'from a fan to a follower'

 

HAVE A MARY CHRISTMAS

Rev. Jesse Bottoms      Beulah Baptist Church, Poughkeepsie, NY 12/25/11

 

Luke 10:38-42    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 he 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 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.   (KJV)

 

Is anything bothering you? Could it be that what's bothering you is what you are bothering with?

 

We have in our text today, the story of Martha. She is bothered. She is cumbered about with a whole lot of serving, while Jesus is at the house. Martha let Mary control her joy. - She is bothered and Jesus is in the house.

 

And Jesus answers in verse 41 and says, Martha, Martha, you are careful and cumbered about with many things. And Martha I want you to know that I never designed you to walk around cynical, frustrated and disillusioned and hard to get along with. He says in essence, Martha, you have made several mistakes and I know it by  what you just said.

 

Martha says to Jesus don't you recognize that my sister Mary has left me to serve alone. Then Martha said to Jesus, bid her to come and help me. Martha is upset, she is worried and she is ill at ease, she is bothered. 

 

Jesus says that Mary has chosen “the good part”. It was a chosen part. She chose it. But also note that Martha also chose her part. - Most of us are not really bothered by the things that come upon us that we cannot control but what bothers me most is the parts that I have chosen. If there is anybody in here like me who will admit that you have chosen some bad parts?  Most of the pain that I have suffered is from bad choices that I have made. It's that way with you too?

 

Don’t blame the man. Don't blame your Mamma. Don't blame your Daddy. Don't blame your husband and don't blame your wife. Don't blame nobody else. The reason you in the shape you in now is your own fault. You knew that he wasn't the right man for you. But you just had to have 'em. You thought that she was so sweet that you could just eat her up, and now you wish that somebody would. You made the choice yourself.

 

But Martha, Martha is like many of us, is actually seeking to do good, but miserable in the process. The reason we know that she is still hurting is that she is still hunting for help outside of herself. And whenever you put you happiness and stability in the hands of others, then something is missing in your own life.

 

Martha is out there and she thinks she's right. She is as wrong as two left shoes, but the grater problem is that all this is going on and Martha is so upset and dissatisfied and Jesus is in the house.

 

The Bible warns us against good and evil. The Bible warns us against good more than it warns us against evil. It is the human good that leaves Him out of our thinking. When Adam and Eve, went seeking good for themselves, up until that point no one had ever said what was good except God. - All through Genesis chapter one, God said it good - it's good - it's good, it's very good. - When the creature decided to go independent of the creator and seek his own good, God said, that's not good.

 

And Martha in the text demonstrates the same problem that many of us have. Martha, in the text, takes on the planning for the satisfaction of Jesus when He hadn't asked for it. The problem is in the kitchen. There is no record that Jesus was even hungry. (what does Jesus really want?) Much of the stuff that we do….. is not what He wants.

 

Martha is in the kitchen slinging those pots and pans. Martha is focused on a project and plans to carry it out. She is better at projects than we are at being with people. She hopes to be applauded by Jesus for having completed a project. Jesus says, it's never possessions, it's never projects or plans, it's relationships.

 

That's why He commended Mary in the next verse, because of the relationship. Projects are temporary but relationships are to be permanent.

 

Beloved - do you not know that all the problems that I have seen that afflict the church of the Lord Jesus Christ  have been caused by somebody seeking to do good. You've never seen a church problem come from somebody out on the  corner. It happened by a person who is convinced in their own mind that they know the way to do it good. - So God warned us against good that leaves Him out of the  thinking. There’s a problem in the kitchen when God has not assigned you there.

 

Now, Martha made three mistakes.

 

The first mistake that Martha makes is that (1) she detaches herself from relationships. In other words, Jesus and Mary are in the other room in Bible study. Mary is sitting at the feet of the only one who knows more about living that anyone  who has ever lived, and she has chosen the good part… and what she has chosen will never be taken away from her.

 

Jesus says, Martha, I can get along without your meal but you can't get along without mine.  She is trying to bake bread in kitchen, and the Beard of life in next room. 

 

Col 2:22  There is no earthly pleasure for the flesh that will last for

more than two hours after it's finished. "Which all are to perish with the using; after the commandments and doctrines of men?" (KJV) Things of the flesh perish with the using.

 

If it's for the flesh… The flesh is persistent and wants to have it's own way. And whatever we invest in it, two hours and it's over. You can eat a full meal and two hours later you are ready to eat again. That is so because satisfying the needs of the flesh is temporary and always lasts two house or less. --- And a lot of our fleshly pursuits of our physical appetites last a lot less than that (stay in church). Many of us have broken dreams and blasted hopes because of pursuing fleshly things that don't last. -

 

Martha made the decision to detach herself from her best friends - who truly had her best interest at heart. Mary is her sister and Jesus certainly is her best friend. She made the choice to detach herself from relationships.

