A Soul-Destroying Busyness, Part 2

Jenny Greer love inquiry are fundamentally incompatible. Love always takes time and time is the one thing hurting people do not see hurried busyness reduces your capacity to love other people one the keys to a happy faithful life is margin by anything. We are each week. It starts when were just kids feeling pressured to get more involved in sports and more clubs were activities and as time goes on. Our schedules just get more and more full, but today on Summit life pastor Jenny Greer challenges us to slow down and make room for rest at the conclusion of our series titled God and the rest of the week. If you miss any part of this study. You can find every message for free Jane Greer.com.

Now let's learn from today's message titled soul destroying busyness. We are going to begin with chapter number 38 now as they went on their way baby and the disciples. Jesus entered a village woman named Martha welcomed him into her house and she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's leave and listen to his teaching, but Martha was distracted with much serving in other words, he was really really busy so she Marco went up to Jesus and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone.

Help me right now she's dovetailing a she feel self-righteous B and now she's bossing Jesus around right, which is not a good habit to get answers were talking three strike fear. Verse 41, but the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious you are troubled about many things but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her tears were Jesus dies in the story. He never once shatters a myth number two. He confronts a fear in the number three. He points to a better way forward.

Simple, right. Here's the myth that he shatters busyness equals faithfulness. Many of us like to be busy because it is when we so busy that we feel important and we feel needed and we feel valued by other people and even valued by God. Our number one the first jobs that I got when I was in college was with a Christian ministry, and I was in charge of running the basketball tournament on the weekends that involved you about 50 different teams on the first night that I did it because it was a Christian ministry, and I remember having this feeling of just being completely just burned out and was like God is such an awesome bit.

This is what it feels like to carry the cross and laid on my life or you can just feel your pleasure up on me. I just love serving you, Jesus, and I know you're proud of you have MS and I just love the feeling now that doesn't mean that I was doing a good job in fact the guy that got the job after me.

I remember he was incredibly good organizer. One. One of the tournaments that he ran a set of bleachers and watched the whole day done such a good job organizing.

He did need to be run rampant around fires right mean that you're doing a good job doesn't mean that you're being faithful to Jesus either. There is a myth that in churches all kinds of churches that if you're busy and you must be doing what God has told you to do Jesus and one story debunks that mittens is no busyness does not equal faithfulness number two. He confronts a fear what drives Marcus busyness what drives fear. Humira says she's anxious. Anxious as a synonym for fear verse 41 so what are Martha's fears well if speculate a little bit here, but I'm sure it was the fear that cannot get done if I don't do it, probably to fear you everybody to think poorly of me is really just a girl that when Jesus came over dust bunnies all over the floor to play spots on her mirror laundry piles everywhere. You know I mean this is the girl that had dinner prepared Marcus like you can do that when the son of God comes your house son of God can get your house am hungry. You say it's about time you can do that right some Martha's busyness was driven by fear for your mom to get done. Fear that about something badly of our we really think about it maybe need to do that this week. Think about your busyness and trace back whether or not a lot of it is not driven by your fears and chances are the same ones that drove Martha trying to please people.

Number three. That's the fear that he confronts her the way forward.

What is Jesus saying Martha Martha what he says essentially is this Martha come be with me company with me. Martha started with works of the Dharma Jesus issue.

The question is not listen to this.

What needs to be done. Question is not what needs to be done.

The question is what does he want me to do. We live in a world of seemingly infinite need and so the question what needs to be done if we ask that and that's what drives our life will never get rest is always one more emergency plan for the morning to meet always one more person who needs out one more rainy day to prepare for judges is a start there sort of resting in me and asked me what you what you asked me what I want you to do. Trust in the Lord.

Proverbs 3, five and six trust in the Lord with all your heart and all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Martha is running out to get dinner take Carol to stop the one who multiplies fish and bread has got it under control.

We are to do the things that God has given to us and then we are to judge our success by faithfulness in those things. If the principle that that everybody's favorite Mormon Stephen Covey taught that book 7 habits of highly effective people is a great principal it's it's very biblical EE use illustration called the big rocks principle you read the book, it makes related pieces to be got a bowl rice bowl ping-pong balls and get 1/3 bowl that you put them both into is that if you take the rice importing first and then try to put the ping-pong ball single never fit all in exhibit if you put the ping-pong balls in first and then pour the rice on top of it. He said miraculously, it all fits together. You should try to only bid really works.

