One Thing is Needful

[Intro Voiceover] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God really desires a godly home. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tech Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] Luke 10:38. We saw that Jesus came to the house of Mary and Martha. And when they came around, issues were joined to issues, and a lot of lessons can be learned from what happened in that place. But that is not the main text we will be considering, even though the topic was taken from that place. So let’s see where we took the topic from. Luke 10:38. "One Thing is Needful." One thing is needful. Are you there? Now, from verse 38, we noticed in verse 38, the Bible says—let me read from the NLT. "As Jesus and his disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And his sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, 'Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.' But Jesus said to her, 'My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.' " There is only one thing worth being concerned about. King James says, "But one thing is needful." Amplified says, "There is need of only one or but a few things, and Mary has chosen that part." And we also want to pick the matter from "One thing is needful." And we want to join this matter to the verse we will be studying in the book of Psalms. We will notice in this place that for Jesus, what was the one thing that mattered from this story here? What was the one thing that mattered? [Speaker 2] Yeah, literally from the story, sitting at his feet and hearing his words. [Speaker 1] So what does that imply? [Speaker 2] Fellowship with God. [Speaker 1] What does that further imply? Aren't we fellowshipping every day? Aren't we fellowshipping every moment? What does that further imply? Let’s take it more practically. Sitting at his feet, that’s literal. More practically, fellowship with God. Yes, more practically? [Speaker 3] Yes, having his mind and being conscious of him at times. [Speaker 1] Yes. I want some practical things. But you are not relating it to everyday life. What does it mean to everyday life? She had the closest answer: being conscious of him, having him in mind. Then, more practically? It will simply mean if it means sitting and hearing him, if it means fellowship, if it means having his mind and seeking his kingdom, then it will practically also mean that we take decisions every time. Is that not so? Like she has decided to come for her master's. And she knew why she chose Akure. I don’t know why she didn't choose Ibadan. She knew why she chose Akure. [speaking Yoruba]. We are just considering that too. But something must have come together to decide that. We decide that after this place, there's a place we are going. All those everyday decisions we are taking. We are saying that what Jesus is saying is that it will be a very wonderful thing if our decisions flow from our discussions with him. We are constantly deciding. We are constantly doing a lot of things. We are constantly deciding, we are constantly taking decisions. It should be a great thing. Now, if you look at that passage, what Martha was doing, was it a wrong thing? Was it a sinful thing? Was it an unrighteous thing? Was it an ungodly thing? Is it an unholy thing? It wasn't. but what does it mean to be holy? Okay, let me ask you this question. When Uzzah struggled to protect the ark from falling, his action, was it righteous? Was it an unholy action? I want you to understand what holiness is from righteousness because we said what Martha did was holy. Let me not even say it’s not holy. Let me just say it's not holy. Although what she was doing was right, it was not ungodly. It was not necessarily at that time—it was not an ungodliness at that time. But it was not in conformity with God’s will as at that time. That is why it is not holy. You get the point I’m making? And that's why I used Uzzah so that your mind can come back on track and find his face. Uzzah’s motive was okay. He was not someone who wanted to go and commit fornication. Somebody was not going to do some unrighteous and ungodly thing. He was somebody going to work for the things of God. But yet it was not holy, and God killed him. It was a similar thing that Martha was doing here. You know the Bible says, "without holiness," not without righteousness. Righteousness is a gift that we got at our salvation. But it said, "without holiness, no man will see God." Now, that’s not what I really want to dwell on. What I want to dwell on is that what Martha was doing—we are looking at "One thing is needful"—what Martha was doing was not necessarily an ungodly thing. It’s not like somebody committed telling lies. She wasn't telling lies. She wasn't doing something that—let me put it this way—she wasn't doing anything shameful. You know when you are doing what is shameful, there’s a way you hide. There’s a way you don’t want the brethren to know. That’s what I’m trying to explain. This one, she was even confident. She went to the Lord! "Lord, you are not doing what is correct here. Mary is not helping me. See she just left me and you are just talking with her and discussing with her. Tell her to join me." So it was not something, but then, it was not something in conformity with the Lord’s will at that time. It was not conformity with his will. Not conformity with his