 

There is something in all of us that seeks and needs relationship, and when we don't have it, we need to seek and pursue other things to bring us the fulfillment that we lack in broken relationships. Martha didn't have the relationship so she tried to work it out by seeking rewards for a project well done.

 

Look at Martha. She's cumbered, she's bothered, she's trying to do a whole lot of things - and Jesus says Martha, you missed it, because you have detached yourself from your significant other.

 

Secondly, Martha was distracted by responsibilities that had not been assigned to her. Every time there is trouble in the church, I can tell you why it happens. Somebody has decided to just go out on their own and plot their own course and just take over, when they have no authority and have not been assigned to do so.

 

Jesus is in the house and guess who is giving directions. When Jesus is in the house He sets the agenda for the house. - With Jesus in the house, Martha is giving directions. - Certainly not Martha. If anyone of them should have been giving directions it should have been Mary to Martha, because Mary had been at the feet of Jesus. The major church problem is people in church giving directions who have not been at the feet of Jesus.  Deacons, Deaconess, Trustees, Choir Members, preachers and others who have not been at the feet of Jesus.

 

In verse 40 Martha cries out, "Jesus, don't you know (she's off base right there) that my sister Mary has left me in here alone. - You tell her to get in here…. And help me.. Tell her to come in the Kitchen.

 

How is it and why is it that we always seem to know what  everybody else is suppose to be doing? Martha said, tell her what to do. No, no, no - we ought to request Lord, tell me what to do.

 

Now, what Martha overlooked was, whenever I ask anybody to leave Jesus to deal with my agenda, I have missed it. - Here's the test question. Is what they are asking you to do causing you to leave Jesus' agenda? Can you do what they ask you to do and still be doing what Jesus wants you to do. -

 

In order for Mary to go bake in the kitchen, she has to leave Bible study in the den. - And whenever you allow anybody to take you away from Jesus' agenda, you just self destructed. To leave the Bible Class and go to the Kitchen with no Bible in you, will cause trouble in the Kitchen.

 

Martha was preparing a meal that Jesus had not requested. She was in the Kitchen without a Kitchen assignment. She was in the Kitchen without a Kitchen anointing. - Look at the stress, self induced stress, of a self directed agenda. Martha wants to impress Jesus with a seven course meal. But the problem starts with the salad. She's not quite sure what kind of salad He wants. He may want a Caesar salad, He may want a Greek salad, He may want a garden salad… What kind of salad does Jesus want? May be cucumbers and avocados… Then, does He want lamb chops or lobster, or shrimp scampi or just plain ole fried catfish. - So since she does not know what His desired entree is, now she's got to fix two or three… Roast beef..  Ham hocks… Chitterlings…  Yams

 

When you find folk running all over the place, going and doing and just busy, busy, busy.. that is so because they don't know what He wants. They don't know what they want because they don't know what He wants.

 

People who know what He wants are settled; they are solid, they are stable. They are no longer seeking.. They are situated and secure. They are not like the man at the pool who waited for the troubling of the water… Some folk need something exciting before they will get in.

 

Look at Martha's problem. How is she going to fix the salad and the main course and the desert at the same  time.  What kind of desert? Banana pudding… Key lime pie… Apple cobbler.. Pie Alamode… Pineapple Upside down cake… or Lemon marring pie… Death by Chocolate or whatever…?

 

All of this is in her own mind and Jesus has not asked for any of it. Of all the stuff that you do, what of it did Jesus ask you to do?

 

Now, be clear. You are indeed at liberty to make some choices. But be sure that your choice is His direction.

 

But whenever I design my own agenda, I'm asking for trouble. You remember Noah don't you. He walked with God.  You remember Enoch, he walked with God. …    We just ought to look back at these and others and see why they are listed in the heroes of faith. The Bible says and thus did Noah, Gen.6:22 , thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him. It was commanded what he did. It was complete what he did. He did all of it but none of it originated with him.

 

Anybody here, distracted or overwhelmed by responsibilities? Chances are you are working outside of your assignment.  Chances are, you have a self-made Kitchen agenda. Ask yourself the question, who assigned me this.

 

One reason we know that it was not Martha's assignment to be in the kitchen is because she had a big problem with Mary being in the Den. The problem that you have with your job is the other person's job. The problem with my gift is the other person's gift.   Martha felt that Mary should have been doing what she was doing. When, in reality, Martha should have been doing what Mary was doing.

 

You can go from a Mary to Martha ministry but not from a Martha to Mary ministry. - - - Martha had her priorities out of order. That’s why so much Hell is raised in the church kitchen. When all a person has is a Kitchen ministry you will have trouble in the kitchen. We need people in the kitchen who have also been in the Bible Class.

 

(1) Not only is she detached from her relationships.

 

(2) Not only is she distracted  by responsibilities that she designed and was not assigned. But the last problem is that…

 

(3)She had a desire to rule…   That's my problem and yours, we want to rule.   You want things your way and I want things my way… Jesus is in the house… She is not listening to Jesus, she's instructing Jesus. Tell Mary to get in here.

