TITLE: “Drained”
#1 in the SERIES: “Empty”
MAIN TEXT: Mark 14:3-9
Today, we start a new series that will lead us into RESURRECTION SUNDAY!
EMPTY! (Allow me to set the foundation for all that I believe God wants to say to us.)
I have been contemplating and praying about this series for a while and believe that the Lord has a word in it for us all – a word that has been percolating in my heart for a while now…
The BIG IDEA for the series? EMPTY – to be filled with the fullness of Christ! But, WE have to choose to EMPTY ourselves, of self, so that we can make room for Christ to fill us back up.
There is a verse of Scripture that initiated the BIG IDEA for this series, and it is Philippians 2:5-7, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” In particular, this phrase in verse 7, “but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant”
Just consider that thought for a moment, “Christ EMPTIED Himself.” Now, in no way is it meaning that Jesus emptied Himself of anything. Otherwise, Jesus would be less God or less human and that isn’t what the Scripture is teaching us.
The original Greek word, for EMPTY means, “to empty, to make empty; or to make vain or void.” You see, Jesus did set aside some things for a season, like Heaven. And He accepted certain limitations, suffering and lowliness of body to save us!
But, what Philippians is trying to tell us is that Jesus POURED Himself out or made Himself nothing for us! As He invested Himself into us! Jesus humbled Himself and accepted the role of a bondservant. And THAT is the essence of what God wants to say to us over the next six weeks!
In response, we are to humble ourselves to accept the role of a bondservant of Christ! But, I don’t have to tell you that our flesh will resist this. Thus, the reason that we have to EMPTY ourselves; pouring out our desires, dreams and personal ambitions out to fulfill the Lord’s will, purpose and plan for us. Then, when you do, you will be filled with the fullness of Christ!
After all, Jesus did it for us! And the main character in our lesson today, did it herself. She DRAINED her alabaster box on Jesus!
TITLE: “DRAINED”
Our Goal: To Be Filled With The Fullness Of Christ!
Mark 14:3-9, “While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
PRAY:
INTRODUCTION:
ILLUSTRATION:
Does anyone love to eat? (It’s the only thing you can do as a Christian.)
Have you ever eaten so much of something that you have made yourself sick?!
I always feel like I have an obligation to do that when I go to a buffet. I want to make sure I get my money’s worth and then I leave regretting the whole experience. Then, I only wish that I could hit a button and DRAIN all that stuff out of me so I can feel better.
Well, it may not be food for you, but it could be something else. We humans tend to always want to live on “FULL” in ever area of our lives. We want contentment, security, happiness and abundance. If it is any other way, we aren’t happy.
ILLUSTRATION:
I think this statement is really true, “Someone who is full of themselves is truly empty.” And Jesus teaches us that all through the Gospels.
(Keep that in mind for a minute, the idea of “Being full.”)
Now, we are in what is called, “The Lenten Season.” It is a time in some Church calendars when people are encouraged to give something up for Christ in recognition of His sacrifice for us. As well as to share in the suffering of Christ, like giving up chewing gum or drinking coffee could even compare to what Jesus sacrificed for us.
But, more than a “season” I believe that Christ would have it to be a life-style! To EMPTY ourselves of anything that would hinder our relationship with the Lord. To DRAIN ourselves of anything that would take precedence over Christ and His will in our lives. Then, we aren’t just full of US, but we leave room for Christ and His fullness to be realized in our lives.
Now, the lady we encounter in our text makes a deliberate decision to DRAIN herself in order to be a servant of the Lord.
Now, I don’t want to get sidetracked by the fact that this display of sacrifice and worship was “preparation for the burial of Jesus.” -Vs. 8
I want to keep it more simple than that for our purposes here today. I want us to consider what this lady – Lazarus’ sister, Mary – did, and how we need to do the same with our stuff today.
POINT ONE: HER DREAMS!
From childhood, we are raised to DREAM! To DREAM about our futures. Our careers, marriage, what we will drive, where we will live, etc. People will ask us, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For me, I started out wanting to run a garage with my cousin. He would be the mechanic and I would run the office, of course. Then, I dreamt about being a wrestler, and beating up Rick Flair. Then, I wanted to be a dentist, just like the elf Hermie on Rudolph. That turned into being a lab tech at a hospital, then to a Physician’s Assistant. DREAMS, we all have them, or at least, I did.
