 259 00:12:44,250 --> 00:12:46,708 Martha is the firstborn, she's the older, she's the driver, 260 00:12:46,792 --> 00:12:48,333 to-do list. 261 00:12:48,417 --> 00:12:50,375 She's the gal who comes home from school, 262 00:12:50,458 --> 00:12:52,708 checks the chores chart, puts her backpack away, 263 00:12:52,792 --> 00:12:55,000 starts chopping stuff for dinner. 264 00:12:55,083 --> 00:12:57,333 She has it all nailed down. 265 00:12:57,417 --> 00:13:00,500 Mary? She's more like a butterfly. 266 00:13:00,583 --> 00:13:03,542 Wherever the wind's blowin', that's where she's goin'. 267 00:13:03,625 --> 00:13:05,708 We had this conversation in my house. 268 00:13:05,792 --> 00:13:08,458 My oldest daughter, Ashley, is a lot like Martha. 269 00:13:08,542 --> 00:13:12,500 My younger daughter, Alexie, is a lot like Mary. 270 00:13:12,583 --> 00:13:14,333 We had this conversation at dinner 271 00:13:14,417 --> 00:13:16,542 and we had it again today over lunch. 272 00:13:16,625 --> 00:13:18,500 And they were just cracking up. 273 00:13:18,583 --> 00:13:22,208 They walked into my office after service and Ashley looks at 274 00:13:22,292 --> 00:13:24,417 Alexie and says, "Hi, Mary!" 275 00:13:24,500 --> 00:13:27,000 And Alexie looks at Ashley and says, "Hi, Martha!" 276 00:13:27,083 --> 00:13:30,042 And they just both burst into laughter because it's amazing 277 00:13:30,125 --> 00:13:32,042 how different they are. 278 00:13:32,125 --> 00:13:37,458 Number six, the church is a family and, like all families, 279 00:13:37,542 --> 00:13:42,042 the brothers and sisters who are different than us annoy us. 280 00:13:42,125 --> 00:13:43,542 Amen? 281 00:13:43,625 --> 00:13:46,417 Some of you are like, "Man, I'm going to church 282 00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:48,667 "and I'm in community group, but it's not working. 283 00:13:48,750 --> 00:13:50,292 They're annoying me." 284 00:13:50,375 --> 00:13:53,292 Oh, yes it is. That's a family. 285 00:13:53,375 --> 00:13:55,083 We annoy one another with our differences. 286 00:13:55,167 --> 00:13:57,292 And that's what happens with Mary and Martha. 287 00:13:57,375 --> 00:13:59,792 Martha is annoyed by Mary because Mary 288 00:13:59,875 --> 00:14:01,375 is different than Martha. 289 00:14:01,458 --> 00:14:05,000 And church is just a big family with a lot of different kinds of 290 00:14:05,083 --> 00:14:10,167 kids who have a proclivity and propensity to annoy one another. 291 00:14:10,250 --> 00:14:15,125 So we'll unpack this now and we'll look at Mary and Martha. 292 00:14:15,208 --> 00:14:18,083 We're gonna try to get you into a category. 293 00:14:18,167 --> 00:14:20,333 Now I'm gonna sit down like Mary. 294 00:14:20,417 --> 00:14:21,958 Okay. 295 00:14:22,042 --> 00:14:23,708 We're gonna deal with Mary first. 296 00:14:23,792 --> 00:14:27,375 Some of you are like Mary, some of you are like Martha, okay? 297 00:14:27,458 --> 00:14:29,333 And you're gonna need to pick a team. 298 00:14:29,417 --> 00:14:31,125 Who are you? 299 00:14:31,208 --> 00:14:34,542 For those who are like Mary, Mary's more contemplative. 300 00:14:34,625 --> 00:14:36,542 For those of you who are like Mary, 301 00:14:36,625 --> 00:14:39,833 you will gravitate toward the contemplative disciplines, 302 00:14:39,917 --> 00:14:46,167 silence, solitude, prayer, fasting, journaling. 303 00:14:46,250 --> 00:14:50,208 For those of you who are more like Martha, active. 304 00:14:50,292 --> 00:14:52,417 You're gonna do things. 305 00:14:52,500 --> 00:14:55,000 You're a driver and a doer. 306 00:14:55,083 --> 00:14:57,292 You're gonna gravitate toward those spiritual disciplines 307 00:14:57,375 --> 00:15:01,042 that are not contemplative but active: preaching, teaching, 308 00:15:01,125 --> 00:15:04,167 serving, healing, administrating, 309 00:15:04,250 --> 00:15:09,333 fighting for justice, getting things done. 310 00:15:09,417 --> 00:15:11,625 Now, Mary is more word based. 311 00:15:11,708 --> 00:15:13,542 She sits at the feet of Jesus, 312 00:15:13,625 --> 00:15:15,500 "Teach me the Bible. Instruct me. 313 00:15:15,583 --> 00:15:17,833 I want to grow in my knowledge of the Word." 314 00:15:17,917 --> 00:15:20,333 Martha's work based. 315 00:15:20,417 --> 00:15:25,458 Do something, get up, make something happen. 316 00:15:25,542 --> 00:15:29,125 Mary is a be-bee and Martha is a do-bee. 317 00:15:29,208 --> 00:15:34,917 I took this-- not like you're thinking. 318 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,333 I took this--I did an interview with a theologian, 319 00:15:37,417 --> 00:15:38,750 R.C. Sproul. 320 00:15:38,833 --> 00:15:40,750 Great, really fun guy even though he's 321 00:15:40,833 --> 00:15:42,750 a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. 322 00:15:42,833 --> 00:15:45,167 His wife was there with him. She's really cute. 323 00:15:45,250 --> 00:15:47,333 They've known each other since they were little kids. 324 00:15:47,417 --> 00:15:49,750 They were literally running around the elementary school and 325 00:15:49,833 --> 00:15:52,375 bumped into each other and have been together ever since 326 00:15:52,458 --> 00:15:53,875 and now they're grandparents. 327 00:15:53,958 --> 00:15:55,875 And he explained it this way, he said, 328 00:15:55,958 --> 00:15:59,292 "Well, one of us is a do-bee and the other is a be-bee." 329 00:15:59,375 --> 00:16:02,458 And I thought it was cute so I quote R.C. Sproul on that. 330 00:16:02,542 --> 00:16:04,083 Now Mary's a be-bee. 331 00:16:04,167 --> 00:16:06,500 It's all about being, being with Jesus, being teachable, 332 00:16:06,583 --> 00:16:09,917 being humble, being present, getting her time with Jesus, 333 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:11,542 getting her connection with Jesus. 334 00:16:11,625 --> 00:16:14,458 It's about being. For Martha, it's doing. 335 00:16:14,542 --> 00:16:16,167 Gotta do the dishes, do the laundry, 336 00:16:16,250 --> 00:16:19,458 you gotta do the chores, do the task. 337 00:16:19,542 --> 00:16:24,458 We'd say that Mary is Type B, Martha's Type A. 338 00:16:24,542 --> 00:16:26,917 Mary is worried about, to quote Brother Lawrence, 339 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,375 "The presence of God." 340 00:16:29,458 --> 00:16:32,000 Being in the presence of Jesus, growing in love with Jesus, 341 00:16:32,083 --> 00:16:36,333 listening to Jesus, being taught by Jesus, 342 00:16:36,417 --> 00:16:39,167 enjoying the presence of Jesus. 343 00:16:39,250 --> 00:16:42,625 She's in the living room. Now, Martha's in the kitchen. 344 00:16:42,708 --> 00:16:45,333 What she's working on is not enjoying the presence of God, 345 00:16:45,417 --> 00:16:48,375 but preparing presents for God. 346 00:16:48,458 --> 00:16:50,458 "Hey Jesus, I have a clean bed. 347 00:16:50,542 --> 00:16:52,542 "Hey Jesus, I made dinner. 348 00:16:52,625 --> 00:16:55,542 "Hey Jesus, I made a cake for you. 349 00:16:55,625 --> 00:16:57,625 "I have a lot of presents for you. 350 00:16:57,708 --> 00:16:59,708 "I don't enjoy the presence of you, 351 00:16:59,792 --> 00:17:03,292 I'm creating presents for you." 352 00:17:03,375 --> 00:17:06,083 Mary worries a lot about the relationship. 353 00:17:06,167 --> 00:17:09,417 "Did I get my time with Jesus? Did I sit at his feet? 354 00:17:09,500 --> 00:17:10,792 "Did I listen? Did I learn? 355 00:17:10,875 --> 00:17:12,417 "Was I humble? Was I teachable? 356 00:17:12,500 --> 00:17:14,250 How's my relationship with Jesus?" 357 00:17:14,333 --> 00:17:17,583 Martha's more worried about her responsibilities. 358 00:17:17,667 --> 00:17:19,917 She's the gal with the never-ending checklist 359 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,292 of things to do. 360 00:17:22,375 --> 00:17:25,833 Now, how many of you gals, earnestly and honestly, 361 00:17:25,917 --> 00:17:28,167 you would be freaked out, like Martha, 362 00:17:28,250 --> 00:17:32,500 if you lived in a small village and, sort of unannounced, you 363 00:17:32,583 --> 00:17:35,542 heard Jesus is in town along with a whole lot of people, 364 00:17:35,625 --> 00:17:39,208 maybe 80 or 100 of 'em, and he needs a place to stay 365 00:17:39,292 --> 00:17:42,333 and they need something to eat? 366 00:17:42,417 --> 00:17:46,667 And you realize that probably is going to be your house. 367 00:17:46,750 --> 00:17:49,292 How many of you gals would freak out? 368 00:17:49,375 --> 00:17:51,333 Short notice, you would say, "Jesus can't come over. 369 00:17:51,417 --> 00:17:53,417 "I haven't had a shower, I'm in sweats, 370 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:56,458 "we don't have anything to eat, the house is not clean. 371 00:17:56,542 --> 00:17:58,833 "There's no Costco here, you know? 372 00:17:58,917 --> 00:18:01,375 "I can't just go pick up wontons, you know? 373 00:18:01,458 --> 00:18:04,333 "This is very complicated, you know? 374 00:18:04,417 --> 00:18:06,167 "A hundred people, you know? 375 00:18:06,250 --> 00:18:08,167 How are we gonna pull of dessert?" 376 00:18:08,250 --> 00:18:10,375 All of a sudden, she's doing "Dinner: Impossible." 