You know, life at our house and our family can get pretty exciting when there's a knock at the door. How many of you had a dog? Yeah, in your family. You know what it's like when you got a dog, and then you got kids. Our dog goes nuts, and she's got a very loud bark. She's a very nice dog, but anybody that comes to the door, I don't think she's thinking they're an intruder. She just wants us to know. She knows that they're there, and she lets us know. And then you got the kids, and it might be, if somebody's coming to the door, it might be a package. And if it's a package, we've got a lot of people in our house that might be expecting something. And so you have a lot of people around. If it's somebody that we know, you know, or a friend of the family or something like that, of course, the stairwell can get pretty full of people wanting to hear what's going on. And that is the setting of the story that we're looking at. It's a, somebody has knocked on the door, but it's Jesus Christ. He's there. at these people's house and they're gonna invite him in. And it's what takes place as he comes in. So it says in verse 38, now came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. Now there would have been a lot of excitement with that. Jesus was famous He was the one people were talking about that this is the Messiah. He's the healer that would heal so many people. And so this is a very great occasion that's taking place. But as Jesus applies a lesson in this story, it's an object lesson to us about how to receive somebody like Christ into our house, how to receive Jesus So let's read the text, Luke chapter 10, and begin at verse 38. It says, Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, "'Dost thou not care that my sister hath left me "'to serve alone? "'Bitter therefore that she helped me.' "'And Jesus answered and said unto her, "'Martha, Martha, thou art careful "'and troubled about many things, "'but one thing is needful, "'and Mary hath chosen that good part "'which shall not be taken away from her.'" Okay, and so Jesus is saying to Martha, Martha, Mary received me correctly, You didn't receive me correctly into your house. And so really, as we look at it today, it's a lesson on how we are to receive Jesus Christ into our house of our heart. You know, the Bible says in Revelation 3, verse 20, "'If any man hear my voice and open the door, "'I will come into him and sup with him and he with me.'" So the reality is today that Jesus does desire to come into our lives, just like he came into that very real place that was Martha's house. But as he came in, Mary properly received him, but Martha didn't. So we're gonna consider that this morning, how to properly receive Jesus Christ into the home of our heart. Let's pray and ask the Spirit of God to give us wisdom as we come to God's word. Father, I pray that the Spirit of God would help as we open up this passage and look at Martha and Mary and Jesus. And Father, we need to receive Jesus the way Mary did. And I pray that the Spirit of God would open up our minds to this today. And Father, I pray that you'd help me as I speak. I can't preach without your enablement. I need the Spirit of God to give me wisdom as I declare the Word of God. And Father, I pray that you'd help me to convey truth in a way that speaks to hearts. It's afternoon, and Lord, it's sometimes gonna get warm, and it's difficult to pay attention, and it's easy to fall asleep. No, that's okay, but Father, we ask that the Spirit of God would please give us an alertness and attentiveness that's divine, and Father, your Spirit would speak to our hearts as we come to your word now. It's in Christ's name we pray, amen. All right, three things about receiving Jesus into our home that we wanna consider. The first is to be open. If we're gonna receive Jesus into our home, we have to be open. It says, and she had a sister called Mary, verse 38, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his words. You know, it's interesting. Martha was the one that invited Jesus into the home, but it's Mary that was really open. to what Jesus wanted to teach. She wanted to get there right at the feet of Jesus and listen to every word, as it were, the word of God that Jesus Christ had to say. She was open. You could say she was teachable. Have you ever had somebody that you just couldn't teach anything to? If anybody in here has been a teacher, you'd know that type of person that I'm speaking about. It could be somebody that is the younger generation, that we look at and go, well, the younger generation just doesn't listen. Here we have the wisdom of age, and we can impart wisdom to this generation, but they just won't listen to me. It could be a peer, somebody that's an equal. And you know something that would benefit them, and you want to share it with them, but they're not open to teaching and what you want to share with them. Sometimes you'll say something like this. They'll just have to learn at the School of Hard Knocks. And you're just saying, well, you You're going to reap it then. If you're not going to listen, then you're going to get what's coming to you. Because I could tell you something that could really help you. And, you know, they would have a good reason for not listening, they think. It would be