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Jesus and His disciples were constantly on the move, spreading the kingdom and preaching the good news from town to town. When they arrived at a specific village, they entered the house of Martha and Mary and Lazarus—without warning.
Imagine if Jesus suddenly appeared in your home. What would He find? Not just in your living room, but in your heart? There's a version of ourselves we show others, but the Lord looks at the heart. If Jesus knocked on the door of your heart right now, what would He discover? Unforgiveness? Fear? We try to arrange everything and present ourselves a certain way, but God sees past all of it.
Martha was busy preparing the house, trying to be a good hostess. She was doing what needed to be done—working hard to make everything perfect for this important guest. But she became anxious and troubled about many things.
Here's what strikes me: The Prince of Peace Himself was in the house, yet worry and distraction had consumed her attention more than His presence. She had bills, problems, and issues—all legitimate concerns—but they had seized her focus.
We see this in our own lives. You can go to church, serve, sing, attend regularly, be effective in your work, come back on Sunday—and still miss God. You can work for God without actually walking with God, because they are not the same thing.
While Martha worked, Mary sat at Jesus's feet and listened to Him. She discovered the better part: His presence.
Mary had waited for Jesus. She'd heard about His miracles and wonders. She'd read about what He did for the woman with the issue of blood. And when she finally had the opportunity to sit at His feet, she wasn't going to miss it. She wouldn't get distracted by the need to perform or pretend everything was fine. She chose the essential thing.
The enemy uses old tricks but finds new ways to present them. The new bondage for the twenty-first century church—especially those in ministry trying to become all God called them to be—is the bondage of busyness.
Have you talked to God recently? Many of us set an alarm to pray, but we hit snooze. We get out of bed and open Instagram instead of opening Scripture. And God asks, "When will you seek Me?"
Some of you are trying to figure out the "secret ingredient" for a victorious life. It's not in your appearance. It's not in your resume. It's not in what you can compile or achieve by yourself. It lies in Jesus Christ. It lies in bringing Him into the equation. What you think you can do, God can do ten times better.
I've learned that every time I've interfered with my own hands, I made things more complicated. But the moment I lift my hands off the matter, Jesus knows how to handle it. The little becomes much when you place it in His hands.
The first thing we find at Jesus's feet is peace. Peace in times like these. If you've ever needed it before, ask for more peace instead of asking for more friends, more money, more possessions.
If God gave you everything you asked for but no peace, you'd only ruin what He gave you. You wouldn't be a good steward. You'd be distracted and without peace.
There's a difference between natural peace and supernatural peace. Natural peace depends on everything going well. You feel at peace as long as things are quiet. But what happens when the devil knocks on your door? Can you stand and address the storm saying, "Be still and know"? Or will you become another storm?
The antidote to worry, frustration, unease, and scattered thoughts is peace. It's not found in picking up the phone to hear good news from others. They might offer encouragement, but they can't solve your situation. Only He can fix your situation.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
True peace cannot be found outside of Jesus. There may be an illusion of peace—staying isolated, avoiding people—but that's not salvation. Just staying away isn't proof you've moved past something; it's proof you're avoiding it and still processing things internally.
My prayer for every person in this church who is seeking to rise up and become all God called you to be: change your prayers from asking for possessions to asking for more peace. We need to draw on the peace God has given us so we can face the storms we don't see coming.
This generation will be more educated but weaker in faith. We're informed, we know the latest apps and technology. But in our faith, we're weak. When storms come, we stumble because our faith is shaken.
The second thing we learn from Mary is that we must refocus our priorities. Where is your focus? What captures your attention? Who captures your attention?
Your focus is what the enemy pursues. If the enemy can keep you focused on him, you won't see the miracles God is working in your life. It's possible for God to move and you still miss it because the devil's job is to distract you.
Martha was distracted by all her preparations. She was working, accomplishing tasks, yet she missed Jesus. You can be functional in your work but still miss God because there's a difference between doing things and walking with God.
Some were saying, "I cast out demons in Your name. I did this in Your name. I did that in Your name." But Jesus replied, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you, because I only heard your words, but your hearts were far from Me."
This is the difference between religion and relationship. Religion looks faithful. Relationship says Jesus is my priority. It's not about appearing to love God—it's about actually loving Him. Here's the evidence: When you're in trouble, who do you call? And the real evidence shows in the fruit. When you're at the peak of frustration, or in difficult circumstances, or in trouble—who do you resemble? Your problems or your God?
Worshippers of God, hear this: Worship is not a title we give to people on stage. Worship is not a title. Worship is a lifestyle.
