1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:04,620 Amen. If you have a Bible turned to the book of Luke, we're going to continue there. 2 00:00:05,660 --> 00:00:14,900 I entitled this message, A Busy Season, which I get busy at times. 3 00:00:15,740 --> 00:00:23,160 I got a little ADHD. I think you probably all kind of have, you know, I see a lot of squirrels. 4 00:00:25,180 --> 00:00:29,980 At my house, I got, I start 10 projects and never finish. 5 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:30,720 any of them. 6 00:00:32,460 --> 00:00:33,680 I get really busy. 7 00:00:36,300 --> 00:00:40,380 I've seen one pastor, he entitled his message on this passage of scripture, 8 00:00:42,220 --> 00:00:43,540 an enemy called busy. 9 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:52,780 And I think if we get distracted, it can sure be detrimental to our spiritual life. 10 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,620 You know, we get caught up and overwhelmed, especially this time of year. 11 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:57,480 Isn't it crazy? 12 00:00:58,420 --> 00:00:59,100 It's just crazy. 13 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,220 In fact, I think we use those terms when we go to town. 14 00:01:02,580 --> 00:01:03,500 Town was crazy. 15 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:05,080 You know, it was a zoo. 16 00:01:05,940 --> 00:01:07,220 All the creatures come out. 17 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:09,980 And then they try to drive. 18 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:16,220 And so it gets wild. 19 00:01:19,079 --> 00:01:21,960 And traffic is horrendous in Idaho Falls. 20 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,260 I try to compare it when we first moved here. 21 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,800 We moved to Idaho Falls in 2002, my wife and I and my family. 22 00:01:28,860 --> 00:01:35,000 and my how things have changed in 23 years going on 24. 23 00:01:35,730 --> 00:01:40,400 And there's just so many distractions in the world and in our lives. 24 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:48,400 And much worse, I think, than any other time in history, the things that can distract us. 25 00:01:50,710 --> 00:01:54,800 And really, I think the enemy has a heyday with that. 26 00:01:54,940 --> 00:01:57,960 The enemy, the flesh, the devil, the world. 27 00:01:58,820 --> 00:02:00,580 which are all an enemy to us. 28 00:02:00,700 --> 00:02:03,960 And so we're going to kind of look at that. 29 00:02:04,150 --> 00:02:09,899 And maybe the Lord would use this passage as only five verses we're going to look at this morning. 30 00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:13,260 But to kind of reel us back in, you know? 31 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:19,760 I don't know about you, but I need reeled in occasionally because I get out there and start flapping in the wind. 32 00:02:20,980 --> 00:02:23,060 And all I do is get frazzled. 33 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,500 So let's read. 34 00:02:25,660 --> 00:02:27,940 It's just, like I said, five verses. 35 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:34,560 here in the last part of chapter 10 of the gospel of Luke. And it says, now it happened as they went that 36 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:41,380 he entered a certain village and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a 37 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:48,500 sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was distracted with 38 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:53,860 much serving and she approached him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to 39 00:02:54,100 --> 00:02:57,900 serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me. And Jesus answered and said, 40 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:04,580 to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed, 41 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:11,680 and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. Let's pray. 42 00:03:12,140 --> 00:03:18,060 Lord, thank you. Thank you for your word. Lord, it's truth that comes from your Holy Spirit. 43 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:23,760 Lord, I pray that it would settle in our hearts and it would have its way in us. 44 00:03:24,340 --> 00:03:27,000 Lord, that we would be people who choose a good part. 45 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:34,320 and knowing, Lord, that there is this eternal life offered to those who would refuse to be distracted 46 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:40,060 by this world and the ways of it and the enemy and even our own flesh, Lord. 47 00:03:40,340 --> 00:03:47,720 And I just pray that we could get just laser focused on you and allow you to direct our steps 48 00:03:47,860 --> 00:03:48,920 and lead us in our lives. 49 00:03:49,060 --> 00:03:52,760 And we pray that you would do that even today, Lord, in Jesus' name. 50 00:03:54,190 --> 00:03:54,300 Amen. 51 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,020 And so here we have. 52 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:04,520 have in this story two ladies, sisters, right, and that all of us can relate to one or the other, 53 00:04:05,300 --> 00:04:15,240 possibly. And they have a brother, and obviously the Lord has been close to this family, 54 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:27,000 close family friends with Lazarus and Mary and Martha. And we know that he was close. 55 00:04:27,020 --> 00:04:32,860 to them because when they send word to Jesus, when Lazarus is sick, he says, hey, the one whom you love. 56 00:04:33,820 --> 00:04:36,940 Wouldn't that be nice that people talked that way to you? 57 00:04:37,460 --> 00:04:40,400 Hey, you know, you know, the one whom the Lord loves. 58 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,080 And really, that's all of us for God so love the world, right? 59 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,960 But when you personalize, it just seems to carry a little more weight. 60 00:04:49,340 --> 00:04:55,560 And they told him, you know, that this one that you love, Lord, he's sick. 61 00:04:56,460 --> 00:05:02,620 And that's where it's because of this family that we get those powerful words out of John 62 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:08,000 Chapter 11 that says, where Jesus says, I am the resurrection in the life. 63 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,340 He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. 64 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,880 So I praise God for Mary and Martha and Lazarus. 65 00:05:15,070 --> 00:05:17,760 I praise God that Lazarus got sick and died. 66 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:19,760 Yeah. 67 00:05:21,300 --> 00:05:25,900 Because we get these awesome words that are such an encouragement to us. 68 00:05:26,020 --> 00:05:31,320 And so we're just going to look at these two ladies today, and I don't know how long this was take. 69 00:05:31,900 --> 00:05:37,220 A lot of the messages I read and looked at on this was between like 24 to 35 minutes. 70 00:05:37,490 --> 00:05:42,200 And so, but this is some powerful truths in this passage of scripture. 71 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,040 And so first we have Martha. 72 00:05:45,660 --> 00:05:47,580 Martha is a very busy woman. 73 00:05:48,860 --> 00:05:50,620 Girls, any of you are very busy? 74 00:05:51,500 --> 00:05:51,660 Right? 75 00:05:51,720 --> 00:06:01,420 and just very she's she's she's just really busy and she's mentioned in the new testament 13 times 76 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:09,300 and um she she just can't sit still this girl and i don't know if that's you that's you that's really 77 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:15,340 not me if i'm upright i'm usually moving if i'm sit if i sit down for any amount of time then 78 00:06:15,900 --> 00:06:21,680 uh i start snoring uh and and she's uh 79 00:06:21,860 --> 00:06:24,860 She's also a little on the chatty side, this Martha. 