Celebrating Women of Service

Now's, when we share our Joys and concerns. I got a text from Jana this morning asking for prayer. Jana has not been feeling well for the last several weeks and she finally went to the doctor this week and found out. She has pneumonia. So continue to keep her in your prayers. As she said, you know, she's restricted in what her activity is supposed to be and she's afraid that she starts feeling better, she might do more than she needs to be doing, so that she will have patience there with that and doing what she needs to do. So continue to pray for her as she's struggling with that.

Are there any other Joys or concerns that anyone would like to share?

Happy Mother's Day to all of your mother's, you know, that is a great joy to celebrate your mother and it concern if you forgot to do that. So

We are thankful for our mothers and all that they do for us.

Any other Joys and concerns. Let's not, let's go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, as we come to you today, Lord, to dig into your word. Lord, we want to take time to pause and think mothers. Thank you for the mothers you blessed us with Lord. Thank you for all the women who have had an impact in our lives. Lord, I pray that you will bless them for their efforts for their service and Lord a we especially want to lift Jana up to you as she is not feeling well, Lord, we pray that you will give her the patients. She needs to rest Lord and just heal her body. And Lord, we thank you so much for the blessings. You give all of us and Lord, I pray today. That is we celebrate Mother's that. We will truly do. So with a grateful and thankful heart, we pray this all in your most, holy name, Amen.

Yes, I was trying to think about what to share on Mother's Day. I thought about, you know, the women of this church have always done a great job of setting, the example of what it means to serve. Not just their own families but our church, the community. And that's why I want to take some time today to talk about that and to celebrate women of service and what they do and what that means from a Biblical perspective, In the scripture I want to use to do that is in John, chapter 12. Verses 1 through 3 is where we'll start out. It says, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus lived whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Hear a dinner was given in Jesus's honor. Martha served while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him, then Mary took out a pint of pure nard and expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus's feet and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

You know, as we dive into this, it's important to kind of point out some of the context of what's going on here. You know, the first thing we noticed is that John pretty clearly points out that You know, it's 6 days before the Passover and we know that that means this is the week before Jesus is crucified before all of those events that were so familiar with take place. and the timelines important that we know that, but we also know that, you know, here's Jesus returning to Bethany, where he had been when he performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, four days, after he had passed away,

So scripture says that, do you know if they're they're celebrating, you know? Basically Jesus our Lazarus sisters had invited Jesus to come back so they can have a meal celebrating what he had done. You're basically, I think they're trying to think of a way to thank him for raising their brother from the dead. But what do you do for someone who's done that for you? It's hard to know what to do. So as women of service their thing, they thought of his we can make him a meal. So that's what they did. They invited him to come back and have this meal in honor of him.

And then during that meal, this action takes place where Mary anoints Jesus with this expensive fragrance perfume.

You know, I thought about that I thought you know to all of us the idea of washing our guests feet when they come over for dinner, probably sounds a little strange. You know, if you invited someone over for dinner this next week and when they got there, you told him take their shoes off, they might think. Okay. But then as you take their socks off and wash their feet they might start to get a little weirded out by where things are going. It's just not our tradition we have, but in their day and age it was an act of hospitality. It's what you did. Everyone wore sandals. They walked on dusty road. So their feet would often be dirty from traveling that way. So usually the Servants of the household would wash the guest feet as they arrived as a way of welcoming them into their home.

So that is not all that uncommon, but what Mary does is in the fact that she doesn't during the middle of a meal, number one, but number two that she uses this extremely expensive perfume to do it.

You know, and I think though that is one of the things that's so beautiful about this passage of scripture that she uses something that was very fragrant, you know, when you pour out something as strong as they say nard was in a room, it doesn't just stay there. It kind of fills the entire space with the smell.

you know, it was so strong that it has a lasting scent and odor, that kind of lingers long after

you know, I thought about that it's kind of like walking down the hallway in the middle school after gym class when The boys have hit the deodorant a little too hard maybe and that's all you can smell your eyes, almost burn with the smell. We've all smelled that for someone who has very strong cologne or perfume or maybe it's an odor on the opposite end of the spectrum that you wish you could have Lloyd, but it just fills the room. And that's what this type of fragrance was it was very strong, very powerful.

now, bring that up to say that, you know, this fragrant perfume, she had had a long and lasting impact.

