WHICH IS BETTER?THE WAY OF MARY OR THE WAY OF MARTHA?

CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

DISUNITY IN THE CHURCH 22,000 different Christian

denominationsUS News and World Report

Source: Inside & Outside

FROM WITHOUT

FROM WITHIN Heresies Politics $$$

you and me….

DISUNITY IN SERVICE Dissect the problem

“ANATOMY IS YOUR DESTINY”

THE ISSUE

THE PROBLEM

THE UNWANTED RESULT

NAYROUZ Arab Ni-Yaraouou (feast of the rivers) Persian

Nowrouz Coptic New Year

Anno Martyrum Diocletian, 284AD

How Does One Become A Martyr?

The Message He Left Us…

SUBMISSION- LOVE FOR GOD

THE CALL “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Mt

4:19; Mk 1:17-18 “He called them, and immediately they left the

boat and their father, and followed Him” Mt 4:21-22; Mk1:20

“And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits…heal all kinds of sickness” Mt 10:1; Mk 3:13-15; Lk 6: 12-16

“Follow Me” Mk 2:14 “And He called the twelve to Himself, and

began to send them out two by two…” Mk 9:7

HE WILL CALL“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi.…where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” Jn 1:35-39

THE CALL

“What do you seek?...Where are You staying?...Come and see”

Follow the leader…

“HE LED THEM”

“SERVE THE LORD OF THE HOUSE NOT THE HOUSE OF THE LORD”

“I’ll go where you want me to go Dear Lord, real service is what I desire

I’ll sing you a solo anytime Dear Lord, just don’t ask me to sing in the choir

I’ll do what you want me to do Dear Lord, I like to see things come to pass

But don’t ask me to teach boys and girls O Lord, I’d rather just stay in my class

I’ll do what you want me to do Dear Lord, I yearn for your kingdom to thrive

I’ll give you my nickels and dimes Dear Lord, but don’t ask me to tithe

I’ll go where you want me to go Dear Lord, I’ll say what you want me to say

But I’m busy just now with my service Dear Lord, I’ll help You some other day”

THE PROBLEM: IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU

“So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.”

Serving from your intellect

Serving from your heart

“MY BELOVED…” Is God your Boss? Is the Church your

Supervisor?

WHERE’S THE LOVE? “Saints visit where there is love…”

“Simon, son of Jonah, Do you love Me?”

“Feed My sheep.”

“YOU HAD NO NEED OF MY SERVITUDE. RATHER, IT WAS ME WHO WAS IN NEED OF YOUR LORDSHIP.”

He Fed the multitudes

He gave sight to the blind

He Healed the sick

He Rose from the dead

PERSONAL SALVATION True service requires love towards

others Service is a natural consequence of the

Love for God

THE DOOR’S WIDE OPEN

“NOW THERE WAS ALSO A DISPUTE AMONG THEM, AS TO WHICH OF THEM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE GREATEST.” LK 22:24

Pride, jealousy, judging, competition, rivalry, bitterness, cynicism…

THE RESULT

CommUNITY!

LITURGY: λειτουργία (leitourgia) meaning a "public work"

LITURGY: A prescribed form or set of forms for public religious worship.

PRAYER

EMPTY WORDS?

“Pray for the peace of the ONE ,Holy,

Universal and Apostolic, Orthodox

Church of God”

PRIME “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech

you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians

FASTING

BE OPEN MINDED…

EXPECT PROBLEMS Peter was guilty of hypocrisy (Gal 2:11-12)

Barnabas gave in to peer pressure (Gal 2:13)

Euodia and Syntyche argued (Phil 4:2)

Many of Paul’s helpers were selfish (Phil 2:20-21)

MORE TO THE PICTURE… Do you know all the facts?

THERE ARE ALWAYS 2 SIDES TO EVERY STORY

Different points of view

Be sensitive to personal matters

You may be wrong!

OPPORTUNITY TO GROW…

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:4

IN THE WORLD NOT OF THE WORLD…

“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” 1Peter 3:9

DON’T ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE… “He who goes about as a

talebearer reveals secrets; but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.” (Prov 11:13)

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Rom 12:18)

BE AN INSTRUMENT OF RECONCILIATION

PAUL’S ADVICE “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of

love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians

*“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ; Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God; There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all” Corinthians

“If we want the world to believe, we must be one” Jn 17:11,20

WELL…? WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

UPRIGHT AIM “…Since the whole conduct of these

brethren was to God, and since whatsoever they did they did it for God, with an upright aim, and since the aim of each was the same, they appeared to be in the old man’s opinion of equal merit before God.”

The Paradise of the Holy Fathers, trans by E.A. Wallis Budge, p283

ARE WE CALLED or

ARE WE DRIVEN?