Being A Person of Extravagant Devotion (Luke 10)

I. God’s first priority: to love God with all our heart

37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.” (Mt. 22:37-38)

A. The Holy Spirit is restoring the first commandment to first place in the Church worldwide. We must consciously cultivate the ability to be responsive to God with wholehearted love. This commandment is first in priority and great in impact.

B. Loving God with all of our heart is the first commandment because it is the first priority to God and to the prophetic Church. God sees this as the supreme and highest response that anyone can attain to. Loving God is a glorious end in itself. Jesus did not call it the first option but the first commandment. The Church must have a revelation of the supremacy of the first commandment.

C. Loving God with all of our heart is the great commandment because it is great in impact. Loving God always has a great impact on our heart in that it leads us to love ourselves and to loving others. We will love ourselves and others much better as we grow in our wholehearted love for God. It is a dynamic means to an end.

D. Wholehearted love for God is unquestionably the first, highest and greatest lifestyle.

E. There is a false argument between loving God and loving people. Many love and serve others in spurts that may last 3-5 years but they do not sustain this focus. Service without the foundation of extravagant devotion leads to burn out, disappointment, and wounding. Thus, the service is not sustained over decades.

F. The Church of Ephesus was one of the great revival centers in the early Church (Acts 19-20). Yet, they lost the freshness of their love for Jesus. They became workers for God more than lovers of God. Lovers will always out work the workers.

1 To the…church of Ephesus write, 2 "I know your works…3 you have persevered and have…labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent…or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand... (Rev. 2:1-5)

G. Cultivating a responsive heart of extravagant devotion to Jesus takes time and effort. It is something that we must do deliberately. Love does not automatically grow. Rather it automatically diminishes unless, we intentionally cultivate a responsive heart to God.

H. The Scripture calls us to renew our hearts to that which we know. It is common to lose our freshness in our love relationship with Jesus.

1 I write to you this second epistle…I stir up your minds by way of reminder… (2 Pet. 3:1)

I. Do you remember the spiritual romance when you first heard the call to extravagant devotion? The Lord wants that freshness to return to us. This requires cultivating a present tense heart responsiveness of love to God. Do not allow any substitute for the real thing. We must not allow our experience to be reduced to just language about being extravagantly devoted.

J. The satan’s first priority against the Church is to lead us astray from cultivating the ability to be responsive to God with wholehearted love and extravagant devotion. If Satan leads us astray from the purity of devotion to Jesus then our service and love for others will eventually fail.

3 I am afraid, lest as the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. (2 Cor 11:3, NAS)

K. The Scripture validates the wisdom of a lifestyle of sustained focus on cultivating devotion to God. God esteems, remembers and rewards this, although the world calls it weak and foolish.

27 God has chosen the (so called) foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and…the (so called) weak things of the world to put to shame the… mighty… (1 Cor. 1:27)

L. We have many noble options for our career, ministries, recreation, entertainment, and hobbies, etc. Some suffer from “option fatigue,” in that they continually change directions and never have confidence in their decisions.

M. In our pursuit of relevance, some regularly change directions in ministry without sustaining a biblical direction. We must not get our ministry focus from the latest trends in the Body of Christ. God’s Word is a reliable light of revelation in a dark world. We are left never guessing as to what God delights in. We do not need to be in confusion, lack of clarity or anxiety about this.

7 The testimony (Word)of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the commandment (Word) of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. (Ps. 19:7-9)

N. People of extravagant devotion ask the Lord the right question. We must ask, “What is the most that God will enable me to give to Him?” We desire to go beyond the minimum requirement of salvation. We do not ask, “What is the minimum that is required? What can I get by with?”

9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. (2 Chr. 16:9)

II. The extravagant devotion of Maryof Bethany: filled with the word

38 A certain woman named Marthawelcomed Him (Jesus)into her house. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." 41 Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled (bothered; NAS) about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." (Lk. 10:38-42)

A. The Holy Spirit emphasized that Marysat at Jesus’ feet to hear His Word (Lk. 10:39). As we feed on the Word, we stay fresh in our relationship with God and fruitful in our ministries.

B. The Word creates a living active dialogue with God in our hearts. We pray-read the Word or we converse with Jesus as we read through its pages. We thank Him for certain truths as we ask Him to reveal them more. We commit to obey other truths as we ask Him for help to fully obey them.