I said what. It's the principle that he's trying to illustrate. Is there certain big rocks big ping-pong balls in your life and if you will prioritize those and all the little things which are the grains of rice will counterfeit around these things.

But if you start with the little things with all the emails all the request and don't know what your God, establish priorities are and you can find that the most important things God is called you to do given in week by week. Not having actually done those things you got to learn to set priorities based on what Jesus has made priorities for you and important element in this is discovering by the way your own personal calling your own pro God has called you to some specific things usually in line with your spiritual gifts and I wonder principal listen in college that I would owe save my life certainly say my spiritual life. It was this principle. Not everything that comes from heaven, has my name on it. I mean, that God gives the whole mission of the whole church you be sympathetic all of it and you certainly should lease space forgot you're not expecting, but not everything that comes from heaven, has my name on it I can figure out what the Holy Spirit put my name on and I have make sure I pursue those things with excellence because in pursuing those things is when I am being faithful to Jesus been finishing up this biography of Sam James is the guy who planted archers 50 years ago fascinating biography of Lovett tells the story after being on the entry platter church. He went to Vietnam to be a bit off about four years when he saw all the incredible medical needs. There, he said I just made up my mind that if I really can be effective. I needed to be a doctor. I needed to go get some medical training it's it's not my life and I we are making plans out to come back and rolled medical school at Duke University and then I was going to become a doctor and I was in the company more effective descent and Vietnamese brother in Christ pulled me aside and said Sam if you do this you are being unfaithful to God, and Sam said why he said because God made you good at teaching the Bible at a catalyzing vision. He made you good at discipleship and for you to take time away from back calling to going get trained in this, even though you see this as being useful is being unfaithful to what the Holy Spirit is given to you Ryan so he said at that point, I quit obsessing about the things I wasn't doing and started to focus on the things God has made me good at SMU with the opposite God has made you good medicine of God has made you good at business, you need to figure out what is a God daily for his kingdom.

And yes I have a lot of things are involved in that. You need to prioritize. The Holy Spirit is especially given to you by the way. Part of this is recognizing that there certain seasons in your life for you to focus on different things more just like God put seasons and the environment. He put seasons in your life. My wife talked about this. My wife tells me that the bronchus is. I would love to go on every mission trip you go on.

Every time you travel. I love to go with you but this is a season that God has given me wide for kids young kids at home now. She still travels will be some and she still very involved in the ministry. Would you like I'm not doing as much as I want because I know that this season. The big thing that God is given to me is is to be there present with these children and so I can't farm it out to somebody else on how to sail know a little bit on the sides that I can say yes to the right things right there. There different seasons not listen.

I do not want to use as an excuse to check out a ministry that everyone in your life. You gotta be involved. You serve in his or do not hear that. I'm just saying that in different seasons.

You accentuate different things when my favorite authors Peter Christ was once asked. He's an old man now it was once asked, what's the your favorite book ever written favorite book of the written one. I didn't write when my kids were young.

That's my favorite book. As you recognize that even as a great author.

There were seasons that he should do certain things you college students. There's a season for you studying different pairs of the God can use you, and there's a season for you to give your life away for the world and right now you want to be given your life with the world got to the waiting serve me about being a good student get prepared. Yes, serve your fellow students leave in the Christ get involved in ministry but do not anticipate other seasons and get into them to be faithful in the season I have for you right now you go sit at the feet of Jesus you find your sufficiency in him and then you do what he tells you to do and then listen babies for rules. I'm going to give you. I don't like to give you a lot of rules but these are really good ones.

Okay and you will like him. I promise, right here in A. Sleep sleep leave the city to God was in it is not your busyness that indicates closeness to God is your ability to sleep and if you got medical insomnia. I'm not saying you're unfaithful. Okay that's not I'm not saying that I just say that there's a sense of rest that comes from walking with Jesus. He's got the city my college pastor said that he said sometimes the most spiritual faith filled thing you can do is take a nap like this is the best sermon ever. I can't wait to get home apply to us this afternoon. I would apply.

Right now you know know know know by now, but here's why I am excited about your plight idea.

