Yeargin- Breaking Your Box

Breaking Your Box ()

What am I afraid of losing for Jesus Christ?

what am I concerned with paying for Jesus Christ?

Ask what is most precious and yield it, surrender it, even be willing to abandon it for Him and a life that he promises.

Text; What is this box

1) Shunned Ridicule (vs 3-6)

John 11:20 KJV 1900

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

John 11:

John 11:28 KJV 1900

And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

Enemies of breaking your box;

-public embarrassment (vs 3)

John 12:9 KJV 1900

Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

-outside of her comfort zone (John 11:20)

text: Mary was a private person and very devoted but very introverted

John 11:20 KJV 1900

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

John 11:28 KJV 1900

And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

-fear of failure; what if I do it the wrong way

-Her sister Martha could organize, and plan, and prepare and administrate, and serve and cook

-Her sister Martha confronted Jesus and dialogued with him, she gave him advise when he told them to roll away the stone; she was bold and confident; whereas we see Mary with all the comforters around her in ; we see Mary not able to dialogue but so overcome with emotion that she simple throws herself at the feet of Jesus; she apparently lacked the other gifts or skills her sister possessed but that did not stop her from courageously doing what God had given her and what she did have she gave with all her courage.

-fear of the unknown-

-I have never anointed someone before, no one has ever used all of this type of ointment on one person before

-discouraged from within

-discouraged from without;

The Lord said this

Mark 14:8 KJV 1900

She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

Mark

-The Lord knows the ability you have before you do

-The Lord placed it in her heart and head as part of his plan

-fear of the unknown-

-outside of her comfort zone

-I have never anointed someone before, no one has ever used all of this type of ointment on one person before

-discouraged from within

Mark 14:8 KJV 1900

She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

-discouraged from without;

How?

Enter into his presence

Psalm 100:4 KJV 1900

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

thanksgiving involves what God has done and how we have benefitted

Praise takes us out of the equation completely and is all about who He is

-we are not looking at our self

-we are not looking at others

-we are looking directly at Him and who he is

Mark 14:8 KJV 1900

She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

To Break the Box she shunned ridicule

To Break the Box she

2) Sacrificed without Reserve (vs 3-6)

She broke the box (vs 3)

-Could never be used again or for anyone else

She used her hair

John 12:3 KJV 1900

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

-It would have been enough to devote a year’s or year and a half worth of income; but then to make sure they knew his worth; she washed his feet with her hair

-she undid her hair- a Jewish no no, she brought the basin of water; and people began thinking no doubt; where is the towel, what is she doing then in amazement they saw her take her long black hair; neatly un-braided it and dip it in the water and tenderly wash the dirt and the filth of the feet of Jesus with it.

-What have I done to personally invest in Jesus, what have I done that to the world would send a shock wave, that even other disciples could not understand; that shows Jesus you have all of me, there is nothing to precious, there is nothing to personal, there is nothing off limits, there is nothing too low for me, there is nothing to painful for me, there is nothing beneath me, there is nothing to embarrassing for me. God you are WORTHY!!!

To Break the Box she shunned ridicule

To Break the Box she sacrificed without reserve

Then lastly to break the box she ..

3) Saw the Reward (vs 6-9)

enemies of seeing the true reward

-thinking power and control exist without a breaking and yielding to Christ

The chief priests, scribes and pharisees saw what they had to lose if Jesus was their messiah- (vs 1-2)

their power and control over the people, their position as the authority; they loved the high places, they loved the praise of men

Even among the chief rulers many believed on him; but because of the pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the Synagogue

John 12:42–43 KJV 1900

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Do I see the reward of the praise of God? Or do I see breaking the box as losing the praise of man?

