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Sabbath 4-16-2016 Edgewater Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Keith “ A Full Bucket” Luke 10;38-42
A few years ago, a writer for the Washington Post was asked to participate in a work group to study the reading habits of the Post’s target audience. The writer was hoping to validate her work group’s assumption that the reason for the decline in newspaper sales was that people just didn’t have time to read the paper anymore. People were far too busy for that. But a Professor Robinson disagreed and told the writer that her team’s conclusion couldn’t be accurate because today, in twenty-first-century North America—you, and me, and all the other potential readers of the Washington Post—have upwards of thirty hours of leisure time each week. The writer was shocked. Thirty hours of leisure time each week? What planet did Mr. Robinson live on? Certainly not Earth. On this planet, we have deadlines. On this planet, we have to-do lists. On this planet, we have obligations and meetings and projects to complete. We have laundry to fold. Lawns to mow. Dogs that need to be walked. Twitter feeds to check. We have places to go. People to see. Things to do. Here on planet Earth, we are busy. Thirty hours of leisure time a week. Yeah, right. What a ridiculous thing to say.
But then we’ve heard other ridiculous things said before. Like this: You can have life that is truly life, and you can have it in abundance. Or this: Whatever your burdens are, you can lay them down. You can pick up freedom and peace in exchange. That’s just crazy, right? How about this: For every six days you work, you can take the seventh one off. You can actually do nothing but rest, for an entire, twenty-four-hour period. Or this: If your soul is weary, it can be replenished. If you’re feeling deflated, you can abound in hope. Replenished? Abounding in hope? At rest and at peace?
Who in their right mind would say such crazy things!? Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The Bible is full of practical advice on how we can live a more abundant, uncluttered, and simplified life… but simplified living is not about simply doing less… It’s about being who God has called us to be. Simplified living requires more than just organizing your closets or cleaning out your desk drawer. It requires uncluttering your soul… simplified living requires putting lower importance on the things that keep us busy and distracted and depleted, and a higher importance on those things that matter most. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, in the busy-ness of the things that in the big picture, really just don’t matter very much.
Our scripture today tells of one such person in Luke 10:38-42. Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Apparently, Jesus has dropped in on His friends unannounced. He feels comfortable in their friendship and stops by for some replenishing time.
Mary’s response:
Goes with the flow, and pulls up a chair…
“Glad you stopped by…”
Catching up – listening to Jesus
Martha’s response:
Mean mugging- clearing her voice *wooden spoon
clanging pots and pans
Finally… Don’t you care?
Jesus response:
Martha Martha
Here for good company
could have multiplied fishes and loaves
wine at the banquet
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Have you ever felt like Martha in this story? So overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility that you miss out on the blessings of God? How full is you bucket? What depletes you? Jesus told Martha to un-plug from the distractions of the things that matter less, pull up a chair, and focus on something more important.
*** Five Keys to Re-filling Your Bucket
1, *Connecting With God
Surely you’ve seen a picture of Michelangelo’s most famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, “The Creation of Adam.” Michelangelo portrays God and Adam with their hands outstretched toward one another. God is leaning and straining toward Adam, His fingertips almost touching Adam’s hand. Adam’s hand is much more relaxed, almost as if he doesn’t care- not nearly as intent as the hand of God. The very hand of God – reaching for the hand of man. Now imagine Adam’s hand reaching out another six inches, grabbing firmly ahold of God’s hand. That image captures the single biggest bucket-filler for the Christian – being firmly hand-in-hand with God.
Because when I’m really connected with God, I’m far less concerned with other people’s opinions of me, or their plans and expectations on my life. I’m quicker to stay on God’s agenda when I remain hand-in-hand with the One who plans and purposes my life. Perhaps you’ve never really connected with God. Let me challenge you today: Reach out your hand to Him. He loves you. And He will grasp any humble hand that comes His way. Maybe you have withheld your hand from His and today is the day that you need to say, God, I need you in my life.” He will become a replenishing force for you.
2, *Family
A second replenisher is family.; its a huge one. Family looks different for everyone.
Psalm 127:3-5a says…..
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;” Children are a gift from God. If you’re too busy for your children and your grandchildren, you’re too busy! Your family can be a major replenishing factor in your life.
3. *Satisfying Work
Ecclesiastes 5:18 “This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them”
--- is your work rewarding? If not, prayerfully consider…
---Mike Spearl gave up his good job to go into ministry…
4. *Recreation
Recreation means to re-create – for me, music, being on the water (nature), baseball.
