- Oct 11, 2005
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I wonder how many of us believe that one thing is needed, I bet many of us would have a list of all the things that are needed and yet Jesus himself told Martha that one thing was needed...
Luke 10:38-42 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
I wonder if I asked you what was needed to live a successful and prosperous Christian life, what would your answer be…
Jesus said to Martha that one thing was needed…
In that culture it was important to look after your guests, it was the women’s job to make sure that everything was prepared and ready for the guests…
It was actually an insult not to wait on your guests…
So here was Martha, she was being a good host, she was busy running around cooking and serving Jesus and his disciples, but Mary was just sitting at Jesus feet…
Martha came to Jesus expecting him to rebuke Mary and to make her do her duty, she thought that Jesus would take her side and tell Mary to get back into the kitchen or whatever…
But Jesus responded… Martha, Martha … you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. After all, if Jesus could feed the 4,000 Matt. 15:32-39 and the 5,000 Matt. 14:14-21, then certainly He could handle supper for a house full of people.
Sometimes we just forget how big our God is and we run around with what I call the Martha Syndrome trying to make everything just right when all we need to do is just Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Pro. 3:5-6
Remember, Jesus told us to seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt. 6:33
That’s what Mary did. She sought Jesus first. This is what I call the Mary Solution. But Martha was concerned about What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? Matt. 6:31
What was it that Mary was doing that Martha wasn’t doing?
Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
Mary sat at Jesus feet to hear the word… The one thing that is needful is to sit at Jesus feet and hear the word…
Prov. 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Prov. 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Life to those that find them, the word of God is not life to everyone, it is life to those that find them and health to all your flesh, health to whose flesh, the ones that find the word of God…
Finding something carries the idea of looking for something or searching it out…
Psa. 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Health to all your flesh, health to your heart, health to your mind, health to your liver and kidneys etc…
Psa. 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Walk, stand, sit is the order of sin… Downward progression
Counsel of the ungodly is not wicked counsel it is good counsel but it is from people who have no wisdom from God…
You need someone with the spirit of God in them…
Meditate means to mutter… meditate on the word of God… Print it out, carry it with you…
Josh. 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Meditate… to murmur; by implication, to ponder: —imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter,
Deut. 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deut. 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Jer. 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Psa. 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
In the story where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the two sisters had different reactions to the news that Jesus was coming to see them after their brother Lazarus had died.
Let’s look at the differences between the two sisters’ approach to Jesus before He brought Lazarus back to life.
John 11:17-40
Jesus came to Martha and Mary but stopped 15 furlongs away a little over 1 1/2 miles…
In v20 we see the first difference between Martha and Mary when they heard that Jesus was coming. Martha took off to go find Jesus but Mary stayed still…
In v 25-26 Jesus spoke to Martha but Martha did not really hear Him v. 21-22. She was focused on what she had to say to Him. Martha talked at Jesus not to Him and after she had her say, she left Him.
The result was that Martha missed what Jesus was trying to tell her to her. Do we often do the same ourselves?
Jesus must have asked Martha for Mary because when Martha got back to the house she told Mary that The Master is come, and calleth for thee v. 28.
As Mary sat still in her house, the Jews who were there might have thought that Mary was focused on death, sorrow, weeping, despair v. 31.
But Mary was waiting on Jesus. Had she been focused only on her brother Lazarus’ death, she might have been full of unbelief and would not have been prepared to meet with Jesus.
Mary met Jesus in the same place as Martha v. 30. She said the same thing as Martha v. 21 and v. 32, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But Mary, unlike Martha, worshipped at His feet v. 31 and as a result Mary got a different response. The difference was in their preparation and in their approaches to Jesus. Where we are and how we approach God makes a difference.
Both Mary and Martha were believers in God. But, their walk was not the same. Mary was focused on Jesus because she was waiting on him. Mary met Jesus in the same place as she did when Jesus was in her house in Luke 10, at His feet! Therefore, Jesus was moved. He groaned in the spirit and was troubled v. 33.
On the other hand, Martha had not spent the time in God’s presence. Martha, just as in Luke 10 was overcome by her feelings. Her faith was not at a high level.
Our unbelief can block God’s miracles in our lives. Even when Jesus was ready to raise Lazarus from the dead, Martha was filled with unbelief. All she saw was death.
She said to Jesus, …Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. This was the same as Martha asking Jesus, Why would you bother to open his grave. He’s dead. He stinks.
Why go there, Lord? Martha was not ready to see the glory of God. She was not ready for God’s miracle in her life.
But, again Jesus corrects the situation just as in Luke 10, when He says, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God v. 40.
