An Extravagant Love For Jesus

Have your Bibles be turning to Mark's Gospel, Chapter 14. And how many of you would like that turned down a little bit? Okay. Mark's Gospel, Chapter 14. If you're joining us this morning, haven't been here, we've been in a series of studies in the Gospel of Mark for 40 some weeks now. And we're back again this morning. We're getting towards the end. And this morning, we're looking at a story that's familiar. I got to be honest with you as a preacher. I don't like preaching on familiar passages because everybody thinks as soon as they see it, we know all about it. I want you to listen this morning. I hope God will speak to your heart as he's been speaking to my heart this week as I've been working my way through this particular passage of Scripture to see what God has to say to us. Mark's Gospel, Chapter 14, beginning in verse 1, says, after two days, it was the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by trickery and put him to death. But they said, not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on his head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves and said, why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor. And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me. For you have the poor with you always and whenever you wish you may do them good. But me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priest to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray him. Would you join me in prayer? Please father. Thank you for all this going on in our church. All the ministries we've heard about this morning. The ministries that are going on downstairs right now with our young people. Father, would you bless these ministries? Would you help them to meet needs in every age group? And Lord, direct our children's hearts to Jesus Christ. We pray father that you'd help husbands to be godly men, wise to be godly women and godly mothers. Father, we pray for children as they go back to school. Whether it's the public school or the Christian school or home school. Father, you'd watch over their lives and their hearts. You'd help the parents to guard that. And Lord to build these lives upon the person of Jesus Christ. Father, we pray for those that have physical needs and I can't mention them all this morning. We think of the the Morehouses. I think of the Dillons Lord and and Bev's sister as well. And Lord, I think of hearts just so blessed this morning to have Bev and Paul here with us. God, they still need you touching their lives. We pray for continued healing and Lord to pray for Mark who needs this transplant. Father. These people are hurting. Would you encourage them? Would you strengthen them this morning? Minister grace to their hearts. Give them a sense of your presence. But Lord, all of us need your presence today. All of us need to hear from you. Father, I would pray. That the words that you've been so gracious to give us written on the pages of our Bibles. You'd be so gracious this morning as to write their truths upon our hearts. You'd use them to change and transform our lives. And father would give you the praise and the glory for that in Jesus name. As you read this passage. You start out with people trying to get rid of Jesus. And you end it with people trying to get rid of Jesus. But in the middle, it's almost like a sandwich. And you got bad bread, but boy, the meat in the middle is good because you have the story of Mary. And our extravagant loving example of love for her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's a study in contrast. As you look at this passage, you have the priests the chief priests and the scribes that wrote the scriptures copied the scriptures and and you have Judas. And then you have Mary. When I ask you a question right off the start this morning. I like asking questions. I ask them to myself first. They penetrate. And the question is this which group are you in? Which group? Best pictures you and your relationship with Jesus Christ this morning and your your walk. All right. Can you hear me? That's all I asked for. And that's not the folks trouble back there. We had trouble before the service started trying to get this to work, right? So don't blame them for it, please. Just a contrast between Mary and and Judas. And sort of highlighted it a little bit, but it's an the extravagant love that Mary had contrasted with acts of betrayal against Christ. Mary who was a woman of no real standing. She was a woman. Not generally given high standing in that culture and that Society of the day. And then you have Judas. Here's a man, you know, he's supposed to be important and he's one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. He's important. A woman that gave what she could to Jesus Christ. And a man who took what he could get from Jesus Christ. Who we the most like are we trying to give to Jesus and we just want to get from Jesus and this culture of a prosperity gospel and everything else. What are we? What are we doing? Where do we fit? She was a woman that her actions blessed the