“Doing What You Can”

“Doing What You Can”

Mark 14:1-9

“She hath done what she could; she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying” (Mark 14:8).

Intro:

Turn to Mark 14

ILL: Mrs Hopkins doing what she can

Shortly before the crucifixion, Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anointed Christ with some very costly ointment in view of His coming death, which she believed was a certainty.

This great deed of consecration was criticized quite severely by others, But Christ defended her.

Title: Doing What You Can

(Prayer)

FIRST—HER FAITH

vs 8 “She is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.”

Mary believed Christ when He said that He would die. We note four things about her faith.

A. The Details of her Faith.

When people died in those days they were not embalmed as we practice today.

Rather the body was wrapped in linen and heavily perfumed with expensive ointment to hold down the smell of the decaying body as long as possible.

The only reason you would

Thus to anoint Christ as Mary did acknowledged publicly that she believed what Christ said about His death.

She believed the words of Jesus even though many others did not believe.

Jesus taught that he would be killed and rise again:

(Turn) Matthew 16:21 - "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."

Matthew 20:18-19 - "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again."

Mark 8:31 - "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."

So time and time again, Jesus taught that he would be killed.

But many of the disciples simply didn’t want to believe this.

They believed Jesus was the Messiah! They believed he had come to save them! They just didn’t approve of God’s Method!

(Still here) Matthew 16:21-23 “21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

The details of Mary’s faith is this: She believed every Word of Jesus.

Application

ILL: Emma knocked over the trash can. I asked my daughter Evelynn to hand me the trash can. I said, Can you please hand me the trash......and before I could say can she handed me a pile of trash that had fallen out.

Although I appreciate her speed, she didn’t wait to hear every word I was speaking.

I wanted the trash can!

Sometimes that is how we treat the Bible

We just hear some words…or worse we only believe some words....

Pick and choose what to listen to and obey.

We need to believe and obey every Word of Jesus!

Matthew 4:4 “4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

We have a Bible we can trust. And we can trust every Word.

A. The details of her Faith

B. The Popularity of her Faith.

Mark 14:4-5 “4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.”

Mary did not enjoy a lot of company in her faith.

The disciples did not even believe Jesus when He predicted He would die.

Many times we have to stand alone in our faith.

Faith in Jesus Christ has never been popular.

Matthew 7:13-14 “13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

We shouldn’t live in search of fame. We should live in search of pleasing the Lord.

Application

We should serve God not for the praise of man, but for the glory of God. Not for the uplifting of self, but for the uplifting of God!

1 John 3:13 “13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”

The world may hate us for preaching Christ!

We may not be “popular”

And we need to accept that!

Serving Christ sometimes means serving alone or in a small band of brothers and sisters.

She may not have been popular in the world’s eyes, but Jesus took notice:

Mark 14:6 “6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.”

In the context of our verse, Mary was harshly criticized by the disciples, especially by Judas Iscariot.

Today they would have called her a fanatic and other derogatory terms.

Those who insist on walking by faith will not find a cordial world but a cruel world.

Even Christians may criticize your dedication.

Mary wasn’t popular but she was pleasing the Lord.

C. The Price of her Faith.

Tell the story: Mary come with this very expensive box of ointment....pours it…people gasp....etc....

The ointment that Mary put on Christ was not cheap.

It was valued at some 300 pence which was nearly a year’s pay for a common laborer.

Therefore, Mary’s faith cost her a large sum.

Philippians 3:7-8 - "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."

Many people “serve the Lord” because they want something out of it....they want a blessing.

ILL: There’s a gentleman that does not come to our church but lately he has been coming by and giving his tithe to our church. When he first came in he told me that he knows that it is God’s will that he should tithe.

He said he wants to be blessed by God and so he wants to tithe.

I’ve been inviting him to church, I hope he comes!

But the point is the reason for his “service” is because he wants something out of it!

We shouldn’t serve the Lord because of the blessings or the rewards, because sometimes there are no blessings. Sometimes the reward just isn’t there!

Sometimes there is a cross!

Matthew 16:24-25 - "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

2 Timothy 3:12 - "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

Serving the Lord has a price!

Application

Are you willing, like Mary to pay the price? Many people mocked her but she has steadfast in her commitment.

Transition, We have seen Mary’s Faith...

SECOND—HER FAITHFULNESS

“She hath done what she could.”

God does not require us to do what we cannot do or what we have not been gifted to do. He only requires us to do what we are capable of doing.

Sometimes, if we cannot do much that would impress people, we think we cannot be of much service to the Lord.

So we complain of lack of talent and ability to excuse us from service.

But that is not our problem.

Our problem is that we do not do what we can do. If doing what we can do is not enough, then God will enable you to do more.

If folk at church did what they could do the church would thrive.

Maybe all you can do is fill a pew at church on Sunday.

Then do it! It will help the church much.

Unfortunately, many church members do not even do that.

Maybe Mary couldnt do some things.....

Colossians 3:23 “23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

Luke 12:48 “48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

ILL: Yesterday, we had the church work day!

Conclusion

You may not be able to do everything,

You may not be able to do what others do,

but what can you do to serve the Lord?

“Doing What You Can”