WEBVTT

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 Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind.

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 Right? Spiritually dead.

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 I read all of that to you to make that point.

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 You were dead in trespasses and sins.

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 That's what this looked like within verse 4, Paul says.

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 But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

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 By grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

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 So you see this little picture of that in the resurrection and the following feasting of Lazarus with Jesus.

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 Every Christian is, spiritually speaking, Lazarus sitting at the table.

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 Next, we can notice that Martha served.

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 It's a different meal than the one where Martha complains to Jesus about her sister not helping.

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 There is no criticism of Martha's service here.

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 She, I suggest to you, is being faithful.

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 Not more and less than her brother.

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 He's reclining.

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 Or her sister, who's about to do an extravagant thing.

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 I think that she is using her skill of hospitality to serve her Savior.

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 Right?

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 I imagine that Martha was a bit of a type A.

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 Organized.

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 Knew how to put a party together.

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 And she is faithfully serving her Lord.

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 Martha's gratitude expresses itself through service.

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 The siblings of Mary have undoubtedly received Jesus as the Christ.

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 At great risk to himself, Lazarus welcomes him into his home.

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 With great energy, Martha makes the meal possible.

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 And this brings us to Mary.

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 Mary, remember, in chapter 11, grieving without hope.

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 Jesus is concerned about the way in which she comes to him and asks that question.

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 Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

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 And here we see this beautiful, beautiful picture of her receiving Jesus as the Christ.

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 And John means for us to pause and really consider this act of worship.

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 She is the primary character being juxtaposed against treacherous Judas.

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 These are the two primaries in this story.

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 Mary and Judas.

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 Again, this account being framed in terms of worth.

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 What is Jesus worth to you?

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 Notice how valuable he is to Mary.

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 First part of verse 3.

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 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard

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 and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.

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 First, to Mary, Jesus was worth her resources.

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 John tells us Mary took this expensive ointment, right?

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 And a significant amount of expensive ointment.

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 Nard is an oil that's derived from a plant grown in India.

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 This is all I learned about it.

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 But the fact that it's called pure meant that it would have been very expensive.

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 It would have been imported.

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 It was costly.

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 Very costly.

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 And of course we know how costly because Judas tells us how much in verse 5.

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 At least some approximation.

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 Maybe pure nard sold at a discounted rate second hand.

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 I don't know.

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 But he estimates that it could have been sold for 300 denarii.

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 A denarii you may well know already.

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 But if you don't, log this little bit of information away.

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 It was the average day's wage.

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 A typical worker was paid a denarii per day.

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 So this is almost a year's pay.

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 So in today's terms, you could do the math maybe for your own home.

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 This ointment was worth tens of thousands of dollars.

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 A perfume worth, I hope none of you own perfume worth tens of thousands of dollars.

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 We need another conversation if you do.

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 Mary does.

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 Mary has this ointment.

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 It was an ointment that was likely used in the preparation of dead bodies.

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 This may have been something that had been carefully saved for and stored up.

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 And it was meant for a future use of this kind.

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 And expensive, expensive thing.

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 And Mary is glad to spend it in worship of the Christ.

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 Last week, in the cartoon in your bulletin,

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 if you're an adult and you don't ever flip to the back, you are missing out.

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 Today, just as a quote, as a simple text quote in your bulletin,

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 Augustine once said,

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 Christ is not valued at all unless he is valued above all.

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 Christ is not valued at all unless he is valued above all.

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 And Mary so wonderfully expresses that to us here.

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 Tens of thousands of dollars worth of this, right, given in worship of Christ.

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 But not only that, secondly, so Jesus is worth her resources,

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 but secondly, to Mary, Jesus was also worth her dignity.

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 To wash someone's feet was an act of great service.

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 Feet, generally speaking, are gross.

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 And to that, a sandal-wearing culture in a dusty environment,

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 and you have the cleaning of feet as a task for the lowliest of servants in a house.

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 It was a customary thing when someone would come over that you would have the lowest servant,

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 the last in the pecking order,

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 would wash feet so that people could recline at table and enjoy their time without dusty, smelly feet.

