SUNDAY - MAY 25, 2025 "At The Feet of Jesus" Luke 10:38-42

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God bless.

Good morning again.

My name is David Burgess, I'm the minister of discipleship here at DeSoto Hills and I get the honor to preach the word this morning.

Grant is out of town, he's on vacation with his family and I want to just mention to you guys this morning.

Grant is out of town, he's on vacation with his family and I want to just mention to you guys this morning to be keeping his family in prayer.

His mom had kind of a rough week this week health-wise, and so I know that he wouldn't mind the church knowing that and the church being able to lift him and his family up in prayer, especially his mom.

So y'all be this week, be thinking about his mom, pray for her, put her on your prayer list and be praying for her, for her health to continue to get better.

Okay, she did have a good day, she had a bad day, she had another good day, and so I haven't heard about her since.

So I just assume that you know, no news is good news, so y'all just keep praying for him, and that they would enjoy their vacation.

So because of that, I get to preach this morning.

So I'm glad you're here and so I want you to go ahead and turn your Bibles, if you have them, to Luke, chapter 10, starting in verse 38.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

We're going to be talking about Martha and Mary, so as you're turning there, I want you to think about something for me.

Have you ever been overwhelmed, like everybody's had a sense of being overwhelmed at one point in their life?

Maybe you're overwhelmed week to week, day to day.

We all have those times where we feel like we are just totally overwhelmed.

Some days there are more, some weeks there are more.

We feel more overwhelmed.

Some weeks maybe not so much.

But as I was thinking about this message, I was thinking, man, I do a lot of worrying about overwhelming things.

I let overwhelming things and busy weeks get me to worrying and get me distracted from what I need to be doing in life, like it's just too often, you know.

And so maybe that's you.

I think a lot of us can identify with that, and so in this passage today, we're gonna talk about Martha, who was very overwhelmed in this moment.

But before we go that route, I want you to think about your week.

Okay, think about your new schedule, like, if you're a parent, your new schedule, your summer schedule.

If you're a parent, your new schedule, your summer schedule is here.

Your kids are out of school, they are in your face, they are near you, they are all around you.

They are seemingly omnipresent.

You can't go anywhere to escape, especially if you have young boys who are loud and running around.

Crazy.

Life is an adventure, okay.

So that can be overwhelming.

And think about all the other things you have to do.

You have to try to keep your house in order.

You gotta keep your house clean.

You've got chores to do.

All these things can kind of build up.

You know, if you don't do things over time, they can kind of build up.

And then, on top of that, maybe you have promised to have some people over this week and so, wow, you got to really make your house clean.

You got to really get your stuff together.

You got to really really be on top of your game.

Okay, so you know, if it ever stops raining, then you have yard work to do, right.

If it ever stops raining, which good luck with that.

This week it's going to be raining every day.

Hate to rain on your parade.

Laundry, work, work, work.

Something always got to be done, right?

Well, with all that going on in that list, the to-do list that you have to do this week.

How in the world are you going to find the time to take care of your own heart?

These things stack up against us and they are used in our lives to distract us, oftentimes Like if we let these things distract us, they're facts of life.

Children are awesome, we love them, but if, if I let them even my own children distract me from taking care of my own heart, I will quickly lose vision.

I will quickly lose my sense of purpose, I will quickly lose sight of the one who gives me life, I will quickly lose sight of Jesus, and so my prayer this morning is that we as a church would, and as individuals would learn like, hey, there's nothing in this life worth losing your focus on Jesus, nothing Like you need to take care of your heart.

You need to let Jesus take care of your heart.

Every day, those overwhelming feelings are going to come.

They're still going to be at your door, they're still going to be knocking, but guess what?

Jesus is what you need to make sure that your heart is well taken care of.

He's the only one that can take care of your heart the way it needs to be taken care of.

And so today, our passage brings us to a family in the New Testament that loved and followed Jesus closely.

It was Martha, mary and Lazarus.

They loved Jesus and believed him to be the Messiah and he loved them very much.

They loved Jesus and believed him to be the Messiah and he loved them very much.

He loved them with this God type of love, this agape type of love, but he also loved the relationship that he had with them, and you could tell by the way Jesus loved them and how he responded to them in scripture that he cared for them deeply.

And so this family had invited Jesus into their house.

Martha it was Martha's home.

She invited Jesus.

This super spectacular lady, like loved the Lord, but she was very, she was very hospitable.

She welcomed Jesus into her home.

But then, in the passage of scripture, something happens today, something happens in her life that got her distracted.

