GETTING NEAR TO GOD WHEN WE NEED HIM … based on The Psalms 22:1-2

GETTING NEAR TO GOD WHEN WE NEED HIM


… based on The Psalms 22:1-2




This morning we’re going to be talking about getting near to God when we need Him. And when is it that we especially need Him? … Usually during difficulties, hard times, suffering, & when we’re hurting in some way.




Now I’m not going to be discussing the theological causes or purposes of pain & suffering … I’ve done that before. What I want to focus in on this morning is how to feel near to God during our hard times.




Our Scripture passage is going to sound very familiar; at least the

1st sentence. Even though it’s from The Psalms it seems like something Jesus said, as Matthew & Mark record His words from the cross.

(Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34) But the words we’ll be reading come from David,

written some 1,000 years before Jesus came to live on this earth.




Let me set the scene for you.

David has had a deep personal relationship with God.

That’s clearly apparent from reading some of his other Psalms. He pours out his heart to the Lord; being completely honest with his feelings.




LORD, you have examined me & you know me.

You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.

You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.

Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.

You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.

Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.

Where could I go to escape from you?

Where could I get away from your presence? …

If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west,

you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.

(The Psalms 139:1-7,9-10)

And how about the 23rd Psalm? …




The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. …

I know that your goodness & love will be with me all my life. (The Psalms 23:1,6)




He’s confident of God’s faithful care for him.




Listen now to Good News, written by David, to us who have gathered here for worship. Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord.




My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Why are you so far away?

I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come.

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest. (The Psalms 22:1-2




May my words & my thoughts be acceptable to you,

O LORD, my refuge & my redeemer! (The Psalms 19:14)




May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen




David begins his Psalm with some of the same questions that you & I throw up to God when we’re dealing with tough things. “God, where are you?

Why have you deserted me? Why have you abandoned me?

Why do I feel like I’m dealing with this all by myself?

God, I’m alone down here. Hello? Anybody listening?”




Now, honestly, those are questions that I’ve asked, & I wouldn’t be surprised if you have too.

David was struggling with some things in his life …

& we’ve got some struggles in ours.




Of course, we’re not completely transparent with one another,

concerning financial issues, health issues, emotional issues, relational issues,

but I think it’s fair to say that each one of us is dealing with something right now. So, just like David, we understand what it’s like to deal with hard things. And when they hit us, we often lose our spiritual compass,

& so, the 1st question that rolls out of our mouth is … God, where are you?




“Why have you abandoned me?”

David is hurting …

“I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come.”




Now do you understand what he’s really asking?

“God, why haven’t you fixed my problem yet?”




He goes on …

“O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

& by night, but I find no rest.”




“God, why does it seem like my prayers are falling on deaf ears?”




Now be honest … haven’t you felt this way at times? Haven’t you asked God these kinds of questions when the hard times have come your way?




“God, where are you? Yoo!

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m dealing with a pretty big problem down here. And I’m praying to you, but you’re not answering me.”




Now, of course, implied in all these questions is our assumption that God should fix our problems & answer us when we pray. And isn’t that what we’re most interested in … at the end of the day … isn’t that what we want?

We just want God to take away the pain, the hurt, the issue, the hardship … whatever it is. We want relief from our troubles.




That’s what we see in Scripture, right? Over & over again, especially in the O.T. we find God intervening in the lives of His people. We see Him answering when they cry out to Him. He fixes problems. He steps in.

And that continues on in the N.T.




This world will bring trouble, but there’s a God who knows us & loves us & hears us, & we’re told to pray to Him … & He’ll intervene. And not only does Scripture teach God’s intervention in the lives of His people, but most of us have experienced that as well. In fact, let me ask you, by a show of hands, how many of you would say that God has intervened in your life in a real enough way that you could actually tell somebody else about it? …




So, we have faith in a God who does in fact care about His people.

And it’s been our experience to see that happen, personally.

And David had experienced God’s care as well … many, many times.

As a shepherd boy, the Lord had saved him from lions & bears. (1 Samuel 17:37)

And as David reminds himself of those moments, he begins to turn the corner & starts remembering some things that he knows are true about God.




“You sit as the Holy One, the praises of Israel are your throne.” (The Psalms 22:3)




It’s like David’s doing a balancing act. “Okay God, I feel like you’re not fixing my problem, & it doesn’t seem like you’re hearing me, so I need to start reminding myself of some things about you that I know are true.”




