Text: John 12:1-7, Title: Cold vs. Bold, Date/Place: NRBC, 2.3.13, AM
A. Opening illustration: “Why American churchgoers like to shop around”
B. Background to passage: I am planning to try to cover the teaching section that Jesus leaves to the disciples
between chapters 12-17. This is moving into the last week of Jesus life, immediately following the
resurrection of Lazarus. So lots of people believed, and yet the religious leaders were pretty stirred up. In
fact, in the previous verse they had issued a charge that if anyone knew were Jesus was, they were to let them
know so they could seize him. And by the end of the passage we are reading, they are ready to kill Lazarus
too in order to stop “Jesusmania” from spreading.
C. Main thought: I want us to see the juxtaposition of Mary and Judas, and evaluate our extravagance and
devotion to Christ.
A. Worship is Bold (v. 1-3)
1. This is the boldest, most costly (financial and social) act of worship ever recorded. I have tried to think
of a few more examples of this kind of worship, and there are few with the possible exceptions of the
triumphal entry and the burial in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. 1) It was bold in terms of potential civil
cost. Having this dinner at all and not turning Jesus in was criminal. They didn’t even go underground;
they threw a party in honor of the most wanted man in Jerusalem! Do you know what this could have cost
them? Know what it cost Jesus? 2) It was bold in terms of financial cost. Explain the estimate of the cost
of this ointment. Spikenard of N. India, 12X the normal volume kept on hand, 100s or 1000s of times
what would have been used in a single sitting. Note the purity. Use of the entire bottle, anointing in the
entire body. Cost of 1 year’s wages; approximately $16,000-$18,000 for worship that lasts a few hours.
Maybe up to half of her net worth, maybe a family heirloom, her most valuable and sentimental thing. My
Egyptian gift of perfume. 3) It was bold in terms of social cost respectable Jewish women never unbound
their hair (it was always long BTW J) in public in the presence of men. This was a sign of a lack of
morals and rebellion. She was probably single, He was single, this was completely unacceptable. A
collective gasp would have come from anyone who saw her do this. And on top of that they all witnessed
her do what only a lowly slave would be expected to do. Her reputation would have been destroyed.
2. BTW Jesus endorsed this act. He said 1) leave her alone, 2) she did it for my burial, 3) the world will
know of this sacrifice. Jesus endorsed bold, sacrificial, public worship. He was worth it!
3. Illustration: "There is a great gulf between Christianity that wrestles with whether to worship at the cost of
imprisonment and death, and the Christianity that wrestles with whether you should play soccer on Sunday
morning…modern, western Christians have come to see safety and ease as a right. We move away from bad
neighborhoods. We leave hard relationships. We don't go to dangerous, unreached people groups…If the Christian
life has become the path of ease and fun in the modern West, then corporate worship is the place of increasing
entertainment. The problem is not a battle between contemporary worship music and hymns; the problem is that
there aren't enough martyrs during the week" -Piper
Most of us will never have to weigh the consequences to our lives, livelihoods, or families regarding if
we go to worship. We should probably more wisely weight the consequences of not going. Give some
examples of children and grandchildren forsaking the faith. It is hard for us to answer, but what if you
lived in a country that could/would put you in prison for public worship? I read this week about Pastor
Sayeed’s place of residence for the next 8 years in Iran being a death sentence, and an assurance that his
wife and two children will never see him alive again. Wonder if Iranian Christians will go for her/them to
let them know he is OK? Would you?
4.
5. Some of mankind’s greatest contributions have come from people who decided that no sacrifice was too
large and no effort too great to accomplish what they set out to do. Most of us will not spend $16,000 on
the worship of Christ in a lifetime (not tithing, just extravagant public worship), let alone in 30 minutes.
David was unwilling to worship with something that cost him nothing – 2 Sam 24:24 “No, but I will
surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which
costs me nothing.” How about us? Have you ever given a gift of extravagance purely because you love
Jesus that will fade in a few hours? Would you be willing to give up something that you love? Charles
Stanley giving up all his camera’s and photography equipment.
6. How about socially? Would you be willing to lift up a hand or say “amen”? Discuss the feelings of some
in this area. Would you be willing to be seen as fanatical in your worship? How could you do that? What
would demonstrate to a world that needs Jesus that He is worthy of extravagant worship?
