DO YOUR BEST FOR JESUS IN THE YEAR 2025
Mark 14:3-9; (NK JV) “3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Illustration: David Livingstone was a pioneer missionary to Africa, He prayed, “Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties apart the tie that binds me to Your service and to Your heart.” David Livingstone walked over 29,000 miles. His wife died early in their ministry and he faced stiff opposition from his Scottish brethren.
Illustration: One man in a church said to his friend, “I could give $1,000.00 towards the building and not even feel it.”
His friend replied, “Then give two or three thousand and feel it!”
Illustration: "A Christian businessman was traveling in Korea. In a field by the side of the road was a young man pulling a rude 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.'"
The question today is "Have you ever given God something that you yourself will call a real sacrifice?" Something that you will feel. Have you ever had an encounter with God or with someone and you will say; “this is done for God” or “I could only do this because of God”. It may not necessarily be money, what of time? What of helping someone? Something that will cost you a lot. David said in 2 Samuel 24:24 (NKJV) “24 Then the king said to Araunah, “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.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Our text is about that kind of sacrifice. It's about the kind of sacrifice that is supposed to mark the life of every single believer. It is the kind of sacrifice talked about by Paul in Romans 12:1(NKJV) “12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
We are to bring ourselves to God wholly, completely as the former sacrifices were brought to the altar in the Old Testament. God needs our reasonable service; rational worship, expected to be performed with our heart, mind, body and soul.
The Bible says in John 4:24 (NKJV) “24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
In the text that we have read, our Lord Jesus Christ was on His way to Calvary; a place where He would be killed. On His way, a woman believed to be Mary (John 12:3) expressed the depths of her love and devotion to Him by a costly sacrifice. She broke a box of ointment and poured it on the head of Jesus. This ointment was valued at 300 pence. At that time, a pence was the daily wage of the average worker. That was a wage a worker will earn in a year! Therefore, in modern terms, it was worth about $15,000.00. That must be a life-time savings for Mary! 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, John 12, poured everything out on the head of the Lord Jesus.
While her labor of love was misunderstood and condemned by others, however, she was commended by the Lord Jesus. In fact, Jesus said in verse 6; “6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. Jesus said further in Verse 8, 8 She has done what she could.
And that her sacrifice will be remembered and rehearsed forever. And we are fulfilling that prophecy even today.
My prayer for each and every one of you is that at the end of this year and even at the end of our journey here on earth, God will tell you and I that we have done a good work for him and that we have done what we could, that is we have done our best.
That brings us to two things I want to discuss with us.
Number 1, it is possible to do a bad work for Jesus!
Jesus said she has done a good work for me, and that means that it is also possible to do bad work for Jesus.
Yes, you are coming to the church, but is your coming in any way helping the church to grow or bringing it down? At times some people are minus in the church because of their conduct. That is, the church is better off without them.
When you are not in the church and even in the church, when some people are not around, what do you say about your church? What are your comments about your department? What do you say about your fellow ministers, fellow workers, and even fellow church members? Are your words good enough to bring others to Jesus or will make them to run away?
What are your favorites on the Social Media? Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms that you are? What contents are you eager to like, comment, follow and share? The ones that are encouraging others to give their lives to Christ or discouraging others from following Christ?
When you call and discussing with others, I don’t want to use the word “gossip”, what are your most favorite discussions? Are they centered on what will move the work of God forward or those that can tear the church and members apart? The Bible says let the words of our mouths be season with salt. How many people have left the church because of what you say or write or what you told them; what you said others have said about them just to make them sad? Think about it. I can go on and on!
We do bad work for Jesus when most of the things that we say or write or tell others are not things that will bring them closer to Jesus. These are bad works. Especially what we say, write or broadcast about the church generally, your own church, choir, other departments, ministers of God and about other believers with our mouths. Whenever you are writing or saying these bad things, remember these things;
Firstly, that you too are not perfect, think about it, can you do better if you are given the same circumstances? Luke 6:38b (NKJV) ”For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Romans 3:23 (NKJV) “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Isaiah 64:6(NKJV) “6 But we are all like an unclean thing, "And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away."
Secondly that, you too will be paid back in the way that you are talking about others. Others will surely speak very bad things about you too. Things that will make you very sad in the future.
Galatians 6:7(NKJV) 7 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."
Job 4:8(NKJV) “8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same."
Hosea 8:7 (NKJV) “7 “They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind."
And most especially, you are working against the kingdom of God.
The Bible enjoins us to correct others in love.
Ephesians 4:32(NKJV) 32" And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
2 Thessalonians 3:15(NKJV) “15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."
Colossians 3:14(NKJV) 14 "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."
And if the person would not yield, the Bible tells us further steps to take until we see the person as an unbeliever.
Another way is by how we represent Christ outside the church; at times even inside the church; but especially in our places of work and elsewhere.
How do we talk or speak in our places of work? With gentleness or with aggression? How do we address and treat our bosses, colleagues, workers, customers, and subordinates? How do we do the work or assignment that is giving us income? Is it anyhow, since it is not mine? “Whether I work or not, my full salary will be given to me!"”
What will our bosses, colleagues, customers say about us when we are not there? The same with our family members? How are you relating to your husband? How are you relating to your children? What about members of your family; starting with your parents, siblings, your in-laws, and then your children? What will Jesus say about the way you relate with them?
