Heroes Part Three: Mary of Bethany

Heroes Part Three: Mary of Bethany

Speaker: Pastor Lee Cummings
Date: June 22, 2019

Heroes explores the lives, work, and ministries of men and women in the New Testament whose lives made enormous impact on the world. This series will help broaden your perspective of the early Church, enlighten the eyes of your heart, and fascinate your imagination as we discover hidden truths behind some of the most important people in scripture.

In this sermon, Pastor Lee brings the story of Mary of Bethany and shares what the Bible says about having undistracted devotion to God.

Focus Scripture

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

"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.”

Sermon Highlights

• Have you ever found yourself in a situation, a conversation, that you knew was important, or you needed to get some information that was vital, but you found yourself distracted, and then had to ask, "What was that?"

• Mary of Bethany is a model of undistracted devotion to God.

• We don't want God to be in our peripheral vision, we want Him to be front and center.

• Mary faced the same challenges you and I face every single day, yet she chose the better part, and that's what enabled her to be undistracted.

• Mary was undistracted by:

• 1. Offend-able Circumstances (John 11)

• When her brother Lazarus, a friend of Jesus died and He then delayed, she could've been distracted by her disappointment.

• Disappointment is the result of unmet expectations, and when it comes to God, we have some expectations.

• in the middle of offend-able circumstances, do you run out and accuse God for not meeting your needs? Or are you in a place of rest and waiting because you are so convinced by the character of God, you just know that even though you don't understand why you're in what you're in, that God sees the beginning from the end, and he works all things for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes.

• In the middle of offend-able circumstances, do you go and accuse God for not meeting your needs? Or are you in a place of rest and waiting because you are so convinced by the character of God, you just know that even though you don't understand why you're in what you're in, that God sees the beginning from the end, and He works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purposes.

• 2. Urgency of the Mundane (Luke 10)

• While Martha was focused on the details of doing many things that were urgent, Mary saw the priority of the one thing that was important.

• Your relationship with God, your priority, your devotion, keeping your focus. It's the most important thing, because it doesn't go away.

• 3. The Cost of Extravagance (John 12)

• Mary understood and seized the moment with Jesus. She offered Him what cost her most as an act of worship that would linger long beyond the moment at hand.

• If we live undistracted in our total devotion to Jesus, every room, every circumstance, every environment you and I walk into, the fragrance of the goodness of God will fill the room everywhere we go! And others will see the goodness of our God.