ONE THING
We have said it many times and a lot of ways: You will never know real peace in your life without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord.
In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey coined the phrase, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Jesus taught with authority and power when He was on the earth. He would use simple stories to teach truth that would transform the listeners. Long before Stephen Covey, Jesus pointed to the fact that there is a main thing in following Him. We read about this in the story of two sisters who invited Jesus and His disciples to their home.
“ 38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 NIV
One thing is absolutely necessary if we are to live healthy and useful Christ following lives. Do you know what the one thing is? Knowing the one thing is not an easy one, two, three, systems approach. Knowing the one thing is to commit to paying attention to Jesus and His words.
Mary and Martha were entertaining Jesus. Martha, a warm hostess, busies herself with preparations for a meal for Jesus and His disciples. Mary, however, sat at His feet and listened to all the wonderful things He had to say. Martha said to herself, "What a privilege to prepare a meal for Him!" and Mary said, "What a privilege to sit at His feet!", and they were both right in thinking that. But Martha felt that Mary was unreasonable in leaving her to serve up the meal, and she even questioned the Lord for allowing Mary to sit there while there was work to be done, verses 39-40. Then it was that Jesus spoke very tenderly to Martha, calling her by her name and saying, "You are careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is absolutely necessary, verse 41-42, and Mary had chosen that "one thing"! This, then, is the first requirement for every Christian: not service, not working, but connecting with Jesus and learning from Him, verse 39.
1. This “one thing” is natural. What does it mean to “sit at His feet?”
The scripture that we read said Mary was sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to what He was saying. Every human being on this planet is “sitting at the feet of something.” They are tuned into someone or some group that lays out for them what they are to wear, or how they are supposed to act. If you don’t think that is true tune in to those considered famous by our culture. Do you know that People magazine has a section every week showing a cross section of Hollywood types all wearing the same styles? Then I guess some of us who don’t know any better are supposed to run out and find the cheap versions of the same thing and buy them so we can look like the rich and the famous. This year it’s this style and next year it will be something else. It is a never ending exercise.
“In this life you sometimes have to choose between pleasing God and pleasing man. In the long run it’s better to please God. . . . He’s more apt to remember.” —Harry Kemelman
Everyone worships and gives themselves to something. The key is for us to make Jesus first in our lives. (His word, His love, His principles, His wisdom, His compassion, His Spirit.) Here’s what “sitting at His feet” implies:
It implies RECEPTION.
In verse 38, we read that Martha received Jesus into her house, and Mary received Him also. Before Mary could sit at the Saviour’s feet she must have welcomed Him into her presence. To sit at His feet and listen to His words implies that this reception has taken place. The question today is have you really received the Lord Jesus into your spiritual heart as definitely and as truly as Martha and Mary received Him into their house?
“12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12.
Watchman Nee wrote about the episode of a Chinese man who was drowning. Several men were watching their countryman struggle in the water but they themselves could not swim. They yelled for help and one man raced to the shoreline. He assured them he could swim and could indeed save the man, but he took no action toward staging a rescue. The others became agitated with his passivity and began to verbally question his character. The man stood unaffected until the drowning man seemed to exhaust himself of all his energy. He then dove into the water and pulled the man to safety. The other men demanded an explanation for his seeming reluctance to show compassion on a drowning man. He simply told them that he was unable to save the man as long as he was still trying to save himself. When his efforts to save himself were expended, then it became possible for him to supply a safe rescue. In similar fashion, our endeavors to save ourselves leave us flailing in an ocean of sin. Until we give up on the idea that we can save ourselves, we can’t be saved. We must acknowledge our inability to bring about salvation and embrace the salvation that only Jesus Christ can provide. What Is The Good Life, David Davis, Bellaire, Texas
It implies DEVOTION.
The fact that Mary was sitting at Jesus feet indicates that she loved Him very much. She knew how much He loved her, and she loved Him because He first loved her.
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
She loved Him for His own sake, for His teaching and, above all, for what He was going to do for her on the Cross.
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15
Mary did love Him, and in order that she might keep His words she was listening to them and learning them. She was paying attention to what was important to God! For a moment this morning I want you to consider your devotion to God. Have you made Him number one in your life? Are you living your life out of a heart devoted to God and His principles? Have you allowed Him to work in the relationships that you are struggling with today?