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 John is not unaware of the humility of this act,

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 as he will have Jesus himself wash his feet a few chapters later, right?

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 Remember, he's writing that with all of this in mind as a model of humble service.

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 Additionally, Mary lets down her hair to wipe his feet clean.

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 And this would not have been normative.

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 This is not the normal way that foot washing concluded.

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 What I imagine, and this is not explicit in the text,

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 is that she, being so generous in the anointing of Jesus' feet,

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 makes a bit of a mess.

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 She puts a little more on than she meant to.

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 We're going to spend some time on the extravagance of the offering with the sentence,

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 the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

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 This was not a little bit that she used.

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 It was enough to fill the space with the smell.

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 It's probably a picture from one perspective,

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 certainly that of Judas,

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 of her overdoing it.

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 I think, knowing that she was going to anoint Jesus' feet,

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 that she brought along a towel.

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 But that towel was insufficient for the extravagance of her offering.

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 So she, with no thought to herself,

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 already washing feet,

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 uses her hair to serve her king.

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 I think the towel didn't suffice,

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 and she immediately, to help finish this process,

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 to serve Jesus in this way,

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 thought, I have something that can help.

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 And she lets down her hair,

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 and uses her hair to clean up this ointment.

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 To Mary, I would argue,

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 Jesus is worth everything.

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 Everything.

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 And so I ask the question again,

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 what is Jesus worth to you?

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 Mary does not calculate the minimum amount necessary to honor Christ.

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 She gives extravagantly.

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 Now there is an important distinction that should be made at this point.

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 Extravagant worship is not wasteful worship.

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 Waste occurs when something valuable is spent upon something unworthy of it.

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 Certainly this happens.

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 But if Jesus possesses infinite worth,

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 then nothing genuinely offered to him in faith

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 can finally be described as wasted.

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 He is worthy of all of our praise.

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 Judah sees 300 denarii going up in vapor.

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 Mary sees Jesus.

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 And that difference between the two changes everything.

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 Second point.

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 The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

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 Now last week I made a lengthy argument.

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 We took that odd break because I really wanted to show you

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 that this phrase is the chiastic center of John's gospel.

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 If you disagree with me about this,

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 you are welcome to be wrong.

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 And we can still be friends.

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 I believe though,

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 this is the chiastic center of John's gospel.

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 And that is to say,

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 John means to do,

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 is he wants to fill our minds with imagery of the high priest

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 entering into the Holy of Holies

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 on that one day in the year

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 when he made atonement for the sins of Israel.

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 I believe that's what's happening in this text.

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 This phrase,

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 the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

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 One man,

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 one time a year,

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 amongst the varied instructions for cleansing and sacrifice

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 was a command to take incense into that place

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 and fill it with the aroma of the smoke.

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 I think that's what's being pictured here.

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 Right?

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 The whole book of John is turning on this phrase.

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 Why?

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 Why?

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 Why?

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 John means for us to see Mary worshiping in the very presence of God himself.

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 This extravagant act of worship,

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 she's putting herself at the feet of God.

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 Not cut off in some outer part of the temple.

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 Limited access to God.

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 Access through one man,

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 one time of year.

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 Everybody stood back and walked and hoped

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 that he carried out the instructions precisely as he should.

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 That atonement would in fact happen.

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 But this is shadowing this thing is about to happen.

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 Jesus is going to die once for all.

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 He's going to make that final payment.

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 The Lamb of God will lay his life down for his people.

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 He would atone for their sins forever.

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 This is forward looking to that moment.

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 And Jesus is meeting with Mary in this moment.

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 God himself with a worshiper.

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 Intimate affection.

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 Now, I said this in brief last week.

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 I want to say it again.

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 And I think it's important for us to do this as a church.

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 Mostly because I think I've erred so often in my thinking and in my teaching.

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 We rightly defend the doctrine of justification.

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 Justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

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 It is a hill that we should die on.

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 We are Protestants.

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 We are still protesting.