something like this. I don't think I need to know what you're going to teach me. Right? They think they kind of know it all. They don't believe me and know what's best. They think they know what's best, right? And they don't want to hear it. But they've heard it all before. Yada, yada, yada. You know, they say, I've heard it all before, I don't need to hear it again. Or they might say something like, I'll learn that someday. In the future, okay? So it is important to acknowledge that you've got something to share with me, but I'll learn it in the future. You know, when it comes to Jesus, are you open to what Jesus has to say? See, he wants to instruct us. And just like in the story, he's close by all the time. I mean, Jesus isn't far from anybody that wants to take the time to look at what Jesus says or to hear what Jesus says. But you know, a lot of people today, they could think, you know, they don't need to know. They could be somebody that's an atheist. They don't really think they need to know anything from Jesus. They don't believe in Jesus, that Jesus even exists. So they don't think they need to know it. It could be an idol worshiper. Somebody that's pagan or bows down to real idols like a Hindu or a Buddhist or something like that. And they could think, I don't really need to sit at the feet of Jesus. I sit at the feet of Buddha. I don't need to hear what Jesus has to say. But the thing about that is, even if somebody thinks they don't need to hear it, they still need to hear it. I've got an article coming out in the Advertiser that's coming out later this month and not this week, but possibly next or the one following. Obviously it comes out on Thursday. But the article has this idea, whether or not somebody believes in God or thinks God has anything to do with their life, God made them and God knows how to make their life work right. And I used an illustration about a person down in England that took a can of air freshener, apparently unloaded half of it in his car, and then decided to smoke. When he decided to smoke, he lit a cigarette and he blew his car up. He about blew the bumper off the back of his car, shattered the windows, damaged the doors, incredible damage. The man walked away from it. But you know what? It would have been so much better if he'd read the warning label on the can. And even if somebody said, look, I don't believe that's true, it didn't matter whether he believed it's true, as soon as he sprayed it and lit the match, that's what happens. The same is true about our life. It doesn't matter today whether you think there is a God or not, that God still made you, and what God said is still true, and Jesus Christ still has to be heard by you for you to benefit. But you might be somebody that is like that person that's unteachable, isn't open to Jesus, that Jesus wants to give you something that you need, but you're not gonna listen because you don't think you need to know. A person, they think they know what's best for their life. I've got it. I don't need God. I can figure it out. We had our house, big project last year was the kitchen redecorated. And we had plasters come in. A lot of it we did ourselves, but the plasters came in. If you see plaster, they put it up and it kind of turns this pinkish brown streaky color. And you can't paint it like that. If you paint it like that, it's all gonna fall off, because the moisture's gonna stay in it, and you're gonna wreck it. So the plasterer will tell you, you gotta wait till it all turns white. Once it's all that nice, light color, all of it, then you can paint it, because then it'll be okay. You know, the plasterer knows what's best. If I think, well, I know what's best, and I try to just do my own thing, my ceiling's gonna fall down. It's the same in our life when it comes to God. I can think I know what's best and say, I'm just gonna do it my way, but the thing is, God's way's the only way to get it done. to get it done correctly? Are you open to God's way? The Bible says in Psalm 32, 10, many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked. Why? Because they don't wanna go God's way. But when you go God's way, he said in John 10, 10, I had come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. Jesus came to show us the way of abundant life, to have a blessed life, but there's people that don't have it because they're not open to what Jesus has to say, because they think they know what's best for their life. They could think, as we mentioned, I've heard it all before. You know, this person I would say is the religious person that was born in church. I mean, from the day they were born to the day that you meet them, they've gone to church, they've been there every Sunday. Whatever religion it is, Christian religion, you know, they've heard about Jesus, they've heard all these things. But they're not a person that is open to really letting Jesus tell them who he is because they think they know it all. Because they've grown up in it. I could ask him a question, this type of person, I could ask him, you know, do you know 100% if you died that you'd go to heaven? And they'd say to me something like this, yes. And I'd say, okay, what are you trusting in? And they'd say, well, I'm a good person. I never miss church. I'm always there, right? And