 But today we're in chapter 10 here in the Gospel of Luke verses 38 through 42, and we're gonna be looking at love in action, and what we have here is a contrast, a contrast of attitudes, a contrast between two women whom we have all heard of if we've been walking with the Lord for any amount of time, a woman by the name of Martha and her sister named Mary. And so we're gonna be looking at love in action today as we look at verses 38 through 42, and continue our verse by verse study here in the Gospel of Luke. And so in verse 38, Luke writes here in chapter 10, 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, shut up. No, he didn't. 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 taken away from her. Martha and Mary. Works are part and parcel with faith in God. Always keep that in mind. A faith that is real is a faith that works. James makes it very clear, show me your faith by your works is his challenge because a person who has biblical faith is gonna have something that accompanies that. There will be actions. And as I've shared so many times with you in the New Testament, when you look at how faith is demonstrated, at least during the time of Christ, you can look at Jesus' comments relating to the Pharisees and how he spoke concerning how they prayed and how they fasted and how they gave. These are all things that were acts of faith or should have been, giving and fasting and praying. Those are part and parcel with a righteous life. And so in the Old Testament as well as the New, you see that the Lord gives to us specific commands related to the things that we do for him, the things that he has pleased with him. And those are called in the Bible, those are called good works. But you can have an attitude that nullifies the goodness of the work. And that's what we're gonna be seeing here tonight when we contrast Martha and her sister Mary. Now as we look at this passage here, it begins very simply in verse 38 by saying, it happened as they went that he entered a certain village and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. So Jesus and his disciples are now somewhere down south. They're by the city of Jerusalem. How do we know that? Well, because this is told to us in verse 38 when it speaks of a certain village and a certain woman named Martha who welcomes her into his house. We know that Martha lived in a small village by the name of Bethany. We know that because of the writings of John in his gospel because in chapter 11 in the gospel of John, verse one, John tells us that the city that they lived in was the city of Bethany. And Bethany is located about two miles or so just northeast of the city of Jerusalem. And so Jesus is now ministering in the south and he's thereby the city of Jerusalem in a small village that is named Bethany. And as he is there, notice with me, verse 38 tells us that a certain woman named Martha welcomed him, notice into her house. So this gives us some insight because here Luke is introducing us to one of his disciples, one of the disciples of Jesus. This is a woman by the name of Martha. When it says that she welcomed him into her house, that tells us that she's the homeowner. And as the homeowner, Martha graciously welcomes Jesus into the home in order that she might minister to him, in order that she might entertain him. So we're introduced first to a woman named Martha, then in verse 39 we're introduced to her sister, her sister's Mary. She had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. And so Luke introduces us to a second person, that's the sister, her name is Mary. Undoubtedly, Mary is the younger sister of Martha, why, because Martha is the one who owns the home. And so that tells us that as a homeowner she would be the oldest sister and therefore this is her younger sister, sister by the name of Mary. But I want you to see how it speaks concerning here in verse 39 because it says here that Mary comfortably sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. So I want you to notice that, because we're gonna concentrate on some things for a few moments here. I want you to notice that it says here, Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. And so sitting at the feet of a rabbi was a common way to receive instruction during the time of Christ. The phrase sitting at the feet is actually another way of saying that that was a disciple being mentored by their master. That's what was a common way of speaking about somebody receiving instruction from a rabbi. And it says here that Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word, that word heard there in the original language means to consider what is being said. She was listening in other words attentively to what Jesus had to say, she was there at his feet to understand, she was there at his feet that she might listen to him as he spoke forth the word of God. Sitting at the feet of a rabbi, the apostle Paul understood that because when he was speaking in one place, Acts 22, 31, and speaking concerning himself, Paul said, I indeed am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our father's law. Sitting at the feet of a rabbi is another way of saying I had been instructed by them, and that's what was taking place here. So when Luke tells us that she is seated at Jesus' feet, it's a picture of her sitting under a rabbi listening to what's being said attentively so