Lessons from Mary & Martha

SEND InternationalMember Orientation ProgramJuly 6-18, 2014

Spiritual Formation

1

Chris and DaniellaJonesChris and LeanneHarringtonEd and MarluVencioRandy and AndreaVan MeterNathan & MaryahWoernerGenna & ArmieFriesenRyan & BethanyReedyFawnUprightCelebration of DisciplineInward DisciplinesMeditationPrayerFastingStudy

Outward DisciplinesSimplicitySolitudeSubmissionService

Richard FosterCorporate DisciplinesConfessionWorshipGuidanceCelebration

3The Spiritual DisciplinesInward DisciplinesWe abstain to some degree and for some time from the satisfaction of what we generally regard as normal and legitimate desires.Solitude We purposefully abstain from interaction with other human beings, denying ourselves companionship and all that comes from our conscious interaction with others.Silence We close ourselves off from sounds, whether those sounds be noise, music or words.Fasting We abstain in some significant way from food and possibly drink as well.Frugality We abstain from using money or goods at our disposal in ways that merely gratify our desires or our hunger for status, glamour, or luxury. Dallas Willard4The Spiritual DisciplinesInward DisciplinesChastity We purposefully turn away from dwelling upon or engaging in the sexual dimension of our relationships to others even our husbands or wives. Secrecy We abstain from causing our good deeds or qualities to be known.Sacrifice We abstain from the possession or enjoyment of what is necessary for our living not, as in frugality . . . the discipline of sacrifice is one in which we forsake the security of meeting our needs with what is in our hands. It is total abandonment to God, a stepping into the darkened abyss in the faith and hope that God will bear us up.Dallas Willard5The Spiritual DisciplinesOutward DisciplinesThese disciplines of action provide the power for growth and development in the spiritual life.Study We engage ourselves in the written word of God. This includes reading, hearing, inquiring and meditating on what comes before us. We withdraw into silence where we prayerfully and steadily focus upon it. Worship We engage ourselves with, dwell upon, and express the greatness, beauty, and goodness of God though thought and the use of words, rituals, and symbols. We do this alone as well as in union with Gods people. Celebration We enjoy ourselves, our life, our world, in conjunction with our faith and confidence in Gods greatness, beauty, and goodness. We concentrate on our life and world as Gods work and as Gods gift to us. Dallas Willard6The Spiritual DisciplinesOutward DisciplinesService We engage our goods and strength in the active promotion of the food of others and the causes of God in our world. It is to serve another with the purpose of training myself away from arrogance, possessiveness, envy, resentment, or covetousness. In that case my service is undertaken as a discipline for the spiritual life.Prayer When we pray we talk to God, aloud or within our thoughts.Fellowship We engage in common activities of worship, study, prayer, celebration, and service with other disciples.Dallas Willard7The Spiritual DisciplinesOutward DisciplinesConfession We let trusted others know our deepest weaknesses and failures.Submission We engage the experience of those in our fellowship who are qualified to direct our efforts in growth and who then add the weight of their wise authority on the side of our willing spirit to help us do the things we would like to do and refrain from the things we dont want to do.

Dallas Willard8Philippians 3:8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Pauls everything: If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. Whats your everything?9Intimacy with the SaviorNothing is as important in all of the orientation that we can give you during these days in MOP as to remind you and impress upon you how absolutely critical this is to your life and ministry.Nothing will be easier to let slide in your life and ministry as a missionary than a consistent, daily pursuit of intimacy with Christ.Nothing will have as great an impact on your effectiveness as a missionary.Nothing is more difficult for your mission leadership or other team members to monitor or hold you accountable for than the level of your intimacy with Christ.

10Priorities of a MissionaryGodFamilyMinistryChurchTeamNeighborsEtc.

Growing Intimacy with GodMy ChurchMy NeighborhoodMy FamilyMy MinistryMy Team11Habakkuk 3:17-18Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.Luke 10:17, 20The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." (Jesus replied) . . . do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

12The Central Importance of the Spiritual Life of a MissionaryDr. Wesley L. DeuwelThe central importance of the spiritual life of the missionary is something we all agree with yet all too often we take it for granted and do very little about it. I mention but two examples:

1. How carefully do we check the personal experience of the Holy Spirit in our candidates?How much do they know of the infilling of the Spirit?Of the guidance of the Spirit?Of the Spirits help in intercessory prayer?Of the Spirits anointing in their ministry?How much do they know of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, their home lives, and their work lives?