Worship is not what you do. Worship is who you are. This means I worship God not only when I sing, but in how I speak. I worship God in my giving. I worship God in my service. I worship God when I love my children. I worship God because I bring Him glory.
Worship means giving value or appreciation to something. So if you call yourself a worshipper, His presence must be your priority.
Moses had face-to-face conversations with God. God was revealing details about what would happen next. But Moses interrupted Him saying, "God, if You don't go with us, don't bring us up from here." Moses understood: we might succeed and achieve all these things, but if You're not with us, nothing has value. But if You are with us, not only will we enter the promise, we'll keep it and won't be cast out.
I'm preaching to a few of you in this room who have determined in this season to make His presence your priority.
David said, "Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, why? Because You are with me." Don't worry about what you face because who walks with you? Who is with you? It's Jehovah Shammah—the Lord is present. He's present in your trouble. Present in your victory. Present as you go through your circumstances.
I'm preaching to someone in this room right now going through a fiery furnace. But God shows up to be the fourth person in the fire. His presence. His presence. It must be our priority.
There's a difference between His presence and performance. Martha was performing. Mary was worshipping. Martha was working. Mary was worshipping. Both are needed, but worship comes first.
"Why am I the only one who cares about keeping this house in order?" Martha was saying. But Jesus responded, "You're worrying too much. Wait a little—we'll get to that. But right now, she chose the better part."
What good is a perfectly arranged house when you have a broken heart? What good is a house with all the upgrades when your mind is scattered everywhere? What good is managing everything around you when a storm is raging inside you?
I'm preaching to some of you who are choosing the better part, and the better part is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I want the better part. Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me.
Martha, you're distracted. Where is your focus? "Well, I'm working hard at this. I've invested time. I've spent years on this. I have this job and I've put in so many hours. How am I supposed to leave my job because you asked me to?"
Sometimes God will withhold from you what you want because He sees it will hinder you. Someone says, "God, I want more money." But God says, "No, I can't give you money right now, because blessings will make the sick sicker." Sometimes blessings make the sick sicker. Sometimes God holds back now so He won't hinder you later.
Here's the truth: God will not compete with the distractions you choose. He will not fight. This is what the Lord says: "I will not enter into conflict with the thing you keep choosing. I'll step back so you realize what you thought was good for you isn't good at all. And what you needed all along was waiting here for you to choose it, so your life would be completely turned around like never before."
Let's be honest: God will not compete with the distractions we keep choosing. What is your distraction? Who is your distraction?
Some rush to say, "They're the reason I'm distracted." No. You're distracting yourself. I've been the reason I distracted myself. When God gets ready to move, sometimes I get into my mind and start telling myself everything God can't do. Then God has to work through my thoughts, my doubts, my self-destructive mentality.
But here's the responsibility: "God, I've been the one distracting myself." I've been my own giant standing in my own way.
We need to stop blaming the devil for our own choices. Yes, the devil is the adversary. But we must take responsibility.
Before we judge Martha too harshly, let's give her credit. At least she's doing her best. There are sisters in this room doing your best. You haven't been perfect your whole life. You haven't had the best past, but you're not ashamed of where you came from, because God has brought you a long way.
There have been seasons in your life where the enemy tried to use your past against you. "I wasn't perfect my whole life, but God knows how to take what was messy and turn it into a message. God knows how to take the ugly and make it useful. God knows how to turn an ugly image into a masterpiece."
So before you judge me by where I've come from, don't overlook my destination. Because God sees me in my future. He doesn't see me for what I was. He sees me for what I'm becoming.
I'm preaching to two people in this place right now: the devil has chased your past trying to use it against you and destroy your future. But I declare in the name of Jesus: you are who He says you are.
Many know what it feels like to build something, work on it, give everything to it—work on the vision, the strategy, do all of it—and yet it doesn't seem to work. You feel frustrated. You get upset. You stumble.
But I came to tell somebody in this room: your situation is about to change. Jesus is in the text. Mary is at Jesus's feet. Martha is working. She's frustrated because she's giving all she has to this.
So before we judge Martha, in a sense, we must give Martha her due. At least she's trying her best.
But what matters now is the choice before you: Will you choose the better part?
God will not compete with the distractions you choose. He says: "I will not enter into a struggle with the thing you keep choosing. I will step back until you realize that what you thought was good for you is not good at all. And what you needed all along was waiting here for you to choose it, so that your life would be turned upside down in ways never seen before."
God will not wrestle your distractions until you recognize that your distraction is the worst thing that ever happened to you. We must stop blaming the devil for our own decisions. Yes, the devil is the adversary and the enemy—a defeated enemy. But we bear responsibility for our own choices.