---We need to re-create energy and vitality into our souls if we are going to have anything to offer anyone else… and don’t feel guilty about it!
---What fills your bucket? Reading; gardening; Golf; cooking; camping; stamp collecting; what ever it is… make room for recreation in your life
5. *Exercise and Nutrition
Read any study on the topic of what adds energy and vitality to your life, and you’ll find that most experts agree: exercise and proper rest patterns are high on the list. This gives about a 20% energy increase in an average day. And simply eating nutrition-packed meals and getting an appropriate amount of sleep will help to keep your energy buckets full.
As we begin this series on living the simplified life, the first step is to begin each day with a full bucket. And the 1st step in learning to fill your bucket is in identifying the things that drain us. We can ask God to help us identify those things that cause us to run on empty. What inner hunger are you feeding that should be fed in healthier ways? What activities in our lives should be pruned – or eliminated altogether? Is there someone we are trying to please? The 2nd step in filling your bucket is in identifying the things that fill us… this will be different for everyone. What are the replenishing people, dynamics, and activities that you KNOW will fill you up when you’ve gotten low in the tank? What things work uniquely for you? Don’t worry about how to fit in in your schedule, we’ll talk about that next week.
According to one time management study, we spend 6 months waiting for the traffic light to turn green and another 8 months reading junk mail. These unusual statistics should cause us to do some time-use evaluation. Once we recognize that simple "life maintenance" can chip away at our time in such huge blocks, we will see how vital it is that we don't busy ourselves "in vain" (Ps 39:6). Psalm 39 gives us some perspective. In David's complaint to God, he said, "You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You" vs 5. He meant that to an eternal God our time on earth is brief. And He doesn't want us to waste it.
Then the challenge is to identify those things that bring you the most joy, the deepest sense of God’s pleasure with your life. Maybe ventures you’ve never done before but always wanted to try – maybe activities you used to enjoy, but let slide. What is it that fills your bucket? If you are searching your mind and coming up blank, think of the five keys to filling your bucket…
Connecting with God
Family
Satisfying Work
Recreation
Exercise and nutrition
May the Lord fill us to overflowing as we abide in Him, and move toward living the simplified, and more abundant life that He intended.
AMEN
A few years ago, a writer for the Washington Post was asked to participate in a work group to study the reading habits of the Post’s target audience. The writer was hoping to validate her work group’s assumption that the reason for the decline in newspaper sales was that people just didn’t have time to read the paper anymore. People were far too busy for that. But a Professor Robinson disagreed and told the writer that her team’s conclusion couldn’t be accurate because today, in twenty-first-century North America—you, and me, and all the other potential readers of the Washington Post—have upwards of thirty hours of leisure time each week. The writer was shocked. Thirty hours of leisure time each week? What planet did Mr. Robinson live on? Certainly not Earth. On this planet, we have deadlines. On this planet, we have to-do lists. On this planet, we have obligations and meetings and projects to complete. We have laundry to fold. Lawns to mow. Dogs that need to be walked. Twitter feeds to check. We have places to go. People to see. Things to do. Here on planet Earth, we are busy. Thirty hours of leisure time a week. Yeah, right. What a ridiculous thing to say.
But then we’ve heard other ridiculous things said before. Like this: You can have life that is truly life, and you can have it in abundance. Or this: Whatever your burdens are, you can lay them down. You can pick up freedom and peace in exchange. That’s just crazy, right? How about this: For every six days you work, you can take the seventh one off. You can actually do nothing but rest, for an entire, twenty-four-hour period. Or this: If your soul is weary, it can be replenished. If you’re feeling deflated, you can abound in hope. Replenished? Abounding in hope? At rest and at peace?
Who in their right mind would say such crazy things!? Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The Bible is full of practical advice on how we can live a more abundant, uncluttered, and simplified life… but simplified living is not about simply doing less… It’s about being who God has called us to be. Simplified living requires more than just organizing your closets or cleaning out your desk drawer. It requires uncluttering your soul… simplified living requires putting lower importance on the things that keep us busy and distracted and depleted, and a higher importance on those things that matter most. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, in the busy-ness of the things that in the big picture, really just don’t matter very much.
Our scripture today tells of one such person in Luke 10:38-42. Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Apparently, Jesus has dropped in on His friends unannounced. He feels comfortable in their friendship and stops by for some replenishing time.
