Luke chapter 10, I've got but
two verses. I'm sorry, a few verses. We'll start in verse 38. Luke chapter 10 and verse 38. Now, it came to pass, as they
went, Christ entered into a certain village and a certain woman named
Martha received Christ into her house. And Martha had a sister
called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was covered about,
much serving, and came to Christ and said, Lord, do you 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, you are 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. Now we often compare,
you know, we got Martha and Mary. No, they're both believers. They're
both disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, it wasn't always
that way. Like us, they're born in sin. In sin, said David, did
my mother conceive me? So it wasn't always this way.
But Martha has invited the Savior to her house. And she's busy
doing stuff, which has to be done. Nothing wrong with that.
However, compared to what Mary, her sister, was doing, Christ
says very plainly, Martha, Martha, you're careful and troubled about
many things, which we are in this world. It's constantly tugging
and pulling. But no matter what we do, no
matter what excuses we may have, there is only one thing needful,
necessary, and that is, Mary has chosen that. Now the amplified
version, I love it, how it is this one thing needful. I love
how it's phrased. Listen to this. The amplified
version is there is need of only one thing. There is need of only
one thing. And that's what we're going to
look at. There's one thing needful or necessary. And this one thing
is very clear from the context of these verses, and that is
this, it is to sit at Jesus' feet and hear his word. Now, we can't literally do that. Christ is not here, or is he? He's here in spirit and truth.
And He says, where two or three are gathered together in My name,
I will be there. So He is among us. Where the
truth is preached, His Word, sitting at His feet, He's here.
We gather together, He's here. When you read, open the book,
and the Holy Spirit takes the things of the book and speaks
them to your heart, you're sitting at the feet of Christ. When you
pray and petition Him and implore Him, you are sitting at the feet
of Christ. But let's look at this. To sit
at the feet of Christ, it indicates several things. Well, before
I do that, let me quote what Spurgeon said about what one
thing is needful. This and nothing less, this and
nothing more. That's what Mr. Spurgeon says
about sitting at the feet of Christ. Very needful, this and
nothing less, this and nothing more. To sit at Christ's feet,
as I said, indicates several things. First of all, a readiness
to believe, attend to, and delight in the Master's words. The fact
that what Mary was doing indicates that she had a readiness to believe,
She was a readiness to attend to and delight in the things
that Christ was about to speak. Now this is simply unnatural
to us. This is simply unnatural to us. The natural man, the natural
boy, the natural girl, the natural woman does not care about the
things of grace or the things of Christ. Their foolishness
is what 1 Corinthians 2.14 says. It's not natural. But here she is waiting in anticipation. She's at the Master's feet waiting
in attention, anticipation. But the contrary would be to
be at odds with one's words or to rebel against instruction
is certainly not indicated in the context by Mary's attitude
and actions. So therefore we must first be
made willing in God's day By God's power and by God's grace,
he must make us willing in the day of his power. This posture, this attitude,
this indication of Mary's position is not natural. Rather, the scripture
says that God resists the proud, but he has respect, and that
is saving respect, to the lowly. And if you want to write this
down, James chapter 4 verse 6, Psalms 138 verse 6 are just only
two of passages of scripture which indicate God resists, stiff
arms the proud. This posture that Mary shows,
this sitting by such a sinner as Mary was truly shows the power
of Christ's gospel upon sinners. We, in our natural condition,
are sinful and rebellious. The scripture says in John 6,
we will not come to God that we may have life or salvation
or enlightenment. But such a demeanor denotes one
who is humbled by the omnipotent. Secondly, one made contrite by
the will and authority of God in Christ Jesus. We must be reconciled first,
and then sweet and delight will accompany the faith that Mary
displayed. So I said, firstly, it indicates
a readiness to believe, attend, and delight in the masters. What
he's about ready to say. Mary, verse 38, Martha received
Christ into her house. She had a sister called Mary,
also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. Martha was cumbered
about with much serving and came to him and said, Lord, don't
you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? And he not
strictly, not harshly, but tenderly rebuked her. Martha, Martha,
you're careful and troubled about many things. And that is us.