will. The Lord said that she was cumbered and bothered about so many things. Yet just one thing is needful. So if we are talking about encumbrance, if we are talking about things that hinder us from meeting the mark, we are not necessarily talking about only shameful things. I will say the matter of shameful things, those ones are at another level. Because we see some believers today who are still involved in secret things of shame, both among ministers, among fellowship. You see covetousness, you see sexual perversion, you see immorality, you see sexual immorality. There are some things of shame that some who claim to be godly are involved in. [speaking Yoruba]. Those are at another level of this discussion. If you are at that level, I don’t know. You need to go and repent before you can come to the level we are talking about now. We are talking about it that some people are doing things which ordinarily are not things they can even boast before the Lord about. They can give testimony about in church. That was why she could confront Jesus with it. [speaking Yoruba]. Yet the Lord was making her to see that sorry, this path that you are going is not a path that is correct. You are not correct in this path that you are taking. It's not a correct path. Now, if you look at what was going on in that place, why do you think or what do you think is not correct in what Martha was doing? What is not correct? They have a big visitor. [speaking Yoruba]. If you want to talk about the Lord in our time today, you would say Adeboye came to—somebody who has great popularity. You get the point? It will not be like somebody like me that people don’t know. It will be somebody—we are talking of a global icon. Do you understand what I want to say? Now, a global icon that people know so well. That’s Jesus of Nazareth. [speaking Yoruba]. Will you just sit down? Say he’s coming. In fact, if he comes in and just go and sit down, [speaking Yoruba]. It will look like you are such an uncultured brethren. [speaking Yoruba]. You have not been properly domesticated. You know there are some believers like that, both brothers and sisters who are not domesticated. It’s not Christianity. A Christian must be properly domesticated. But that’s not what we are discussing. Now the point I'm making was that it will look like she was not properly domesticated. [speaking Yoruba]. You get... I'm trying to make you understand Martha. So what Martha was doing was something very crucial to that visit also. It was crucial to the visit. But the point in that place is what makes it not to be a thing that Jesus approved? That’s what I’m trying to ask you. Why did Jesus not approve it? Would you ordinarily not approve it? You too would approve it. So the point I'm making is that in the midst of the things that we approve, how do we discover what is needful? Not in the midst of the things that we disapprove. I hope you're getting what we want to discuss now. In the midst of the things that we approve... things that we approve. How will God help us so that we can live by his will per time, per second? Not just generally. What makes it to be wrong is not what has been done, it’s the timing. What makes it to be wrong is the timing. The timing of it. Just if you want to expand it for instance. It is possible that the Lord came fasting and will not be eating. Is it not possible? It's possible that he had just finished eating and he would not need food. How will they get to know that? It is by sitting and listening to him. So the point is that Mary sat down there as they are discussing. What becomes needful for the person becomes naturally discovered. [speaking Yoruba]. It’s as they sit down. So they would still come back to whatever needed to be done. You get the point I’m trying to bring out? But it is as they sit there to listen. So the point we are making is that the issue of communion with the Lord, the issue of fellowshipping with the Lord, the issue of staying with him becomes the needful thing that can help us to discern his will among the things we daily approve. Now, among the things we daily approve, the things we daily agree to want to do and all of that. Now, why is it important? It is important in two ways. But we are looking at the first and the most important one this morning. Why is it important that we are able to know what is needful among the things—not between the things of shame and the things of light. That’s at another level. But among the things of light, how do we differentiate the two here? Because even in the things of light, just like we saw with Uzzah, what he did was not a thing of shame. Yet what did he get? What was the penalty? Death. And if we want to illustrate that thing further, look at the ten virgins. Why were five foolish? How was it displayed? In preparation. In case... that’s how it was displayed in that thing. They were all expectant. All of them slept. But when the announcement came, they discovered they had no more oil. So for them now to run and get—when they are seeking for assistance from other sides, they tell them that it’s no longer—so all of them are expectant. All of them slept. But when the announcement came, they discovered they had no more oil. Yes, but what is that preparation? What is the mystery of that preparation? What is the nitty-gritty of that preparation? [speaking Yoruba]. It was displayed