Culture Days: Just Sit

Our whole series in Nehemiah has focused on what we should be for God:

One of the most important things we need to be reminded of is that it does not matter how good we are

We aren't just called to do good things and be good Christians - the heart of the gospel is that we have a good God - that we are dependent upon!

The prophet Isaiah put it this way:

Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV)

6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

• It's not just our job to live holy and practice spiritual disciplines:

  • We serve a God who is deeply aware of our shortcomings, our flaws and everything that we are not

  • At the end of the day, we must bow in humility knowing that if something supernatural is going to get done - the Holy Spirit will have to do it.

John 15:4–5 (ESV)

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Serving is necessary and bearing fruit in the kingdom is great - BUT - communion with Jesus is better

Luke 10:38–42 (ESV)

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

So what does that mean for us?

• This passage tells us that good intentions can sometimes fall short of God's best for our lives.

• Martha had great intentions and serving is a noble thing - but Jesus tells Martha that there was more for her than just serving!

• This passage reminds me that sometimes my living a life FOR God can become a distraction from living our life WITH God.

  • Verse 40: "But Martha was distracted with much serving"

    • Ministry has to come from the overflow of our devotional lives - our devotional life cannot be a means to a successful ministry or building a successful church!

• This passage tells us that we have the option to choose worship over anxiety and stress

  • The truth of the matter is that often I try to chase away the darkness rather than turning on the light

  • Don’t stress out over being stressed - go to the source for peace!

• So here is a reminder for Hub City Church: We  wholeheartedly believe in serving, but we must never spend time serving if we’re not spending time sitting.

  • We celebrate serving!

  • We must create space for sitting!

    • If you are on a team here at Hub City Church, we invite you to work until your fingers bleed, but please don't pour out until your cup is dry!

      • Sit!

      • Sabbath!

Let's take a look at John's account of Jesus at Mary, Martha and Lazarus's house:

John 12:1–3 (ESV)

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

• Lazarus was looking cool: reclining at the table

  • He had received a HUGE blessing from Jesus (literal resurrection!)

• Martha was doing what Martha does

  • She's a Enneagram Two!

    • Where are my Two's at?

      • Listen to me, you better not serve yourself into a deficit!

        • Two's - replenish your souls!

• Mary walks in with a pound of expensive perfume

  • Her worship costs something

  • She's worshiping on another level

    • Here's the sad truth:

    • In a room full of "Christians", NOBODY in that room understood her worship

Romans 12:1 (ESV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Let's be real: This kind of worship:

• Holy worship

• Sacrificial worship

• Spiritual worship

• IS NOT NORMAL

You may be like Mary  and be in a room full of Christians and nobody even understand the worship that you are giving!

• You can't let the thermostats around you to set the temperature of your worship!

When she worshiped - the Bible says that the whole house was filled with the fragrance!

• You serving Jesus makes more of a difference to this church than you serving Hattiesburg

• Your relationship with Him means more than your relationship to your micro-church

• Your deep devotion affects this city more than your deep financial support of this church or your great ideas for outreach!

At the end of the day:

• You're not here for Hub City Church

• You're not here for your Micro-Church

• You're not here for me

• You're not here for the lost of the city

You were created to give Him MORE GLORY

You were made to worship Him