Some Ordinary #BECOMING Extraordinary

Intro:

Today, we are going to talk about some ordinary things...

And as it is fitting for Mother’s Day, I want to mention two things that I believe are pretty ordinary to almost every woman to some degree.

The Two things are....

A supper

A perfume

For many women, these two things are a part of of just about any day!

However, we are going to see an ordinary woman use these two ordinary things to be a part of something extraordinary!

YOU SEE.....I think so many of us make a grave mistake today by thinking that because we live an ordinary life.....

That we will never really do anything that special.

Or sometimes we have a hard time understanding our purpose.

We say......because....

I’m a stay at home mom....or because I work a normal job…or I live by myself....or whatever else WE CONSIDER ORDINARY.....

We think that God won’t use us like He might use someone else!

BUT....we must understand the truth of the Gospel!

Apart from God, YES…WE ARE ALL ORDINARY!!!!

We are all sinners that fall short of the glory of God...

We all live in the same world, doing most of the same things, in a common way!

But for the Christian.....they acquires something distinct and special....

And it stem’s not necessarily from who we are....but WHOSE WE ARE!

It is no ordinary thing to be a child of the King!

It is no ordinary thing to call GOD FATHER

It is no ordinary thing to have the infinite and loving God be your GUIDE!

It is no ordinary thing to have the presence of the Holy Spirit, GOD HIMSELF.....dwelling within you!

It is not an ordinary thing to be a Christian…its quite ad EXTRAORDINARY THING!

The Christians Extraordinaire is not determined by their own works and results....

The Christian Extraordinaire is determined by God and his works!

And if you are in Christ....the most amazing and mighty work of God has been done in you.....THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY THING.....

The same power that rose Christ from the dead is the same power that RAISED US FROM THE DEAD!

GOD IS THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY......and he is intimately involved in and through your life as a believer!

There is nothing about that…that sounds ordinary to me!

So today, we move into John 12 and we will see something that may seem ordinary become something extraordinary!

Starting with a Supper and some Perfume!

John 12:1–11 NKJV

1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” 9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

I. Through CELEBRATION, We see a SUPPER that was made Extraordinary. (John 12:1-2)

There is an IMMEDIATE celebration taking place here: The SUPPER!

Jesus comes to Bethany TO DINE with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus!

And for you that listened to last week’s sermon....you know why this is a celebration!!

Verse 1 says, Jesus came to BETHANY where LAZARUS was…WHO HAD BEEN DEAD, WHOM HE HAD RAISED FROM THE DEAD!

And Verse 2 says, LAZARUS WAS ONE WHO SAT AT THE TABLE WITH HIM!

CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS!!!!!

Setting at this table......

There’s Mary and Martha who had just lost their brother!

They were just weeping with them and wrapping their arms around them saying....I’m so sorry for your loss.

And now there’s Martha serving you something to eat!

And you look on this side of the table....and theirs LAZARUS!

The one that stopped breathing.....his heart had stopped....he was dead!

You were just concerned about the stench of his dead body when the tomb was opened!

And then you saw him walking out of the tomb wrapped in grave clothes!

AND NOW....here you set beside him.....as he is RECLINED AT THE TABLE!

As he talks with you and eats with you!

He’s breathing, his heart is beating, he’s laughing!

And the only cooler thing than that.....is you look beside him and there is JESUS!

The one who just displayed HIS POWER over DEATH.

The one who simply voiced “COME FORTH” and a dead man raised!

You set beside him as he taught, laughed, and loved so deeply!

You saw his compassion as he wept before Mary knowing He was about to raise Lazarus!

Can you imagine DINING AT THIS TABLE.....A Supper made quite EXTRAORDINARY!

This placed called BETHANY HAD BEEN REDEEMED!

Bethany is a Hebrew word that meant “HOUSE OF MISERY” o “HOUSE OF AFFLICTION”

And that it was as Lazarus laid in the tomb.....

HOWEVER....God turned this house of Misery into a HOUSE OF CELEBRATION!

What an extraordinary thing......

BUT THIS IS WHAT JESUS DOES!

He took my BETHANY......my HOUSE OF MISERY and turned it into a HOUSE OF CELEBRATION!

And that Points us to the GREATER Celebration:THE PASSOVER!

John makes sure that we know this supper takes place in the context of the coming passover!