they're strong in the fact that they're gonna go to heaven because they're so religious, but they've never opened their heart to what God says about that, because the Bible says this. The Bible says there's none righteous, no, not one. The Bible says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible says, for by the works of the flesh, or the law, by the works of the law, keeping the law, there shall no flesh be declared righteous, justified in his sight. So that person that is religious, they think they know it all, they don't really need to listen to Jesus, but if they stopped and listened to Jesus, Jesus would tell them, look, I am the only way of salvation, and stop at words. You're not gonna go to heaven because you're in church every Sunday. Sadly, they just don't wanna hear, they're not open. But the Bible, Jesus would tell them, as he told a religious leader in John 3, 3, barely, barely, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And he said to that religious leader, marvel not that I said unto you, ye must be born again. If they were to listen to Jesus, Jesus said, you've gotta be born again, you're not gonna get into the kingdom of heaven without that. You have to be born again. So I guess what I would ask us today, as we look at this story, are we like Martha? You know, working away, or are we teachable? When Jesus comes in, we're sitting at his feet and saying, Master, I'm open, teach me. I need to hear from you. Be open if we wanna receive him correctly. Second, be observant. Be observant. It says in verse 40, but Martha, was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. Martha's too busy, and by observant, I mean this, let's look at this story and see what it's teaching. See, she was so concerned about all these things, and Jesus, has to come to her, and she thinks she's working for God, and she thinks her sister's not serving God, but she is. Mary is. That's what Martha thinks. You know, was Martha's work pleasing to Jesus? It's not. If you remember when we read it, he has to correct her. Martha, Martha, you're careful and troubled about many things. So even though she's working very hard, it's not pleasing Jesus. And so let me just point out some things about Martha. You can be sincere in your religious works and not please God. See, what she was doing wasn't pleasing to God, but she was very sincere in her labor. The Bible says here that she was comfort about much service. So she's sincere. Now, if you were to ask me today, Pastor Ben, are Muslims sincere? Are Jehovah's Witnesses sincere? Are Mormons sincere? Do you know what I'd say? Yes. They work very hard sincerely to try to please God, to try to appease God, okay? But just because somebody is sincere doesn't mean that they're in obedience and listening to what Jesus is saying. Martha was sincere, but she was sincerely wrong. Samuel said it this way to King Saul, "'Does the Lord have as great delight "'in burnt offerings and sacrifices "'as in obeying the voice of the Lord? "'Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, "'and to hearken than the fat of rams.'" He said, that's a religious thing to offer a sacrifice, but God's not pleased with that if you're not in obedience to God, right? And so somebody could go to church every day. They could pray all day, every day. They could do, with a lot of concern, they could be religious. And Jesus would have to say, Martha, Martha. Martha, Martha, that's not what pleases me. Secondly, you can give great care to your religious works and not please God. But you can give great care to your religious works. It says, about Martha that she was careful about many things. I mean, she was full of care about it. I mean, she was really concerned about it. Again, not only was she sincere, but I mean, she was careful about how she's gonna serve God when God came into her home, Jesus Christ, but that care was wasted because she wasn't rightly sitting at the feet of Jesus, as it were, as the Bible's gonna teach, that she needed to do. You know, again, there's people that give great care to their religion. People like the Pharisees in the New Testament times with Jesus that Jesus said about them, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name have done many wonderful works. Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. And it's teaching us that There are people that are sincere in their religion, but that sincerity or that carefulness doesn't please God. And then she was working very hard, again, you could be working hard in religious works and still not please God. So it's just good for us to look at this passage and say, you know what? Somebody just doing a lot of busyness and trying to please God as it doesn't actually please God, if, They don't do what Mary did. All right? And so we need to be open and teachable. We need to be observant and realize, you know what? It's not about religion. It's not about everything I can do to please God. And the third thing is to be obedient. Be obedient. Look at verse 42. It says, but one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Okay, she's sitting at the feet of Jesus, and notice what it says, one thing is needful. Do you know what that means? It means it's necessary. So Martha's doing a lot of things, serving, but