377 00:18:10,458 --> 00:18:12,208 Right? 378 00:18:12,292 --> 00:18:16,000 This is a lot to ask of a gal, and all of a sudden she's 379 00:18:16,083 --> 00:18:18,917 going through her cupboards, "I don't have enough plates. 380 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,417 "I don't have enough soup spoons. 381 00:18:20,500 --> 00:18:23,792 "I don't have enough napkins. Oh, it's Jesus. 382 00:18:23,875 --> 00:18:25,333 "I can't give him food poisoning. 383 00:18:25,417 --> 00:18:27,750 If I kill him, what happens to the universe?" 384 00:18:27,833 --> 00:18:30,333 I mean, this is a lot of pressure. 385 00:18:30,417 --> 00:18:31,750 All right? 386 00:18:31,833 --> 00:18:34,167 And you don't have a lot of extra food. 387 00:18:34,250 --> 00:18:35,750 This is a simple, rural village. 388 00:18:35,833 --> 00:18:37,167 Ahh! 389 00:18:37,250 --> 00:18:41,542 So she's all worried about her responsibilities. 390 00:18:41,625 --> 00:18:44,375 Mary's all about a full heart. 391 00:18:44,458 --> 00:18:47,375 "Jesus, teach me, pray for me, love me, serve me, encourage me, 392 00:18:47,458 --> 00:18:49,042 help me, fill my heart." 393 00:18:49,125 --> 00:18:51,625 Martha's about a full schedule. 394 00:18:51,708 --> 00:18:54,042 "We could this, then we could do that, 395 00:18:54,125 --> 00:18:56,625 "and at 10:07 we're gonna chop cucumbers and at 10:11 396 00:18:56,708 --> 00:18:58,792 we're gonna start making flan." 397 00:18:58,875 --> 00:19:02,417 I mean, she's just got this all figured out. 398 00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:06,583 For those of you who are like Martha, you cannot sit down. 399 00:19:06,667 --> 00:19:09,583 This is how you can tell if you're like Martha, right? 400 00:19:09,667 --> 00:19:12,208 You're the person, you go to sit down, you're like, 401 00:19:12,292 --> 00:19:14,208 "Oh, wait a minute. That picture's not even. 402 00:19:14,292 --> 00:19:17,208 "Okay, now I'll sit down. Hi. Oh, wait. 403 00:19:17,292 --> 00:19:19,000 "There's dust on that, dang it. 404 00:19:19,083 --> 00:19:22,000 "Okay, let me dust that. Okay, I'm gonna come sit down. 405 00:19:22,083 --> 00:19:24,375 "Oh, I forgot to put milk on the grocery list. 406 00:19:24,458 --> 00:19:26,292 Okay, let me go write that down." 407 00:19:26,375 --> 00:19:28,458 Come back, "All right, well, I'll tell you what, 408 00:19:28,542 --> 00:19:29,875 "we'll just watch TV. 409 00:19:29,958 --> 00:19:31,875 Oh my gosh, there's fingerprints all over it." 410 00:19:31,958 --> 00:19:34,500 And you can't, you can't, you can't sit down. 411 00:19:34,583 --> 00:19:37,583 You're more like a jack-in-the-box. Right? 412 00:19:37,667 --> 00:19:40,417 I mean, you're just--you can't stop. 413 00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:43,417 You can't stop. That's Martha. 414 00:19:43,500 --> 00:19:45,333 No, let me ask you this. 415 00:19:45,417 --> 00:19:47,500 How many of you are Martha? 416 00:19:47,583 --> 00:19:49,417 Marthas in the house? 417 00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:52,125 Marys? Marys? 418 00:19:52,208 --> 00:19:55,792 How many of you are annoyed with one another? Okay? 419 00:19:55,875 --> 00:19:59,000 You can put your hands down, but if you're married to someone 420 00:19:59,083 --> 00:20:02,292 who's--like, if you're a Mary and you're married to a Martha, 421 00:20:02,375 --> 00:20:05,250 they're annoyed with you a lot. Amen? 422 00:20:05,333 --> 00:20:08,667 They may even be annoyed with you right now 'cause maybe 423 00:20:08,750 --> 00:20:12,333 Mary drove and Martha's in the passenger seat like, 424 00:20:12,417 --> 00:20:14,375 "This is not the shortest route to church. 425 00:20:14,458 --> 00:20:16,375 "We're not going to get there on time. 426 00:20:16,458 --> 00:20:18,417 "There's never any parking at Mars Hill. 427 00:20:18,500 --> 00:20:20,042 You're gonna make us late." 428 00:20:20,125 --> 00:20:22,958 You walk in frustrated, Martha. 429 00:20:23,042 --> 00:20:25,917 And meanwhile, Mary's just like, "We should have probably prayed 430 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,125 "or something, I don't know, like maybe we could have sang 431 00:20:29,208 --> 00:20:32,792 worship songs on the way to church." 432 00:20:32,875 --> 00:20:35,792 Right? 433 00:20:35,875 --> 00:20:37,750 So here's what we're gonna do. 434 00:20:37,833 --> 00:20:40,042 Some of you will say, "Don't stereotype me." 435 00:20:40,125 --> 00:20:43,042 Okay, fine. Stereotype yourself. 436 00:20:43,125 --> 00:20:45,750 You received a nametag on the way in, you're like, 437 00:20:45,833 --> 00:20:47,833 "Did the Baptists take us over? 438 00:20:47,917 --> 00:20:49,375 "Did we get ambushed? 439 00:20:49,458 --> 00:20:51,250 How come we have a nametag?" 440 00:20:51,333 --> 00:20:54,042 You have to write on your nametag who you are, 441 00:20:54,125 --> 00:20:56,875 Mary or Martha, okay? Mary or Martha. 442 00:20:56,958 --> 00:21:00,417 And if you're a guy, you could write Marv or Marty if that's 443 00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:03,792 very difficult for you, but I--okay, write it down. 444 00:21:03,875 --> 00:21:09,583 Who are you? Mary or Martha? Who are you? 445 00:21:09,667 --> 00:21:13,375 Write it down, put your nametag on. All right. 446 00:21:13,458 --> 00:21:16,750 And then I'll--who do you think I am? Martha! 447 00:21:16,833 --> 00:21:20,167 Why do you think I'm in charge today, yelling at all of you? 448 00:21:20,250 --> 00:21:22,958 If it was Mary, I'd come down and hug you. 449 00:21:23,042 --> 00:21:24,667 That's not gonna happen. 450 00:21:24,750 --> 00:21:26,625 All right, so here I am. 451 00:21:26,708 --> 00:21:28,750 And this is gonna look awesome on YouTube, 452 00:21:28,833 --> 00:21:30,333 "Hi, my name is Martha." 453 00:21:30,417 --> 00:21:34,458 And you're like, "Wow, she's had a hard life, that one." 454 00:21:34,542 --> 00:21:40,333 [congregation laughing] 455 00:21:40,417 --> 00:21:43,500 All right? So put your nametag on. 456 00:21:43,583 --> 00:21:46,833 How many Marys? Okay, okay. 457 00:21:46,917 --> 00:21:48,458 How many Marthas? 458 00:21:48,542 --> 00:21:50,917 Some of you say, "I don't know which I am." 459 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:52,542 Well then you're Mary. 460 00:21:52,625 --> 00:21:54,542 [congregation laughing] 461 00:21:54,625 --> 00:21:56,375 All right? 462 00:21:56,458 --> 00:22:00,250 Martha knows. 463 00:22:00,333 --> 00:22:03,333 Amen? 464 00:22:04,542 --> 00:22:05,917 All right. 465 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,083 We're gonna look at Mary and Martha a little more. 466 00:22:09,167 --> 00:22:10,583 It's kinda fun, isn't it? 467 00:22:10,667 --> 00:22:12,250 It's good. All right. 468 00:22:12,333 --> 00:22:13,833 So we're gonna look at Mary. 469 00:22:13,917 --> 00:22:15,500 Now, first we're gonna look at Mary. 470 00:22:15,583 --> 00:22:18,500 For those of you that wrote down Mary, this is for you. 471 00:22:18,583 --> 00:22:21,750 This is what the Scriptures say here about Mary. 472 00:22:21,833 --> 00:22:24,750 Luke 10:39, "Mary...sat at the Lord's feet and listened 473 00:22:24,833 --> 00:22:26,750 to his teaching." 474 00:22:26,833 --> 00:22:28,625 Here's what the Marys like. 475 00:22:28,708 --> 00:22:30,500 Marys need time in the Bible. 476 00:22:30,583 --> 00:22:32,333 They need silence and solitude and prayer. 477 00:22:32,417 --> 00:22:33,792 They need to go to church. 478 00:22:33,875 --> 00:22:35,500 They need to go to community group. 479 00:22:35,583 --> 00:22:37,542 They need to go to Redemption Group. 480 00:22:37,625 --> 00:22:41,708 They need to be with God's people and they need to sit at Jesus' feet. 481 00:22:41,792 --> 00:22:43,333 That's Mary. 482 00:22:43,417 --> 00:22:46,333 She wants to sit with her brothers and sisters in Christ 483 00:22:46,417 --> 00:22:49,417 and she wants to learn the Bible and she wants to pray 484 00:22:49,500 --> 00:22:52,542 and she wants to be equipped for ministry so that she can have 485 00:22:52,625 --> 00:22:56,417 a heart that is full of love for Jesus and a life that is filled 486 00:22:56,500 --> 00:22:59,417 with good works with Jesus. Amen? That's Mary. 487 00:22:59,500 --> 00:23:01,667 Mary is fantastic. She's amazing. 488 00:23:01,750 --> 00:23:06,167 Luke 10:42, Jesus, in speaking of Mary to Martha, says this, 489 00:23:06,250 --> 00:23:07,708 "'One thing is necessary. 490 00:23:07,792 --> 00:23:09,333 "'Mary has chosen the good portion, 491 00:23:09,417 --> 00:23:13,083 which will not be taken away from her.'" 492 00:23:13,167 --> 00:23:14,667 Here's what Jesus is saying, 493 00:23:14,750 --> 00:23:18,667 "Martha, there's a lot you can do, 494 00:23:18,750 --> 00:23:22,167 "but there's something that's most important. 495 00:23:22,250 --> 00:23:24,750 "In fact, Martha, you could take everything you've ever written 496 00:23:24,833 --> 00:23:30,292 "on every to-do list and combine their importance and they're not 497 00:23:30,375 --> 00:23:36,167 as important as getting time with me." 498 00:23:36,250 --> 00:23:38,958 Mary chose the good portion. 