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 We want to uphold this doctrine.

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 It's so incredibly important for our sin to be expunged and for us to have a law-keeping record so that we can stand before God and not be condemned.

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 We must be justified.

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 But if we stop there, we miss the fullness of the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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 We're welcomed back in.

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 We're back part of the family.

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 The doctrine of justification must lead our minds to think about the doctrine of adoption.

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 What do we think about God when we think of him as our father?

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 That we are welcomed.

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 That he is ours and we are his.

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 That all of his promises are yes and amen for us.

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 We're not trying to be performative to earn his acceptance.

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 We have his acceptance.

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 Because we're justified, we are adopted.

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 And I want to make this case briefly to you from John.

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 I did this again.

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 I did it last week.

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 I want to do it again quickly.

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 Remembering that John gives us the reason for his writing.

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 John chapter 20, verse 30 and 31.

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 Repeated this many, many times.

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 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book.

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 But these are written.

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 He took the time.

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 He wrote it down under inspiration.

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 So that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ.

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 The Son of God.

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 Receive him as the Christ.

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 And that by believing you may have life in his name.

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 Life now.

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 Life forever more.

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 Spiritual life.

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 And when we read this in John 20,

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 we should know exactly what he's talking about.

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 Because in John 17, he has defined what that life is.

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 Carry the idea with us to John 20.

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 In John 17, he says,

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 And this is eternal life.

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 That they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

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 Knowing God.

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 Being in relationship with God.

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 This is eternal life.

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 We were made for intimate fellowship with God.

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 It's what we were designed for.

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 Sin separates us relationally from him.

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 And your life will never be fulfilled until you, created one.

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 You, created one.

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 Are restored to your creator.

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 There will always be a deficiency.

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 You could try all types of things.

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 Success.

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 Money.

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 Relationships.

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 Sex.

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 Drugs.

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 I feel like I was supposed to say rock and roll there.

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 Hobbies.

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 Hobbies.

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 Nothing will satisfy the hunger of your soul,

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 but the restoration of your relationship with God.

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 Try it all you want.

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 It will not happen.

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 Spell yourself the pain,

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 if you've yet to be restored to God in Christ,

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 of trying everything out that you could possibly try out.

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 You will not be satisfied until you're restored to God.

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 Again, a quote from Augustine.

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 From the first paragraph of his work, Confessions.

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 He said,

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 You have made us for yourself, O Lord,

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 and our heart is restless until it rests in you.

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 That's exactly the sentiment that he is expressing there.

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 So the beauty of this whole scene,

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 leading up to in this last little part of verse 3 of John 12,

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 the beauty of the whole scene,

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 it's emphasized by this phrase,

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 I want to live in the aroma of life with God.

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 God himself.

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 And I think that if we do,

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 we are going to spread that smell around.

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 That if the idea that we have access to God in this way,

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 through his word and in prayer,

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 meeting with the church,

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 we've got restored access to God himself.

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 We live life in that aroma.

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 We're going to spread that around.

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 It's going to be inevitable that it will happen.

00:17:18.539 --> 00:17:21.019
 Perhaps Paul had this very scene in mind

00:17:21.019 --> 00:17:23.160
 when he wrote 2 Corinthians 2,

00:17:23.539 --> 00:17:24.579
 and verse 14,

00:17:25.460 --> 00:17:26.059
 where he says,

00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:27.039
 But thanks be to God,

00:17:27.539 --> 00:17:31.220
 who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession,

00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:34.340
 and through us spreads the fragrance

00:17:34.340 --> 00:17:37.720
 of the knowledge of him everywhere.

00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:45.759
 Now, I am sad to say that our text does not end on a high note.

00:17:46.360 --> 00:17:47.140
 There it was.

00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:52.620
 The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

00:17:52.619 --> 00:17:55.279
 But following that,

00:17:55.779 --> 00:17:57.579
 because it's chiastic,

00:17:58.219 --> 00:18:01.979
 we see that Judas rejects Jesus.