in that story because what they went to look for was not something sinful. It was not something ungodly. It would be a good thing they went to look for. But that good thing was why they didn't make it. [speaking Yoruba]. You know it's the things they approve—we need oil. It's not a thing of shame. It's a thing that is approved. But among what is approved, they went to look for one of those things. In fact, one that looks like it's an urgent need for the Lord. Is it not? [speaking Yoruba]. And yet the Master said "I don't know you again." So what they were doing was the thing they approved. But even though it was approved, it was not a thing that was needful at that time. It was not needful. It was not needed. Sometimes I just have to—even though it was not in that story—[speaking Yoruba]. What the Lord was saying is "See, don't pick up this job now." You have approved that people should pick up a job. But per time, don't pick up this job because this job can lead to your destruction. But because it is approved, if you don't get to know what is needful at that time, you may take it up and the end will be destruction. So when I'm talking about one thing that is needful, I'm looking at it that how do we discern the Lord's will in the midst of the things of what we approve? Now, the reason why I'm saying this is because if indeed and of truth we are really living our life as Christians, [speaking Yoruba]. Because there are these two categories as the book of John defined them. It said if any man continue in sin, he is not born of God or he does not know God. So some people are not born of God. While some people are born of God but they don't know him. Now that’s what I'm saying that if actually we are born of God and we know God, the issue of our life would not be about whether to do a thing of shame or not to do a thing of shame. It will be how do I know the Lord's will among the things of light. Among the things that are approved. The situation that we have today in the church is a situation in which people are struggling with whether I should tell lies or not tell lies. With whether I should watch pornography or not watch pornography. With whether—I'm in relationship and you say, "I don't know, the emotions sometimes... the kiss and romance, we are still asking God to help us although we are trying to stop it." That's where you have the majority of which we describe as believers today. The indication of that is that within that troop, that majority, it's either the problem of they are not born again or what? They don't know God. But when people are truly born again and they know God, the issue that we are looking at today is about a man who is born again, who is born of God and who knows God. Yet there is still a challenge. The challenge of approving the thing that is needful. That thing that you want to do, it's a necessity. We are talking about is that for those ones now who are living uprightly. Do you understand me now? Those who pursue the Lord and holiness. There's still a hurdle to cross. The hurdle to cross now is "How do I discern his will among the things that are approved?" How do I know his will among the things that are approved, among the things of light? And that is why you notice that when Peter was talking about the matter of judgment, [speaking Yoruba]. Can someone quote that scripture before I quote it? The matter of judgment of godly, the righteous. We may need to read it because that's where I want to pick it up gradually and then we... look at First Peter chapter 4. Read from verse 15 or from verse 15, but verse 18 [speaking Yoruba]. [Reader 3] "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." [Speaker 1] If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. [speaking Yoruba]. I want you to understand that now. It will say the time is here that judgment will begin. [speaking Yoruba]. [Reader 3] "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." [Speaker 1] It will first begin at us. What shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? [speaking Yoruba]. [Reader 3] "And if the righteous scarcely be saved..." [Speaker 1] The second level now. "If the righteous is..." why are they scarcely? What makes Martha and Mary... they are righteous. One did not live holy in the midst of the thing that was approved. Uzzah wanted to help God. He was king. The righteous and scarcely saved. [speaking Yoruba]. The five foolish ones, why did they look for oil? Because of the Lord they went to look for it. They didn't go to commit fornication. They didn't say they went to do some shameful things. Their mind is "We must meet the Lord! Let's go and look for it." That's why they went. And yet the Master said "I don't know you again." If the righteous... the first one is that if it begin with us, what about those who don't believe? [speaking Yoruba]. Now among the righteous again, there is scarcity. We are talking about one thing is needful. If the righteous again, because the matter is about without holiness, ability to approve his will per time. You remember Ananias and Sapphira? They were inside. You see how God still finish some people. God saved the people of Israel and again he destroyed them that believed not. These are things that God has done over and over again before. So the reason why we are looking at it is that the matter is "If the righteous scarcely." So