Choices: When Ministry Is Cumbersome?

CHOICES --- WHEN MINISTRY IS CUMBERED?

ATTITUDES --- ELEVATED SELF OPINIONS?

MARTHA IS A TATTLETAIL!

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I. CHOICE:

THE ACT OF CHOOSING

OPTION

CREAM OF THE CROP

CARE IN SELECTING

DIFFERENT AVAILABLE COURSES OF ACTION

Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve her alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

II. MARTHA THINKS HER HOUSE WORK, AND HER WAY OF DOING THIINGS IS BETTER THAN THE WAY MARY DOES THINGS ...

A. THINK ABOUT SERVING STYLES.

B. WE CAN TEND TO GET AN ELEVATED OPINION OF SELF ---

THIS IS BAD ---

C. MARTHA THOUGHT MARY’S WAYS WERE INFERIOR TO HERS!

D. BUT AN ELEVATED OPINION MEANS YOU ARE PUTTING OTHERS DOWN AS WELL AS LIFTING YOURSELF.

III. AS A PASTOR I HATE,--- I HATE CLIQUES:

A. CLIQUE:

small exclusive groups.

a narrow group of friends.

circle of people with common interests, views and purposes.

B. CAN OTHER PEOPLE IDENTIFY CLIQUES?

C. WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE AS PASTOR I DREW A SOCIO-GRAM.

A MALE WAS A TRIANGLE, A FEMALE WAS A CIRCLE.

D. I PUT THE TRIANGLES AND CIRCLES ON A BOARD, AND IDENTIFIED BY ARROWS THE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE OF THE INDIVIDUALS, NO NAMES WERE LISTED.

E. IN LESS THAN TWO MINUTES SOMEONE IDENTIFIED THE NAME OF SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE IN GROUP, AND SOME OF THE ISOLATED INDIVIDUALS NOT FITTING IN ANOTHER GROUP.

IV. MARTHA IS WALKING AT THE CROSSROADS OF OPPORTUNITY.

MARTHA HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF ENTERTAINING THE VERY SON OF GOD.

A. WE ARE TESTED BY OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

B. WE WALK IN HARD TIMES WHEN OUR MINISTRY AND WORK CUMBERS US?

C. CUMBERED

LOAD

Hindrance

Trouble, harass

To hinder

To be in the way

To clutter up

Luke 10: 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving,

E. BURDEN:

Something that is carried

Something that is worrisome or oppressive

Bearing a heavy load

V. OUR CROSS TO BEAR?

A. Did you hear the story of the man that tired of the cross he had to carry?

He complained to Jesus, I don’t like this cross, it is too heavy and to hard to bear!

B. So he asked Jesus for a new cross?

C. Jesus unlocked a door and in it were millions of crosses!

Small crosses, large ones, gold, wood ones, all the cross shapes were there.

After about 3 hours in the cross room, the man finally decided a better cross to carry.

D. He came out of the cross room and said, Master, this one is just right for me, it is much better than my other cross.

E. The man stood admiring his new cross.

F. Jesus told him, LOOK AT YOUR NEW CROSS.

G. He looked at it and said, I LOVE MY NEW CROSS.

Jesus noted:

H. IT IS THE SAME CROSS YOU WERE CARRYING WHEN YOU WENT INTO THE ROOM.

The man was very surprised, but sure enough, his new cross by choice, was his old assigned cross he had to bear.

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

I. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE A MILLSTONE HANGING AROUND YOUR NECK WHILE YOU ARE SWIMMING!

VI. HAVE WE EVER HAD JESUS IN THE HOUSE, AND MISSED HIM...??

DO WE WORK FOR GOD?

DO WE WORK WITH GOD?

A. WE WANT TO PLAY BLAME GAMES ---???

WE BLAME TOO MUCH TO DO ----???

B. WE THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE:

PLENTY

VARIETY

EXACTNESS

C. SOMETIMES MINISTRY MUST BE SOMETHING LIKE HORSE SHOES --- IF YOU GIVE YOUR BEST EFFORT --- CLOSEST COUNTS.

VII. MARY HAS MISPLACED CONCERNS!

IS WHAT BREAKS OUR HEART WHAT BREAKS GOD’S HEART?

A. MARTHA IS SO BUSY SERVING JESUS, THAT SHE MISSES THE MORE IMPORTANT POINT, THAT JESUS IS IN OUR MIDST.

B. IF WE ARE TOO BUSY TO PRAY WE ARE TOO BUSY!

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.