It's a Nard life

What is your Nard?

This is the last Sunday before Advent. From next week you can expect to see the Christmas decorations go up around the village and also inside here. We will start to focus our thinking more on the Christmas both the coming of the baby Jesus and the trappings that have become associated with this time of year. We bought our first Christmas presents yesterday.

Who has started their Christmas Shopping?

Any one finished it?

I remember as a child that my mum and dad would start their Christmas shopping early. I say I remember some us memory some I have pieced together from conversations later. They would sometimes start in the January sales.

They would hide away those gifts in the loft, in the back or on top of wardrobes, in a a big cupboard that was in one of the bedrooms. In the shed or the coal house. They would hide them away waiting for the right time:Christmas.

What would invariably happen is that they would forget they had bought something, forget they had hidden a present and that Gift would not be received as a Christmas present.

Some Gifts we have to wait for.

Sometimes the gifts would be discovered mid way through the year, where they would be hidden away again for next year. I vividly remember finding one such gift. A pair of orange toy telephones. They were the old type of telephone, where the piece you hold to your ear sat across the body and on the front, was a dial. Between these two telephones was a really long white wire. This was before, walkie talkies. I even remember the batteries they took, strange rectangular ones with brass strips on the top. - The were really hard to find until I discovered there were - Road work Lantern batteries :-).

Having found them I asked my mum about them and they were whisked off to be given another Christmas - this happened with these telephones more than once.

I longed for these telephones, but I would never ask.

Proverbs 13:12 NIV

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Some of you have a hope that you have in you heart God has not forgotten you hold on to that hope.

When I did eventually get them, it wasn’t at Christmas, they were discovered hidden some where and I asked for them. They were amazing - we strung the wire out my bedroom window and into the neighbours.

So much easier now with mobile phones.

Some Gifts go past their best.

Sometimes my parents would discover presents that were no longer suitable. the toy that was bough and hidden to give to a baby, who was now a toddler. There is a sadness in a gift that never fulfils the potential to to light up the face of the recipient with delight.

We run that danger. Sometimes God gives us a gift for a season. if we miss the season that gift will not impact the way it should.

I want to speak this morning about a gift given to to Jesus. The story can be found in John Chapter 12, this was a gift that most probably like the toy telephones had been hidden away.

Jesus anointed at Bethany

Paraphrase the story.

John 12:1–11 NIV

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 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. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

-1

A valuable gift

The perfume that Mary brought as a gift, was valuable - 300 Dinari worth over a years wages. £28,000 UK average wage 2018.

This was being poured out sacrificially to God

We are each called to gift to others we are called to gift in three ways.

First fruits - honour.

Gift offerings - meeting need

Sacrificial offerings - time

A gift hidden away for a specific time.

you have hear me talk about how my family would hide a gift until the right time.

A gift hidden away for a specific time.

The Nard that was poured over Jesus feet was a gift that was hidden for a specific time. The sheer value of the Nard suggests that this was was something that had been hidden in the family for years with little amounts being used on special occasions and here it was being poured out in full because the time was right. .

This was something that had been hidden in the family for some time with little amounts being used on special occasions and here it was being poured out in full view.

We have talents and offerings that we keep to our selves. Sometimes that is because God is nurturing them, causing us to pause, bide our time until the time is Right.

But we have to be so careful that we do not miss they Kairos moment that moment of God’s timing. Otherwise our gifts become outdated like the the baby toys hidden in the cupboard only to find that the child is all grown up - an opportunity missed.

What is your Nard?

Don’t miss the time?

When Mary poured out the

Volunteers at the dementia Group - Joy in the clients eyes.

Giving as worship

When Mary poured out the perfume it was an act of worship. They had shared a meal, tears, laughter but she wanted to give more

A gift that impacted

When Mary poured out the

Volunteers at the dementia Group - Joy in the clients eyes.

When we give of ourselves and we stop focusing on what it mean to us giving becomes worship.

We move into worship when we stop giving what we have left, stop begrudging the time, stop making our time working for God fit around our social life.

When we pour out the precious things of our life, freely, with out restraint

Out time, our skills, our love, our possession, our relationship. When we pour these out with abundance. That offering smells to God like the sweetest perfume.

When we give in this way it is not so much about what we give, or who we give to, it becomes about worshipping God.

Each of us as we seek to know God more will get to that realisation that we want to give more.