499 00:23:39,042 --> 00:23:42,250 And here he's using curious language because what's Martha 500 00:23:42,333 --> 00:23:44,750 been doing all day? 501 00:23:44,833 --> 00:23:47,792 Preparing a meal for Jesus and his friends, 502 00:23:47,875 --> 00:23:53,083 as well as his fans, and I'm sure she was going to serve 503 00:23:53,167 --> 00:23:55,667 Jesus the good portion. 504 00:23:55,750 --> 00:23:57,542 All right? 505 00:23:57,625 --> 00:23:59,875 He was gonna get the big piece of chicken, right? 506 00:23:59,958 --> 00:24:02,542 And everybody'd be like, "How come Jesus' chunk of cake is 507 00:24:02,625 --> 00:24:04,167 always bigger than ours?" 508 00:24:04,250 --> 00:24:06,333 Because he's God! 509 00:24:06,417 --> 00:24:09,667 So he always gets the chicken leg and the big piece of cake. 510 00:24:09,750 --> 00:24:12,333 That's the good portion. 511 00:24:12,417 --> 00:24:15,250 And what he tells her is, "You know what, Martha? 512 00:24:15,333 --> 00:24:17,958 "You are trying to give me the good portion. 513 00:24:18,042 --> 00:24:21,417 "Mary was wise, humble, teachable, 514 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:23,292 "and available and present. 515 00:24:23,375 --> 00:24:25,708 "I gave her the good portion. 516 00:24:25,792 --> 00:24:29,250 "She got the best feast of all because man does not live on 517 00:24:29,333 --> 00:24:34,542 "bread alone, but every word that proceeds from God. 518 00:24:34,625 --> 00:24:38,333 Mary spent time with me and I taught her." 519 00:24:38,417 --> 00:24:40,958 Jesus is her good portion. 520 00:24:41,042 --> 00:24:48,750 Jesus is our good portion, one that will never be taken away. 521 00:24:48,833 --> 00:24:51,417 Once you're done with a meal, it's over. 522 00:24:51,500 --> 00:24:55,833 Once you've spent time with Jesus, that gift lasts forever. 523 00:24:55,917 --> 00:24:58,417 You're never the same. 524 00:24:58,500 --> 00:25:02,875 And so Mary is this gal who has her priorities straight, first things first. 525 00:25:02,958 --> 00:25:06,250 Let me tell you what Mary's not, 'cause I know some of you. 526 00:25:06,333 --> 00:25:09,500 And some of you are lazy, selfish, disorganized, 527 00:25:09,583 --> 00:25:11,250 and ridiculous. 528 00:25:11,333 --> 00:25:14,333 And you will say, "Well, I'm like Mary." 529 00:25:14,417 --> 00:25:15,833 No, you're not! 530 00:25:15,917 --> 00:25:18,375 She's not playing the Wii, right? 531 00:25:18,458 --> 00:25:21,458 I mean, she's spending time with--just 'cause you don't do 532 00:25:21,542 --> 00:25:25,250 anything doesn't mean you're like Mary, okay? 533 00:25:25,333 --> 00:25:28,167 Okay, you're like Judas. He comes up later in the story. 534 00:25:28,250 --> 00:25:30,250 That's a totally different person in the story. 535 00:25:30,333 --> 00:25:34,042 So you can't just say, "I don't do things 'cause I'm holy like Mary." 536 00:25:34,125 --> 00:25:37,250 No, no, no, no. It's not that Mary's doing nothing, 537 00:25:37,333 --> 00:25:38,833 it's Mary's doing first things first. 538 00:25:38,917 --> 00:25:40,458 The good portion is Jesus. 539 00:25:40,542 --> 00:25:43,333 She's getting time to be discipled by him. 540 00:25:43,417 --> 00:25:44,792 You get that? 541 00:25:44,875 --> 00:25:46,500 And now we'll talk about Martha. 542 00:25:46,583 --> 00:25:49,750 Now, let me say this about Martha. 543 00:25:49,833 --> 00:25:55,500 I love Martha and I don't like the way she gets treated. 544 00:25:55,583 --> 00:25:59,125 Now that could be because I'm Martha and I'm sensitive here. 545 00:25:59,208 --> 00:26:00,375 Now let me explain this. 546 00:26:00,458 --> 00:26:03,250 The way it usually goes is Mary's bad--or rather, 547 00:26:03,333 --> 00:26:05,417 Martha's bad, Mary's good. 548 00:26:05,500 --> 00:26:08,583 Be like Mary, don't be like Martha. 549 00:26:08,667 --> 00:26:11,208 Then we all kind of get judgmental and religious 550 00:26:11,292 --> 00:26:14,792 and then we sort of condemn all the Marthas and then all 551 00:26:14,875 --> 00:26:17,125 the Marthas--this doesn't help Marthas at all. 552 00:26:17,208 --> 00:26:18,708 All Martha does is says, 553 00:26:18,792 --> 00:26:21,500 "Well, then I gotta put more things on my to-do list. 554 00:26:21,583 --> 00:26:24,333 "I need to read my Bible and pray and choke Mary. 555 00:26:24,417 --> 00:26:28,000 You know, I need to do these things." 556 00:26:28,083 --> 00:26:30,750 And it doesn't help Martha at all because it just degenerates 557 00:26:30,833 --> 00:26:38,125 it into a competition and it fuels the task--chore, list, 558 00:26:38,208 --> 00:26:40,458 works--righteousness. 559 00:26:40,542 --> 00:26:43,083 So I like Martha, okay? 560 00:26:43,167 --> 00:26:46,375 And I think Martha gets a little bit of a bad bum rap. 561 00:26:46,458 --> 00:26:49,250 And there is a good aspect to Martha. 562 00:26:49,333 --> 00:26:51,417 I'll show it to you here in Luke 10:38, 563 00:26:51,500 --> 00:26:54,042 "a woman named Martha welcomed him [Jesus] 564 00:26:54,125 --> 00:26:55,542 "into her house." 565 00:26:55,625 --> 00:26:58,917 Jesus comes to town, who's the only person that invites him over? 566 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,917 Martha! That's a good thing. 567 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,833 There are benefits to hanging out around Martha. 568 00:27:04,917 --> 00:27:06,625 Ask Mary. All right? 569 00:27:06,708 --> 00:27:09,042 Apparently, Mary's sitting in the living room and she's, 570 00:27:09,125 --> 00:27:12,375 you know, I don't know, getting her quiet time with the Lord, 571 00:27:12,458 --> 00:27:15,833 and because Martha invites him over she gets time to sit 572 00:27:15,917 --> 00:27:17,417 at Jesus' feet. 573 00:27:17,500 --> 00:27:21,250 That's a real bonus for Mary that Martha made possible. 574 00:27:21,333 --> 00:27:24,042 Now, I don't know for sure who owned the house, 575 00:27:24,125 --> 00:27:25,833 but her house--maybe this is Martha's house. 576 00:27:25,917 --> 00:27:28,833 Maybe she picked it out and paid the mortgage and organized it 577 00:27:28,917 --> 00:27:31,625 all and she's the queen bee and this is her nest. 578 00:27:31,708 --> 00:27:33,417 I don't know. 579 00:27:33,500 --> 00:27:35,917 But she does welcome Jesus into her home. 580 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,375 She's not an atheist. She's not a godless woman. 581 00:27:38,458 --> 00:27:39,792 She loves Jesus. 582 00:27:39,875 --> 00:27:43,208 Her whole life is open to him. Her home is open to him. 583 00:27:43,292 --> 00:27:44,792 She loves Jesus, Jesus loves her. 584 00:27:44,875 --> 00:27:47,208 She serves Jesus. She's attentive to Jesus. 585 00:27:47,292 --> 00:27:48,875 She's concerned for Jesus. 586 00:27:48,958 --> 00:27:51,917 She's a mature believer and a godly woman who actually does 587 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,500 some really wonderful things and as you read the rest 588 00:27:54,583 --> 00:27:57,500 of the gospels, including over into John, 589 00:27:57,583 --> 00:28:00,083 there are more occasions where she shows up. 590 00:28:00,167 --> 00:28:02,375 She's an impressive gal, she's an astute gal, 591 00:28:02,458 --> 00:28:06,667 she has some character defects, but Jesus is working on them. 592 00:28:06,750 --> 00:28:10,333 So let's not dismiss Martha. 593 00:28:10,417 --> 00:28:11,875 That's good Martha. 594 00:28:11,958 --> 00:28:13,500 Now we'll go to bad Martha. 595 00:28:13,583 --> 00:28:16,333 Martha has a Martha moment here. 596 00:28:16,417 --> 00:28:21,042 Luke 10:40-42, "But Martha was," what's the word? 597 00:28:21,125 --> 00:28:24,292 "Distracted with much serving." 598 00:28:24,375 --> 00:28:27,417 Can you be overextended, overcommitted? 599 00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:29,042 Yeah. 600 00:28:29,125 --> 00:28:31,875 Can you reach the point where you have nominated yourself 601 00:28:31,958 --> 00:28:37,250 to do too much and you get distracted? 602 00:28:37,333 --> 00:28:39,583 "And she went up him," who? 603 00:28:39,667 --> 00:28:41,542 Jesus. 604 00:28:41,625 --> 00:28:45,833 "And said, 'Lord, do you not care--'" ooh. 605 00:28:45,917 --> 00:28:47,583 That's not right. 606 00:28:47,667 --> 00:28:50,083 "'Do you not care?'" 607 00:28:50,167 --> 00:28:51,875 Here's what happens to those 608 00:28:51,958 --> 00:28:55,458 who have a Martha heart. 609 00:28:55,542 --> 00:28:58,000 They become resentful. 610 00:28:58,083 --> 00:29:00,667 Now, outwardly it looks like they're worshiping. 611 00:29:00,750 --> 00:29:04,542 Inwardly they're seething. 612 00:29:04,625 --> 00:29:06,875 "No one ever helps. No one does their part. 613 00:29:06,958 --> 00:29:09,750 "No one follows through. I can't depend on anyone. 614 00:29:09,833 --> 00:29:14,208 "No one ever helps me. I love the Lord the most! 615 00:29:14,292 --> 00:29:17,542 "I'm working the hardest! I'm burned out and frustrated! 616 00:29:17,625 --> 00:29:20,333 How come you never help?" 617 00:29:20,417 --> 00:29:22,333 How many of you moms, you're like, 618 00:29:22,417 --> 00:29:26,333 "We shouldn't say that to our kids?" 619 00:29:26,417 --> 00:29:29,417 Right? 