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Page 6 6 ENCOUNTER 1 October A.D. 29 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42) I think it’s fair to say that most of the sermons that have been preached on this text have put Martha in a pretty dim light. Many a preacher has engaged in “Martha bashing.” Well, I’d like to say a kind word about Martha this afternoon. I want to draw your attention to verse 38–“Martha welcomed Him into her home.” Other translations say, “Martha received Him into her home.” Receiving Jesus Christ Bethany was the only place on this earth where Jesus Christ was completely and gladly received. It was the only place on earth where He felt at home. This is the outstanding feature of Bethany. And it is the first mark of the church that God is after. Jesus Christ was rejected in the world. But He was received in Bethany. Now what does it mean to receive the Lord Jesus? I think that every church on this planet would claim that they receive the Lord. But I’d like to expand our understanding of what it means to properly receive Him. How does a church give the Lord His proper and rightful place? This is a critical question. For upon it rests the whole matter of church restoration. I believe that the church will never be restored until we first understand how to receive the Lord properly.