So again, think about all your to-do lists.

Think, put yourself in Martha's position.

Where would you be?

Think about your to-do list.

And then, on top of that, jesus is coming over.

What do you do then?

Like everything has to be perfect, right In Martha's mind.

This is Jesus, this is the greatest teacher who's ever lived.

This is the Messiah.

The Messiah is coming to my house.

Oh my goodness, I have to have everything perfect.

Like trim the bushes, like sweep the floor.

Everything's gotta be done and presentable and made perfect for Jesus.

I don't blame her.

Like, if you're coming to my house, I'm throwing everything in a big box and putting it in a closet, all right, things are coming off the couches, the ironing board that's, you know, doubled up as a clothes hanger.

You know, all that stuff is being thrown in a box and put in a closet.

All right, everything's going to look perfect, at least, right, all right, so that's where Martha is.

Jesus was coming to her house, and all you know on top of that let me just side note this like I have two boys and so I'm definitely going to be having a long conversation with them, All right.

So don't be crazy, don't climb the walls.

No bathroom, no bathroom humor.

Like, let's just leave the toilet, talk out.

Like we are in that mode where the boys find the grossest things, the funniest things, and I'm like you, better not.

If Jesus was coming, I'd be like you.

Better not bring that up.

No toilet jokes, nothing, right, in fact.

Just don't talk, right, just don't talk at all and we should be good.

Some of y'all know, some of y'all been there.

So anyway, I love my boys.

They're funny and they keep me laughing.

Even with the toilet jokes, okay, it's still funny.

So with all that in mind, I want to point you to scripture this morning, in Luke, chapter 10, starting in verse 38.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

This is what God's word says.

Now, as they went on their way, jesus entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home and she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.

But Martha was distracted with much serving and she went up to him and said Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?

Tell her, then, to help me.

But the Lord answered her Martha, martha, let's pray.

Lord, I thank you for your word.

I thank you for how good it is.

I thank you for how revealing it is to the positions of our heart.

Lord, I know that I have struggled with great distraction and worry in my life and anxiety, things that come up in big events or even the buildup of small events.

Lord, I know that I have struggled with great distraction and worry in my life that build up and take my eyes off of you and distract me from a devotion to you.

Lord, I pray that you would expose our hearts this morning to what we really need and what's most important.

Lord Jesus, and that's you.

We love you.

Thank you for your grace.

We pray and ask these things in Jesus' name, amen, all right, so let's look at the scripture together.

Let's break it down, and then we will hopefully find some application for us this morning.

So let's look at Martha's complaint.

So Martha remember I said she was a very hospitable person.

She wanted the Lord to come.

She asked him to.

She was like, even though the dishes are still in the sink, like I'm still going to invite him over, I've just got to get to work.

I got to get that done.

I've got a list of things to do.

She loved the Lord and she wanted him there.

That done, I've got a list of things to do.

She loved the Lord and she wanted him there.

She knew he was the most important thing and she wanted everything to be just right for him.

She was hard at work, making everything go, making everything work and go smooth.

Again, think about it.

What if he was at your house?

You would.

We would do the same thing, all right.

So what set her off Mary?

Who Mary?

Mary, her sister, mary, was that girl in her life, you know, the one who just got away with everything, the one who could just commit murder and then be found innocent.

You know, she was that sister.

But here's the thing Mary was doing, what she was supposed to be doing.

She was serving, but in Martha's mind she was not serving enough.

But in Mary's mind she had served and then she had made her place right at the feet of Jesus.

She knew it was important, but Martha was not happy about it.

Right, martha?

And let me just give you a little sight into my life.

Okay, when my mom, when she was alive, we knew there was big issues, she wouldn't tell us why she was upset or when she was upset, but when she went to, like, doing the dishes and it got louder and louder, maybe a cabinet door slammed or maybe the dishes were crashing into the dishwasher, like I knew, oh, my goodness, mom's upset.

Now I want you to picture this is probably Martha right here.

She is slamming some clay pots she's making, she's causing a scene she's looking at.

Maybe she's looking at Mary with that.

Look like I'm watching you and she's just waiting for Mary to connect those eyes so she can give her a good scowl.

You know that I totally identify with this, because that's how we knew mom was upset, martha was upset, All right.

So, um, that was an illustration you know from my life.

But Mary was where she was supposed to be.

She was at the feet of Jesus, and so this picture of being at the feet of Jesus was a common thing that Jewish scholars did.

They invited their students to come and sit at their feet, and their students gladly sat at their scholars' feet, at the Jewish teachers' rabbi's feet.