Here's a quote from Bob Coffin's book Worship Matters that I return to again and again: "We will not truly love anything else unless we first love God. We will not love anything else in the right way unless we first love God first."
This is why God must be first, because we often treat people, places, and things based on how we view God. If God holds no real value in your life, it's only a matter of time before you treat what is precious as if it has no value at all.
Many of us love ourselves the wrong way. That's why we settle for anything, or accept less than what God has offered us. Because we rush ahead, we accept crumbs. But God says: "If you had waited for me, what I prepared for you would have completely changed your life."
We must focus our priorities, find our peace, and nourish our souls. When we choose the better part in His presence, it becomes nourishment for our souls.
I'm speaking to someone here right now who keeps wondering why you're always tired. You think it's lack of sleep, so you sleep eight hours, then wake up and still feel exhausted. You wake up and you're still tired. Perhaps it's because your spirit is weak. You can remember the last time you fed your body, but when was the last time you fed yourself spiritually?
It's unfortunate if you think the only time for spiritual nourishment is Sunday morning. Your stomach makes sounds three times a day, but you don't hear your spirit crying out for food.
Jesus said: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." That word "proceeds" indicates continuity—frequency and consistency. In other words, God is always speaking, but we get angry at God because we didn't hear Him, when God never stopped speaking. We just moved away.
What was Mary doing at Jesus's feet? She was listening. The text tells us in Luke 10:39: "She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he said." Are you listening? When was the last time you spent time with God?
My mission today is to ensure we return to our first love and place Him first. In this room are believers who are not just tired—they are exhausted. Exhausted from life. Exhausted from their circumstances. Exhausted from trying to make things work. Some of us are even exhausted in church service.
Let me give you the antidote: Do not miss the good part in your life right now. A few of you will decide in this coming season that Jesus, you are part of my daily life. When I wake up in the morning, I won't log into social media first. I'll open the Bible. I'll read what you said about me, because it's hard for the devil to convince me of a lie when I know the truth.
Pastor Darius said something that stuck with my spirit: "It's hard to be effective when you're always empty." When you try to accomplish a task, you must ensure there's enough fuel in the tank to do what God called you to do.
It's like driving your car, getting ready to go to work, and remembering you forgot to put gas in it the night before. Many of us have learned how to live on empty—just putting in enough to reach our destination. But there will come a time when you get stuck in traffic. Or there will be times in your life when a storm hits you, and you find yourself stuck and unable to move, only to discover you're running on empty.
It is hard to be effective when you are always empty.
Your spiritual nourishment is found in Him alone. You won't find it in your money. You won't find it in success. But you'll find it in Him alone. Mary discovered this.
I was driving one day, on the road. Have you ever found yourself in a place you've never been before? You're driving around in a new city using GPS, and then you reach an area where the signal cuts out. Suddenly you say: "Oh my God, I'm lost." Where am I? You try calling everyone, but you realize the signal isn't working, and you become stuck not knowing where you're going.
This is the condition of many of us. We're moving to new places, new places in God. Instead of making sure we have signal, our direction problem is actually a reception problem. It's not about whether I know where I'm going. The problem is you won't know where you're going. There will be times when you'll have to depend on God and His direction for your life. But if you're not in a position to receive from Him, you will get lost.
This is found in receiving and listening from God.
A nourished spirit leads to a life filled with satisfaction. This is why we come to Rock City—because I can sit in service and Pastor Mike, Pastor Darius, or anyone on this stage says something, and I literally feel like they're saying: "Were you listening to my phone call?" It seems like you were part of my prayer. How did you know? Because God always finds a way to get His Word to us. That's why we're here. But we must ensure we are at Jesus's feet.
The other thing we find in His presence is courage to face our problems. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Avoidance is not salvation.
Some of us face real problems, real matters. But I came to remind you that the same God who gave David the strategy and strength to defeat a giant is the same God standing with you and fighting for you.
I don't know who I'm addressing in this place, but I have good news for you. I know you received a negative medical report, but I worship a God capable of healing, capable of saving, and capable of delivering. If I can get some people in this room to start depending on God's sovereignty, depending on God's ability rather than your own strength, and start trusting God even when it doesn't make sense, you will find the courage to defeat your giant. You will find the strength to win this battle.
I don't care what the devil whispers to you. You have a God fighting for you in arenas you didn't even know you needed to win in. I declare over this entire room: God has given us both power and strategy.
David picked up a sling and five smooth stones. I believe David didn't have the intelligence to figure out that a smooth stone would kill such a massive giant. But God gave him supernatural strategy.