Judas saw what he had to lose if Jesus was his Messiah- material wealth

Judas saw the loss of material wealth and prosperity and called what Mary did a waste;

enemy of seeing the reward

thinking wealth and prosperity exist without a breaking and yielding to Christ

Judas saw Jesus Christ being his Messiah as losing his material wealth; when he could not make money off of the ointment he went and made money off of the betrayal

Mark 14:10 KJV 1900

And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

Mark

John 12:6 KJV 1900

This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

1 Timothy 6:9–11 KJV 1900

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Do I see the costly price of serving Christ or the rich reward

Sometimes the day seems long,

Our trials hard to bear.

We´re tempted to complain,

to murmur and despair.

But Christ will soon appear

to catch his bride away!

All tears forever over

in God’s eternal day!

It will be worth it all

when we see Jesus!

Life’s trials will seem so small

when we see Christ.

One glimpse of his dear face,

all sorrow will erase.

So, bravely run the race

till we see Christ.

What am I afraid of losing for Jesus Christ?

what am I concerned with paying for Jesus Christ?

if there is anything that Mary teaches us it is come and break your box; take what is most precious and yield it, surrender it, even be willing to abandon it for Him and a life that he promises.

Can I tell you this from personal experience; taking what is most precious to you and laying it on the altar and saying this is no longer mine; this is all for you; what do you want with it; and pouring it all out so there is no going back is freedom, is true joy, to fully abandon what this world and even your own flesh calls the most expensive, the highest value, the greatest experience and give it all to Jesus; there is nothing like it.

Can we hit the rewind button on Mary’s life for a moment

a few months before Mary stood there her once lively brother Lazarus cold and on the table in front of her; she took this box out; and weeping she took drop and drop out and anointed her dead brother’s body. She thought about how she loved him, how he had been there for her, his smile, his laugh. His strong faith in Christ and how he befriend the Lord and introduced him to her.

Then after the men came and placed his body in the tomb she carried back the heavy alabaster box a little lighter now, and thought; who is next, my brother, now will it be my sister, will it be me? She placed the box carefully into a hidden spot in her house, and secured the door to it’s safe location. She thought about that box; how she had saved years for it, how she worked and labored and finally had enough to obtain it. She then thought as many of us thought; what good is all this money, what good is all this resource; without my brother. How vain and fleeting these temporal things.

Then she like many of the others began the Jewish tradition of mourning and put on her sackcloth and began the ritual crying out to God no doubt going to the Psalms and prayer.

Then as she sat thinking Martha burst into the door. Mary I need to talk to you, They quickly excused themselves from the other mourners, Mary Jesus is here! What? Yes Jesus has come to visit us? OH Martha, if only he had been here when Lazarus was sick. Mary I know, I know; I spoke to Him. What? Yes and He is calling for you, he wants you to meet him by the grave.

Weeks turned into months since that day, sorrow into joy, the house filled again with Lazarus’s strong laugh, his conversations with the Lord and with the children. His presence was almost impossible to imagine but there he was back at home.

Then one day Jesus began teaching as the men sat near him, and Mary came close to Him, saying I am going to be delivered to the chief priests to be condemned and put to death. They are going to scourge me, and spit on me, they are going to kill me. And on the third day I will rise again.

Then a strange thing happened one day cleaning Mary came across her alabaster box, and God began dealing with her. If the Lord is going to be killed, then he must be buried. Would I be willing to use my box to serve him. She thought on it, lying awake at night. Then she was told; Martha had planned the whole event; Jesus was to come over for his meal before entering Jerusalem. Was this what the Lord had talked about? Surely entering into Jerusalem where his enemies were was not safe, the Lord could only be planning one thing his death.

She was awake all night, she couldn't sleep. Tears running down her face, sobs and prayers running together. Then she felt a peace and remembered the Lord’s words.

John 12:24 KJV 1900

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

She thought Lord if you need to die to bear fruit I understand. After all you raised Lazarus; what is to say you will not also raise from the dead and bring fruit through this. Then it struck her, the alabaster box, she could play a small part, she would use it, not just a little but she would give it all and break it for him, in faith knowing that just as she used it on Lazarus and God raised him, she would use it one last time on Jesus… and one day also see him again.

My friend break the box now

One day we will see Christ again