B.
Hypocrisy is Cold (v. 4-8)
1. John is the clearest of the three gospel writers about this incident. Judas was a thief, he was out for
personal gain, harsh, and insensitive. The other writers say that the others (disciples) all agreed. Pretty
much everyone but Mary and Jesus felt like that was a waste.
2. Argumentation
3. Illustration: “your type” from one pastor to another church planter, “Judas’ complaint would be echoed
from virtually every church elder (and I would add member) today” –Gary Burge-NIV App Comm Series,
if Mackenzie is not in there, the story about, “mom, there are kids dying of cancer, and I don’t need
anything.” No large private corporation could long survive if it practiced the waste and extravagance
which is condoned in the Federal Government. Nor could the Government if it were a competitive
enterprise.
4. But before we look down our self-righteous noses at them for being so hypocritical (because we all know
that the right answer is after Jesus spoke), let’s translate the scenario into today. Suppose someone spent
about $18K on one aspect of the worship service for one day. What if we got Mandisa to come and sing
one song in one service? What would we say? Where could that money be better spent? Go through a
list: new building, bathroom renovations, sponsor children at New Life Children’s Home, Lottie Moon
offering, sponsor a church planter, help a missionary.
5. Let’s draw out some other applications. Hypocrisy usually doesn’t take into consideration other
people’s feelings as much as appearances. Hypocrisy usually makes a lot of assumptions. It is limited in
possibilities. It perceives the worse without allowing for the possibility of the best. How many arguments
start this way? Hypocrisy usually involves a lot of pride in doing things a particular way or being more
spiritually than others. I was wrong once, and that was when I thought I was wrong, and I was really
right… Hypocrisy likes to serve in its own way. Hypocrisy likes to maintain control. Hypocrisy only sees
things the way it wants to, within the confines of accepted “normal” practices.
Closing illustration: Prayer of a Half-hearted Christian
Recap
Invitation to commitment
A.
B.
C.
Additional Notes
In February 27 2009 article from the website “Slate” titled, “Why American churchgoers like to shop around”
also caught my attention. That article cited statistics from a Barna Group survey that revealed that one in seven
adults changes churches each year, and another one in six attends a handful of churches on a rotating basis.
Another survey by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life a few years ago indicated that 44 percent of
American adults have left their first religious affiliation for another. But what was most disturbing to me is that
the article actually viewed this as a good thing, this is a direct quote from the article: "Even if the American mania
for shopping extends to our spiritual lives, church shopping still doesn’t get much respect. But while it may be
frequently derided as an example of rampant spiritual consumerism, shopping around can be one of the good
things about the way religion is practiced in America." This article attempts to equate the fundamental idea of
worshipping our God to the pursuit of finding the right pair of shoes or finding the store with the right price on a
certain style of dress.
What I am trying to tell you is that worship to God has become, in our society, no longer a matter of serving God
on his terms but it has become a matter of God serving us on our terms. This spiritual consumerism, as referred
to in the article quote, has caused many to look for a bargain basement Christianity with a half priced service to
satisfy an extravagant top self kind of God.
Some of mankind’s greatest contributions have come from people who decided that no sacrifice was too large
and no effort too great to accomplish what they set out to do. Edward Gibbon spent twenty-six years writing his
great work on history. Noah Webster worked diligently for thirty-six years to bring into print the first edition of his
dictionary. It is said that the Roman orator Cicero practiced before friends every day for thirty years in order to
perfect his public speaking. What stamina What persistence Now let’s think about how much energy we put into
the Lord’s work. The; comparison can be rather embarrassing. And it should lead us to ask ourselves some heart-
searching questions: Why is our service for Christ sometimes performed in a half-hearted manner? Why do some
people who pursue earthly goals put us to shame with their diligence?
Prayer of a Half-hearted Christian:
I love thy church, O God; Her walls before me stand;
But please excuse my absence, Lord; This bed is simply grand
A charge to keep I have; A God to glorify;
But Lord, don’t ask for cash from me; The glory comes too high.
Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb?
Yes Though I seldom pray or pay, I still insist I am.
Must Jesus bear the cross alone, And all the world go free?
No Others, Lord, should do their part, But please don’t count on me.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below
Oh, loud my hymns of praise I bring, Because it doesn’t cost to sing
