WORSHIP 24/7
John 12:1-11
INTRODUCTION:
A. How would you describe your relationship and your commitment to Jesus Christ right now?
It would be great if we were all 100% committed to Jesus Christ. It would be great is we would all commit ourselves to the vow which says...
VOW:"I will do the best that I can with what I have where I am for Jesus’ sake today."
But I realize that our relationship with Jesus ebbs and flows. We have mountain top experiences on some occasions, but sometimes we find ourselves in the valleys. So how would you describe your relationship withe the Savior right now.
Some of you here today may not have been to church much and don’t really know what Church is all about. So you might say, "We’ve never really met." That would be an honest answer.
Some of you may know quite a bit about God, but you’ve never really made any kind of commitment to Him. "An acquaintance".
"Good Friend" He’s been there for me, I am living my life for Him, but I could still be a lot closer.
"Intimate relationship" Maybe you’ve been a Christian for a long time and you simply cannot imagine a life apart from Christ.
Unfortunately, there is at least one more group here today. "We used to be best friends."
B. One of the problems we face today is that there is a constant pressure not to take our faith seriously. In our world it is okay to be religious–just don’t be a fanatic–don’t let it control your life. In the media Christians are often portrayed as wimps and weirdos or sometimes they are shown in the other extreme–NRA badge wearing, gun carrying, fanatic.
Politicians will often talk about the importance of God and their faith in one breathe and then try to rally support for immoral legislation in the next. They claim to be Christians yet fight for such things as partial birth abortions and same-sex marriage. When questioned about their stance, they say they are able to separate their faith and their responsibility to their nation.
But, you see, being a Christian is not something that you turn on and off. It’s not simply a matter of gathering with other Christians on a Sunday morning and not giving your faith a second though until the following Sunday. Christianity is who you are 24/7 - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The same faith that gets you out of bed to go to church on Sunday morning is the same faith that carriess you to work on Monday. You see, when we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, it’s not just a commitment to be in church on Sunday morning, or to throw a few dollars in a offering plate, or to pray occasionally or read your Bible every now and then. No, it’s a commitment to a new lifestyle
Galatians 3:26-27 - You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
That is the kind of faith we see in a woman by the name of Mary. You know Mary, the sister of Martha. It was their brother Lazarus that had died, whom Jesus had called forth from the grave even though he had passed away four days earlier..
READ: John 12:1-11
Look at VS 10 again
ILL> You Know You’ve Had A Bad Day When…
* Your twin sister forgets it’s your birthday.
* You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold.
* The bird singing outside your window is a vulture.
* We can add to that...You’ve know you’ve had a bad day when you’ve just been raised from the dead and there are people who want to kill you.
It’s almost inconceivable to me that there are actually a group of men getting together and saying things like. "Hey, you know that guy Lazarus?"
"You mean that guy that Jesus raised from the grave?"
"Yeah, that guy. We’ve got to knock him off."
How could they miss the point–a man had been brought back to life–it’s an amazing thing. How do they react? "We’ve got to get rid of him."
Instead of asking, "Could Jesus be who He says His is?" all they can think about is how to get rid of Him
C. In the midst of this hatred and confusion, there is an act of love and extravagance and worship that cannot go unnoticed–it stands out like a flood light in the middle of a windowless room. As we look at Mary’s unselfish act it ought to make us reflect on our own relationship and commitment to Jesus Christ.
I> AN UNSELFISH ACT
A. Jesus and his disciples are gathered together with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
1. They are in the home of a guy by the name of Simon the leper
a. We can assume that Simon had been healed of his leprosy because anyone that had that dreaded disease was banished from the community
b. It may have been that he had been healed by Jesus Himself!
2. Just think about the joy that must have been in that room
a. Lazarus had been brought back from the grave
Simon’s health had been restored
b. Two lives completely changed
B. As the men are gathered around the table Mary enters the room unannounced.
1. She slowly walks over to Jesus carrying an expensive looking vase
a. She very gently breaks off the neck of the vase and begins to pours some the contents on Jesus’ head
ILL> This may seem a little strange to us, but then again I’ve always thought it kind of strange to wash your hair and then put big globs of hair gel in it!
