Your worship should cost you something!
[0:00] If we're there, are we ready? Mark 14, starting with verse 3. And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, that's Jesus, a woman came having an alabaster flask, a very costly oil, a spikenard.
[0:21] Then she broke the flask and poured it on his head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves and said, why was this fragrant oil wasted?
[0:36] For it might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor. And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, let her alone.
[0:49] Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me. For you have the poor with you always. And whenever you wish, you may do them good. But me, you do not have always.
[1:03] She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, whenever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.
[1:22] John 12, starting at verse 1. Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, who he had raised from the dead.
[1:40] 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, a spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair.
[2:00] 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 300 denarii and given to the poor?
[2:21] This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. Be careful, people who try to steal your worship.
[2:35] And had the money box. And he used to take what was put in it. He used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, Let her alone. She hath kept this for the day of my burial.
[2:48] For the poor you have with you always. But me do not always have. The title for today, this message, is Expensive Worship.
[3:03] Expensive Worship. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you, God. You have given me this word. You knew who would be here and who needs to hear this. So, God, I offer myself to you.
[3:16] To do what you want to do with me. And at the end, you will be glorified. It's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
[3:28] Amen. Expensive Worship. God laid this on my heart, I believe for a reason, because of what we've seen this morning that was demonstrated.
[3:41] And we heard that a lot of us are overwhelmed. And life has done a number on us. And there's so many things that's going on that we just feel like it's just too much.
[3:53] But the Lord sent me to say that as believers, I don't think we understand the power of our worship. How our worship is critical for our lives.
[4:06] That it's more than just music or genre, but it's the way we live, the way we serve God. Your worship is valuable. The scripture says it like this in 2 Corinthians 4.
[4:21] It says that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. That on the inside of you is something that is special. Something that is valuable.
[4:33] Something that the Lord seeks after. He mentions it when Jesus met the woman at the well. And she was talking about some theology of we worship here and you worship there.
[4:48] And Christ had to stop her and say, the time is coming and it's now. That God is seeking true worshipers. And he's looking for those who worship him in spirit and in truth.
[5:03] It says, for he seeketh such. That this is the thing that God is looking for. He is looking in the earth for his worship. For the things that he created.
[5:15] To give back to him what he has given them. Which is worship. The thing about worship is, is your worship is a way that you show God that you love him.
[5:28] That you recognize him as your creator. And that you're grateful for the things he has done. It's a key part of your relationship. And it can be expressed in many ways.
[5:44] Bow down. In the way that you treat people. The way that you obey God's commands. Serving others.
[5:56] Giving honor to him. It's your worship. And true worship may be felt inwardly, but it's expressed outwardly. That what's going on on the inside.
[6:11] Has to come out. And it comes out in the form of your worship. And what God wants is that we don't worship. Out of obligation.
[6:23] But out of adoration. That I'm not worshiping him because I'm obligated to. I worship him because I love him. It's my adoration that drives me to worship him.
[6:38] See one of the definitions for adoration is worship. Deep love and respect. But your worship. Although it's what God seeks.
[6:51] It also is a benefit for you. It's not just one way. God allows what you give him to come back and bless you.
[7:04] See worship is your warfare. Worship can confuse your enemy. See this morning you don't understand out of all the hell that Satan tried to put on you and you came to the altar and you still worship in spite of.
[7:24] That is warfare. It confuses the enemy. Your worship is transformational. Your worship will change you.
[7:38] See Romans 12 said I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice that's holy and acceptable. Which is your reasonable service.
[7:53] But that word can also mean your reasonable act of worship. Serve and worship is the same thing according to the Bible.
[8:06] Worship puts you in the presence of God. Your worship is your access. Worship will cause something to break.
[8:20] And in the breaking comes the blessing. I'm starting slow for a reason. It's going to open up here in a minute. Oh my God.
[8:31] Your worship can open the door for prophecy and healing. Your worship can open the door to your repentance. Your worship can set the atmosphere.
[8:48] Your worship is so vital that the enemy wants it. See, see, that was the reason Satan got kicked out of heaven. He was the covering cherub.