And this is the key for us. And it’s the point we’ve got to learn this morning.

When we feel like God has turned a deaf ear to whatever problem we’re dealing with, we need to stop & do a little remembering those specific times God has intervened in our lives. But having said that, I understand that when I’m struggling with some problem, when I’m dealing with some issue,

it’s not always easy to stop thinking about me, & start thinking about God.




This is why a knowledge of the Scriptures is so helpful as we try to navigate through life … especially the Psalms, because they deal with real life issues.




And we see that this morning with the 22nd Psalm.

David was thinking only about himself as he began it … he’s hurting,

& he feels like no one cares … & even God has abandoned him, or so he thinks.




You know, there was a time when even Jesus Himself felt that way.

Scripture records for us 7 specific statements that Jesus made when He was dying on the cross.

And interestingly, 1 of those comments is a direct quotation from Psalm 22.




Jesus would certainly have been familiar with the Psalms because they were used regularly in Jewish worship. So, as He becomes almost overwhelmed with His problem … the cross … He cries out:

“My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”




So, what’s going on here? We all understand, especially while we’re sitting here on Sunday mornings, that we live in a fallen world.

Bad things happen. Life is tough. Problems exist. And on this level,

we agree with God,& God agrees with us … something is wrong.

But on another level, our diagnosis of this world is not God’s diagnosis.

We look around & say,

“Something is very wrong. I’m experiencing pain, & loneliness, & weakness,

& anxiety. I’m worried, & frustrated, & hurting,

& weary.”




And as we’re dealing with our struggles & problems, we look at God & think, “God, there’s something wrong with you because you’re not fixing

my situation.” “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”




But at the same time, God looks down on humanity & says,

“Hey, the problem is not with me.” God’s diagnosis is that there’s something wrong with us … it’s our sin. We’re the ones who have created this mess that we’re living in. We’ve created the problem.




So, what can be done about our sin-filled lives?

Well God, praise His holy name, provides the solution. Scripture records ...

“The Lord made the punishment fall on Jesus,

the punishment all of us deserved.” (Isaiah 53:6)




We’ve all heard this before, many times … yes, Jesus died for my sins.

(1 Corinthians 15:3) All my sins were put on Jesus on the cross,

so I will not be sent to Hell, but will live with Him in Heaven for all eternity. … But it’s more than that.




We’re talking about our sinful actions & attitudes, & all the negative consequences that come with it. All of the brokenness, all of the hurt,

all of the pain, all of the suffering, all of the junk, all of the repercussions, all the garbage that comes with our sins … is put in one nasty gross package

… & it has wrecked this world. And all of that sin & all of the consequences that come with it were placed on the cross with Jesus.




He didn’t deserve any of it. He lived in perfect obedience to the Father.

“Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.”

(2 Corinthians 5:21)




God takes our sin & puts it on Jesus …

& in exchange what is offered to us is righteousness.

Righteousness means simply that we have been put in good standing with God.

(Romans 5:1)

That’s the best exchange we’ll ever, ever be offered.

Our sin, & all the consequences of it, including death & separation from God, was placed upon Jesus. And in return we are offered righteousness.

That’s incredibly humbling. And what’s required of us is that we respond appropriately to the cross of Jesus Christ.




David cried out … “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”




Jesus cried out … “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”




So, my question this morning is, during those moments when we have struggled, during our most difficult times …

have we been able to say that? “My God, my God ….”

In other words, when you cry out to God … is He your God?




Let me be really honest in the next few moments … maybe one of the reasons some people feel distant from God is because they’ve never drawn near to Him through the cross. God is God, but He’s never become my God.




So, the 1st thing we need to ask ourselves is … has Jesus become the Lord & Savior of my life? Have I truly come to faith in Him? I’m not talking about believing that there’s a God, like I believe there was an Abraham Lincoln … I’m talking about being “born again.”




Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth:

no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.” (John 3:3)

So, getting near to God when we need Him begins with our coming into a personal relationship with Jesus.




But having said that, there are times when I’ve visited someone who’s going through a bad situation, & they look at me & ask, “Why’s God punishing me?”




In Luke 13 we read an interesting conversation about a cause for problems & troubles. Some people came & “told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices to God.” (Luke 12:1)




This is the only place in Scripture that we read about Pilate, aside from Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate had been appointed by Rome to govern Judea.