I'm trying to make you understand that matter of scarcely. The scarcity is not between the godly and the ungodly. Those ones are at another level. But among the righteous now again, there is scarcity. "Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" [speaking Yoruba]. The husband that is not truthful to his wife. The sister that cannot submit to her husband at all. The young believer who is involved in shameful things and he's still hiding. [speaking Yoruba]. The brother who is proposing to one, break it today, propose to another, break it today... I'm talking about the different things you find today. The pastor of the church who is doing counseling and in counseling office he's doing immorality. The pastor who is covetous over tithe and offering and he's converting money [speaking Yoruba] doing anything with the Lord's sacrifice. Where... the Bible says where? [speaking Yoruba]. Where do you think God placed the ones that are still saying "Baba"... they are still scarcely saved. We are talking about ungodliness. You see the scripture says "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly." What this means is that you may be a godly person, you may be a righteous person, you are converted, but you still follow ungodly counsel. And it's so common today in the midst of our fellowship. [speaking Yoruba]. Not talking about fornication. What does the Bible say? It said "But as for fornication and immorality, they should not be named." Named! The Bible said "named!" because even when people actually are born again and they know God, the level we should be talking about is the righteous being scarcely saved. It's not the level of the ungodly. That’s not the level. So "named" is where we are. The level where we are is that "Ah, don't touch my ark, ark is about to fall!" In the bid to help God, he made a mistake. That's where we are. You get the point I’m making? The level where, he took somebody's wife. He didn't know. The person was telling a lie to him. He didn't know. And then he was trying to sleep, he could not sleep with the woman and then God came to him and said "Look, you are a dead man!" He said "Ah, but God! He told me she's his sister!" He said "That's why I stopped you from sinning against me. Go and return him!" That's the kind of thing that we should be handling with the godly. Are you understanding me? Things that even heaven knows that this is out of human weakness. And you know, God is able to save his own. But when we now talk about the ungodly, it’s another level. Another level. And that's what we are looking at this matter of one thing is needful. And I will show you from that of Mary and Martha that Mary will pass the test eventually because as she discussed—she’s discussing with the Lord, you should be able to know whether the Lord is fasting that day. And then you say "Ah, [speaking Yoruba]." That would have resolved that matter. Or if the Lord says "Ah, [speaking Yoruba]. Can I get pounded yam?" Then she will now go and prepare pounded yam. That's why Jesus said this one is needful. Martha should sit down too! Let us have something together before you begin to run around. Before you begin to move around and run around and prepare... let's talk together. What I'm trying to say brethren, look at your life today. How many things that look like—they look like things that you approve, that are okay? And you've been running around, you've been running around and you are doing but yet you have not sat with the Lord first about them. You have been running around, you have been running around and you are doing but to what extent are we first sitting with the Lord? It looks like the thing is the Lord. The thing is okay. The thing is good. And we are just beginning to jump and jump into several things. That is why Uzzah met his Waterloo. That was why Martha also met her Waterloo. So the Psalmist says something that is of great benefit for us this morning. Psalm 27. Psalm 27. Are you there? It’s a very popular scripture if you are familiar with that scripture. [speaking Yoruba]. The Psalm says, reading from the KJV first, it said "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord." Can you see what this elder is saying here? What did this elder say? He iterated something that looks like a confession. That was the first thing he said. But he was now giving us the basis of that confession. The confession that he made is that "See, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemy and my foe come up against me to eat my flesh, they stumbled, they fall. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident." That's a declaration. Now the basis of that declaration is what? It tell us what brought about this declaration began from the next verse after—it began from verse 4. But look at the declaration. He said "The Lord is my light." [speaking Yoruba]. What is light? What does light symbolize? Somebody said to see, to know what is happening, to be able to understand what is going on. He said the Lord is my light. What does that mean? What can the implication of that statement be? [Speaker 2] In my own perspective, looking at the fact that God is light, he knows what will happen before it happens. So God reveals things to him and nothing takes him unawares. God gives him direction, illumination before things happen. God reveals things to him concerning something or