[9:00] He knew what the worship of God looked like. And he said, I want that. So he tried to position himself above God and got him kicked out. Not only that, when Satan met Jesus in the wilderness, one of the ways he tried to tempt him is he said, all of this, he took him on an exceedingly high mountain and he said, you see all of this?
[9:23] All of this I will give to you if you just bow down and worship me. Satan wanted to steal the worship. And Christ came back.
[9:36] For he said, it is written, worship the Lord your God and serve him only. It's your worship.
[9:47] It's your worship. He wanted the worship that belonged to God. And he tried to get him in the wilderness when he was weak. Be careful of what you do in your worship when you're weak.
[10:06] Don't lose your worship in the wilderness. Christ was in the wilderness. He was weak. He's been fasting for 40 days. He was hungry.
[10:18] And that was the time when the enemy decided to show up and tried to steal his worship. If anyone is feeling weak, at this time. This is not the time for you to put your guard down.
[10:33] To be distracted. Because this is the time where the enemy would try to steal. He would try to steal your worship. Your worship is too vital.
[10:48] It's too important. Your worship is the reason that God set you free. Okay. Exodus 8 and 1.
[11:00] You can write it down. You don't necessarily have to go there. But I want you to see this. The children of Israel who were in Egypt and Moses went to Pharaoh and said, God said, let my people go.
[11:13] But he gave a reason. Exodus 8. It says, then the Lord said to Moses, go to Pharaoh and say to him, this is what the Lord says.
[11:24] Let my people go so that they may worship me. That your release is for you to worship. And the question is, why should God release you if you refuse to worship?
[11:39] Why should God do what he does to release you if you won't release the worship he put in you?
[11:52] Hmm. You got to release that worship. It's what God is seeking. And so you got to understand the value of it.
[12:06] And I love because you see demonstrations in scripture and one that comes to mind is in Matthew 2 when the wise men are seeking Jesus. And they come far off from the east.
[12:21] And they're looking. They said, we're looking for him so we can worship him. But when they finally find the baby boy Jesus, it said when they seen him, they could do nothing but fall and bow.
[12:37] And it said, after they bowed, they worshiped him and then they opened their treasures. They presented something to Jesus.
[12:49] That you have something so valuable in you that it is worth sharing. You might not think much of yourself. But what God sees is something different.
[13:03] He sees, he sees his worship in you. He sees his prized possession. He sees his creation. And he said, man, if you can ever get in your mind to bring your worship here to me.
[13:21] See, this is why this scripture God gave me the two accounts, really, there's four that shows up in scripture about alabaster jars and about anointing.
[13:33] It's in every gospel. The ones I shared this morning came from Mark and John. Some of the accounts gave a name and others did not.
[13:48] John puts a name to it. He says, it was Mary who was in Bethany which would make sense that she would do what she did. When you see Mary, she was always at the feet of Jesus.
[14:03] Worshipping and listening and learning and gleaning and she had a close relationship with him. But she also had an encounter with him. See, her brother had been sick and died.
[14:16] And Jesus came to Bethany and raised him from the dead. And so, she firsthand experienced resurrection. And with her experiencing resurrection, it brought out a worship.
[14:33] If you have ever experienced resurrection in your life, the resurrection should bring a worship. Some of us were dead in our sin.
[14:45] some of us you didn't, you had no thought of God. You ran from him. You did what you thought was best for you and it was killing you.
[14:56] And some of us died. But then you met the, you met the resurrection. And the resurrection called your name and brought you back to life.
[15:09] And if you ever experienced the resurrection, you should have some worship in you. oh God, can I hear the worship of some people that have been resurrected?
[15:21] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo, hallelujah, the resurrection. And because she experienced resurrection, when she knew that Jesus was sitting there, she couldn't hold herself, she couldn't contain herself, she had to bring her worship to the one that brought life back to her.
[15:48] She couldn't help it. It was intentional worship. She brought it and put it at his feet.
[16:01] Oh my God, the worship, she experienced that. See, in other instances, it could be a Mary Magdalene who the Bible describes had been let go from seven demons.
