MOTIVATE

–          Share about 2 ladies of my life:

• My Mother: My Mom is a great woman. She is an ideal hostess. She enjoys having people over for a meal. When she knows there will be company she will clean her entire house – wash windows, scrub corners, sweep steps, vacuum floors and furniture, dust tables and tops of items. I have seen her on hands and knees multiple times cleaning. She loves to clean. She also goes to great lengths to prepare and cook the food. This all takes several hours. Then she enjoys personally serving you the food, placing spoonfuls of food onto your plate to be sure you have had plenty (motto: “if you go home hungry it’s your own dumb fault!”). If your drink is empty she will go and refill it. Then after the meal you may recline on the couch but she will clear the table herself and begin to wash every dish. She will wipe the table clear and clean. She will put away all the leftovers. All the while you have left she is still cleaning. Perhaps just as you’re about to leave she will sit down for a few minutes but don’t expect much conversation because there is likely something else she must leave you for her to go clean. That’s my mom – superwoman!
• My Wife: My wife is a wonderful woman. She loves to host people in our home. When she knows there will be company she will clean the immediate floor/rooms of the house. She will select a menu of food and cook it to the best of her abilities and sometimes even beyond her abilities. During the meal she will sit down with you and everyone to enjoy conversation. She will look you into the eyes to listen and even offer personal stories of her own when relevant. After the meal she will let me clean up so she can continue conversation with you as a guest in our home. When it is time for you to leave she (along with my four girls) will tag along with you all the way down the hallway to the door exit and sometimes even to the doorstep and into the driveway to see you made it out alright. My wife most enjoys good company. That’s my wife – superwoman!

 

Which of the two are right? The answer is both. They both have their unique personalities and gifts of service. They both can also learn from the other.

Today’s message starts a new series “Hope for the Worried” with today’s theme for worried Mom’s. Let’s look at Luke 10:38-42 to observe a few truths and then hear how they are fleshed out in testimony from some of our church mother’s.

EXAMINE               “HOPE FOR WORRIED MOM’S”
In this passage we see two women who both loved Jesus but did so in different ways.

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. It was her home and she was responsible for the necessary tasks of upkeep in the home. In welcoming Jesus, she loved him through unceasing labor. She served through busy activity. Martha was being a great hostess. Being a hostess for Jesus would be a lot of work. She took oversight of every detail from cooking the food, setting the table and managing the people’s needs.

Mary was a sister to Martha. She loved Jesus through undivided listening. Mary spent time in Jesus’ presence, listening and learning from Jesus. As a learner of Jesus there would have been a lot to take in and understand. She likely would have asked questions and pondered the spiritual truths Jesus spoke.

After time, Martha assumed that Mary’s style of service was inferior. However, Martha did not realize that her busyness for things was actually neglect for people – especially the guest, Jesus. She questioned (chastised?) Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

ð     Sometimes our service can actually be self-serving. We must be careful that our ministry for others does not supersede intimacy with God.

ð     We must also be careful of the motivation for our questioning. Are we seeking to serve God’s purpose or are we seeking to state our preferences?

 

Jesus’ response to Martha provides us at least two truths:

1. Worry is widespread. There are many things that we are anxious and troubled over. In 21st Century society, we live in a hectic & hurry-up world. We are stressed, depressed and oppressed. Overwhelming are the demands of life, family, marriage, parenting, house-keeping, grocery lists, relating to people in addition to serving the Lord through the church.

• Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

• Philippians 4:4-8 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

• 1Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

• As believers, we are called to trust God: shift the burden of things you cannot control.

• The war on worry is won or lost in our worship. Will we pray or fret?

2. There is a difference between good and great. Jesus did not erupt in anger at Martha. In fact, His response seems one of endearment, “Martha, Martha”. Can you hear Jesus calling your name? He tells her there is much to fret over, worry is widespread, but only one thing is necessary. There are dozens and hundreds of things that can consume our time – even good things. Jesus is not looking for our service for Him as much as He is our savoring of Him. Rather than adding more things to our ‘to do’ list Jesus is likely calling us to subtract a few things.

   The point Jesus is making is that in the midst of all the good choices there is still something greater. This greater prize is something that can never be lost, stolen, worn out or ruined. Jesus’ presence was her present.

○       Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

APPLY/THINK

 

ð     Are you busy doing things for Jesus that you neglect being with him?

ð     service is dull without relationship; relationship is dead without service

• Hear from women who are combining service & relationship with Jesus

 

PANEL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

–         Introduce yourself:

• Name; how long been attending/member SPBC
• When & how did you come to know Jesus Christ as Savior from sin and Lord of life?
• What is your favorite Bible verse or Book or character?

–         Today’s Mother’s Day gift is a journal with theme of the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

• These are lofty virtues. How does a person begin to cultivate these “fruits” of the Spirit?
• What is your favorite “fruit”? Which is most challenging?

–         Today’s message is about Martha and Mary.

• Today’s world and even churches need both “Martha’s” & “Mary’s”. They can learn from one another.
• Which do you identify with more and why?
  • What are the top 3-5 priorities on your “to do” list each week?
  • When or how do you create time to spend with Jesus each day/week?
  • What “one thing is needed” for you to focus on godly priorities?
    • May be something to add
    • May be something to subtract
  • What is your spiritual gift of service and how are you seeking to utilize it for the Lord and others to enjoy?

–         What message and words of encouragement would you like other mom’s/ladies to hear & know?