Illus: For example, it is reported that the biggest day of the shopping year takes place on what is called Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving when the stores open up at midnight. Some shoppers, to prepare for this big event, go the day before to find where the merchandise they want is located in the store so they will be ready when the doors are opened and the crowd rushes in. We are told one Wal-Mart store opened up and a large crowd entered the store pushing and shoving. One lady had gone the day before to find where the merchandise was located that she wanted to buy so she could rush to that sight. Well, she rushed there only to find some other women had beaten her to the merchandise. She was so angry that she began to pepper spray the other ladies!
It sounds like someone forgot to teach her the meaning of Christmas.
Illus: When it comes to Christmas shopping she reminds us of the story of the man who was standing before the judge, and he asked him what he was charged with.
· The man said, "Doing my Christmas shopping early.”
· The judge said, "That's no offense, how early were you doing your shopping?"
· "Before the store opened."
Note: this is not the way Christ would have His people do business! At all times, in all places we Christians need to conduct ourselves as Christians. That is, we should do everything that we can to please Him.
We find a woman who had a heart to please Christ in Mark 14:1-9. We read, “After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. SHE HATH DONE WHAT SHE COULD: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.”
These six words tell us how we can FULFILL GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIFE … “SHE HATH DONE WHAT SHE COULD”
Let’s look at this little woman who pleased the Lord. She had something she could do for the Lord and-
I. SHE DID IT!
What about us? There are so many things that need to be done for the Lord and I wish I could do them for Him!!!
Illus: For example, sometimes we hear:
? A great pianist play and we wish we could play like that for the Lord.
? Great singers sing and we wish we could sing like that for the Lord.
? Great teachers and preachers teach and preach and we wish we could teach and preach like that.
But God has not gifted all of us in all of those things.
We are told there are two kinds of skills:
1. NATURAL SKILL
There are some that have become GREAT at what they do because they have a NATURAL SKILL. It is as if they were born to do what they do. Because of this NATURAL SKILL they have become great at what they do.
For example, some have a NATURAL SKILL when it comes to computers.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger tells how he was having some problems with his computer and a preacher friend and a young Chinese student from USC were in his office. The preacher friend who was very skillful with computers sat down at his desk and thought he could fix it. He tried several things and it did not correct the problem. The USC student standing behind him would not say anything but let out a little grunt several times while the preacher friend was trying to correct the problem. So when Dr. Belger asked, “That’s not right?” The student reached across the preacher friend who was sitting down and with one hand began to type with such speed that words, paragraphs and codes were literally popping up all over the monitor. And when he got through it was fixed.
Listen, most people could spend their entire life practicing and still never type as fast as he typed and have the computer knowledge that he has. HE HAS A NATURALL SKILL FOR COMPUTERS.
Many who have accepted Christ as Savior have been born with a NATURAL SKILL and they should be using it for the glory of God. Then there are some who have what we call a-
2. DEVELOPED SKILL
That is, although they may not have been born with a natural skill but they take what skills they have and develop them into useful skills.
Illus: For example, we watch a movie star like John Wayne, and he looks so natural playing the parts he plays. But those who have worked with John Wayne said he was difficult to work with because he would want to shoot a scene over and over again. One actor said this about him, “He would sometimes say something 8 or 9 different times in 8 or 9 different ways.” He worked hard at it until the part came out right.
Some have become good at what they do because they have worked hard at being their best. They were not gifted from birth, but they have worked hard at developing a skill.
God has invested talent in each and every one of us.
DID YOU KNOW THAT:
· Years ago a newspaper fired Walt Disney because he had "no good ideas" (McGinnins, p. 34). Listen to the rest of the story about Mr. Disney. "It is reported that Walt Disney was not only a remarkable man but also a remarkably happy man. Somewhere recently there was a story about his early years. When he started out in Kansas City, he couldn’t sell his cartoons. Some hinted that he had no talent. Disney had a dream, so he set out to conquer his foes. He found a minister who paid him a small amount to draw advertising pictures for his church. Disney had no place to stay, so the church let him sleep in the mouse-infested garage. One of those mice, which Disney nicknamed Mickey, became famous---as the world knows. How satisfying life must have been for Disney when he remembered the hard struggle from lean years spent in a church garage.” (Ernest A. Fitzgerald. Keeping Pace: Inspirations In The Air. Greensboro: Pace Communications Inc. 1988, p. 18).