what the direction should be. He can't be confused when he goes to God. Direction comes, illumination comes. He's sure that anytime he approaches things, and he gets to God, direction will come. [Speaker 1] Okay, that it means that God reveals things to him and nothing takes him unawares. And then the other that when timing is perplexed or confused, he sees the Lord for direction and he gets light. Any other way of looking at that scripture? [Speaker 4] The Lord being his light also shows that he's at peace. Having that understanding and he can see what is going on around him by the spirit of God. [Speaker 1] Okay. Any other way of looking at it? Somebody said when there is light there's rest and peace. You can see what is going on around you clearly. So he said the Lord is his light. Now how does this relate to the matter we have been discussing? The Psalmist said "The Lord IS my light." What does light symbolize? Somebody said to see, to know what is happening, to be able to understand what is going on. The Psalmist said the Lord IS the light. What does that imply? [speaking Yoruba]. Which ever way—we have looked at what light is. If there's no light you cannot see, you cannot understand, you cannot know what is doing. [speaking Yoruba]. He didn't say "The Lord GIVES me light." He said "The Lord IS my light." Do you get that? [speaking Yoruba]. When I said I saw something, that thing I see is God. If you see me that I understand this, "I understand this!" it's who? It's God. I'm showing you what is needful for a time like this. I’m showing you what is needful. And I will—for you to know that this thing is so important in the life of a man—I must be constantly watched over. Because let me tell you one truth. I do say it all the time. I said height is not the antidote for fall. It's not because a man is so high, that is why he cannot fall. What is the antidote for fall? Caution. No matter how high a man is, a man can fall. That is why you still find that this man who started on very, very good note, at a point somewhere, he slept. And that was the ruin of all the whole kingdom. He wasted all his sons, wasted his daughter. Because immediately he finished with Bathsheba, the Bible said Amnon slept with Tamar. He wasted—the kingdom was transferred to Bathsheba—everything was wasted what he had built all his life. So if you look at when this man was talking, to get this thing very clear. Can we quickly see something in Second Samuel? We'll come back to this place briefly and shortly. Second Samuel chapter 5. Are you in Second Samuel chapter 5? Look at what happened in Second Samuel chapter 5. Look at what happened between the house of Saul and the house—Second Samuel chapter 5. Now look at it from verse 17 downwards. No, it's not this one. It's not this battle. The battle I'm looking for was immediately David became king. [speaking Yoruba]. [Reader 3] "But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it and went down to the hold. The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David enquired of the Lord saying, 'Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into mine hand?' And the Lord said unto him, 'Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.' And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there and said, 'The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters.' Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim." [Speaker 1] So how did David fight that battle? Who was his light? Was it not that God gave him light? God was the light of that battle. So he went and he attacked them as the Lord said, he won the battle. Okay, please read on now. [Reader 3] "And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David enquired of the Lord, he said, 'Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.' " [Speaker 1] Yes, this same David! Have you seen this man again? If you have beaten them the first time, what do you do again? You just use same notion and strategy to go for that battle and finish them. But he understand. What did David say when they came again? David is saying "I still don't know how to fight." Not as if he's not a fighter. He was a fighter. But again, he didn't have light in himself. Are you thinking that David don't have an experience of how to go about the battle? Are you saying he doesn't know how to command Joab and what to do from all the battles that they have been fighting? But as far as he's concerned, all those things are darkness. They are darkness. They are not light. What is your light today? The Lord IS my light. So I'm showing you that the man who said it was not just making a statement. The man was actually talking about his life. He said the Lord is my light. So what made him, he said "Whom shall I fear?" Did he have anybody to fear? When they came, and God said "use this method," and he won, he didn't fear, he go. When they came the second time again, what happened now? What happened? [Reader 3] " 'And when David enquired of the Lord, he said, 'Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees... ' " [Speaker 1] [speaking Yoruba]. "Wait! Until you hear that step!" [speaking Yoruba]. [Reader 3] " '...that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.' " [Speaker 1] Then the Lord is the one going. [speaking Yoruba]. Follow me! To smite the host of the Philistines for you. So is it just that "The