But Jesus goes on to tell us that it's not the perfume that she use, that will have that long and lasting impact. It's that act of service and love that she was showing him by doing this.

yeah, she didn't care about what anyone thought as she did this because You know. People thought it was strange is it's happening, they didn't understand what she was doing or why she was doing it. but yet, she Did this extremely generous thing and she not only lowered herself to the position of a servant or slave to perform this act of washing his feet. But she dried it with her hair. You're that alone is extremely humble because for a Jewish woman, they never let down their hair in public around other people, but yet she did it and she used her own hair to wash and dry his feet. You know, that's something we see about great acts of service that great acts of service are always done with a great amount of intentionality.

You know, every little part of them is filled with meaning and if you read, many of the stories of Jesus, and as we worked through the book of Acts, many of the things we saw him do, we're very intentional. The words he spoke were very intentional, but so were his actions. If we recall a little bit more about the Story of Lazarus, Jesus, his actions were very intentional there to write cuz if we're call, he received notification that Lazarus was ill. But yet, what did he do? Did he immediately rushed to his friend to heal him know? He waited a couple days before he traveled there? Knowing that if he waited his friend was going to pass away, but he did that intentionally because he knew it was time that God wanted him to reveal his power. To the public. So, Jesus intentionally waited, till he knew, his friend had passed away and then travelled there, so that he could perform the miracle of raising him from the debt. So, it was very intentional. Like I said, all great acts of service are very intentional in the way that they're done. I'm sure all of us can think about people that we've met our people that we know that have served us or helped us in such a significant way, that we will remember them forever because of what they did and how they did it.

And that's something important for us to remember, you know, people who are willing to go that extra mile. People who are willing to Humble themselves just like Mary did to serve others. And that should be an important reminder to all of us that the way we live our life for Jesus and for others matters, it can have a lasting impact, it can be that fragrant offering to God, it will be remembered for a long long time. now, if we can continue on In this passage in John, We'll see how Mary's actions weren't without a cost to her. John chapter 12 Verses 4 through 8. But one of his disciples Judas Iscariot who was later to betray him objected. Why wasn't this perfume sold in the money given to the poor? Its it was worth a Year's wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief as Keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. Leave her alone. Jesus replied. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.

you're right away, we see how Judas was confused and disturbed by What Mary was doing, you know, that she would pour out an entire jar of this expensive and rare perfume on Jesus's feet. During a meal and then dry it with her hair. I mean, what was she doing? Yeah, he argued that this perfume was so expensive. They could have sold that jar for a Year's worth of wages.

Then you know he tries to make that sound better and saying, hello. And we could have given that money to the poor even though that wasn't his intention.

But I think all of us can understand probably why he was shocked that something this expensive was used in this way. I mean if we saw a similar thing happen we would be shocked as well. Why are they spending this sort of money on this thing? We wouldn't understand it.

You know, so it's easy to see why he would point it out. Cuz I think most people would have initially saw this as a waste of why is she washing his dirty feet with this expensive oil?

But you know, Mary's gift was much more than that. Because Mary was not just annoying him with this expensive perfume, she was honoring him. And she wasn't worried about what it cost, her financially or being publicly humiliated or thought less of or ridiculed because of what she was doing. I mean, she was simply doing this loving active Service as a way of worshipping her Lord.

And you know, a life of service often isn't just filled with wonders and miracles. Love people in the extreme manner. That Mary was here is often a very costly thing.

You know, we know this from many stories that we've read throughout the gospel. We know this from our own life experience that.

sometimes you do things for love that. Don't totally make sense to people at the time. But later they do they have this lasting impact in mean, the greatest example of this story is Jesus dying for the sins of the world on the cross. We understand that much better because we have the whole story laid out in front of us, but can you imagine as those events were happening in real time, people didn't understand. Why would he be willing to do this? You know that still is often the hardest thing for people to wrap their mind around is why would the king of the universe, the creator of everything be willing to Humble himself, To death on a cross punishment. That was usually reserved for only the worst and nasty as criminals out there. But yet he willingly sacrificed himself in that way.

Because he loved us so much.

so for us, you know, as we think of those in Our Lives who have humbled themselves and served us so well, you know, we need to realize that the best way we can honor them is to serve others in that same way. But to live a life humbly, at the feet of Jesus will cost us. We need to understand that. You know, it may cost us friends that may cost us Comfort time or even money. Your following Jesus is never a smooth and easy pass without bumps along the way. But as we've said week after week, you know, living a life for Jesus is always worth it. No matter the cost.

Ephesians chapter 5 verses 1 and 2. The Raid follow God's example. Therefore as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

You have those passages in a Visions? Five is a call to action to love others, as Christ loved us.

1st John 4:19 kind of says it another way of we love because he first loved us.

