Worship The King

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.