Lord gave me light"? Is that what is the matter of this man's life? No. The Lord IS my light. The Lord is my light. I want to ask you. If David had applied the first method for the second method? If David had used the first strategy for the second battle? What would have happened? He would be defeated. Perhaps they would kill him. David fought from a youth till he finally could not fight again. He got into a battle and the Philistines wanted to kill him, but the sons of Zeruiah they delivered him. Then they said you will not go to battle again with them because you are the light of Israel. From youth to the last battle that David fought, David lost no battle. He didn't lose any battle in his lifetime. How many battles have you been losing? I'm trying to make you understand [speaking Yoruba]. For David it was not so. What was he doing? The Lord is my light. It's when you see him say "Yeah, let's go!" he's got a light. The power is not in him. [speaking Yoruba]. The Lord—"Oh yes, you are there in front, follow me!" Your boldness to step into that matter, what gave you? Your courage to start that project, who gave you and what gave you? Is it not because your father said don't worry I'm behind you? Is it not because your pastor said "Ah, don't worry now, the church will give you support"? The courage to start that relationship, where did you get it? "Ah, I remember when [inaudible] was giving his story. He said this is how he did it." It looks similar. So it gave David a confidence. Why are you marrying that brother? "Ah no, my discipler said it's God's will for me." How did you step into it? WHO IS YOUR LIGHT? Who is your light? We are talking about the one thing that is needful. The needful thing we are discussing this morning. WHO IS YOUR LIGHT? AND WHO HAS BECOME YOUR SALVATION? He said "The Lord IS my light AND my salvation. Whom shall I fear?" THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE. I want to ask you. What was the strength of David's life in that battle? What was David's strength? [speaking Yoruba]. Strength of my life! Of whom shall I be afraid? David now began to give us the secret behind that light. How did God become his light? How did God become his salvation? Was what he began to make us see when we check that scripture further. He said, though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. So when God is your light, he becomes your what? Your confidence. Your salvation, your confidence, your strength. Now look at the pathway to the confession. What's the pathway? Verse 4. Let's check our various translations now. What's the pathway? King James says, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple." Yes, how did your translation put it? [Reader 2] "One thing I ask of the Lord, the thing I seek most..." [Speaker 1] THE THING I SEEK MOST. The thing I seek most. What is it? To live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfection and meditating in his temple. Delighting in the Lord's perfection, looking at his beauty, inquiring in his temple. Another translation for that verse 4. [inaudible]. [Reader 3] "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and insistently require." [Speaker 1] AND INSISTENTLY REQUIRE. The Bible says insistently. [speaking Yoruba]. You know when you hold on to one thing. [speaking Yoruba]. What will happen? It would still be like this... the blacksmith, if he holds onto one spot... [speaking Yoruba]. It would still be high like this. [speaking Yoruba]. It will come out like this. It will bring something out. If he hits at one spot, [sound of hitting: go, go, go, go] he wants to bring something out. So how many things did David hold on to? He held on to one thing. One thing, one thing, one thing, to inquire of him. Battle comes! "Father, how do I move?" Ah! Marriage comes! "Father, one thing." Step comes! "If he steps like this... one thing." Judgment battle! One thing. Enquirer! One thing. Employment recession! One thing. Not two things, no. One thing. One thing! He held on to one thing insistently. Then please go on. What is the one thing now? Let's go ahead. [Reader 3] "That I may dwell in the house of the Lord, in his presence, all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty, the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in his temple." [Speaker 1] To meditate, to consider, to inquire in his temple. [speaking Yoruba]. What is the difference between what Mary did with Jesus? Nothing! The same thing. So when Jesus was saying "One Thing", he was only quoting the Bible in Psalm 27. Somebody had said "One Thing" before. And the Lord only fulfilled the scripture. He only affirmed and was saying that look, Mary, one thing is to inquire of the Lord. Mary have chosen that one. Mary have asked like the elders of old. Mary have followed the old path. He said "Ask for the way, look for the old path." I'm going to teach you that before Jeremiah. Ask for the old path, the path to go, look for that one. What the Lord was in a way saying to Martha is "Martha, Martha, you have entered the new ways. You have entered the new ways. But there is an old path you should have inquired after. There is a path that the elders have walked in." That's why he said "Martha, Martha, you are cumbered with so many things. Mary have chosen the path. This is the old path. The men who made it, the men who walked steadily and