Extravagent Worship
Extravagant Worship
Intro
Worship and the Word are one and the same tonight. I really wanted to talk about something else…prep for SYATP. But I am still constrained by the Lord to address where we are at. I guess we are going to continue on this until I either drive everyone who isn’t madly in love with Jesus away, or we have a breakthrough in this ministry!
Matthew 26:6-12; Mark 14:3-9
John 12:1-8(NKJV) " Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 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. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 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. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”"
Mary the Jesus-lovin’ Rebel
Recorded in three of the four Gospels
Costly Worship
It was the greatest treasure she had to offer. Not a brill crème anointing…it was costly, and so extravagant
1 lb (16 oz.) is $350 today. Back then before processing and modern day commerce the price would have been a fortune. A day’s wages was about 1 denarii… in Mark ch. 14 the disciples estimate they could have sold it for approx. 300 denarii…a year’s wages. For most people that would equal conservatively about 20-30 thousand dollars today.
2 Samuel 24:21-24(NKJV) "Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.” Now Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."
Fragrant Worship
It was very demonstrative. It raised the eyebrows
This act of extravagant worship has been talked about for 2,000 years and counting!
Matthew 26:13(NKJV) "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”"
She broke the container…using it all. She didn’t hold back one ounce of that costly oil. She didn’t subscribe to the theory of “a dab ‘ill do ya!” She didn’t give him the scraps while holding back the best for herself or anyone else. It was total commitment and devotion in worship.
And John says the fragrance of her worship filled the room! So that anyone walking in, could smell the fragrance of worship in that place.
So extravagant Jesus said that she anointed his WHOLE body
Real worship can get messy sometimes…it will disorient you.
People in worship are oblivious! They can be standing there with A big line of snot hanging from their nose and be oblivious to the whole fact. We worry about stuffing a hanky in their hand…Leave them alone!
You don’t know the cost of MY oil! Psalmist “When I think of what He has done for ME…”
Whole body…in his hair, his face, His beard, His clothes. The week of His crucifixion…can you imagine… It clung to Him. His clothes that the soldiers cast lots for
Act of true intimacy.
God is SEEKING such to worship Him
Prophetic Worship
In true worship you will flow in the Holy Spirit so that He is directing your moves and actions to mean more than you think they do.
Mary wanted to worship. God used her worship to give a perfect picture of how worship was supposed to be from the church
It was unseemly for a woman to let down her hair for anyone except her husband.
Undid her hair and wiped His feet. Bible talks about the relationship that the Church is to have with Christ. He is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride. She didn’t know this yet…she was just flowing in the Spirit.
Undid her hair and wiped His feet…placed her glory at His feet. 1 Corinthians 11:15(NKJV) "But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering."
Priority of Worship
The priority of worship – more important for the saints to worship than things like giving to the poor or any other good work.
Judas’ motives aside…most of us would say the same thing
Worship more valuable than offerings to the poor.
Mary came in the room she was looking for One person, not b/f or g/f
Summary
Forerunner
This will be a place of Extravagant worship. We are going to prioritize it in this place.
Those that are hungry, that are seekers of the Living God will find Him here. It is time for a Paradigm Shift in our worship.