But in any walk, any time, any situation in life, There's one
thing needful. There is the need of only one
thing. Secondly, to sit, as Mary did
here, indicates faith. She had faith. Mary believed
what Jesus said and therefore sat near to Him to grow, to learn,
and to lean upon the Savior. Without faith, says the scripture,
it is impossible to please God. If there's no faith, there's
no salvation. There's no true trust, there's
no true submission to the one who's God over all and in all. We trust, we have been given
faith to own that Christ is the God-man. He's all God and all
of man, and that he has satisfied all things against us, therefore
bringing us unto God by him. We trust. or have faith like
Mary that God has truly and completely redeemed us to God and by and
through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and only by the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We trust, we have faith in the
one who suffered in our place and brought us nigh unto God,
Ephesians chapter 2. And verse 13, that He, Christ,
actually put away our vile and corrupt sins by the sacrifice
of Himself. Hebrews 9, 26. This is faith. And without faith, you cannot
please God. So this posture indicates faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. She was seated at the feet of
Christ. not the feet of Peter, not the
feet of Joseph Smith, not the feet of the Pope, not the feet
of this pastor or this preacher or any other preacher. She sat
at Christ's feet because He's the only one that can give and
has the keys of eternal life, as Revelations tells us. Thirdly,
this sitting posture at Christ's feet indicates Discipleship. Discipleship. We are to, once
we have been called out by His grace, we are to evangelize His
name, His cause, and His gospel of truth to everyone, Matthew
28 verses 19 and 20 tells us. We know Him, or rather we're
known of Him. We treasure His doctrine. We
are always learning and desire to learn more of Christ. This,
that is discipleship, is as faith and a readiness to hear. The
one thing necessary, needful, or else we will perish. We cannot
be Christ and not be his disciples. So all of these go together.
They're separate. for ease in dissecting the scripture,
but they're all come together. You can't pick and choose one.
If He has chosen us, we are His. We have faith in Him. We attend
to what He says. We have a readiness to hear and
to obey, and we are His disciples. We must be converted and become
as little children that is his disciples or else we will not
inherit the kingdom. Matthew 18 verse 3 says that
we must be as little children and little children they sit
at their parents feet it shows Fourthly, the sitting that Mary
shows us, it indicates service. Now, this is a little bit different.
Say, well, Martha was the one serving the Lord. Was she? Martha, what she did
could be seen of men, and that's what modern religion does. They're
always doing something with their eye, not quite at the prize,
their eye looking to make sure their neighbors are watching
them, to make sure people are watching them. But I'll tell you this, Mary
was in the best position to serve the Lord. How say I, was Mary serving Christ
as well as Martha? I say yes, Martha was waiting
upon Christ and if he said something to her, it would have done anything
he asked. She is serving Christ by attending to his lofty words
and lofty office and position of a prophet teacher in the midst
of Israel. Oh, how joyful is any teacher. We've got two teachers here this
morning. We could ask how pleasant it
is for any teacher to have a full, undivided, attentive focus of
any student. You feel like, well, you're doing
something worthwhile. She, I say again, Mary, was also in the
fittest position for true service to the Master, because she was
sitting at His feet. Hithli. To sit at the Master's
feet indicates love. She sat there voluntarily, willfully,
and readily at Christ's feet surely shows forth her love to
Christ. His true words, soft words, words
full of purpose and grace, Remember, the scripture says, never a man
spake like this man. Blessed are those ears that hear
and is attentive and desires to hear more. Well, never a man
spake like this man and Mary was very well aware of this. Oh, we must be very well of this
as well. We must be fully convinced that
whatever we do, whatever we are, This must be the one thing needful
for us and each of us. Turn to Psalms chapter 19. One
of hundreds of verses. Psalms 19. Psalms 19 verse 9 and 10. The fear of the Lord is clean. enduring forever. The judgments
of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired
are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also
are these, the judgments, the words of God and Christ, than
honey and the honeycomb." Sounds like to me that sitting at the
feet of Christ is more important than gaining wealth. Sounds like
to me that sitting at the feet of Christ is even more important
than eating. Even the most precious foods
you can think of that you enjoy. Well, it shows forth the love. Now, you can turn a loop back
a chapter, loop chapter 8, two chapters. I tell you, the Gadarene
demoniac knew the same thing as well. He knew what was essential,
what was most necessary thing ever. Luke chapter 8, verse,
let's just start in verse 26. And they arrived at the country
of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And when Christ
went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain
man, which had devils long time and wear no clothes, neither
a boat in any house, but in the tomb. And when he saw Jesus,
he cried out and fell down before him with a loud voice, what have
I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of a man.