Lord. Judas actions betrayed his Lord. She loved her Lord. He just wanted to use Jesus. He was looking for money. She did a beautiful thing. I think we'd all agree. He did a pretty terrible thing. She served him as her Savior. He sold him like he was nothing more than a slave. What she did will be remembered forever. What he did. He'll be notorious for forever. Which of those categories you choose? Are you going to walk in? Are you going to follow him in? What are we going to do? As we look at this sort of sandwich story with evil beginning and evil ending but such a tremendous story in the middle here. It's a story that contrasts really darkness and light. Doesn't the darkness that wanted to get rid of Jesus the light that had come to Jesus understood Jesus wanted to bless Jesus. The glimpse here is of a woman who did the very best that she could for Jesus Christ. She was absolutely devoted to him. She was in love with Jesus not in a sexual sense, but in love with Jesus because what he'd done for her brother, but I think also what she realized he was about to do for her. And going to the cross and paying the penalty for her sin. She knew the power of Jesus. She'd wept at the death of her brother. She questioned Jesus when he arrived shortly after Lazarus death. And then she'd seen her brother refreshed and renewed and revived and raised up from a tomb to life. And we're told here in that third verse that they're together. And by the way to get the full story, you've got to read John's gospel chapter 12 and Matthew's gospel chapter 26. There is another story similar but not the same story in Luke's gospel as well. It's a different woman. It's a different place. It's a different story. But these stories is basically the same story that we're hearing here from different points of view. They're gathered together in the home of a leper. Obviously a healed leper because the society that they would have forbidden them to go to the home of a man that was still a leper. So he's been healed. I don't think it's too much of a jump by Jesus. And they know that Passover is coming. They know Jesus will be coming and he always comes through Bethany. And so Simon the leper organizes a party. Some say it was a party to celebrate Lazarus Resurrection. Some say it was a party to celebrate the leper being healed. I think it's just a party to celebrate Jesus and what he'd done for them. They were so in love with Christ. Their hearts are filled with love. And Mary comes. And where do you think you'll find Mary at this party? She wasn't in the kitchen. Mary's found where she's always found in Scripture. At the feet of Jesus. At the feet of Jesus. And to remember another time that she was found at the feet of Jesus and Martha's out there yelling, Jesus, tell her to get in here and help me in the kitchen. Remember what Jesus said? Mary has chosen what? The better part. The better part. I wonder, are we choosing the better part? Are we so busy at doing things and looking after things that we hardly have time for Jesus at all? And in the middle of all this, and we'll cover this a few times probably in this story, I'll repeat myself, but she has this flask of expensive perfume. You ladies would know all about that stuff, right? We men don't tend to know much about that. But she takes it and I'm assuming there's some kind of a neck on this thing and it says she breaks it. She doesn't try to pop a cork out of it or whatever it was. She just snapped the thing or smashed it on something and she took the whole thing and she just poured it over the head of Jesus. Just want to remind you ladies. I'm not Jesus. So don't get a flask of ointment and come pour it all over my head. You know, if you do that to Gary back here or Richard, it won't bother them, but I don't want my hair messed up this morning. But she pours this over Jesus head and then it says whatever was left. She poured all over his feet and ladies picture this going to Jesus. You're sitting at his feet breaking this pouring it over his feet and then taking your hair which the Bible says is a woman's glory. And washing those smelly sweaty feet of Jesus has been walking on the highway out of what out of a heart of love. And what's the response to that? Any of you given your heart and did your best at serving Jesus and the next time you turn around, what do you hear? Somebody criticizing you for it tearing it apart. What you did saying you got the wrong motives or you should have done something else and all of this. Listen, I believe the Spirit of God put something in Mary's heart and she did it and praise God for it. I thought about this story a lot this week. I want to tell you one thing. She did it. She didn't care about the criticism. I don't think she even thought about what they would say about it or the criticism. I think it kind of shocked her maybe a little bit when it did come but she didn't care about the criticism. She didn't care about what the customs were in that day. You know custom said you'd wash the feet didn't say you do this and listen, she didn't care about the