The story at the beginning of this sermon is not mine but it is all over the internet so I don't know who to give credit to.
Key verse Matthew 25:14-30
Today’s Verse Luke 10: 41-42
Satan called a Meeting with his evil angels one day.
This is what Satan said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming a relationship with Christ. If they gain a connection with Jesus, our power over them is gone.
So, let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but I want you to steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted Satan’s angels.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family starts to fall apart, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or CD player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, DVD’s, I-pads, video games, Facebook and all of their computers and electronic devices going constantly in their home, in their cars, and even when they are out together and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-Christian music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.
"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will tear apart those families quickly!
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.
"Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!"
It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there. I guess the question is:
Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge! Does "busy" mean: Being under Satan’s Yoke
Let’s look at today’s verse Luke 10: 41-42
Jesus said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
There are many many things that go on in our lives today. We are living in a world where everything is instantaneous; microwaves, e-mail, and the internet have made things so much faster for us. Technology was supposed to save us time due to the speed of things and give us more time at home with our families. What happened?
There doesn’t seem to be enough time on the day, we don’t have time for family much less church or even spending time with Christ, so how much time do we have in a day?
Well we all have the same amount of time, 24 hours. How we use it may differ but we all start with the same amount of time in a day. 24 hours a day = 168hrs a week.
Let’s subtract 8 hours each weeknight for sleep and 10 hrs. Per night for weekends that leaves 108 waking hours.
Then we need to subtract 40 hours for work, let’s go ahead and figure overtime and commuting and round it up to 50 hrs. That leaves us 58 hours a week that we could give to the Lord.
So what’s required? Well if we look at our time like we look at our income a tenth. Now if we figure that on average waking hours that would be a little over 10 hours per week. A little less than 2 hours per day.
How do you measure up in the time department? Are you like Martha, do you worry and fret about all kinds of things and forget about the better part.
We are hard pressed in most churches to get folks to attend every Sunday for worship much less an extra hour for Sunday school. What happened, what about the pledge that people take when they join the Church? The pledge to uphold the church by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service.
Some of you are looking at me like “Whatchu talkin bout Willis” it’s on pg. 48 of your hymnal and this question is normally asked without fail upon a person being baptized, confirmed, or joining from another congregation.
If we would all do that we would be a step closer. I promise you that your church needs you; we miss you if you aren’t here. I know that lots of things happen but do you make attending church your #1 priority? Sunday school and worship weekly, mid-week fellowship and study?
What about the rest of the week can you at least give God an Hour a day I don’t mean just riding down the road listening to K- love or the message but an Hour in prayer and study just you and God?
This is a hard message to preach , I almost backed out and preached on something else because I have to admit I find it hard to give God one or two hours a day. Oh I probably average a couple of hours in prayer and study a day but that’s sermon preparation and praying with and for the sick in our church.
I should be giving some of my time studying and praying just for my relationship with Christ on top of what I do as a pastor.
I understand that there is ball practice, ball games and a ton of other things that keep us out of church and keep us away from our time with Christ.
I’m not going to love you any less if you choose something else over church and Christ isn’t either, but I want you to think about something.
Jesus died for you that’s how much he loved you, is an hour or two a day to much to ask?
Ask yourself am I really giving the time I should to my personal relationship with my Savior.
Are you like Martha or Mary? Martha was running around making sure everything was just so and Mary sat at the feet of her Friend.
Jesus said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
Will you choose the better part? I hope you will. Spend time with your Savior I think you’ll be glad you did.
And don’t forget the church needs you and we really do miss you when you’re not here.
