Worship the King (Mark 14:1-10)
Even though many people may down play the importance of offering our best in worship, let us remember the lessons that Mary gives us about worshiping the King. When we worship the King we fulfill God’s highest calling in our life. While the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for a way to arrest Jesus, Mary expressed her loving worship of Jesus in a way that He commanded all to remember. While Judas Iscariot plotted to betray Jesus, the perfume offering of Mary must have provided great inspiration for the suffering He had to prepare for.
Quote: What is worship? Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that Majesty which philosophers call the First Cause, but which we call Our Father Which Are in Heaven.
A.W. Tozer, quoted in D.J. Fant, A.W. Tozer, Christian Publications, 1964, p. 90.
1. WORSHIP OUT OF LOVE - Jesus told the disciples to leave Mary alone since they were berating her for wasting a year’s wages of on the perfume offering. Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why berate her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you and you can help them whenever you wat to. But I will not be here with you much longer." (Mark 14:6,7) Mary taught us all that love cannot always be calculated in dollars and cents. If Mary had only used a few drops of perfume the story would never have been passed down through the centuries. When love is so great we have to give our all to Jesus.
Quote: True biblical worship so satisfies our total personality that we don’t have to shop around for man-made substitutes. William Temple made this clear in his masterful definition of worship:
For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose -- and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Integrity Crisis, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, p. 119.
2. WORSHIP WITH WHAT WE HAVE - Jesus said, "She has done what she could." (Mark 14:8) We must begin to worship the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, mind and resources. Realize that the most valuable assets are what Jesus wants from us. When we give him what we have, our time, talents and affections, He is well pleased. Do not think you can give Jesus the leftovers because He wants all of you.
3. WORSHIP IS INDIVIDUALLY GAUGED BY JESUS - Jesus gauged Mary’s level of maturity and understanding as He looked at her heart. He saw in Mary a heart’s affection, adoration, and love. Man will continue to look at the outward apppearances, but God always looks at the heart. Be sure to let your heart felt love, honor and respect for Jesus to be shown before others so that they can gain greater inspiration, instruction and illumination of the value of worship for their own lives.
4. WORSHIP MAY BE THOUGHT A WASTE BY OTHERS - The disciples were indignant as they thought the perfume could have been sold and the proceeds used for the poor. They were so utilitarian that they forgot that Jesus does not think any effort of worship is wasted as He evaluates each person’s motives on every occasion. Do not try to put yourself in the position of God but allow Him to determine what is useful and what is wasteful. Do not judge others worship style, proceeding or practices.
5. WORSHIP AIDS INTIMACY - The Lord Jesus knew that Mary might not have the words to articulate her love, but the perfume offering spoke volumes of her desire to worship Him in her own personal way. She showed honor, respect and loving adoration for Jesus but soothing Him at a time of preparation for His burial. Jesus praised Mary for her unselfish act of love and worship. The essence of worshiping Christ is to regard Him with the utmost love, respect and personal praise. Let us develop a list of God’s attributes and praise Him for His love, deliverance and unfailing intercession.
6. WORSHIP ENCOURAGES US TO SACRIFICE FOR JESUS - Mary worshiped Jesus out of a love that wholeheartedly presented all of her heart, soul, strength, mind and provisions. She responded in obedience to love the Lord with all her heart, soul, strength and mind. (LUke 10;27) When we worship the Lord we will be willing to give up everything for Him. Without true worship, we will tend to hold back on Jesus and give only a part of ourselves to Him.
7. WORSHIP WILL BE MISUNDERSTOOD BY OTHERS - Judas was indignant at Mary and others for allowing Mary to break the vial of expensive perfume and use it up on this one act of worship. Judas, like many people, can only think in monetary values instead of spiritual values. Judas wanted to perfume sold so he could benefit from some of the sales.
We must remember that worship is our highest priority and dwarfs every other offering we can make for Jesus. Do not get discouraged if others misunderstand, criticize or feel jealous about your ways of worship. Be greater than the problem, opponents and opposition forces of evil. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His mighty power. Know that worship gives us the power to live out the truth, we can be content in every situation, (abasing and abounding) and we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us and give us the power to not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
8. WORSHIP IS AN INDICATION OF CHRIST’S ASSESSMENT OF OUR TRUE SPIRITUALITY - Mary emptied her jar in order to give her all in worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. We should do the same as a way of giving witness to the greatness of Christ’s power to deliver from all misunderstanding, sin and oppositionary forces that seek to overcome us. Jesus said, "Wherever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what she has done will be told, in memory of her." (Mark 14:9) Let us ask the Lord to help us worship the Lord’s attributes, His works and His will for our lives regardless of our immediate circumstances, feelings or limited perceptions.
Only the Lord is able to advance His plan, power and personage through our worship. People will be drawn closer to the Lord through our worship. Do not whine, but shine for Jesus. His grace is sufficient for whatever trial, hardship or shortage you might be facing. By seeking first the King, His kingdom and His righteousness, all the other things in life will fall into place.
Application: The fragrance of that broken jar has reached us two thousand years later. What kind of worship offering are we presenting to Jesus today?
Illustration:By R. Alan Streett
DALLAS (BP)--While the Kingdom of God was the central theme of all preaching in the New Testament, it has been virtually ignored by modern-day evangelists. This absence of Kingdom-centered evangelism has had devastating effects on the Western church and has now reached critical mass. An anthropocentric gospel of American individualism, which traces its roots back no farther than to the American frontier, has replaced the God-centered “gospel of the kingdom.” The deficiency is so great that most evangelists and professors of evangelism would be hard-pressed even to define the “gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 24:14; Mark 1:14). The result has been a watered-down message that has no power to change lives.