620 00:29:29,500 --> 00:29:34,542 You feel self-righteous and judgmental and holy because 621 00:29:34,625 --> 00:29:36,542 you're responsible. 622 00:29:36,625 --> 00:29:42,042 You see needs and you work hard to meet them. 623 00:29:42,125 --> 00:29:44,458 Be careful, Martha. 624 00:29:44,542 --> 00:29:49,042 She walks up to Jesus, "Do you not care?" 625 00:29:49,125 --> 00:29:51,042 Jesus would say, "Yeah, I created the heavens 626 00:29:51,125 --> 00:29:54,458 "and the earth and I'm on my way to Jerusalem to atone 627 00:29:54,542 --> 00:29:58,417 for the sin of the world. I care. Thanks for the cake." 628 00:29:58,500 --> 00:30:05,042 You know? We show our care maybe a little differently. 629 00:30:05,125 --> 00:30:07,417 How many of you have felt this way? 630 00:30:07,500 --> 00:30:09,042 "No one cares." 631 00:30:09,125 --> 00:30:11,417 This can even happen when you're involved in ministry. 632 00:30:11,500 --> 00:30:13,042 You're involved in community groups? 633 00:30:13,125 --> 00:30:14,500 "No one cares about community groups." 634 00:30:14,583 --> 00:30:16,042 You're in Redemption Groups? 635 00:30:16,125 --> 00:30:17,667 "No one cares about Redemption Groups." 636 00:30:17,750 --> 00:30:20,250 Whatever it is, "No one cares as much as me. 637 00:30:20,333 --> 00:30:23,250 "It's all up to me. Woe is me. 638 00:30:23,333 --> 00:30:25,333 "I'm the only dependable, faithful one 639 00:30:25,417 --> 00:30:26,917 and I'm burnt out and frustrated." 640 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,500 And sometimes our prayer life can even sound like Mary's, 641 00:30:29,583 --> 00:30:31,333 "Lord, do you not care?" 642 00:30:31,417 --> 00:30:33,167 And we start bossing God around. 643 00:30:33,250 --> 00:30:36,542 You can read it, "'Do you not care that my sister has left me 644 00:30:36,625 --> 00:30:38,458 to serve all alone?'" 645 00:30:38,542 --> 00:30:40,458 This is tattle tale-ing. 646 00:30:40,542 --> 00:30:42,375 You can tell they're sisters, right? 647 00:30:42,458 --> 00:30:44,042 Right? You can see this. 648 00:30:44,125 --> 00:30:45,750 It starts when they're little. 649 00:30:45,833 --> 00:30:48,083 You can see Martha, stomping in, "Mom! 650 00:30:48,167 --> 00:30:51,417 "Mary's just in there dancing and singing worship songs. 651 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:54,667 "She's not setting the table! She's not helping! 652 00:30:54,750 --> 00:30:57,125 "She's doing it again! 653 00:30:57,208 --> 00:30:59,500 "She's got a tutu on, she's just playing. 654 00:30:59,583 --> 00:31:01,292 She's not!" 655 00:31:01,375 --> 00:31:03,083 "What are you doing, Mary?" 656 00:31:03,167 --> 00:31:05,500 "I'm singing to Jesus, woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo." 657 00:31:05,583 --> 00:31:06,958 Right? 658 00:31:07,042 --> 00:31:10,375 You can see Martha running in, "I did her chores. 659 00:31:10,458 --> 00:31:14,500 I set the table. I did it all myself, Mom." 660 00:31:14,583 --> 00:31:18,458 Ahh, the Martha heart. 661 00:31:18,542 --> 00:31:23,167 And so, it continues. 662 00:31:23,250 --> 00:31:25,917 "'Tell her then to help me!'" 663 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,792 Who is Martha bossing around? 664 00:31:29,875 --> 00:31:33,333 Jesus. 665 00:31:33,417 --> 00:31:35,208 That's a bad day. 666 00:31:35,292 --> 00:31:36,708 Right? 667 00:31:36,792 --> 00:31:38,208 "Do you not care? 668 00:31:38,292 --> 00:31:40,792 "Jesus, if you would just do what you were told, 669 00:31:40,875 --> 00:31:42,583 "I would have this all knocked out! 670 00:31:42,667 --> 00:31:44,333 "I have a plan! 671 00:31:44,417 --> 00:31:47,542 "And you and Mary just sitting in there like singing songs and 672 00:31:47,625 --> 00:31:52,958 memorizing verses, hey, that does not get meals made!" 673 00:31:53,042 --> 00:31:57,375 Now, she should have already heard that Jesus makes food. 674 00:31:57,458 --> 00:32:01,375 He's already--right? 675 00:32:01,458 --> 00:32:03,375 I mean, a little earlier in the book, 676 00:32:03,458 --> 00:32:06,000 a little boy came up to Jesus with a Lunchable 677 00:32:06,083 --> 00:32:09,667 and he fed a stadium. Right? 678 00:32:09,750 --> 00:32:12,667 She could have went in there and sat down and said, 679 00:32:12,750 --> 00:32:15,542 "Hey, Jesus, you know what? Everybody's hungry. 680 00:32:15,625 --> 00:32:18,583 "Do that free lunch thing and I'll be taking notes 681 00:32:18,667 --> 00:32:20,708 here at the Bible study." 682 00:32:20,792 --> 00:32:22,542 She doesn't do that. 683 00:32:22,625 --> 00:32:25,333 Instead she nominates herself for something that Jesus didn't 684 00:32:25,417 --> 00:32:29,000 appoint her to and then she's frustrated when Jesus doesn't do 685 00:32:29,083 --> 00:32:31,667 what she tells him. 686 00:32:31,750 --> 00:32:33,500 Doh! 687 00:32:33,583 --> 00:32:36,125 What a Martha am I? 688 00:32:36,208 --> 00:32:38,500 How many of you are burned out, frustrated, 689 00:32:38,583 --> 00:32:40,917 doing things that Jesus didn't ask you to do 690 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,083 in the first place? 691 00:32:43,167 --> 00:32:46,417 And all the Marys are sitting next to Marthas going, 692 00:32:46,500 --> 00:32:49,500 "This is the best sermon ever. 693 00:32:49,583 --> 00:32:54,750 This is the best sermon ever." 694 00:32:54,833 --> 00:32:57,042 I can tell you why Martha's single. 695 00:32:57,125 --> 00:32:58,875 She nags a lot! 696 00:32:58,958 --> 00:33:01,458 She's a nag. 697 00:33:01,542 --> 00:33:03,042 Right? 698 00:33:03,125 --> 00:33:05,833 Anytime Jesus shows up at your house and you're chasing him 699 00:33:05,917 --> 00:33:08,083 around with a wooden spoon? 700 00:33:08,167 --> 00:33:12,833 That may be a reason why men are not attracted to you. 701 00:33:12,917 --> 00:33:14,542 Oh, it's okay. 702 00:33:14,625 --> 00:33:16,375 We'll edit that out. 703 00:33:16,458 --> 00:33:20,417 "But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha,'" 704 00:33:20,500 --> 00:33:22,292 which is a term of endearment. 705 00:33:22,375 --> 00:33:26,125 This is-- "Come on, Martha. 706 00:33:26,208 --> 00:33:29,000 "Hello. I'm God. 707 00:33:29,083 --> 00:33:32,042 "Martha, please. 708 00:33:32,125 --> 00:33:35,042 Think this through with me here." 709 00:33:35,125 --> 00:33:36,833 "'You are,'" what? 710 00:33:36,917 --> 00:33:39,708 "'Anxious.'" Stressed out, freaked out. 711 00:33:39,792 --> 00:33:44,458 Furrowed brow, grumpy, grouchy, and troubled. 712 00:33:44,542 --> 00:33:46,250 "Oh, we're never gonna get this done. 713 00:33:46,333 --> 00:33:48,625 "This'll never work. There's too much to do. 714 00:33:48,708 --> 00:33:50,833 "I can't believe he dropped in on me. 715 00:33:50,917 --> 00:33:53,542 "How come he has to have so many people with him? 716 00:33:53,625 --> 00:33:55,500 "He didn't call in advance! 717 00:33:55,583 --> 00:33:57,458 This is not acceptable." 718 00:33:57,542 --> 00:34:00,833 She is "troubled about many things, 719 00:34:00,917 --> 00:34:03,375 but one thing is necessary." 720 00:34:03,458 --> 00:34:05,458 "Martha, I know you're freaked out. 721 00:34:05,542 --> 00:34:07,458 "You got a million things to do. 722 00:34:07,542 --> 00:34:09,333 "You're never gonna get 'em all done. 723 00:34:09,417 --> 00:34:11,458 "So how about if we start with this? 724 00:34:11,542 --> 00:34:14,917 Spend some time with me." 725 00:34:17,958 --> 00:34:21,542 Here's my conclusion. 726 00:34:21,625 --> 00:34:24,375 Not to the sermon. That's gonna be a long time. 727 00:34:24,458 --> 00:34:29,500 But to the issue. 728 00:34:29,583 --> 00:34:33,292 I think the point of the Bible here is Mary first, 729 00:34:33,375 --> 00:34:36,750 Martha second. 730 00:34:36,833 --> 00:34:40,542 Spend time with Jesus, then get stuff done. 731 00:34:40,625 --> 00:34:45,167 To worship like Mary and then to work like Martha. 732 00:34:45,250 --> 00:34:48,625 If all Mary ever does is sits there and studies and never does 733 00:34:48,708 --> 00:34:53,750 anything, she's sinful in a completely different way. All right? 734 00:34:53,833 --> 00:34:58,375 This would be like the guy who's on his thirty-second year of Bible college. 735 00:34:58,458 --> 00:35:01,417 It's like, "Dude, seriously, go do something." 736 00:35:01,500 --> 00:35:04,958 But if all she does is Martha, do, do, do, do, do, go do, 737 00:35:05,042 --> 00:35:07,500 go do, go, go, go, go? 738 00:35:07,583 --> 00:35:13,917 She's gonna end up distracted, anxious, troubled. 739 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:17,625 And so the key is Mary first, Martha second. 740 00:35:17,708 --> 00:35:19,542 Worship, then work. 741 00:35:19,625 --> 00:35:22,458 Worship God before you work so that you could worship God 742 00:35:22,542 --> 00:35:24,167 in your work. 743 00:35:24,250 --> 00:35:26,958 And do the work that God has called you to do, 744 00:35:27,042 --> 00:35:30,667 not chasing your potential, but pursuing your calling. 745 00:35:30,750 --> 00:35:34,083 Not volunteering yourself as the savior of the world 746 00:35:34,167 --> 00:35:36,417 to plug every hole and meet every need. 747 00:35:36,500 --> 00:35:38,000 That job's already taken. 