Carson's theologian, he preached a sermon on doubt.

One time was absolute fascinating because he said uses the six major causes of doubt. Five of them pretty standard exactly what you think it would be the one that caught me totally off guard is the number six because of doubt. People doubting God sleep deprivation is that when you burn the candle at both ends. You engage in more and more cynicism. God made us as complicated beings uniting our spiritual health to our physical well-being. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap vision of this I was in this as I was is is will be away, the average American today gets two hours less of sleep per night in her great-grandparents that 100 years ago because they want to sleep when the sun went down.

Work hard in the day and then sleep and leave the city or the ministry or the family to God as a second language right out of it, refuse to worry about tomorrow refuse you make a choice. I'm not going to worry about tomorrow is what Jesus said therefore do not be anxious, fearful about tomorrow.

Why this tomorrow will be ages for itself tomorrow as his own troubles. I will bet about tomorrow.

Jesus marred his own troubles with what I was worried about about tomorrow right. Jesus is saying there were about tomorrow is own troubles. I'll be there tomorrow just like I'm here today so want you trust me to deal with the problems today and trust that on the same yesterday today and forever as I'll be there tomorrow we go tomorrow you hold a set of problems which you got a whole new set infinite power. So then you can distrust that the same God is with you daily with you tomorrow so quit worried about the margins were about today.

Their wages going back to the principal in the Old Testament was called the principle of manna your man unit story is one of the wilderness on Thursday.

God brings down bases like Ritz crackers and cheese lives on everyday and the rule is you can only collect enough for that day. And of course bagman. There were Martha type a kind of people rely while you get a like number one date of one of Dr. One day you know so I can get my own store man I got digging a hole in the various Amana bill of manna children get the manna insurance get some going to write a manifesto and thereby also got a man a man will have some you know so that's what they did but the moment that you stored more than you could deal with that day it bread warms and it stank and what God was trying to teach them is you trust me for the provision today and tomorrow you'll get up hungry, but I will renounce more manna.

What he's trying to teach you is you worry about God's provisions today and let God worry about tomorrow, because God is always the same yesterday today and forever. C create some margin create some margin. Unfortunately I don't have time to go into this one. To a great extent because I will have no margin in the sermon, but when your schedule is hyper packed. You can't deal with the things and I genuinely bring see the story the good Samaritan we all walk along his guns on the road to pass about when I read that story here so I read that people typically talk about being a lack of compassion, but I don't think you might disagree with you know me you like that are no big beers.

I see myself so I can compassionately caught me off stump.

I think I would like. I forgot comes on the road. I call my assistant, behind which is and I will be in terms of church configure this guy. I go to church and repair sermon on compassion and a limited amount of time to its my schedule has no room for God to present things to me that he wants me to deal with right and so I'm supposed to create some margin so the Holy Spirit does bring something to me. I've got the capacity to be able to deal with it.

Here's what John Herbert says about this as it was, was a good love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible. Love always takes time and time is the one thing hurry. People do not have EC hurry. Busyness reduces your capacity to love other people one the keys to a happy faithful life is margin D number four. Observe the Sabbath's TY pluralized that the minute patrolling 21 Sabbath is God set up the economic structure of Israel.

He gave them a rule that came out of nowhere. It seemed like is it six days you work seven days in a takeoff fencing revolutionary to you because were Americans. We thought our God-given rights take off Saturday and Sunday but nobody took any days off because in an agrarian society. The crops had to be harvested daily.

They had to be plowed daily. You were working every single day idea that you work for six days and then just take off a day and do nothing. Outputs crazy guy was crazy, but God had them do it.

Listen, because he wanted space so that he could show up and multiply what they did on the other six days and give them more than if they had work by themselves for seven days. The principle of the Sabbath is that God sometimes want you to back off of what you feel like you need to do to give him space so that he can do what he will do and just be God hears all that apply that same principle of money.

He told them that I've been told in the time because they had TBB at 10% of budget they could do without you told them to tie because he wanted them to have less to meet their needs than they felt like they needed so that they could give him space 10% of their budget where he could show up and he could multiply and he could show them that he was the God who provided and not what they could earn really, there are three sabbaths that God establishes in your life. One is the actual Sabbath. The other one is the time. The third one is sleep there tests their gifts that God gives to you to relieve you of the burden of provision and all these most important things you are used to thinking of them as duties… Sabbath there tests is what Jesus said listen come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and get busy though. He said now come to me. I will give you rest.