[16:17] demons. She was a sinful woman. Most of the time, if you see a sinful woman, it was probably one that was dealing in prostitution.
[16:30] And it said that he had, Jesus had released her from seven demons and the woman that may have been described in Luke 7, which is another place that's similar to this account, it could be her.
[16:45] It said a sinful woman. came into the presence of the Pharisee's house where Jesus was sitting and he had been invited. And it said she came in in a room full of men that was socially unacceptable.
[17:04] And she came and she broke the alabaster flash and poured the oil on him. And the Pharisee said if he knew what manner a woman was touching him, he wouldn't let her touch him.
[17:22] If he was really a prophet, he wouldn't let her touch him. And so Jesus goes and tells a story about two servants who owed their master.
[17:35] He said one owed more than the other. He said but he forgave them both. But he said which one do you think loved him more? better. And the Pharisee said I suppose I suppose the one that had been forgiven more.
[17:54] He said you have rightly judged. Because those that have been forgiven much loves much. And those that have been forgiven little might love little.
[18:08] So if you have ever experienced the forgiveness of God out of all the mess and all the stuff you gave your body to and he has forgiven you that calls for your worship.
[18:30] He said it was a sinful woman and he looked down and said you leave her alone. He said what she has done your sins are forgiven. her worship put her in the place to get forgiveness.
[18:44] The power of your worship. Not only did in these accounts the fragrance get on Jesus the fragrance filled the fragrance filled the room.
[19:04] The fragrance changed the atmosphere. your worship can change the atmosphere and the beautiful thing of this is that she might have went in one way but she came out smelling like Jesus.
[19:22] She may have put the anointing on him but it got on her too and not on her it filled the room with the fragrance of worship.
[19:34] He said it filled the room. and it opened up the atmosphere for sins to be forgiven. You don't understand when you bring your worship in here it opens the atmosphere for sins to be forgiven.
[19:52] but even though she brought her worship didn't mean it didn't bring some criticism. In the accounts you see that there were some that criticized what she brought.
[20:11] They said it was a waste. Why would she waste this precious ointment and what some people call a waste God calls your worship.
[20:28] And although you might see it a waste my savior approves of it and calls it my worship. You might not understand why I said no to that.
[20:39] You might not understand why I left that in my past because it was my worship. And so I had to leave that as a sign of my commitment to the one who set me free.
[20:58] So your worship will expose your worship will expose those who are not willing to give what you give. See in John it says that Judas called it a waste because he said we could have got this money it was a year worth of wages.
[21:20] He said that was a waste we could have did something else with that. But the thing is he wasn't willing to do what she did. And when people are not willing to do what you do they find a way to criticize you.
[21:34] Because what you do exposes what they yeah because when you started out with someone in the same place and you get delivered and they still there they will criticize they will tell you it don't take all that.
[21:54] But you don't understand my worship is expensive. I wasted it on too many places. and because it's so valuable I am particular with where I put it.
[22:12] I got a particular worship. Let me tell you why this is particular. Can you indulge me for a second? Let me get a drink of water. I want to tell this story.
[22:26] Indulge me. the Jewish custom for a wedding is going to make sense. There were two special times in a Jewish wedding tradition.
[22:38] It is parallel to what Christ's work that he did and he is doing. And so I want to show you the parallels. When a young man is looking for a wife he will leave his father's house and go to the land where his potential wife is.
[23:00] But when he goes he don't go empty handed. He goes with something in his possession called a dowry. And the dowry is a payment or it is something valuable he gives to the woman's family to let them know he's serious.
[23:18] And so he goes and he does this and if the family and the woman accepts they are then what's in a betrothed. A betrothal. They are now together legally.
[23:31] It's really the most important part of the marriage process. It's called chisoden. And the betrothed means consecrated or sanctified.
[23:46] So what it's saying is when we become betrothed you have told me you have to sanctify yourself. you agreed to marry me so you would not give yourself to anyone else.