And apparently, he ordered the execution of some Galileans; & what makes that worse is that he had them killed while they were at Church worshiping.

Let’s try to grasp this. We’re here this morning worshiping, & someone comes in & murders a ½ dozen of us. What would be our 1st question? …

(why?)




Well, that’s what the people who came to Jesus were wondering.

They were trying to make some sense of it, & the best they could do was suggest that these specific Galileans were killed because they had sinned in a really bad way, & as a result, deserved to die.




Now before we dismiss that suggestion, more often than I care to count, I’ve had people tell me, “Well, I’m sick, I’m suffering …

so I must have done something really bad & God is punishing me.”




Jesus responds, “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they died that way? … What about those 18 people in Siloam who were killed when the tower fell on them?

Do you suppose this proves that they were worse than all the other people living in Jerusalem? No indeed!” (Luke 13:4)

His implication is … maybe the tower just fell.




Sometimes bad things happen.

But no matter what life throws at us, we’ve got to be focused on what’s the most important thing, on what’s most significant … & that’s eternity.




Jesus says, “I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.” (Luke 13:5) Unless we repent, unless we acknowledge our sin … we’re going to face more than physical death;

there’s spiritual death to contend with.




We get so caught up with our problems in the here & now,

that we totally forget about what awaits us. The day is coming when Jesus will return & establish His Kingdom … & then things will be perfect again.

(Genesis 1:31)




“I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: ‘Now God’s home is with people! He will live with them, & they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, & he will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain.

The old things have disappeared.” (The Revelation 21:3-4)

I need to say something difficult here, but we all need to hear it.

Maybe one of the reasons God seems so distant during our difficult moments is because we’re too busy looking for solutions to our problems.




Please don’t misunderstand me … but I’ve known some people who’ve had cancer … & have become obsessed with getting healed from it. And I wonder if being healed of cancer becomes more important than God Himself? And if so, then that healing could actually become an idol in their life. And any idol we worship separates us from God. (Exodus 20:3)




I’m uncomfortable saying that, but we all need to hear it, because we get so consumed thinking about ourselves … that we start “to worship” what we want to happen in our life instead of worshipping Almighty God.




If I want to feel near to God when I need Him,

I’ve got to put Him on the throne.

“Be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God & with what he requires of you, & he will provide you with all these other things.”

(Matthew 6:33)




Maybe God seems distant during our painful moments … because He is.

In other words, maybe some people need to be honest about the source of their hard times. Maybe some people are going through some bad things because they’re regularly ignoring God. They’re pushing Him away. They’re going their own way … & then they begin thinking about God & wonder why He’s not fixing their problems. Maybe they feel distant from God because in fact … they are. So, to feel close to God we need to get close to God.




There’s something else about “feeling” close to God.

Feelings can often be misleading. I recognize that because I’m a very touchy, feely person. I feel happy. I feel sad. I feel excited.

These emotions are visibly evident in my life.




But when I don’t feel the emotions, does that mean that those truths don’t exist? There are times when I really “feel” love for Kathy,

& her love for me. But in other moments, when the “feeling” isn’t as strong,

does that mean we’re not in love? Of course not.




So, feelings aren’t always the best indicators.

We’re all familiar with the “Footprints In The Sand” poem.

(There are some who think it’s actually in the Bible.)

Remember the man’s comment when he noticed that during the most troublesome times of his life only 1 set of footprints we’re seen on the sand?




“I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me?”

In other words, “Lord, I don’t ‘feel’ your presence with me.”




The LORD replied, ‘My precious, precious child,

I love you & would never leave you. During your times of trial & suffering, when you see only 1 set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’”




Finally, maybe God is working out a plan that’s different than ours.

There’s a novel thought! (Isaiah 55:8-9) But this is where faith & trust come into the picture. “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)




A # of years ago now, a Pastor, Rick Warren, wrote a best-selling book,

“The Purpose Driving Life.” (It’s a terrific book, & if you haven’t read it,

it’s worth your time.) Here’s how he begins …

“It’s not about you.” Okay, who is it about? …

God … we’re here for God’s glory.




Last evening I was looking for a way to end this message,

& just then I saw what a friend posted on Facebook.

(I love it when God provides my sermons.)