Verse 1 says that Jesus came to Bethany 6 days before the passover.

Now....why is this so important!

Well, John has been leading us up to this point to make the coming connection!

Think about it....

The passover was a celebratory feast that the Jews would participate in every year to remember the EXODUS!

God’s People were enslaved by the Egyptian Pharoah.

God leads Moses up to deliver His people from slavery using 10 plagues of deserved judgment.

The 10th and final judgement was DEATH brought on the firstborn...

Hover, God told His people to take....

A Spotless, Blameless Lamb was to be Sacrificed....

And the Blood of that Lamb was to be spread over their doorpost.

And the angel of Death would PASSOVER THEM!

And so God’s people were shown GRACE and MERCY and SPARED FROM DEATH as they were delivered from SLAVERY!

And God told the Jews to remember this by celebrating the PASSOVER each year offering a lamb.

And here we are 6 days before the passover....WHICH IS THE DAY THAT JESUS WILL DIE ON THE CROSS

And John told us what John the Baptist said in CH1....BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!

And so, yes....what a celebration to have Lazarus who was just raised from the grave....

But what a greater celebration it is to know that the PASSOVER LAMB was actually present at this supper!

The Passover Lamb that....

Would be sacrificed in 6 days!

And His blood would be spread over the door post of hearts for all of eternity....

Allowing all who Believe in Christ to be shown GRACE and MERCY and to be SPARED FROM ETERNAL DEATH as we are delivered from being SLAVES OF SIN!

Jesus makes this supper QUITE EXTRAORDINARY!

And HE IS WHAT MAKES YOUR LIFE EXTRAORDINARY!

And that is something to be celebrated!

Now we move from the supper to the perfume!

II. Through an OFFERING, We see a PERFUME that became Extraordinary. (John 12:3-11)

There is an immediate OFFERING: The PERFUME

This was a sacrificial offering!

John 12:3 “3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”

Spikenard is a fragrant oil from a certain plant in the Himalayas.

From Judas’ response, the oil could have been sold for 300 denarii

Which is around a years worth of wages.....

Comparably to somewhere around 15,000 to 50,000 dollars today!

I mean that needs to be put in perspective here....

I have always read this “Very Costly Oil” as maybe $50 or even a couple hundred dollars......

But Mary just dumped 15,000 to 50,000 dollars on Jesus’ feet!

This was a sacrificial offering....

It was to say to Jesus....you are worth more than anything else in my life!

Not only a sacrificial offering though...

This was a HUMBLE offering!

Mary was not doing this to show others what she was willing to give to Jesus....

It was not to make her look good....

In fact, she would be ridiculed for doing it!

But that was not what it was about for Mary....

It seems as if she was just focused on the feet of Jesus!

just like before in Luke 10....when it says Mary was AT THE FEET OF JESUS listening to what He was saying!

And here....as she poured the oil on Jesus feet.....she takes her hair and wipes His feet!

And a fragrance fills the house!

This was an Offering from one who has been REDEEMED!

We know that Mary was just AT THE FEET OF JESUS....WEEPING....saying LORD IF YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE....HE WOULD HAVE LIVED!

And now she is at his feet again as she anoints them.

HOWEVER....I THINK THERE WAS ANOTHER TIME SHE WAS AT THE FEET OF JESUS...

And now, what I am about to tell you....I do not know for sure...

But I think that this Mary of Bethany was the one AT JESUS FEET in Luke 7.

The woman is unnamed there…and often thought to be the Mary Magdeline

However, it hit me different this time as I read it.....

If you remember, before Lazarus died......John tells us something about Mary.

John 11:1–2 NKJV

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

An so i thought this was John telling us what was coming in ch 12....and could be

But the Greek verbs here are imperfect and aorist which speak of something in the past....

And so I think this Mary is the same Mary from Luke 7....just an earlier account.....and if this is so....how extraordinary this is!

Luke 7:36–50 NKJV

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” 41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

So powerful here!!!

A sinful woman....AT THE FEET OF JESUS.....

Anointing His feet with oil...

Tears falling on His feet as she weeps

Wiping His feet with her hair

And kissing His feet!

This is how this sinful woman addresses Jesus...

With complete desperation and surrender before Him!

And then we come to John 12....who I believe is the same woman...