Your God, sent his one and only son to Earth for each one of us.

He led a life of ministry Miracles and those things are what he's most known for but they were all motivated by love.

Yohe worship God through these acts of service that he did to other through the, the love that he did through the ministry that he conducted.

And hopefully, all of us have experienced that love and one way or another. By someone who has been willing to make sacrifices for us. Probably not on the level of Jesus, sacrifice of dying on the cross for us, but it's because he loved so deeply that we can experience that. And that's something we learned from, Mary. She understood that?

She had been listening to what Jesus had been saying, she had picked up on what was about to happen.

she knew that his death was coming, and she wanted to make sure But that was celebrated.

Like I said, it's because of his life and death. The example, he said that we get to serve others. And that is a gift and a life of service is one of the greatest acts of worship that we can have as we serve others in sacrifice. We have to realize that that has the power to really change people's lives. In ways that we may never see.

You know a life Walking With Jesus will always be worth it no matter what the cost are.

And today, you know, is we think about mothers. We have to understand that the life of a mother is filled with sacrifice. You know, faithful mother lives sacrificial life of service. She gives up a lot. you know, she gives up Her own body with the sacrifice. She goes through of carrying the baby for the entire time and doing that. She gives up her own personal physical space, because after you have children, you no longer have personal physical space, they are always in it or wanting to be in it and one way or another. So that is given up a mother gives up her time. Her mental capacity as she is overwhelmed some days with everybody's needs, everybody's questions, everybody's demands. But she does it. Sometimes a mother has to sacrifice her own plans and dreams so that she can support her children in achieving their plans and dreams or simply spending the time. She needs to as a mother raising them

You know, we often Overlook these things because we think well, that's just what mothers do, that's what they're supposed to do, right? Yes, it is. But we need to acknowledge the sacrifice. That's there. We need to acknowledge that being a mother. Cost them something. It's never free. Motherhood takes and takes. But the joy of purpose that a mother finds and her children is often her reward, that's what makes her sacrifices worth it.

So, as we celebrate Mother's today, I think want to celebrate all women of service women who serve their families, who serve their Community, who serves their church and many, many selfless ways. And as we celebrate Mother's, I realize that comes with a whole lot of other. Baggage a lot of times too cuz for some of us were grieving a mother, we may have lost four others where

Celebrating our mother who may be facing an illness or a challenger, Maybe. we don't have the relationship, we wish we had with her mother so it's hard for us when days like this come up and we have to celebrate Whatever your circumstances might be, I pray that today we will be able to honor the women that have had a significant impact in our lives. Yeah, I realize for some that may not even be your biological mother. It maybe some other woman in your life that has had a significant impact for some reason. But we need to celebrate them, we need to let them know that they're appreciated, let them know that today. They are honored. and I hope that as we honor them, it helps us to see them and to see their sacrifice in a different light knowing that when we want to honor them the best way we can do it is when we see opportunities to serve others that we do those things. With them in mind knowing that we're doing it because that is the Legacy that they want to leave. That week willingly, serve others.

You're much as the scripture said that we love others because they first loved us. You know part of the reason we have the capacity to love others to is because our mother's first love. and my prayer is that is we learn from these women of service, as we show our gratitude that Like I said, we will be able to serve others in a capacity that leaves a fragrance that lingers with people that they will. Since that love and that the impact of that. Will go on for a long, long time. After. We are done. And, you know, the site thought about that and thought about communion today, you know, as they were gathered together there and the upper room, having the Last Supper, you know, they were preparing to celebrate the Passover meal together. And, you know, the whole idea of the Passover meal was, it was celebrating God's provision for the Jewish people.

You know, the bread celebrated, you know God providing for the Jewish people's needs as they were out in the wilderness. Traveling that the man of God provided, you know, literally bread from heaven was there to provide for them.

But Jesus tells us that he is now that bread of life. And if you remember the whole Passover thing was, when the spirit passed over the people as that last plague, they're in Egypt, and in order to protect themselves, they had the spread Blood on the doorpost of their home. The wine represented that as they celebrated that meal, but Jesus comes to tell them that know he is now the new wine, the New Covenant that is coming. because now from this point on, they don't have to continue through their old rituals of sacrificing animals to be able to offer them as a way of atoning for their sin because what Jesus is about to do, When he dies on the cross. settles that for everyone once and for all

really the ultimate Act of service that ever happened. So, as we come to the communion table this morning, I want us to not just be thanking God for how we are all saved by what he did on the cross. But also to be thanking the lord for the women in our lives that have blessed us and served us so well. So if I can get Julie to come for,