They sat there as a place of reverence, respect, and it was an honorable way to listen to the teacher.

And so Mary knew that.

And Mary knew that the greatest rabbi, the greatest teacher that has ever lived, showed up and she was going to be nowhere else but right at his feet.

But Martha, what was Martha's issue?

Her problem was that she was too distracted with much serving.

The scripture says she was distracted with much serving.

Martha was more worried about the chores than taking in all that Jesus was giving that night.

Isn't that easy to do?

See, in our lives, at any given moment.

We have the access to Jesus all the time, at any given moment, when we're struggling, when we're dealing with sin, when we are struggling in temptation, when we are overwhelmed, jesus is always accessible.

But so often I find myself like Martha.

Let me just.

Let me just work, let me just keep being distracted, let me just keep trying to make myself alleviate some of the stress myself, instead of going to who is 100% accessible to each of us right now.

Why do we so often run away?

We are just like Martha most of the time, and so my encouragement this morning to you and to us as a church, that we would be people that sit at Jesus' feet.

We would see the importance of sitting at the Lord's feet.

Martha was worried.

She, uh Martha complained to Jesus Like she went to him and she said Lord, do something about this, make her help me.

She felt like she got the raw end of the deal.

She felt like it was such a little issue, but this little issue caused her such big doubt.

Maybe the Lord doesn't love me?

Have you ever felt that?

Maybe the Lord doesn't see me?

Maybe the Lord doesn't care?

He sees me overloaded.

He sees me weighed down and burdened.

I promise Jesus sees you, but do you see him?

Are you putting yourself in a position to see him, to sit at his feet, to find rest for your weary soul?

We need it.

We are broken, sinful people and we need a constant reminder that the things of this world, although they are our responsibility, although they are our jobs to do and to complete and take care of our kids and take care of our house we have all these things we have to do.

We have to go to work and provide for our families, but are we taking the time to sit at Jesus' feet?

Are we taking the time to sit at Jesus' feet?

He's there for you, he is accessible.

So Jesus responds to Martha.

He says Martha, martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.

Do you know that Jesus rebukes the ones that he loves?

Have y'all ever felt this in your life, where you have gone and gone and you've run empty?

Your tank is dry.

And then Jesus says David, david, you are anxious and worried about many things.

I've been there recently, and so the idea today is that we, as a church and individuals, that we would find rest through all the busyness, through all the responsibilities.

We have access to Jesus 100% of the time.

So let's go there, let's go to Jesus, like, like.

He's exactly what.

Remember I talked about our tired hearts, that we need to take care of our hearts, that our hearts need to be taken care of.

He's the one who's going to do it.

He was doing this in Mary's life right now, and he was doing this in Martha's life right now.

He lovingly rebuked Martha.

Nobody likes to be rebuked, nobody likes to realize they're wrong.

But I'm telling you, there's freedom in repentance, there's freedom in knowing the truth, and the truth is that we don't often enough sit at the feet of Jesus, don't often enough sit at the feet of Jesus.

So Jesus' response again.

Going back, let me just tell you, was Martha's sin like huge?

Was it a big, great sin?

Was she found in the streets?

Was she at the bar?

No, she wasn't there.

She was at her home trying to serve.

So what was her sin?

What was the big deal?

Well, let me just tell you, martha's subtle, self-centered sin actually led her away from the Lord.

It doesn't seem like a big deal to be so distracted that you keep your eyes off Jesus.

But doesn't that happen in our lives, when we let the little things build up, distract us from the Lord, keep us, keep our eyes off of Jesus.

That's what the enemy wants, right?

So you may not be, you may not find yourself wrapped up in this big like big, obvious sin.

But let me just tell you, it's the little sins that build up, of the distraction in our lives that we allow building up to keep our eyes off of Jesus.

That is just a sinful endemning.

And so the challenge today is that we would, in spite of all that we have to do in the busyness of life, is to find yourself at the feet of Jesus and Jesus, the way he does it, his loving rebuke Martha, martha, you know what he says there.

He knows her, he knows her name, he knows everything about her.

Can you imagine being Martha on the receiving end of that?

It was the most gentle response from Jesus, but it was the biggest rebuke of her life.

So if the Lord rebukes you, if you feel the Lord rebuking you in your life about this, take it as a gift that he has not left you, he has not forsaken you, he loves you enough to discipline you like he did Martha.

He is good, he loves you and he wants what's best for you.