walked sure, this was the path. In fact, when they left this path they were ruined." And what happened to David when he left this path? Was he not finished? When his eyes became a light? It became the basis of sleeping with a woman. Was he not finished? He squandered the kingdom, he squandered his family. Because immediately he finished with Bathsheba, the Bible said Amnon slept with Tamar. He wasted the kingdom was transferred to Bathsheba—everything was wasted what he had built all his life. So he was trying to tell Martha, "Martha, Martha, this is the path that the elders followed, and things were going well for them. But you, you are cumbered with... you are allowing your... what you think, what you feel, what you see to decide for you." Because you saw that a big man of God has come now. That's why I began with "Ah! Man of God! Ah [speaking Yoruba]." All those things are just the decision of your understanding, your thinking, your emotion, your experience. They have become your light. But Mary have chosen the correct light. When the Lord is his light, he's at my feet and inquire of "Am I light?" When the Lord is our light, I am our light. She sat at my feet, he said "Lord, so what do we do? Do you want to eat? Should we prepare food for you now? Or you are fasting?" She's inquiring. She will get the thing correctly. She will know whether I even need food or not. She will know the correct thing to do. She will even know if they are to prepare food now, while you will begin preparing Amala, what I need is rice. She will get the correct thing to prepare. By the time you bring your food I will say "I don't need it." Mary have chosen the correct thing. I don't know what choice you are making today. For so many people the Lord is not their light. For some, societal call, economic recession, everybody going into entrepreneurship, you see? I must do entrepreneurship so that I will not starve. That is his light he's jumping into. I'm not saying entrepreneurship is not good. I'm only saying WHO IS YOUR LIGHT? Because we are not saying that what Martha wanted to do is evil. That's why I began from that point. It was not a thing of shame. We are only saying it does not fall into the perfect will of God. It does not fall into God's expectation for that hour. What the Lord is saying now to his people, and last month the cry of the Lord for us in this place, is that people are fearing so many things. But there is only one thing to fear. He said "The fear of the Lord is a strong tower. The fear of the Lord tends to life." That if we can choose the fear of the Lord, we will have no other fear again. Today, what is the cry of the Lord? While experience, knowledge, understanding, human insight, are becoming light for brethren. How good it is, how presentable it is, how okay it is, are becoming light. [speaking Yoruba]. The old path, the path of the elders is "I am their light. I am their light." People are crying "Lord, save us!" No, [speaking Yoruba]. If the Lord is not first your light, ah, I'm afraid about your salvation. I'm afraid about your deliverance, I'm afraid about your protection, I'm afraid about your preservation. I'm afraid. The first thing is that the Lord must first be our light and then he will be our salvation. But if he's not our light, then he can't be our salvation. Look at how an elder, an elder who started very, very well. He started very, very well. But unfortunately along the line there was a problem. And when that problem came, it was not correctly solved. And it became a big matter for that elder. Do you know the elder I'm talking about? The battle was going on and they were winning the battle, but suddenly something came. And look at how the Lord put it in Joshua. Look at Joshua chapter 9. Are you in Joshua chapter 9? Look at what happened in the verse 3, chapter 9 verse 3. Or let me take it from verse 1. "And it came to pass, when all the kings who were on the side of this Jordan, in the hills and in the lowlands and on all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites heard about it..." what happened to them? He said they gathered together to fight Joshua with one accord. "But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And took old sacks on their donkeys, old wine skins, torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him, and to the men of Israel, 'We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.' Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, 'Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?' But they said to Joshua, 'We are your servants.' And Joshua said to them, 'Who are you and where do you come from?' And they said to him, 'From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have heard of his fame and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us saying, 'Take provision with you for the journey, to meet them and say to them, 'We are your servants now; therefore make a covenant with us.' This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you; but look, it is dry and moldy. And these wine skins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become so old because of the very, very long journey.' " Look at what the Bible says, verse 14. "Then the men of Israel took some of their provision." Are you following this? "Then the men of Israel did what?" Verse 14. "They took some of their provision." [speaking Yoruba]. They examined it. [speaking Yoruba]. But what happened? Let's read the whole verse together. "Then the men of Israel took some of their provision, but they did not ask counsel of the Lord." "So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, who dwelt near them. Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. But the children of Israel did not attack them because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers. Then all the rulers said to the congregation, 'We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them. This we will do to them: we will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we have sworn to them.' And the rulers said to them, 'Let them live, but they will be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.' Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, 'Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you', when you dwell near us? Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be free from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.' So they answered Joshua, 'Because your servants were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.' " Now, are you following me? How did these elders, how did they use their strength compared to the case of David? They used their eyes. [speaking Yoruba]. Not the basis of it! They inquired for that of Jericho, they inquired for that of Ai. These people came, they just looked at their provision, they looked "Ah, [speaking Yoruba]." And then they took them in. How many people? It said after three days, what happened? They discovered. How many people have taking things that after three years they realized that they married wrongly? For some it’s after three weeks. For some as mentioned here it's after three days. How many people have taken after three years "Ah, [speaking Yoruba]." But what has been lost has been lost. But thank God that these men were men of integrity. They said "We can't touch them." The people complained, "Let's kill them." "Ah, we can't kill them, we have made a covenant in the name of God." But even when men make covenant in the name of the Lord today, they will still divorce the wife. They say "It's not the perfect will of God." They don't understand what covenant is. When you make covenant in the name of the Lord and you break it, then you come under a curse and the wrath of God. So whatever you have found wrongly when it comes to marriage matters, just leave it concluded because it's a covenant. [speaking Yoruba]. Like a case like that, the sister had removed her fallopian tube, she cannot give birth again because she lived a worthless life. But she wanted to marry the brother, she didn't allow the brother to know. [speaking Yoruba]. And they married. [speaking Yoruba]. "The Lord made a mistake." He said, "No! This marriage must be break." It can't break. It can't break. They deceived them, but the covenant stand. The covenant stood! God showed them why they were deceived. He said "But they did not inquire of the Lord." They looked at the provision. And what are you looking at today that is becoming the basis of your life and you are not inquiring from the Lord? Who is your light? I now announce to you that the Lord is saying "One thing is needful." One thing is needful. And what is that? That the Lord become our light and our salvation. If he does not become that, there will be problem. There would be. That's why we check several issues. You can see the issues one after the other. You can see how David escaped. You can see how this men did not escape. Even though they were complaining [inaudible] "Ah, [speaking Yoruba]." No, we can't. Sorry. [speaking Yoruba]. You may murmur, it may become things of dissatisfaction, things of displeasure, things of this... because until the Lord is our light, we cannot really enjoy his salvation. Let's go back today as believers. Let's go back to this old path. Let's ask for this path again. Let’s inquire of this path. So many things are becoming the basis today for some: my pastor, my church, "No, how are you sure? Ah ah, you know, he’s a member of my church." Does that make a sister a Christian? Does that make a brother anything? "You know, no, in fact, he’s my pastor's son!" and what? When people have human basis of confidence. "No, ah, this job, you know, it is exactly what my discipler, the job my discipler was doing. That’s why I stepped into it." That is yet as a basis. There are so many things today that we have shifted from the one thing that is needful. It is to sit again with the Lord and inquire in his temple. Meditate, and consider and inquire in his temple. And consider and meditate there. So that we can confidently and continually say THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION. [speaking Yoruba]. When the wicked, when they encamp around me, when they are really encamped around me, even when they rise up to eat my flesh, they stumble and fall. When they encamp around me, there's nothing to fear. Can we just pray? Can we talk to the Lord briefly? I don’t know what you have learned. I don’t know how you have been challenged. I don’t know what you are already stepping into or what you are about to step into, what you have been doing and you have just been doing. I don’t know what is your light. But we are looking at the one thing that is needful. THE LORD IS OUR LIGHT. THE LORD IS MY LIGHT.