INTRODUCTION
A. GOD’S ENVISIONED VISION FOR NHBC!
As I strive to become who God desires me to be, I learn more of what Paul meant when he said, “we live by faith and not by sight”. And as a church, we also find ourselves striving to become who God has envisioned us to be.
I am still not 100% positive on the precise door that we will walk through to realize that purpose. It seems that everyday I think I have it figured out, there’s another closed door.
What I am becoming MORE CONVINCED of is the danger of placing too much emphasis on THE BUILDING and I’m NOT CERTAIN that is the Vision but RATHER THE END RESULT OF THE VISION.
B. SERMON SERIES TO PREPARE US FOR THAT JOURNEY!
1. It is EASY to See The Finish! The big, pretty, packed church – That Lighthouse on the Hill. That awesome choir, full staff, tons of children, excited teenagers – Oh what a sight! That’s EASY TO SEE!
But THE JOURNEY – THE JOURNEY ALONG THE WAY – If there is a place that we pastors, as leaders of God’s Church, fail, it is that we don’t spend enough time preparing the flock for the journey to become what God has called us to be.
ILL: THE TRIANGLE OF MINISTRY
If you picture a triangle – at the top is Jesus because we know “He is the way, the truth and the life.” At the bottom of the triangle are the different members of the body that God has uniquely placed here.
In the middle is the Holy Spirit. (READ JOHN 14.26) (his purpose)
From our study of Ephesians, we know the Holy Spirit is the Protector & Administrator of The Church so now ADD THE CHURCH to the middle of the triangle. The job of the church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is to help us along the journey to Christ.
Each Member of the Body (through the HS) learns and performs the task which Jesus has equipped them to do (each according to their ability as Jesus determined).
Through the different ministries of the church, every believer not only grows themselves but ALSO allows the HS use them to grow and mature another.
The Result is that the “whole building is joined together” as Paul says in Ephesians 2:21-2, so that “to rise & become (a process of the journey) a ‘holy temple’ – a ‘dwelling’ in which God lives by His spirit”.
So the CHURCH through the Empowerment of the Holy Spirit helps TO PREPARE US FOR THE JOURNEY God has CALLED US TO WALK.
2. LAST WEEK, we looked at “The Vision Behind the Purpose of the Church”;
For the next several weeks, I want us to focus not on the end result of this Vision, but instead How We Will Accomplish This Vision (whatever that SPECIFIC vision is).
TODAY, I want us to understand We Must Offer God Our Best!
OUR TEXT IS FROM MARK 14:1-9 and is recorded in Matt., Mark, and John.
VERSES 1-2
The Passover marked the night the Israelites were freed from Egypt when God “passed over” the homes that were marked by the “blood of the lamb”. This was the Last Plague on Egypt whereby God took the “firstborn male of every household” (including Pharaoh) if the blood of a lamb was not found on the door.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread - 7 day festival recalling the ‘escape from Egypt’ – but in the escape they did not have time to let their bread rise & baked it w/o yeast.
READ VERSE 3
Bethany was located on the East side of the Mount of Olives – Jerusalem on the West Side. Upon his many trips to Jerusalem, Jesus would stay here and walk to Jerusalem.
This meal takes place at the home of Simon who either had leprosy in the past or will get it. Obviously he doesn’t have it now or he would not live at home. I believe he probably had been healed by Jesus which might would also be the reason they are in his home.
Bethany is also the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and according to John’s recording of this event, they were not only here, but MARY is the woman who performed this tremendous offering.
READ John 12.2.3
She brought a Beautiful Jar of VERY EXPENSIVE perfume and poured it on his head.
This act is what we are really focusing on.
READ VERSE 4-5
Here come ‘the complainers’ – those wanting to distract others from giving their best. Where Mark says ‘some’, John (vs. 12.4) specifically mentions ‘Judas’ as the main instigator.
Judas was influencing others not because of his concern for poor, but because of his selfishness
READ VERSES 6-9
TWO PARTS OF THE LESSON:
I. YOUR ACTIONS DISPLAY WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART
Let’s go back to Vs. 4. -- “why this waste of perfume?”
- How do we define “waste”? Something is considered “wasted” when it is used in exchange for something else of lower worth or value. To Judas, it was a waste to spend all that expensive perfume on Jesus. WHY? To Judas, Jesus was simply NOT WORTH IT.
- It’s interesting that Judas accused Mary of wasting this perfume on Jesus when he in fact ended up wasting his entire life and soul because he failed to see what MARY SAW.
APPLICATION: HOW ABOUT YOU? IS JESUS WORTH YOUR BEST?
a. Coming home from Orangeburg Friday gave me hours to think about the OutReach Efforts.
I asked the Lord to grant me the wisdom to understand how to mix family obligations and church ministry. If you work, have children or school, have a spouse, and a home, and IF you take care of those responsibilities there isn’t much time left for Church OUTREACH.
b. I truly want to grow the church. Yet I truly want to respect and not take advantage of the structure of the family. Is there anyone who would differ with that?