cost. This was expensive what she did for Jesus. This was expensive. All she knows at this moment is that I love Jesus and she had been trying to think this is beforehand. Not at this is not a spontaneous thing that just happened. She's thinking beforehand. How can I little old me show Jesus that I love now don't raise your hands. But how much time have you ever thought about how can I show Jesus that I love you for all that he's done for me for the fact that he went to the cross at Calvary and took my sins upon himself and bore the wrath of God against those sins so he could what he could forgive me of my sins. Give me his righteousness and a right standing with God and bear a home for me in eternity heaven. Listen, shouldn't I love somebody like that? Shouldn't we love him deeply? Emotionally. I know we're Baptists. This ought to excite us as we think about what he has done for us. She wipes the feet of Jesus. She praises Jesus. And it moved the heart of Jesus because he says listen, leave her alone. He comes to her defense. And he says she's done. She's wrought one translation says a good work on me. She's done something beautiful lavish extravagant. the critics said you went overboard. Wouldn't it be great if some of us Christians some of us Baptists would go overboard once in a while and showing our love for Jesus. Just giving our best for the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to ask you again this morning. Have you in your lifetime? Two years as a believer five years as a believer 50 years as a believer Bob 110 years as a believer. Have you in your lifetime ever made a sacrifice of extravagant love to Jesus Christ? I've searched my heart this week. Can you recall a time that you did something that really cost you to serve or stand for Jesus Christ in this world? One of the things and I'm not being critical and I have nobody in mind in this church just so you know but Christians are notorious for giving Jesus the leftovers. I know one church I pastored walked into the youth room and here's a tattered couch here and a tattered coach there and a tattered coach there and I said why don't you get rid of these things? They said well so-and-so gave this and so-and-so gave this and so-and-so gave this and we wouldn't dare throw them out. They threw them out. They bought something new and we gave her what and I'm not trying to be critical. I am not but it's not what we do sometimes in our lives. We give Jesus the leftovers of our lives. That doesn't say I love you with all my heart, does it? Spencer would be looking for new coaches. This is lavish love. I want to pastor a church that wants to every day lavish love on Jesus Christ. Show him that we're passionate about him. But Mark does something unusual here. He puts as the backdrop to this story, the Passover. You remember what the Passover was? That was the celebration of that day when God moved in the land of Egypt and he delivered his people from bondage. It was Independence Day for the Israelites. God set them free from slavery. And in two days, they're going to celebrate that and what's interesting is that Mark goes back and tells a story here now in verse 3 that took place six days before or four days before because it was six days before the Passover according to John chapter 12. Do the math there. Just kind of think this through but Mark throws this in but he wants to paint a background around it to show what's in the air, what's taking place in the land of Egypt and the tenseness of this moment. In the shadows, the Sanhedrin, the chief priests, the scribes are all plotting secretly with deception to get rid of Jesus. They want to arrest him. They want to kill him. But what's interesting here is they said but not at the Passover. Why? Because they said if we do it at the Passover, there's so many people here that know Jesus and love Jesus. What will it do? It'll cause a riot. We don't want to do it here. I think somebody did want to do it here. I don't think that somebody was Satan. Satan doesn't want to want to do it secretly. He wants what he wants. He just wants to get rid of Jesus because he knows what's going to happen if Jesus gets to the cross. He'll be defeated forever. Who wants Jesus on that cross? Don't want to answer to that. God does. He sent his only begotten Son. What? To put him on that cross that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life. They want to get rid of him. Satan doesn't want it to be at the Passover. Why? Because the Passover was a symbol that Jesus was going to become our Passover. But what's good about this story is that God doesn't work on man's timetable and he can work even though Satan's working against it to try and stop it from happening right now. God speeds it up so that on the exact moment that God planned and prophesied Jesus will what? He'll die on the cross of Calvary at Passover. And pour out his blood for us. Those are just a few of the things that you can see as you read about this story, but I want to talk about five wonderful things that I see here as it relates to this