For GIRLS, the dreams may have been a little different. It may have been about their wedding day. The colors, the guest list, flower arrangements, the cake, etc. The kind of home they would have. How many kids they would have and the color of their eyes and hair, even their names! The last and final detail in all of this is the groom. And we just needed to show up on time guys!
This is similar to what this ALABASTER JAR represented to Mary. It is said that in the days of Jesus, when a young woman would reach the age of availability for marriage, her family would purchase an alabaster box for her and fill it with precious ointment. The size of the box and the value of the ointment would parallel her family’s wealth. And the box would be a part of her dowry. I guess, in some ways, it would be similar to a hope chest today. And in it, is invested all her hopes, DREAMS and aspirations for her future! Something that she would have obviously given thought and time to, as we all do for our dreams.
Proverbs 19:21 tells us this about dreams and plans, “Many plans are in a man’s heart.”
Without a doubt, we all have plans and make plans. It just seems to be natural for most people. To DREAM about their future and what might be ahead of them. That is just what this alabaster box represented in Mary’s life. Her future plans and DREAMS! And there is nothing wrong with making plans or having dreams.
But before we go too far, let me throw another verse of Scripture at you. Psalm 20:4 in the NLT says, “May he grant your heart's desires and make all your plans succeed.” Here is the caution from the Word. We must be cautious that we don’t let our DREAMS get ahead of God’s desires!
You see, when we let OUR dreams and OUR plans FILL us up, we squeeze room out for God to work and have His way in us. So, we need to hold onto those DREAMS loosely so that God can have His way in us! There are even times that we need to EMPTY ourselves and we need to DRAIN our alabaster boxes!
Think a little bit more about this alabaster box. Because it also represented...
POINT TWO: HER DESIRES!
You aren’t human if you don’t have DESIRES. Holy or unholy, they are there.
ILLUSTRATION:
When I was a little guy, I had a dog named, Buffy. It was a Boston Terrier and it was great, at least to me. My parents were not so convinced. It wasn’t the quietest thing because you could hear it breathing with its pushed in nose and it was not good at the “house broken” thing. Finally, my parents got frustrated and gave the dog away. They were done with the dog, but I wasn’t! I remember being heart broken. I couldn’t eat or sleep because I missed the dog terribly. So bad that my parents actually had to go get the dog back and bring him home. All because I was so FULL of my DESIRE for that little, noisy, messy dog.
I wonder how many of us have that kind of DESIRE for the DREAMS we have? Do we hold on so tight to the stuff we want, that we just won’t have it any other way? I want to challenge you today to let loose of those DREAMS a little bit more so that God can shape your DESIRES!
This is what made the action of Mary so memorable! She was willing to EMPTY herself of HER DREAMS so that God could reshape her DESIRES! Evidently, He was her desire! But, Jesus can be the same thing for you today! He can do the same for you today! IF you would only be willing to be DRAINED. IF?
You see, this alabaster box was everything to a woman back in Jesus’ day. It was FULL of the DREAMS and fantasies of all those “happily ever after stories” they have ever been told. FULL of the hopes about tomorrows that will bring such fulfillment. FULL of SELF.
As I studied about this alabaster box and what it was about, I found another interesting fact about it. That when a young man would come and ask for this young lady’s hand in marriage, she would respond by taking the box and breaking it at his feet. It was a gesture of anointing his feet and honoring him. What makes it MOST interesting is that Mary shows this kind of display to Jesus! I have to suggest that there was a time, she was NOT DREAMING about Jesus in connection with her alabaster box. So, what made the difference? Jesus changed her DESIRE. In fact, He gave Mary new DESIRES!
That is what this verse is trying to show us. Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” You see, as you “delight yourself in the Lord” you are going to find that your priorities will change. Those DREAMS that you once had, will no longer matter. BECAUSE God begins to place NEW DESIRES in your heart! DESIRES that will change the course of your life forever!! Just like it did for Mary!
I want to suggest to you that Mary EMPTIED her heart out to the Lord LONG before she ever DRAINED that alabaster box! How about you? Are you holding onto your DREAMS and DESIRES, or are you ready to make room for the FULLNESS of what God has for you???
It will also change your...
POINT THREE: DIRECTION!
Just think, if that alabaster box was intended for Mary’s marriage day. Her dowry. Her “dream man.” Her future and fulfillment. Then, now what??? Like that song we used to sing says, “No turning back, no turning back!” There was indeed no turning back for Mary now that the alabaster box was DRAINED onto Jesus! There would be no other man for her!