Falling at the FEET OF JESUS....

Anointing his feet with oil

Once again…wiping His feet with her hair!

Showing.....she is still just as desperate for JESUS!

So there is an immediate Offering here with the perfume....

It was a Sacrificial offering

It was a humble offering

And offering from one that has been redeemed....However

There is a GREATER OFFERING represented here: The Life of Jesus

Judas rebukes Mary for the waste....however, John clarifies Judas’ real intent.

And Jesus responds to Judas.....John 12:7–8 “7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.””

Jesus is revealing that this offering of Mary is really just pointing to the ultimate Offering…the Ultimate Sacrifice!

“This oil has been kept for my burial”....which is just a few days away!

The greater offering is the Life of CHRIST....

Just as the fragrance of the oil filled that room that day......

Ephesians 5:2 “Christ... loved us and gave Himself for us, as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

Christ is the sweet smelling Aroma THAT FILLS THIS ROOM!

Just as the OIL would have been dripping off his feet.....

I think of the BLOOD that would be running down his body and dripping off his feat....

There is a fountain......filled with blood  Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners, plunged..... beneath that flood,    Lose all their guilty stains:   Lose all their guilty stains, ***  Lose all their guilty stains; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,    Lose all their guilty stains.

Jesus makes this offering EXTRAORDINARY!

Invitation:

You see, there is a common denominator here.....When Jesus is there.....IT BECOME EXTRAORDINARY!

And so for you that long for EXTRAORDINARY.....your real LONGING IS JESUS!!!

It really comes down to this.....DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IT!?

Because if you believe it....then there will be CELEBRATION AND OFFERING!

And your life will be filled with EXTRAORDINARY....HIS NAME IS JESUS!

The way you read the bible will become EXTRAORDINARY

The way you pray will become EXTRAORDINARY

The way you live as a husband, a wife, a parent, a child....will become EXTRAORDINARY

It wont because you are trying harder and have figured it out.....

IT WILL BE BECAUSE YOU ARE COMMUNING…ABIDING in CHRIST!

And He is the EXTRAORDINAIRE!

DO YOU BELIEVE.....

There were two people named Marrow and Frank…They were dairy farmers in NC in the Depression Era

And they had four children....

They gathered frequently and regularly—and not just around the dinner table or in front of the radio for favorite broadcasts. They gathered around to listen to Bible stories, to join in family prayers, and to share a sense of the presence of God.

One of the children later wrote....”When [my parents] read the family Bible in our home, they were not simply going through a pious ritual...They accepted that book as the very Word of God, seeking and getting heavenly help to keep the family together. Every time my mother prayed with one of us, and every time my parents prayed for their sons and daughters, they were declaring their dependence on God for the wisdom and strength and courage to stay in control of life, no matter what circumstances might bring. Beyond that, they prayed for their children, that they might come into the kingdom of God.”

In fact, Marrow would drop off her children to VBS.....and then she would go to a separate room and pray for them!

And one day Frank had a near fatal accident....and so hewas reminded of his desperation for Christ.

He began supporting a Christians Buisnessmen group in Charlotte and offered his pasture fro one of their all-day prayer meetings.

It was during this prayer meeting that a man named Vernon Patterson prayed that “out of Charlotte the Lord would raise up someone to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.”

One could look at each of those things being somewhat ordinary....

A family just trying to make it....some family Bible Time....Vacation Bible School.....offering his field for prayer service...

Seems ordinary.....UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND THAT CHRIST WAS THERE!!!

And in that Moment.....this all became EXTRAORDINARY.....

AND THE NEXT DECADE....GOD WOULD ANSER PATTERSON PRAYER as he called out MARROW AND FRANKS OLDEST BOY....WILLIAM FRANLIN “BILLY GRAHAM” to be an evangelist!

And now, you may think Billy’s Ministry was EXTRAORDINARY....but let me tell you....

NO MORE EXTRAORDINARY was it then Marrow praying for Billy during VBS....

No More EXTRAORDINARY than Frank giving his pasture for a prayer event!

SO WHAT IS IT THAT ALLOWS US TO BE APART OF THE EXTRAORDINARY!

It’s JESUS!

BUT DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IT!

Not a pious ritual....THEY BELIEVED THAT THIS IS THE VERY WORD OF GOD!

DO YOU!?