>>Announcer: It has
stood the test of time....
00:01:32.05\00:01:34.66
God's book, The Bible
00:01:35.46\00:01:37.96
Still relevant in
today's complex world
00:01:38.99\00:01:42.50
It Is Written
00:01:44.07\00:01:45.93
Sharing messages of
hope around the world
00:01:46.63\00:01:51.27
The year was 1962, Dick and Judy
Hoyt were looking forward to the
00:01:59.45\00:02:05.49
arrival of their new baby boy.
However, during the birthing
00:02:05.59\00:02:09.49
process something happened. The
child, who they were to name
Rick, was deprived of oxygen for
00:02:09.59\00:02:15.30
a prolonged period of time.
As a result the young child was
00:02:15.40\00:02:20.54
diagnosed as a spastic
quadriplegic with cerebral
palsy. The doctors told Dick and
00:02:20.64\00:02:26.71
Judy that Rick was destined for
a life that was anything but
normal and the best
00:02:26.81\00:02:31.05
thing they could do for
him was to institutionalize him
00:02:31.15\00:02:33.85
because he had no chance of
recovery. Dick and Judy made a
00:02:33.95\00:02:39.85
choice to not institutionalize
young Rick and attempt to give
him every opportunity at a
00:02:39.95\00:02:45.83
quote unquote normal life. Even
though Rick could not walk or
00:02:45.93\00:02:52.63
speak, it was clear that his
mind was functioning quite well.
As he would look at his
00:02:52.73\00:02:57.81
parents, his eyes would
follow them around as they moved
00:02:57.91\00:03:04.25
around. Dick and Judy pushed for
Rick to be involved in a public
school and took him
00:03:04.35\00:03:07.92
swimming, sledding and many of
the normal activities of a young
00:03:08.02\00:03:12.29
boys. They taught him his
numbers and alphabet and there
00:03:12.39\00:03:20.06
was no doubt that while he faced
huge physical handicaps, his
mind, intellect and
00:03:20.16\00:03:25.97
ability were excellent.
Engineers at Tufts University
00:03:26.07\00:03:31.91
designed a computer for Rick to
be able to communicate in 1972.
00:03:32.01\00:03:39.65
In 1977, Rick told his father
that he wanted to participate in
a 5-mile run to benefit a
00:03:39.75\00:03:46.86
paralyzed LaCrosse player. Dick
wondered what they could do and
00:03:46.96\00:03:53.50
so he came up with a plan that
he would run while pushing
Rick's wheelchair. They
00:03:53.60\00:04:02.87
completed that first race in
next to last place, but Rick
told his father, "Dad, when I'm
00:04:02.97\00:04:08.21
running, it feels like I am not
handicapped." Dick then
committed that this
00:04:08.31\00:04:15.28
would be his gift to his son.
And now almost 40 years after
00:04:15.38\00:04:21.69
that first race Dick and Rick
have participated in over 1000
races. This includes 6
00:04:21.79\00:04:31.17
ironman triathlons where Dick
swims with a harness pulling an
00:04:31.27\00:04:37.67
inflatible raft that Rick is
placed in. And rides a bike with
a specially designed seat in
00:04:37.77\00:04:42.41
front the Rick rides in.
00:04:42.51\00:04:45.25
The highlight of there
racing came in 2014 when
00:04:45.35\00:04:48.32
they ran the Boston Marathon in
the one year anniversary of the
00:04:48.42\00:04:54.12
Boston Marathon Bombings.During
all of this Rick would graduate
00:04:54.22\00:05:01.33
from public high school and
graduated in 1993 with a
bachelor's degree in special
00:05:01.43\00:05:07.00
education for Boston University.
Commitment and priorities. For
00:05:07.10\00:05:15.28
Dick and Judy they committed to
their son and made making
something of his life a
00:05:15.38\00:05:21.75
priority. We too must have
priorities in order to have
success in this life.
00:05:21.85\00:05:28.06
During the ministry of Jesus
there was an event that teaches
00:05:28.16\00:05:32.03
us what our number
one priority ought to be.
00:05:32.13\00:05:36.23
Come back with me in time. Come
back to Israel, just outside the
00:05:38.63\00:05:45.04
small village of Bethany. It is
the early 1st century. Jesus and
00:05:45.14\00:05:50.68
His disciples are traveling
together. He had just sent out
the seventy to do their work two
00:05:50.78\00:05:56.02
by two and now they had
returned. They all had been
00:05:56.12\00:06:01.49
involved in an intense amount of
ministry and now Jesus felt the
00:06:01.59\00:06:06.23
need for rest and fellowship. He
had no home, no place to rest
His weary body. So He, along
00:06:06.33\00:06:12.67
with those who were following
Him stopped there in Bethany.