[23:59] And so after they are betrothed and it becomes legal he leaves. They say it could be for a year or more he goes back to his father's house. And when he goes back to his father's house he goes to start preparing a place for him and his wife to go.
[24:16] And so while he's at his father's house he's working he's getting the house ready he's preparing the life that they're going to live together and she's not with him but she trusts her that she will keep herself until he gets back.
[24:33] And so he's preparing a place for her. He doesn't decide when it's time to go get her the father decides. So the father will look over his work and he will say now you're ready.
[24:48] So he will get his friends and they will go and say the bridegroom is coming. And they will blow trumpets and make a fuss because now the groom is going to go get his bride.
[25:04] And so he goes and he gets his bride and so it enacts the second phase when he gets his wife now it's time for the wedding feast. now it's time to celebrate.
[25:17] Because now this woman that has waited for me has now consummated it because we got blood to show that we're committed.
[25:32] So what's significant about the alabaster jar is this. when a young woman becomes of age to marry her family would give her an alabaster jar and they would fill it with precious ointment and oil and perfume.
[25:51] The size of the jar kind of tells you the wealth of the family. And so they will fill this jar, this precious jar because the alabaster comes from a place in Egypt.
[26:04] it's called alabastron. And so this precious marble like see-through glass is so beautiful. It's strong enough to hold the oil but fragile enough to break.
[26:21] And so it has this precious oil on the inside of it. Perfume. And what she is supposed to do with this is when her husband comes and asks for her hand in marriage, if she agrees, she will take that jar and she will break it at his feet.
[26:41] And when she breaks it and anoints his feet, she lets him know I'm committed to you. See what your worship is, you are an alabaster jar.
[26:53] You're filled with the fragrant oil. When you came to Jesus and you break it open, you let him know I'm committed to you. No, no.
[27:06] See, see the Bible describes Jesus as the groom and we are the bride. The same thing has happened. Jesus was in his father's house in heaven. He went to go get his bride on earth.
[27:22] He brought a dowry with him. He paid the price with his life. And he invited you to come into relationship with him. your response to that is you break your alabaster jar at his feet.
[27:42] And he said, listen, I'm going away to prepare a place for you. Because in my father's house are many mansions. if it were not so, I would not have told you.
[27:58] He said, I go to prepare a place for you so that where I am, you will be also. And so your jar is letting him know you're committed.
[28:12] Because once you break it, it doesn't need to be used anymore. I'm not looking for anybody else. The one I was looking for just found me. It's a one time use.
[28:28] So when she broke the jar, she let him know there's no other man I need in my life. I'm breaking myself open for you.
[28:39] I don't need this jar anymore. This ointment on the inside is only for you. This sweet aroma I let out is only for you.
[28:53] No. See, Mary, she wasn't married. So what she's saying is I have brought my all. Every security I had, every hope for the future, I didn't took it all and put it at your feet.
[29:11] Jesus. That's why I said it wasn't a waste. It was her worship. She put it all.
[29:22] Every last one of you is alabaster jar. And that's why I'm glad to see alabaster house. Yeah. Because what God is doing, he's going to break you open so that he can get the sweet smelling aroma out of you.
[29:42] Other people may have thrown you away. Other people may not think you're worth anything, but God says you're worth it. I have called you my alabaster jar.
[29:53] and I have sent one to bring the jar and he starts to fill it with oil. And so this is the word the Lord spoke over you.
[30:08] You are a sweet smelling aroma. I don't care what you may have smelled like before. What you will smell like is a sweet smelling aroma that will fill a house.
[30:25] It fills a house. That alabaster house would worship. It fills the house.
[30:37] You are precious. God is inviting you. See, the Spiken oil is an essential oil. Not only is it used for burial, but when I did some research, it is for inflammation.
[30:54] It's for healing. It's for, it help calms your mind. It's a fragrance. When you let it loose, it calms you.
[31:06] So you don't realize what your worship does. Your worship will calm you. Your worship will heal you. It's the Spiken oil.
[31:20] It has, my God. This is some of the benefits of it. And the plant that it comes from, see the plant is very rare. It comes from India. But it says, it helps with anxiety.
