Practice: Serve 8.4 - April 25, 2010

        Practice #8 – Serve
8.4 – When Serving Becomes Work

  
   A.    Jesus’ appearance with His disciples had sent Martha into a tailspin   
      1.    Martha was going around in circles
      2.    Instructed the Lord to send Mary to the kitchen
      3.    Mary had chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn
      4.    Martha could have been a workaholic
         a.    Probably the oldest sister
         b.    Mary was probably the middle child

3 scriptures about Mary—each time she is sitting at Jesus’ feet    
B.    The second occasion—John 11:1-6, 17-27, 28-33
      1.    Martha’s approach was one of detail—“why did you not come?”
      2.    Mary’s approach was one of worship—she fell at His feet

   C.    Martha’s second chance – John 12:1
      1.    “Martha served” – vs 2
      2.    Mary worshiped – by anointing Him
      3.    We may need passion and practice


I.    Burnout comes from forcing ourselves to do something we are not passionate about; we have a tendency to get crabby
   A.    Martha was all about the task
   B.    Service for Christ can get in the way of communion
      1.    We are a task-oriented society
      2.    Many of us are performance driven
      3.    Tasks however are very needful—sometimes even when we don’t feel like it
      4.    Ministry is full of people who will look around and complain when everything is not getting
         done.
         a.    If Jesus were coming to your house tomorrow, what would you change?
         b.    Illustration—mother asked daughter to go get the book we always read
Matthew 13:22 (New King James Version)
Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
The cares of this world choke out our spiritual life.

II.    We may need worship as well as work
   A.    Mary’s heart longed to honor the Lord
      1.    Sitting at His feet is a safe place
      2.    Hard on Him, easy on ourselves

B.    Mary had chosen the better things
      1.    What was cooking in the living room was much more important than what was cooking in the
          kitchen
2.    When our heart is right, our hands are right

III.  Learn to get things done with the right attitude
   A.    We need a consistent place of worship and learning
      1.    Jesus had a place of prayer consistently
      2.    Paul always looked for a place to worship and pray
      3.    Maybe this is why there are so many epiphanies in the shower
  
   B.    Learn to come into His presence with intentionality
      1.    Church is not just fellowship

   C.    Devote ourselves to sit at His feet;
I Peter 2:2 as newborn babies, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby

D.  Devote ourselves to getting His work done

Revelation 21:3-4 (New King James Version)
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
    1.    Jesus longs to be with us.
    2.    Honoring Him will make us feel comfortable.