So know this today If you've realized that your life is full of distractions that you've kept, uh that have kept you from sitting at the feet of Jesus, let the word of the Lord today be his gentle reminder to forsake your subtle sin of distraction and settle your heart at the feet of the Lord.

It's the best place to be.

So, jesus says.

Before we wrap it up, jesus says this Martha, one thing is necessary, one thing is necessary.

And what is that?

One thing?

In the passage today, jesus said but one thing is necessary Mary has chosen the good portion which will not be taken away from her.

Jesus said.

Mary chose Jesus In this moment.

Mary was right, where she was supposed to be.

Yes, she had responsibilities.

Yes, she did what she could.

But then, when the master, when her Lord, walked in, she was at his feet and she chose the good portion which will not be taken away from her.

Mary found her life in Jesus.

She found her joy in the Lord.

Her identity was found in the Lord.

She was completely captivated by his goodness.

She was thriving off every word that came from the mouth of the Lord.

Even through all of Martha's discrashing and cabinet door slamming, she was zoned in on Jesus.

There was nothing going to keep Mary from the good portion, nothing.

So what's keeping you from the good portion?

To conclude this morning, what does it all mean?

How do we get to a place in life where we find peace and life sitting at the feet of Jesus?

Well, jesus said again, one thing is necessary.

This one thing is necessary.

There are several passages in scripture that point us to this one thing, and let me just give you a couple of those real quick.

In Psalm 27, 4, the psalmist said one thing have I asked of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Luke 18, 22 points us to abandon the worldly things we hope in and follow Jesus.

He said to the rich young ruler one thing you still lack.

One thing you still lack sell all that you have and distribute to the poor and you'll find treasure in heaven and come follow me.

So what in your life and what in our lives has distracted us from keeping Jesus our portion?

Visualize those things, picture yourself removing yourself from those things and, just like Mary, fight.

Do your work, but fight and claw your way into the presence of the Lord.

That's what it takes.

He loves you.

He wants you Today be set free.

So, the Lord, I believe through this passage of scripture, this is some challenges that I have for us this morning.

The Lord Jesus calls us to let go of the control of our lives and to sit at his feet.

Let go of controlling others and sit at his feet.

Let go of the comparison trap and sit at Jesus's feet.

Live with a willingness to allow the Lord to interrupt your plans.

Accept and obey Jesus's teaching Totally.

Submit to Jesus.

Repent of your sin and believe in the Lord Jesus.

Turn from rebel to redeemed.

Trust the Lord today.

So, at this time, this is our invitation time and I will be here at the front in the altar if you need to talk, if you need some counsel or guidance.

We have great counselors who are willing to help you through that.

But here's what I want you to do I want to invite you to come and lay those burdens down.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and burdened about life, come lay them down.

If you're here feeling overwhelmed of all that life has thrown at you, if you're here feeling overwhelmed of all that life has thrown at you, come sit at the feet of Jesus.

If you're distracted by many things, lord knows that our hearts are so distracted.

We live in a world where supercomputers are in our pockets.

We get all the information in the world in the touch of a screen.

Like some of these things, we need to let go of these things.

Even the good things can distract us from the Lord.

Lay them down.

Trust in Jesus.

If you haven't trusted the Lord for your salvation, this is all for nothing.

For you, you must know the Lord and be known by the Lord.

So today I ask you if you have not trusted in Jesus and accepted him as the free gift of salvation, today, do that today.

Come see me and I will walk you through that.

And if maybe you're here and maybe your step is to join the church, maybe you need to find a church of people who are sitting at the feet of Jesus to come sit with.

Come join the church today, if that's what the Lord is working on and moving in your heart.

And today, the last challenge is find the one thing that is necessary Jesus.

He is the good portion that cannot be taken away.

Let's pray together.

Father, I thank you so much for your word.

Thank you that you have not left us alone.

Thank you for your grace and your love and mercy in our lives, lord, and thank you for your patience, god.

We are so distracted in life, god, we are living in an age of distraction and so, lord, I thank you for this interruption this morning.

And so, Lord, I thank you for this interruption this morning.

Lord, you've used this passage to greatly interrupt the way that I think and the bad habits that I've built and the fleeing from your presence because of the busyness of life.

Lord, you've used this passage in my life to interrupt that and, lord, I pray that if there's anyone in here who is battling that that needs that interruption, lord, I pray that they would find the good portion in you.

Lord, you are greater than anything else this world has to offer.

So today, stir and move Holy Spirit in our hearts.

Change us today to be more like you.

It's in Christ's name that we pray.

Amen.

Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.

If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at desotohillscom.