I used to believe that God would never give me more than I could handle. But the older I get, the more I realize something … sometimes life WILL give you more than you can handle. But that doesn’t mean God will leave you to handle it alone. Because I’ve had seasons that absolutely broke me. Seasons where I cried myself to sleep. Seasons where my anxiety felt bigger than my faith. Seasons where I questioned how I was supposed to keep going. Seasons where I prayed & prayed, but nothing seemed to change. I’ve had moments where I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t positive.




I wasn’t handling things gracefully. I was barely holding on. And for the longest time, I thought that meant I wasn’t trusting God enough.




But here’s what I’ve learned.

God never asked me to be strong enough to carry everything on my own.

He asked me to trust the One who could carry me. Sometimes He doesn’t immediately remove the storm. Sometimes He walks with us through it. Sometimes the situation doesn’t change overnight, but He gives us enough grace to make it through another day. And sometimes the greatest testimony isn’t that God kept us from experiencing something painful. It’s that He never abandoned us in the middle of it. So, if you’re in a season right now where everything feels like too much. If you’re exhausted.




If you’re overwhelmed. If you’re questioning how much more you can take. If you’re trying to keep it together for everyone around you while silently falling apart. Please hear me. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay

to have strong faith. You don’t have to have all the answers.

You don’t have to understand what God is doing.

And you certainly don’t have to carry every burden by yourself.




And that’s the reminder I’m holding on to. Not that I’m strong enough for everything life throws at me. But that even when I’m not strong enough, I serve a God who is. I’ve survived things I never thought I would make it through. Not because I had it all together, but because God never let me walk through them alone. And if you’re still in the middle of your hardest season, I pray you feel His presence right where you are.

Because sometimes faith looks less like standing strong & more like falling

to your knees & whispering … “Lord, I can’t do this without You.”




Someone once said, “God’s will is exactly

what you would desire if you knew all the facts.”




May all of us echo the thoughts of the Apostle Paul.

“We never become discouraged. Our physical body is becoming older

& weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16




MARANA THA

DOING THE RIGHT THING … based on Luke 10:38-42

 

DOING THE RIGHT THING

… based on Luke 10:38-42

See Comments for Sermon Outline

I’ve told you on numerous occasions that as I read the accounts in Scripture, I put myself into the story.  I imagine that I’m one of the characters.

If I’m reading about Adam & Eve … I’m Adam.  

If I’m reading about Jacob & Esau … I’m Jacob.  

If I’m reading about Joseph & Mary … I’m Joseph.  

I’m one of the shepherds.  I’m one of the Magi.

I’m at the dinner party Matthew throws for his friends.

I’m one of John the baptizer’s followers.

If I’m reading about the disciples … I’m John.

I’m Jairus, whose daughter has died.  

Sometimes I’m the Prodigal Son,& at other times, I’m the older brother.  

I’m Peter, walking on the water.  I’m Silas, in prison with Paul.

That way the Scriptures come alive for me.  And the lessons that 

God wants to teach me, I’m better able to apply to my life.

This is particularly true when it comes to the story that we’re going to be looking at this morning.  It’s about my favorite female character in Scripture.  I’m talking about Martha.

So, my challenge to each of you is, as I read the account of her & her sister, 

Mary … imagine that you’re in Bethany.  Pretend that you’re one of these 2 incredible women.  Put yourself in their house as Jesus & His disciples come for a visit … & you’ll discover God has a particular word for you this morning.  

Okay, are you visualizing the scene? …

Listen now to Good News, as recorded by Luke, to us who have gathered here for worship.  Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord …

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a women named Martha welcomed him in her home.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching.  Martha was upset over all the work she had to do, so she came and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?  Tell her to come and help me!”

The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha!  You are worried and troubled over so many things, but just one is needed.  Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Jesus said, “Heaven & earth will pass away, 

but my words will never pass away.” (Mark 13:31)

May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen

After long hours of ministry, have you ever wondered what Jesus did in the evenings? … One day, early on in His ministry, some would-be followers came to Him asking what were some of the “fringe” benefits of discipleship.

Jesus told them that … 

“Foxes have holes, & birds have nests,

 but the Son of Man has no place to lie down & rest.” (Matthew 8:20)

So, there were obviously times in His life when He slept out in the fields.  

But there were other times that Jesus enjoyed the warmth & hospitality of good friends.  And probably no home in all of Israel was more special to Him than that of Martha, Mary, & their brother Lazarus, in the village of Bethany.  No matter how Jesus was received other places … 

the door of this house was always open to Him.

