Sermon Central
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Balancing Inward And Outward Service
Contributed by Derek Geldart on Jan 11, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: This sermon is going to focus on Mary and Martha’s different approaches to pleasing to pleasing God and suggest that a balance of both service and reflection is what pleases God.
Striving for Food that Does not Perish (Deuteronomy 8:1-3)
Let me finish this sermon by stressing how important it is to feast on the word of God. I believe we are living in the era that has fulfilled Paul’s prophecy that there would come a day when people would not longer put up with sound doctrine but instead would choose only to listen to teachers and pastors that say what their itching ears want them to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). May we not give into the spirit that despises the Lord’s teaching, preferring only outward service, “for if we do, in prizing the fruit and despising the root we shall lose the fruit and the root too.” How desperately we need Christians to stand up for the doctrines of Scripture, and in humble and in total submission be like Mary and kneel to view every jot and tittle of His word (Matthew 5:18) as a pearl and treasure (Matthew 13:44-46) that truly is learned and obeyed (James 1:22)! In today’s passage Luke refers to Deuteronomy 8:1-3 which states that we are not to live by bread alone but every word from the mouth of God. When we take time to be holy may we be like Mary, “so wrapped in devout wonder,” in our times of prayer and meditation that in those precious moments we become oblivious to self and utterly devoted to God! In conclusion, may we never forget that to please God we need take time to be holy and then out of the love we get from the Father serve others and show them how much we love them too!
To view the live presentation of this sermon go to: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567
Sources Cited
C. H. Spurgeon, “Martha and Mary,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 16 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1870).
Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996).
Craig A. Evans, Luke, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1990).
Tony Evans, “‘Putting First Things First,’” in Tony Evans Sermon Archive (Tony Evans, 2015), Lk 10:38–42.
J. Reiling and J. L. Swellengrebel, A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993).
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994).
Leon Morris, Luke: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 3, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988).
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos, 2015).
Walter L. Liefeld, “Luke,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984).
D. A. Carson, “The Gospels and Acts,” in NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018).
