Choosing the Better Way
Choosing the Better Way
By Pastor Ron Smith
Text: Luke 10:38-42 KJV
38 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.
How many know it is good thing to receive Jesus into your house, yes it is a good a thing to receive Him into your heart, into mind and into your life. But just like Martha even though we have received Him into our house and our hearts, we get distracted with many things and fail to choose the Better Way.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
She sat at His feet… this not just anybody’s feet but the feet of God come in the flesh….
And she heard the word from the Word…
We need to put worship before work…
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.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good [better] part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Martha. She has an important guest. A very important guest. Jesus has come to her home. Not just anybody’s home, but He has come to Her home. Normally Jewish teachers did not come to the home of a woman to teach, yet we find Jesus here in the home Mary and Martha teaching the Word. This lets me know that Jesus wasn’t worried about the social customs and traditions of His day, but he was on a mission from the Father to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus had to be about His Father’s business, so He didn’t have time to get caught up in cultural prejudice, gender prejudice, racial prejudice, religious prejudice or denominational prejudices.
Jesus was full of love and the Father had anointed Him with the Holy Ghost and with power and Jesus went about doing good healing ALL, who were oppressed of devil. Jesus ministered to all. He does not care who you are, whether you are a man or a woman, black or white, rich or poor, but Jesus has come to teach you the better way and make your life better in every way.
This is very important to Martha. Martha wants everything to be just right. The house, the food, everything should be perfect. She may never have this chance again. And she wanted to impress the Master. But how many of you know you don’t have impress the Master, but what you really need to do is sit at the Master’s feet and let Him make an impression on you.
But, Mary sits at his feet soaking in his teaching. Sitting at his feet. Listening to his teaching.
But what does Jesus do? Jesus tells Martha that she, Martha is too busy, too distracted to see what really matters. Jesus says, “There is need of only one thing.” Mary understands that. Mary chose the better part. Mary chooses the better way.
I wonder how many of you in here today after hearing a message like this will choose the Better Way.
(Prov 16:16 KJV) How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Some of us are distracted by money and the things that money can buy,
Money can buy houses and lands, but it cannot purchase for you a Mansion in New Jerusalem the Crystal City of Heaven, but sitting at the feet of Jesus can, that’s choosing the better way,
Money can buy fine clothes, but it cannot purchase for you the Robe of Righteousness, but sitting at the feet of Jesus can, that’s choosing the Better Way,
Money can buy expensive vacations, but it cannot purchase for you a trip to the Eternal Paradise of God, but sitting at the feet of Jesus can, that’s choosing the Better Way,
Money can buy sex, but it cannot purchase for you true love, but sitting at the feet of Jesus can, that’s choosing the Better Way,
Money can even buy for you a golden casket to bury you in when you die, but it cannot purchase for you the Gift of Eternal Life, but sitting at the feet of Jesus can, and that’s choosing the Better Way.
So, Jesus has come into our house to make our lives better in every way, He has come to teach us divine wisdom to choose the better way.
(Prov 3:13 KJV) Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
(Prov 3:14 KJV) For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
(Prov 3:15 KJV) She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
(Prov 3:16 KJV) Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
(Prov 3:17 KJV) Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
(Prov 3:18 KJV) She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
(Prov 3:19 KJV) The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
Where does wisdom come from, it comes from sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His word.
God’s way is better, and life just goes better when we live by the wisdom Jesus.
In the old Testament and under the old Covenant the people of God failed miserably trying to obey the Law of God. As hard as they tried, they just could not keep the law nor covenant that had been given to them by Moses. So God the Father, sent His Son Jesus to set up a more excellent way. A Better Way!
(John 1:17 KJV) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
In Hebrew Chapter 8 the bible gives us to know that Jesus came with a more excellent ministry than what Moses had and He brought us a New Covenant and now He is he is the Mediator of a better covenant, which is established upon better promises.
Moses covenant was a covenant of Law and Condemnation,
But Jesus’ Covenant is a Covenant of Grace and Forgiveness.
Let turn in our bibles to Heb 8:6-13
(Heb 8:6 KJV) But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
(Heb 8:7 KJV) For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
(Heb 8:8 KJV) For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
(Heb 8:9 KJV) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
(Heb 8:10 KJV) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
(Heb 8:11 KJV) And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
(Heb 8:12 KJV) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
(Heb 8:13 KJV) In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Jesus came with a new and a better covenant established on better promises, to make our lives better in every way.
The Pharisees did not understand the Better Way of Jesus’ New Covenant of Grace and Forgiveness and so they devise a plan whereby they would trap Jesus and accuse him of teaching doctrines contrary to Law Moses. So they went out caught a woman in the act of adultery…and we find the story in John 8:3-11
John 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
With Jesus Mercy Rejoices over Judgment…(the Better Way)
The Devil would have us to be vindictive, judgmental, mean and unforgiving…
But when we sit at Jesus feet and hear His word, He teaches us the Better Way…What is the Better Way…
…Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy…
…Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven…
Look at your neighbor and say in Christ Jesus there is always a better way.
Heaven is better than Hell…
Righteous is better than Sin…
Love is better than Hatred…
Forgiveness is better than Un-forgiveness…
Giving of Thanks is better than Murmuring and Complaining…
Cooperation is better than Competition…
Agreement is better than Disagreement…
Unity is better than Disunity…
(Eccl 7:1 KJV) A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
(Eccl 7:2 KJV) It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
(Eccl 7:3 KJV) Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
(Eccl 7:4 KJV) The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
(Eccl 7:5 KJV) It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
(Eccl 7:6 KJV) For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
(Eccl 7:7 KJV) Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
(Eccl 7:8 KJV) Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Jesus is the Better Way, His Words, His Will, His Ways are just Better…
Friend will you receive Him today and let Him make your life Better in every way…?
Let Us Pray….
Lord Jesus Your Way is the Better Way…
I confess it’s the Best Way….
Come into my life…
and teach me the Better Way of how to live…
the Better Way of how to think positively, not negatively…
the Better Way of how to respond and react to life’s situations…
the Better Way of how to live in agreement, not disagreement…
the Better Way of how to live in unity and not disunity…
the Better Way of how to live in forgiveness, not unforgiveness…
the Better Way of how to live in holiness, not impurity…
the Better Way of how to live in good stewardship, not wasteful…
the Better Way of how to speak the Word only, not my feelings…
the Better Way of how to live in love, not hatred…
the Better Way of how to live in hope, not despair…
the Better Way of how to live by faith, not doubt…
the Better Way of how to live by Grace, not in legalism…
the Better Way of how to live in the Spirit, not in the flesh…
In Jesus’ Name AMEN.
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