00:06:12.77\00:06:17.67
Bethany was very close to
Jerusalem. It was here that His
00:06:17.77\00:06:23.11
close friends, Mary, Martha, and
Lazarus lived. This is the same
Lazarus whom Jesus would
00:06:23.21\00:06:28.52
later raise from the dead. These
people had a special place in
00:06:28.62\00:06:33.52
the heart of Jesus and He would
often come here to find rest and
solitude. It is on this
00:06:33.62\00:06:40.03
day that Jesus and His followers
stop, and although the text does
00:06:40.13\00:06:45.07
not make it clear, it seems that
Jesus has surprised His friends
00:06:45.17\00:06:50.51
- most particularly Martha. He
has either surprised her because
00:06:50.61\00:06:55.94
she did not know he was coming
or He surprised her because she
did not expect Him that
00:06:56.04\00:06:59.88
early. We find the story in Luke
10 and we will pick it up in
00:07:00.05\00:07:10.19
verse 38 Jesus and His followers
had entered the village of
Bethany and they came to
00:07:33.98\00:07:38.62
the home of Mary, Martha, and
Lazarus. I'm sure with a little
00:07:38.72\00:07:42.76
surprise on her face she invited
the Lord in along with some of
the followers. Here Martha
00:07:42.86\00:07:48.36
shows her compassion and love
for the Lord. Seeing Him in this
00:07:48.46\00:07:51.87
wearied condition, she invites
Him in as a guest of her home.
And as Jesus enters the
00:07:51.97\00:07:59.41
home, instead of laying His head
down to rest, He sees the need
00:07:59.51\00:08:04.95
and desire of others to hear His
word.s And so He sits and others
00:08:05.05\00:08:11.49
gather around Him, but the text
specifically mentions Mary. And
the text specifically says
00:08:11.59\00:08:18.03
that Mary sat at the feet of
Jesus and heard His word. The
00:08:18.13\00:08:25.00
Greek word that is used for
hearing is the word akouo. It
carries with it the connotation
00:08:25.10\00:08:31.41
of not only hearing
and listening, but also of
00:08:31.51\00:08:35.81
understanding and obedience.
Mary's listening is not just a
casual background noise
00:08:35.91\00:08:39.85
kind of listening. She is
listening intently, desiring to
00:08:39.95\00:08:46.35
understand. And while she sits
at the feet of Jesus, listening
to the words of our
00:08:46.45\00:08:51.33
Saviour and the Messiah, Jesus
Christ, Martha was distracted
00:08:51.43\00:08:57.57
with much serving. The KJV says
that she was cumbered about with
00:08:57.67\00:09:05.67
much serving. The word cumbered
or distracted in the Greek
literally means to be
00:09:05.77\00:09:09.01
drawn away, to be over-occupied,
and to be over-burdened. She was
00:09:09.11\00:09:15.75
over-occupied and distracted by
what? By serving. Friends, the
00:09:15.85\00:09:21.86
word to serve here literally
means to minister. Can you
picture it in your mind?
00:09:21.96\00:09:27.76
You have a very important guest
coming and he or she has arrived
00:09:27.86\00:09:32.50
a little early or you are
running a little late. And so
now as your guest waits you
00:09:32.60\00:09:38.34
hurry yourself about
serving and trying to get ready.
00:09:38.44\00:09:44.31
And then it happens. Maybe
it was just out of the corner of
00:09:45.68\00:09:54.69
her eye or through a quick
glance, she sees her. And the
emotions of jealousy,
00:09:54.79\00:10:03.83
anger, and frustration all begin
to boil and mix Martha has seen
00:10:03.93\00:10:11.71
Mary sitting, listening to Jesus
while she works so very hard.