story. They're in the home of Simon the leper. They're celebrating. I think Jesus because of what he'd done. Mary does this wonderful thing and instantly number one. It's it's a misunderstood work. Because the people just don't get it. Even the disciples don't get it. They begin to murmur and complain. They said there were some in this group here who had indignation within themselves. Indignation is kind of an interesting word. The only way I can describe it for is is it's a snort. You know, you see somebody do something stupid. That's what he's talking about here. They they were indignant. How could she do this thing? And it says they said among themselves, so it's not just one person here, but there's they're all these disciples and some others that may have been there. They're saying why this waste of this ointment? Because they know it's worth a lot. We're going to find out the key leader in saying that according to John's gospel is a guy named Judas Iscariot. And we're going to be told why Judas says that because what he kept the money bag and he was stealing from it. He was a thief. All he's focused on is the money what he can get out of it. And the Bible tells us that it was worth one translation 300 pence. New King James says it's 300 denarii. The important thing you need to plant in your mind today is that was like 300 days wages. So pretty much a year's wages your work all year. What would you have? What would what would a man's average man's wage be today? Some of you it might be $30,000 a year others 40,000 50,000, but whatever it is, you imagine giving to Jesus something that costs you a whole year's salary. That's what Mary did. Out of love and all they can think of. Oh Jesus that that shouldn't have been done. Jesus. You got to tell her she can't do things like that. Mary. You're an idiot. What a waste. That could have been sold to feed the poor. I just got to tell you we have a whole lot of people in our society today. They're talking about feeding the poor that couldn't care less about feeding the poor. All they're trying to do is buy your boat going on all around us making an impression. That's not anything new. This could have been sold and used to feed the poor, but we understand this Judas is just a what he's just a hypocrite because all he could think of is that's money. I could have had I could have been carrying around and help myself to it whenever I wanted some of that. He was a thief. How easy it is to criticize isn't it? Even within the church who you found yourself being critical about recently in your family in your workplace wherever it is. Criticize criticize criticize. I read this story. True story told by a pastor. He had a man in this particular church that came into the church one day and he happened to open up a broom closet. And found five brand-new brooms in the church. And he was indignant. He went to the janitor and demand to know why are there five rooms here and I really don't know why they're there, you know, I this somebody must have bought them and put them in there and then he marches into the pastor's office. Of course, the pastor doesn't have anything more important to do than discuss why there's five rooms in the church. And the pastor tries to sue them but he can't he doesn't not satisfied with his answer leaves the office in a in a huff. A couple of days later. The pastor is having a coffee with the treasurer of the church. And he asked the treasurer, you know, he tells them the story what happened and he looks at the pastor and smiles. He says pastor. I can understand that. Understand it. Would you please explain it to me? So I can understand. He said well pastor wouldn't you be indignant? If your whole year's earnings have been put into buying five rooms. Five five your whole year's giving to the church rather. What's he saying? He said all he gave was a little pittance now. He's upset that they bought five rooms. Sad sad. There's some people so small that they'll criticize what other people do. Concise what they do with their money criticize what they do with their lives. I've had people tell me. What a waste. I remember being at st. Thomas University years ago. One of the profs asking me. What are you going to do when when you get out of here? I said I'm going to be a preacher. He said what a shame. Sorry to hear that. That would be a waste. I want you to know I am so thankful this morning. I've given my life for 40 plus years to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Bob's got about a hundred years preaching the gospel of Christ. Not sorry for one of them. It's thankful with the opportunity to be able to share this glorious gospel. They were criticizing but I thank God and here's what you ought to do. She didn't pay much attention to the criticism and neither should you. You just keep on showing your lavish love to Jesus every day of your life. We don't need to pay a whole lot of attention to these people. It'll get us distracted from what God wants us to do in verse 6. It says Jesus let her alone. Why trouble eat her? She's wrought. She's