Sunday’s Sermon Outline

Introduction: All of us have limited time and resources. We must choose carefully how we will use our time and resources as we make daily decisions.

1. We must determine what is good, better, and best (Luke 10:38-42). Martha had a problem with the tyranny of the urgent during Jesus’ visit to her home. She was doing a good thing, but not the best thing. Mary had chosen the best thing (verse 42). The Bible contains both rules and principles. Sometimes these rules and principles seem to conflict. For example, Rahab thought that she had to choose between lying or telling the truth, and she assumed that telling the truth would cost the lives of the two spies she was hiding (Joshua 2:4). We need spiritual maturity to choose the better or best instead of the merely good. When the time comes for us to make a decision, it helps if we have our priorities firmly established in our minds. As individuals we should put our relationship with God first, our families second, and our careers, hobbies, etc. down the list.

2. We must accept God’s perspective on what is best (John 11:1-6). We discover in verse five that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus with “agape” love. When Jesus heard about Lazarus being sick, however, He stayed another two days where He was instead of leaving immediately to visit Lazarus. Raising Lazarus from the dead was better than merely healing him before he died. God loves us, but He sometimes allows evil things to happen to us. We must understand that a greater good will eventually come, and God will be glorified as good ultimately triumphs over evil. The crucifixion of Christ was a horribly evil event in one sense. It was a sin to put the sinless Son of God on a cross, and He asked the Father to forgive those who did it (Luke 23:34). From our perspective, however, we can see that a greater good occurred—the atonement.

Conclusion: Because of the greater good that was accomplished on the cross, salvation is now available.