00:18:02.719 --> 00:18:04.359
 In contradiction to,

00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:06.519
 in juxtaposition of Mary,

00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:09.439
 Judas rejects Jesus.

00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:11.639
 The fragrance fills the room,

00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:14.140
 and then Judas speaks,

00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:18.200
 why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii

00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:19.420
 and given to the poor?

00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:22.740
 Now, without John's commentary,

00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:25.360
 Judas sounds reasonable.

00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:28.740
 Perhaps he even sounds spiritual.

00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:31.460
 300 denarii?

00:18:32.600 --> 00:18:35.460
 Think how many hungry people could have been fed

00:18:35.460 --> 00:18:38.860
 that day, abundantly fed.

00:18:38.859 --> 00:18:45.559
 Judas' objection possesses the appearance of compassion.

00:18:46.740 --> 00:18:50.139
 But John immediately pulls back the curtain

00:18:50.139 --> 00:18:51.639
 and gives us this commentary.

00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:53.819
 He said this not because he cared about the poor,

00:18:54.779 --> 00:18:56.079
 but because he was a thief.

00:18:56.839 --> 00:18:58.559
 And having charge of the money bag,

00:18:58.619 --> 00:19:01.079
 he was serving as the treasurer for this group.

00:19:01.659 --> 00:19:04.519
 He used to help himself to what was put into it.

00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:07.439
 He was skimming off the top,

00:19:07.439 --> 00:19:08.839
 as they say.

00:19:09.859 --> 00:19:14.939
 Here's one of the most sobering realities in the passage.

00:19:16.219 --> 00:19:21.579
 Religious language can conceal an unbelieving heart.

00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:26.839
 Judas knows how to sound righteous.

00:19:28.039 --> 00:19:30.559
 Perhaps you know people like this.

00:19:30.639 --> 00:19:31.139
 I have.

00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:32.979
 They know all the right answers.

00:19:33.159 --> 00:19:35.699
 They can say all the right things.

00:19:35.700 --> 00:19:42.400
 Judas has been around Jesus.

00:19:42.660 --> 00:19:44.799
 He has spent all this time with him.

00:19:45.600 --> 00:19:47.000
 He's heard the sermons,

00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:49.880
 the instruction to care for the poor.

00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:52.220
 He has witnessed the miracles.

00:19:52.980 --> 00:19:54.840
 He knows the vocabulary.

00:19:55.940 --> 00:19:59.900
 He knows what Christ followers are supposed to care about.

00:19:59.900 --> 00:20:06.040
 And so, his greed speaks the language of compassion.

00:20:06.039 --> 00:20:10.960
 It is possible to know Christian vocabulary,

00:20:11.579 --> 00:20:13.259
 participate in Christian ministry,

00:20:13.899 --> 00:20:16.019
 associate closely with Christian people,

00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:19.779
 and even appear concerned about Christian causes

00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:23.259
 while loving something more than Christ.

00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:26.859
 Sometimes it's even those Christian things

00:20:26.859 --> 00:20:29.519
 that are loved more than the Savior.

00:20:30.980 --> 00:20:32.759
 Judas measures everything

00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:35.259
 by what it can give him.

00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:38.059
 He is not concerned about serving others,

00:20:38.059 --> 00:20:40.679
 but about serving himself.

00:20:41.819 --> 00:20:43.619
 As opposed to Mary and the siblings.

00:20:43.799 --> 00:20:45.379
 It's all about service too.

00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:48.799
 His is about serving himself.

00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:56.059
 Mary and Judas stand as deliberate, stark contrasts.

00:20:56.940 --> 00:20:57.740
 Mary asks,

00:20:58.399 --> 00:21:00.859
 What can I give to Jesus?

00:21:02.099 --> 00:21:03.119
 Judas asks,

00:21:03.879 --> 00:21:07.000
 What could this have given to me?

00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:09.759
 What do I get from Jesus?

00:21:10.859 --> 00:21:14.579
 Mary empties something valuable for Christ.

00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:18.259
 Judas steals what belongs to Christ.