00:10:11.81\00:10:19.45
Not only is this someone not
helping her, but this is her
sibling, her sister -
00:10:19.55\00:10:25.95
which is just additional salt
on the wound. Those of you that
00:10:26.05\00:10:30.83
have brothers and sisters know
exactly what I am talking about
- the absolute injustice of
00:10:30.93\00:10:35.76
you having to do work while your
brother or sister doesn't. And
00:10:35.86\00:10:41.14
so now the stage is set and
Martha in her absolute
frustration, turns to
00:10:41.24\00:10:47.51
Jesus and says,
according to verse 40,
00:10:47.61\00:10:51.81
In the New Livign
Translation, it reads,
00:11:03.46\00:11:05.66
In one of the great moments of
Biblical history. Martha, tells
00:11:14.50\00:11:19.37
the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords, the Creator of the
heavens and earth, she
00:11:19.47\00:11:24.28
tells Him what to do. In fact,
she not only tells Him, but
00:11:24.38\00:11:30.89
according to the Greek, she uses
an imperative verb, which is to
say that she commands
00:11:30.99\00:11:36.46
Him to have Mary help. Now
befoe we get too riled up about
00:11:36.56\00:11:46.33
Martha's treatment of Jesus we
need to be careful of our
condemnation of Martha,
00:11:46.43\00:11:50.64
because many of us do the same
today, don't we? We want God to
00:11:50.74\00:11:58.15
do things our way. Like Frank
Sinatra singing "I did it my
way." we want to do things our
00:11:58.25\00:12:05.02
way and have God bless it. Jesus
would rather have us come to Him
00:12:05.12\00:12:12.53
and ask for guidance so He can
lead us. But here in Luke 10
Jesus displays one of the
00:12:12.63\00:12:18.77
greatest acts of compassion and
mercy, Jesus replies to Martha
00:12:18.87\00:12:27.98
in a loving way and outlines for
Martha, as well as us today that
00:12:28.08\00:12:35.72
which is important in life. It
is recorded in Luke 10 verses 41
00:12:35.82\00:12:43.79
and 42, In a most compassionate
and loving voice, Jesus first
00:13:05.41\00:13:11.09
gently rebukes Martha, telling
her she is worried and troubled
by many things. The NIV uses
00:13:11.19\00:13:19.13
the words worried and upset.
In the Greek the word worried
00:13:19.23\00:13:23.26
literally means to be troubled
and anxious, while the word
troubled is the Greek word
00:13:23.37\00:13:28.14
turbadzo. The English word
turbulence is derived from it.
It literally means to
00:13:28.24\00:13:35.24
be disturbed and bothered. Mary
is anxious, troubled, worried,
00:13:35.34\00:13:46.92
disturbed and bothered by many
things - a general word for
anything really. And then
00:13:47.02\00:13:53.80
Jesus proceeds by saying but.
But, there is another way. There
00:13:53.90\00:14:01.24
is another way that will relieve
you of all this running around,
there is another way that
00:14:01.34\00:14:05.24
will give you comfort from
doing, doing, doing. He says,
00:14:05.34\00:14:09.58
"one thing is needed, and Mary
has chosen that good part, which
00:14:09.68\00:14:13.82
will not be taken away from
her." One thing is needed, only
one thing is necessary and
00:14:13.92\00:14:22.79
essential and Mary chose it.
What was it that Mary chose? To
sit at the feet of Jesus.
00:14:22.89\00:14:32.57
Jesus speaks loud and clear to
us today. You can spend all the
00:14:34.97\00:14:45.88
time in the world serving Him,
but if you don't spend time at
His feet learning from Him
00:14:45.98\00:14:50.02
- you are merely distracted. He
says to all of us that believe
00:14:50.12\00:14:57.79
that we can work our way to
heaven by working for Him.you
are only troubled and worried
00:14:57.89\00:15:07.20
and distracted because what you
need is to sit at my feet. And
00:15:07.30\00:15:15.28
for those of us that have so
much to do, that we are
constantly on the go - Jesus
00:15:15.38\00:15:22.02
says all is for naught; come and
sit at my feet. Friends, it is
at the feet of Jesus
00:15:22.12\00:15:27.89
where we find the essentials and
necessities of life. Now listen
00:15:27.99\00:15:34.46
to these words of Jesus
found in Matthew 6:30-34,
00:15:34.56\00:15:44.51
Jesus goes as far as saying that
even the most basic, fundamental
00:16:24.05\00:16:28.55
necessities of survival should
not be worried about. Seek Him
00:16:28.65\00:16:32.62
first and He will take care of
you. This is a most difficult
saying for me personally.
00:16:32.72\00:16:39.53
I was talking with someone
recenty about this very topic.
00:16:39.63\00:16:45.73
It is more natural for me to
generate a to do list and go,
go, go. But Jesus says wait,
00:16:45.83\00:16:53.21
wait - seek Me first and all
those things on your to do list
00:16:53.31\00:16:59.78
will be added unto you. In one
of my favorite books on the life
of Christ, The Desire of
00:16:59.88\00:17:07.79
Ages, it says these words,
00:17:07.89\00:17:11.39
Friends, Jesus cries out to us
that we are troubled by so many
00:18:15.19\00:18:20.33
things, we are so busy with our
smart phones, tablets and
computers, but we must
00:18:20.43\00:18:26.50
first take time
to sit at His feet.
