What are you anxious about? Jesus is inviting you to reorder your priorities. By placing Jesus at the center of our lives, everything falls into order. How much better it is to live in God’s peace rather than in worry and anxiety!
Notes 📓✏️:
1 Corinthians 14:33: “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…”
Luke 10:38-42: “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 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, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
What are you anxious about?
What are you troubled by?
What are you distracted with?
Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.
Jesus isn’t scolding Martha—He’s inviting her to reorder her priorities.
If Jesus isn’t the center of your orbit, everything gets off balance.
Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
“will not be taken away” = eternal permanence
N.T. Wright says: “Jesus is turning the world upside down… Mary’s place at Jesus’ feet shows that the kingdom reorders social expectations.”
Matthew 6:33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:25-33: “Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by worrying can add one hour to [the length of] his life?
Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.”
Worry is placing trust in ourselves.
Prayer is placing our trust in God.
Philippians 4:6: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
When we do the one thing we aren’t as worried about the many things.
Seek God First
1. Priority of prayer
What would you have to rearrange in order to make prayer priority?
YAHWEH
YHWH
YH – inhale
WH – exhale
2. Place of prayer
3. Plan of prayer
4. Power of prayer
Discussion Questions 📝❓:
- In the sermon, Pastor Lisa mentions the importance of putting Jesus at the center of our lives. What day-to-day decisions help you to reorient your life around Jesus?
- Pastor Lisa encourages us not to be like Martha but to find peace at the feet of Jesus. Why do you think Martha felt so anxious and troubled?
- According to Matthew 6:33, we are told to “seek first His kingdom and his righteousness.” When do you think it’s the hardest to seek the Lord before everything else?
- The sermon highlights that worry is a form of control and that prayer can refocus our trust in God. Why are worry and prayer such opposing ideas?