January 14, 2012 - Church at Worship

Sermon: "Only One Thing Is Needed" Randy Roberts

Pastoral Welcome: Timothy Gillespie

Children’s Feature: Patty Marruffo

Meditation:

All Word and no Spirit, we dry up
All Spirit and no Word, we blow up
Both Word and Spirit, we grow up. – David Watson
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important. – C. S. Lewis
Christ is not valued at all, unless he is valued above all. – St. Augustine

Scripture Reading: Luke 10:38–42, TNIV - Tarik and Teymi Townsend

Sermon Notes:

This week, the students and faculty of Loma Linda University and the employees of Loma
Linda University Medical Center have participated in the annual winter Week of Renewal.
Chris Oberg, the senior pastor of the La Sierra University Church, has spoken each day here
in our sanctuary. The theme for the week has been: Equilibrium. So let me ask you, Is your
life characterized by equilibrium?

Equilibrium is not always easy to maintain. We face many competing demands and many
demanding concerns. When beset by such urgencies, it is tempting to be dominated (as
someone once said) by the tyranny of the urgent. When that occurs, we put off the truly
important in order to accomplish the truly pressing. And yet, what cries out for our attention is
not always that to which we ought to give our attention. And equilibrium suffers.

In our sermon today, we turn to a story from the life of Jesus where he addresses the reality
of competing demands. And when he does, he places one priority above every other. As we
consider his words in this story, we will have to ask ourselves, Are we willing to place the kind
of high priority on uninterrupted time alone with Jesus that he says it deserves? It is a question we cannot ignore.

May God empower each of us to answer the question well.

Randy Roberts
Senior Pastor