00:18:26.60\00:18:33.34
You know, a number of years
ago there was a popular slogan -
00:18:34.84\00:18:41.15
WWJD. What would Jesus Do? And
in a game of philosophical
wrestling people tried to
00:18:41.25\00:18:47.46
figure out what Jesus might do
in a given situation. Instead of
00:18:47.56\00:18:53.13
asking what He might do, let's
focus on what He did do. By
00:18:53.23\00:19:01.30
asking us to seek Him first, He
asks us nothing more than what
He himself did do. Listen to
00:19:01.40\00:19:09.91
these verses: In Mark
1:35 it tells us about Jesus,
00:19:10.01\00:19:17.75
And later in Mark 6:46 it says,
00:19:29.70\00:19:34.80
The Gospel of Luke also
sheds light on the priorities of
00:19:42.14\00:19:47.95
Jesus, in Luke 6:12
00:19:48.05\00:19:52.85
In fact, earlier in Luke it
tells us what Jesus' habit was,
00:20:02.13\00:20:10.17
in Luke 5:16, All of these texts
make it plain that Jesus, who I
might remind you, is God
00:20:17.31\00:20:22.95
incarnate - spend time alone in
prayer listening to His Father
00:20:23.05\00:20:29.92
in heaven. If there be anyone
who could be self sufficient it
00:20:30.03\00:20:35.10
is Jesus, yet by example, He
demonstrates the importance of
spending time alone in prayer
00:20:35.20\00:20:41.44
and listening to God. Where is
it that we find the voice of God
00:20:41.54\00:20:46.14
speaking to us today? In His
Holy Word, in the Bible. Jesus
makes it clear, that if we would
00:20:46.24\00:20:53.35
only study His word listening to
His voice and praying, He would
00:20:53.45\00:20:58.89
provide for all of our needs.
00:20:58.99\00:21:02.09
Friends the evidence is abundant
that this book can be trusted
00:21:03.73\00:21:14.10
and it is the word of God. The
questions is, do we listen to
00:21:14.20\00:21:17.97
it? Are you having difficulty in
your marriage, Jesus calls out
to you and says come and
00:21:18.07\00:21:21.21
spend time at my feet. Are
you struggling at work - turn to
00:21:21.31\00:21:26.21
Jesus and sit at his feet. Are
you struggling in school - turn
to Jesus and sit at
00:21:26.31\00:21:30.59
his feet. Are you being tempted
- turn to Jesus and sit at his
00:21:30.69\00:21:34.16
feet. Are you children running
wild - turn to Jesus and sit at
his feet. Some might be
00:21:34.26\00:21:49.84
asking where and how to start.
It is different for each person.
00:21:49.94\00:21:57.75
I would recommend getting
yourself a notebook. Not
necessarily anything
00:21:57.85\00:22:07.22
fancy. In it you will journal,
which can be done in many ways.
00:22:07.32\00:22:14.66
You can write out your prayers
to God, you can write the
message you think God is
00:22:14.76\00:22:18.63
giving to you. You can take
notes on those things which you
00:22:18.73\00:22:24.94
are reading that are especially
powerful to you. As you read the
Bible and reflect on the text
00:22:25.04\00:22:34.95
you can ask three simple
questions, what does the text
00:22:35.05\00:22:45.59
say? How does it intersect with
my life? And what is the
invitation being made to me
00:22:45.69\00:22:56.27
personally. Take time to read
and listen to what God is saying
00:22:56.37\00:23:06.31
to you. Some will ask where do
I start? Really the sky is the
00:23:06.48\00:23:17.49
limit. I recommend starting in
the gospels, particularly in
Mark or John and read a story at
00:23:17.59\00:23:26.33
a time or a number of chapters
at a time. And then reflect on
00:23:26.43\00:23:28.94
those. Maybe you would like
to read the whole Bible through.
00:23:29.04\00:23:35.81
You can do this actually very
rapidly. At 40 chapters a day
you can read the Bible in 30
00:23:35.91\00:23:42.35
days. At 20 chapters a day, you
can read it in 60 days or at 10
chapters a day, you
00:23:42.45\00:23:54.10
can read it in 120 days. No
matter how you do or what works
00:23:54.20\00:24:02.87
for you, friend the message is
plain turn to Jesus, spend time
at His feet and learn from
00:24:02.97\00:24:09.31
Him in His Word is
powerful. Hebrews 4:12,
00:24:09.41\00:24:19.15
The Bible is living and powerful
in the life of the believer who
00:24:38.57\00:24:43.18
listens to what God is saying.