Even when it didn't make sense, he gathered a sling—not a sword, not a knife, nothing conventional, not a spear. He picked up something unconventional. And God says in this season, for some of you, the next step won't look logical. The next strategy I give for your life may come from someone you don't even know.
Power and strategy. He gave him strategy with smooth stones and a sling, and gave him the ability to throw a small rock to defeat a giant. If you look at that, David was a teenager. How in the world could he use a rock to kill such a massive giant? There is nothing my God cannot do.
In your life, they'll say: "How did you get the job?" There is nothing my God cannot do. You had no resume. There's no way you should have gotten that job. There is nothing my God cannot do.
If God is for me, who can be against me? The enemy may close a door, but God will come and break down that door and open other doors for you. And what God has hidden for you belongs to you.
He provides power and strategy. Power to get through this. Strategy so that when you get through it, you don't go back to it again. Power to stay in this season. Strategy—wisdom—to ensure you don't return to the same maze, because we as believers have a tendency to take what was yesterday and send it an invitation to show up in our present. Then we get angry at God when God says: "I didn't send that invitation." You did. He gives us power and strategy.
Mary found the better part. She found peace in His presence. She found focus in His presence. My God, there is power and strategy in His presence.
But here's the point I want to give you: There is freedom for our souls in His presence.
Someone in this room right now is in a season you can't even describe with words. You're trying to express it. You're trying to tell others what you're going through. You can't even explain it. But God says: "Don't trouble yourself with these matters." He says: "If you place your trust and hope in what I can do for you, I will open doors that no one can close."
To a daughter in this room who has never found appreciation throughout her life—you've grown up and it seems you wrestle with failure and feel you're not enough. Can I speak to your spirit right now and tell you: You have been set free from that. You are not a mistake of your past.
Can I speak to a man in this room trying to figure things out because he's the responsible one? You're trying to keep everything together. And God says: "At the end of your strength, my strength begins." If you lift your hands off this matter and let me be the God you claim I am to you, I will use you to do great and mighty things.
The Scripture says: "For freedom Christ has set us free." So let us stand firm. Another verse says: "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." This tells us: "I have freed you. Do not go back."
So Mary understands this. She knows her story better than anyone else because she says: "I found freedom at His feet. I found freedom in His presence. I spent my whole life trying to be what they wanted me to be, but now I found freedom to be what He called me to be, and that is in His presence."
So I pray and resist every pressure and expectation that the Lord did not place. We try to conform. There are unhealthy expectations we place on ourselves. God says: let them break in the name of Jesus, because you are who I say you are.
You are made in a magnificent and wonderful way. You are the head and not the tail. You are on top. Pay attention to this: by yourself and not by belief.
God says you are the apple of His eye. If no one ever tells you again that they love you, that's okay, because God has told me He loves me a thousand times. When He woke me this morning, He told me He loves me. When He woke me and put breath in my body and thought of me and prepared reasons for me—some of us take steps we don't know how to take, but God went before us and paved the straight way. Like freedom.
If I could raise my hands because Mary found freedom. Now, I must be creative looking at the text, because the text doesn't tell us what Mary did after that, because Jesus addresses Martha and says to her: Your sister has chosen what is better. Or in other words, she is doing the right thing. What will you do?
And I'd be crazy enough to believe that Mary set the entire atmosphere of the house. Can I say in this room that if some of you took Mary's posture and began to set the atmosphere of this room right now and started opening your mouth—let me tell you: Worship is what prepares a seat for God to dwell in. Worship is what brings God into the room to move on your behalf.
There is no God like our God. There is no God like our God. Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. You are good. You have been good. You have been good.
This is Mary's testimony. She says: nothing else can satisfy the desires of my heart. And all we want is more of you. For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.
Mary was not bothered by the problems she faced because she was too busy seeking the face of Jesus. I challenge you to pull all the energy from your problem. Put your trust in God, because He is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. If He said it, it is done. God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. His promises are yes and amen.
There is someone in this room, and we have concluded. We have gone over our time, but I love how God intervenes and interrupts our schedule so that you get what you need. Do not leave here without taking everything you need. Because where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom.
I challenge you to take someone's hand and lift it high as if they won a prize because they've won the battle with God with us. In Jesus's name, I declare that this situation will not kill me. It only makes me stronger. It only makes me wiser. It teaches me something I would never have learned if I hadn't gone through this storm, if I hadn't gone through this test.
In Jesus's name, I declare that my best days are ahead of me, and the worst has become behind me. I declare in the name of Jesus that you do not stop my problems. You correct my perspective on things. So when a giant confronts me, I don't see my problems the same way. I challenge you to praise God and declare that God has won the victory. Open your mouth and shout to God.
