Prioritizing Jesus' Presence Luke 10:38-42

Well, good morning everyone and To this beautiful Sunday, and if you're new here first first -time visitor, we welcome you and we're glad you're here.

You're our guest and we're blessed to have you fellowshipping with us and It's always a good day to meet together to gather together as believers and to Open his word and raise our voices and just be together.

So this is a Foretelling of what heaven is going to be like and it's this much of something most amazing

So but we get to practice and that's that's That's a gift that God has given us

To do I wanted to Just share a few things for announcements

Summer Bible study is going to continue Friday, October 6 at 530 that'll go through most of this month,

I believe and that would complete that this this summer's time in the word

Men's Bible study man. It's next Saturday at 9 o 'clock so Food of course is always provided and it's a great time of fellowship.

It really is And Victor's talked about our missionary of the month, oh and this is a

Jack and Bev McMahon new missionaries This is the first of the month. It's hard to this year's passing by so quickly and we'll talk more about them their missionaries through BMW and Biblical counseling course this is on October 14th at 11 every couple weeks

And if you haven't been before it's still you can step in drop in anytime you want

It's it's open to everyone You will always come away with something relevant something

God -honoring and something you could apply in your own life or in helping others So it's it's a it's a really excellent curriculum as well and pastor does

As with everything does it with excellence and so I wanted also share that The voice magazine is in the back grab your copy.

They're there just to take along. There's no cost to it. We get it So this one's entitled

Israel Israel today covenants and treaties and the law of Moses some good Articles written by pastors across the country.

And so please grab a copy and take it and read it. Okay? And I think that's it for announcements.

I wanted to share in Psalm 27 verse 4

I'll read it in just a moment, but David's one desire was to Seek after God to be in his presence to know him to know his beauty and Psalm 27 for reads one thing.

I have desired of the Lord That I will seek that I may dwell in the house of the

Lord all the days of my life To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire or to meditate in his temple

I would ask that we ourselves that that would be the longing of our heart that we would be longing to as David did to have this labor laser focus on seeking after God and to want to be with him to fellowship him to to be in his

Presence and we do that when we come together We can do that in the quietness of our heart any time of the week and we do that corporately when we come together here with the body of of Believers, so let's try to think about that as we're we go to Lord in prayer and as we we have communion at the end of the service just search your own heart and make sure that you're right before the

Lord and And that we can bless it to have the blessing of fellowshipping together

Together, so please join me with me in prayer Lord God, we thank you

Lord that we can Be with you that we can fellowship with you and commune with you Lord may it be our hearts desire to to to Seek you out father in every aspect of our lives that we would commune with you in your presence father

Lord, we know that this is just a Precursor of what heaven is going to be like father, but we thank you for this church we thank you for the

Saints that have gone before us that have Have given their time their efforts their energy their prayers father given their lives

To to your church father. This is your church Lord, and we are just stewards of it But God we come to you now that you might be glorified as we pastor brings the message to us

Lord May you have your hand upon him that he would preach Father in truth and love and word

Lord that you would just guide him Father that you would allow the Holy Spirit to guide each one of us father that we would honor you and bring you glory in Our thoughts and our actions in our words.

So Lord, we are blessed to be here together We pray for those that are grieving father those that have lost loved ones

Lord that you would just be a comfort to them that you would come alongside them and just Show them your face father because that is where we can find true.

Peace is in your son Jesus Christ So God bless our evening or excuse me our afternoon and morning and pray that you would help us in this service to To please you to honor you father in all things we pray these things in Jesus name.

Amen Amen so would you stand with me? Our first song is gonna be you are my all -in -all and again, may that be our prayer today

Good morning All right today I'm gonna read

Galatians 2 19 through 21 And I'm gonna read the

NKJV just in case you were wondering For I through the law

Died to the law that I might live to God. I Have been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live but Christ Lives in me and the life which

I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God Who loved me and gave himself for me?

I do not set aside the grace of God for if righteousness comes through the law

Then Christ died in vain Thank the Lord for his work Our next song is the love of God if you stand again, and we'll lift our voices to the

Lord Me To Luke chapter 10

Verses 38 through 42 Now it happened as they went that he entered a certain village and a certain woman named

Martha welcomed him into her house and She had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word

But Martha was distracted with much serving and she approached him and said Lord Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?

Therefore tell her to help me and Jesus answered and said to her Martha Martha you are worried and troubled about many things

But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be kept away from her

This is the word of the Lord Let us pray Father we're thankful that Jesus has shown us what discipleship is and Father we are thankful that our main priority is that we focus on Jesus alone

Help us this morning to experience his presence through his word May the

Holy Spirit transform all of our hearts and that we Enjoy and delight in who

Christ is in Jesus name. Amen now this short passage

Probably one of the shortest passages I've preached Maybe ever

I Know some of you might have You're all used to Exodus just one chapter at a time

But this is a short passage and the reason why it's such a why

I've have I didn't choose a longer passage Is because we're going in order and also this

Passage is a separate idea from what's coming Therefore it's important to go through that even if it's a short passage.