 

I have found that if you cannot control your own location, then you will construct agendas for other people.  Martha is in the kitchen and Mary is in the den. And Martha is trying to get Mary to come into the kitchen. - If anybody ought to change their location it ought to be Martha. Tell your neighbor -- change your location.

 

Martha, leave those pots and pans and get in there where the word is spoken. I don't know about you, but I'm drawn to the word. Martha, you are in the kitchen, but you are not under the word. - There would be more peace in the kitchen if the those in the kitchen were also under the word.

 

Martha, you ought to be under the word, because the word of God has out lasted everything else I know.

 

Two hours after I eat, I ready to go to McDonald's for a Happy Meal. Because anything that satisfies the flesh only lasts two hours or less.

 

You are no doubt saying in your own mind about now, Pastor Bottoms, today is Christmas Sunday, in fact it’s Christmas day. We expected you to preach a “Christmas Sermon.” We expected you to preach from the birth narratives of Matthew Chapter 1 or Luke Chapter two. Or may be you would preach from Isaiah’s birth prophecy of Isaiah Chapter 9. But here you are talking about Martha in the kitchen and Mary in the Den on Christmas Sunday. Pastor, is this a Christmas sermon?

 

Well, I thought I’d talk about this Mary and Martha situation because it’s an everyday affair. It’s a way of life for Martha and a way of life for Mary. And how it is the other 364 days of the year it will be the same on Christmas Day. Whatever kind of year you have had, you will also have that same kind of Christmas. If you’ve had a Martha year, you will have a Martha Christmas. If you’ve had a Mary year you will have a Mary Christmas. Well, what’s the difference? How can I tell the difference? Well, just look at the two women.

 

I want to ask you today, what kind of Christmas will you have. Will you have a Martha Christmas or will you have a Mary Christmas? I want to wish for you and suggest to you that you choose to have a Mary Christmas.

 

A Martha Christmas is all about things. It’s about what I want for Christmas. It’s about getting a lot of gifts. It’s about making sure the decorations are all in place. The tree is decorated and the lights are strung and turned on. A Martha Christmas wants some snow on the ground so Santa’s reindeer won’t have trouble pulling the sleigh. It’s making sure that dinner is right and the guest list is tight.

 

Martha is fixing the meats and cousin Sally is bringing the Mac and Cheese. Auntie is bringing the deserts and cousin Gladys in bringing the yams, green beans and collard greens. Martha is the coordinator and she wants all the THINGS to arrive on time and everything to work out right. If all THINGS work out well, Martha will be satisfied. If she gets the gifts she wanted; if the meal goes well and if everybody shows up, Martha will be satisfied.

 

That’s a Martha Christmas. The stores are open late so you can have a Martha Christmas. Special sales and supposedly reduced prices and promotions are put in place so you can have a Martha Christmas. Special meals are being prepared so you can have a Martha Christmas. Family members have come in from out of town so you can have a Martha Christmas. – Credit cards will be maxed out for a Martha Christmas.

 

However, there is always much disappointment during this season because if some don’t get their Martha Christmas they can’t have a Merry Christmas.

 

I want to suggest and wish that you choose to have a Mary Christmas. A Mary Christmas focuses on the fact that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” The poet said it right, “You can have the whole world and give me Jesus.”

 

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

 

Have a Mary Christmas. You may not get THINGS for Christmas and you can have a Mary Christmas. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus receiving the word.

 

Martha was on her feet and Mary was at His feet. Have a Mary Christmas. Martha was baking bread in the kitchen and the Bread of Life was in the den with Mary. Have a Mary Christmas.

 

Well, let me close. If you decide to have a Mary Christmas then you will always have a Merry Christmas. A Martha Christmas satisfies the flesh but a Mary Christmas strengthens the faith. Have a Mary Christmas.

 

A Martha Christmas depends upon what is under the Tree. A Martha Christmas depends upon who is gathered around the tree. This bad economy has hit a lot of people and some things will not be under the tree. Loved ones and people dear to us are no longer with and some have taken the long sleep beneath the clay, so they will not gather with us around the tree. If that’s the sum total of what you are looking for this Christmas, you Christmas just may not be happy.

 

But a Mary Christmas in not based on what’s under the tree or who is around the tree. A Mary Christmas is based on the one who hung on the tree. Have a Mary Christmas.

 

A Mary Christmas is always a Merry Christmas. Have a Mary Christmas.

 

A Martha Christmas will get a new suit for a man. A Mary Christmas will get a new man for the suit. A Martha Christmas will make you a Fan of Jesus. A Mary Christmas will make you a Follower of Jesus. A Martha Christmas will get you in the church, but a Mary Christmas will get you in the Kingdom.

 

Martha said, “In this world I have tribulations. Mary said, “be of good cheer Jesus has overcome the world.”

 

Martha said “weapons are forming against me.” Mary said, “they will not prosper.” Have a Mary Christmas