· “Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college" (McGinnins, p. 34). It was later that he wrote the literature classic that we know as, "War And Peace.”
· "Werner von Braun failed ninth grade algebra." (McGinnins, p. 34). Later in life he became a rocket engineer.
All of these people succeeded because they were willing to take the risk and invest themselves and apply their God-given talents.
There are things that every person here can do. Perhaps I cannot do what you can do, and perhaps you cannot do what I can do. But there are things each of us can all do.
Every one here has a gift and you need to find out what your gift is and use it and develop it for the Lord.
Mary found something she could do, AND SHE DID IT.
? A lady came to a preacher one day and she said, “Pastor, I want you to know I pray for you every day.” There are so many things this dear lady cannot do, but she can pray.
? Some out there are discouraged and a visit would lift them up. SOME OF YOU COULD DO THIS!
? Some are in despair and a little money would mean so much to them. SOME OF YOU COULD HELP THEM.
The only thing God the Father expects you to do is the thing that He has gifted you to do. If you can do it…YOU SHOULD BE DOING IT! But notice this also-
II. SHE DID IT WELL!
She not only did it she did it well!!!
Saying all that, still the others, not doing anything, found fault with her. Nevertheless she did what she could.
It never fails…show me a person that is complaining and I will show you a person that is not doing anything.
Illus: They remind me of some of the spectators in the stands at a football game. While the players are killing themselves on the field, they sit there on their seats doing nothing but finding fault with those who are doing their best.
Mary was of the persuasion that she should give HER VERY BEST when doing something FOR THE LORD! Mary gave the Lord her very best: her very expensive ointment.
Illus: She broke a box of special ointment and poured it on the Jesus’ head. This ointment was valued at a little more than 300 pence. A pence was the daily wage of the average worker. Therefore, in modern terms, it was probably worth about $15,000.00. This spikenard was produced from a rare plant that grew in India. It was very expensive and many people saved for years to be able to provide this for their own funeral preparations. However, this woman, whom we believe to be Mary, poured it out on the head of the Lord Jesus.
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone loved the Lord as she did?
Illus: A Christian businessman was traveling in Korea. In a field by the side of the road was a young man pulling a plow while an old man held the handles. The businessman was amused and took a snapshot of the scene. "'I suppose these people are very poor,” he said to the missionary who was interpreter and guide to the party. “Yes,” was the quiet reply, “those two men happen to be Christians. When their church was being built, they were eager to give something toward it, but they had no money. So they decided to sell their one and only ox and give the proceeds to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves.”
? "The businessman was silent for some moments. Then he said, “That must have been a real sacrifice.”
? “They did not call it that,” said the missionary. “They thought themselves fortunate that they had an ox to sell!”
When that businessman reached home, he took the picture to his pastor and told him all about it. Then he added, “I want to double my giving to the church and do some plow work. Up until now I have never given God anything that involved real sacrifice."
Wouldn’t it be great if people in our churches loved the Lord that much… so much that THEY WANT TO GIVE THEIR VERY BEST!
But sadly this is not the case. Our churches have too many people:
· Who do not mind giving God a little of their time if it does not require them giving up something they want to do.
· Who do not mind using their talents for God if it is convenient.
· Who do not mind giving God a few dollars after they have bought everything they want to buy for themselves. To them God is a “LEFT OVER” God.
Mary gave the Lord her BEST, not her WORST!
GOD DESERVES OUR BEST!
· If you are going to teach, then become the best teacher you can become.
· If you are going to join a church, then become the best church member you can become.
If you are going to sing in the choir be faithful to attend the practice to become the best choir member in the choir.
This little lady:
? She did it!
? She did it well!
III. SHE DID IT IMMEDIATELY!
Did you know if she had put it off a few weeks it would have been too late for her to do anything because that would have been after they crucified the Son of God.
When opportunities come, we must act immediately!
· If you children are going to do something for your parents, YOU HAD BETTER DO IT NOW because that opportunity may not be available tomorrow.
