WILL YOU HAVE A MARY OR A MARTHA CHRISTMAS?
TEXT:
Luke 10:38-42
INTRODUCTION:
A. MARTHA AND MARY HAD A HOME IN BETHANY
1. It seems probable that Martha being the older sister was the owner of the house.
2. Martha’s younger sister, Mary lived with her.
3. Martha definitely ran the household.
B. JESUS HAD COME TO VISIT
1. Martha was busy cleaning, cooking, and taking care of household chores.
2. Martha was upset with her little sister for not being as concerned with the kitchen.
3. She made the mistake of complaining about this to Jesus.
C. MANY CHRISTIANS ARE LIKE MARTHA
1. They work hard at cooking and cleaning.
2. They work hard at keeping the home nice and tidy or at making money..
3. But, they neglect the more important task of spending time with the Master.
4. This is especially true at Christmas!
5. Cleaning house, making money, and other such things are obviously important, but they should never take the place of spending time with the Lord.
I. MARTHA WAS TROUBLED WITH MATERIAL THINGS
A. SHE WAS WORRIED
1. The savior and the apostles were there.
2. It seemed extremely important for the house to be clean and dinner to be on time.
3. She wanted things to be perfect.
4. Some people worry so much that they can wear a day out before it even gets here.
B. WORRY IS A SIN
1. Worry is forbidden in Philippians 4:6.
2. The KJV says ’Be careful for nothing,"
3. Another translation says, "Worry about nothing!"
4. Such worry was rebuked by Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34.
5. He who clothes the lilies and feeds the birds will take care of those who seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matt 6:33).
6. What are you seeking this Christmas season?
7. Will He be adding "…all these things unto you."
8. Are you seeking to please God or to please men this Christmas season?
9. Are you seeking EARTHLY PRAISES or HEAVENLY PRAISES
a. "Look at how nice she decorated her home…"
b. "Look at all the nice presents he bought for me…"
c. "Look at what my neighbor… boyfriend… girlfriend… etc… did!"
C. SHE WORKED SO HARD FOR JESUS THAT SHE DIDN’T ENJOY IT
1. Some work hard at church activities BUT are never happy.
2. It’s difficult to be happy when you don’t spend time with the Savior.
3. Many spend time FOR the Savior but never WITH the Savior.
4. Jesus addressed such people in Revelation 2:1-
Rev 2:2-4
2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (KJV)
II. MARY WAS CONCERNED WITH SPIRITUAL THINGS
A. MARY SAT AT THE FEET OF JESUS
1. She had a burning desire to hear all that Jesus would say.
2. Martha was a good woman.
3. Martha was cumbered with much serving.
4. But Mary was focused on Jesus.
B. MARY PLEASED THE LORD
1. This pleased the Lord more than the honest and good service of Martha
2. What Mary chose in sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from Him and enjoying His company was far better.
3. It was "that good part," Jesus said.
III. WILL YOU HAVE A SPIRITUAL OR A MATERIAL CHRISTMAS?
A. WILL YOU BE BUILDING YOUR EARTHLY OR HEAVENLY HOME?
1. You can lay up treasures in heaven this Christmas by giving to world missions.
2. Or you can just lay more treasure under the tree.
Matt 6:19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (KJV)
3. WHAT GOOD IS IT IF YOU GAIN THE WORLD AND LOSE YOUR SOUL?
Once a spider built a beautiful web in an old house. He kept it clean and shiny so that flies would patronize it. The minute he got a "customer" he would clean up on him so the other flies would not get suspicious. Then one day this fairly intelligent fly came buzzing by the clean spider web. Old man spider called out, "Come in and sit." But the fairly intelligent fly said, "No, sir. I don’t see other flies in your house, and I am not going in alone!" But presently he saw on the floor below a large crowd of flies dancing around on a piece of brown paper. He was delighted! He was not afraid if lots of flies were doing it. So he came in for a landing. Just before he landed, a bee zoomed by, saying, "Don’t land there, stupid! That’s flypaper!" But the fairly intelligent fly shouted back, "Don’t be silly. Those flies are dancing. There’s a big crowd there. Everybody’s doing it. That many flies can’t be wrong!" Well, you know what happened. He eventually died on the flypaper. Some of us want to be with the crowd so badly that we end up in a mess. What does it profit a fly (or a person) if he escapes the web only to end up on the glue?
4. What does it profit you to live your life for Jesus all year long just to follow the world at Christmas?
B. WILL YOU HAVE A MATERIAL OR A SPIRITUAL CHRISTMAS?
1. A MATERIAL Christmas means only being concerned with the hype of the season.
2. A SPIRITUAL Christmas means being more concerned with the real reason for the Christmas season.
3. WHY THE VIRGIN BIRTH?
a. Matt 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
b. Men are tainted with sin. The whole race is fallen since Adam and Eve sinned.
c. Every child ever born comes into the world with the curse of sin on him.
d. To avoid the curse of sin, Jesus had to be born in a different manner.
4. A spiritual Christmas means seeking the sweetness of the Lord.
5. HIDE AND SEEK
We used to play hide and seek when I was a child. There was a big gazebo in the middle of our street and it was base. But, you had to be careful when you played with our neighborhood. They might go home and watch TV while you were looking for them. They might send you off to go hide, and never come look for you. A little boy was playing with his friends, but they got bored. After a long while, he figured out that no one was looking for him. He began to cry and his mother came out to check on him. His mother said, "Stop your crying, you need to learn a lesson from this." She meant that he needed to learn a lesson concerning who to play with. But, there is a lesson here for us also. This world is like a game in which God is waiting to be found. But, many have gotten bored and gone after other pursuits.
C. A MARY OR A MARTHA CHRISTMAS?
1. A Martha Christmas means only being concerned with the material things of Christmas.
2. A Mary Christmas means being concerned with the spiritual side of Christmas.
3. A Martha Christmas means only being concerned with building an earthly home and earthly treasures.
4. A Mary Christmas means being more concerned with what you have in heaven
5. C.S. Lewis stated: "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this world."
CONCLUSION:
Let this be a Christmas when you have peace and forgiveness.
…when you have the CHRIST of Christmas.
…when you not only have a Bible but have the one who WROTE it.
…when you not only have the good things of this world, but the one who MADE it.
If you have never done so before, this Christmas time is the best time in the world to receive Jesus Christ into your heart. You could receive the greatest gift of all this Christmas:
...forgiveness of your sins...
...a new home in heaven...
...the joy of the Lord...
...peace that passeth understanding...
...the love of God shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost...
If you will take Christ as your Savior, then do it now. Close your eyes and tell God that you are a sinner. Tell Him that you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed his blood to put away your sin. Tell the Lord that you accept Him right now as your Savior.