13The Central Importance of the Spiritual Life of a MissionaryDr. Wesley L. Deuwel2. How much do we check the personal prayer life of our candidates?How much do they experience of the joy and sweetness of communion with Jesus?How regularly and how long do they commune?How much of an intercessory prayer life have they been maintaining?How do they plan their intercession?How much do they know by personal experience of prevailing in prayer?Of prayer burden-bearing?Of prayer warfare?14The Central Importance of the Spiritual Life of a MissionaryDr. Wesley L. DeuwelIs there a conflict between our Western mind-set and spiritual priorities? Our American values are so ingrained in our thinking that we are almost totally focused on improving performance, how-to manuals, the latest equipment, and the psychologically better way. There need be no conflict, but before we realize it the visible takes precedence over the invisible, the how-to becomes more exciting, seemingly more urgent, and less demanding than waiting on God. It is more tempting and easy to arrange a seminar on some better method, than to bring people to a retreat to wait on God.

15The Central Importance of the Spiritual Life of a MissionaryDr. Wesley L. DeuwelOur Western mental mind-set tends to make us forget that we go to our mission assignments, especially in the early years, as learners, listeners, sharers B not as the latest trained expert bringing the latest answers. The deep experience of the Spirit must smite our ultra-independent spirit and teach us our total dependence on God and our place as a member of the body of Christ in which we are all constantly mutually interdependent members of one another.

16The Central Importance of the Spiritual Life of a MissionaryDr. Wesley L. DeuwelI am not depreciating the instruments we have developed for the evaluation of our candidates, nor the splendid seminar materials which we keep developing. I am not opposed to them. It is just so easy to become totally out of balance; the priority emphasis in the New Testament is upon the spiritual life and the developing of the spiritual life.17Overview of Spiritual Formation

GodFallen manCreationFall

JustificationGlorificationSanctificationDivine Human CooperativePromise

BornFaithBorn AgainDeathorRaptureProcess of becoming holyThe Christian Life & Intimacy with the SaviorHanging on to God as my refuge during the stormsStress and suffering growing meResisting temptationPower for ministry, for witnessFruitfulnessEffective prayer life Relying on God rather than myself Dying to selfLonging for Christs return while wholeheartedly servingMotivation to give myself fully to Gods kingdom workYieldedness to the Holy Spirits work in my life A diminishing thirst for the things of the worldJoyfulness during painful and discouraging timesLoving my wife unconditionallyBalancing the multitude of demands on my timeDealing with the fears that plague meA diminishing hunger for the praise of menConsistent, meaningful time in the Word20The Process of Spiritual Formation

Luke 10:38-42 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."22Lessons from Mary & MarthaMary has chosen what is better.Jesus established a priority system. He compared how Mary had chosen to spend her time at that moment with how Martha had chosen to spend her time.

Principle: Communing with Jesus is a higher priority than serving him.

23Lessons from Mary & MarthaMartha loved the Savior also, but was distracted.She opened her home to Jesus.She was serving Him. Preparations = much serviceDistracted = drawn away by the burden of her duties.

Principle: our ministry can draw us away from Jesus

24Lessons from Mary & MarthaMartha was worried and upset.Worried = same word as the command care for one another in 1 Cor. 12:25.Upset = same word as the riot in Acts 17.1st word Marthas concern for taking care of Jesus.2nd word Marthas emotional outburst at Mary

Principle: Even genuine concern for another can distract from an intimate relationship with God.

25Lessons from Mary & MarthaThe problem was not in what Martha was doing, but that she was distracted from something more important by what she was doing.She was doing the right things. She opened her home to Jesus. She was serving him as a guest.Sometimes its the right things that get in the way of the most important things.The distraction caused Marthas heart to not be in the right place.What was most important at that time was spending time with Jesus.