80 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:27,400 She talks a lot. 81 00:06:28,580 --> 00:06:30,840 Girls do, they talk more than men. 82 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:32,360 I mean, studies show. 83 00:06:33,500 --> 00:06:34,800 Girls, there's no denying it. 84 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:37,960 You just sometimes don't know when to zip it. 85 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:50,520 And so here, she says, you know, she says, you know, she says, 86 00:06:50,740 --> 00:06:55,280 Lord, you know, Lord, she won't help me, right? 87 00:06:55,820 --> 00:06:59,280 So she needs to inform Jesus of what's going on, as if you don't know. 88 00:07:00,660 --> 00:07:02,300 And then she tells him how to fix it. 89 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:05,260 You ever do that? 90 00:07:05,540 --> 00:07:06,920 I know guys that do that, right? 91 00:07:09,159 --> 00:07:12,900 But we just think so much different than Jesus thinks. 92 00:07:13,780 --> 00:07:14,660 And so here she is. 93 00:07:14,740 --> 00:07:20,540 She's busy and she's going about and she realized and she's going, look, 94 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:27,340 look, I'm doing all the work, and my sister's just sitting, can you please tell her to help me? 95 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:40,040 But she does call him Lord, right? So she seems to have faith, but she sure likes to tell people what to do. 96 00:07:42,620 --> 00:07:50,520 And this is no different. We see it in John chapter 11. She's doing the same thing. I mean, she's just beside her. 97 00:07:50,540 --> 00:07:56,620 herself, her brother is sick, and then he dies, and she hears Jesus is coming, and so she can't 98 00:07:56,740 --> 00:08:01,020 sit still and wait for him to get there, so she jumps up and she runs to meet him, and 99 00:08:03,199 --> 00:08:16,540 she starts telling him, Lord. She's saying, Lord. So she's seeing him as Lord, but maybe she's 100 00:08:17,350 --> 00:08:20,460 questioning his lordship. Lord, if you would have been here, my brother, 101 00:08:20,540 --> 00:08:28,820 wouldn't have died. And she doesn't stop there. But even now, I know that whatever you ask, 102 00:08:28,940 --> 00:08:35,780 God will give you. And then, and she continues to express as her faith in verse 24 and 27 there in John 103 00:08:35,979 --> 00:08:40,419 chapter 11. And I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Yes, Lord, 104 00:08:40,430 --> 00:08:46,840 but I believe that you are the Christ, the son of God, who is to come into the world. And then he goes, 105 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,480 she can't sit still. So she goes and tells him, sister, the teacher is, the teacher is 106 00:08:50,500 --> 00:08:55,500 you know, we don't have any record in the scripture that Jesus was calling her. 107 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:03,820 If Mary, if Martha didn't express faith here, I would say she's a busy body. 108 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:12,400 Right? She's just, I can't, you know, she's just got to be right in the middle of everything and 109 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:20,420 voicing her opinion, right? And then, and then last of all, she questioned. 110 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,180 Jesus about calling him from the dead, calling him up. 111 00:09:23,460 --> 00:09:24,500 Lazarus, come forth. 112 00:09:24,700 --> 00:09:25,440 Lord, you can't do that. 113 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:26,320 He stink of. 114 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,340 And so Mary is, or excuse me, Martha, 115 00:09:39,340 --> 00:09:48,640 she's just not quite getting what it means to be slow to speak, right? 116 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:57,800 quick to hear. Obviously, this scripture has not been written yet, right? There is such a thing as 117 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:08,000 talking too much. Do you know that? Have you found that out? But girls, do you like to talk? 118 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:18,760 And so, Proverbs tells us, right? Proverbs 10, 19, in the multitude of words, sin is, 119 00:10:18,820 --> 00:10:40,980 not lacking. But he who restrains his lips is wise. It says he. Maybe we should put an S in there and make that he a she. 120 00:10:49,500 --> 00:10:52,680 She who restrains herself is wise. 121 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:54,420 That would be so wise. 122 00:10:58,779 --> 00:11:03,880 And it is obvious that Martha had never read James, chapter 1, verse 19. 123 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:10,580 So then my beloved brethren, says brethren again here too, but it's all inclusive talking to the body. 124 00:11:11,060 --> 00:11:14,320 Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. 125 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,740 Or maybe because of the verbiage that the Lord will give. 126 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:29,060 give gals a pass on their much speaking. I don't know. But I know that the Lord is going to talk to 127 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:36,540 Martha, right? And he's going to address her. And like I said, you know, that she could be 128 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:44,660 confused as being a bit busy body. And it talks about that in Second Thessalonians 312. It says, 129 00:11:44,740 --> 00:11:51,360 now those who are such, we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they listen, 130 00:11:52,140 --> 00:11:58,140 that they work in quietness and eat your own bread. 131 00:11:59,620 --> 00:11:59,760 Right? 132 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:03,220 That it's being quiet is a really important thing. 133 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,080 And it's interesting, but that's what her sister was doing. 134 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:07,040 Right? 135 00:12:07,220 --> 00:12:14,640 Mary was just sitting, listening, be quick to hear what the Lord would say. 136 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:27,640 And so Martha was kind of undone, wasn't getting the help that she thought she needed. 137 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,320 And it does appear that this is all on Martha. 138 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,200 She's the one who invited Jesus over, right? 139 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,740 And I have, I learned really quick in our marriage. 140 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:39,900 I don't invite people to our house. 141 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,620 I leave that to my wife, right? 142 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:48,240 or I take it to her and said, hey, I'm thinking this way 143 00:12:50,500 --> 00:12:53,820 because hers don't want people coming to hers house 144 00:12:55,900 --> 00:12:58,700 until she's totally prepared and totally ready. 145 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:03,580 And girls' ideas of being ready and men's ideas of being ready 146 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:05,540 are two totally different things. 147 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,760 I'm ready because my door will open, right? 148 00:13:09,860 --> 00:13:12,540 It's not locked or it doesn't hang up on the hinges. 149 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:13,760 My door will open. 150 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:14,460 So, yeah. 151 00:13:15,140 --> 00:13:16,360 Not so with girls. 152 00:13:21,180 --> 00:13:22,840 And maybe Mary was thinking that way. 153 00:13:22,940 --> 00:13:23,900 Well, you invited him. 154 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:25,000 So have out. 155 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,060 And I'm going to sit here and hear what this guy has to say. 156 00:13:33,100 --> 00:13:35,620 So in verse 41, Jesus talks to Martha. 157 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:38,080 He talks to her about this. 158 00:13:39,740 --> 00:13:41,620 And notice, he says, Martha, Martha. 159 00:13:42,820 --> 00:13:48,180 And anytime the Lord speaks the name twice, there's a huge emphasis. 160 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,380 In other words, you had better pay attention to what he is saying. 