she can be instructed in the things of God so that she can leave this place better equipped for works of service that she might worship with knowledge and understanding. And so this gives us insight that Mary is a disciple and this is a hungry disciple that we're speaking about. This is somebody who wants to understand the word of God. At his feet, she is having peaceful fellowship with the Lord, receiving from him so that she might know what God has to say. The Psalmist in Psalm 131 verses 1 and 2 says, my heart is not proud, oh Lord, my eyes are not haughty. I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me, but I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. I'm sitting peacefully at your feet, listening to what you have to say so that I might have fellowship with you. Now it seems to me as I read this passage, it seems obvious that Mary understood her spiritual needs and she also understood that it was Jesus who would meet them. And she knew that the best place for her would be seated at the feet of Jesus Christ, receiving his wisdom and she knew that Jesus gave words of life. And because Jesus brought words of life, Mary is there at his feet in order that she might receive from him. Now you have to ask yourself for a moment, wouldn't that have been an incredible thing and a blessed thing to be able to do? To be at the feet of Jesus Christ, to listen to what his word has to say, to hear words of life being pronounced by him, she's there listening to God's word and she is there sitting at the feet of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 50, verse four, speaking of Messiah, says the Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who was weary. There she is at his feet as he's speaking anointed words. This is a person who has weary in life, who needs sustenance, who needs strength, who needs direction. And there she is at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, listening to the greatest speaker who ever lived. The Bible, we already saw this in Luke chapter four, verse 22. The Bible says that all bore witness to Jesus and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. Jesus when he spoke was enthralling. He was, when he would speak, people would listen. As a matter of fact, on one occasion, his enemies sent some officers to arrest him. And so as these officers went to arrest Jesus, they came back without him and those who sent these officers to arrest him said, where is he? Why didn't you bring him to us? And John tells us in John 746 that the officers answered, no man ever spoke like this man. There was no way we are gonna take him captive. There's no way we're gonna arrest him. He arrested us as we listened to what he had to say as these gracious words proceeded from his mouth. He spoke to our hearts and unveiled them to us, opened our eyes so that we could see our real needs. And there's no way that we're gonna arrest somebody who speaks like this. Can you imagine what it would have been like to be seated there at the feet of Jesus Christ? To be there listening to what Jesus has to say, to be enthralled at his word, to be seated by him as he's speaking these gracious words, these words of life, these incredible words from heaven. And there's Mary just seated there, listening to the word of God as the living word speaks forth the written word. She loved sitting at the feet of Jesus Christ. She loved soaking in his tea cheese and receiving his word was her joy, was her pleasure and she understood the infinite, the eternal values that God word had for her. You see, I've discovered a long time ago that which interests me most is that which I pay most attention to. That's a simple principle. That which is most important to me is what I end up speaking about to somebody else. We all know that. Years ago I was teaching a Bible study in Roland Heights. It was a small study as most of my studies were. And in a little apartment, there couldn't have been more than 20 people or so in attendance, but directly across from me no more than 10 feet away, probably closer than that. It was a small apartment. We're two teenage girls. And they were the most bored people I'd seen in a Bible study since before tonight. And as they were there, as they were there, I was looking at them and you sometimes get kind of fascinated with the congregation. I've had such interesting things happen in Bible studies. I remember one woman I was teaching in Vine Street when our church first began and she fell asleep during the study and landed on the person next to her, just landed right on, just boom, just fell over. And it wasn't the Holy Spirit that made her do that. Well, these girls were there in the Bible study. And as I was looking at them, you know, I looked in their direction. Oh, were they ever bored? And you could read it all over them. But after the study had concluded, they were in the kitchen area and they were animatedly speaking. I mean, there was their expressions in their face and they were drinking sodas and just really talking and using their hands and really getting into whatever it was that they were talking about. And I remember as I was seated, we're in the seat that I had been sitting in as I was teaching, I remember thinking, I wonder what has gotten them so animated because a moment ago they were half asleep and now they're fully awake. And I remember just walking up there next to them and they were talking about their boyfriends. You know, they were talking about their boyfriends. Oh, he's so this and oh, he's so that. And I laughed within myself because, you know, that which is most important to us is what really animates our life. And for Mary, it was just being there at the feet of Jesus Christ. It was hearing his word because those are the words of life. Psalm 119 verse 93 says, I will never forget your precepts for by them you have given me life. Psalm 119 verse 130, the entrance of your words give light. It gives understanding to the simple. And so she was there soaking in the word of God as Jesus was speaking concerning the things of the kingdom of God. Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. Now 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. You can tell she's an older sister. Marie's an older sister, enough said. It says that she was there serving much. She was, according to verse 40, distracted. She was distracted with much serving. That word distracted means to be driven about mentally. It speaks of being over occupied or too busy. She was distracted with much serving. That word serving is the Greek word diakonia. Diakonia is where you get the word deacon from and the literal translation for deacon is a table waiter. And so she is very preoccupied, very distracted with waiting on tables is what it's saying here. She was busy serving. Now she was serving a supper. She had a supper that probably had no less than 16 guests. So ladies, think about that for a moment before we get mad in man too, of course, before we get angry at Martha. Because if it were Christmas or if it's Thanksgiving and you're there making the entire dinner for 16 people, that's an awful lot of work, isn't it? That's a lot of work. And that's what she's doing. She has Jesus to serve. She has his apostles, the 12. She has Mary. She has Lazarus and her brother Lazarus as well as herself. So there's no less than 16 people that are gonna be eating this one dinner that Mary, Martha rather, is preparing. And what it is, is as she's there busy in that, we'll call it a kitchen in that area that she's cooking, she's beginning to resent the fact that her sister is sitting down while she's busy working. And that makes her absolutely angry. Now, this is one of the most common temptations. Genuine believers can be trapped by it because we can become overly concerned with what we are doing and forget why we're doing what we are doing. We can plan our events, we can get frustrated, we can get to the point where we just want the thing to get over with. You can be looking forward to your Thanksgiving and when the day finally comes, you just look forward to the day being over. You can be the same way about a lot of events. You can think of that with Christmas and various holidays, Easter, they can start out really well, but they can end up really bad. And we know that. I mean, I wonder how many in this room have ever had a dinner with a lot of guests and your guests arrive, mess up the house, and then just get up and leave. And anybody here ever have that happen? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. We've had that happen and it's not like you want to complain, but man, they've been there all day. They've left the house in shambles. Then they walk out with a toothpick saying, thank you very much, and they take as much as they can carry with them and they leave you there to clean everything up. You ever had that happen? It does happen and you can resent it even though you were looking forward to that event. Even though you were saying, this is going to be a great time. We get the family together. Man, by the end of it, you're just laying there and there's trash everywhere and you're just all tired and your husband's upstairs. He's watching TV and there's just a mess everywhere and you're, man, Jesus, I hope you come back before next year. I can't do this again. I mean, it's just frustrating and I understand that and so do you. And so as this is taking place here, she's distracted with much serving. What does she do? I want you to see this. She approaches Jesus. As she approaches him, she's filled with anxiety and she's filled with frustration. She's an older sister and what's interesting is she actually speaks to Jesus disrespectfully. Listen, when you serve the Lord with anxiety in your heart, you ultimately will complain. She's not only going to question him, but she also takes it upon herself to give him orders. Notice what she says. Don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me. She questions Jesus. Don't you care. And then she gives him an order. I want to spend some time with you looking at four things that will help you in your Christian life if you're interested. Four things that will help you. Four things that we can apply from this passage. What do we learn from Martha? What do we learn from Martha that is not proper when we serve the Lord? Four things. First, Martha attached too much importance to what she was doing for Jesus. As a hostess, she was just too busy to enjoy what was going on herself. Serving Jesus became a work and a duty and her motives no longer were pure. For Martha, what more than likely had begun in the right spirit ended up in the flesh. An elaborate meal or a perfect order in the house was not necessary for Jesus. Martha's