Busy Isn't Success - Bible Baptist Church

Text: Luke 10:38-42

Let’s read this entire passage first then come back and make some comments on it.

People are busy. Sometimes they want to seem busy to seem successful.

Your responsibilities will keep you from Jesus Christ (vs 38)

Martha is generous. She is the keeper at home and with a guest like the Lord Jesus Christ, she wants to make sure things are done.
Notice her responsibilities are going to blind her from what she needs.
However, things are different when Jesus Christ is in the home.

Mary sits at Jesus’ feet to hear his words. Now you might think that Mary is wasting her time and she needs to get up and get something done. But as we’ll see, she is actually getting done what needs to get done FIRST.
Success is found at Jesus’ feet listening to his words.
Success is not a matter of more movement, but a matter of priorities. Jesus Christ being the first and foremost priority.
In ministry
- Beware of much serving if you haven’t sat at Jesus’ feet
- First learn to sit, be fed, grow
- Be careful of service apart from fellowship with Jesus Christ

Consequences of service without your own personal fellowship with the Lord are several
Ignorance – you will miss things from the Lord that you need to hear. What happens if she fails to spend time with the Lord? She doesn’t get what she needs.
Even your service becomes a burden – cumbered about with much serving. That’s a peculiar phrase!
Bitterness toward the Lord – Lord dost thou not care?! There is the trouble! Your closeness to the Lord has grown distant and now it’s easy to see Him in the wrong light.
Resentment – hath left me to serve alone? I’m the only one who does anything around here! If you begin to think that first of all it’s not true. Second of all, if you think that way, your motivation is wrong for service.
Indictment – bid her therefore that she help me.
Burn out – that will lead to burn out because you trying to accomplish things for the Lord in your own power. Eventually the wheels will come off and the train wreck will be man made.

Duty is the motivation of Martha. You could also call it obligation. She feels obliged to do what she’s doing, but in the process she’s missing the point and wearing herself out.
Martha, Martha. A few times in the New Testament Jesus Christ speaks like this. He says Jerusalem, Jerusalem; Simon, Simon; Saul, Saul. Each time he’s speaking out of pity. Be careful that your service is not a grief to the Holy Spirit of God because it will become a grief to you as well.
What’s driving you? Careful and troubled about many things is a description of your life? It’s not because you have too many responsibilities. It’s because you aren’t doing the needful thing: sit at Jesus feet and hear from him FIRST.
Everything is trouble when the one, needful thing is neglected.
It may not be wrong to be doing what you’re doing, but it may be in the wrong order. Keep your priorities in order.
One thing versus the many things – Martha is divided and consequently is busy missing the most important time with the Lord Jesus Christ.

One thing is needful…
Time spent with Jesus Christ is NOT keeping you from doing the things you need to do.
Fellowship with Jesus Christ is not a distraction I have to fit into my day. If fellowship with Jesus Christ is an inconvenience then you’re looking at it from the wrong angle. You have Martha’s view and you need Mary’s.
Martha is trying to fit God in the “To Do” list of day to day activity, but Mary understands that there is no life apart from Jesus Christ. He that hath the Son hath life; I am the way the truth and the life; In him was life – Jesus Christ is LIFE! And apart from Him you can do NOTHING! No matter how busy you are!

Mary hath chosen that good part…
You don’t have more or less time than anyone else. God gave you and me the right amount of time to be able to do the right thing.
God’s commands never demand your time. Notice it’s always something else that demands your time. Eternal blessings won’t demand your time.
Sometimes we think it’s easier to by busy because we can measure the results. But if busy is all you are, you may be investing and spinning your wheels on things that aren’t giving you any real benefit and have no eternal value.