b. In those days kings and priests were often anointed with oil and it may be that Mary was anointing Jesus as her King
2. Then she pours what is left of the contents in the jar on Jesus’ feet
3. Washing the feet of your guests was customary in those days
a. After all, the roads were dusty and people were sandals
b. But it was usually done by a house servant
4. You might recall that just a few days later Jesus meets with His disciples in an upper room
a. Of course, no one volunteered to do this servant’s task
b. It was Jesus who went around with a basin of water and washed the feet of the disciples–even the feet of Judas who had already made plans to betray Him
c. You see, the disciples were not about to do this because there was always the constant question of who was the greatest
5. You would have thought that they would have thought to Mary’s act of humility as she anointed Jesus’ feet with the perfume and then let down her hair so she could wipe them with it
a. What a precious, tender act
b. What an act of love, compassion, and humility
C. Have you ever thought about doing something, but then didn’t because you felt like that was below you?
1. Clean restrooms
Teach little children
Work in the nursery
Pull a few weeds
Pick up paper or cereal from the pews before you leave
Pick up someone and bring them to church
Change a light bulb
Plan an outing
ILL> Kay’s boss who is the administrator of the Bennington Glenn Nursing Home in Marengo does whatever it takes to get the job done.
Sometimes when I call for Kay, he will answer the phone. Kay said the other day he was in the kitchen flipping grilled cheese sandwiches because it was something that needed to be done.
Critics might say that that is poor management–and they would be right if he were cooking every meal. But at that moment he was simply doing what needed to be done–it wasn’t below him.
2. There was no job that was too humiliating or too low for Jesus
a. He willingly suffered the humiliation of the cross
SONG> He paid a debt He did not owe
I owed a debt I could not pay
I needed someone to wash my sins away.
3. Mary, in complete love and humility gave herself completely to Jesus in this act of extravagance
II> AN UNUSUAL GIFT
A. Mark 14:3 - an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
1. This perfume was an extract of oil that comes from a rare herb in India
a. It wasn’t like the perfume I buy for Kay at the Dollar Store
b. This stuff was very expensive
ILL> The most expensive perfume in the world is Clive Christian #1 which sells for $1820 for a 1 oz bottle.
c. If she would have gone to the antique road show they would have said that it was an expensive vase worth between 25-30 thousand dollars.
d. Judas said it was worth about a year’s wages
2. Sometimes items such as this were family heirlooms passed from generation to generation
a. Mary may have been holding on to this to wear a little on her wedding day
b. Maybe she could sell it so she and her husband could buy their first house
c. Maybe she had planned to keep it and pass it on to her children
d. Until this moment it had been kept, sealed, waiting for a special moment
B. Why so extravagant?
1. I believe it was because she understood who Jesus really was
a. She realized that there is nothing too extravagant for the Savior of the world
2. Jesus was the one who had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead
a. How much would that be worth?
ILL> Jim Rassman,
On March 13, 1969, Rassmann, a Green Beret, was traveling down the Bay Hap river in a boat behind Kerry’s when both were ambushed by exploding land mines and enemy fire coming from the shore. Kerry was hit in the arm, while a mine blew Rassmann’s boat out of the water. With enemy fire coming from both sides of the river and swift boats evacuating from the area, Kerry’s crew chose to turn their boat toward the ambush to save Rassmann.
C. How much is Jesus worth to you?
1. How much is it worth to have Someone watching over you day in and day out
2. How much is it worth knowing that God loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him
3. How much is it worth knowing that Jesus Christ died for your sins?
4. Can you possibly do anything that it too extravagant?
5. Mary’s gift was precious, costly, and expensive
a. It was far beyond what many thought to be reasonable, but Mary wanted to do this
b. It was expensive, but Mary felt that her Lord was worth so much more
III> CONCLUSION:
A. VS 3–the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume
1. When we give ourselves to Jesus the aroma is powerful
a. When a congregation is made up of committed Christians who are willing to give everything they have to Jesus, the scent is inviting
b. VOW: "I will do the best that I can with what I have where I am for Jesus’ sake today."
2. Three times Mary is the center of attention in the Scriptures and each time she is at the feet of Jesus
a. She sat at his feet to hear His word (Luke 10:38-42)
b. She knelt at his feet in sorrow over the death of her brother Lazarus (John 11:32)
c. This time, she brings her offering and wipes his feet with her hair
3. What keeps you from coming to the feet of Jesus?
a. Too busy? Too proud? Too self-reliant?
