1. The Focus of a True Disciple
Luke 10:38-42

2. “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life”
Psalm 27:4
Ps 27:4 - “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life”
Luke 9:62 - the focus of the true disciple must always be toward the one he follows
As we sit here this morning I want you to be thinking about your life, what have you demonstrated? Where is your focus? Are you a true disciple?

3. Where is your focus?

4. Luke 10 begins to describe the last 6 months of Jesus’ ministry
This section of Luke focuses on Jesus’ teaching and preparing of His disciples
The message He delivers is radical, life-shaping and counter- cultural
OUR TEXT IN ITS CONTEXT
This begins an interesting section in the book of Luke. With this account we are entering into the last 6 months of Jesus’s ministry
This six months, as far as Luke’s telling, emphasizes the teaching ministry of Jesus
There will be little to no emphasis on miracles, Luke will barely even speak of locations and times, instead we see Jesus teaching His disciples how to think like a true Follower of Jesus
This is the final semester of preparation for His disciples/Apostles before they begin the work of taking the Gospel to the world
This message is radical, its life shaping, its counter-cultural, and often counter-intuitive
We begin with a seemingly benign account, which actually discounts several cultural norms and end with the voluntary death of Jesus followed by the greatest miracle ever performed; the resurrection of Jesus from the dead

5. A SINGLE FOCUS Applications, principles and direction A single message
We find this message by first hearing the Word of God and then applying that needed Word to every aspect of our lives
A SINGLE FOCUS
The Bible is a rich text filled with applications, principles and directions
However this rich text tells one story, has a single message, that is intended to become the life that we live
We find this message by first hearing the Word of God and then applying that needed Word to every aspect of our lives

6. THE DISTRACTED AND THE HUNGRY
Martha “welcomed Him into her home”
The context might place special significance on “welcome” (Luke 10:1-16)
Calling Jesus Lord, further indicates Martha was a believer
SETTING THE SCENE
“Martha welcomed Him into her home” - vs. 38
Martha literally means “mistress” as in the Mistress of the house
Most likely she is the oldest of the sisters as she is always listed first
Perhaps she was widowed, at any rate it is “her home”
In the context of this section of Luke, we might place special significance on this idea of “welcomed”
Lk 10: Those who welcome the 70 are those who listen to the words of Jesus,
“Welcomed them into her home” is Luke for “believer”
vs. 40 “Lord” - why call the carpenters son from Nazareth Lord if you do not believe the message that he is teaching

7. THE DISTRACTED AND THE HUNGRY
“seated at the Lord’s feet” contrary to all social conventions and standards
Mary’s only focus was on Jesus
She “hungered and thirsted for righteousness”
MARY - THE HUNGRY DISCIPLE
“Seated at the Lord’s feet” - this little detail does not have much meaning to us until we realize that this was out of bounds behavior in Jewish society at the time.
The expectation of the days would have been for the women to busy themselves serving the men while they listened to Jesus
The Rabbis would only allow a woman to stand in the back or in a woman’s section, never would they be up front or seated at their feet, some Rabbis even went to far as to say it was useless to teach a woman
The point here seems to be that Mary was enraptured with the opportunity to the point that she forgot all else and acted based on her single focus - Jesus
There are people that treat the Word of God and opportunities to hear it proclaimed like a third helping of desert - great on rare occasion, likely to make them uncomfortable and no big deal if we miss out
Martha was just the opposite - she was hungering and thirsting after righteousness

8. THE DISTRACTED AND THE HUNGRY
What Martha was doing, was good
She became distracted by what was GOOD, because she was not focussed on what was BEST
“Do you not care” - Her distraction quickly took the form of self-centeredness
MARTHA - THE DISTRACTED SERVANT
What Martha was doing was good!
We are commanded to be hospitable (Rom 12:13), to show kindness to strangers (1Pet 4:10)
A woman is to be a keeper of the home (Titus 2:4-5)
She became distracted with what was good because she was not focussed on what was best!
Martha literally allowed “good” things to drag her away from the “best” thing
There is much “good” that both individual and churches might find themselves doing that might drag them away from what is “best”
This distraction, this loss of focus, so twisted her perspective of events that she asked the Lord the most unbelievable question
“Do you not care” - Her distraction quickly took the form of self-centeredness
The lesson here is plain - if we are not properly focussed on the Lord our shortcomings quickly take over regardless of our intentions or how “good” our new focus is

9. Martha - Pulled away by a loss of focus?
WHO DO YOU RELATE TO?
Martha - Pulled away by a loss of focus?
Mary - Completely focused on Jesus?
Is this the question we should ask?
FOCUSING ON JESUS
WHICH PERSON IN THIS STORY DO YOU RELATE TO THE MOST?
Of the people in this text who do you see yourself reflected in?
Are you more like Martha?
Are you more like Mary?
Is this the proper focus?

10. Peter and his rash behavior?
WHO DO YOU RELATE TO?
Peter and his rash behavior?
James and John and their impatience?
Are we distracted by the desire to see ourselves in a comfortable light?
As we read the Bible, are we reading with an eye out to see who I can relate to? Who shares my personality?
We often speak of Peter as being someone we can identify with, because he is a bit rash, a bit more likely to say the wrong thing, to make the obvious mistake
We read about the sons of thunder and we identify with their impatience and frustration
Are we being distracted from the point by the desire to see ourselves in a comfortable light?
The point we should focus on is Jesus
What does Jesus teach us in this passage? “only one thing is necessary”
What does Jesus teach us as Peter is denying Him? The service of God leads us to despise (think nothing of) the shame
What doe Jesus teach us as James and John call for judgment on the Samaritans? Patience and love are needful in a sinful world

11. Hear Him
The incarnation allows us to see the divine nature navigate this life
The value of the examples left by Moses, Elijah, etc. is found in comparing them to Christ (Matt17:5)
Our ultimate goal is not only to be with him, but to be made like him, this life is to reflect this goal (Phil 3:20-21)
HEAR HIM
The incarnation provided the most unique opportunity man could hope for to see the divine nature demonstrate how to navigate this life
Matt 17:5 - The transfiguration demonstrated the authority of Jesus, but we see our point in this encounter
Yes we can learn valuable lessons from Moses and Elijah and a host of other examples both good and bad throughout scripture
However at the end of the day the value of their example is found by comparing them to the perfect example found in Jesus Christ
In Jesus perfect example we see clearly all of our needs, faults and shortcomings.
Phil 4: Our ultimate goal is not only to be with him but to be made like him, this life is to reflect this goal
Our driving focus must be Jesus, in our Bible study, in our meditation, and in our interactions in this life

12. His assessment is simple - they are nothing
That I May Know Him
Paul’s distracted view of his life is full of accomplishments about which he could boast
His assessment is simple - they are nothing
Instead his focus is on Jesus
Phil 3: Paul takes a glimpse of his life from the distracted perspective and notices all of the “accomplishments” about which he might boast
His assessment of those things is simple - they are nothing, of no value, worthless
All that he sees as having value in this life is simple - “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection”
If we really want to see the difference between what we are at present and what we need to be we must look to Jesus