I’m not sure exactly when they started – it may have been back before the time of Christ. I’m not sure how Mt. Dew seemed to become the drink associated with them. But I am relatively sure that we’ll have “extreme sports” in some form or another for the rest of history to come.
Extreme sport: certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger or difficulty and often involving speed, height, a high level of physical exertion, and highly specialized gear or spectacular stunts.
There are enthusiasts whose search for a new thrill drives them to the edge. For instance, “extreme skiing.” People are skiing down mountains in the name of excitement that will kill them if they fall, and have killed some. True, that’s exciting. BASE jumping. Big wave surfing. BMX and motocross jumping.
These aren’t isolated phenomenons. They’re just more symptoms. Seems like our world is in a continual search for extremes that will give a new rush or offer some kind of artificial meaning to life.
Remember Romans 12:1 - “Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy to present your bodies as living sacrifices... (KJV says) this is your “reasonable act of worship.” NASV footnotes it “your rational service of worship...”
We’re looking at a scene this morning of worship that was unreasonable. It was lavish, extravagant. It was extreme. Now, some of you hear that and think, “Oh, Brother Sherm, preach it. We know that worship is supposed to be done decently, and in order, and that there’s certainly no room for any of that extreme attitude in worship.” Sorry. We’re also looking at a scene of unreasonable worship to which Jesus gave His stamp of approval!
So there are others of you who hear that and say, “Cool, Dude! Yeah! Extreme worship! I knew it was in there somewhere! Let’s do it!” OK. If Jesus says to, let’s! But before we jump head first into “extreme worship,” let’s see what that means. What would that look like? Are we going to need helmets and elbow pads?
You would think we’ve already seen it. After all, there are plenty of people who are approaching worship much like a sport. It’s something you do for a rush. And, if the rush dies down, you find some way to tweak it – some way to make it a little more on the edge – a little more extreme. If it gives you enough of a rush, you’ll come back to it. You may even invite someone else to share the rush with you. If it stops giving you a rush, you go on to the next venue, on to the next form of it, all in the hopes of getting something that you’re looking for. I’ve gotta ask – is that really worshiping God? It sounds to me like someone else is on the throne there – it’s the guy in the mirror.
I want to get one point across this morning, and I’m going to go ahead and make it right now: Giving Jesus extreme worship doesn’t fit worldly thinking, but it always fits Godly devotion. Who’s up for that? Who wants to do that?
If you’re not, go ahead and work on your shopping list. I hope some of this will soak in anyway. If you are, then here we go.
It’s 1 week before Jesus will be crucified. He has finished a preaching tour between Jn 11 and 12. He’s visiting Bethany, a little shanty town less than 2 miles outside Jer. It’s where Lazarus and his 2 sisters lived. It’s also the home of a man named Simon – Simon the Leper. Jesus and His friends have been invited there for a meal.
Nothing too unusual. In fact, we do that too, don’t we – a meal given in someone’s honor. That’s not extreme worship, though.
Look around the room there. I wonder if Martha’s last name wasn’t Stewart – ‘cause there she is serving again. Lazarus is part of the group around the table.
In comes a woman. Though Mt and Mk record this event, only John tells us that this woman was Mary – Lazarus and Martha’s sister. Moved by the moment, she’s the one who approached Jesus with an act of extreme worship.
Jesus said that wherever the gospel is preached, Mary would be remembered for what she did. Well, here we are! What does her act of extreme worship have for us to learn? Where does that fit in with us? Let’s see…
Extreme Worship:
I. Though it’s often misunderstood, it’s never a mistake
Mary was misunderstood - All 3 times we see Mary at the feet of Jesus, she was misunderstood.
This perfume (we’ll call it “nard #5”) that Mary produced wasn’t common. It was usually an oil, perfumed from an herb that grew in the Himalayas - somewhere around India or Tibet – only this text tells us it was “pure nard.” Mt & Mk say it was in a bottle made of “alabaster,” also from that area. It had to be imported from very far away. That made it valuable – the business minds in the group quickly figured it was worth a year’s wages - probably the investment of her life’s savings. The power of its smell gave it away as she poured it out. There was only about 12 oz. of it, but it was worth a fortune!
Putting this together with Mt & Mk’s account, I can picture Mary breaking open this vile and pouring it over Jesus’ head, then, there’s still some to be used up, so she uses it on His feet as well, until it’s all gone. She didn’t bring a towel, so she does something else extreme - she lets down her locks of hair in public. Women just didn’t do that. And she wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair. Mary poured out more than a year’s worth of wages that day -- She poured out dignity and pride and gave it up to Jesus.