Principle: We must learn to be sensitive to the Spirit in each situation and make the best decision for how to use our time moment by moment.

26Godly Servants: Discipleship and Spiritual Formation for MissionariesDavid TeagueFor centuries, people have felt that contemplation is superior to action. Since at least the time of Eusebius (c. 263 c. 339), the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 has been interpreted in a way that denigrates workplace spirituality. Mary, who listens quietly to Jesus does the right thing, while Martha, who works in the kitchen, is seen as being unspiritual. Eusebius taught that Christ allows us two ways of life: the perfect life, which is dedicated to contemplation and is available to such spiritual elites as priests and monastics, while the permitted life is for the rest of us in the ordinary world. Eusebius believed in a spiritual hierarchy.

In the story of Mary and Martha, however, Jesus does not imply that prayer is superior to work; rather, he is pointing out the needy state of Marthas heart. He does not tell Martha, Get out of the kitchen! Rather, he encourages her to focus on God. She had become too obsessed with the meal. Eusebius interpretation was simply wrong.

27Godly Servants: Discipleship and Spiritual Formation for MissionariesDavid TeagueEusebius false dichotomy between prayer and work explains why Protestant missionaries often react negatively to contemplative spirituality. Missionaries are often task-orientated people. We tend to be psychologically wired for action more than contemplation. I have often heard comments such as, Contemplative praying is impractical. I dont have the time to pray like that.

Actually, contemplative spirituality is more a matter of love than of time. There is something very valuable to it, if we properly understand it. Instead of worrying about the quantity of our prayers, we should focus on the quality of our relationship with God. When we approach our spirituality like this, it affirms our work in the kitchen because we know we will also sit at Jesus feet when we need. 28Godly Servants: Discipleship and Spiritual Formation for MissionariesDavid TeagueAction-orientated leaders need a spirituality that works for them. We find it, not by feeling guilty because we do not pray in a retreat center all day. We find it by keeping our hearts fresh with God. If our work begins to affect our relationship with God, then we know we need to seek personal renewal. But if our hearts are right with God, then our work itself will naturally become a form of prayer. This is what St. Benedict meant when he taught, To work is to pray. And this, too, is the central idea behind a workplace spirituality.

Teague, David (2012-04-24). Godly Servants: Discipleship and Spiritual Formation for Missionaries (pp. 48-50). Mission Imprints. Kindle Edition. 29Prayer from Ken Gires Intimate MomentsDear Savior at whose feet I now sit, When you knock on the door to my heart, what is it you are looking for? What is it you want? Is it not to come in to dine with me ? Is it not for fellowship ? And yet, so often, where do you find me? At your feet? No. In the kitchen. How many times have I become distracted and left you there. . .sitting. . .waiting. . .longing? What is so important about my kitchenful of preparations that draws me away from you? How can they seem so trivial now and yet so urgent when I'm caught up in them? Forgive me for being so much distracted by my preparations and so little attracted by your presence. For being so diligent in my duties and so negligent in my devotion. For being so quick to my feet and so slow to yours. 30Prayer from Ken Gires Intimate MomentsHelp me to understand that it is an intimate moment you seek from me, not an elaborate meal. Guard my heart this day from the many distractions that vie for my attention. And help me to fix my eyes on you. Not on my rank in the kingdom, as did the disciples. Not on the finer points of theology, as did the scribes. Not on the sins of others, as did the Pharisees. Not on a place of worship, as did the woman at the well. Not on the budget, as did Judas. But on you. Bring me out of the kitchen, Lord. Bid me come to your feet. And there may I thrill to sit and adore you. ... 31Final CommentsMartha & MaryChoose what Jesus says is better. Dont let it be taken from you.Working for the King vs. time with the KingThe challenge of time w/God in ministry/missionsDoing devotions vs. communing with JesusThe discipline of setting time aside for God is a means to the end of intimacy with Him that impacts every aspect of my life.When you struggle with guilt, let it drive you to grace.Ask God . . .To change your heart so that you value time with Him.For the power to resolve to nurture your relationship with Him above all thingsAcknowledge your complete dependence on God for both the willing and the doingDevelop a plan; be intentional, proactive32