Well, on 1 of His journeys to Jerusalem, word reaches Martha that Jesus is in the area.  (Bethany’s just a couple of miles away.) (John 11:18)

So, she insists that He & His disciples come to her home for dinner.  

She wants to extend warm hospitality.

She wants to show, through her generosity, just how much she loves Him.

I’ve been around long enough to know, that for many women, 

when guests come to your home, it’s a big deal; it can be kind of stressful.

And now here come 13 guys!

After all these years, I’m still in awe with what Kathy can do in the kitchen.  

She puts cold food in the refrigerator at one time, & hot food on the stove at another time, & it all comes together at the same time.

And then I sit down & have a good time.

And terrific cooks can always pull this off.  

So, here’s Martha trying to do her thing in the kitchen … 

but it’s not going very well.  The stove was giving off a lot more smoke than heat.  The bread wasn’t rising.  And pretty soon the whole thing smelled more like a burnt offering for Jesus than a dinner.

And finally, she looked for her sister Mary to come & help.  Martha peaks in the living room & there she was … sitting at Jesus’ feet!  And now, 

perturbed, she went back into the kitchen … as burned up as the dinner.

And pretty soon that volcano inside began to erupt.  And so, she stormed into the living room & went right up to Jesus … “Lord, don’t you care that my 

sister has left me to do all the work by myself?  Tell her to come & help me!”

I’m sure she thought that Jesus would come to her defense,

praise her for her efforts, & gently rebuke Mary & send her into the kitchen to help get this elaborate dinner on the table.  But instead …

“Martha, Martha!  You are worried & troubled over so many things, 

but just one is needed.  Mary has chosen the right thing, 

& it will not be taken away from her.”

Now you don’t have to go to Seminary to understand that story.  

We all know that Martha made the bad choice & Mary made the good choice.  But even though I know that that’s the truth being taught here … 

my head & my heart don’t agree.

I confess that I’m very sympathetic with Martha.  

To be honest … she’s my kind of woman.  Martha’s realistic.  

She approaches life as it is.  She calls them as she sees them. 

John writes about the time that Martha’s brother, Lazarus, passed.

Jesus arrives 4 days after the funeral.  And when He finally does show up, they take Him out to the tomb … & He asks that the stone be taken away.

And Martha, even though she was submerged in grief, says … “

Lord, you better not do that.”  “There will be a bad smell.  

He has been buried 4 days.” (John 11:39) Not very couth … but pretty realistic.

Martha was just that kind of woman.

And she was realistic enough to know that if you’re going to get a dinner ready for 16+ people, there’s lots to be done.  

Sitting around at somebody’s feet won’t get the food prepared.

I read this story, & then I look for help in my commentaries …

& they’re all into Mary; the sweet sister who sits at Jesus’ feet, & reads the Bible, & all this holy stuff.  And Martha comes off as some kind of ogre.

Yet I recognize, if it wasn’t for the Martha’s of the world … 

nothing much would get done.  If it wasn’t for the Martha’s … 

ministry wouldn’t exist.  I don’t know of a Pastor who doesn’t want a bunch of Martha’s in his/her congregation.

Martha’s my kind of woman.  And I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Writer, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem entitled, “The Sons Of Martha.”  Listen to the final stanza …

And the Sons of Mary smile & are blessed –

they know the Angels are on their side.

They know in them is the Grace confessed, 

& for them are the Mercies multiplied.

They sit at the feet – they hear the Word –

they see how truly the Promise runs.

They have cast their burden upon the Lord, & -

the Lord He lays it on Martha’s Sons!

I have real sympathy for Martha.  But when we look at the story we must give her low marks for serving.  I mean, Jesus isn’t wrong in that.

Martha recognizes that Jesus & His men have been on the road 

quite some time.  They’re hungry.

And she has the gift of hospitality, & she wants to meet their need, 

& give them a good homecooked meal.  That’s the kind of woman Martha was.  I believe that acts of graciousness just poured out from her life. (Romans 12:7) 

I imagine that Martha was the kind of person who when a child was ill would come by & sit a spell while the mother got some rest.  

If a family was sick, she would bring a crock of cream of mushroom soup.

And right here, Martha wants to show her hospitality to Jesus & His disciples.  She wanted to give them the kind of lavish meal they would not soon forget.  They would know that they were loved & cared for.  