I started remembering the church when I was a child, a teenager, and a young adult. I DON’T REMEMBER ANY WEEKLY PUSH OF OUTREACH NEEDS. “YET THE CHURCH WAS FULL!” WHY?
I believe the answer is because at that time, America was much more a NATION OF FAITH! God was everywhere – God’s people were everywhere. Faith was not shunned.
Rather than 86% of Coweta County being out of church, 86% of Coweta County would be IN CHURCH
c. So what’s the answer? I think Mary tells us.
We must get back to OFFERING GOD OUR BEST.
II. OFFER YOUR BEST TO GOD
From the example of Mary, we see a different heart from that of Judas. Both had seen Jesus perform miracles. Both had spent a lot of time with Jesus. In fact, Judas had seen much more than Mary.
- The Perfume we are told in Vs. 5 had a value of more than a year’s wages. You do the math! WHY would a young Jewish girl invest so much to buy a bottle of perfume?
- One custom at Jewish meals was for the honored guest to be anointed with oil. But wouldn’t you think that this would be done by the owner of the house rather than a guest?
- Another custom for young Jewish girls was to spend a huge amount on a jar of perfume. And on the day of her wedding, she would break the flask to beautify herself with it. In doing so, the bride would indicate to her bridegroom that she was offering her best, her entire life, all she had, to her husband.
- So Mary in pouring out that costly oil, was in effect saying, “Lord, I am giving out my best for You… I’m pouring out my ALL for You.”
APPLICATION: Let’s Make It Personal!
1. When we give our best to God, we are not uncomfortable to talk about Him at work or at school or in the neighborhood – in fact, it’s the OPPOSITE – IF OUR BEST.
APP: The church today would be PACKED (as it used to be) if we Gave Our Best because we would be inviting our friends to church.
ILLUSTRATION: OUTREACH MAGAZINE – APR. 07
In the Apr. issue of OutReach, a question was asked to many unchurched individuals regarding why they did not go to church.
One specific question of that was, “what do you WISH church was like?”
The #6 answer: “I wish someone would ASK ME TO BE A PART”. BUT the invitation had to come through relationships of trust. They don’t want a stranger walking up to them on the street or knocking on their door.
IF we Gave God Our Best – the church would not need any specific OUTREACH PROGRAM! THE CHURCH WOULD BE FULL!
2. When we give our best to God, the church would not need beg for Funds.
- Vs. 8 - Mary GAVE HER BEST & WHAT SHE COULD.
- GOD DOES NOT EXPECT you nor I to GIVE WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE. But GOD DOES EXPECT us to GIVE WHAT WE CAN and ASSUMING THAT IS OUR BEST that is ALL GOD EXPECTS.
- Some are able to give more because God has blessed them. In giving that amount, they give because God has allowed them to.
- Some because of past bad decisions, good decisions but situations beyond control, and many other different circumstances that life places us in, are not able to give as much but EVERYONE can give something.
- There is a 2 Part Principle here:
1. God expects All of Us to Give Something
2. God expects our Best.
- It’s not the amount, the position, the time, NOR the money that counts.
- IT’S THE HEART. That DETERMINES THE REST!
III. SUMMARY
In closing, I ask you to consider this thought: DID MARY KNOW HOW JESUS WOULD USE HER GIFT? READ Verse 8.
- Mary thought she was OFFERING JESUS AN ACT OF WORSHIP. But because Mary did what she could (which was her best) God was able to use it to ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE.
- She didn’t realize that because of her availability to God, He was actually working through her to prepare His Son for burial.
- Later in this gospel, you read of another Mary, who went to the tomb with perfumes and spices and oil to anoint the crucified body for burial – “but he was not there”.
- God took the gift Mary gave and used it To Prepare His Son and as Jesus said “wherever the gospel is preached, what she has done will also be told”.
- You Cannot Out Give God!
DOES GOD HAVE YOUR BEST?
1. Does God Have Your Witness?
- Would you consider this morning committing to simply Invite Your Friends To Church? You get them here and allow God AND GOD’S TOOLS to change them.
2. Does God Have Your Time?
- Would you consider this morning committing to Come to Church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.
- Not only may God use another to teach, grow, or mature you for your journey,
- But God would be able to use You to Reach, teach, grow, or mature another through the gifts you have.
Would you consider making this commitment to God this morning?
3. Does God Have Your Tithe?
Would you consider this morning committing to God to giving Him something each week you are paid.
- No, I’m not talking about your 10%.
- I’m talking about what God leads you to give.
- But SOMETHING then asking God to LEAD YOU as to how to change that AMOUNT.
READ Mk. 12:41-44
It’s not the amount – It’s the heart that God is after.
But make yourself AVAILABLE by MAKING A START.
HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH OUR VISION?
1- BY GIVING GOD OUR BEST!