done a good work to me. I want to tell you if you're doing the right thing, Jesus will always be there to defend you. The mistake we sometimes make is we get in a half and we want to defend ourselves. I hope I never found a position where I am defending myself. I want to leave it to Jesus. I get criticized. I know that. That's in his hands. That's in his hands. What you can say comes out of your mouth. That's in his hands too, isn't it? We need to leave it with Jesus. That's where Mary left it. Listen, the criticism wasn't Mary's problem. Whose problem was it was a problem with people that were giving. The people who are criticizing what she was doing. It wasn't her problem. It was Judas problem was describes the Pharisees problem. We don't need to defend ourselves. Let God do it. They said it's a waste just to pour out lavishly. Now what you would ordinarily do with this kind of an expensive. I mean, this is really expensive perfume of nard that comes from a plant that grows only in India. So I'm told and and still is used in perfumes today. And you would take that and you take the little stopper of the top after you shook it a little bit and you take that and you put a drop or two on something. One of the reasons you had to do that. This was early deodorant. All right, because people came in your home. They didn't smell so good, you know, I've been walking on the trail lately. There's sometimes I wish I had a whole flask of ointment to dump on a few people. So I didn't have to smell the marijuana and everything else is smelling, you know, let's put a fragrance out there. Jesus basically says to her, this is not a waste says to the crowd. This is not a waste. In one place, Jesus says is not life more than meat and the body more than clothes. What he's saying is what there's a poverty that's more important than food and clothes and that's a poverty of the spirit. Mary has recognized that I've come to cure the poverty of the spirit to bring lost man into right relationship with the living God and she's anointed me for this. We'll talk about that in a moment, but this is important what she's doing interesting thing in the world in which we live, you know, if I was a wealthy man and I went and bought a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh somewheres and you heard that I paid 1 million 2 million 3 million dollars for that. I saw one the other day was sold for 27 million dollars. Really? 27 million dollars, you know what the world would say now, that's an investment. That's an investment. But if you give it to Jesus, it's a what? That's a waste world would still say that what do you say what Mary was doing here? She was estimating not the worth of the flash but the worth of what the Savior was he worth to you? What are you giving to Jesus and I'm not looking to pass the offering plates again this morning, but what's he worth to you down in your heart? What's Jesus worth? You see when we talk about worship, it's tied to the word worth. You worship the one that what you see is the chief worth? In the entire universe and that's the living God. He's worth it. He's worth everything and anything and all things that we could give to him, but it was what it was a misunderstood word and what we try to do here. From Devon Park Baptist Church may fully get misunderstood out there in the world. But let's realize we're not doing it for the world. We're doing it for who for Jesus. Second thing I see about this work. If you look in in verse 8 here, it says this. She has done what she could she's done what she could. And that's interesting because Mary evidently couldn't do what Martha could do. You know, if you're going to have a party like Simon Leopard you call up Martha and say Martha I want to do this you organize it you take care of it. I'll pay for it, but you do it and she'd show up. I mean she baked cakes and she had the potatoes ready and the roast ready and it doesn't tell us what the menu was here. So I'm not sure but but she would look after that. She'd be in the house have the table set up the table cloths are on there's flower arrangements the knives and forks are in place Martha did that just didn't happen to be Mary's thing Mary's thing seem to be sitting at the feet of Jesus, but she'd been thinking what can I do for Jesus Bible says she did what she could. Now I want you to understand not spontaneous. She had to think about this before and because where is she she's in the home of Simon the leper firms over here somewhere. Maybe on the other side of town. It never says that she went out of this gathering to get it from her house and bring it back which means what she brought it with her. She was thinking about this before she ever got there. She came with the intention of giving this to Jesus. She put thought into it. She she understood that there was a cost to it seeing that day. It may have been that her father. Had provided for Mary this flask that sometime in the future it was part of her inheritance. She could sell and buy food and take care of herself. Mary takes this thing that was