The Psalm your walk with Jesus is not hyper business.

It's the sense of rest their gifts that God gives you their unique privileges. For those of you who are walking with Jesus.

If you're not a Christian. That's, bad news might try to be snooty with him to try to tell you those who are Christians have a companion, a Savior, God was walking beside him saying to less than you have to do work for six days.

Take office. Sabbath timbers and your money and you love things that you just you want God to give it in and out of multiply of the knives and all multiply the sick days and how to show you that I'm God you left me is so sweet motel you to walk with Jesus you let him be God and you let yourself this be the creature who obeys to resist create some margin.

He says observe the Sabbath, Jesus rested him the duty to make sure your submittal doesn't look like visually that this is established in Genesis 1, I bet you've never read this way the newest inching thing in Genesis 1 when when God create the world.

Sketches it says in evening and morning were the first day and evening.

More than anything. Why did he write like that. I can only think of morning and evening. As the day and now you talk about what is why evening tells you is when they walk with God. Morning was when they worked in the garden rest came for work.

They came out of their relationship with God and then they went into their work with a fundamentally different attitude and that is there not God and I had to buy for themselves, because God awoke with that evening is the God see that provide for them. You and I understand that even more clearly right because now our Sabbath is Sunday which is the data Jesus resurrected, where he received us into himself and said I will never leave you or forsake you. So you were supposed to begin your week the first day of the week by reminding yourself that God is God and then you work the other five or six days with a sense of rest that you gained from reflecting on your position in Christ. On Sunday your glass wanting to start a church to do it on Sunday evening and morning are the first day. That's right start on Saturday night. Boom right so the principle is listen. Rest is not like I gives you when you're exhausted. Rest God gives you what is you usually begin right so you should begin telling Martha start remains the best thing and work from there. If you do that you'll rest evenly working interested in me was me close all this will give you a warning that Jesus gave Brian this passage is probably the most somber warning he gives us the greatest danger of busyness is it keeps you from the one necessary thing was the one necessary thing walking with God. Knowing God. He said he says Mary Susan. One thing that will never be taken away from her.

Everything else that you're giving your time to be taken away from you, career kingdom, family, health, wealth, all evaporate. If you walk with Jesus you teach a family what would Jesus never be taken away. That's why Moses and the greatest Psalm on time. Psalm 90 verse 12. Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts learn wisdom teach me how all these things that I'm working for fadeaway to than I can apply my heart to the first and best thing which is to know you and will you need to give very somber reflection of how you're spending your time because how you spend your time is how you spend your life. What is your calendar say about your trust in God GRE observing the Sabbath so you observed in your finances in your scheduling and are you trusting the district calendar should wear your counter sure you prioritize some of you may be on the opposite end of the spectrum, you're not busy at all because you're individually wealthy you became that way. 30 and so you're retired for the rest your life tell you something your ball with a price.

You are not your own. God did not give you that wealthy do not make you individually wealthy so that you could lay around and just pursue what you want all your life frees you up to that you could more fully devote yourself to his kingdom. You and I will give an account for how we spend our time. What is your calendar say about what you trust most, and what drives most is how you spend your time is how you spend your life rescheduling you prize the most is what you perceive the hardest.

So where does God fit into your calendar. These days convicting message transcendent life with Jenny Greer and the conclusion of our series titled God and the rest of the week. We would like to get you a copy of Pastor JD's newest book is our way of saying thanks when you donate to support this ministry Senate life would be possible without the generosity of friends like you see your gift truly does make a difference, helping more people died in the gospel each and every day through this radio program. Our podcast in our website filled with amazing resources. Ask for Pastor JD's new book searching for Christmas when you give a donation today at $25 or more will actually send you two copies when to keep and when to give away or for a $50 gift will send you copies for a $100 deletion. We were this message of hope. Our culture so jump on and request for copies to give away today just call 866-9266 335 we can get easily online.

Jenny Greer.com and Molly for events for joining us today and be sure to listen again tomorrow and now he's in that we are all currently experiencing. Gather me into her ear