Jesus and His disciples were constantly on the move, spreading the kingdom and preaching the good news from town to town. When they arrived at a specific village, they entered the house of Martha and Mary and Lazarus—without warning.
Imagine if Jesus suddenly appeared in your home. What would He find? Not just in your living room, but in your heart? There's a version of ourselves we show others, but the Lord looks at the heart. If Jesus knocked on the door of your heart right now, what would He discover? Unforgiveness? Fear? We try to arrange everything and present ourselves a certain way, but God sees past all of it.
Martha was busy preparing the house, trying to be a good hostess. She was doing what needed to be done—working hard to make everything perfect for this important guest. But she became anxious and troubled about many things.
Here's what strikes me: The Prince of Peace Himself was in the house, yet worry and distraction had consumed her attention more than His presence. She had bills, problems, and issues—all legitimate concerns—but they had seized her focus.
We see this in our own lives. You can go to church, serve, sing, attend regularly, be effective in your work, come back on Sunday—and still miss God. You can work for God without actually walking with God, because they are not the same thing.
While Martha worked, Mary sat at Jesus's feet and listened to Him. She discovered the better part: His presence.
Mary had waited for Jesus. She'd heard about His miracles and wonders. She'd read about what He did for the woman with the issue of blood. And when she finally had the opportunity to sit at His feet, she wasn't going to miss it. She wouldn't get distracted by the need to perform or pretend everything was fine. She chose the essential thing.
The enemy uses old tricks but finds new ways to present them. The new bondage for the twenty-first century church—especially those in ministry trying to become all God called them to be—is the bondage of busyness.
Have you talked to God recently? Many of us set an alarm to pray, but we hit snooze. We get out of bed and open Instagram instead of opening Scripture. And God asks, "When will you seek Me?"
Some of you are trying to figure out the "secret ingredient" for a victorious life. It's not in your appearance. It's not in your resume. It's not in what you can compile or achieve by yourself. It lies in Jesus Christ. It lies in bringing Him into the equation. What you think you can do, God can do ten times better.
I've learned that every time I've interfered with my own hands, I made things more complicated. But the moment I lift my hands off the matter, Jesus knows how to handle it. The little becomes much when you place it in His hands.
The first thing we find at Jesus's feet is peace. Peace in times like these. If you've ever needed it before, ask for more peace instead of asking for more friends, more money, more possessions.
If God gave you everything you asked for but no peace, you'd only ruin what He gave you. You wouldn't be a good steward. You'd be distracted and without peace.
There's a difference between natural peace and supernatural peace. Natural peace depends on everything going well. You feel at peace as long as things are quiet. But what happens when the devil knocks on your door? Can you stand and address the storm saying, "Be still and know"? Or will you become another storm?
The antidote to worry, frustration, unease, and scattered thoughts is peace. It's not found in picking up the phone to hear good news from others. They might offer encouragement, but they can't solve your situation. Only He can fix your situation.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
True peace cannot be found outside of Jesus. There may be an illusion of peace—staying isolated, avoiding people—but that's not salvation. Just staying away isn't proof you've moved past something; it's proof you're avoiding it and still processing things internally.
My prayer for every person in this church who is seeking to rise up and become all God called you to be: change your prayers from asking for possessions to asking for more peace. We need to draw on the peace God has given us so we can face the storms we don't see coming.
This generation will be more educated but weaker in faith. We're informed, we know the latest apps and technology. But in our faith, we're weak. When storms come, we stumble because our faith is shaken.
The second thing we learn from Mary is that we must refocus our priorities. Where is your focus? What captures your attention? Who captures your attention?
Your focus is what the enemy pursues. If the enemy can keep you focused on him, you won't see the miracles God is working in your life. It's possible for God to move and you still miss it because the devil's job is to distract you.
Martha was distracted by all her preparations. She was working, accomplishing tasks, yet she missed Jesus. You can be functional in your work but still miss God because there's a difference between doing things and walking with God.
Some were saying, "I cast out demons in Your name. I did this in Your name. I did that in Your name." But Jesus replied, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you, because I only heard your words, but your hearts were far from Me."
This is the difference between religion and relationship. Religion looks faithful. Relationship says Jesus is my priority. It's not about appearing to love God—it's about actually loving Him. Here's the evidence: When you're in trouble, who do you call? And the real evidence shows in the fruit. When you're at the peak of frustration, or in difficult circumstances, or in trouble—who do you resemble? Your problems or your God?
Worshippers of God, hear this: Worship is not a title we give to people on stage. Worship is not a title. Worship is a lifestyle.
