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  MARTHA WAS CUMBERED ABOUT MUCH SERVING
  by C.H. Spurgeon
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Summary: C.H. Spurgeon's sermon emphasizes the necessity of balancing
service to Christ with personal communion to maintain spiritual health
and effectiveness in ministry.

Topics: "Communion with God", "Service"
Scripture References: Luke 10:38

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DESCRIPTION
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C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that Martha's fault was not in her service but
in becoming overwhelmed by it, leading her to forget the importance of
communion with Jesus. He encourages believers to engage in both service
and fellowship, highlighting that while serving is essential, it should
not overshadow our relationship with Christ. Spurgeon points out that
true spiritual health comes from maintaining a balance between action
and communion, urging Christians to prioritize their connection with the
Lord above all else. He illustrates that while external duties are
important, they should not come at the expense of personal fellowship
with Jesus. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a life that harmonizes
service with spiritual intimacy.

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CONTENT
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Her fault was not that she served: the condition of a servant well
becomes every Christian. "I serve," should be the motto of all the
princes of the royal family of heaven. Nor was it her fault that she had
"much serving." We cannot do too much. Let us do all that we possibly
can; let head, and heart, and hands, be engaged in the Master's service.
It was no fault of hers that she was busy preparing a feast for the
Master. Happy Martha, to have an opportunity of entertaining so blessed
a guest; and happy, too, to have the spirit to throw her whole soul so
heartily into the engagement.

Her fault was that she grew "cumbered with much serving," so that she
forgot Him, and only remembered the service. She allowed service to
override communion, and so presented one duty stained with the blood of
another. We ought to be Martha and Mary in one: we should do much
service, and have much communion at the same time. For this we need
great grace. It is easier to serve than to commune. Joshua never grew
weary in fighting with the Amalekites; but Moses, on the top of the
mountain in prayer, needed two helpers to sustain his hands.

The more spiritual the exercise, the sooner we tire in it. The choicest
fruits are the hardest to rear: the most heavenly graces are the most
difficult to cultivate. Beloved, while we do not neglect external
things, which are good enough in themselves, we ought also to see to it
that we enjoy living, personal fellowship with Jesus. See to it that
sitting at the Saviour's feet is not neglected, even though it be under
the specious pretext of doing Him service. The first thing for our
soul's health, the first thing for His glory, and the first thing for
our own usefulness, is to keep ourselves in perpetual communion with the
Lord Jesus, and to see that the vital spirituality of our religion is
maintained over and above everything else in the world.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/ch-spurgeon/martha-was-cumbered-about-much-serving/
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