748 00:35:38,083 --> 00:35:40,792 And instead to spend time with the savior of the world, 749 00:35:40,875 --> 00:35:42,750 asking him what portion of the mission 750 00:35:42,833 --> 00:35:46,542 he's entrusted to your service. 751 00:35:46,625 --> 00:35:49,542 So we want Mary's heart and we want Martha's hands. 752 00:35:49,625 --> 00:35:52,750 Amen? That's what we want. 753 00:35:52,833 --> 00:35:54,542 We want Mary's heart, Martha's hands. 754 00:35:54,625 --> 00:35:56,375 Now let me ask you this. 755 00:35:56,458 --> 00:35:59,375 Do we live in a Mary world or a Martha world? 756 00:35:59,458 --> 00:36:01,292 We live in a Martha world, friends. 757 00:36:01,375 --> 00:36:07,208 We live in a Martha--the Marthas rule the world. 758 00:36:07,292 --> 00:36:11,333 America is now the most overworked country in America. 759 00:36:11,417 --> 00:36:13,667 Americans work more hours every year 760 00:36:13,750 --> 00:36:18,333 than any other nation on earth. 761 00:36:18,417 --> 00:36:24,542 We take our laptops on vacation if we go on vacation. 762 00:36:24,625 --> 00:36:28,417 We have our phones and our technology connected at home, 763 00:36:28,500 --> 00:36:32,292 on our day off, late into the night. 764 00:36:32,375 --> 00:36:37,333 Work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work. 765 00:36:37,417 --> 00:36:39,000 And what happens? 766 00:36:39,083 --> 00:36:40,792 We're troubled. 767 00:36:40,875 --> 00:36:42,667 We're anxious. 768 00:36:42,750 --> 00:36:44,583 We're distracted. 769 00:36:44,667 --> 00:36:47,500 And it leads to all kinds of difficulty. 770 00:36:47,583 --> 00:36:54,417 Stress, anxiety, depression, bouts with anger, heart disease, 771 00:36:57,500 --> 00:37:03,500 much of it attributed to playing by the rules of a fallen, 772 00:37:03,583 --> 00:37:08,583 sin-filled, cursed, Martha world. 773 00:37:08,667 --> 00:37:13,708 God has intended this world to be Mary first, then Martha. 774 00:37:13,792 --> 00:37:19,750 God built this world to be a Mary world with Martha moments. 775 00:37:19,833 --> 00:37:22,292 Now, in Genesis 3, when sin enters the world 776 00:37:22,375 --> 00:37:25,375 and our work becomes cursed and laborious toil, 777 00:37:25,458 --> 00:37:29,917 it turned into a Martha world in which we have to fight 778 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,458 for Mary moments. 779 00:37:32,542 --> 00:37:34,792 I'll explain this to you in two ways. 780 00:37:34,875 --> 00:37:40,292 Number one, in Genesis 1 and 2 that is the world as God 781 00:37:40,375 --> 00:37:44,500 created it, quote, "very good," Genesis 1:31, before sin, 782 00:37:44,583 --> 00:37:48,458 fall, and the curse, and there was work to be done, 783 00:37:48,542 --> 00:37:52,083 but what we see is that it is a Mary world where the man 784 00:37:52,167 --> 00:37:55,833 and the woman walk with the Lord God in the cool of the day. 785 00:37:55,917 --> 00:37:59,917 They get time, proverbially speaking, at the feet of Jesus. 786 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,542 They're in constant communion and relation and affection 787 00:38:02,625 --> 00:38:04,750 and communication with the God of the Bible. 788 00:38:04,833 --> 00:38:07,167 It's a Mary world with Martha moments, 789 00:38:07,250 --> 00:38:10,542 which is why in Genesis 2 it says that the Lord God created 790 00:38:10,625 --> 00:38:14,542 the man and put him in the garden to what? To work. 791 00:38:14,625 --> 00:38:17,542 So the world is to be a Mary world with Martha moments, 792 00:38:17,625 --> 00:38:22,250 communion with God and then work. 793 00:38:22,333 --> 00:38:25,333 We see this, as well, in Genesis 1, 794 00:38:25,417 --> 00:38:27,792 where it describes the days of creation, 795 00:38:27,875 --> 00:38:30,208 saying there was evening and morning the first day. 796 00:38:30,292 --> 00:38:31,750 Evening and morning the second day. 797 00:38:31,833 --> 00:38:33,417 Evening and morning the third day. 798 00:38:33,500 --> 00:38:35,500 And so on and so forth. 799 00:38:35,583 --> 00:38:39,125 And some of you, some of you may have caught this and you 800 00:38:39,208 --> 00:38:41,958 realize, "Oh, that's not how we account for time 801 00:38:42,042 --> 00:38:44,500 in the Martha world." Okay? 802 00:38:44,583 --> 00:38:47,667 In the Martha world, when does your day start? 803 00:38:47,750 --> 00:38:49,500 In the morning. 804 00:38:49,583 --> 00:38:51,792 So the alarm goes off, your adrenaline fires, 805 00:38:51,875 --> 00:38:55,875 you jump out of bed and run like you're insane. 806 00:38:55,958 --> 00:38:59,125 And you go, go, go, go, do, do, do, do, do, do, do. 807 00:38:59,208 --> 00:39:01,208 You're frustrated, you're anxious, you're tired, 808 00:39:01,292 --> 00:39:03,625 you're burned out, you're angry at everyone, 809 00:39:03,708 --> 00:39:06,750 you hate the traffic, you're loading up on caffeine, 810 00:39:06,833 --> 00:39:10,833 you can't stop working, and then you just run home and you work 811 00:39:10,917 --> 00:39:14,083 some more and your mind is consumed and then you fall into 812 00:39:14,167 --> 00:39:17,375 bed and you're hoping for a Mary moment and you can't start 813 00:39:17,458 --> 00:39:20,792 sleeping because your mind is racing and your heart is 814 00:39:20,875 --> 00:39:23,583 burdened and you're distracted and you're troubled 815 00:39:23,667 --> 00:39:28,333 and you're anxious. 816 00:39:28,417 --> 00:39:31,708 And you've burned yourself out on a Martha day and you're 817 00:39:31,792 --> 00:39:34,792 trying to throw a Mary moment at the end. 818 00:39:34,875 --> 00:39:37,083 And the way that God established the world, 819 00:39:37,167 --> 00:39:38,833 it's evening and morning, evening and morning, 820 00:39:38,917 --> 00:39:40,458 and evening and morning. 821 00:39:40,542 --> 00:39:43,458 The rhythm of our day is Mary then Martha, Mary then Martha, 822 00:39:43,542 --> 00:39:45,292 Mary then Martha, Mary then Martha. 823 00:39:45,375 --> 00:39:47,042 Because if the day starts at sundown, 824 00:39:47,125 --> 00:39:49,500 in that culture where there's no technology, no electricity, 825 00:39:49,583 --> 00:39:54,292 no transportation, no formal digital communication, 826 00:39:54,375 --> 00:39:57,500 what happens when it becomes dark? 827 00:39:57,583 --> 00:39:59,500 You go home. 828 00:39:59,583 --> 00:40:02,500 You put a log on the fire and you light a candle 829 00:40:02,583 --> 00:40:06,625 and you start the wind down. 830 00:40:06,708 --> 00:40:09,500 You eat dinner. 831 00:40:09,583 --> 00:40:12,542 You enjoy your family. 832 00:40:12,625 --> 00:40:14,250 You read. You pray. 833 00:40:14,333 --> 00:40:16,333 You play games. You visit. 834 00:40:16,417 --> 00:40:20,583 You snuggle with your kids. You hold hands with your spouse. 835 00:40:20,667 --> 00:40:26,542 You have a few friends over and just enjoy their company. 836 00:40:26,625 --> 00:40:28,833 That's evening. 837 00:40:28,917 --> 00:40:34,833 And then as you have your Mary moment, you have hours of Mary. 838 00:40:34,917 --> 00:40:37,833 Then, when the morning comes, that's not the beginning of your 839 00:40:37,917 --> 00:40:41,042 day, that's the end of your day. 840 00:40:41,125 --> 00:40:44,042 You will have been worshiping, and then out of your worshiping 841 00:40:44,125 --> 00:40:48,417 comes your working as another aspect of your worship. 842 00:40:48,500 --> 00:40:51,500 So then you get up in the morning, you go to work. 843 00:40:51,583 --> 00:40:56,333 But you do so with a Mary heart, having spent time with God and 844 00:40:56,417 --> 00:41:01,458 his people in community and communion with him and others. 845 00:41:01,542 --> 00:41:04,250 Let me ask you this, practically. 846 00:41:04,333 --> 00:41:09,542 Do you have your evenings well thought out and planned? 847 00:41:09,625 --> 00:41:16,750 Or is it just run home in a hurried, frantic, insane pace, 848 00:41:16,833 --> 00:41:21,750 eat something, watch TV, total chaos, crash, 849 00:41:21,833 --> 00:41:26,958 hoping to get some rest with your mind consumed for what you 850 00:41:27,042 --> 00:41:30,667 did not finish today and what you have to do tomorrow? 851 00:41:30,750 --> 00:41:39,750 Or have you prioritized your evenings as the good portion? 852 00:41:39,833 --> 00:41:42,833 We need to get the evenings figured out first. 853 00:41:42,917 --> 00:41:49,375 Meal, Sabbath, friendship, family, reading, Bible, prayer, 854 00:41:49,458 --> 00:41:56,292 sleep, and then go to work and get stuff done. 855 00:41:57,458 --> 00:42:00,917 And by go to work, that doesn't mean you're going to a paid job. 856 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:04,000 That may mean you're a stay-at-home mom, 857 00:42:04,083 --> 00:42:08,083 but you get your Martha work done after your Mary time 858 00:42:08,167 --> 00:42:09,500 the night before. 859 00:42:09,583 --> 00:42:12,458 Evening and morning: the first day. 860 00:42:12,542 --> 00:42:14,958 Evening and morning: the second day. 861 00:42:15,042 --> 00:42:16,750 Evening and morning: the third day. 862 00:42:16,833 --> 00:42:18,333 Evening is where it all begins. 