Worship is not what you do. Worship is who you are. This means I worship God not only when I sing, but in how I speak. I worship God in my giving. I worship God in my service. I worship God when I love my children. I worship God because I bring Him glory.
Worship means giving value or appreciation to something. So if you call yourself a worshipper, His presence must be your priority.
Moses had face-to-face conversations with God. God was revealing details about what would happen next. But Moses interrupted Him saying, "God, if You don't go with us, don't bring us up from here." Moses understood: we might succeed and achieve all these things, but if You're not with us, nothing has value. But if You are with us, not only will we enter the promise, we'll keep it and won't be cast out.
I'm preaching to a few of you in this room who have determined in this season to make His presence your priority.
David said, "Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, why? Because You are with me." Don't worry about what you face because who walks with you? Who is with you? It's Jehovah Shammah—the Lord is present. He's present in your trouble. Present in your victory. Present as you go through your circumstances.
I'm preaching to someone in this room right now going through a fiery furnace. But God shows up to be the fourth person in the fire. His presence. His presence. It must be our priority.
There's a difference between His presence and performance. Martha was performing. Mary was worshipping. Martha was working. Mary was worshipping. Both are needed, but worship comes first.
"Why am I the only one who cares about keeping this house in order?" Martha was saying. But Jesus responded, "You're worrying too much. Wait a little—we'll get to that. But right now, she chose the better part."
What good is a perfectly arranged house when you have a broken heart? What good is a house with all the upgrades when your mind is scattered everywhere? What good is managing everything around you when a storm is raging inside you?
I'm preaching to some of you who are choosing the better part, and the better part is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I want the better part. Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me.
Martha, you're distracted. Where is your focus? "Well, I'm working hard at this. I've invested time. I've spent years on this. I have this job and I've put in so many hours. How am I supposed to leave my job because you asked me to?"
Sometimes God will withhold from you what you want because He sees it will hinder you. Someone says, "God, I want more money." But God says, "No, I can't give you money right now, because blessings will make the sick sicker." Sometimes blessings make the sick sicker. Sometimes God holds back now so He won't hinder you later.
Here's the truth: God will not compete with the distractions you choose. He will not fight. This is what the Lord says: "I will not enter into conflict with the thing you keep choosing. I'll step back so you realize what you thought was good for you isn't good at all. And what you needed all along was waiting here for you to choose it, so your life would be completely turned around like never before."
Let's be honest: God will not compete with the distractions we keep choosing. What is your distraction? Who is your distraction?
Some rush to say, "They're the reason I'm distracted." No. You're distracting yourself. I've been the reason I distracted myself. When God gets ready to move, sometimes I get into my mind and start telling myself everything God can't do. Then God has to work through my thoughts, my doubts, my self-destructive mentality.
But here's the responsibility: "God, I've been the one distracting myself." I've been my own giant standing in my own way.
We need to stop blaming the devil for our own choices. Yes, the devil is the adversary. But we must take responsibility.
Before we judge Martha too harshly, let's give her credit. At least she's doing her best. There are sisters in this room doing your best. You haven't been perfect your whole life. You haven't had the best past, but you're not ashamed of where you came from, because God has brought you a long way.
There have been seasons in your life where the enemy tried to use your past against you. "I wasn't perfect my whole life, but God knows how to take what was messy and turn it into a message. God knows how to take the ugly and make it useful. God knows how to turn an ugly image into a masterpiece."
So before you judge me by where I've come from, don't overlook my destination. Because God sees me in my future. He doesn't see me for what I was. He sees me for what I'm becoming.
I'm preaching to two people in this place right now: the devil has chased your past trying to use it against you and destroy your future. But I declare in the name of Jesus: you are who He says you are.
Many know what it feels like to build something, work on it, give everything to it—work on the vision, the strategy, do all of it—and yet it doesn't seem to work. You feel frustrated. You get upset. You stumble.
But I came to tell somebody in this room: your situation is about to change. Jesus is in the text. Mary is at Jesus's feet. Martha is working. She's frustrated because she's giving all she has to this.
So before we judge Martha, in a sense, we must give Martha her due. At least she's trying her best.
But what matters now is the choice before you: Will you choose the better part?
God will not compete with the distractions you choose. He says: "I will not enter into a struggle with the thing you keep choosing. I will step back until you realize that what you thought was good for you is not good at all. And what you needed all along was waiting here for you to choose it, so that your life would be turned upside down in ways never seen before."
God will not wrestle your distractions until you recognize that your distraction is the worst thing that ever happened to you. We must stop blaming the devil for our own decisions. Yes, the devil is the adversary and the enemy—a defeated enemy. But we bear responsibility for our own choices.