It still matters Now this passage actually follows Jesus teaching on responsibilities for his disciples

I'll remember last week Jesus taught his disciples What it meant for them to love?

their neighbors through all the parable of Good Samaritan This week

We will see the disciples responsibility of prioritizing Jesus presence

Last week was about loving one's neighbor. This week is about Prioritizing Jesus presence while last week's lesson taught the disciples how to love one's neighbor

This week's lesson will teach his disciples about how to love God in One sense the last two weeks will answer

The great commandment of how to love God with all your heart mind soul and strength and how to love

Your neighbor as yourself this week it answers The greater commandment how to love

God One thing I do want to make sure we understand is this is a narrative narrative means

That this really happened. It's a real story. Martha and Mary are real people

This was not some made -up story and With that in mind

We need to divide the word rightly which is to say We cannot

Input whatever you want Martha and Mary to be This is not another form of personality test

It's not like what kind of disciple. Are you are you more like Martha or Mary? Jesus is teaching us something about discipleship.

It's about prioritizing him now this is important because There is a danger for a

Christian to not personally pursue God There is a danger for people to think that they're disciples of Christ, but they don't personally know

God and this may look like There's no urgency to evangelize

There's no longing to serve the church and each Sunday is judged based upon what tickles their ears the newest doctrine of justification the most modern views in Christ and The questions are what do

I get out of it, or why should I care? It's no longer about one's relationship with Christ, but one's satisfaction of self and Some of the most unhappy people are people who don't personally know

Christ yet. They think they do There's no joy and delight in your relationship with Christ because something else has taken the center stage

Yet you live under an overwhelming burden to live like a Christian without Christ Right.

It's impossible And this becomes more serious when the personal relation to Christ is not emphasized

By even someone like a pastor when pastors who don't personally know

God Their sermons lack sincerity It sounds fake

Whenever Christ is mentioned. It sounds like the pastor is talking about someone he has never met

Talking about someone he has indirectly heard about and worst of all

That's what the listeners believe following Christ is all about There's no personal connection to Christ a pretend relationship sort of like having an imaginary friend and this is important because In ministry in discipleship in following Christ the temptation is there to emphasize something other than Christ other than the person of Christ Viewing Christ or Christian life as a concept viewing

Christian life or Christ as a theory rather than a personal relationship and today

Jesus teaches us that We as true disciples must prioritize

Jesus presence in his word over ministry We as true disciples must prioritize

Jesus presence in his word over even ministry first It is possible to miss

Jesus presence in our attempt to serve him It is possible to miss

Jesus presence in our attempt to serve him Similar to last passage the teaching picks up at an unknown location

Right now it happened as they went that he entered a certain village and a certain woman named

Martha Welcomed him into her house Now Luke doesn't specify

Where this event occurs or even when this event occurs? Rather than the geographical information

Luke emphasizes the main lesson of this event. That's the focus What is about to unfold?

Now this passage revolves around a woman named Martha who is hosting Jesus and his disciples

This is the same Martha from John 11 whose brother is Lazarus the one who died and Jesus resurrected from the dead after four days

From this text in John 11. We know that Martha Mary and Lazarus are all dear friends of Jesus So they have a prior relationship

Now while while Martha is busy hosting the followers and also

Jesus himself we see in verse 39 what her sister Mary is doing and She had a sister called

Mary who also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word Sitting at Jesus feet

Shows what kind of relationship Mary has with Jesus. Mary is a disciple of Jesus Mary has a chance to learn from Jesus directly a

Woman learning directly from a teacher would have been a rather unusual occurrence in the first century

Judaism however, we have to remember that Jesus is not and Unusual right?

He's not a usual teacher in first century Judaism First it really shows that Jesus views women as worthy to be his disciples

This is important Women are not just to prepare meals and clean up after men

Women who belong to Christ are treated as not as second second -class citizens in Jesus kingdom, right?