THE BASIS FOR PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
When John the Baptist came preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2), his hearers understood he was referring to the eschatological age foretold by Old Testament prophets, a time when God would send a promised messianic king to defeat Israel’s enemies and usher in a new age of universal peace. John called people to break with the past as a requirement to enter the Kingdom and escape the coming judgment.
After John’s arrest, “Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand’” (Mark 1:14-15). Luke tells us that when Jesus stood in the synagogue and read a messianic passage from the prophet Isaiah, he concluded by saying, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Later, when asked if he were the promised messiah, Jesus replied, “I am” (Mark 14:62). The waiting period was over. The Kingdom had arrived in Jesus. It was no longer a distant hope, but it now had a name and a face connected with it.
Soon after his synagogue discourse, Jesus told the crowds, “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Luke 4:43). Everywhere He went He proclaimed the “glad tidings of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). The 12 apostles traveled with Him.
Roles of the RULER & REIGNER – The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords
1. Rapport Giver
2. Reacher of the lost-lonely
3. Readaptor
4. Reader
5. Readiness giver
6. Readjuster
7. Readjuster
8. Reaffirmer
9. Realigner
10. Realizer
11. Reason giver
12. Reasoning One
13. Reassesser & revalue
14. Reassurer
15. Reawakener
16. Rebuilder
17. Re-builder
18. Rebuker of the proud
19. Rebuker evil
20. Receive what is good
21. Receiver of what is good-true
22. Receptive one
23. Recharger
24. Recipe giver
25. Reckon yourself as dead to sin
26. Reclarifier
27. Recognizer
28. Recommiter to God & to the word of His grace
29. Recompenser
30. Reconciler
31. Reconfigurer
32. Reconsider
33. Reconsideration
34. Reconstructer
35. Recorder what He has done
36. Recover
37. Recruiter
38. Re-crystallizer
39. Recuperator
40. Redeemer
41. Redesigner
42. Redirector
43. Redirector of attention and energies and resources
44. Reducer of pain
45. Reducer of selfishness and renew Christ-likeness
46. Reducer of self
47. Reducer of the proud and unbelieving
48. Re-emphasizer
49. Reencounter
50. Re-encourager
51. Re-energizer
52. Re-establisher to be permanent & accepted
53. Re-examiner
54. Referer to truth
55. Referral Agent
56. Refiner
57. Reflection
58. Reflector
59. Reflector on all He has done and given us
60. Refocuser
61. Refortifier
62. Refrainer from evil
63. Refresher
64. Refresher
65. Refresher
66. Refueler
67. Refuge
68. Refurbisher
69. Refuter error
70. Regaler
71. Regarded One to give obey and trust
72. Regards my helpless estate
73. Regenerator
74. Regreter of mistakes
75. Rehabilitates
76. Rehabilitator
77. Rehearser
78. Re-ignitor
79. Re-inaugurator
80. Reinforcer
81. Reinitiator
82. Reinstaller
83. Reinstator
84. Re-inventor
85. Reinvigorater
86. Re-invokes
87. Reiterate
88. Rejecter what is false
89. Rejoicer
90. Rejoicer in Him
91. Rejoicer in the Lord always
92. Rejuvenator
93. Rekindler
94. Relater
95. Relater to God and people with love
96. Relationship Deepener
97. Relationships giver with God and man
98. Relaxer
99. Releaser
100. Releaser all things to God’s will
101. Releaser of reigns
102. Relegate or send away
103. Relegater
104. Relenter from severity
105. Relentless
106. Reliable
107. Relief Giver
108. Reliever
109. Reliever yourself through prayer, trust and rest in God
110. Relinquisher of your rights
111. Relisher what is good
112. Remaining faithful
113. Remander evil
114. Remediation
115. Remedy Giver
116. Remember Jesus Christ
117. Remind of commands
118. Reminder
119. Reminder of Jesus Christ
120. Remover evil
121. Remover from sin
122. Remover of the angry
123. Renewer
124. Renewer your mind, heart and soul
125. Renouncer
126. Renown
127. Reorderer
128. Repairer of the broken
129. Repeater
130. Replacer
131. Replacer of evil with good
132. Replenisher
133. Reporter
134. Reporter to people and to God
135. Reposer
136. Repositioner
137. Representative
138. Representer
139. Repressor
140. Reprimander
141. Reproducer
142. Reprogrammer
143. Re-programmer
144. Reprover
145. Repudiator of evil
146. Request Director
147. Requisition from people and God
148. Rescript writer
149. Rescuer
150. Researcher
151. Reserver
152. Reserver at times
153. Resetter
154. Resetter
155. Reshaper
156. Resigner
157. Resister of temptation/evil
158. Resister of the devil
159. Resistor of temptation
160. Resistor of the proud
161. Resolute
162. Resolver of conflicts/problems
163. Resolver to do His will
164. Resource utilizer
165. Respecter God & people
166. Responder in love
167. Responder in love and truth
168. Responsibility giver
169. Responsible One
170. Resting One
171. Restorer
172. Restorer
173. Restorer from Him
174. Restrainer
175. Restrainer your lips
176. Restrictor
177. Resumer
178. Resupplier
179. Resurrection power/perspective
180. Resuscitator
181. Retainer
182. Reteacher
183. Rethinker
184. Retrainer
185. Revealer
186. Revered God and the king
187. Revered One
188. Reverential One
189. Reviewer
190. Reviver
191. Reviver
192. Reviver
193. Reviver & Reinvigorater
194. Rewarder
195. Rewarder of the good
196. River of life
197. Run from lust
198. Runner of the race
