(Chp 20) Abiding in Jesus

Sermon based on Chapter 20 of Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed

Passage: Luke10:38-42

Introduction
The story about Martha and Mary is a familiar story to most of us. Even for me, this would be my second time preaching from this passage. This story is only found in the Gospel according to Luke. And we know that Mary is Martha’s, possibly, younger sister. Even though it was Martha’s home, both sisters had expressed their hospitality differently. One had sat by the feet of Jesus, listening to what he was about to teach them. The other was busy running around the kitchen, preparing a “feast” to welcome her Master. Martha was upset that while she has been laboring alone in the kitchen, her sister was seemingly lazing around. And when she was not able to hold in her anger with such unfairness, she complained to Jesus (a typical Singaporean trait), demanding that he does something about it.

It is not so much what they were doing that was called into question, for surely, there is great value in providing food and refreshment for our Lord Jesus who has been on the road for a long time. The kitchen ministry is an important ministry during those days and so it is also today. But the difference between Martha and Mary was their ability to keep a constant focus on Jesus in whatever ministry they were in. If only Martha had not compared herself with Mary while keeping her focus on preparing food for Jesus, it would not have been an issue to begin with. After all, Jesus only reprimanded Martha after her public outburst against her sister. It was not her preparation that was the problem, it was her distraction.

Jesus tells us that Martha was upset and worried by many things, for she has been more concerned with other people’s relationship with Jesus than her own. Only one thing is needed. What is this one thing? Before we answer this question, let’s ask ourselves, “Who are we like?”

1. Who are you?
Are you Mary or Martha? Are you devoted to one thing or distracted by many things when we come into the presence of our Lord? Are we sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus, yearning to listen and learn from our great Teacher, or are we running around the house, being busy with many things and standing above our Lord, demanding that our dear “lazy” sister to come and help us out? Before you decide who you are and who would you rather be? Let’s ask ourselves another question: How are we connected to Jesus? I’ll borrow the illustration from the Internet technology today. I’m no expert in this, so please pardon me if I am not describing this accurately.

a. Dial-up (Irregular church attendance, come to church only when it is convenient or when you need prayers)
In the past, before we had Internet Broadband services, we used to have dial-up modems connected to our telephone lines. Whenever we want to access the Internet, we would need to dial a number to our Internet service provider before we can access the Internet. The connection speed is slow, compared to what we have today. Some broadband connections today continue to use such a dial-up system.

We would be using a dial-up connection to Jesus, if we are not a regular worshipper in any church. Maybe, we only come to church on special occasions, like Easter or Christmas. Or only come when it is convenient, or when we need prayers to be answered. We are connected to Jesus on a need-to-be basis. When things are going well for us, we do not need God, we are on our own. But when things turned bad, we are first in queue to the Jesus-help-line. Christianity is only a religion when we have time for it. We know who Jesus is, but we don’t have time for Him.

b. Cable (Regular church-goers but does not attend any cell groups or fellowship groups)
After the dial-up connection, comes the broadband services, like cable. Using the Ethernet cable, we are constantly connected to the Internet through the cable modem all the time. In this set-up, we are confined by the length of our Ethernet cable and location of our cable modem.

We would be using a cable connection to Jesus, if we are regular church-goers but does not attend any cell or fellowship groups in church. We are great when we are in church, but we are a different person when we are outside these four walls. We are different at home, at work and at school. Sometimes, our colleagues are surprised to know that we are Christians. There is no desire to share the Gospel with anyone. We know God and we love Him, and we love to come to church, but please don’t ask me to join a cell group. I’m a very private person.

c. WI-FI (Regular church-goers, attends cell group meetings regularly, have even gone on ST mission trips)
Of course we have the wireless option today, called Wi-Fi, which stands for (I’m so sure everyone knows this), “Wireless Fidelity”. Even though we are not limited by a physical cable, we are still limited by the range of the wireless router. A typical wireless network range for a 802.11g network is about 32m indoors and 95m outdoors. The record for the longest network range using a non-standard device is 382 km, held in June 2007, transferring about 3 MB of data between the mountain tops in Venezuela.