tremendously valuable and she gives that to Jesus. She's sitting there in her house and she thinks there's that alabaster box. She did what she could. Did you enjoy the singing this morning? That's good. I sometimes find myself sitting back there saying I wish I could sing like that. I'm not like the girls. Lord, I want to be able to sing. I want to praise you. Listen, God isn't going to hold me accountable for my ability to sing if he didn't give me the ability to sing. I should still sing make a joyful noise to the Lord. We all ought to. But we need to stop comparing ourselves with others and saying, oh, I wish I could sing like her. I wish I could play the piano like Richard or somebody else can play the piano and and Lord, I wish I was, you know, good with money like some people just make all kinds of money and seem to be able to do that. What I'm responsible for is to figure out what I can do. What I can do. And in doing that, I'm not even accountable to be as good a preacher as Bob Dunlop. I had a lady. Used to be in this church in her home one day. She looked at me and angrily said to me, you're not David Jeremiah and I said, that's right. But David Jeremiah wouldn't come to this church and be your preacher. I'm doing what I can do. I can't do what Jeremiah can do. I can't do what Billy Graham did. I can't do what Charles Spurgeon did. But I can try to be the best Terry Woodcock. I can be and study this word and bring its meat to you Sunday by Sunday and try to draw your heart to Jesus question isn't what can other people do? The question is what can I do? I want you to ask yourself out this morning. What can I do? What do you what are you going to do with what you have in terms of finances? Yes, but in terms more of your talents and your abilities and and and things that you're so good at. I watched my wife and I see her around vacation Bible school and I see her getting ready for junior church downstairs and I'm amazed. I'm amazed the idea is that she comes up with the decorate the room downstairs, you know turning it into a rocket ship this year last year was a train station and all these things why because she cares about kids. Listen, I can't sit around feeling sorry that I wish I could do that. But I you wouldn't want to see the room if I did that you do what you can do. Are you doing what you can for Jesus Christ? She had done what she could do. Good. Jesus will say to some people. He's going to praise them and reward them because you gave a what a cup of cold water. In my name you could do that. Couldn't you? Maybe do a homeless person or somebody else. You could give a drink. You could give a sandwich. You could do something in the name of Jesus Christ. You remember Jesus sitting by the Treasury as people were putting in their offerings and people some of them dropped in a whole lot made a lot of noise and a widow came along and she dropped in her what her two mites. It's kind of interesting to me the things that Jesus really treasures. A flask of ointment. Two mites a cup of cold water. Why is he tell us that because he wants us to know we can all do something. We can't do everything and we can't necessarily do what other people do as well as they do it, but we can do something and we better figure out and find out what it is God. You want me to do some of you say all pastor, you know, if I could buy a lottery ticket and win a million dollars all what I would do. With that million dollars, you know what you do with that million dollars you do exactly what you do with the $50 or $100 that you got nothing different. Nothing different. What are we going to do? This is a question. What are we going to do with what that which we have people are bringing a Sunday School class teacher ask her students to bring an object that they could relate to some Bible story. So one boy brought some water and said that illustrates that Jesus is the water of life. Another brought some flowers and said that illustrates that Jesus is the rose of sharing somebody else brought some bread and said Jesus is the bread of life a little boy brought a little Bantam hand egg. She says what's that represent? And he said she had done what she could. You know, you might not be able to lay an egg the size of an ostrich, but she had done what she could that's all Jesus requires. That's all it would take to bless the heart of Jesus to do something for Jesus. I want to just think about this for a moment, you know, I got to get you out there for the barbecue. But imagine that Mary and I had twin boys. And one of those boys was born healthy strong. And one of those boys had evident brain damage when it was born. And 20 years go by. And that boy that had everything went off to University and he comes home and dad. I would just want you to know I've not wasted my time. I have worked hard in school. I've made the Dean's list. I'm at the top of my class and dad goes, oh son, I'm so thankful and so proud of you. You're doing so much and then he feels a tug at his foot. He looks down and there's this. Son. He looks up. Daddy, daddy, I taught