And Jesus is not faulting her for that.

The difficulty for Jesus is not the service … but the spirit of the service.

Luke writes that she … “was upset over all the work she had to do.”

And when Jesus responded … “Martha, Martha!  You are worried & troubled over so many things” … it was her spirit that Jesus was concerned about.

My guess is that Martha had a “type A” personality … obsessive, compulsive … (which is maybe why I kind of identify with her).  And for us obsessive, compulsive people, our code of the road is …“if a thing is worth doing, 

it’s worth doing well.”  And Martha totally buys into that.  She not only has to prepare a lavish menu, but it’s got to be in a sterile environment.  

The house must be clean.  Dusted & vacuumed.  

“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

And Jesus responds …

“Martha, Martha, you’re worried & troubled over so many things.  One dish would have been enough.  You need to relax & reevaluate your priorities.”

What Jesus is saying is something some of us need to hear & then underline.  That if a thing is worth doing, it may be worth doing … simply … simply.

Certainly, it’s a good thing to show hospitality.  But, if we’re driven by hospitality to superhuman feats, & our spirit is wrong … we need to know that maybe soup & a grilled cheese sandwich would have been better.  

Hospitality is worth doing … but it may be worth doing simply.  

We need to understand that.

Simplifying life can be a very important strategy.

The question of course, is … how do we knew when we’re too busy?  

How do we know when we’ve pushed ourselves beyond the limits? … 

The answer is going to be different for different people.

But one conclusion would be … when what we do has driven us to distraction, & we’re upset & anxious & irritable & hard to get along with …

that’s a clear clue that we need to simplify things.

The problem is that we often mess it up in the way we do our service.  Because doing ministry in a bad spirit doesn’t do anybody any good.  

The old saying … “misery loves company” … I’m not so sure.  But I do know that misery “spoils” the company & the party for everybody else.

And that happened here.  Martha’s irritation spoiled the party for Mary.

Can you imagine how she felt? … Martha’s upset.  And she doesn’t just tiptoe to the door & whisper, “Mary, please come & help me.”  No, she makes a grandstand entrance.  She steamrolls into the room, & doesn’t even speak to Mary.  She goes right up to Jesus, & blurts out in front of everyone … 

“I’m out there doing everything by myself.  

Tell Mary to get off her behind & get in the kitchen & help me.”

Can you imagine how Mary must have felt? … She’s embarrassed.  

Here this lovely evening with Jesus has been spoiled.  When we’re irritable, we ruin it for everybody.  Martha spoiled the meal for the disciples.

I remember, when my kids were little, going to someone’s home for a dinner party.  Well, upon arrival it was immediately obvious that the hosts had had a “fight” just before we arrived.  They were horribly irritable.  

I found myself praying that my babysitter would call saying there was an emergency at home so that I would have a good excuse to get out of there.  

Most importantly, Martha’s irritation spoiled her own relationship with the Lord.  This was supposed to have been a sterling evening in her life.  

Here, in her home was, by her own admission, the Messiah! (John 11:27)

And she had the unique opportunity to “entertain” Him.

But now suddenly, because of her irritation, she’s angry with Him.  

She storms into the living room, “Lord, don’t you care about me, 

& the fact that I’ve got to do this whole meal by myself?”

When irritation is part of our service … we’ve just spoiled our service. (Deuteronomy 28:47) When we’re overextended in what we do in good works … 

it’s done with a bad attitude.  At that point we better hear the word of Jesus … “one dish would have been enough.”  

If a thing is worth doing … it may be worth doing simply.

Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying.  Certainly, there are moments in life when we must reach to our best effort, (Colossians 3:23) … but wise is the person who knows when those times are.  And if you can prepare a 7-course meal & do it with great delight & warm hospitality … I’m available to come to your house!  (I prefer special dinners to soup & grilled cheese.)  But, if I must choose between a good meal & a bad spirit, & a simple meal with a good spirit … I’ll take the soup & grilled cheese anytime.  Some of us have got to understand that if a thing is worth doing … it may be worth doing simply.

But that’s not the end of the story, is it? … Jesus isn’t telling all of us that we need to cut back on our service or work.  We don’t turn away from Christian ministry in order to spend more time watching TV.

Look at the final sentence in the story.  Jesus says … 

“Mary has chosen the right thing, & it will not be taken away from her.”