161 00:13:52,980 --> 00:13:59,440 And this is throughout Scripture, folks, when we see a name used twice. 162 00:13:59,620 --> 00:14:00,600 It's very significant. 163 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:02,900 Abraham, Abraham, right? 164 00:14:03,260 --> 00:14:08,620 Abraham's getting ready to cut his son's throat and bleed him out as a sacrifice to the father. 165 00:14:09,420 --> 00:14:11,680 And the Lord goes, Abraham, Abraham, hey. 166 00:14:13,260 --> 00:14:41,540 you know he's getting their attention or how about how about when jesus is standing there over jerusalem before the crucifixion and he's going oh jerusalem jerusalem had you had known this day your day of visitation the one whom the prophets killed jerusalem jerusalem if you would have known right i would have gathered you like a 167 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,860 and gathers her chicks. 168 00:14:44,250 --> 00:14:45,320 Or how about Saul? 169 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,340 You remember him on the road to Damascus, 170 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:49,440 getting ready to persecute Christians? 171 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:52,900 Or as he put it, he was wasting the church. 172 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,960 Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 173 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:00,800 Says he's named twice. 174 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,520 Or how about Simon? 175 00:15:04,020 --> 00:15:04,960 Simon, Simon. 176 00:15:06,780 --> 00:15:07,300 Do you love me? 177 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:10,080 Do you love me? 178 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:17,080 and Simon kind of had some of the same issue that Martha's having here. 179 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:18,400 Why tell her to help me? 180 00:15:19,060 --> 00:15:22,400 You know, Simon looks at Jesus and says, well, and he points to John. 181 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:23,760 He goes, well, what about him? 182 00:15:25,060 --> 00:15:25,760 What about John? 183 00:15:26,660 --> 00:15:27,440 What's he got to do? 184 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:31,520 Because the Lord just told Simon how he was going to die, right? 185 00:15:32,180 --> 00:15:33,620 He says, they're going to stretch you out, buddy. 186 00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:36,040 They're going to dress you down and they're going to hang you upside down. 187 00:15:38,060 --> 00:15:39,220 But what about him? 188 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:50,780 And Jesus says, if I want him to stay here till I get back, that's none of your business, right? 189 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:53,140 I told you to follow me. 190 00:15:54,060 --> 00:15:55,560 We all have a calling, folks. 191 00:15:56,500 --> 00:15:56,640 Right? 192 00:15:56,700 --> 00:15:58,780 We're to do what God calls us to do. 193 00:16:00,300 --> 00:16:00,440 Right? 194 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:06,220 And many times as a pastor, I'll hear all kinds of these things that God's calling people to do. 195 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,220 But God calls them to do it, and then they bring it to do it. 196 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:10,240 to me and want me to do it. 197 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,000 No, if God calls you to do it, go do it. 198 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:17,340 Now, if you need help and you need direction, 199 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:18,900 then come ask. 200 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:20,660 I'll sure tell you how to do it. 201 00:16:30,259 --> 00:16:32,320 Martha, Martha, he says to her, 202 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:35,240 getting her attention, 203 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,200 you are worried and troubled about many things. 204 00:16:40,820 --> 00:16:46,980 things. Are you worried and troubled about many things today? I see it in our world. It's like 205 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:55,900 it's on steroids. People so, so worried and troubled about things. And there's this fear that 206 00:16:56,020 --> 00:17:09,180 seems to be just, just permeating society. And people just get so anxious, worried. That 207 00:17:10,020 --> 00:17:16,480 drawn in opposite directions. In other words, you're torn. Not just what the enemy wants to do. 208 00:17:16,959 --> 00:17:23,720 He just wants to tear you away from the things of the Lord and tear you towards those things 209 00:17:23,980 --> 00:17:29,260 that he would have you do, that your flesh would have you do, that even the world would have you do. 210 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:35,040 It means divided into parts. Do you just feel like you're getting ripped apart? 211 00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:39,260 I see young people that feel that way. 212 00:17:39,290 --> 00:17:43,260 In fact, it's so terrible that some take their own lives. 213 00:17:45,900 --> 00:17:46,780 They're worried. 214 00:17:48,679 --> 00:17:50,020 They're going to pieces. 215 00:17:54,060 --> 00:17:57,780 They're being pulled apart by the world, the flesh, and the devil. 216 00:17:59,340 --> 00:18:00,900 The second word, he says, and you're troubled. 217 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:05,860 This means to make a noisy upheaval, a tumult. 218 00:18:07,420 --> 00:18:22,180 right just noise constant noise when the the word would tell us to to be quiet be still you don't need that 219 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:32,280 noise you don't need to always be going nine oh you're you're anxious and you're troubled about 220 00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:33,720 many things. It's interesting that 221 00:18:34,900 --> 00:18:36,300 Proverbs tells us that anxiety 222 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:38,880 in the heart of man causes depression. 223 00:18:41,540 --> 00:18:43,600 And the people who get depressed. 224 00:18:45,140 --> 00:18:48,200 I've never had that problem. I felt like I've been on the edge a few 225 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:52,220 times, but it's all because of the noise and the 226 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:54,980 busyness and not taking time to be still. 227 00:18:55,860 --> 00:18:56,620 That's what happens. 228 00:19:00,020 --> 00:19:01,700 You rely on self. 229 00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:09,840 believe in yourself i hear coaches say that all the time right believe in yourself i'm not going to believe in 230 00:19:11,580 --> 00:19:19,620 myself scripture says that self has to die right no i can believe and i can have confidence and abilities 231 00:19:19,820 --> 00:19:25,200 that god's given me right i can have but my confidence is a god confidence not a scottic confidence 232 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:31,720 right that's called self-confidence and that always gets me in trouble right because i think 233 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:33,800 way too highly of myself than I ought to. 234 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:36,240 And so it is with you. 235 00:19:38,820 --> 00:19:42,020 So he tells her, listen, Martha, Martha, 236 00:19:42,530 --> 00:19:45,500 you are worried and troubled about many things. 237 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:48,940 And then he remedies it. 238 00:19:50,140 --> 00:19:50,760 This is the remedy. 239 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:52,280 It's so easy. 240 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:53,240 One thing. 241 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:54,960 Who can't do one thing? 242 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:58,460 He says one thing, 243 00:19:59,620 --> 00:20:00,640 but one thing is needed. 244 00:20:01,540 --> 00:20:03,140 There's a need that you and I have. 245 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,620 One thing is needed. 