perfectionism and frustration interrupted the entire Bible study. This was a woman who literally was running on empty and didn't even know it. She was running on empty. Years ago I was in the mountains. There was a fly bothering me. I want to get it, but I can't. I'm going to end up hitting myself. Years ago I was in the mountains. It's not my forehead. Get away. Beelzebub. I was in the mountains with some friends and we were driving home. We were coming down from Big Bear. Coming down the hill there. And we ran out of gas. But I didn't know I had run out of gas because I was going downhill. And I didn't know I was out of gas until I pressed the accelerator. And when I pushed the accelerator, there was no power. And then I looked at my instruments and the lights are red. And I look at the fuel gauge and it's below empty. And I learned a lesson that day and I brought it into my Christian life. I wasn't a Christian at that time, but I never forgot that, obviously, and it was this. You can be going downhill thinking that you've got power and you don't discover that you have none, you're out of gas, until you look for some acceleration to move to another place. And in Christianity, you can have your tank full, we'll say, walking with the Lord, but you can become so distracted that you don't even notice that your fuel gauge is on empty. You're not doing your devotions. You're not serving. You're not doing the basic things that make you strong, whatever they may be in your life. There's some basic things you do. You pray, you fellowship, you share your faith, read the Word of God. There are things you do that are very basic to every believer's life. But you know what you can do? You can prepare for God with your devotions. You can be a children's minister. We'll say you prepare Bible studies for the kids, and so now you prepare a study for the kids, but you're not feeding yourself. And without realizing it, you start running on empty, and then when you hit the wall, you're amazed, and the first thing that you'll do is you'll complain. The first thing you'll do is you'll complain against God and you'll begin to wonder, God, don't you care? And you'll actually complain to him. And I understand that. Her perfectionism and her frustration interrupted an entire Bible study, an entire Bible study, just because she wasn't walking with the Lord properly. A second unnecessary thing was Martha's anxious and troubled attitude. Martha became distracted. She was overwhelmed, mentally stressed, because all the work of serving the meal, she lost touch with the inner peace that is given her by the Lord, and she took center stage and peace left. And so serving the Lord is to be a work of love done for him out of a thankful heart. And our service to the Lord really progresses from a heart that is in love with him. Beautiful Scripture, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 14 says, the love of Christ compels us. So when you lose sight of why you serve the Lord, you will always lose his peace. I can as a minister, and I think you as you serve the Lord, I can and do become distracted by things around me. I can. And as a result of that, I can become mentally distracted and lose the peace that I have with the Lord. And as a result of that, I stop serving with a grateful heart, and I become one who has a complaining spirit. A third unnecessary thing was she developed a bad attitude towards people. She resented serving all by herself, and she was angry because nobody was helping her. A good question to ask at this point is who wants to eat a meal prepared by a grumpy cook? Nobody. You know, the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7 God loves a cheerful giver, but she lost the joy of the Lord. She lost the joy of serving Jesus Christ. You know, we can do that. We can serve even in fellowships like this or your home church, wherever it may be. And you can lose the joy of service because you begin looking around and saying, how come nobody else is helping? How come nobody else is serving? How come it seems like I'm the only person who does this? And you can begin to complain against people. And that's what took place with her. I've discovered something. I've come to believe that serving the Lord is really a joy and nothing fulfills a person like serving Jesus Christ because my job cannot give me a sense of spiritual joy and fulfillment. Think about it. Ruling Egypt is being a shepherd didn't satisfy David. Tending fruit trees didn't satisfy Amos. Fishing didn't satisfy John. Gathering taxes did not satisfy Matthew. Nationalistic politics didn't satisfy Simon the zealot. Money did not satisfy Zacchaeus. And religion didn't satisfy Nicodemus. And theology did not satisfy Paul. The only thing that satisfies is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That's it. So whatever it is that you do is done as unto him. That's the whole key to serving God. Why do you do it? You do it because you love him. You do it because he loves you. The love of Christ compels me. When Paul says the love of Christ compels me there are two ways that scholars look at that. One, it's Christ's love for me motivates me to serve him. And two, my love for him motivates me to serve him. Christ's love for me is so overwhelming that I cannot help but serve him. That's the way that we ought to serve him. Why do I serve the Lord Jesus