For oftentimes it had caught him and he was kept bound with
chains and in fetters and he'd break the bands and was driven
of the devil into the wilderness. And Jesus asked him, saying,
what is your name? And he said, Legion, because
many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that
Christ would not command them to go out into the deep. And
there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain.
And they besought him that Christ would suffer them to enter into
them. And Christ suffered them, commanded
them. He's sovereign. Our Lord is sovereign
overall, unquestionably so. And Mary knew that, and this
man's about ready to acknowledge this. Then went the devils out
of the man and entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently
down a steep place into the lake and were choked. When they that
fed these sheep saw what was done, they fled and went and
told it to the city and to the country. And when they went out
to see what was done, these folks that were told, they came to
Jesus and found a man out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Christ, clothed, and in his right mind,
and they were afraid. You see, the God that's preached
today, nobody fears, because they're just as powerful as him.
But when we preach on the authority of God's word, This Jesus Christ
who Mary sat at his feet and did that one thing needful, heard
his word. We preach him as he is in the
word, as he only is in the word. That's the only way people are
going to be saved is by hearing the truth about Christ and him
crucified. Not, there's no salvation in
this weak, mamby-pamby, weak-kneed, doormat named Jesus that's preached
today. There is not. Because He is not
the God of the Bible. He can save no one unless you
let Him. No, our God sits in the heavens
and Scripture says, does whatever He pleases. And He causes His
people to be broken and contrite and come to Him at his feet,
listening to these very words of truth. I am not preaching
anything, I am not to preach anything other than what this
book says. And I'm just telling it back. And this book tells
us of a keenly priest named Jesus Christ, who came to seek and
to save sinners, vile, corrupt, worms of the dust. But oh, this
Gadarene demoniac, he knew He knew something about sitting
at the feet of Christ. We have this book. We have someone
to teach us. May we fall at his feet as well.
Now, I want you to consider a few other things. I want you to consider
the wording of the text. Let's look back at our text in
Luke chapter 10. It is said here, and specifically
verse 42, but One thing is needful. That's
what we're going to look at. But, one thing is needful. The
first word I want us to notice is the word but. Now this word
suits any circumstance, any situation that we can think of. But I have
to work. I have to serve. I have to do
this. I have to do that. And you do.
It suits all circumstances. in situations in life. To the
lost, you go to work, you pay your bills, you pay your taxes,
you have to do that. As a good citizen, that's fine.
I'm not saying you don't have to do that. But, but, one thing
is needful. If you do not seek Christ first
of all, As the most necessary one, having life and love and
peace, you will perish in your sins. It matters not what excuse
you have or reasoning you use. But, but, one thing is needful. Look and live, trust and bow
to his kingly claims, to the redeemed. We can never look to
him enough or long enough. We're surrounded by the flesh,
we're surrounded by this world and the lust of the eyes, but
I tell you, but, but, but, return to Him, continue to see Him,
to sit at His feet and hear His word, His fellowship, His gospel,
be with His people. But one thing is needful. It
doesn't make any difference how seasoned you are in grace. This
is always the same, but. One thing is necessary. No matter
if you're rich or poor, low or high, fast or slow, He must be
the only thing needful for all other occupations and titles
and positions are of much lesser necessity. Now they are of necessity. We've got to take care of our
body. We've got to do things. We've got to take care of our
homes if we have homes. We've got to be responsible. I am not
saying not to be responsible. But in all your responsibility,
remember this, but one thing is essential. One thing is necessary. Plus, when you seek Him, says
the Scriptures, I believe it's Matthew 6, when you seek Him
first, He will supply all your needs in Christ Jesus. That's
Philippians 4.19. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God. I think that's
Matthew 6, Matthew 11, but I know Philippians 4, 19, He will supply
all of our needs in Christ Jesus. Our needs, not our wants. Not
our wants, our needs. If you're religious, like Martha,
a believer, but you get cumbered about with much serving, I tell
you to stop and look to Him. Sit at His feet. Sit at His feet. If you're non-religious, like
Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4, who walked out on his porch
and said, this is Babylon that I've done. No, this is Babylon that God
has created. So whatever your reason you may
give or whatever excuse I can say unto you and to me, pastor,
well, I've studied to get ready. That's fine. Starting to get
ready for Wednesday, starting to get ready for Sunday. But I have no excuse. You have no excuse. Whatever
reason you may give or excuse you may have, I can tell you
and tell me, but one thing is always needful. The grass will get cut eventually. The house will get fixed eventually. What's more important, that or
gathering together? What's more important, to see
a brother you haven't seen in a while and the physical exchange
and the hugging and the shaking of hands and the smile? That
is one thing needful. The second word is needful, or
of necessity is how it is in the Greek. We work, we plan,
we organize, and rightly so. But never forget, never allow
such things to overcome that one thing needful. Take time
out, sit at Christ's feet, read his word, hear his gospel, fellowship
with the brethren. It's needful. All else must pale
in comparison to this. As Spurgeon said, necessity overrules
all else. And I wish I truly believed that.