[31:34] It helps with depression. Insomnia. And stress. Migraines and joint pain. Your worship will do all the things that I just named.
[31:53] So if you came in here overwhelmed, if you ever get to the point where you can get to worship, and you break your alabaster jar.
[32:07] Again, I said it was fragile, but it was strong enough to contain that perfume that it didn't get out. Your body may be fragile, but you hold a oil in you that will bless you.
[32:25] That will bless not just you, but people around you. It's the worship. I love what David said in 2 Samuel 24.
[32:37] He done something that God was displeased of. God said, I need you to give me a sacrifice at Arona's house.
[32:52] And so when he went there, Arona said, listen, king, I want to give you everything you need to make this sacrifice. David looked at him and said, no.
[33:02] I dare not offer up to God anything that costs me nothing. He said, I'll buy it from you. I won't let you give it to me.
[33:15] Your worship is too expensive. It's not to be given to you. that even though you went through stuff, see, see, that's why you can't judge someone's worship.
[33:29] You don't know what the oil costs. You don't know what it took for them to get here this morning. You don't know how lonely they were. You don't know how in despair they were.
[33:42] You don't understand. And so you can't judge someone's worship. Don't judge it. Participate with them. they paid a price for that oil.
[33:56] And they thought it was necessary to put it at the feet of Jesus. So I know the praise team is coming. I just opened up the altar.
[34:08] Everything that the oil does, come and get it. With your worship. It says, for the Lord seeketh such.
[34:24] He's looking for those that will worship him in spirit and in truth. And that means that when you worship, you cause God to look for you.
[34:39] Your worship is like a lighthouse. that when you turn it on, God starts to I smell something. It's funny.
[34:52] I know what's cooking in my house by the smell. I know. And mostly by the smell, I know who's cooking it.
[35:02] And what God is saying, when you raise your worship, I know it's you. And I want to smell that aroma.
[35:18] So if depression has been on you this week, get it off in worship. If you felt overwhelmed, worship it off of you.
[35:29] Because it and God can't be in the same place. One has to give. And God is greater than anything you could ever face.
[35:45] So when you bring his worship, it will push everything else out. It's time for worship. Let's stand to our feet. And you're going to get a chance.
[35:59] Matter of fact, I want to see, I want everyone at this altar. And let's worship our God. And watch you start to feel better.
[36:11] Allow him to work. If you don't know how to worship, I help you start. Just lift your hands. Speak well of him.
[36:22] Just say, God, you're good. I thank you for what you've done. I honor you for who you are. You know who I am.
[36:35] And I praise you. I'm not going to take this oil back home with me. I'm going to break it at his feet. It was intentional.
[36:46] She didn't intend to take the oil back home. She knew what she was coming to do. She was intentional intentional with her oil. Get intentional with your worship.
[37:01] Get intentional with your oil. I don't care what you were in before. Luke 7 said it was a sinful woman. But she left forgiven. I don't care what you've done this week.
[37:13] Bring your worship. So that you can drop that weight here at the altar. Drop it.
[37:25] Drop it. Break it open. Pour it on him. Anoint his feet. The beautiful thing is that Mary, the oil could have been used for burial or for a wedding.
[37:39] Her brother had died, but she knew she didn't have to use the oil. The oil could have been used for his burial. She kept the oil because this time was coming.
[37:53] The oil wasn't meant for that death. The oil was meant for the Savior. Some of you thought that breaking was going to kill you. All that breaking did was release the oil.
[38:08] He's releasing the oil. Cry out to him. Say his name. Say, God, you're good. Your mercy endures to all generations.
[38:23] I worship you. I give everything I have. I give the best of me. And I'm going to stay committed and say, I'll sing hallelujah until you come back to get me.
[38:37] We'll sing hallelujah. And I'll see youツ去, and I go ahead and be okay, but until you hunt the little econmoon theory.
[38:58] But I'm going to see you. The gift of what you want me to find you when you find anything. All right.keeper, I love you. So you have anFS game, even. Once you know each of you have a gift, you're looking fight the angel games. If you know each will happen because of you have that