She knew what she was doing. It wasn’t a mistake. But I have noticed that acts of extreme worship are often misunderstood. Several around the table were sure she had done something wrong. The standout was Judas. In fact, in the next verse after this story, we see Judas leaving to see how he can betray Jesus. So, Judas, materialistic thief that he was, led others to complain. If you find yourself complaining about someone else’s act of worship, you might want to think about this. But - hear this - extravagant worship of Jesus is never a mistake.
Someone has said, ”If all the Judases would become Mary’s the Lord’s church could take care of the poor.” Judas didn’t really care about the poor. He held the money bag for Jesus and His disciples and used it for himself. That was a mistake. Revering anything material, that’s a mistake. Worshiping the creation rather than the Creator, that’s a mistake. Letting a person other than Jesus be our chief concern, that’s a mistake. Saying that extreme giving to honor Jesus is wasted, that’s a mistake.
Ill - True story: One Sunday when Louis XIV and his royal party arrived at church, no one was there except the court preacher, Archbishop Fenelon. Surprised, the King said, "Where is everybody?" Why isn’t anyone else present this morning?" The minister said "I announced that Your Majesty would not be here today, because I wanted you to see who came to the service just to flatter you and who came to worship God."
But doing something extreme out of love and reverence for the Lord, that’s not a mistake.
-Ill –Sometime in 1948, my Dad sold his Studebaker to buy Mom’s engagement ring. Go ahead. Call it a mistake. My folks were happily married for 49 years. Do you think Mom would call Dad’s extravagance a waste?!
We should be so courageous, as Mary was -- to not care what others think of our extremes in properly worshiping the Master.
Where did Mary get the idea that God is somehow pleased with extreme worship? Well, God ordered some extremes in the OT when it came to worship:
The temple Solomon built took 30,000 men to prepare materials for the building. (I Kings 6). Over 190 tons of gold, 375 tons of silver were collected for the temple work before it even began. It needed to be the best Solomon could make it. Extravagance was right. God ordered that. Worship would center around that place.
So how and where do we do this lavish giving to Jesus? Before you think I’m saying we should have huge, elaborate buildings, hear this: That temple and its furnishings were just a shadow of things to come - things of which Jesus is the reality. God doesn’t live in a building. The HS now dwells in the hearts of believers. The center of worship has moved. Worship is now more direct. The place for extravagant worship has changed. So, what you and I should do as acts of extravagant worship should also fit this change. Mary gave her best to elevate and assist the ministry of Lord Jesus.
I don’t expect the average Joe out there to understand fasting; getting up early for devotions; singing every Sunday when the only other place I may be heard doing that is in the shower; making sacrifices of time or money so that someone, somewhere, will hear about Jesus. Those things may seem pretty extreme, maybe weird, in some peoples’ eyes. To which I say, “So what?”
You think it through. Extreme acts of worship are often misunderstood, but they’re never a mistake.
Here’s another feature of extreme worship:
II. Though it’s never enough, it’s always accepted by Jesus
This characteristic of extreme worship is actually a negative one, but it’s actually a beautiful fact.
Do you realize that Mary’s worship wasn’t enough?
Did she hope to repay Jesus? He’d raised Lazarus from the dead. She also seemed to understand that very soon Jesus would be dying for her. What’s that worth? Could one year’s wages pay for these things? She knew it wasn’t enough. God caused the plants to grow to provide the oil. God had placed the alabaster in the ground. God gave Mary her locks of hair, and she had the financial means to own that oil and the strength to be there that day because the Lord gave it to her. She couldn’t even give anything to Him that He hadn’t given to her in the first place!
Few people really understand the work that goes into the planning and execution of our times of corporate worship each week. I really enjoy hearing a crowd of people singing and instruments playing, and I believe the Lord is pleased with that too. But that must sound pretty childish compared to the sounds of praise around the throne in heaven. We could spend a fortune on making it flashier. We could spend countless hours rehearsing it. But no matter how extravagant our worship to Jesus is, it will never come close what He deserves.
Psalm 145:1-7
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
For ever and ever. Every day. One generation to another.
You know what I call that? A good start!
No matter how creative we are, nothing “wows” the Creator. No matter how much of our energy we pour into worship or how long we use our voices, we’ll wear out, and the praise in heaven never ceases. No matter how much we give what we consider our own, it’s already rightfully God’s. No matter how extravagant our worship, it will never be enough. Now, Jesus didn’t say that about Mary’s extravagance. She already knew it. It was great, but it wasn’t “enough.” Still, it was her best. And when anyone gives their best, that honors Jesus.
