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Bro. Craig's Message posted August 08, 2008
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WORSHIP COMES FIRST
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Luke 10:38-42 (my translation)
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38
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Now as they traveled He entered into a small town {a} where a certain woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest.
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39
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And she had a sister named Mary who sat at the feet of the Lord listening {b} to His word..
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40
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But Martha was distracted {c} with much serving, so she came up and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? {d} Speak, then, so that she might help me.”{e}
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41
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The Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worrying {f} and are being bothered {g} with many things,
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42
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but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, {h} which will not be taken away from her.”
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Worship is the first order of business in the church because it fuels everything else you do. When you try to serve before you worship you invariably dry up spiritually, become anxious, and turn bitter. That is why you should begin each week worshiping the Lord on Sunday. Sunday is not the last day of the weekend; it is the first day of the week. The way you spend Sunday sets the tone for the entire week. When you begin the week in worship, you have positioned yourself correctly for a week of effective service.
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| Martha was anxious because she was placing service ahead of worship. She had her focus on serving the Lord, but she failed to realize that to serve the Lord properly you must first sit at His feet and listen to Him. That is why during the weekly worship services the most important part of the service is when the Word of God is preached. |
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Serving the Lord is important. Jesus did not tell Martha that what she was doing did not matter. What he did tell her was that her sister Mary made a better choice. When you sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His word you learn what really matters to Him. You also come to see Him as He truly is, not just as you imagine Him to be. By sitting at Jesus’ feet you get to hear Him tell you what He wants you to do. All this gives you focus, perspective, and confidence as you serve Him.
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If you are a Christian, you have a desire to serve the Lord. But do not neglect the “good part,” which is worship. Worship must come before service because service flows out of worship. Sit at Jesus’ feet before you attempt to serve Him.
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Application:
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Do you feel overwhelmed by all you have to do? Do you find yourself feeling frustrated because the members of your family, the people you work with, or your fellow church members are not carrying their portion of the load? Do you ever wish the Lord would intervene and order them to step up and help you? If you answered yes to any of these questions it could be that you are making the same mistake Martha made. Determine from this day forward to place worship ahead of service. Make sure you attend Sunday worship. Beyond that, incorporate a time for worship into each day. Determine to make the adoration of the Lord a regular and crucial part of your everyday routine. |
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As you read your Bible each day, write down some truths about God that the reading reveals, and offer your praise and thanks to God for who He is and what He has done and is doing. For example, in this passage from Luke 10, we have learned that Jesus is delighted when we choose to spend time getting to know Him better. Praise and thank Him that He is approachable and relational. |
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Remember that service for the Lord should be a joy and not a burden. He wants you to delight in your service to Him. If your service for Him has become stressful to you, come back and sit as His feet. Look Him in the eye and get to know Him better. He came to give you joy (John 15:11), not stress. |
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Ponder these passages related to stress: Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:6-11. |
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God bless
Bro. Craig
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| August, 08, 2008 |
{a} Or village, country town
{b} The Greek indicates continual listening
{c} Or drawn away, drawn about in different directions, worried
{d} That is, all by myself
{e} Or, Tell her to help me
{f} Present active indicative, meaning Martha is currently worrying.
{g} Present passive indicative, meaning something is currently happening to Martha; she is being bothered with many things.
{h} That is, Mary has made the better choice. Part in the Greek refers to a part of a whole that has been divided, which indicates that what Martha was doing was not irrelevant, just not as important as what Mary was doing.
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