We would be using a WI-FI connection to Jesus, if we are regular worshippers in church and are actively serving in some ministry or regularly attending cell groups. We may even have been on several short-term mission trips before. We have no problems sharing the Gospel with family or friends who are non-believers. But sometimes, we may stray from God when we lose connection at times. Interferences or distractions may stray us away from God. It would not be long before we are back on track but our connection with God is not solid stable.

Martha, a typical task-riented person, would be a good example of someone who is using a WI-FI connection to Jesus. Actually, most of us in church may find ourselves in such a set-up. Faith is real to us and we are serious in our relationship with God, but we may be so busy doing so many “Christian” things that we rarely have time to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His words. We tend to compare our faith or our ministry with others, getting distracted along the way and losing our focus. We are simply busy, busy, busy people. Too busy to pray, maybe?
d. Mobile WI-FI (Always connected to Jesus Christ 24/7, not bound to any location)

And now today, we have mobile WI-FI connection. Like mobile phones, we can be connected to the Internet 24/7. We just have to purchase a mobile Internet adapter and plug that into our laptop and we can have Internet access everywhere we go. The strength of your wireless signal depends greatly on where you are. But the vision is that the whole island is covered in a Mobile WI-FI network and we can be connected at all times. We are no longer bound by a physical location or a physical cable but we still need to be in Singapore (or at least until they have global Internet connection in the future).

Are you in a mobile WI-FI network with Jesus today? Are you constantly connected to Jesus every waking moment? What is on your mind all day long? Heavenly treasures or earthly things? In Matt 6.20, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Someone in such a mobile wireless network is someone who is connected to God constantly, at any place and at every moment of the day. Jesus lives in our hearts and we carry Him with us everywhere we go. Jesus is like a friend to us, whom we talk to about everything under the sun and beyond. We are close to Him in our thoughts and our spirits are connected always.
Mary would be a good example of someone who is connected to Jesus in a Mobile WI-FI network. Not necessarily a physical connection, but a spiritual one definitely. Although this may not a perfect illustration of our relationship with Jesus, but it shows us the possibility of a constant connection to Him. Jesus is not bound by any physical boundaries to a certain time or place. Jesus is found wherever you set your heart, your mind and your soul on knowing and loving Him. He is ever-ready to stretch out His nail-scarred hands to us at any time.

2. What is this one thing that is needed?
So, now that we know how we are connected to Jesus, let’s explore what is this one thing that Mary has chosen? To put it simply, this one thing is her “Undivided Devotion” to Jesus Christ. Mary’s undivided devotion is contrasted with Martha’s unending distraction. What exactly is this undivided devotion? How can we practice this?

We are to give our undivided devotion to Jesus in three inter-connected ways, I call it, WWF. It is neither World Wrestling Federation nor World Wildlife Fund. It is Word, Worship and Fellowship. The next segment is meant to be self-reflective. I’ll ask the questions, you give your own answers.

a. Word: Informational or Formational?
When we read the Bible, it is merely informational or formational? Is the Bible like any ancient literature, containing many historical and theological information? Or, do we allow God’s Word to shape and transform us? For pastors, one of the biggest requests is for sermons to be relevant to everyday lives. I cannot agree more. But, what do we mean by relevance? Does it mean that if we crack some jokes or if we talk about office politics or the pains of parenting, we are being relevant? What exactly is this relevance we are seeking?

The responsibility of the preacher is to deliver the Word of God as accurately as how God has intended it to be, as inspiration for the authors and readers of the Bible, and at the same time recognizing that the Bible is also the Living Word of God and its relevance is unchanged for always. Its relevance is not because we found a passage on how to curb Internet addiction. Its relevance is because God’s message for us is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, that God loves us very much and He wants to shape us into His likeness. The relevance of the message is to be judged by how it has impacted our lives in its hearing.