your shoe. I learned how to tie your shoe daddy. Oh son. Oh son. That's nothing compared to your brother. No, no, you'd hug him and what so that's wonderful. Mama, come here. Come and see he's learned to tie my shoe. That's Jesus, isn't it? Using what you got doing what you can to please and serve the Lord Jesus Christ and listen, you'll be just as proud of that boy that learned to tie your shoe as you would the one that graduated at the top of his class from University. Because he's your son. I got to hurry here. It was a mighty work. Why was it a mighty work because she just didn't take a drop or two at a time and give a little bit of this to Jesus. She took the whole thing broke it. Listen, once it's broke, you can't put it back in. She gave it all lavishly extravagantly over the top and poured it over the top of Jesus head and over his feet and wash his feet with her hair. It's worth a year's labor to marry. What's Jesus worth to you? She didn't hold one speck of it back for a rainy day or to keep for her inheritance. She wasn't sitting there saying and the devil will tell us all this you better keep that and look out for yourself and I want you to say I'm not asking you to go out and take money. You got set aside to live on in the future. All I'm asking is what does Jesus want you to do? What does he want you to do with your life? And it challenges me it it speaks to my heart in preparing for this passage. I had to stop and ask myself Lord. Am I willing to break my alabaster box? Whatever that is, and I'm quite sure every one of us has something in our life that relates to this in our lives. Am I willing to give it to Jesus? It's a mighty work because of the focus of it. Who is it focused on Jesus? It's a mighty work because of the fullness of it. She gave it all totally to Christ. Remember what we've been learning the gospel of Mark. Jesus said that a man ought to what deny himself take up his cross and do what follow me with everything that you have to Jesus give it to Jesus. And I thought about this this week suppose that I went off on another trip to Russia. There for 17 days like I've done in the past and I come back and Mary meets me at the airport. She says I got something I need to tell you. I said, oh, what is it? She said, well, you may want to sit down. I said, what did you do? She says, well, you remember those missionaries and and how their car fell apart and they couldn't repair it. Well, I I got thinking about that and and God just impressed upon my spirit. I ought to give them my car and say, oh no, oh no, and she says so I did it. I gave them the new car. You just bought me. I don't know about you, but that brought it home for me. Are we ready for this kind of a sacrifice to give to Jesus Christ are all whatever it takes when God speaks to our hearts. Is Jesus that precious to us? Would I give him a year's wage? Would I break the neck of the alabaster box? Would I give him my fullness? Now one of the things I have in the back of my mind as I'm doing this. I'm not looking for things for me. I'm not even looking for something for Devin Park this morning. But in about a month, we're going to be having our missionary conference and we'll put a goal in front of you about $60,000 to give to missions this year. A lot of money. What I'd ask you this is Jesus worth it. I want you to begin to pray now Lord lay it on my heart. What would you have me to get towards getting the gospel to the ends of the world? Because that's the passion at the heart of Christ. How many of you think that would show Jesus? I love him. I think it does because I'm involved in him and what he wants to do and what what his commitment is to this world. I got to hurry. It's it was a meaningful work. Why was it mean and meaningful because he says he's done this beforehand. She's done it to anoint beforehand my body for the burial. I can't go into all that I've wanted to say about this. But let me just say this Mary got what the disciples never got. They could not in their minds embrace Jesus going to the cross and dying. But Mary got it. Somehow when Jesus said on the resurrection and the life and after what he did for Lazarus, she understood that he was going to the cross. He was going to be crucified as he said he would be buried in the third day. He would arise from the grave. He says I just got to do something. I know what would be wonderful. If I could right now take that flask of oil and anoint the body of Jesus for burial. Now, let me tell you something. It's important that she did what she did all she could. It's important that she did it when she did it. One know why? Because later on after Jesus has been crucified as a group of women coming towards the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus for burial, right? You remember that? When they got there what they find? There weren't nobody there anymore. They would have never gotten the chance. Mary would have never had the chance to anoint the body of Jesus with oil if she hadn't done it when the Spirit of God impressed it upon her to do it. I think we