Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: John 12:1-8

Before we get to the text today, I want to talk a minute to talk about expiration dates.

I mean how serious should we take them?

Take a poll.

Expiration date on milk(GROSS)?

who would/wouldn’t?

How about a bag of chips(STALE)?

There are some things that come with built in expiration dates, like a banana, how brown/black/mushy does it have to be? Everybody know what a breathe right strip is? Yeah i have a box of them here, and while i’m not usually a snorer, last weekend Allison said I was sawing some logs.

So i dug through box of stuff in the closet and found this box of breathe right strips.

I tried to put a couple on and couldn’t get them to stick, then inside the box i saw a coupon that expired in 2012!

So if the coupon expired in 2012, who knows when the actual strips expired.

Allison and I were married at the end of 2009 so it could be that we have carried these things with us all throughout our 13 years of marriage.

Now you have to know that I am not a hoarder.

I remember when I bought my first house, I said I’m going to actually park my car in the garage, instead of keeping all that stuff “I might need one day”.

Man, I’m going to try to not preach the sermon before I preach the sermon today, but Friday I was cleaning out the garage some, (jacob dumpster at church yesterday) and the clutter just exhausted me.

And God brought this thought to me, as He often does preachers who are going to preach, He said Jonathan I wonder what in your life you are holding on to that’s getting in the way of fully worshipping me?

What’s in my “just in case” pile in my life, or “I might need that one day”.

Oh Church hear me this morning as we get into talking about worshipping.

The more you let go of, the more you release, the more you de-clutter your life.

The more that the Holy Spirit of God has room to invade your space!

Let’s Read the text and then we will set the scene a little bit.

Text: John 12:1-8 “Therefore, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

So they made Him a dinner there, and Martha was serving; and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.

Mary then took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who intended to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?”

Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he kept the money box, he used to steal from what was put into it.

Therefore Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.

For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.””

PRAY

Intro: Set the scene – In this passage we are told it is six days before Passover, before Jesus would eat the last supper with the disciples.

It’s the week before Jesus would go to the cross.

At the very least from this passage we know that Lazarus was there, who Jesus had just raised from the dead.

Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha were both there and most likely many if not all of the disciples.

If you remember, just prior to this in scripture we saw Mary and Martha and how Martha was stuck on working while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, and even when Jesus taught there that Mary was choosing the better idea of worship over work, here we are a few weeks later, Martha still working, while Mary is again the center of a lesson that Jesus will teach them.

We see this story related to us in Matthew 26 as well, and when Mary pours out the perfume on Jesus’ feet in that passage, the words that are used by Judas are “Why the Waste?”

And that’s where we are going to jump in today….

Point #1 - WORSHIP IS NEVER WASTED

...But Opportunities To Worship Are Often Missed.

For us to truly understand what was happening here we need to talk a little bit about the value of the sacrifice that is being made.

The text tells us that the value of the perfume was 300 denarii.

Now there are different thoughts on what a denarii would be valued at, but what seems most plausible to us is that a denarii would have been a day's wages.

300 workdays in a year would be a good 6 day work week, so in other words, we are talking about a sacrifice that was equal to a year’s salary.

Why would she own this?

Why would someone buy a bottle of perfume that’s worth $50,000 or $60,000 USD?

Perhaps it was a family heirloom?

In that time and culture owning a commodity would have been far more valuable than currency.

Perhaps much like it is today.

There’s a good chance that this expensive commodity belonged to the house.

So Mary’s decision not only affected her, but Martha and Lazarus as well.

Regardless of the exact purpose, it’s pretty safe to say it was what was on reserve in the household.

No more back up plan, no emergency fund, Mary and her household were laying their full dependency literally at the feet of Jesus.

But why so much?

Wouldn’t a tithe have been enough?

Certainly, Judas would have been ok with them making a donation of 10% to the disciples of Jesus Christ fund.

Interestingly enough Judas’ comment about how what Mary was doing was wasteful shows that he has little to no understanding or concern for what it means to worship God.

