CCC Sermon - August 02, 2020 Relationship with God 1 of 3

“Relationship with God”

Luke 10: 38-42 At the Home of Martha and Mary
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named
Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet
listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be
made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the
work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few
things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be
taken away from her.”

Relationship: Relationship can defined as a union between husband and wife, between
employer and employee, between parents and their children, between friends with common
interests (soccer players, musicians , etc.). These types and kinds of relationships can be
categorized in two parts:

Different types of Relationship:

- Relationship by alliance or by contract
‣ 1 Kings 3:1 - Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his
daughter.
- Relationship by blood / Family association
‣ Cain and Abel
‣ Joseph and his brothers
‣ Jacob and his brother (Esau)
‣ The prodigal Son story (Luke 15:11-32)
‣ Family blood line

- There can be also problems in relationship by blood (sin of jealousy)

‣ The lesson of Cain and Abel is also a lesson in overcoming temptation and sin.
Jealousy can lead to some angry and harmful feelings (or in this case, murder).
‣ Joseph and his brothers is another strong example of sibling rivalry.
‣ Jacob and his brother (Esau) is another strong example of sibling rivalry.
‣ The prodigal Son story (Luke 15:11-32)
‣ Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38)
‣ Eventually you and your siblings (relatives)

This can be referred as relationship by association as a brother can turn to an enemy for the
rest of your life as a friend can turn into a brother forever.

Traditionally, you can be in a relationships where a focus is on a shared interests rather

than personal growth. For instance, a partner can say “I love you as longer you love me”.
This mean, the couple connects at their personality rather than their emotional and spiritual
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levels. This is where the subject “I, mine, myself” have a lot to say in the life of the other
person.
Consciously, you can be also in a relationships where you work through issues together.
Conscious couples can be able to lean in and trust one another to create the “we” of the
relationship.
Now, in transcendent relationships, partners love one another unconditionally. They are
“guardians of each other's souls.” And this is where God’s love towards human kind can be
explained. John 3:16 - The love of God is an unconditional love. Romans 8: 35 Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?

In Luke 10:38, Martha was struggling with various things that distracted her from
appreciating her sister and welcoming Jesus into her home. In other words, God cannot
come in your life if it’s not about His love for us.
Martha wanted to prove her friendship with what she can give to Jesus rather than what she
can receive from Him.

Believers sometimes are full of service, programs, protocols, rather than friendship with
God. What you must know:
1. Jesus didn’t come to their home because He was in need. He came because that family
needed God in their lives
2. Jesus went to Zaccheus’ home not because He was in need. Zaccheus’ home needed the
Messiah
3. In the same manner, Christ is coming in your life, not take what you have, instead but to
add a significant amount of value in your life so you can fulfill your destiny here on earth,

Mary was not distracted because she was learning how to develop her listen skills.
Relationship with God is developed through:
● Listening, that what we call bible reading, meditation, etc
● Talking, that what we call prayer
● Repeatedly, in other words developing a habits of devotions, or creating a prayer patterns

Distraction
● Martha’s legitimate concern was to be a proper hostess (Impression)
● Mary’s concern was to be a proper disciple (v. 39).
● Jesus does not negate Martha’s hospitable activities, but is concerned with her distraction,
worry, and trouble about many things (v.41), which cause her to emphasize the one thing
that is needed (v. 42), that is, to hear the word of Jesus.
David understood it long time ago - Psalms 27: 4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do
I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty
of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
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● In Verse 40 - Martha told Jesus to tell Martha to come to help her. Tell her to help
me!’ (Determination - even no one the family could have separated Mary’s love towards
Jesus).

Distraction
● A distracted driver can kill everyone in the car
● A distracted fisherman will never catch a fish
● A distracted parent will never tell when the child got abused
● A distracted worker will always do the work awkward
● A distracted Christian can miss the door of heaven
● Christ doesn’t want you to be a distracted believer,
● Let’s develop a listening skills, let seat at the feat of the True Teacher (Jesus Christ)

Observation:
1. You cannot have a relationship with God without habits : The point is that we need
water to quench our thirst. It is the water we desire. It is the water that gives us life. But without
the vessel of the glass, the container, the water slips through our hands. We cannot manage it.
We have a difficult time passing it along. The container is the habit and God is the living
water and you need a habit of devotion to connect with him.

2. Our talking and listening to God is often random and sporadic. This happened because
of a lack of support systems, forces that bring about some proximity.
3. We need the glass. We need disciplines and an environment that puts some structure into
our relationship with God. We need forces that support habits of talking and listening.

3. Getting the glass habits:

1. Step one: learning behaviour (education)
2. Step two: Making our behaviour a repeated pattern (discipline)
3. Step three: Dealing with failure
4. Step four: Dealing with success (recognition) : keeping that culture of prayer, devotion, etc
5. Step five: Freedom beyond the habit

Recommended Scriptures:
- John 6:27: Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to
everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His
seal on Him.
Taker away:
● Avoid setting the Lord’s work as a priority over the Lord’s Presence
● Prefer “Mary’s place,” learning at the feet of Jesus Himself, but
● Serve like Martha whom He commended
● God will never do be anything - that the reason of calling upon you name oh Lord.