We need to learn the voice of God, we need to learn to sit at his feet and put his word first place on our lives…
https://vimeo.com/108446675
One Thing is Needed
I wonder if I asked you what was needed to live a successful and prosperous Christian life, what would your answer be…
Jesus said to Martha that one thing was needed…
In that culture it was important to look after your guests, it was the women’s job to make sure that everything was prepared and ready for the guests…
It was actually an insult not to wait on your guests…
So here was Martha, she was being a good host, she was busy running around cooking and serving Jesus and his disciples, but Mary was just sitting at Jesus feet…
Martha came to Jesus expecting him to rebuke Mary and to make her do her duty, she thought that Jesus would take her side and tell Mary to get back into the kitchen or whatever…
But Jesus responded… Martha, Martha … you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. After all, if Jesus could feed the 4,000 Matt. 15:32-39 and the 5,000 Matt. 14:14-21, then certainly He could handle supper for a house full of people.
Sometimes we just forget how big our God is and we run around with what I call the Martha Syndrome trying to make everything just right when all we need to do is just Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Pro. 3:5-6
Remember, Jesus told us to seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt. 6:33
That’s what Mary did. She sought Jesus first. This is what I call the Mary Solution. But Martha was concerned about What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? Matt. 6:31
What was it that Mary was doing that Martha wasn’t doing?
Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
Mary sat at Jesus feet to hear the word… The one thing that is needful is to sit at Jesus feet and hear the word…
Prov. 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Prov. 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Life to those that find them, the word of God is not life to everyone, it is life to those that find them and health to all your flesh, health to whose flesh, the ones that find the word of God…
Finding something carries the idea of looking for something or searching it out…
Psa. 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Health to all your flesh, health to your heart, health to your mind, health to your liver and kidneys etc…
Psa. 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Walk, stand, sit is the order of sin… Downward progression
Counsel of the ungodly is not wicked counsel it is good counsel but it is from people who have no wisdom from God…
You need someone with the spirit of God in them…
Meditate means to mutter… meditate on the word of God… Print it out, carry it with you…
Josh. 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Meditate… to murmur; by implication, to ponder: —imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter,
Deut. 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deut. 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Jer. 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Psa. 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
In the story where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the two sisters had different reactions to the news that Jesus was coming to see them after their brother Lazarus had died.
Let’s look at the differences between the two sisters’ approach to Jesus before He brought Lazarus back to life.
John 11:17-40
Jesus came to Martha and Mary but stopped 15 furlongs away a little over 1 1/2 miles…
In v20 we see the first difference between Martha and Mary when they heard that Jesus was coming. Martha took off to go find Jesus but Mary stayed still…
In v 25-26 Jesus spoke to Martha but Martha did not really hear Him v. 21-22. She was focused on what she had to say to Him. Martha talked at Jesus not to Him and after she had her say, she left Him.
The result was that Martha missed what Jesus was trying to tell her to her. Do we often do the same ourselves?
Jesus must have asked Martha for Mary because when Martha got back to the house she told Mary that The Master is come, and calleth for thee v. 28.
As Mary sat still in her house, the Jews who were there might have thought that Mary was focused on death, sorrow, weeping, despair v. 31.
But Mary was waiting on Jesus. Had she been focused only on her brother Lazarus’ death, she might have been full of unbelief and would not have been prepared to meet with Jesus.
Mary met Jesus in the same place as Martha v. 30. She said the same thing as Martha v. 21 and v. 32, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But Mary, unlike Martha, worshipped at His feet v. 31 and as a result Mary got a different response. The difference was in their preparation and in their approaches to Jesus. Where we are and how we approach God makes a difference.
Both Mary and Martha were believers in God. But, their walk was not the same. Mary was focused on Jesus because she was waiting on him. Mary met Jesus in the same place as she did when Jesus was in her house in Luke 10, at His feet! Therefore, Jesus was moved. He groaned in the spirit and was troubled v. 33.
On the other hand, Martha had not spent the time in God’s presence. Martha, just as in Luke 10 was overcome by her feelings. Her faith was not at a high level.
Our unbelief can block God’s miracles in our lives. Even when Jesus was ready to raise Lazarus from the dead, Martha was filled with unbelief. All she saw was death.
She said to Jesus, …Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. This was the same as Martha asking Jesus, Why would you bother to open his grave. He’s dead. He stinks.
Why go there, Lord? Martha was not ready to see the glory of God. She was not ready for God’s miracle in her life.
But, again Jesus corrects the situation just as in Luke 10, when He says, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God v. 40.
We need to learn the voice of God, we need to learn to sit at his feet and put his word first place on our lives…
https://vimeo.com/108446675
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