246 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:13,000 And he tells her, listen, and Mary has chosen that good part. 247 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,420 Throughout the Bible, we see the Lord, he'll compare people. 248 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:22,760 Not in their value, but what they do. 249 00:20:24,060 --> 00:20:31,500 You remember in the scripture there in Luke 16, when the rich man of Lazarus and 250 00:20:31,580 --> 00:20:36,400 And Abraham, you know, the rich man, he's being tormented 251 00:20:40,380 --> 00:20:42,900 because he didn't do well in this life. 252 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:44,980 Kind of took care of self. 253 00:20:46,020 --> 00:20:47,100 Kind of elevated self. 254 00:20:49,179 --> 00:20:51,780 And Abraham tells him, he says, listen. 255 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,120 He says, in your life, you had good things. 256 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,240 And Lazarus, this guy over here, 257 00:20:58,660 --> 00:21:01,040 because the rich man can see Lazarus being comforted. 258 00:21:01,740 --> 00:21:06,000 no doubt maybe a little bit of jealousy entered into his heart there in his place of torment. 259 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:12,540 He says, listen, in your life you had good things. Lazarus, he had evil things. 260 00:21:13,620 --> 00:21:15,880 Now he's comforted and you're tormented. 261 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,900 Because what did you do with the things that I gave you? You definitely didn't bless Lazarus. 262 00:21:25,140 --> 00:21:31,000 And he compared those two. And here Jesus compares Mary and Martha. Martha, your word. 263 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:32,220 you're troubled. 264 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:34,620 Mary's chosen the best thing. 265 00:21:37,220 --> 00:21:39,120 Find people who have chosen the best thing. 266 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:49,080 I had the question this week, and it always kind of bothers me because I really don't know how to go about it or navigate it. 267 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:52,460 And the question is about how do you mentor people? 268 00:21:54,060 --> 00:21:56,000 I go, I don't know. 269 00:21:57,520 --> 00:21:58,680 I don't know how to mentor people. 270 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:30,100 I know what I did. I didn't have a mentor other than I watched men who had lives that were men of faith. I watched their lives. And I just thought, oh, it looks like that works. Oh, I don't think that one worked, but that looks like it worked. And I watched men who had a relationship with Jesus and I watched how they lived their lives. I did have a pretty good example of my grandfather. And his 271 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,000 His strong point was the Word of God. 272 00:22:33,860 --> 00:22:39,300 I could sit down and I could bring up any person or subject in the Bible 273 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:41,920 and the old man could quote scripture to me. 274 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:45,240 He didn't mentor me, so to speak. 275 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,000 He didn't know he was mentoring me, 276 00:22:47,420 --> 00:22:49,100 though he fielded my questions, 277 00:22:51,150 --> 00:22:53,580 and he would regurgitate God's word to me. 278 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,840 And I just thought, that's something that I need in my life. 279 00:22:57,300 --> 00:22:58,320 I need to know God's word. 280 00:22:59,060 --> 00:23:06,180 So at 27, after walking with the Lord for a couple years, I made a conscious commitment. 281 00:23:07,060 --> 00:23:08,400 I'm going to read through the Word of God. 282 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,340 I'm going to read through it from cover to cover. 283 00:23:11,540 --> 00:23:12,620 I'm going to read the whole thing. 284 00:23:12,900 --> 00:23:14,100 I'd never done it up to that point. 285 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,760 I'd been walking with the Lord for a few years. 286 00:23:20,540 --> 00:23:22,360 And because I saw that in my grandpa. 287 00:23:22,940 --> 00:23:28,100 And I knew I needed to incorporate a prayer life, and I didn't know how to do that other than 288 00:23:28,620 --> 00:23:31,960 his wife, my grandmother, was a woman of prayer. 289 00:23:32,070 --> 00:23:36,860 And I remember as being a little boy, getting up early in the morning and going downstairs 290 00:23:37,050 --> 00:23:41,000 and her under this light with her notebook and her Bible. 291 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:47,040 And the woman would be praying as she was reading through God's Word and praying for her grandkids. 292 00:23:47,140 --> 00:23:48,060 She had four grandkids. 293 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,160 Her lot in life was to raise a son. 294 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,240 She had one son and she had four grandkids. 295 00:23:54,100 --> 00:23:58,080 That was the subject of four grandkids. 296 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:07,340 her prayer life. And I'm thinking, I need to do that too. And so I started, I was all by myself in this, 297 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:15,000 this trailer house in central California and was kind of, you know, remote where I was living. 298 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:18,960 And I could walk this road and there was no traffic or anything. And I remember walking that 299 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:24,420 road and praying out loud to God and having his spirit bear witness with my spirit. 300 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,060 Nobody taught me how to do that, right? I knew God was. 301 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:34,360 was calling me to that, and I had saw an example of my grandmother doing that, and the Lord 302 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:44,500 started disciplining me. I started growing in those things. And so he tells Mary, hey, or excuse me, 303 00:24:44,620 --> 00:24:52,480 Martha, look at your sis. She chose the good part. Right? She's sitting in my head. And it's 304 00:24:52,820 --> 00:24:58,000 we see Mary from Bethany, this woman, right? We see her three times in the scriptures. 305 00:24:58,020 --> 00:25:01,000 She was every time, every time she's at Jesus's feet. 306 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:02,940 Every time. 307 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:05,820 She's here at Jesus's feet. 308 00:25:06,100 --> 00:25:06,600 She's learning. 309 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:07,620 She's taking it in. 310 00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:13,540 When her brother Lazarus dies, she runs out to him and she falls down at Jesus's feet. 311 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:15,140 Right? 312 00:25:15,820 --> 00:25:22,820 And then in John chapter 12, we see her at Jesus's feet, anointing him with oil, wiping it with her hair. 313 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:27,820 At Jesus' feet, folks. 314 00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:29,560 is a good part. 315 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:31,200 That's what he said here. 316 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:32,540 It's the best part. 317 00:25:32,660 --> 00:25:33,680 The one thing is needed, 318 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:35,640 and Mary has chosen that good part. 319 00:25:39,260 --> 00:25:40,059 And so that's... 320 00:25:42,940 --> 00:25:44,100 That's what he tells Martha. 321 00:25:45,180 --> 00:25:46,000 Look at your sis. 322 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,340 And so she's there just taking it all in, Mary. 323 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:50,620 She's just... 324 00:25:50,820 --> 00:25:53,300 If Martha was working on her reputation, 325 00:25:53,540 --> 00:25:54,640 being a great host, 326 00:25:55,060 --> 00:25:56,580 Mary was working on her faith. 