· You who are healthy need to recognize there are things you need to do NOW, because tomorrow you may not have that health and strength to do them.
· You that are young and feel that you have some time you could use for the Lord need to use it NOW because it will not be long before you are sitting in a church pew wondering what happened to all those years you had.
· If you need to tell someone that you love that one, do it NOW, because tomorrow you might be standing beside a casket wishing you had expressed that love.
Mary recognized this was her OPPORTUNITY to do something for the Lord, and she seized the moment.
Some things need to be done NOW!
Illus: A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of corn in the road. The farmer who lived nearby came to investigate.
? "Hey, Willis," he called out, "Forget your troubles for a spell and come on in and have dinner with us. Then I'll help you get the wagon up."
? "That's mighty nice of you," Willis answered, "But I don't think Pa would like me to."
? "Aw, come on, son!" the farmer insisted.
? "Well, okay," the boy finally agreed. "But Pa won't like it."
? After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. "I feel a lot better now, but I just know Pa is going to be real upset."
? "Don't be foolish!" exclaimed the neighbor. "By the way, where is he?"
? "Under the wagon."
A lot of folks mean well, but they are procrastinators.
I guess we are all procrastinators, that is, I have always wanted to preach a sermon on procrastination, but I keep putting it off.
The sin of procrastination is such a horrible sin. This sin allows a person to think well of themselves when they should be ashamed of themselves.
That is, they feel good about themselves because:
? One day they are going to get active in the church…BUT NOT NOW!
? One day they are going to tithe and give God that portion that belongs to Him…BUT NOT NOW!
? One day they are going to stop their sinful living…BUT NOT NOW!
Illus: Arthur Godfrey used to say, "Even if you're on the right track -- you'll get run over if you just sit there."
Illus: Arnold was cleaning out the attic with his wife when he came across a claim ticket from the local shoe repair shop. The date stamped on the ticket showed it was over eleven years old. He asked his wife, "Do you think the shoes will still be in the shop?" "Not likely," his wife said. “But it's worth a try." Arnold drove to the shoe repair shop and, with a straight face, handed the ticket to the man behind the counter. The man looked at the ticket and said, “Just a minute. I'll have to go look for these." He disappeared to the back of the shop. Two minutes later, the man called out, "Here they are!" "No kidding?" Arnold called back. "That's terrific! Who would have thought they'd still be here after all this time." The man came back to the counter and said, “They'll be ready on Thursday." (Kent Crockett’s Sermon Illustrations)
Illus: I like the story in Mark 1 where the Lord told Andrew and his brother, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed Him."
The text is clear. You can't interpret it any other way: Immediately they left what they were doing and followed Him.
I can't believe the things that Simon and Andrew didn't do when they walked away from their livelihood. It's amazing!
? They didn't turn in their two-week notice.
? They didn't shut off the gas and water at the house.
? They didn't cancel their subscriptions to newspapers and magazines.
? They didn't take out an ad in the Capernaum Daily News to sell their boats or their houses.
? They didn't go to the Post Office and fill out a card to have their mail forwarded.
? They didn’t ask Him for about the retirement plan.
? They didn’t ask Him about the medical plan.
? They did not even ask Him where were they going.
Immediately they followed Him.
In James 4:17, we read, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
If there is some kind deed that you know you should be doing and you are not doing it…THE BIBLE SAYS YOU ARE LIVING A LIFE OF SIN!
Do not worry about what others are doing, just concern yourself with what you can do and do it well for the Lord.
Conclusion:
There is a story from the Middle East of four brothers who decided to have a feast. As wine was rather expensive, they concluded that each should bring an equal quantity and add it to the common supply. However, one of the brothers, thinking to escape the expense of such a contribution, decided to bring water instead of wine. "It won't be noticed," he reasoned.
But at the feast when the wine was poured out it wasn't wine at all. It was only water. Each of the four brothers had thought alike, "Let the others do it. Water is less expensive."
She hath done what she could! She was not waiting for someone else to do it…
I. SHE DID IT!
II. SHE DID IT WELL!
IIII. SHE DID IT IMMEDIATELY!