They have the responsibility and opportunity to learn directly from Jesus himself

Just as men do However, this is precisely the problem

Martha has Verse 40 but Martha was distracted with much serving and She approached him and said

Lord Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me

Notice how Luke views Martha's service The narrator right Luke Luke the narrator she is distracted

She is preoccupied She alone is burdened with the service

That she is providing hence Martha asked Jesus to intervene and get

Mary to help out Tell Mary to help carry the burden together

Notice her speech Mary has left her to serve alone

Mary has abandoned her to listen to Jesus instead Therefore it is now

Jesus job to get her back to work she is she is expecting a

Response a resounding. Yes from Jesus You know Martha. I do care that you are serving alone

Here I will tell Mary to join you You've heard enough Mary Let's get back to work

After all Martha has been diligently serving Jesus and his friends an extra pair of hands would really be nice Jesus you don't even have to scold her right just quietly remind her where she belongs, right?

Tell her to go back to what she was doing before You started teaching

That's that's what's going on in Martha's mind It's unthinkable that Mary's not doing anything but listening to Jesus She's got to be working.

She has a task to do Now we live in a culture where busy life is actually celebrated

It has become one of those accepted flaws If a job interviewer asks or college interviewer asks, what's your greatest weakness?

you can answer and You know that it will be accepted. Is that you know,

I packed my schedule. I'm really busy They will nod and find it acceptable because that's been accepted

Now The culture's trend has also seeped into the church It's like a medal of honor to boast how busy your ministry gets

Right. Oh, I am booked every weeknight and also Sunday evening Right.

I have to preach three sermons every week Our church has big events planned every

Saturday afternoon Right, it's it has become something to boast about Being busy we're doing something

We're not like that other church over there. That's uh, they have only one Bible study.

We have one every weeknight Now this can also look

This is what it would look like in every type of ministry that even exists in our church for for musicians

It might be Getting the right notes all the time right putting on the perfect performance

Right, we got to practice until it sounds perfect We got to do dress rehearsal at least a couple of times.

We got to get the lightings ready We got it. We got to test the sounds they have to be perfect every part of the church event every part of the worship service has to be right and Of course, we know that we're not saved by works.

That's that's that's a heretical doctrine But there's a temptation to exert ourselves more than we ought

If I don't do it, it won't get done It pressures us

It puts a weight in our heart. It has to be done this way Everything has to be done perfectly now

What must be our true priority when following Jesus The Highest priority is

Jesus presence in his words. The highest priority for his disciples is Jesus presence in his words

Jesus responds far strays from Martha's expectation Martha Martha the tone of voice here

It's hard to pinpoint obviously when we're reading But we have to See how

Jesus is calling Martha's name twice It adds an emotional ring to it.

It's endearing There's a there's a hint of affection Maybe you can see a gentle smile on Jesus faces.

He is starts to respond to Martha now instead of reprimanding

Martha or even addressing Mary first Jesus pinpoints the core of the problem

You are worried and troubled about many things Martha at first right was expecting

Jesus to confront Mary. What are you doing here? Listening? Your sister is working hard.

Help her out Martha's view of the problem Was her unfocused sister who left her to sit serve alone

Yet Jesus addresses Martha instead Martha Martha, you are worried about worried and troubled about many things

It is not Mary who has lost the priority here, but rather it is you

You're worried and troubled you're preoccupied and unfocused on what is truly important It is not

Mary who has lost her focus It is not Mary who is actually off -task It is not

Mary who is distracted It's you verse 42, but one thing is needed and Mary has chosen the good part

Which will not be taken away from her in Contrast to the many things that Martha is distracted by in troubled by and worried about Mary has chosen that one necessity

She Has chosen the good portion. This is almost a play on word with the figurative language of a figurative feast

While Martha is indeed preoccupied with preparing a literal fees for Jesus and his company

Mary has already been feasting on the good portion and That is

Jesus teaching his very words His very presence

Mary understood that a woman does not live on serving alone But every word that comes from the mouth of the

Lord Mary has realized that a woman does not live on serving bread alone

But every word that comes from the mouth of Jesus Mary knew what was the higher priority?

Not working for Jesus, although that is important This is not to say you stop serving But the most important thing is that you are with Jesus you first Belong to Jesus In fact

Mary's choice of listening to Jesus words Will not be taken away from her that is permanent food may spoil but not his words service expires

But not his words Service may end it always ends but not his presence and Mary chose the good part

She chose to hear from Jesus Rather than to leave his presence to serve him and this idea that God's Word is the portion the primary

Priority occurs in the Old Testament as well Psalm 119 the longest chapter in the

Bible is devoted to the importance of God's Word verse 59 the

Lord is my portion I promise to keep your words The psalmist knew that the greatest treasure is the

Lord himself Not what the Lord offers Even in the

Old Testament Judaism where land Inheritance Harvest they're all important.

They're all signs of covenantal faithfulness It is the

Lord that is their portion the Lord is their inheritance the

Lord is their allotment Forget the land give me the

Lord Take away the land But may the Lord not leave us the primary priority

Is not what we do for the Lord what we earn from the Lord But our relationship with the

Lord and when our focus on our ministry teaching preaching serving music leading even praying when that trumps our personal walk with the

Lord it is like focusing on the gift box and Throwing away the gift inside you have discarded.