Do you want to listen to what
the Word has to say? Psalm
00:24:43.28\00:24:49.82
119:105 says,
00:24:49.92\00:24:52.72
The word is our sure guide.
God's word is light in the
00:24:58.16\00:25:05.80
darkness. Doug Goins tells the
story of a woman, who's name was
Helen Hayworth Lemmel. She
00:25:05.90\00:25:11.47
was in her nineties. She had
been born and raised in wealth
00:25:11.57\00:25:16.71
in England, and was well-known
as a songwriter. As a matter of
fact, Mrs. Lemmel probably
00:25:16.81\00:25:20.55
wrote seventy or eighty
Christian hymns and gospel songs
that were popular in
00:25:20.65\00:25:25.32
the 1920s through the early
1950s. Mrs. Lemmel had married
00:25:25.42\00:25:30.33
into nobility; her husband was a
lord. But she was stricken with
blindness as a very young
00:25:30.43\00:25:35.70
woman, and her husband divorced
her because he didn't want to be
00:25:35.80\00:25:41.07
married to a blind woman. I
don't know all the
circumstances, but somehow
00:25:41.17\00:25:46.61
she ended up destitute in
Seattle, Washington, a ward of
00:25:46.71\00:25:51.81
King County, living in a tiny
room in a home where the rent
was paid by the county. You
00:25:51.91\00:25:56.99
probably know the most famous
song that Mrs. Lemmel wrote:Turn
00:25:57.09\00:26:02.29
your eyes upon Jesus. Every time
we would visit her or she would
00:26:02.39\00:26:10.90
come to our home, we would ask
her how she was doing, and she
would always say, "I am
00:26:11.00\00:26:16.24
fine in the things that count."
That's a godly perspective on
00:26:16.34\00:26:24.28
things that could be
embarrassing or humiliating.
Today, Jesus is calling you,
00:26:24.38\00:26:30.62
won't you turn your eyes upon
Jesus. Won't you make a
commitment this day to
00:26:30.72\00:26:34.99
spend time at His feet and learn
from Him. Today will you make a
00:26:35.09\00:26:41.03
commitment to read His Word and
allow the tranforming power of
His Word to be activated
00:26:41.13\00:26:47.14
in your life today?
00:26:47.24\00:26:49.37
Let's pray and make that
commitment together. Today,
00:26:50.47\00:26:54.94
Lord, we come to you. We commit
to reading your word. We commit
to being open to the
00:26:55.04\00:26:59.81
transforming power of your word.
Lord, change us and make us more
00:26:59.91\00:27:05.72
like You, we pray
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:05.82\00:27:08.96
You know, friend, as we talk
about sitting at the feet of
00:27:25.57\00:27:28.88
Jesus, we're really talking
about coming to Jesus and
learning how to walk with
00:27:28.98\00:27:34.02
Him. You know, in any job that
I've ever had in my life, I've
00:27:34.12\00:27:39.29
needed training, training to
teach me how to do what I needed
00:27:39.39\00:27:45.76
to do. It's the same way with
walking with Jesus. It's the
same way in the spiritual life.
00:27:45.86\00:27:49.70
We need to be trained and we
need to be taught how to do it.
So today, I want to
00:27:49.80\00:27:56.20
offer you the Discover
Bible guides. The Discover Bible
00:27:56.30\00:27:59.74
guides are a refreshing lead in
the Bible on how we can develop
00:27:59.84\00:28:07.15
a relationship with Jesus.
Here's the information you need
00:28:07.25\00:28:11.09
to get those
Discover Bible guides.
00:28:11.19\00:28:15.92
In Matthew 11:28,
Jesus said these words:
00:28:57.57\00:29:02.90
Sitting at the feet of Jesus is
about finding rest for our souls
00:29:11.88\00:29:19.09
in Him. Jesus desires for us to
sit at His feet and to have an
00:29:19.19\00:29:26.46
ever-deepening relationship with
Him, that more and more each
day, we would be like Him.
00:29:26.56\00:29:32.60
Friend, I hope you're on that
journey of an ever-deepening
00:29:32.70\00:29:36.57
relationship with Jesus. Thank
you for watching today. I hope
00:29:36.67\00:29:41.08
you'll join us again next week.
Until then, remember, it is
written, "Man shall not
00:29:41.18\00:29:47.48
live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds from
00:29:47.58\00:29:52.39
the mouth of God."
00:29:52.49\00:29:54.56
$$$$
00:29:56.16\00:29:58.16