In the book of second Samuel in the Old Testament, King David goes out to a piece of land to make a sacrifice to God.

He would need the land to do it, an animal, the wood to start the fire, and when he comes near that land, the man who owns it says, “my King I will give you everything that you need for this offering to the Lord.”

But the King responds, “God Bless You.

But I must pay you for everything, because I will not make an offering to the Lord that does not cost me something.”

It could certainly be argued that the level of our worship is proportionate to that which it truly costs us.

There’s a Christian song that came out a few years ago that said I throw a $20 in the offering plate, but I never give until it hurts.

This isn’t a message about giving today, unless that’s what the Holy Spirit needs you to hear.

This is a message about overcoming our inhibitions, our discomfort, and our willingness to pour out our praise in front of Jesus.

If you can throw up your hands and fall on your face before Jesus with no issues, maybe your concern is over turning finances or trust to Him.

But if you give faithfully and generously, is your heart, your body, your posture in worship surrendered to Him?

Some struggle more to release their emotions, their posture, and their brokenness more than they do their finances or resources.

Mary said Jesus here’s my money (that represents trust)... here’s my body (that represents my flesh)…here’s my tears (that represents my emotions)... here’s what people might even think of me or how they might judge me (that represents my reputation) I just want you Jesus.

WORSHIP IS NEVER EVER EVER WASTED, let’s talk for a minute though about how opportunities to worship are missed though...

Point #2 - OPPORTUNITIES TO WORSHIP ARE OFTEN MISSED

I don’t go to the altar and pour out my praise to Him, because people might think there’s something wrong in my life.

Well I don’t raise my hands in worship because I don't want to be thought of or seen by others, worship is supposed to be private….

PAUSE It is? Let’s Double check that text today, at any point did Jesus get down and look at Mary (kneel here) and say Mary this was great, you gave me $50,000 you washed my feet with perfume but we all know you just wanted everyone to see you.

Nope.

In the household of Lazarus, Martha gets condemned for valuing her work too much, Judas condemned for being concerned about how others worship, and Mary is praised by Jesus.

Wow! Can you imagine being praised by Jesus?

Francis Chan had this to say about worship, “Our lack of worship may actually be the biggest cause of our divisions.

When we don’t worship as we should, all hope for unity is lost.

It’s hard to start an argument with someone who is on her knees shouting praises to Jesus.

As Christians we are the most divided faith group on the earth, and there isn’t a close second.

If you think I’m exaggerating, name another religion with more than two or three factions.

But we as Christians have thousands of denominations each believing that our theology is superior.

Those divisions are exactly the opposite of what Jesus died for.”

END QUOTE Perhaps my favorite thing that ever happens is when a church or a denomination merges with one another, because it symbolizes that two or more groups of people saw unity in Christ as the most important idea to be valued.

#BEST IS YET TO COME CAP CITY

While there is some truth to the idea that the oil's cost could have been used in other ways, those opportunities will continue.

The chance to honor Christ, as Mary did, was something that would never come again.

She wasn’t there for His burial.

How many more opportunities do you want to pass to worship Christ as you should?

In Mary’s case it was the last time she would be with Jesus before His life was taken.

How many more opportunities will you have to worship Him before your life comes to an end.

Don’t miss ANY opportunity to worship Him as you should.

TRANSITION...

So let’s wrap up today by working together to answer that question.

Point #3/Response - HOW DOES GOD SEE YOUR WORSHIP?

WHO ARE YOU TODAY?

I’m giving a quiz today.

It’s multiple choice and you have to participate.

Not out loud of course, but you will pick an answer...

In a gathering of worship, whom from our story do you most relate to?

How does God see you? MARY, MARTHA, LAZARUS, JUDAS… By the way there is a right answer and it’s Mary, sorry to give it away so quick, but if you haven’t decided who you are, let’s spend the rest of our time together talking a little about these 4.