We refer to having a consistent time of prayer and bible study as a time of devotions. There is a reason for that. It is in our times of prayer and bible reading that God will give us the roadmap that we are to live by. If you are not engaging in consistent prayer and reading the Bible you are not getting closer to God. In fact without this kind of devotion you will find yourself drifting further away from God and it will become easier to be less like Him.
It implies SUBMISSION.
Mary did not stand, she sat, and this indicates that she was submissive to Him and recognized Him as her Lord. She subjected herself to His authority and to His truth and teaching. She sat in the place of humility, she took His yoke upon her and learned from Him. She placed herself utterly and absolutely under His teaching.
29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt, 11:29.
Humility is something that God honors. He blesses and honors those who reject pride and live with a dependency on Him.
Once Winston Churchill was sitting on a platform waiting to speak to a large crowd gathered to hear him. The chairman of the event leaned over and said, "Isn’t it exciting, Mr. Churchill, that all these people came just to hear you speak?" Winston Churchill responded, "It is quite flattering, but whenever I feel this way I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big."
You and I were created by God and put on this earth to do nothing more than serve Him. It is when we realize it and start devoting our lives to Him that we find fulfillment.
2. This “one thing” absolutely necessary. Why is it so important?
1. It is absolutely necessary if we are to be well-balanced Christ followers.
The two elements of a well-poised Christian life are sitting and serving, receiving and giving; but the sitting must always precede the serving.
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” John 10:9
“In and out"; "in" first, and then "out"; "in" for worship and "out" for witnessing. Jesus did not rebuke Martha for her active service, but He did show her that “sitting at His feet,” was the first requirement of successful service. This one thing helps us find balance in our lives.
2. It is absolutely necessary for spiritual growth.
Many Christians remain in a state of protracted infancy because they are neglecting fellowship with the Lord through His Word. They fail to sit at His feet and learn of Him, and therefore they do not grow into spiritual maturity.
“18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Pet 3:18.
As pastor of this church I am really concerned about this issue. You need to be growing spiritually. Attending for fifty years won’t do anything to make you more spiritual. I am convinced of that the longer I live. I have been out and about again and into some other churches. Churches like the ones that I grew up in and it is like talking to the walking dead. They show up and sing and pray and preach but they are talking singing to themselves about themselves. We could be in the same precarious position if we are not careful. You see, spiritual growth will lead you to be involved in serving others. It will involve the use of the gifts and talents that God has given you in making a difference in the world.
3. It is absolutely necessary for clear guidance.
There is nothing the Lord longs to do more for us than to guide us in all the details of our daily lives, but very often we fail to hear His "still small voice", 1 Kings 19:12, because we are not living in close enough touch with Him. It is a sad thing when we are constantly making wrong decisions.
“5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Prov. 3:56 “5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5. Every year, General Motors, AT&T, and IBM each spend more on the education and training of their employees than the combined educational budgets of all eight Ivy League universities. Just as a business depends on the continuing development of its workers, so too the Church needs its members to be continually sharpening and improving their discipleship skills. Executive Speechwriter Newsletter, Vol. 10 No. 4
4. It is absolutely necessary for overcoming self.
Martha was irritated and distracted, and she complained, verse 40. This could have been prevented if she had known how to submit herself as well. One sure way of learning to overcome the self-life is by regularly sitting at His feet.
“15 For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isa. 57:15
“4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Pet 3:4.
5. It is absolutely necessary to gain His affirmation.
In verse 42, we are told that our Lord commended Mary for sitting at His feet and hearing His word. Nothing pleases Him more than when we come before Him and wait there in silent adoration and praise. He is pleased with our service, but most of all He is pleased with our humble submission, when we sit at His feet and learn from Him.
We will only get this "one thing" by real determination and resolution. Notice that in verse 42 we are told that Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet. It was a matter of deliberate choice. How determined are you to pursue this one thing?
Do you remember in ’Alice in Wonderland,’ Alice asked the cat, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" The cat answered, "That depends a great deal on where you want to go." Alice said, "Oh, I don’t much care." "Then it really doesn’t matter which way you go."
Let me ask you some questions.
Are you satisfied with your spiritual walk today?
Are you walking in a genuine relationship with Christ?
Do you connect with God on a daily basis?
I would like you to watch a video as we close this message.
Action steps:
I will start today by dedicating 20 minutes to spending time with God.
I will develop a plan to read and study the Bible daily.
I will join a small group.
I will find a spiritual growth class like Starting Point or A Follower’s Life.
It may be that some of you need to respond this morning before you leave.