need to be more conscious of that when there's somebody in our family would find out, you know, they got this disease. They got that maybe should be doing it before but at least then we ought to think what I better do it when I can because I don't know is I'll be able to do this a month from now or a year from now or five years from now. We ought to do it when we what when we're told to by the Spirit of God when he touches our hearts and our minds. I just believe that, you know, come to this party. There's meatloaf Mary that's looking after the food and there's Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. And we ought to be people that want to sit at the feet of Jesus. She's chosen the better part. I believe Mary has a spiritual sensitivity or voter heart. Would you pray with me that God would deepen my and your spiritual sensitivity to the heart of Christ? To be sensitive to what God wants to do and and then to what to do it. She has done what she could. It's not good enough to think about it. It's you got to do it carry it out the thing that God lays upon your heart. She did what she could. She did all she could she did it when she could because she was a spiritually sensitive lady. What are we as a church in the business of doing? Are we spiritually sensitive as a church? What have we been tasked with? Go ye into all the world and do what? Preach the gospel that means to the neighbors next door to you. That means to the people in your workplace that means the people in your school that means to send people to the ends of the earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'll just say lastly. Love to say more. Always do. I just want to tell you this is a work that was memorable. Jesus says what she's done. People are going to be talking about this 2,000 years from now and we just fulfilled scripture this morning because we've been talking about what she's done will never be forgotten. Listen a cup of cold water given in Jesus name will walk never be forgotten. Some money given to missions will never be forgotten whatever you do what he's laid on your heart. What I'd like you to do this morning is go back in your mind and think about what's the thing that God's put on my heart to say that's your flask of oil and in your heart this morning before you go out that door. I want you to tell Jesus I'm ready to break it. I'm ready to anoint your body. I'm willing to lavish my love on you Jesus. Everything we do for Jesus will never be forgotten. Nothing we do will escape his notice. We can't do everything but we must do something you can't win all the lost people in the world, but you could try to win one. We can't comfort all those people that are grieving and hurting and experiencing the pain of disease, but we could try to comfort one couldn't we? All of us could do that. We can't feed all the world by the way in this story. Jesus isn't saying he's not concerned about the poor what he's saying there is look you always have the poor with you and yes, you're commanded in scripture to help them and feed them and so on. But what he's saying is there's a priority that's higher and that's Jesus. It's great to want to feed people. But my first priority has to be to worship Jesus. With all of my heart. To seek every day to show him that I love him. The hymn writer wrote when I survey the Wondrous Cross in which the Prince of Glory died my richest gain. I count but loss and poor contempt and all my pride forbid it Lord that I should boast saving the death of Christ. My God all the vain things that charm me most. I sacrifice them to his blood. Last verse says listen were the whole realm of nature mind if I had it all. That were present far too small. Love so amazing so divine. Demands my soul my life. Are you willing to surrender that all to Jesus today? Wonder have we done our best for Jesus who died on that cruel tree? The thing today of his great sacrifice at Calvary. I know this Edwin Young says, I know my Lord expects the best from me. What are you willing to place at his disposal this morning father? I pray we give you our hearts. I pray if there's one person here. That's never put their faith in Jesus Christ as a personal Lord and Savior. Father they seek you out here this morning. They come to me at the door Pastor Richard or Pastor Spencer or Pastor Bob or somebody else that's here. They knows a Christian and give us the opportunity to open up the scriptures and show them that yes or a sinner. And the wages and penalty of sin is death and separation from you. But Oh God that the gift of God is the forgiveness of our sins and it's eternal life father draw someone to you today. Who can learn to love you like Mary loved you. But father don't let us walk about it here today either as believers without letting you search deep into our hearts. What have I done to show Jesus that I love him? Oh God put a burden on our hearts to show lavishly. I love for you. Blesses Lord as we sing this closing him together. Bless the time of fellowship and food outside with one another and downstairs in Jesus name.