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit… (Heb. 4:12)

C. If we have regular times in the Word, then we will be able to meditate on the Word through the day as our hands are occupied with service. Brother Lawrence’s book, Practicing the presence of God, describes a man’s heart preoccupied with God as his hands were occupied with service.

1 Blessed is the man...2 (whose) delight is in the law (Word) of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit…, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (Ps. 1:1-3)

D. There are three components necessary for the power of the Word to live in us. First, we use our choice to pursue God with a spirit of obedience, faith and loving devotion. Second, we feed our heart continually on the Word (implant it in our heart) through mediation. Third, we need the activity of the Spirit to turn meditation into living revelation (turn water into wine, Jn. 2) to save or deliver us from sinful desires. We must fellowship with the Holy Spirit by talking to Him. Summary of the three components: we must obey God, feed on the Word and talk to the Spirit.

21 Lay aside all filthiness…and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save (supernaturally deliver) your souls. (Jas 1:21)

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…ask…and it shall done. (Jn. 15:7)

E. Martha was distracted with much serving (v. 40). We are called by God in the Scripture to serve much and to help to meet humanitarian needs in a practical way. Martha appealed to this legitimate call to meet humanitarian needs by serving in the kitchen. Jesus did not correct Martha for serving but for serving with a wrong spirit.

F. Many live distracted by their serving, or the amount of their playing or just by being disorganized in their time management. Being distracted is not what is penalized, but staying distracted is after the Lord confronts us with it.

G. Jesus said to Martha that Mary did the one thing needed (v. 42). In other words, Mary took serious the call to cultivate the ability to respond to God in love with extravagant devotion. This is the one thing needed or the only non-negotiable thing. Why? When this is in place then we have the discernment and resolve to sustain love and obedience in all the other issues of our life and ministry. If this issue is not in place, then all our other decisions will be jaded as our judgment will be clouded. As we sit at the feet of Jesus then we are in the place to receive God’s help that is indispensable to the other issues of our lives being in their proper place.

H. Mary has chosen that good part (v. 42). We must choose this, no one can choose it for us. Jesus Himself settles the issue of how important this is by calling this posture of heart the one thing needed and the good (wise and effective) path for our life. All in the Church can debate whether we should or should not live this way, however, Jesus settled it with heaven’s wisdom.

I. Jesus prophesied that this good part would not be taken away from Mary (v. 42). This good way was sustained throughout her entire life. It is rare for one to sustain this focus for a life time.

J. Sustaining a fresh walk with God through decades is the definition of living radically before God. We are not radical because we do something unusual for a few weeks or months. David and Daniel sustained their passion for God for decades. This takes the supernatural power of God.

4 One thing I have desired…that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD… (Ps. 27:4)

21 Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus (605-539 BC or 66 years). (Dan. 1:21)

10 Daniel…knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. (605-539 BC or 66 years)(Dan. 6:10)

K. Mary is described three times in Scripture. Each time the Holy Spirit highlights her as sitting at the feet of Jesus(Lk. 10:39; Jn. 11:32; 12:3). Mary was a young single woman who was not mentioned in the Book of Acts or in Church history. She had not known public ministry, yet she was known in the courts of heaven though unknown in the courts of men during her lifetime.

32 Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet… (Jn. 11:32)

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. (Jn. 12:3)

III. The extravagant devotion of Maryof Bethany: wasting her life

3 Being in Bethany at the house of Simon…as He sat at the table, a woman (Mary of Bethany; Jn. 12:3) came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard (perfume). She broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 Some (apostles) were indignant…and said, "Why was this…oil wasted? 5 It might have been sold for…300 denarii (a year’s wages) and given to the poor." They (apostles) criticized her sharply. 6 Jesus said, "Let her alone…She has done a good work for Me…9 Wherever this gospel is preached…what this woman has done will be told as a memorial to her." (Mk. 14:3-9)

A. The apostles appealed to serving the poor as their reason to criticize Mary’s extravagance. They appealed to a scriptural mandate to serve the practical humanitarian needs of the poor.

B. Jesus vindicated Mary (v. 6). Jesus will vindicate the lifestyle that cultivates a heart that is responsive to God in love. Mary’s act of devotion is remembered through all history. Principle: unusual acts of devotion come from cultivating a spirit of radical devotion as a lifestyle.