Christ? Because I love him. My sister, Madeleine and my nephew, Jonathan live in New Mexico and they came to visit and they were here tonight. They're here tonight. And she was in the foyer looking at pictures of our early days, the Vine street that small church. Madeleine was there with her husband Pat when our church began. And she was just a moment ago talking to me and she was saying to me it's unbelievable what the Lord has done. It's unbelievable what the Lord has done. And it is. It is unbelievable. When you consider that I started teaching in 1973 in September of 1973 at the age of 23 and taught home Bible studies between seven and nine years home Bible studies. And even when this fellowship began was still teaching a home Bible study on Wednesday nights. Our Bible studies in other words were small enough to be in a house for years not just a week not just a month not a year not two years not three years four five six seven eight nine years nine years of teaching home Bible studies. And you know renting when we started this church renting places and all and for me when I come walking out here like I did tonight or when I come walking out on a Sunday morning and we have three services and we have hundreds of people who actually sit outside I'm sure I'm not sure why they do but they do we average over the three services on Sunday morning we average 700 adults and about 150 kids who don't even come into the church service you know and I mean when I look back over years of never teaching more than 10 or 12 people you know three people five people there were times in our Bible studies when I would teach three people four people five and that wasn't just one time that could be four weeks at a time you know just going out opening up the word speaking to a handful of people and you look out now and you see what the Lord has done it amazes me but the thing that I can say before you tonight because it's true it's a joy to serve the Lord Jesus Christ always has been always was I remember on one occasion an individual asked me to come and teach his kids a Bible study I showed up on a Saturday I was a student at Biola at the time and I said sure of course I'll teach him the Gospel of Mark he was a friend of our family and all and I showed up and at the end of the Bible study he said I want to give you some money what do I owe you and I never went back I never went back I never I didn't want to get paid for doing something that I love doing so much are you kidding me I'm not a sermon for hire I want to talk about Jesus Christ you see and that's what it's always been like and that's what it's supposed to be like you see and Martha was doing something good she was serving the Lord but the problem is when you become distracted with the serving and you don't remember who you're serving or why you're doing it you're going to begin to complain and as a result of that you'll lose your joy but when you serve the Lord because he's so good to you when you serve the Lord because he's blessed you I mean I look over my blessings and they're too numerous to count the multitude of goodness that God has shown to me and you can say the same thing is absolutely beyond anything that I could ask or think God has been incredibly good and he always has been and always will be you know and we need to understand that serving him is a joy it's a pleasure it fulfills you in every way serving God fulfills you in a way that nothing else can and she needs to understand that she needs to remember that and God loves it when we give to him our service with joy and then finally a fourth unnecessary thing is disrespect towards Jesus Christ because she made her comments to the Lord while others were present she came and said that in front of a room full of people she even blamed Jesus for not caring about her and demanded that he tell Mary to help her that's the inevitable result of laboring in the flesh we begin to blame God for our own dissatisfaction we can even begin to believe that he isn't even aware of what's going on in our life all of this that Martha was doing for Jesus was appreciated but all of what she was doing simply wasn't the highest priority and that's what he's going to make clear and notice how he speaks to her in verse 41 he says look right Jesus answered and said to her Martha Martha you're worried and troubled about many things but one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken away from her one thing is needed you see you are inwardly anxious and outwardly restless and you have forgotten the highest priority think for a moment please what it was like when you first got saved think for a moment did you love Jesus did you? was there something inside why do you like it wasn't me awakened in you at all when you clearly saw yourself as being lost but now you're found when you clearly realized that you had been blind but now you see and you clearly clearly for the first time knew that your sins were forgiven and for me the joy overwhelmed me it overwhelmed me I came home the day I got saved radically radically saved radically saved I came home so different that my sister Madeleine asked me what happened to you and I told her and she said I got saved Jesus Christ forgave me my sins tonight how'd that happen I prayed and I said God be merciful to me I'm a sinner forgive me Lord and Madeleine that night when she later