Self-Less Love

TITLE: SELF-LESS LOVE 8/24/02

TEXT: MARK 14:1 – 11

INTRO:

IN THIS NEW MILLENIUM, WE ARE LIVING IN A SELF CENTERED SOCIETY. WE ARE LIVING IN A DAY OF ABSOLUTE SELFISHNESS. FOR INSTANCE -

· HIGH SOCIETY WOMEN ARE ABORTING BABIES FOR THEIR PERSONAL CONVINIENCE

· CHILDREN ARE SHOVED IN FRONT OF T.V.’S BECAUSE PARENTS WHO ARE SELFISH DON’T WANT TO SHARE THEIR TIME.

· CHRISTIANS GO WEEK AFTER WEEK WITHOUT READING THEIR BIBLES OR FELLOWSHIPPING WITH THE LORD.

· CHRISTIANS SIT IN CHURCH SERVICES YEAR AFTER YEAR WITHOUT EVERY GIVING TO THE LORD

· CHRISTIANS ENJOY ALL GOD’S BLESSINGS WITHOUT EVER DOING ANYTHING FOR GOD IN RETURN.

WE’RE A NATION OF PROUD AND SELFISH PEOPLE!

WELL, ONE OF THE GREATEST EXAMPLES OF HUMILITY AND SELF-LESS LOVE IS FOUND IN THIS STORY HERE BEFORE US. HERE JESUS IS IN -

· BETHANY IN SIMON THE LEPERS HOUSE JUST A FEW MILES FROM JERUSALEM

· IN JUST A FEW DAYS HE WILL BE ARRESTED, TRIED, FOUND INNOCENT YET CRUCIFIED.

· HE KNOWS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.

· I’M SURE HIS HEART WAS HEAVY – YET HE GLAD TO BE FELLOW-SHIPPING WITH HIS FRIENDS.

NOW AS THE LORD IS THERE ENJOYING THE FELLOWSHIP AND RELAXING WITH HIS FRIENDS ALONG COMES A WOMAN WITH AN ALABASTER BOX FILLED WITH SPIKENARD A VERY EXPENSIVE PERFUME. SHE THEN BREAKS IT AND POURS IT ALL OVER THE HEAD OF JESUS.

HERE WAS A WOMAN WHO TOOK HER GIFT OF ABOUT 300 PENCE, (THE EQUIVALENT OF NEARLY A YEARS WAGES) AND SELF-LESSLY POURED IT ALL OUT ON THE LORD WHO SHE LOVED!

I DON’T KNOW IF YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED THAT KIND OF LOVE BEFORE OR NOT – IF YOU HAVE IT PROBLABLY TOOK YOU BY SURPRISE.

ILL. IT MAY HAVE BEEN WHEN YOU WALKED INTO YOUR CHILDS BEDROOM & SAW THAT THEY HAD MADE THE BED, CLOTHES PICKED UP OFF THE FLOOR, AND THE TRASH WAS EMPTIED. THE ROOM WAS A CLEAN AND NEAT. AND IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, YOU JUST KNEW THAT YOUR CHILD MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG, AND WAS TRYING TO BUTTER YOU UP. SO YOU BEGIN TO QUESTION YOUR CHILD ALONG THOSE LINES, ONLY TO HEAR THIS REPLY, "MOM, IT’S NO BIG DEAL. I JUST DID IT BECAUSE I LOVE YOU."

ILL. OR - MAYBE YOUR HUSBAND CAME HOME WITH A DOZEN ROSES. IT WASN’T YOUR BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY OR MOTHER’S DAY. IT WAS JUST ANOTHER DAY, AND HE BROUGHT YOU ROSES. AND OF COURSE YOU KNEW THAT HE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG. BUT HE SAYS, "NOPE, I BOUGHT THESE FLOWERS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU.

IT IS AN UNEXPECTED ACT OF PURE SELF LESS LOVE. THIS IS THE KIND OF LOVE WE SEE IN THE STORY BEFORE US TODAY AS THIS WOMAN CAME TO JESUS.

SAD TO SAY BUT NEARLY EVERYONE WHO COMES TO CHURCH COMES WITH A SELFISH MOTIVE – THEY ALWAYS COME LOOKING TO GET INSTEAD OF GIVE. THEY WERE THE SAME WAY IN JESUS DAY.

· THE SICK CAME TO BE HEALED

· THE POOR CAME TO BE FED

· THE DISCIPLES CAME BECAUSE CHRIST SPOKE OF A FUTURE KINGDOM

· THE PHARISEE’S CAME TO TRAP HIM IN HIS WORDS

· THE RELIGIOUS CAME TO SEE SIGNS, MIRACLES & WONDERS

· THEY DID NOT COME BECAUSE THEY LOVED CHRIST – THEY CAME BECAUSE THEY WANTED SOMETHING FROM HIM. BUT IN SPITE OF THEIR MOTIVE – JESUS LOVED THEM ANYWAY.

JESUS LOVED –

· THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM IN SPITE OF THEIR SIN

· THE PEOPLE THAT GATHERED ON THE HILLSIDES WHO CAME SIMPLY TO BE FED

· THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHO HATED HIM AND WANTED HIM DEAD

· THE SOLDIERS THAT BEAT HIM AND NAILED HIM TO THE CROSS

· CHRIST LOVED THEM ALL – AND WANTED NOTHING BUT THEIR LOVE IN RETURN.

AND AS I SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES, I COULD NOT FIND ONE SINGLE RECORD OF ANYONE EVER COMING TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST JUST TO TELL HIM HOW MUCH THEY LOVED HIM.

ILL. YES, AFTER THE RESURECTION JESUS CAME TO PETER AND PETER TOLD THE LORD THAT HE LOVED HIM WHEN JESUS ASKED ABOUT IT. BUT I BELIEVE IT IS SAD THAT OUR LOVE FOR CHRIST EVER HAS TO BE QUEST-IONED!

AS WE LOOK IN THIS STORY TODAY, THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN THE MIND OF THE LORD THAT THIS LADY HAD A TRUE GENUINE LOVE FOR HIM.

NOTICE SOME THINGS ABOUT THIS WOMAN’S LOVE.

I. SHE FOUND A WAY TO EXPRESS IT V.3

HERE THIS WOMAN WAS SO FILLED WITH LOVE FOR CHRIST – SHE HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO SHOW IT. SO SHE TAKES THE MOST EXPENSIVE PERFUME THAT SHE HAS AND POURS IT ALL OUT ON JESUS.

SCHOLARS BELIEVE THIS WOMAN WAS NONE OTHER THAN MARY MAGDALENE.

ILL. AS YOU READ THE SCRIPTURES, YOU WILL FIND THAT MARY MAGDALENE AT ONE TIME WAS DEMON POSSESED. MANY BELIEVE SHE WAS EVEN A PROSTITUTE BEFORE SHE WAS SAVED BUT JESUS HAD SET HER FREE!