Here's a quote from Bob Coffin's book Worship Matters that I return to again and again: "We will not truly love anything else unless we first love God. We will not love anything else in the right way unless we first love God first."
This is why God must be first, because we often treat people, places, and things based on how we view God. If God holds no real value in your life, it's only a matter of time before you treat what is precious as if it has no value at all.
Many of us love ourselves the wrong way. That's why we settle for anything, or accept less than what God has offered us. Because we rush ahead, we accept crumbs. But God says: "If you had waited for me, what I prepared for you would have completely changed your life."
We must focus our priorities, find our peace, and nourish our souls. When we choose the better part in His presence, it becomes nourishment for our souls.
I'm speaking to someone here right now who keeps wondering why you're always tired. You think it's lack of sleep, so you sleep eight hours, then wake up and still feel exhausted. You wake up and you're still tired. Perhaps it's because your spirit is weak. You can remember the last time you fed your body, but when was the last time you fed yourself spiritually?
It's unfortunate if you think the only time for spiritual nourishment is Sunday morning. Your stomach makes sounds three times a day, but you don't hear your spirit crying out for food.
Jesus said: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." That word "proceeds" indicates continuity—frequency and consistency. In other words, God is always speaking, but we get angry at God because we didn't hear Him, when God never stopped speaking. We just moved away.
What was Mary doing at Jesus's feet? She was listening. The text tells us in Luke 10:39: "She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he said." Are you listening? When was the last time you spent time with God?
My mission today is to ensure we return to our first love and place Him first. In this room are believers who are not just tired—they are exhausted. Exhausted from life. Exhausted from their circumstances. Exhausted from trying to make things work. Some of us are even exhausted in church service.
Let me give you the antidote: Do not miss the good part in your life right now. A few of you will decide in this coming season that Jesus, you are part of my daily life. When I wake up in the morning, I won't log into social media first. I'll open the Bible. I'll read what you said about me, because it's hard for the devil to convince me of a lie when I know the truth.
Pastor Darius said something that stuck with my spirit: "It's hard to be effective when you're always empty." When you try to accomplish a task, you must ensure there's enough fuel in the tank to do what God called you to do.
It's like driving your car, getting ready to go to work, and remembering you forgot to put gas in it the night before. Many of us have learned how to live on empty—just putting in enough to reach our destination. But there will come a time when you get stuck in traffic. Or there will be times in your life when a storm hits you, and you find yourself stuck and unable to move, only to discover you're running on empty.
It is hard to be effective when you are always empty.
Your spiritual nourishment is found in Him alone. You won't find it in your money. You won't find it in success. But you'll find it in Him alone. Mary discovered this.
I was driving one day, on the road. Have you ever found yourself in a place you've never been before? You're driving around in a new city using GPS, and then you reach an area where the signal cuts out. Suddenly you say: "Oh my God, I'm lost." Where am I? You try calling everyone, but you realize the signal isn't working, and you become stuck not knowing where you're going.
This is the condition of many of us. We're moving to new places, new places in God. Instead of making sure we have signal, our direction problem is actually a reception problem. It's not about whether I know where I'm going. The problem is you won't know where you're going. There will be times when you'll have to depend on God and His direction for your life. But if you're not in a position to receive from Him, you will get lost.
This is found in receiving and listening from God.
A nourished spirit leads to a life filled with satisfaction. This is why we come to Rock City—because I can sit in service and Pastor Mike, Pastor Darius, or anyone on this stage says something, and I literally feel like they're saying: "Were you listening to my phone call?" It seems like you were part of my prayer. How did you know? Because God always finds a way to get His Word to us. That's why we're here. But we must ensure we are at Jesus's feet.
The other thing we find in His presence is courage to face our problems. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Avoidance is not salvation.
Some of us face real problems, real matters. But I came to remind you that the same God who gave David the strategy and strength to defeat a giant is the same God standing with you and fighting for you.
I don't know who I'm addressing in this place, but I have good news for you. I know you received a negative medical report, but I worship a God capable of healing, capable of saving, and capable of delivering. If I can get some people in this room to start depending on God's sovereignty, depending on God's ability rather than your own strength, and start trusting God even when it doesn't make sense, you will find the courage to defeat your giant. You will find the strength to win this battle.
I don't care what the devil whispers to you. You have a God fighting for you in arenas you didn't even know you needed to win in. I declare over this entire room: God has given us both power and strategy.
David picked up a sling and five smooth stones. I believe David didn't have the intelligence to figure out that a smooth stone would kill such a massive giant. But God gave him supernatural strategy.