Mary’s response:
Goes with the flow, and pulls up a chair…
“Glad you stopped by…”
Catching up – listening to Jesus
Martha’s response:
Mean mugging- clearing her voice *wooden spoon
clanging pots and pans
Finally… Don’t you care?
Jesus response:
Martha Martha
Here for good company
could have multiplied fishes and loaves
wine at the banquet
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Have you ever felt like Martha in this story? So overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility that you miss out on the blessings of God? How full is you bucket? What depletes you? Jesus told Martha to un-plug from the distractions of the things that matter less, pull up a chair, and focus on something more important.
*** Five Keys to Re-filling Your Bucket
1, *Connecting With God
Surely you’ve seen a picture of Michelangelo’s most famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, “The Creation of Adam.” Michelangelo portrays God and Adam with their hands outstretched toward one another. God is leaning and straining toward Adam, His fingertips almost touching Adam’s hand. Adam’s hand is much more relaxed, almost as if he doesn’t care- not nearly as intent as the hand of God. The very hand of God – reaching for the hand of man. Now imagine Adam’s hand reaching out another six inches, grabbing firmly ahold of God’s hand. That image captures the single biggest bucket-filler for the Christian – being firmly hand-in-hand with God.
Because when I’m really connected with God, I’m far less concerned with other people’s opinions of me, or their plans and expectations on my life. I’m quicker to stay on God’s agenda when I remain hand-in-hand with the One who plans and purposes my life. Perhaps you’ve never really connected with God. Let me challenge you today: Reach out your hand to Him. He loves you. And He will grasp any humble hand that comes His way. Maybe you have withheld your hand from His and today is the day that you need to say, God, I need you in my life.” He will become a replenishing force for you.
2, *Family
A second replenisher is family.; its a huge one. Family looks different for everyone.
Psalm 127:3-5a says…..
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;” Children are a gift from God. If you’re too busy for your children and your grandchildren, you’re too busy! Your family can be a major replenishing factor in your life.
3. *Satisfying Work
Ecclesiastes 5:18 “This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them”
--- is your work rewarding? If not, prayerfully consider…
---Mike Spearl gave up his good job to go into ministry…
4. *Recreation
Recreation means to re-create – for me, music, being on the water (nature), baseball.
---We need to re-create energy and vitality into our souls if we are going to have anything to offer anyone else… and don’t feel guilty about it!
---What fills your bucket? Reading; gardening; Golf; cooking; camping; stamp collecting; what ever it is… make room for recreation in your life
5. *Exercise and Nutrition
Read any study on the topic of what adds energy and vitality to your life, and you’ll find that most experts agree: exercise and proper rest patterns are high on the list. This gives about a 20% energy increase in an average day. And simply eating nutrition-packed meals and getting an appropriate amount of sleep will help to keep your energy buckets full.
As we begin this series on living the simplified life, the first step is to begin each day with a full bucket. And the 1st step in learning to fill your bucket is in identifying the things that drain us. We can ask God to help us identify those things that cause us to run on empty. What inner hunger are you feeding that should be fed in healthier ways? What activities in our lives should be pruned – or eliminated altogether? Is there someone we are trying to please? The 2nd step in filling your bucket is in identifying the things that fill us… this will be different for everyone. What are the replenishing people, dynamics, and activities that you KNOW will fill you up when you’ve gotten low in the tank? What things work uniquely for you? Don’t worry about how to fit in in your schedule, we’ll talk about that next week.
According to one time management study, we spend 6 months waiting for the traffic light to turn green and another 8 months reading junk mail. These unusual statistics should cause us to do some time-use evaluation. Once we recognize that simple "life maintenance" can chip away at our time in such huge blocks, we will see how vital it is that we don't busy ourselves "in vain" (Ps 39:6). Psalm 39 gives us some perspective. In David's complaint to God, he said, "You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You" vs 5. He meant that to an eternal God our time on earth is brief. And He doesn't want us to waste it.
Then the challenge is to identify those things that bring you the most joy, the deepest sense of God’s pleasure with your life. Maybe ventures you’ve never done before but always wanted to try – maybe activities you used to enjoy, but let slide. What is it that fills your bucket? If you are searching your mind and coming up blank, think of the five keys to filling your bucket…
Connecting with God
Family
Satisfying Work
Recreation
Exercise and nutrition
May the Lord fill us to overflowing as we abide in Him, and move toward living the simplified, and more abundant life that He intended.
AMEN
