March 28, 2022
Scripture References:
Luke 10:38-42 | Revelation 2:1-7 | Luke 11:1-11 | Matthew 25:1-13 |
Psalm 1:1-2 | John 16:33 | Colossians 3:2-3 | Revelation 4 |
Hebrews 4:16 | |||
THEMES:
Priority in the Kingdom
Source of identity
4 temptations
Set apart a time and a place
Looking and listening
The Lord’s prayer
The throne room in Heaven
SUMMARY OF TEACHING:
The essence of the story about Mary and Martha is not Mary versus Martha, but Mary before Martha. There are priorities in the Kingdom. If we don’t do the first works right, it is going to corrupt all other works that we do. We are going to look to the other works to find our source of identity, which should come from the first reality. Intimacy with the Lord will bring forth fruit. We get filled with what is on His heart and begin to work with God (not just for God).
The 4 temptations of Martha that we also encounter as followers of Jesus are: Distraction, much serving, worry and trouble. Mary chose to sit and hear His Word. As a result, Jesus fought her battles for her.
Prayer looks like a real time. We should set apart a time and a place for daily prayer and make it the highest priority in our lives. Every time we sow and invest time, it lives forever.
Prayer begins with looking and listening before talking. God wants to release a revival in the bible to us; hearing and delighting in the Word. Jesus not only commended Mary for doing the ONE thing, but He did the ONE thing. His disciples witnessed Him praying and asked Him to teach them to pray. They connected the dots that Jesus’ public life of ministry was the result of His private life of prayer.
From The Lord’s Prayer we learn that prayer is about connecting to a Person and not about our list. The revelation of God as a Father and our identity in Him is critical to growing in intimacy and authority in prayer. Prayer is a throne room ministry and far above the circumstances of this world. Once we ascend, one prayer will come out of us: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”.
Revelation 4 gives the clearest revelation of the throne room in Heaven. John saw an open door and heard: Come up here. Come out of religion, bondage and shame. Let us enter through the open door!