863 00:42:18,417 --> 00:42:21,333 Some of you, your big problem right now is your days are 864 00:42:21,417 --> 00:42:24,542 organized, your nights are not. 865 00:42:24,625 --> 00:42:26,375 Your days are effective, 866 00:42:26,458 --> 00:42:31,375 your nights are not reflective time for God. 867 00:42:31,458 --> 00:42:34,625 I'll give you another example of how God intends us to live 868 00:42:34,708 --> 00:42:37,458 in a Mary world with Martha moments. 869 00:42:37,542 --> 00:42:40,458 Some of you may have noticed that the Bible says that Jesus 870 00:42:40,542 --> 00:42:43,833 would be dead for three days and then rise again. 871 00:42:43,917 --> 00:42:46,417 And you read the Bible, he dies on a Friday, 872 00:42:46,500 --> 00:42:48,500 he rises on a Sunday, and you say, 873 00:42:48,583 --> 00:42:50,333 "Well, that's not three complete days. 874 00:42:50,417 --> 00:42:53,500 How does that count for three days?" Here's how it works. 875 00:42:53,583 --> 00:42:56,542 Again, morning and evening, the way that the Bible reckons time 876 00:42:56,625 --> 00:42:58,042 is different than us. 877 00:42:58,125 --> 00:43:03,375 And so Jesus is deceased for a portion of three full days 878 00:43:03,458 --> 00:43:06,458 and when Jesus rises from death, conquering sin, 879 00:43:06,542 --> 00:43:10,375 reconciling us to God, sending us the Holy Spirit to become new 880 00:43:10,458 --> 00:43:14,750 people with new passions, new pleasures, and new futures, 881 00:43:14,833 --> 00:43:17,375 he does so on what day of the week? 882 00:43:17,458 --> 00:43:22,875 What day upon which does Jesus rise from death? 883 00:43:22,958 --> 00:43:24,708 Sunday. 884 00:43:24,792 --> 00:43:32,458 Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, it says that Jesus rose on, quote, 885 00:43:32,542 --> 00:43:35,958 "the first day of the week." 886 00:43:36,042 --> 00:43:38,750 You know what the first day of the week is now? 887 00:43:38,833 --> 00:43:41,833 Sabbath Sunday. 888 00:43:41,917 --> 00:43:46,958 The day starts with Mary time and then Martha time, 889 00:43:47,042 --> 00:43:52,458 and the week starts with a Mary day followed by six Martha days. 890 00:43:52,542 --> 00:43:54,250 You get it? 891 00:43:54,333 --> 00:43:57,417 So the first priority, Sunday's not the last day of the week. 892 00:43:57,500 --> 00:44:01,875 You don't run like Martha and then collapse and try 893 00:44:01,958 --> 00:44:04,292 and recover in a Mary day. 894 00:44:04,375 --> 00:44:06,917 You make that first priority and you start thinking about, 895 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:08,917 "How do I reclaim the Sabbath?" 896 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:10,333 Not in a legalistic way. 897 00:44:10,417 --> 00:44:12,583 Sometimes people legalistically rule the Sabbath. 898 00:44:12,667 --> 00:44:15,000 That's what happens when Martha takes over the Sabbath. 899 00:44:15,083 --> 00:44:17,750 All of a sudden it's a whole to--you can't do this, 900 00:44:17,833 --> 00:44:20,167 you gotta do that, you can't walk this far, 901 00:44:20,250 --> 00:44:22,542 you can't eat that, you gotta prepare your meals 902 00:44:22,625 --> 00:44:24,542 the night before, you're like, "Oh, my gosh, 903 00:44:24,625 --> 00:44:27,542 "I can't wait to go back to work where it was simple 904 00:44:27,625 --> 00:44:29,958 and I didn't have such a massive to-do list." 905 00:44:30,042 --> 00:44:32,750 When Martha takes over the Sabbath, it's no fun at all. 906 00:44:32,833 --> 00:44:35,333 The point of the Sabbath is rest, connect with God, 907 00:44:35,417 --> 00:44:38,333 connect with people. That's it. 908 00:44:38,417 --> 00:44:40,375 It's supposed to be a replenishing time. 909 00:44:40,458 --> 00:44:43,333 So you think through your first day of the week is Sunday, 910 00:44:43,417 --> 00:44:44,750 the day of Jesus' resurrection. 911 00:44:44,833 --> 00:44:47,875 Go to church, have a meal, hang out with your family, 912 00:44:47,958 --> 00:44:53,333 take a nap, get together with friends, first day of the week. 913 00:44:53,417 --> 00:44:55,750 The week starts with Sunday. 914 00:44:55,833 --> 00:45:00,167 The day starts with sundown. 915 00:45:00,250 --> 00:45:03,458 How many of us have had it all backward? 916 00:45:04,458 --> 00:45:06,792 How many of us have had it all backward? 917 00:45:06,875 --> 00:45:09,875 We don't have time at night for God and people. 918 00:45:09,958 --> 00:45:13,667 We don't have time on Sunday for God and people because we live 919 00:45:13,750 --> 00:45:16,708 under the myth that if we just keep punching out 920 00:45:16,792 --> 00:45:19,333 our Martha list, eventually it'll be all done 921 00:45:19,417 --> 00:45:21,125 and we'll get our life back. 922 00:45:21,208 --> 00:45:26,167 I lived under that myth for over a decade. 923 00:45:26,250 --> 00:45:27,917 We had children, the church grew, 924 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:31,042 I eventually blew out my adrenal glands, my thyroid, 925 00:45:31,125 --> 00:45:32,542 my health was terrible. 926 00:45:32,625 --> 00:45:39,625 I was grumpy--more grumpy, frustrated, difficult, not good. 927 00:45:40,917 --> 00:45:47,417 I was like Martha, distracted, anxious, troubled. 928 00:45:47,500 --> 00:45:50,458 And God in his providence allowed me to feel a little pain 929 00:45:50,542 --> 00:45:53,542 of my folly and make some corrections in my diet and my 930 00:45:53,625 --> 00:45:58,667 schedule and my life patterns and habits and rhythms. 931 00:45:58,750 --> 00:46:02,375 And I'm not great at Mary yet, but I'm by God's grace better 932 00:46:02,458 --> 00:46:05,583 than I used to be. 933 00:46:05,667 --> 00:46:10,000 And the truth is, Martha, you're never gonna get everything done 934 00:46:10,083 --> 00:46:12,292 that you've got on your list. 935 00:46:12,375 --> 00:46:15,583 And if Jesus is last, you'll never get to him. 936 00:46:15,667 --> 00:46:20,417 And so you make sure that time with Jesus is first. 937 00:46:20,500 --> 00:46:23,042 Going to church, sitting, first. 938 00:46:23,125 --> 00:46:27,125 Going to community group, sitting, first. 939 00:46:27,208 --> 00:46:31,875 Getting time with Jesus and his people, first things first. 940 00:46:31,958 --> 00:46:36,167 Now, how many of you in hearing this, you're Martha, you go, 941 00:46:36,250 --> 00:46:38,750 "Oh, man." 942 00:46:38,833 --> 00:46:41,417 Here's a few things for the Marthas. 943 00:46:41,500 --> 00:46:45,250 Number one, be honest. 944 00:46:45,333 --> 00:46:47,292 Be honest. 945 00:46:47,375 --> 00:46:50,333 I believe Martha is honest because what we learned early on 946 00:46:50,417 --> 00:46:53,583 in Luke is that Luke was not an eyewitness to all these events 947 00:46:53,667 --> 00:46:56,333 in the life and ministry of Jesus. 948 00:46:56,417 --> 00:47:00,083 So he went around funded by a wealthy benefactor named 949 00:47:00,167 --> 00:47:03,500 Theophilus, which means lover of God, to interview everyone. 950 00:47:03,583 --> 00:47:05,083 "What happened? What did you say? 951 00:47:05,167 --> 00:47:06,625 How did it go?" 952 00:47:06,708 --> 00:47:09,667 So we know now that this is a private conversation that 953 00:47:09,750 --> 00:47:12,500 we're investigating between Martha and Jesus. 954 00:47:12,583 --> 00:47:15,708 So there's only two people that know what was really said. 955 00:47:15,792 --> 00:47:17,583 And Jesus had already returned to heaven, 956 00:47:17,667 --> 00:47:20,250 so Luke had to go and interview Martha. 957 00:47:20,333 --> 00:47:24,042 And she gives us an honest, earnest, repentant, 958 00:47:24,125 --> 00:47:27,333 accurate description and depiction of the conversation. 959 00:47:27,417 --> 00:47:30,333 But what she doesn't give is the unrepentant version. 960 00:47:30,417 --> 00:47:33,375 "Yeah, Jesus came over and I had to feed 100 people. 961 00:47:33,458 --> 00:47:38,208 And like usual, Mary didn't do a dang thing, but I got 'er done." 962 00:47:38,292 --> 00:47:41,333 It doesn't say it like that. 963 00:47:41,417 --> 00:47:44,375 "Good thing I was there." 964 00:47:44,458 --> 00:47:46,750 She doesn't say that at all. 965 00:47:46,833 --> 00:47:49,875 She says, "Oh, man, I was chasing Jesus around the house 966 00:47:49,958 --> 00:47:53,667 "with a wooden spoon and that was a bad day for me. 967 00:47:53,750 --> 00:47:57,292 "But Jesus lovingly, graciously pursued me, corrected me, 968 00:47:57,375 --> 00:47:59,792 loved me, and taught me and restored me." 969 00:47:59,875 --> 00:48:02,500 So Martha, first thing is you gotta just be honest 970 00:48:02,583 --> 00:48:04,083 like Martha was. 971 00:48:04,167 --> 00:48:07,917 Tell the story of your life as it is, not as you have told it. 972 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:10,542 "Nobody's responsible. I'm the only one. 973 00:48:10,625 --> 00:48:13,542 "I'm a total victim. I'm gonna volunteer for everything. 974 00:48:13,625 --> 00:48:18,542 I'm gonna save everyone." Tell it like it is. 975 00:48:18,625 --> 00:48:22,708 "I've overextended myself. I'm not worshiping in my heart. 