What's truly important Ultimately the focus must be

Jesus Not what we do for Jesus. This is not to say we don't do anything for Jesus This is not to say that serving the church is unimportant

It just cannot be the most important parents

It is possible to emphasize reading the Bible daily to your kids But Not spend any personal time with God yourself

Kids will catch on when you fake your relationship with Jesus What's worse is if your kids are discipled in that fake relationship with Christ themselves and When they grow up They can easily leave a fake relationship that they were never part of for the parents.

The primary priority is Your relationship with God then out of that you disciple your kids and we can spend countless hours reading all the commentaries and Dare, I even say scripture, but not open the

Bible for our personal walk with the Lord We can know all the historical interpretations of a specific passage of the

Bible Yet never meet the author of scripture himself

This looks like opening the Bible to learn facts rather than to be transformed by the truth

Memorizing the verses for pure academic studies But not to dwell in the presence of the loveliest being in the universe

This is when scripture becomes an Instrument to impress others rather than the meeting place of God You can know about God without personally knowing

God You can lead others to Christ But not personally go to Christ yourself.

And this is a serious misplacement of priorities This is when ministry is prioritized over Jesus very presence and this can be done about serving others

You can teach others about Christ. You can counsel others to walk faithfully with Christ However, if you're not personally walking with the

Lord All of that discipleship is in vain No matter how many genuine disciples you make for Christ if you are not yourself truly discipled by Christ himself

Your soul is eternally lost forever in the end

The most precious prize in Christianity is none other than Christ himself

Jesus didn't die so that you could do many things for him Jesus didn't die so that you could know many things about him

Jesus didn't die so that your ministry resume would be padded Jesus died so that he would reconcile you to God By taking your sin and facing the wrath that you deserved

So that you may be completely Forgiven Jesus died so that your dead relationship with God your non -existing relationship with God would be fully restored and If we take out the personal out of the out of our relationship with God, there's really nothing left and If we ever lose our wonder and awe of the crucified

Messiah Who bore our sin and died the death that we deserved? So that he could reconcile himself to us

May God have mercy on our souls for us

For those who truly value Christ for those who truly follow Christ every day the most important and the richest treasure in your life is

That you belong to Christ and he to you and whenever you open the

Bible No matter your feelings No matter what you're going through You get to spend time with Christ and he with you even on the most difficult days during some of the driest seasons driest spiritual seasons you can go to Christ and Open the

Bible and Experience his presence and it does not depend on how you feel at that moment

The reality of Christ's presence through his word is guaranteed and promised and you will not regret it

You will not regret going to Christ Even when you don't feel like it the

Holy Spirit who dwells in you Makes it possible for you to encounter the

Living God It does not matter how you feel it does not matter whether you got nothing out of it

You get to dwell in his presence When you hear from his word directly and personally

This also means don't be just satisfied with what I preach to you every Sunday morning Don't just believe my interpretation of the text go to his word yourself

You don't have to read Books about it. You don't even have to read multiple chapters a day

It would be nice if you do but you don't have to but go to his word personally hear from him directly and Treasure your time with him in his word

Guarded fiercely Prioritize it primarily There is nothing that can substitute

God's presence through his word No amount of worship songs, although they are great

No amount of sermons from the best of the preachers Can substitute your personal time with the

Lord with the Bible open devoted to him Not with a specific agenda to prove my uncle wrong

But to spend time with Jesus Because that is your most important priority and I will end with a

Verse from a song that we actually sing a lot To remind us who our primary priority is and what kind of relationship we can be having.

Oh Lord my rock and my Redeemer Greatest treasure of my longing soul

My God like you there is no other True delight is found in you alone your grace a well too deep to fathom your love exceeds the heavens reach your truth a fount of perfect wisdom

My highest good and my unending need if the truth if the truth in this verse from this song

Seems seem foreign to you It may be time to ask God to soften your heart to rearrange your life to truly treasure

Jesus presence Truly prioritize him rather than your work for him

Your personal relationship with Christ is the most important thing in your life

No matter your ministry no matter what you're going through prioritize that That's what it means to love

God with all your heart mind soul and strength Go to Christ Go to Christ to spend time with him go to Christ Just for him not anything else that he may offer

Let us pray father we're thankful that we get to experience

Christ at any time through his word and his promise is promised his presence is promised and There is nothing like spending time with Jesus Help us to delight in that help us to long for it

But mostly help us when we don't long for it when we don't desire it But to trust that he is there because that is what he promised

Help us to trust in his faithfulness and goodness in Jesus name