Mary’s worship was accepted by Jesus. He didn’t stop Mary. There was no embarrassed turning away; no worry that what she was doing was inappropriate. There was no indignant look that what she was doing wasn’t good enough. In fact, nowhere do we ever read of Jesus turning away honest, heart-felt worship to Him -- and I’ll bet He saw some pretty different expressions of it!
I also notice this: realizing it wasn’t enough didn’t stop Mary. She still gave her best at the Savior’s feet. Whether her best was good enough or not, it was still what she would give. She understood something I wish we could all get our minds around: He deserved her best.
We should be so deliberate - even though our worship may not seem like much to us or to others. It’s never enough; it will never adequately honor Him. But He always deserves it and He always accepts it.
Your singing, no matter how finely polished, isn’t perfect like God deserves. Still God deserves the best you can do for Him. The way you play an instrument now can’t approach how well I think you’ll be able to play it in heaven. Still, God is worthy of your very best right now. A poor widow lady knew that her two copper coins didn’t amount to much in the temple treasury, but her act of worship was her best to God, and Jesus praised her for that. Right now, our most extreme acts of worship will never measure up to the glory of heaven, but they’ll always be accepted -- just like the crayon scribbles made with love by a 3-yr old bring joy to a parent.
Here’s one more lesson about extreme worship:
III. Though it’s always irrevocable, it’s never a waste
Mary had an “alabaster jar” - not Tupperware. Once it was broken open and poured out, it could never be recovered. That’s OK. God has always used broken things to His glory – broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to make bread, broken hearts to produce changed lives. Here a jar was broken in His honor, and God uses it.
Ill - The bank is careful to tell us when the deposited funds will be available for withdrawal. We like to be able to keep control of our expenditures. The sweater you bought may not fit, or it might shrink or fall apart, or it may just not look right when you put it on. Keep your insurance current. Keep your receipt. Keep the original packaging. Leave the tags attached. Keep control.
That’s fine when it comes to material stuff and managing it. But extravagant worship isn’t that way. I submit to you: if we give Jesus our acts of worship with strings, we’re not practicing extravagant worship. Mary didn’t say, “I’ll wait and see if this is worth it.” She didn’t pour a little on Jesus and wait to see what would happen. She just did it. That’s extreme worship, not a waste!
Ill - Many times, during Carrie’s pregnancies, she was unable to keep food down. I’d take her out to a nice restaurant for lunch. She’d be starving, from being unable to eat. She’d eat a nice meal. I’d pay a nice meal price. We’d leave. She’d lose it. The meal came with no guarantees. I was out the money. It couldn’t be recovered. But I dare say that taking a discouraged, hungry, expectant mother out to encourage her and show her that you love her isn’t a waste. It’s really a pretty smart move.
How would you like to be one of those who chimed in with Judas, “Why this waste?” Anything lovingly given over to Jesus is never a waste. He rebuked them. “Leave her alone!” If Mary had gone out and bought Jesus a down payment on a new house, that would’ve been a waste. He wasn’t staying around. But she wouldn’t do that because she was close to Jesus. This spiritually-minded follower realized the deeper truths about Jesus, the deeper need, God’s plan - His death and His burial, so it made her gift not only extravagant, but also very appropriate.
Jesus said it prepared Him for His burial. I can imagine the fragrance of that perfume was with Him for the next week until He was crucified. It was a testimony of why He came. Mt & Mk add “everywhere this gospel is preached she’ll be remembered...” She had made a deposit of treasure in heaven. It can’t rot. It can’t be stolen. The stock market could go belly up, and her investment in eternity will still be there. Who would call that a waste? There is no line at the end of this scene that says, “And Mary regretted her mistake to the day that she died.” Mary accomplished something wonderful that no one could take away.
We should be so generous. We should learn to think that nothing we give over to Jesus for His glory has gone to waste -- even extreme acts of worship.
• Our office staff gathers for prayer on Monday mornings. It’s never convenient. Lots of things try to interrupt it. It’s time we can’t have back. But is it wasted time?
• It will take the average reader about 91 hours to read through the Bible in 2008. A waste?
• A person of this congregation gives a sum of money to be used to meet some needs. This person not only gives the money but also yields all control over it. It’s given to the glory of Jesus. It’s irrevocable. Is it wasted?
Extreme worship is always irrevocable. You can’t put it back into the bottle, but it’s never a waste.
Conclusion:
Talk about a no risk offer! There’s no risk that if you come to accept Jesus this morning He’s going to reject you. There’s no risk that this it would be a mistake to accept Him, that it would be a waste of your life to give it back to Him.
Maybe giving Jesus control of your life sounds pretty extreme to you. If that’s the case, OK, join a group of extremists! I know this - Jesus went to extreme measures to buy us back for Himself. He deserves our very best in return, doesn’t He?