976 00:48:22,792 --> 00:48:25,333 "I'm seething in my heart, even though it looks like 977 00:48:25,417 --> 00:48:27,500 "I'm worshiping with my hands. 978 00:48:27,583 --> 00:48:29,667 "I'm distracted from first things first. 979 00:48:29,750 --> 00:48:33,292 "I'm anxious and I'm troubled 980 00:48:33,375 --> 00:48:35,750 and I've neglected the good portion." 981 00:48:35,833 --> 00:48:40,333 Additionally, for us Marthas, we need to know that Jesus here is 982 00:48:40,417 --> 00:48:42,958 not condemning her, but he's inviting her. 983 00:48:43,042 --> 00:48:46,333 Now, when he comes to her and looks at her and he says, 984 00:48:46,417 --> 00:48:49,000 "Martha, Martha," do you think it's with a furrowed brow? 985 00:48:49,083 --> 00:48:51,375 Do you think Jesus is giving her the stink eye? 986 00:48:51,458 --> 00:48:53,375 "Martha." You know, grinded teeth. 987 00:48:53,458 --> 00:48:57,417 You know, like, "Martha, Martha, Martha," you know? 988 00:48:57,500 --> 00:49:00,625 You think it looks like a standoff before a cage fight? 989 00:49:00,708 --> 00:49:04,708 You know, you think he's giving her the stare down? No. 990 00:49:04,792 --> 00:49:11,583 I see Jesus smiling, maybe even being a little bit playful. Right? 991 00:49:11,667 --> 00:49:13,375 A little goofy 'cause she's so serious. 992 00:49:13,458 --> 00:49:16,458 "Oh my gosh, I have to put together 1,000 hors d'oeurvres." 993 00:49:16,542 --> 00:49:19,250 "Martha, Martha, Martha." 994 00:49:19,333 --> 00:49:22,167 All right, I think Jesus has got a friendship with her. 995 00:49:22,250 --> 00:49:25,000 She's like a sister and he's drawing her out 996 00:49:25,083 --> 00:49:26,583 inviting her out. 997 00:49:26,667 --> 00:49:28,375 "Hey, Martha, let's refocus this. 998 00:49:28,458 --> 00:49:30,375 "Martha, Martha, you know I love you. 999 00:49:30,458 --> 00:49:31,958 "Come on, let's talk about this. 1000 00:49:32,042 --> 00:49:35,500 Let me pull you out of your funk." 1001 00:49:35,583 --> 00:49:40,875 You Marthas, we Marthas need to know Jesus is smilin' at her. 1002 00:49:40,958 --> 00:49:43,458 He loves her. He's not condemning her. 1003 00:49:43,542 --> 00:49:46,667 He's not just trying to put another thing on her to-do list 1004 00:49:46,750 --> 00:49:50,833 so she can check quiet time. 1005 00:49:50,917 --> 00:49:53,250 He's inviting her into relationship. 1006 00:49:53,333 --> 00:49:56,042 He's drawing her out, loving and encouraging her. 1007 00:49:56,125 --> 00:49:58,708 That's Jesus with you today, Martha. 1008 00:49:58,792 --> 00:50:02,542 He loves you, not mad at you. 1009 00:50:02,625 --> 00:50:05,125 But he has some things he needs to tell you. 1010 00:50:05,208 --> 00:50:07,500 So sit at his feet. 1011 00:50:07,583 --> 00:50:09,833 Here's what we need to do as well, Marthas. 1012 00:50:09,917 --> 00:50:13,417 We need to apologize to the Marys, right? 1013 00:50:13,500 --> 00:50:15,167 "Sorry. 1014 00:50:15,250 --> 00:50:18,417 "Man, the whole time I've been nagging and frustrated 1015 00:50:18,500 --> 00:50:21,667 "and bitter and bossy. 1016 00:50:21,750 --> 00:50:24,667 "I was trying to make you like me, huh. 1017 00:50:24,750 --> 00:50:27,375 "You were trying to be like Jesus 1018 00:50:27,458 --> 00:50:29,792 and I was trying to make you like me." 1019 00:50:29,875 --> 00:50:32,458 The point of discipleship is not to make people like us, 1020 00:50:32,542 --> 00:50:36,125 but to make people like him, by the grace of God. 1021 00:50:36,208 --> 00:50:39,167 Some of you with your spouse, your kids, your friends, 1022 00:50:39,250 --> 00:50:45,333 you keep nagging, condemning, browbeating. 1023 00:50:45,417 --> 00:50:49,042 You want them to be like you and help. 1024 00:50:49,125 --> 00:50:52,000 Maybe they're spending time with Jesus and you need to do 1025 00:50:52,083 --> 00:50:55,500 the same and they're trying to become like him. 1026 00:50:55,583 --> 00:50:57,792 And they don't need to become like you. 1027 00:50:57,875 --> 00:51:00,417 You need to become like him as well. 1028 00:51:00,500 --> 00:51:03,250 Some of you just need to apologize to the Marys. 1029 00:51:03,333 --> 00:51:06,250 I'm a Martha. My wife's a Martha. 1030 00:51:06,333 --> 00:51:07,750 We're both Marthas. 1031 00:51:07,833 --> 00:51:10,125 That's how we got it done. 1032 00:51:10,208 --> 00:51:13,500 Early on at Mars Hill, man, we would do, do, do, do, do, do, 1033 00:51:13,583 --> 00:51:16,167 do all the community groups, all the premarital, 1034 00:51:16,250 --> 00:51:19,250 all the membership classes, everything in our home. 1035 00:51:19,333 --> 00:51:23,125 Between 2-3,000 people a year in our home. 1036 00:51:23,208 --> 00:51:26,958 We were Martha on crack, on steroids, on Red Bull, 1037 00:51:27,042 --> 00:51:28,458 on Monster. 1038 00:51:28,542 --> 00:51:32,458 I mean, it was just insane. 1039 00:51:32,542 --> 00:51:36,000 And I've had to, in recent years, and I did it again today, 1040 00:51:36,083 --> 00:51:37,708 apologize to Gracie. 1041 00:51:37,792 --> 00:51:39,375 Honey, I'm a Martha. You're a Martha. 1042 00:51:39,458 --> 00:51:42,333 I mean, that means we have two gas, no brake. 1043 00:51:42,417 --> 00:51:43,750 You know? We go fast, 1044 00:51:43,833 --> 00:51:46,542 it's an exciting ride, but everybody dies in the end, 1045 00:51:46,625 --> 00:51:51,042 you know? 1046 00:51:51,125 --> 00:51:53,458 And so, honey, I'm sorry that I pushed. 1047 00:51:53,542 --> 00:51:55,500 I'm sorry that I didn't draw you out. 1048 00:51:55,583 --> 00:51:57,875 And I'm sorry for the times that I was frustrated. 1049 00:51:57,958 --> 00:52:01,542 That unlike Jesus, I didn't come to you lovingly, playfully, 1050 00:52:01,625 --> 00:52:03,167 and invite you. 1051 00:52:03,250 --> 00:52:05,333 Instead, I was more condemning of you. 1052 00:52:05,417 --> 00:52:07,958 So we've had that talk at the Driscoll house. 1053 00:52:08,042 --> 00:52:10,708 You need to apologize to the Marys. 1054 00:52:10,792 --> 00:52:15,542 And then you need to make your Mary time first priority. 1055 00:52:15,625 --> 00:52:20,708 Church, community group, Bible reading, prayer, day off, 1056 00:52:20,792 --> 00:52:24,125 time with God and his people. 1057 00:52:24,208 --> 00:52:26,833 Now, Gracie and I were talking about this and here's what 1058 00:52:26,917 --> 00:52:31,542 Gracie does every--she's my wife if you're new. 1059 00:52:31,625 --> 00:52:33,333 Grace, every Sunday morning, 1060 00:52:33,417 --> 00:52:35,542 she gets up bright and early with me. 1061 00:52:35,625 --> 00:52:37,542 She doesn't need to, but she's Martha 1062 00:52:37,625 --> 00:52:40,667 and it's her responsibility to cook me breakfast. 1063 00:52:40,750 --> 00:52:43,125 That's what she has appointed herself to. 1064 00:52:43,208 --> 00:52:45,917 I have not asked for it, but there are benefits 1065 00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:47,500 being married to Martha, like breakfast. 1066 00:52:47,583 --> 00:52:51,208 So I get up early on Sunday mornings and she wants to get up 1067 00:52:51,292 --> 00:52:54,208 and make me breakfast while I'm gettin' ready to save me time, 1068 00:52:54,292 --> 00:52:55,667 make sure I eat well. 1069 00:52:55,750 --> 00:52:59,417 And then she wants to talk with me and pray with me and make 1070 00:52:59,500 --> 00:53:02,375 sure I get my vitamins and then send me out the door. 1071 00:53:02,458 --> 00:53:04,375 So there's benefits to being married to Martha. 1072 00:53:04,458 --> 00:53:06,792 But I told her last night, "Honey, sleep in. 1073 00:53:06,875 --> 00:53:09,208 "You're tired. It's been a heck of a week. 1074 00:53:09,292 --> 00:53:11,208 And I'll take care of it. Don't worry." 1075 00:53:11,292 --> 00:53:12,750 "No, no, no, it's my responsibility. 1076 00:53:12,833 --> 00:53:14,208 I have to get up early." 1077 00:53:14,292 --> 00:53:16,208 And so we have this little Martha argument. 1078 00:53:16,292 --> 00:53:19,583 So I got up this morning before my alarm and I was sort of 1079 00:53:19,667 --> 00:53:22,583 ninja quiet, you know? I was ninja quiet. 1080 00:53:22,667 --> 00:53:25,792 And I got ready and I snuck downstairs and I got out of 1081 00:53:25,875 --> 00:53:28,792 the house before I woke her up so she could sleep. 1082 00:53:28,875 --> 00:53:30,792 I wanted her to have a Mary morning. 1083 00:53:30,875 --> 00:53:33,583 And so then she sent me an e-mail this morning, 1084 00:53:33,667 --> 00:53:35,375 unsolicited. 1085 00:53:35,458 --> 00:53:37,875 I will read it to you. 1086 00:53:37,958 --> 00:53:39,958 No, it's--here's how it starts. 