hit on her pillow that night said to Jesus whatever you did for my brother would you please do that for me and she was the first person through my ministry on the day that I got saved on the day that I got saved God does radical things changes you in radical ways and He loves you so much how can you help but serve Him how can you help it you know my girl my Marie my Marie she gets mad at me if I if she's served me my dinner and I get up to go get something she literally gets mad at me I love it it's cool she'll say where are you going and I'll say oh honey I'm just going to get you could have told me I said baby I these legs still work I can I may not remember what I was going to get but I but I can't go there she actually gets mad at me she does I'm not kidding you you could ask anybody who knows her she does because she wants to serve me well guess what that kind of love that she has for me makes me want to serve her it makes me want to serve her not sit there like King David give me a tortilla where's my salsa hahaha it doesn't it makes me and I'm telling you the truth it makes me want to serve her because she loves me and her love for me makes me want to love her even more my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ loves me so much that he laid his life down and suffered a painful torture of a death for me why wouldn't I serve him it doesn't make sense to me why people don't but if we get distracted if we start thinking that he owes us something if we have a sense of entitlement I guarantee you you will complain against him and I guarantee you you will complain against your brothers and your sisters too just the way Martha did but I also guarantee you that Jesus will speak your name and notice he said Martha Martha he spoke twice for emphasis Martha Martha you're distracted by many things but Mary your sister she's chosen the better part Mary has a perspective she does the one thing that is needed Mary has chosen the most important thing and that is sitting at my feet fellowshiping with me hearing my word so she's equipped to serve with the joy that she should have one thing she does the one thing in Psalm 27.4 one thing I have desired of the Lord that will I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord the duty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple Paul in Philippians 3.13 and 14 said brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind reaching forward to those things which are ahead I press towards a goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth into those things which are before the most important thing what I wanted her to do was to be at the feet of the Lord because at his feet she's drinking in his word she's loving him she's fellowshiping with him and hearing him was her top priority because his word gave her inner strength and wisdom she understood what Job 23.12 says when it says I have not departed from the commandment of his lips I treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food she would know what Peter would write later on in the book of James desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby she chose the good part that was a conscious decision on her part to be at the feet of Jesus and that's something we choose to do also like the psalmist said in Psalm 119.103 how sweet are your words to my taste sweeter than honey to my mouth or Psalm 119.127 I love your commandments more than gold yes than fine gold or Jeremiah 15.16 for I am called by your name O Lord God of hosts you see that's what helps us to avoid burnout is just to enjoy the Lord through his word spending time with him in prayer spending time with him in our devotional life spending time with him that's the key that's where we gain our strength you see Jesus had come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden I will give you rest take my yoke upon you learn of me I am meek and lowly in heart my soul my yoke is easy my burden is light that's what he calls us to that's what he's called me to I was busy distracted with much surfing I can speak on this because I've experienced this I am Martha the Lord showed me that today not literally but I have the same attitude Lord I'm busy serving you don't you care and then Jesus spoke back to me through this passage you're distracted by many things you have to choose the better part what was that Lord Jesus why don't you come home and sit at my feet and enjoy me for a while because out of the abundance of your heart your mouth will speak and instead of wondering the things that you wonder why don't you just enjoy me and let me give you something to wonder about that is beyond what you're thinking about now and you want to know something I knew that the Lord gave us this verse this passage here not for this church as much as for me personally then I might sit at his feet then I might return to where I've enjoyed fellowship for so long but I have become distracted with much surfing and so the Lord is saying choose the better part come and sit at my feet again you know it's been a while since we've visited why don't you just enjoy me as your savior why don't you just enjoy my word as your nourishment why don't you just enjoy our fellowship like you used to because at that point you're going to have something to pour out to other people that is life and so what I say to me is to sit at the feet of Jesus