327 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,460 right mary was working on her faith 328 00:26:01,940 --> 00:26:04,020 romans 10 17 he says so then 329 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,640 faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of god 330 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:10,080 that's what mary's doing 331 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,540 she's she knows that she needs this word 332 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:17,920 coming from jesus 333 00:26:19,300 --> 00:26:20,840 and notice it won't be taken away 334 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,160 it has a lasting effect on your life 335 00:26:24,360 --> 00:26:25,760 the word of god why 336 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:31,140 it's eternal. That's why when you and I, and I have people tell me this all the time, 337 00:26:31,460 --> 00:26:36,100 when you and I read a scripture and then we look at it 20 years later, the same scripture 338 00:26:36,300 --> 00:26:42,020 that we've maybe read for the last 20 years, and it speaks something powerful, more powerful 339 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:47,140 to your heart than you've ever experienced before. Why is that? Because it is eternal, 340 00:26:47,620 --> 00:26:55,740 and it speaks every time you allow it to. But that's the question. Do you allow it? 341 00:26:55,760 --> 00:27:04,080 allow it to. I had somebody just tell me this week. Heartbreaking. I don't read my Bible. 342 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:16,160 And your life's how good? Is it that good part? No, it's an absolute train wreck. 343 00:27:20,780 --> 00:27:25,720 The scripture tells us the Word of God, it's powerful. It's sharper than any two-ed-ed-ed-ed. 344 00:27:25,740 --> 00:27:34,060 sword. It's available to everyone sitting in this room. It's available to all of us. And when we don't 345 00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:43,280 draw on the powerful word of God, whose fault is that? You can't point the finger at nobody, 346 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:47,020 except for the person in the mirror. 347 00:27:57,980 --> 00:28:01,160 And yeah, well, I don't know that it works. 348 00:28:01,980 --> 00:28:03,040 Well, you haven't even tried it. 349 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,720 I mean, it's like I don't read my Bible anymore. 350 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:09,840 That's kind of like choosing not to breathe anymore. 351 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,580 Try that one on, right? 352 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,180 It is truly spiritual life to us. 353 00:28:17,420 --> 00:28:18,140 Jesus said that. 354 00:28:18,220 --> 00:28:20,920 The words that I speak to you, their spirit and their life, 355 00:28:21,340 --> 00:28:23,220 Isaiah 5511 says, 356 00:28:23,780 --> 00:28:28,380 So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth. 357 00:28:28,660 --> 00:28:30,780 It shall not return to me void, 358 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:33,440 but it shall accomplish what I please, 359 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,340 and it shall prosper in the thing which I sent it. 360 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:41,960 But when we don't put it in, 361 00:28:42,540 --> 00:28:44,180 I don't know what people expect. 362 00:28:44,980 --> 00:28:46,300 I don't know what's wrong with my life 363 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:47,520 It's just falling apart 364 00:28:47,650 --> 00:28:50,000 And I'm just, you're not even trying 365 00:28:51,460 --> 00:28:52,940 But you're not pressing in at all 366 00:28:58,380 --> 00:28:59,620 Bibles in America 367 00:28:59,730 --> 00:29:00,700 Are dust collectors 368 00:29:03,340 --> 00:29:04,800 They're not used up very well 369 00:29:08,970 --> 00:29:09,680 I did a friend 370 00:29:09,940 --> 00:29:11,420 I did a funeral for a friend 371 00:29:12,220 --> 00:29:13,420 Here a few weeks back 372 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,560 and they had her Bible up on stage there. 373 00:29:17,020 --> 00:29:21,180 And, I mean, it was marked up and it was just falling apart, right? 374 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:28,080 And I remember a quote that I seen years ago after I had made this commitment to start 375 00:29:28,220 --> 00:29:28,840 reading the Bible. 376 00:29:29,380 --> 00:29:34,920 And it said a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to somebody who isn't. 377 00:29:36,820 --> 00:29:36,980 Right? 378 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:40,480 It usually belongs to somebody who isn't. 379 00:29:42,780 --> 00:29:44,660 But you have to make a commitment to do it. 380 00:29:44,660 --> 00:29:46,040 You have to be committed to it. 381 00:29:47,300 --> 00:29:50,900 I mean, it's a, I think it's a greater commitment than marriage. 382 00:29:52,740 --> 00:29:54,540 And I'm committed to my bride, man. 383 00:29:54,740 --> 00:29:57,020 I'm crazy about that woman, right? 384 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:00,420 She's been the, she's been the object of every fantasy 385 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,400 if I've ever had in the last 40 years. 386 00:30:04,420 --> 00:30:04,580 Right? 387 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,440 She's my, she's my sweet thing. 388 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:12,280 But I'm committed to that, right? 389 00:30:12,340 --> 00:30:13,400 I do that consciously. 390 00:30:14,380 --> 00:30:21,660 Because believe me, there has been a lot of lusty, beautiful women that has made it across my path. 391 00:30:21,740 --> 00:30:22,560 What do I do with that? 392 00:30:23,540 --> 00:30:27,680 Because the scripture says, you lust after a woman, you can commit adultery with her in your heart. 393 00:30:32,260 --> 00:30:35,380 Who in this, what man in this room is not guilty of that? 394 00:30:36,940 --> 00:30:40,140 That's why the Bible says, take your thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. 395 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:46,780 But it's the Word of God constantly reminded me of that verse. 396 00:30:47,460 --> 00:30:48,680 No, you don't look in lust, dude. 397 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:51,260 No, you turn from that. 398 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:56,420 You make a covenant with your eyes like David said, like Job said, 399 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:58,280 that you wouldn't go there. 400 00:30:59,140 --> 00:31:03,540 Because if you go there, it will destroy your life, your marriage, your kids. 401 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:05,620 Men who do that. 402 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:09,600 And it's rampant in the church. 403 00:31:11,820 --> 00:31:13,120 Men hooked on pornography. 404 00:31:14,180 --> 00:31:16,060 Well, it just flashed up and, you know, I just was curious. 405 00:31:17,780 --> 00:31:19,680 Pretty soon it's got a chokehold on you. 406 00:31:20,620 --> 00:31:21,720 Sucking the life out of you. 407 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:25,540 There's a commitment level there, folks. 408 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:27,500 Right? 409 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:33,520 I was reading in Revelation just this morning. 410 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,200 And sometimes on Sunday morning, I mean, I'm scrambling, you know, 411 00:31:38,540 --> 00:31:41,120 because I see a lot of squirrels, 412 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:42,380 and I'm trying to get my notes ready. 413 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:46,560 And if I get here early, I'll go back in this office here and I'll do my reading. 414 00:31:49,420 --> 00:31:53,160 And the reading this morning was in Revelation chapter 12. 415 00:31:54,540 --> 00:32:02,380 And it says that they overcame him, the beast, Satan, by the word of their testimony, by the blood of the lamb, right? 416 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,080 And did not love their lives unto death. 417 00:32:08,980 --> 00:32:09,200 Right? 418 00:32:10,660 --> 00:32:16,880 that death, they would rather death come than transgress against their Lord. 419 00:32:19,500 --> 00:32:20,420 And so it is with us. 420 00:32:21,380 --> 00:32:25,000 I would rather die than committed adultery on my wife. 421 00:32:25,940 --> 00:32:26,080 Right? 