But, she did have a new DIRECTION! Jesus is now her DREAM, FULFILLED! Her DESIRE, COMPLETED!
Listen,
ILLUSTRATION:
Evangelist/Pastor Steve Hill passed away last week after a courageous battle with cancer. He is now in the presence of Almighty God! But his life was not always DIRECTED towards that kind of eternity.
As a teenager, Hill got heavily involved in alcohol and illicit drugs. At the age of twenty-one, due to the effects of drug abuse, his body began to shutdown one Saturday morning. For three days he suffered through extreme convulsions.
Hill’s mother didn’t know what to do but have a preacher come over and pray for him. Pastor Hugh Mozingo said, “Steve, I can't help you, but I know someone who can. His name is Jesus.” Out of desperation, Hill reports that he began to say the name, “Jesus,” and instantly the convulsions stopped. He also says that at that moment every addiction he had to drugs and alcohol was immediately gone. Hill reports that as the very day he gave his life to Christ and he never looked back. The DIRECTION of Steve Hill’s life was forever changed!!!
Not only that, but he was even facing 25 years in prison because of drug trafficking, but because of the mercy of the judge he was sent to Teen Challenge and graduated from there. The DIRECTION of Hill’s life was changed because of the MERCY of Jesus Christ!
Steve went on to be on staff at Teen Challenge for a while. Was a youth pastor in several Churches, and in the mid-80’s he and his wife became missionaries to Argentina, then Spain and later to Belarus. He then went to London where a mighty revival was happening, was prayed over and headed off to Brownsville A/G to preach a service before heading off to serve in Russia. He ended up preaching at Brownsville A/G for the next 5 years during the mighty revival there!
Let me ask you friends, where would Steve Hill be today if he didn’t EMPTY himself that day? What would be the destiny of the thousands and thousands of lives he touched, if he never DRAINED his alabaster box on Jesus? I want to tell you friends, that when you EMPTY your life of yourself, Jesus will change the DIRECTION of your life too! He still saves sinners! Jesus still sets the captive free! And He still heals the sick and even raises the dead!
Steve Hill experienced a new DIRECTION in life because of Jesus.
So did Mary!
And so can YOU!!! Will you EMPTY your life and be FILLED with the fullness of Christ?!
Sadly, not everyone has. I know that because, you see, other characters arise in the story here, in particular, there was Judas. Mark 14:3-4, “While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?”
So, there were those who were...
POINT FOUR: DISGRUNTLED!
I want to tell you that there will be people who will be bothered that you might EMPTY your life out to Jesus! DISGRUNTLED about how you might spend your life. But only you can choose how you spend it, and only you are accountable for how you spend it.
Like Judas, others want to gain from it. Others believe they know better for you. But Mary didn’t allow anyone to tell her how it would be. And you and I have got to have that same determination with our lives.
The ISSUE is this! Who are you SOLD OUT to? Here, Mary and Judas are seen in complete CONTRAST to one another!
Judas’ issue was what he was SOLD OUT to. Selfish ambition – Money!
As opposed to Who Mary was SOLD OUT to. Jesus – His life and love!
But this is what the Bible says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Jesus contrasted heavenly values and earthly values here. So, what is it that you value? That is an important question to answer because THAT is what you will EMPTY your alabaster box on.
Jesus explained that our first loyalty should be to those things that will not fade, what can’t be stolen, and the things won’t wear out. ONLY Jesus fits that description!!! So, if you are sold out to anything else, then you will only be left DISGRUNTLED yourself.
AS WE CLOSE:
DRAINED! The question is this, what will you do with your alabaster box? Will you DRAIN it on your own dreams and desires? Or will you let Jesus capture your heart and EMPTY it out on Him?
You will never be disappointed/DISGRUNTLED if you give Him your life. In fact, you will be more fulfilled than you could ever dream on your own. Ironic as it seems, when you EMPTY your life for Jesus, He will satisfy you more than you would have ever imagined. So, humble yourself and be a TRUE bond-servant of the Lord!
Mark 8:36 says, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” You see, trying to gain the world is DRAINING. But life in Christ is life and peace. It’s FILLING!!!
ALTAR CALL:
Salvation.
Surrender your DREAMS & DESIRES to the Lord!
EMPTY you life onto Christ – to be fulfilled by Him!