As a husband, do you love your wife? Do you show it? Do you tell her? Do you play your responsible roles as a husband and a father? Do you provide for the family? Do you discipline your children the right way?
As a wife, are you loving and submissive to your own husband? Do you give him the respect you give to others? Many wives have been accused of respecting their pastors more than their husbands, this is not good enough. Give your husband your maximum respect, the type of respect that he deserves. Do you give your peace of mind in the house?
As a mother, are you strict and at the same time caring about your children? Are you cooperating with your husband when it comes to disciplining the children? Are you helping out in the payments of the bills? When it is your money, it is your money, but when it is your husband’s money, it is our money. Please help your husband in the payments of the bills, please remember this is America!
As a relative, are you treating others the way you want to be treated? You are doing a bad work for Christ if you fail in any assignment that the Almighty God has given you to do.
It also goes more on our appearance. It is good to look beautiful and God has created women to be naturally beautiful, you are beautiful just the way you are. So you don’t have to overdo your makeups and now look like a masquerade. Anything that is excessive is bad. It is a bad work when people cannot differentiate between you and people that are not Christians.
The same for your dressing. You don’t have to expose your bodies like the people of the world. Daddy GO said those that are exposing their bodies have some elements of madness or psychiatric problems! Exposing your body is a bad work, bad advertisement for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Illustration: Mohammed Ali I leant told his daughter than God hid and keep things that are very precious and expose things that are not. I believe that your body is very precious to God, so please dress in a way that God will be proud of you.
The second thing Jesus said in Verse 8 was that 8 She has done what she could. In other words, she did her best. Within the capability and ability given to her, she did excellently well. She was not found wanting or lacking in any area of her life. 100 percent; if Jesus would give her marks. Can you and I score 100 percent if God wants to give us marks this evening? Are you going to even receive 50% and above? If you are to sincerely give yourself a mark, will you give yourself a pass mark?
It is true that you are a Christian, you are born again, but can someone honestly say that you are a true Christian?
It is true that you are coming to the church, but do you come early? Or you come when you want and how you want? Are you committed to the works of God or you have just taken everything or somethings for granted. Are you consistent with your attendance and the works you are doing in the church? Are you faithful in your prayer life, in your fasting life and also in your giving? Are you faithful in your tithes, offering and other giving?
Illustration: When I was in the college, I called myself a Christian, but I was not serious. I can say it boldly that I wasn’t a serious Christian. Are you like that?
By God’s grace, we will be moving into our new building very soon, can you honestly say that you have done your best in seeing that we move into that new building? In your giving towards the building and in your prayers that we should move into the building, can you say I have done what I could!? God needs your best in every assignment that He has committed in your hands.
Many people are highly gifted for many things that we are doing in the church. Singing, Giving, Ushering, Technical Children, etc. Remember that it is God that has given you these gifts for you to use for His glory. But because of something that they don’t like, or someone that they don’t like, they will not use that talent, some will even abandon the church entirely because of someone or one thing or the other. I want you to know that when we see God, something or someone will not be an excuse why you did not use His gift for His glory. Everyone will give account.
What type of works are you doing for Jesus; good works or bad works? The Bible says we are saved to do good works, in other words, if you say you are born again, where are your evidences? Good works are evidences of our salvation.
And are you doing your best for God, Jesus said to Mary, she has done what she could. I pray that we will not be found wanting or lacking when we meet our maker in Jesus mighty name.
Prayer Points
• Almighty Father, help me to start and continue to do only good works for you. I reject bad works as from now on IJMN.
• Almighty God, help me to do my best for you and for humanity. Help me to influence positively, my generation, the younger generation, and the generation yet unborn IJMN.
• AF, as from now on I will no longer be oppressed by sin, spirit of fear, the devil and his agents. I will no longer be oppressed physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually. Because God loves me, I receive today, spiritual, financial and physical freedom, all round freedom, comprehensive freedom in Jesus name.
• The Bible says with God all things are possible. AF, I reject limitation in every area of my life. I am an apple of your eyes, help me to achieve great things in my life IJMN.
• AF, we pray for the single women that desire to be married, that you will divinely give them a man after your own heart. A man that loves you more than anything in the world in Jesus Name.
• AF, we pray for the married women here tonight that God will continually give them wisdom to actively raise a Godly home. We also pray that you will give their husbands divine wisdom to lead their home to your glory alone in Jesus name.
• AF, help me in Your infinite mercies to identify and nurture my God-given abilities and talents. I pray that I will find my purpose early in life. As from now let me see myself through your lens and not what society tells me in Jesus name.
• AF, we pray for broken marriages in our church and all over the world, Holy Spirit, let your love be rekindled in that family in Jesus name. Every external force that is contributing to putting asunder to what you have joined, let them be convicted in their spirit in Jesus name.
• AF, please help us to make the men, the husbands and fathers reasonable and responsible for their roles in families all over the world in Jesus name. We come against the spirit of mediocrity and bare-minimum husband-hood and fatherhood in Jesus name.
• AF, we pray for waiting woman, expectant and new mothers all over the world. We ask that you shall bless the waiting with the fruit of the womb, you shall give the expectant the power to carry the baby to term in good health and new mums shall recuperate speedily in perfect health in Jesus name. Let divine help come their ways in Jesus name.