Time

Skills

Commitment

Money

Love

A gift that impacted

When given in sacrificial love, the smallest of gifts can be gifts of Godly impact. I was at the dementia Group this week and it was an interesting time. Clearly some of the group were there taking this as any other activity or service provision in their lives but some of them had a real joy in their eyes, a real gratitude - a something that I believe is because of the love and the commitment and the prayers that the volunteers put it coupled with God’s favour.

Faithful in the little things and the big.

These small acts that we do don’t cost us much, a little time, effort cash. We may not get a reward or even recognition at times but equally we are not facing risk. It is not as if we are going to lose our lives over it.

There is a story of An American missionary who was shot dead with arrows by a tribe he wanted to bring the news of Jesus to on a remote Indian island. The Missionary wrote a letter to his parents asking them not to be 'mad at them or at God' if he was killed. - we don’t have the same fears when we put on coffee for Carols on the Parade.

John Allen Chau, was 26, when he was shot dead with bows and arrows tribesman when he arrived at North Sentinel Island - one of the world's most isolated regions in India's Andaman islands.

Chau wrote to his parents, as well as several journal entries, he penned prior to his death that detail how he was committed to teaching the tribe about Jesus. He wrote

Chau was able to safely return to the boat but made his way back to the island the following day, which is when the fishermen said they later saw the tribe dragging his body away.

Indian officials said they are now working with anthropologists to recover his body.

DailyMail.com has since obtained the letter Chau wrote to his parents, as well as several journal entries, he penned prior to his death that detail how he was committed to teaching the tribe about Jesus.

'You might think I'm crazy in all this but I think it's worth it to declare Jesus to these people,' he wrote in the letter to his parents. 

'Please do not be angry at them or at God if I get killed. 

We tend to think of stories like this as belonging in the past, to the last century maybe but this was last week.

The story is more complex that cover here but his sentiment can not be overlooked he wanted to serve God and he was willing to take the risk and suffer to do so.

That was a dramatic

Over the last week those of us doing the bible course read the story of issac and Abraham. How Abraham took issac to the mountain top to sacrifice him. How God interviened at the last moment to provide a ram to take the boys place. - what a test of commitment, of faithfulness.

Sometime with God it is less about the outcome of our Gifts and more about the obedince.

Holding back from God. - issac and Abraham

Genesis 22:15–18 NIV

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Genesis 22:16–17 NIV

16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,

Sometime with God it is less about the outcome of our Gifts and more about the obedience. Don’t hold back from God.

Time

Skills

Commitment

Money

Luke 16:10 NLT

10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

The overall message of this passage though is not that we will be blessed if we give, though in my experience this does seem to be true but that we have to have a A prime focus on Jesus, on God as we give.

A prime focus on Jesus

We need to look after the poor, the library the needy but we most of all need to follow God and tell of his news. (The poor you will always have with you) and it is right that we tend to these things - BE THE CHURCH But our prime focus must be on worshiping the Lord our God and taking his good news to the world. BE THE CHURCH -

We need to look after the poor, the library the needy but we most of all need to follow God and tell of his news.

That best news isn’t always dramatic. it isn’t always risky.

This video shows the simplicity of giving people the chance of the good news.

Closings

What is your nard - that special sacrifice that you need to bring to God.

Are you being faithful in the small things? in the first fruits, in the sacrifice.

Are you

Are you focusing on Jesus - are you giving of yourself as worship

Are you telling the best news.

Gift offerings

Time

Skills

Commitment

Money

John Allen Chau, 26, was shot dead with arrows last week by tribesman when he arrived at North Sentinel Island - one of the world's most isolated regions in India's Andaman islands that is off-limits to visitors.

He had paid local fishermen to take him there before venturing alone in a kayak to the shore on November 15. Chau was shot by the Sentinelese tribe after arriving on the island, according to a fisherman who helped him get there.

Chau was able to safely return to the boat but made his way back to the island the following day, which is when the fishermen said they later saw the tribe dragging his body away.

Indian officials said they are now working with anthropologists to recover his body.

DailyMail.com has since obtained the letter Chau wrote to his parents, as well as several journal entries, he penned prior to his death that detail how he was committed to teaching the tribe about Jesus.

'You guys might think I'm crazy in all this but I think it's worth it to declare Jesus to these people,' he wrote in the letter to his parents. 

'Please do not be angry at them or at God if I get killed. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6415649/Christian-missionarys-letter-family-killed.html