422 00:32:26,420 --> 00:32:28,880 And I know I've shared the story with you, the dream I had a few years back. 423 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:30,940 It's just absolutely insane. 424 00:32:32,639 --> 00:32:39,540 But because of the death that it would cause, it causes absolute mayhem. 425 00:32:40,039 --> 00:32:41,040 when we go there. 426 00:32:44,620 --> 00:32:48,900 And so God's word, when it comes into our heart, 427 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:50,840 it's not going to return to him void. 428 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:52,280 It's going to have a purpose. 429 00:32:52,500 --> 00:32:53,600 It's going to direct us. 430 00:32:53,900 --> 00:32:55,260 It's going to keep us, right? 431 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:57,160 Psalm 197 says, 432 00:32:57,260 --> 00:32:58,660 The law of the Lord is perfect. 433 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:00,920 Converting the soul, the testimony of the Lord, 434 00:33:01,260 --> 00:33:03,000 is sure, making wise the simple. 435 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:05,020 The statutes of the Lord are right, 436 00:33:05,260 --> 00:33:06,080 rejoicing the heart. 437 00:33:06,180 --> 00:33:09,440 The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 438 00:33:09,540 --> 00:33:11,980 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. 439 00:33:12,860 --> 00:33:15,100 The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 440 00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:21,560 And that's why it says that it is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. 441 00:33:21,660 --> 00:33:26,520 The Word of God, when you read it, it reflects back on the way you're living your life and the way you're thinking. 442 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:29,880 And right thinking leads to right living. 443 00:33:30,700 --> 00:33:33,140 But you can't have right thinking unless you have the mind of Christ. 444 00:33:33,780 --> 00:33:33,880 Right? 445 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:36,640 Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. 446 00:33:38,380 --> 00:33:41,780 We used to sing that. I remember, remember that song, I'm going to have to bring it back. 447 00:33:42,220 --> 00:33:44,740 Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. 448 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,760 You have to let it, though. It doesn't just happen. 449 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:58,640 Right? Your Bible can't sit on the shelf and you not say, and you say, I can't hear from God. 450 00:33:59,060 --> 00:34:03,940 Yes, you can because you just can't hear from God because you won't open the word and let him speak to you. 451 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:15,260 but what does it takes a commitment you've got to be quiet be still before the lord go for a walk 452 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:23,220 right leave your stinking phone in the house shut it off go for a walk 453 00:34:26,579 --> 00:34:33,440 so in 4610 be still and know that i am god i will be exalted among the nations i will be 454 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:34,379 exalted in the earth. 455 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:36,620 We can be ready for that. 456 00:34:38,659 --> 00:34:42,700 As we quiet our hearts instill ourselves, 457 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:47,260 Jesus said when he was tempted by Satan, 458 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:48,580 turned these stones into, he says, 459 00:34:48,700 --> 00:34:50,040 man, shall not live by bread alone, 460 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:52,899 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 461 00:34:58,140 --> 00:35:01,820 The word of God is the good part that Mary chose. 462 00:35:03,740 --> 00:35:05,360 Jeremiah's 15, 16 says, 463 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:08,900 Your words were found and I ate them 464 00:35:09,420 --> 00:35:12,920 And your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart 465 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:14,860 For I am called by your name, 466 00:35:15,300 --> 00:35:16,960 O Lord God of hosts. 467 00:35:18,260 --> 00:35:19,320 He said, I ate them up. 468 00:35:20,020 --> 00:35:21,340 I gobbled up your words. 469 00:35:22,130 --> 00:35:23,280 Do you gobble up God's words? 470 00:35:24,460 --> 00:35:25,280 Do you got to have them? 471 00:35:26,020 --> 00:35:27,100 You got to have it? 472 00:35:28,180 --> 00:35:29,780 That's a really good thing to got to have. 473 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:33,080 People have got to have a lot of things that they don't need. 474 00:35:33,700 --> 00:35:34,980 But that's one thing we need. 475 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,220 But you have to determine if you've got to have it or not. 476 00:35:46,220 --> 00:35:49,500 So, I don't know about you, but my day goes so much better. 477 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:51,320 If I read the word. 478 00:35:52,500 --> 00:35:53,240 So much better. 479 00:35:55,120 --> 00:36:00,060 So yesterday, my oldest daughter and her husband blessed the family, our family. 480 00:36:00,580 --> 00:36:04,800 There's 20 of us, and got a cabin up in Island Park, 481 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:06,820 and we had a little gift exchange and everything up there. 482 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,480 Well, yesterday morning, everybody kind of sleeps in. 483 00:36:10,580 --> 00:36:11,500 It's a big place. 484 00:36:12,660 --> 00:36:15,900 But I went to try to find a quiet place to read my Bible. 485 00:36:17,380 --> 00:36:18,480 And there were bodies everywhere. 486 00:36:22,500 --> 00:36:25,040 And I couldn't, and people were starting to stir, 487 00:36:25,540 --> 00:36:29,080 and the little feet, they kill me, right, the little feet, 488 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:32,200 To some their music, to others are a curse. 489 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:36,060 To me, it's music. 490 00:36:36,130 --> 00:36:37,420 I love the little ones. 491 00:36:38,299 --> 00:36:40,160 And I just thought, I haven't read my Bible. 492 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:41,360 I gotta go read my Bible. 493 00:36:41,860 --> 00:36:44,560 So my oldest grandson is sleeping on this couch, 494 00:36:44,590 --> 00:36:46,060 and I crawl in behind the couch, 495 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,120 and I sneak down so nobody can see me 496 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:49,980 and get my Bible reading done. 497 00:36:51,220 --> 00:36:52,040 Because I had to have it. 498 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:54,660 Oh, I knew, and I was going to come talk to you, 499 00:36:54,740 --> 00:36:56,360 so I had to have a good story to tell you. 500 00:36:57,500 --> 00:36:57,620 Right? 501 00:37:00,580 --> 00:37:00,920 But I did. 502 00:37:00,970 --> 00:37:04,420 I read through and I read where Solomon had asked, 503 00:37:04,900 --> 00:37:06,880 Lord goes, ask anything. 504 00:37:08,820 --> 00:37:09,460 Solomon says, 505 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:13,980 Lord, I need your wisdom to lead this people of yours. 506 00:37:15,020 --> 00:37:15,480 I'm just thinking. 507 00:37:16,500 --> 00:37:18,600 And I've been praying that for the last 48 hours. 508 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:19,600 God, give me wisdom. 509 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:21,200 I don't know what I'm doing. 510 00:37:22,100 --> 00:37:22,720 I'm a mess. 511 00:37:25,900 --> 00:37:26,280 And he will. 512 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:31,880 if all purpose in my heart to put his word in my heart, 513 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:34,240 that his word can come out of my mouth. 514 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:38,760 And that's not just for me as a pastor. 