Worship 24/7

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.