And I look at you and I wish you totally believed that. But
we still have the flesh and we still have sin. We still have
desires. We still have wants. But this is one thing needful.
Needful. I got something here in the back
of my Bible. Yeah. I've got my study Bible, but
I've got these mantras or whatever, just some things that kind of
keep me looking. Matthew Henry said this, in all
our choices, this principle should overrule us. That is best for
us is that which is best for our souls. Simple. You got a job that's going to
take you away from the gospel? Is that the best for your soul? That which is best for us is
that which is best for our souls. Now I understand you have to
work and we have to feed her. I understand all that and you
know I keep repeating that. So as not to offend, but I do
know this, there's one thing needful. And if this principle
was center in our choices Maybe we'd be so miserable, or as Don
Fortner would say, we would experience more of the joy of living and
believing Christ, however you want to phrase it, however you
want to say it. That which is best for your soul, I tell you
again, is to sit at the feet of Christ whenever you can and
how often you can, gathering together. Thirdly, the third word is one
thing. There's one thing, not two, not
three, not Christ plus something, not Christ plus your good works,
not Christ plus your decision, not Christ plus your baptism.
One thing needful. You come to the feet of Christ
and you learn of Him, then you'll want to know what must I do to
be saved. And you'll say, okay, well, believe
and be baptized. You and your whole house. You'll
say, okay, I'm going to follow the Lord in baptism. That's just
obedience. But you'll learn that at the feet of Christ. Not two or three things, as Spurgeon
said, usually dividing things weakens the whole. God and mammon? What does Matthew 6 verse 24
say, if you love one? you'll hate the other. Now, Melinda
and I were talking about this yesterday. We hear people, she
used to hear people say at work, and I've heard it as well, they
are proud and they say they're good multitaskers, which means
they're average at best or below average at anything and everything.
Oh, I can multitask. The human studies show the human
mind, you can't do it. You cannot do it. You may be
able to listen to four or five things, but you're only grasping
one thing at a time. We humans cannot do it. We were
meant to worship, love, and adore the true and living God, one. That's why the Mormons have it
all wrong. Polygamy? No. One husband, one wife. It just makes sense. Jesus only
is the saint's motto. Jesus only is the saint's motto.
Lastly, this word, this little word here, but one thing is,
is, not shall be, but sitting at Christ's feet is the one thing. One thing is right now. Children now. Teenagers now. Middle-agers now. Us old folks now. Like I say, this passage of Scripture
can apply to the believer and unbeliever universally. One thing needful. I don't care
if you... Well, what are the excuses? Christ
said, go out and invite them in. And listen to the excuses.
I've got to get married. I got a check on my field that
I just bought?" He said, you know what? It's like the Jews. You reject me, I reject you. Go everywhere and invite people
to come in because this one thing is not needful. It's fifth, sixth,
seventh down the line. We have a hunger and thirst after
righteousness because we're at the feet of Christ and He's put
it there. I'm telling you, we cannot get any higher class than
this, to learn of Christ and to worship Christ, to fully trust
Him, to be like Him, to return to Him and come to Him. And I
pray that the Holy Spirit would be pleased to cause us this very
day, if we have not bowed to Christ, that we would come to
Christ and sit at His feet and hear His Word. Hear His Word. I said something to one of the
preachers I was talking to this week, and I said, when we stand
up here and preach, I really want to be invisible. I don't
want you to see me, I want you to see Christ. To sit at Christ's feet and to
hear His Word. That is, I like the amplified,
that is There is need of only one thing. And if you have Christ, you have
all. To God be the glory. Bruce, would
you close us?