1087 00:53:40,042 --> 00:53:42,958 "If you need to use me as an example of Martha, 1088 00:53:43,042 --> 00:53:46,958 I'm fine with that." 1089 00:53:47,042 --> 00:53:48,875 This is my sweetie pie. 1090 00:53:48,958 --> 00:53:51,833 "During the beginning years of Mars Hill, I was a Martha, 1091 00:53:51,917 --> 00:53:54,458 "sitting as Mary only when I was stressed out. 1092 00:53:54,542 --> 00:53:56,542 "I went on my own strength for awhile, 1093 00:53:56,625 --> 00:53:59,250 "pleasing people and receiving encouragement from them. 1094 00:53:59,333 --> 00:54:02,292 "This was neglectful of the Lord and you. 1095 00:54:02,375 --> 00:54:04,667 "Through the years, I am learning that if and when 1096 00:54:04,750 --> 00:54:07,542 "I don't sit at the feet of Jesus first and regularly, 1097 00:54:07,625 --> 00:54:11,458 "I neglect my family, feel frantic getting things done, 1098 00:54:11,542 --> 00:54:13,917 "get overwhelmed with all my responsibilities, 1099 00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:16,167 "and am empty inside. 1100 00:54:16,250 --> 00:54:19,167 "I notice a difference when I spend time in prayer and reading 1101 00:54:19,250 --> 00:54:21,875 "and study and my day comes out of that. 1102 00:54:21,958 --> 00:54:24,292 "I have peace, calm, patience, attentiveness to 1103 00:54:24,375 --> 00:54:28,875 "true priorities, and don't feel defeated when my list of tasks 1104 00:54:28,958 --> 00:54:32,125 "doesn't get completed. 1105 00:54:32,208 --> 00:54:35,333 "Because I am a disorganized Martha," which just so you know, 1106 00:54:35,417 --> 00:54:38,375 that's a rare kind of Martha. 1107 00:54:38,458 --> 00:54:41,375 "I'm very, very busy!" "Doing what?" 1108 00:54:41,458 --> 00:54:44,583 "I don't know! But it's urgent that I complete it." 1109 00:54:44,667 --> 00:54:47,417 "Okey dokey." 1110 00:54:47,500 --> 00:54:50,500 "Because I am a disorganized Martha, 1111 00:54:50,583 --> 00:54:53,417 "it can be even worse when I don't sit with Jesus 1112 00:54:53,500 --> 00:54:55,083 "and I let distractions overtake me. 1113 00:54:55,167 --> 00:54:59,042 "My heart and desire now is to have God show me how to do both 1114 00:54:59,125 --> 00:55:00,917 "well for the rest of my life. 1115 00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:03,458 Love you, Grace." 1116 00:55:03,542 --> 00:55:07,000 I appreciate my wife talking this through with me. 1117 00:55:07,083 --> 00:55:09,958 Some of you need to talk it through. 1118 00:55:10,042 --> 00:55:13,292 Some of you Marthas don't understand that the Marys 1119 00:55:13,375 --> 00:55:17,000 in your life are feeling really lonely. 1120 00:55:17,083 --> 00:55:19,375 They're eating meals by themselves. 1121 00:55:19,458 --> 00:55:22,167 Some of you, this is your spouse. 1122 00:55:22,250 --> 00:55:24,833 They're going places by themself. 1123 00:55:24,917 --> 00:55:30,083 They're reading, relaxing, praying by themselves. 1124 00:55:30,167 --> 00:55:32,083 You keep walking by. 1125 00:55:32,167 --> 00:55:33,667 "I'll be there in a minute. 1126 00:55:33,750 --> 00:55:35,667 "I just got to--oh, one more thing. 1127 00:55:35,750 --> 00:55:38,292 "Oh, the phone rang. Oh, the e-mail came in. 1128 00:55:38,375 --> 00:55:40,458 Oh, the kids puked." 1129 00:55:40,542 --> 00:55:43,583 There's always something. 1130 00:55:44,875 --> 00:55:48,125 The Marys are lonely. 1131 00:55:48,208 --> 00:55:53,250 They respect, they appreciate, they are blessed by the Marthas, 1132 00:55:53,333 --> 00:55:56,958 but they're lonely around them. 1133 00:55:57,042 --> 00:56:01,000 And sometimes the Marthas don't even pay attention to the Marys 1134 00:56:01,083 --> 00:56:05,375 unless the Marys have a problem or a need or a crisis. 1135 00:56:05,458 --> 00:56:07,500 And then they're there to help, 1136 00:56:07,583 --> 00:56:12,417 but otherwise they tend to ignore. 1137 00:56:12,500 --> 00:56:14,583 We've looked at Mary. 1138 00:56:14,667 --> 00:56:16,500 We've looked at Martha. 1139 00:56:16,583 --> 00:56:18,458 Let me ask one final question. 1140 00:56:18,542 --> 00:56:21,375 How do you think Jesus felt? 1141 00:56:21,458 --> 00:56:25,500 I think Jesus missed Martha. 1142 00:56:25,583 --> 00:56:28,000 I think he appreciated her hard work, her devotion, 1143 00:56:28,083 --> 00:56:29,500 her hospitality. 1144 00:56:29,583 --> 00:56:32,333 I believe he was grateful that she opened her home. 1145 00:56:32,417 --> 00:56:34,917 I think she was right in recognizing that there was 1146 00:56:35,000 --> 00:56:38,958 a need and people were requiring loving service. 1147 00:56:39,042 --> 00:56:42,333 I don't think Jesus condemns her for any of that. 1148 00:56:42,417 --> 00:56:47,625 But he does reveal her heart motive and he invites her 1149 00:56:47,708 --> 00:56:50,458 to spend time with him. 1150 00:56:50,542 --> 00:56:53,500 Friends, let me say this. 1151 00:56:53,583 --> 00:56:58,375 Perhaps it is that Jesus simply misses you. 1152 00:56:58,458 --> 00:57:01,458 He doesn't need you to do more. 1153 00:57:01,542 --> 00:57:07,917 Like every relationship, he just wants time with you 1154 00:57:08,000 --> 00:57:10,667 because he cares for you. 1155 00:57:10,750 --> 00:57:13,708 And I believe that is his invitation to Martha. 1156 00:57:13,792 --> 00:57:17,542 "Martha, Martha, I'm passing through town. 1157 00:57:17,625 --> 00:57:19,333 "I'm not gonna be here for long. 1158 00:57:19,417 --> 00:57:21,917 "Eventually, they're gonna crucify me. 1159 00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:24,917 "I have a lot of foes. I have a lot of friends. 1160 00:57:25,000 --> 00:57:28,292 "I have a lot of foes, I have a lot of fans. 1161 00:57:28,375 --> 00:57:30,083 "I don't have a lot of friends. 1162 00:57:30,167 --> 00:57:31,875 "Martha, you're one of my friends. 1163 00:57:31,958 --> 00:57:33,708 "We're here. 1164 00:57:33,792 --> 00:57:36,542 "Let's just sit in the living room and visit with everybody 1165 00:57:36,625 --> 00:57:38,417 "and pray and talk and laugh. 1166 00:57:38,500 --> 00:57:40,417 "We miss you. I miss you. 1167 00:57:40,500 --> 00:57:44,542 We all miss you." 1168 00:57:44,625 --> 00:57:48,542 Jesus missed Martha. 1169 00:57:48,625 --> 00:57:54,417 He didn't need her, but he loved her and he enjoyed her 1170 00:57:54,500 --> 00:57:56,833 and he pursued her. 1171 00:57:56,917 --> 00:58:00,333 So here's what we're going to do now. 1172 00:58:00,417 --> 00:58:04,167 We're going to give you Marthas an opportunity to not leave, 1173 00:58:04,250 --> 00:58:09,375 check your e-mail, Twitter that it was a very convicting sermon, 1174 00:58:09,458 --> 00:58:12,625 run out the door first so you can beat traffic 1175 00:58:12,708 --> 00:58:15,167 and get a good seat at a place to eat. 1176 00:58:15,250 --> 00:58:16,625 And I know you Marthas. 1177 00:58:16,708 --> 00:58:19,667 You're like, "Oh, man, he just knocked out my to-do list." 1178 00:58:19,750 --> 00:58:21,875 Okay, let's get a little Mary time. 1179 00:58:21,958 --> 00:58:26,125 Just be together in the presence of Jesus as God's people. 1180 00:58:26,208 --> 00:58:29,833 And for those of us who are Marthas, 1181 00:58:29,917 --> 00:58:32,708 we need to apologize to some of the Marys. 1182 00:58:32,792 --> 00:58:36,375 For those of us who are Marys, we need to forgive the Marthas 1183 00:58:36,458 --> 00:58:40,958 that we feel bitter against or neglected by. 1184 00:58:41,042 --> 00:58:42,958 We're gonna take Communion, which is remembering Jesus' 1185 00:58:43,042 --> 00:58:45,792 broken body and shed blood in our place for our sins, 1186 00:58:45,875 --> 00:58:48,875 that before we work, we remember Jesus' work. 1187 00:58:48,958 --> 00:58:50,875 We don't work for our salvation. 1188 00:58:50,958 --> 00:58:53,667 We work from our salvation. Amen? 1189 00:58:53,750 --> 00:58:56,458 That Jesus said it was finished, so the most important work 1190 00:58:56,542 --> 00:58:59,917 was done on the cross and through the empty tomb. 1191 00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:02,000 And we're going to sing. 1192 00:59:02,083 --> 00:59:06,208 And as we sing, it's a Mary moment together to sit at 1193 00:59:06,292 --> 00:59:11,875 the feet of Jesus and to enjoy him, and him to enjoy us. Amen? 1194 00:59:11,958 --> 00:59:14,667 So Father God, I thank you so much for the Bible, 1195 00:59:14,750 --> 00:59:17,208 the most earnest, honest, truthful, 1196 00:59:17,292 --> 00:59:20,458 and the only perfect book that has ever been written. 1197 00:59:20,542 --> 00:59:24,417 I thank you that in it there are real stories of real people 1198 00:59:24,500 --> 00:59:29,292 with real sin and real failures and real needs. 1199 00:59:29,375 --> 00:59:32,250 And I ask, Lord Jesus, that as we have a Mary moment 1200 00:59:32,333 --> 00:59:35,542 in your presence, to sing and contemplate and consider, 1201 00:59:35,625 --> 00:59:39,542 that you would send the Holy Spirit to encourage, 1202 00:59:39,625 --> 00:59:43,500 to draw out, to refocus the Marthas, 1203 00:59:43,583 --> 00:59:47,042 to allow the Marys to be patient and humble, 1204 00:59:47,125 --> 00:59:49,417 forgiving and encouraging. 1205 00:59:49,500 --> 00:59:51,875 And that, Lord Jesus, that you would choose 1206 00:59:51,958 --> 00:59:53,792 to meet with us now. 1207 00:59:53,875 --> 00:59:58,333 We ask for this gift as we come to sit at your feet as Mary did. 1208 00:59:58,417 --> 01:00:01,625 May we have Mary's heart and Martha's hands. 1209 01:00:01,708 --> 01:00:05,042 May it be Mary first and Martha second. 1210 01:00:05,125 --> 01:00:09,125 Please help us to learn that now as we practice your presence. Amen.