515 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:40,100 That's for all of us. 516 00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:45,720 Because we all have people in our lives that we want to know the word of God. 517 00:37:46,220 --> 00:37:47,240 So the kids were playing pool. 518 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:48,800 I said, hey, I'm going to read to you guys. 519 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:49,940 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. 520 00:37:50,540 --> 00:37:51,780 So I read a psalm to him. 521 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:56,100 And it was absolute total chaos and holy commotion. 522 00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:02,680 right they didn't hear a word I said or so I thought but it's like that seed that's 523 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:07,600 broadcasted right that's what Jesus said in the soils I just broadcast it out there it may 524 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:12,800 have been a word in that song that went like a fiery dart into one of those kids's hearts 525 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:22,860 I don't know but I know this I know it is it is a blessing to be caught reading God's word 526 00:38:23,620 --> 00:38:28,920 it's a blessing to your family to your kids i know i caught my grandparents doing it right 527 00:38:30,380 --> 00:38:35,860 if your kids caught you doing it i loved it when our kids caught connie and i praying together 528 00:38:36,580 --> 00:38:40,560 right because they can catch you doing other things that probably ain't quite as fruitful 529 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:52,820 just saying but but to hear us to hear their parents praying 530 00:38:54,519 --> 00:38:55,520 it's going to have an effect. 531 00:38:55,620 --> 00:38:57,400 Now, we may not see it in our lifetime, 532 00:38:58,120 --> 00:38:59,060 the effect that it has. 533 00:38:59,940 --> 00:39:01,460 But we're going to be gone one of these days. 534 00:39:02,380 --> 00:39:03,300 And they're going to be thinking, 535 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,660 oh, now, Mom and Dad, they prayed. 536 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:08,280 Maybe we should do that. 537 00:39:09,260 --> 00:39:10,720 Maybe that's a good thing that we should do. 538 00:39:11,860 --> 00:39:12,720 Can I just tell you it is? 539 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,120 My littles, my two youngest grandsons, 540 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:17,080 when I pray with them, 541 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,540 they turn into a little puddle on Papa's chest. 542 00:39:21,980 --> 00:39:25,060 It's like, I'm just like, oh, Jesus, come right now. 543 00:39:25,340 --> 00:39:26,300 Let's just stay right here. 544 00:39:28,460 --> 00:39:29,240 And I pray for them. 545 00:39:29,300 --> 00:39:33,460 And when I speak Jesus's name in their ear, it has an effect on them. 546 00:39:34,640 --> 00:39:35,680 He's the eternal God. 547 00:39:36,240 --> 00:39:37,500 I want them to know that name. 548 00:39:41,300 --> 00:39:43,100 So, well, how do you do it? 549 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:45,360 I'm going to give you the three Ds. 550 00:39:45,420 --> 00:39:49,600 I learned this in a Baptist church in Texas back in 1985, right? 551 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:53,740 And it was 86, excuse me, had the year wrong. 552 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:57,560 And I went to this, and I was hungry for the Lord. 553 00:39:57,660 --> 00:40:00,160 I was in my 20s, and I'm just thinking, I need to be in a fellowship. 554 00:40:00,580 --> 00:40:05,060 I had gone back to Fort Worth to this, drove from California to Fort Worth to this horse show. 555 00:40:06,620 --> 00:40:08,660 And I got to go, I got to go to church. 556 00:40:08,860 --> 00:40:13,360 So I looked in the yellow pages, the closest church to my hotel that I was standing. 557 00:40:13,420 --> 00:40:15,460 It was a little Baptist church about two blocks down. 558 00:40:15,820 --> 00:40:18,280 So I ran down to that Baptist church on a Wednesday night. 559 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:20,340 And it was a Wednesday night by Bibles there was about 50. 560 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:24,940 15, 20 people in there. And his pastor got up and he was talking about prayer. And he says, 561 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:30,000 this is how you do it. You do the three Ds, the three Ds. I don't know. You might want to jot that 562 00:40:30,100 --> 00:40:36,520 down. I mean, it impacted me. Here, I'm talking about it, you know, 40 years later. And the three Ds, 563 00:40:36,540 --> 00:40:43,960 he said, number one, decide. Decide. Decide that you're going to read God's word every day. 564 00:40:45,859 --> 00:40:50,320 Decide. Make a decision in your heart. Lord, I'm going to do this. Purpose in your heart. 565 00:40:50,340 --> 00:40:52,320 the Bible tells us, right? 566 00:40:52,460 --> 00:40:53,840 Like Daniel and his friends. 567 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:54,960 Purpose in your heart. 568 00:40:55,340 --> 00:40:55,940 That's what I'm going to do. 569 00:40:56,460 --> 00:40:57,620 I'm going to decide to do it. 570 00:40:58,000 --> 00:40:58,360 Decide. 571 00:40:58,480 --> 00:40:59,800 Second D, dedicate. 572 00:41:00,860 --> 00:41:01,120 Dedicate. 573 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:05,200 They say if you'll do anything for 21 days, it can become a habit. 574 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:07,360 Who can't do that? 575 00:41:08,180 --> 00:41:09,960 I mean, that's pretty simple. 576 00:41:10,700 --> 00:41:12,560 Everything you do, do it for 21 days. 577 00:41:12,660 --> 00:41:13,700 It can become a habit. 578 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:15,900 So dedicate to it. 579 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:16,900 Right? 580 00:41:17,260 --> 00:41:18,060 Set a time aside. 581 00:41:19,260 --> 00:41:20,200 Okay, I'm going to do it. 582 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:21,840 this time. I'm going to get up early. 583 00:41:24,220 --> 00:41:25,980 People tell me I ain't got enough time. 584 00:41:26,720 --> 00:41:27,360 Tried God's word. 585 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:31,560 Listen, you can't afford not to. 586 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:37,440 Somebody told me that, young man told me that the other day. 587 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:40,760 I said, get up five minutes early. 588 00:41:41,140 --> 00:41:42,820 Five minutes early and read three verses. 589 00:41:43,340 --> 00:41:44,260 Who can't do that? 590 00:41:46,140 --> 00:41:47,020 You can't. 591 00:41:47,050 --> 00:41:47,660 You won't. 592 00:41:48,620 --> 00:41:49,300 That's the problem. 593 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:57,860 so decide to do it purpose in your heart to do it dedicate set time aside pick a time to do it 594 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:07,420 some people are morning people some people are nighttime people and thirdly you'll delight in it 595 00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:15,080 if you'll decide to do it if you'll dedicate to it it will be a delight to you it will bless your 596 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:19,300 heart when he was talking about prayer he says you do anything for 21 days 597 00:42:19,420 --> 00:42:21,040 It's like Daniel when he was praying. 598 00:42:21,330 --> 00:42:25,840 He prayed for three weeks, and it was like his prayers didn't get past the ceiling. 599 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:34,940 But after that, the heavens opened, making that commitment and doing it and sticking to it. 600 00:42:36,940 --> 00:42:39,200 Here's some hick words for you, sticking to in it. 601 00:42:45,220 --> 00:42:49,200 That the heavens opened and it was a delight, it was a joy. 602 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:51,720 your appetite gets bigger. 603 00:42:52,460 --> 00:42:53,780 Yeah, start with two or three verses. 604 00:42:54,260 --> 00:42:55,940 Before you know it, you're doing two or three chapters. 605 00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:57,160 Thank you, Lord. 606 00:42:58,220 --> 00:43:01,180 And you're growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. 