Disclaimer:
Due to a large number of sermons and topics that appear on this site, I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. After preaching for over thirty years, not all resources used can I recall. I honor all those that have spoken into my life and helped me along this journey. Blessings! Pastora EC
Often in life, we meet people who applaud us for where we are in our lives. Every time you see them, they want you to sing, pray, preach, or share your testimony. That is great, but they were not around when you were going through your breakdowns and let-downs. They didn’t see those times when you felt like you couldn’t make it.
What they see today is the glory of God upon you. Many do not know the price you have paid for the anointing. They do not understand how or why you shout and praise.
Psalms 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
My life has been filled with hills and valleys. Many times, I have felt that I could not carry on and considered to throw in the towel. Yet in every situation God gave me consolation, I was His own. The anointing on my life was His. It costs Him and it was through the trials and tests I learned the value of what He had given.
You Don’t Know My Story, What You See Is God’s Glory!
Zech. 8:10-13—For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour. But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
If Israel had been having a testimony meeting one would have to stand and say you don’t know what we have been through to have the anointing on our lives.
We have been through much affliction, no work could be found, no money to support our families, neighbor turned against neighbor and became enemies, it was not safe to go out to do anything Nothing would grow in the dry ground no crops.
We went through many tests for the oil.
And the house of Israel sang--" you don't know the cost of my oil".
The song goes like this: You don’t know my story All the things that I’ve been through, You can’t feel my pain, What I had to go through to get here, You’ll never understand my praise, Don’t try to figure it out, Because my worship, My worship, Is for real.
I’ve been through too much, not to worship Him…
Psalm 34:1—I-3-- will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
David's testimony may go like this:
I was overlooked when the prophet came to anoint the king. I tried to take food to my brothers in battle they mocked me. Saul tried to put his armor on me. The King sent for me to play for him
Then the king tried to kill me several times. I became king and fell in sin with Bathsheba. I had her husband put on the front line of the battle. The baby was born and was sick. I fasted and prayed he died. I got up from where I was and I worshipped. Absalom my son tried to destroy me. I was in the cave Adullam with those distressed, in debt, and every one that was discontented. I led the men in battle and won, when we returned, the city was burned and our wives and children were gone. Now the people are wanting to kill me. The only thing I knew to do was to ask for the ephod. I encouraged myself in the Lord. And King David sang, "O you don't know the cost of my oil!"
In Acts 9 we read of the conversion of Saul later named Paul. First, he is killing the Christians. Now he has been blinded led to the street called straight. God tells Ananias to go to him, he doesn’t want to go. Now he is converted. They want to kill him. The disciples let him down in a basket over the wall. He goes to Jerusalem and wants to join the disciples. The disciples did not want him. Barnabus takes him to the apostles. Finally, they send him to Tarsus And Paul cried, "O no, you don't know the cost of my oil!"
Luke 7:37-38-- And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
In biblical times, perfume was stored in an alabaster jar and could only be used once. Once you broke the seal of the jar, it had to be used at that moment, or it would lose its fragrance.
Mary knew that this would be a one-time deal. She was willing to give it all or nothing. She anoints Jesus' feet with a costly oil. She is scorned for her extravagance, by everyone but Jesus. Jesus appreciates the gesture because Jesus always welcomes people who love Him with abandon...people who know how desperately they need Him and give their best to Him.
Look at this woman--she has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, and anointed my feet with oil. You've scandalized and insulted, but look at what she did...what did she do?
Judas says it was worth 300 denarii. Three hundred denarii are a year's wage because they didn't get paid for the Sabbath or for holy days. There were 300 working days in a Jewish year, and the common laborer's salary or pay for a day was a denarius. So, 300 is a year's salary.
Mary brought this container into the room. Now this in itself is a bit socially awkward.
She walks into the room carrying an alabaster box. In it a Roman pound, of very costly perfume. A Roman pound is about 11 to 12 ounces of our English weight, so about three-quarters of a pound of this nard. This nard was so valuable, so aromatic, that it was often bought with the intention of an investment. Like people will buy gold today, they would buy bottles of nard.
She comes into the room and opens the container and at that moment, that expensive nard cologne begins to permeate the room. She begins to pour it out on the feet of Jesus.
She pulls the pin from her hair and her hair falls down. Only a prostitute would behave like this. She is anointing the feet of Jesus. Anointing feet or washing someone's feet, was a sign of a servant. Usually when a servant would anoint or wash someone’s feet, they would use a towel to wipe them off. Mary uses the glory of a woman, her own hair. She uses her glory to give glory to Jesus and wipes His feet with her hair. This is intimacy, nakedness, an I don't care what people think when I worship attitude when Mary lets her hair down in this public setting and wipes her Savior's feet.
What did she do? She showed great love. Simon, so consumed with her past that he can't see who she is now. He remembers she broke the law and he has that marked in stone above her name.
He missed what happened...when he wasn’t watching. Repentance that brought forgiveness...it's already happened, her sins are gone, removed by the forgiveness she received.
She's not earning my blessing.
She's not making the sins of the past right She's saying thank you--wholly and fully with humility and love.
You have a choice.
You have to decide--What is the cost of my worship? What is the cost of my sacrifice? Am I willing to worship freely my precious Lord and Savior? Am I willing to give Him everything, give Him all of myself even if people have something to say about it? Will I worship Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Mary made that decision. She decided that she would just simply worship the Lord. And from that day on she sang, You don’t know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box
CeCe Winans song
And I've come to pour my praise on Him like oil from Mary's Alabaster Box Don't be angry if I wash His feet with my tears and I dry them with my hair. You weren't there the night He found me. You did not feel what I felt when He wrapped His love all around me. And you don't know the cost of the oil in my Alabaster Box.
John identifies this woman as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus. She is found three times in the Gospels, and in each instance, she is at the feet of Jesus.
· She sat at His feet and listened to the Word (Luke 10:38–42);
· She came to His feet in sorrow after the death of Lazarus (John 11:28–32);
· She worshiped at His feet when she anointed Him with the ointment (John 12:1ff).
· She found at His feet her blessing
· She brought to His feet her burdens
· She gave at His feet her best
Are you willing to be found at His feet giving your all in worship?