What Mary did was sit at Jesus’ feet & hear His words.  Okay, so the question is, what’s Jesus talking about? … Well, He doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re to become a Bible expert, or even spend every spare moment reading the Scriptures, or listening to every preacher on TV or the radio.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan begins with a conversation Jesus had with a theologian.  

That man knew the Bible.  He could quote the Scriptures …

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, & with all you mind’; & ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” 

(Luke 10:27)

Those were statements every good Jewish leader would quote each morning before leaving their homes.  Knowing the Bible is important … 

but that’s not what it means to sit at Jesus’ feet & hear His words.  

To hear His Word is to allow Him to minister to us.

To allow Him to do something in us before we do something for Him.

Jesus said that … “Mary has chosen the right thing.”  Because 

before a ministry of service … there must be a ministry to our spirits.

The 2 commands are …

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, & with all you mind’; & ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”

But those commands are always in that order.  If we get them turned around, they’ll destroy us.  If we put our focus on loving our neighbor … that gets to be a pretty gritty business.  Trying to love our neighbor is like trying to drain Lake Lemon with a cup.  We dip & dip & dip & dip & dip & dip & dip … & when we finish, we have a puddle at our feet & Lake Lemon is still there.  If we focus solely on “neighbor love” we’ll burn out.  It’s only a “neighbor love” that grows out of a love for Jesus Christ that has staying power. 

(1 John 4:19) 

Before we become involved with service for others, we must allow Jesus to serve us.  And believe it or not, that’s what He wants from us.  

He didn’t bring us to Himself to make us a slave.

He brought us to Himself to makes us a friend. (John 15:15) The sovereign God of the universe enjoys fellowship with us.  Mary chose the right thing because that’s what Jesus wanted when He came to their home that day.

A # of years ago I had a chance to spend an evening with 2 friends I hadn’t seen for some time.  They went out of their way to show me hospitality.  Marty knew what my favorite food was & she made it.  It was an absolutely wonderful meal.  She was back & forth to the kitchen any time she sensed that I might need something.

She was thoughtful & gracious.  And I certainly appreciated it.

When the evening was over & I went back to the Hotel it occurred to me, as terrific as the dinner had been, I had spent time with David, 

but I hadn’t really had quality time with her.  I missed that.

And the farther removed I am from that … the more I realize it.  (Marty passed unexpectedly a short time later, so that was my final time with her.)

Hear me when I say that I truly appreciated the hospitality, 

& I knew that it came from a heart that loved me.

But that evening, when it was all over, I would have preferred something simple, so that I could have spent time with her along with David.

Many years ago, I heard Dr. Harry Hager, who was a longtime Pastor of the Christian Reformed Church in Chicago, tell a story about a couple in his Church … a mother & her son.  The father had passed when the boy was young & as a result the boy & his Mom had developed a deep committed relationship.

Well, when he was in his early 20’s he met a gal & fell in love with her.  

They decided they wanted to get married.  Realizing how expensive housing was in Chicago the mother told them … “We have a 2-story house.  I’ll make a separate apartment on the 2nd floor, & you & your bride can have this home.  

But the only thing I ask is that we continue to spend some time together.”

“Oh yeah, you can be sure of that.”

So, the couple were married.

And for a while the boy would stop up several times a week … but then he got busy.  And before long, it was every couple of weeks there would be a simple phone call from downstairs.  And when his mother had a birthday, 

the young man went out & bought her a lovely dress.  She opened the box,

“Thank you, so, I appreciate it so much.”

“Mother, you don’t like it.”

“Yes, I do.  It’s my color & size, thank you.”

“Mother, I have the sales slip.  I can take it back.”

“I do like it; it’s a lovely dress.”

“Mother, we’ve been together too long.  What’s wrong?”

The woman walked over to her closet & opened it.  

“Son, I have enough dresses to last me for the rest of my life, to be honest, I don’t want yours … I want you.”

I hear God saying that to me this week.

“Rande, Rande, (Martha) … I want you.”

Okay, I began this message by asking you to put yourself in the story.  Imagine you are Martha or Mary.

Are you sitting there at Jesus’ feet? … 

Or are you out in the kitchen? … 

Are you being regularly ministered to by Him? …

Or are you becoming overwhelmed in your service to Him? …

So, the question for each of you as you listened to the sermon this morning … what is God saying to you? …

MARANA THA