If we go home today and the only thing we remember are the jokes or the illustrations, the preacher has failed to deliver God’s Word faithfully. Relevance is about the formation of our character, to desire a heart that is after God’s own heart. It must surge a change in our lives after each hearing. We may not have been “eye-witnesses” of the Gospel events, but we are “ear-witnesses” of His eternal Truth!

b. Worship: Spiritual and Physical Encounter
What is worship? Simply put, worship is our undivided devotion to Jesus. What Mary did was a simple act of worship. Her mind had only one focus. Musicians play our instruments to only one audience and there is only one God whom we worship. He is the same God whom Mary worshipped that day. We may worship God in many ways. Sometimes, in songs, praises or hymns; sometimes, in lamentations and in crying; sometimes, loud; sometimes, soft; sometimes, in silence. It is both a spiritual and physical encounter with God. Worship is not just coming to church every Sunday morning and singing a few hymns and listening to the pastor’s sermon. Worship must be a 7-day encounter with Christ. How do we prepare our hearts for worship every Sunday morning? Are we giving God the respect He deserves? It is not right for us to play with our hand-phones, game-boy or PSP during this anointed time with God. Let us not be distracted in our time of worship.

c. Fellowship: Being in the presence of Christ
The third aspect of our devotion to God is found in our fellowship with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” This is Jesus’ promise to us. This is Emmanuel, God with us. This promise was given to the disciples in the context of a ministry of reconciliation, when one brother has sin against you. We are given the responsibility to establish a fellowship of peace on earth. But this peace is not the peace which the world gives; it is the Peace which Christ brings between God and Man. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. We are all sons and daughters of God. Fellowship is about being in the presence of Christ together with fellow believers. It is important for every Christian to belong to a faith community. A faith community is where your faith can be edified and, in turn, edify others. Are you already in a faith community? If not, I strongly urge you to do so today.

Conclusion: Being a Mary in a Martha’s world
Ah, after listening to all these three ways of building our devotion to Jesus, you may say, but pastor, this is easier to say than done? We living in a busy world, full of distraction like Martha. How can we be a Mary in a Martha’s world?

Being a Mary is basically being a disciple of Jesus (a student and follower of Christ). What we can learn from Mary today is to firstly, cultivate a heart like Mary, to yearn for God’s Word in all our being. Let us spend some time in meditation everyday and reflect on what God is speaking to us. God is rarely silent. If you read the Bible with a meditative heart, you will be surprised to know that God has many things to tell us about His love for us.

Secondly, cultivate a posture like Mary, one that is sitting at the feet of Jesus. I’m not talking about a physical posture but a spiritual one that expresses humility and teachability. We must always be humble when we come before our God. Remember your role as a disciple sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Thirdly, we ought to cultivate a mind like Jesus, one that keeps focus on Him away from distractions. Remember what Jesus told Martha, let us not worry and get upset about many things, “only one thing is necessary,” that is keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus in whatever we do. Old hymn writers used such beautiful phrases like, “Abiding in Him” to describe our undivided devotion.

What is it that makes her so special that we ought to learn from her? Mary worshipped her God, at the very feet of Jesus she sat. Her heart is one of yearning and undivided devotion to her Lord. Her posture is one of humility and teachability like that of a devout student. Her mind is constantly focused on the things of heaven and not on earthly worries. Mary is a good example of what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

There are many things we may not have answers to in this world, especially in theology or our limited understanding of God, but we know for certainty that God loves us very much. To be a Mary in a Martha’s world, requires us to first recognize how loved we are. [Illustration] Once a young student asked Karl Barth if he could sum up what was most important in his life’s work and theology in just a few words. If you know him, you would know that this man is the most highly regarded theologian in the entire 21st century. His 14-vol Church Dogmatics, is the most extensive single piece of theological work in history. So how could he possibly summarize his life’s work in just a few words? The question was posed even with great astonishment from the audience. Barth just thought for a moment and then smiled, "Yes, in the words of a song my mother used to sing me, 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"

Let us pray.
Thank you Lord Jesus for loving us this much. Help us to be like Mary to seek that one necessary thing in our lives that you desire. Help us to keep an undivided devotion to you always in whatever we do. Let us know you and love you in Word, in Worship and in Fellowship. Help us be connected to you at all times and keep our eyes fixed on you always. Help us to cultivate a heart, and posture and mind like Mary as we learn to be your true disciple. Amen.