one thing is needful. In other words, one thing must happen. One thing is necessary, and that is to sit at the feet of Jesus. You know, for somebody to get saved, what one thing is needful? That they are open to what Jesus Christ teaches, and that they believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sin, that he rose from the dead, and that by faith he can be saved. That's the needful thing. You know, religion isn't a sign. It's not about how much time I spend in church. It's not about whether I've been christened. It's not about how much good I've done in my life. It's about do I have Jesus Christ as my savior? Because I've sat at the feet of Jesus. I've listened to what he said. He said salvation is by grace through faith. It's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. And I personally access that. That's the needful thing. One thing's needful. And notice as well, Mary hath chosen that good part, that good part. You know, a lot of times people will say, I'm a good person, but you know, good means righteous in the Bible. It's not, there's some nice people in our world, but there's nothing, there's no truly good person except for somebody that sits at the feet of Jesus and receives God's goodness. And see, that's where it comes, it's a gift. that God gives of righteousness that the Bible speaks about in Ephesians 2, 8, 9, when it says, for by grace, grace is a gift. Are you saved? True faith. It's not of yourselves, it's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. And so you see Mary sitting there, she's receiving the instruction of Jesus that says, Jesus Christ is the way, he's the Savior, he's the Messiah, he's the one I need to trust. And it was needful and it was good because it really actually changed her heart. It made her righteous because she received it as a gift from God. And see, somebody could be here today And zealously, like Martha, serving God, trying to please God, but all those works that they're doing, they do not please Him, and He has to say, like He said to Martha, Martha, Martha, you're troubled about many things. You're really zealous, you're really sincere, you're really working hard. But Mary chose the good thing, the needful thing, and it's a good thing because it imputes righteousness, and it's eternal. Notice what it says, which shall not be taken away from her. Mary had something that Jesus Christ would not allow ever to be taken away from her. Martha said, tell her to come be religious like me and do all this work for God. And Jesus said, no, she chose the good part. And it's needful. And I'm not gonna take it away from her. Do you know, let me just tell you, when somebody gets saved, they receive something from God that's eternal. It's not a temporary religion, temporary feelings of anything. It's a permanent change in their heart when they receive Jesus Christ as their savior. Jesus said it like this. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. When somebody gets saved, God gives them eternal life. and it'll never be taken away, praise God. It's something that is eternal. And so here it is today, Jesus Christ is knocking on the hearts door of people, and there's people like Martha that, they wanna invite him in, they invite him in and they think, I'm gonna please him by doing all these things, and I'm just gonna be working and careful and zealous, and that's gonna please God, and God's gotta go, no, no, no, no, no, that doesn't please me. I just want somebody to come sit at my feet, listen to what I say, Because that's needful. Because that is a good thing. And because that is eternal. And that's where somebody needs to be. And I hope you're there, right? Praise God. You can be, if you've never asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart and save you. It's as simple as going back to your room and just praying to God and saying, God, I understand. I've listened to what the Lord said. Salvation is by grace through faith. I wanna sit at the feet of Jesus and say, Savior, thank you for dying for me. paying the price on the cross for my sin, I'd like to invite you to come into my heart and save me. And just asking God to do that, you know what? That is needful. That is that good part which shall not be taken away from you if you haven't. And it can be exciting when you invite somebody to our house, but it's even more exciting when Jesus Christ comes into your house and you receive him as you should. And so may God help us to do that. Let's pray. Father, bless this illustration that we have in the word of God of how to receive Jesus Christ. And Father, it might be somebody as sincere like Martha. There's no doubt Martha was sincere. And Father, there's no doubt she was zealous and that she was careful. But Father, she was sincerely wrong in the way that she received Jesus. But Mary did that, that right thing. She sat at the feet of Jesus, listened to his teaching. It was meaningful. It was that good part, and it was eternal. And Father, I just pray today, give grace to these who are here to know for sure that they are open to what Jesus says, they're observant that good people don't go to heaven, that's salvation by faith in Christ, and that they obey and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. It's in Christ's name I pray.