Even when it didn't make sense, he gathered a sling—not a sword, not a knife, nothing conventional, not a spear. He picked up something unconventional. And God says in this season, for some of you, the next step won't look logical. The next strategy I give for your life may come from someone you don't even know.
Power and strategy. He gave him strategy with smooth stones and a sling, and gave him the ability to throw a small rock to defeat a giant. If you look at that, David was a teenager. How in the world could he use a rock to kill such a massive giant? There is nothing my God cannot do.
In your life, they'll say: "How did you get the job?" There is nothing my God cannot do. You had no resume. There's no way you should have gotten that job. There is nothing my God cannot do.
If God is for me, who can be against me? The enemy may close a door, but God will come and break down that door and open other doors for you. And what God has hidden for you belongs to you.
He provides power and strategy. Power to get through this. Strategy so that when you get through it, you don't go back to it again. Power to stay in this season. Strategy—wisdom—to ensure you don't return to the same maze, because we as believers have a tendency to take what was yesterday and send it an invitation to show up in our present. Then we get angry at God when God says: "I didn't send that invitation." You did. He gives us power and strategy.
Mary found the better part. She found peace in His presence. She found focus in His presence. My God, there is power and strategy in His presence.
But here's the point I want to give you: There is freedom for our souls in His presence.
Someone in this room right now is in a season you can't even describe with words. You're trying to express it. You're trying to tell others what you're going through. You can't even explain it. But God says: "Don't trouble yourself with these matters." He says: "If you place your trust and hope in what I can do for you, I will open doors that no one can close."
To a daughter in this room who has never found appreciation throughout her life—you've grown up and it seems you wrestle with failure and feel you're not enough. Can I speak to your spirit right now and tell you: You have been set free from that. You are not a mistake of your past.
Can I speak to a man in this room trying to figure things out because he's the responsible one? You're trying to keep everything together. And God says: "At the end of your strength, my strength begins." If you lift your hands off this matter and let me be the God you claim I am to you, I will use you to do great and mighty things.
The Scripture says: "For freedom Christ has set us free." So let us stand firm. Another verse says: "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." This tells us: "I have freed you. Do not go back."
So Mary understands this. She knows her story better than anyone else because she says: "I found freedom at His feet. I found freedom in His presence. I spent my whole life trying to be what they wanted me to be, but now I found freedom to be what He called me to be, and that is in His presence."
So I pray and resist every pressure and expectation that the Lord did not place. We try to conform. There are unhealthy expectations we place on ourselves. God says: let them break in the name of Jesus, because you are who I say you are.
You are made in a magnificent and wonderful way. You are the head and not the tail. You are on top. Pay attention to this: by yourself and not by belief.
God says you are the apple of His eye. If no one ever tells you again that they love you, that's okay, because God has told me He loves me a thousand times. When He woke me this morning, He told me He loves me. When He woke me and put breath in my body and thought of me and prepared reasons for me—some of us take steps we don't know how to take, but God went before us and paved the straight way. Like freedom.
If I could raise my hands because Mary found freedom. Now, I must be creative looking at the text, because the text doesn't tell us what Mary did after that, because Jesus addresses Martha and says to her: Your sister has chosen what is better. Or in other words, she is doing the right thing. What will you do?
And I'd be crazy enough to believe that Mary set the entire atmosphere of the house. Can I say in this room that if some of you took Mary's posture and began to set the atmosphere of this room right now and started opening your mouth—let me tell you: Worship is what prepares a seat for God to dwell in. Worship is what brings God into the room to move on your behalf.
There is no God like our God. There is no God like our God. Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. You are good. You have been good. You have been good.
This is Mary's testimony. She says: nothing else can satisfy the desires of my heart. And all we want is more of you. For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.
Mary was not bothered by the problems she faced because she was too busy seeking the face of Jesus. I challenge you to pull all the energy from your problem. Put your trust in God, because He is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. If He said it, it is done. God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. His promises are yes and amen.
There is someone in this room, and we have concluded. We have gone over our time, but I love how God intervenes and interrupts our schedule so that you get what you need. Do not leave here without taking everything you need. Because where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom.
I challenge you to take someone's hand and lift it high as if they won a prize because they've won the battle with God with us. In Jesus's name, I declare that this situation will not kill me. It only makes me stronger. It only makes me wiser. It teaches me something I would never have learned if I hadn't gone through this storm, if I hadn't gone through this test.
In Jesus's name, I declare that my best days are ahead of me, and the worst has become behind me. I declare in the name of Jesus that you do not stop my problems. You correct my perspective on things. So when a giant confronts me, I don't see my problems the same way. I challenge you to praise God and declare that God has won the victory. Open your mouth and shout to God.