607 00:43:01,940 --> 00:43:04,780 And his word is going in your heart that it might come out. 608 00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:15,680 So, Mary and Martha, I think they both have a lot to offer us. 609 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:17,400 Mary's a working machine. 610 00:43:18,020 --> 00:43:18,840 Man, she's a goer. 611 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:26,540 and the Bible says that faith works right faith works she was just getting overwhelmed with it 612 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:31,360 and not being still and not taking time to sit before the Lord like her sister did 613 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:35,820 Mary was always on the ready because she is filled up is your cup full today 614 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:42,160 if your cup's not full would you come down here with the prayer team and just have them pray with you 615 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:47,860 that the Lord would fill your cup because that's something I've learned in in making commitment 616 00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:55,240 to have my ear open to God's word is my cup gets filled, right? And then you just go about sloshing all over 617 00:43:55,970 --> 00:44:07,420 everybody. Yeah? But if your cup's not filled, you're not very fun to be around. Right? And so I'm going to 618 00:44:07,620 --> 00:44:17,360 close with this passage where we see Marian Martha kind of working in tandem in this passage here in 619 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:21,440 John chapter, you can turn there if you want, it's in John chapter 12, it's in just the first 620 00:44:21,500 --> 00:44:28,240 three verses. And it's right before Jesus is getting ready to go to the cross. And it says in 621 00:44:28,340 --> 00:44:36,740 verse one, then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had 622 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:42,620 been dead, whom he had raised from the dead, and there they made him a supper. And Mary and Martha 623 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:47,240 served. But Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him. 624 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:53,540 and then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of Spike Nard, 625 00:44:53,840 --> 00:44:56,860 anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, 626 00:44:57,260 --> 00:45:00,240 and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 627 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:06,180 So here we have this family in communion with the Lord, right? 628 00:45:06,940 --> 00:45:07,760 Martha's serving. 629 00:45:08,540 --> 00:45:09,480 She's not complaining. 630 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:10,340 She's serving. 631 00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:14,320 Mary's doing what she seems to do best in worshiping. 632 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:17,100 Lazarus is there fellowshiping. 633 00:45:17,220 --> 00:45:20,580 no doubt they had quite a bit to talk about him coming out of that stinky grave. 634 00:45:23,300 --> 00:45:28,180 It's like, wow, this is like redemption and living color. 635 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:32,660 We can learn from both these gals. 636 00:45:34,240 --> 00:45:36,260 Mary worshipped and Martha worked. 637 00:45:36,900 --> 00:45:39,500 And I think as believers, we're supposed to do both. 638 00:45:41,660 --> 00:45:45,460 And so I'll wrap this up with a quote from Warren Wiersby 639 00:45:46,460 --> 00:45:48,120 in his commentary on this, he said, 640 00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:54,840 Mary and Martha are often contrasted as though each believer must make a choice, 641 00:45:55,540 --> 00:45:58,660 be a worker like Martha or a worshiper like Mary. 642 00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:02,960 Certainly, our personalities and gifts are different, 643 00:46:04,060 --> 00:46:05,440 just like these two, 644 00:46:06,300 --> 00:46:11,880 and that does not mean that the Christian life is in either-or situation. 645 00:46:12,140 --> 00:46:15,420 Charles Wesley said it perfectly in one of his hymn, 646 00:46:15,460 --> 00:46:22,540 hymns. This is the Wesley hymn. It says, faithful to my Lord's command, I still would choose the better 647 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:31,500 part, serve with careful Martha's hands and loving Mary's heart. Right? We all have gifts. 648 00:46:33,020 --> 00:46:44,340 Martha's gift was to serve and to bless, right? But that needs to be funneled through her relationship 649 00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:53,020 with Jesus. I always thought ministry was was what defined us, right? I started a church way back 650 00:46:53,040 --> 00:46:57,380 in my 30s and really thought that's what defined me. And the Lord's going, what are you doing? 651 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:06,580 Right? What are you doing? Ministry is not what defines you, right? Ministry is a byproduct of how 652 00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:11,980 I define you and how your relationship with me goes. If you have a relationship with me, 653 00:47:12,180 --> 00:47:16,520 ministry is going to happen, right? But if you just try to go to do ministry as your relationship 654 00:47:16,700 --> 00:47:23,740 with me, you're going to burn out, dry up, make a mess, tear everybody up. No, just have a relationship 655 00:47:23,900 --> 00:47:30,260 with me, and I'll open the door for you to do the work. And he's been faithful to that over the 656 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:40,820 years. It seems evident the Lord wants each of us to imitate Mary in our worship and Martha in our work. 657 00:47:41,940 --> 00:47:46,200 Bless it be the balanced. Amen. Amen. Pray with me, would you? 658 00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:54,000 Bless all stand, shall we? And I'm going to have the prayer team come down too as we pray. 659 00:47:57,480 --> 00:48:00,300 Father, we just come before you right now in the mighty name of Jesus. 660 00:48:01,500 --> 00:48:09,220 I pray that you'd fill our cup, Lord. We get dry and cracked. 661 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:12,280 and messed up. 662 00:48:14,100 --> 00:48:16,900 Kind of going it alone sometimes, Lord, I know I've been guilty. 663 00:48:17,660 --> 00:48:21,420 I just seek your forgiveness and pray that you'd wash me clean of that. 664 00:48:22,340 --> 00:48:25,400 That unhealthy independence thinking I can do it on my own. 665 00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:32,680 And we know that we can't, that we're weak, but you're strong. 666 00:48:34,240 --> 00:48:38,640 You're able to do abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think. 667 00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:45,440 Lord, that your word going into our hearts and then coming out our mouth, it just produces life. 668 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:51,180 Those words of life that you spoke to us, Lord, they're wonderful and they're full. 669 00:48:52,380 --> 00:49:00,500 And Lord, just would you this Christmas season help us to take some time, Lord, to go find that quiet place. 670 00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:08,520 It might just go sit out in the car and read your word and sing a worship song and spend our time with our God, 671 00:49:08,580 --> 00:49:09,920 Lord, that our cup could be full. 672 00:49:11,340 --> 00:49:13,200 Lord, we love you and we thank you. 673 00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:16,300 We thank you for this incredible season, Lord. 674 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:24,900 But may your spirit, may your life that you offer to us through relationship, Lord, 675 00:49:25,020 --> 00:49:28,260 be the preeminent thing in each one of our lives as we seek you. 676 00:49:29,140 --> 00:49:34,200 And give us a hunger for your word to write it upon the pages of our heart, Lord, 677 00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:36,120 that we might not sin against you. 678 00:49:36,580 --> 00:49:37,860 Bless your people, we pray. 679 00:49:38,420 --> 00:49:40,200 in Jesus' name. Amen. 680 00:50:07,220 --> 00:50:07,860 Let's...