00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:21.440
 And eventually the difference between them

00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:23.940
 will become even clearer.

00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:28.920
 Mary values Jesus more than 300 denarii.

00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:34.579
 Judas will betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver,

00:21:34.579 --> 00:21:38.319
 which would be about four months of labor.

00:21:38.899 --> 00:21:40.879
 The price he sells Jesus for

00:21:40.879 --> 00:21:42.319
 is not even as much

00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:45.079
 as the sacrifice here by Mary.

00:21:46.819 --> 00:21:49.019
 So Jesus says in response,

00:21:49.899 --> 00:21:50.699
 Leave her alone

00:21:50.699 --> 00:21:54.659
 so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:57.000
 There's a fair amount of debate

00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:59.480
 about what this sentence means exactly.

00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:02.700
 We can be clear that he's saying letter B.

00:22:03.860 --> 00:22:05.579
 But what exactly is meant by

00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:08.079
 her keeping it for the day of burial

00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.019
 is strangely hotly contested.

00:22:11.059 --> 00:22:11.839
 I don't really know why.

00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:13.839
 I don't think it matters all that much.

00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:15.339
 But what I think is happening

00:22:15.339 --> 00:22:18.240
 is that Jesus is alluding to his death

00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:20.460
 by suggesting that Mary should be allowed

00:22:20.460 --> 00:22:22.640
 to keep the rest of the perfume

00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:25.460
 to anoint his body after the crucifixion.

00:22:26.120 --> 00:22:27.560
 That's my very best guess

00:22:27.560 --> 00:22:29.480
 at what he means by this phrase.

00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:31.860
 Some say that it's just

00:22:31.860 --> 00:22:33.500
 leave the sacrifice alone.

00:22:33.800 --> 00:22:36.540
 Let it be remembered for that day.

00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:38.980
 I never felt anything was very convincing,

00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:40.320
 but that's my best guess

00:22:40.320 --> 00:22:41.360
 at what he means by that.

00:22:41.420 --> 00:22:42.080
 But regardless,

00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:44.180
 letter B.

00:22:44.840 --> 00:22:48.620
 What she has done is a beautiful and good thing.

00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:51.180
 And then he elaborates,

00:22:51.180 --> 00:22:54.080
 for the poor you always have with you,

00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:57.640
 but you do not always have me.

00:22:58.620 --> 00:23:01.420
 Now, Jesus is here not being dismissive to the poor.

00:23:01.560 --> 00:23:04.140
 He's not disregarding the poor at all, right?

00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:05.240
 In many places he has taught

00:23:05.240 --> 00:23:07.060
 that we ought to care for the poor,

00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:08.720
 sell our possessions and give to the poor

00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.620
 and store up heavenly reward.

00:23:11.799 --> 00:23:15.320
 He's not being anti-poor in this case.

00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:16.940
 But what he's likely doing

00:23:16.940 --> 00:23:19.360
 is referencing Deuteronomy chapter 15

00:23:19.360 --> 00:23:21.080
 and verse 11.

00:23:21.180 --> 00:23:22.220
 Which says this,

00:23:23.320 --> 00:23:26.880
 For there will never cease to be poor in the land.

00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:28.920
 That's what we think he's citing right there.

00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:30.900
 Therefore, the text goes on,

00:23:30.980 --> 00:23:33.299
 I command you in your land.

00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:35.660
 So the familiarity with this text,

00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:36.820
 when he says that,

00:23:36.900 --> 00:23:37.539
 they would have known,

00:23:37.620 --> 00:23:39.240
 oh, he's not speaking against,

00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:41.880
 he's saying there will be future opportunity

00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:44.700
 because the poor will be in the land.

00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:45.960
 They will never cease to be in the land.

00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:46.360
 And therefore,

00:23:46.440 --> 00:23:47.840
 our generosity towards the poor

00:23:47.840 --> 00:23:49.180
 should never cease.

00:23:49.180 --> 00:23:51.120
 The difference here

00:23:51.120 --> 00:23:54.299
 is that you won't always have me.

00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:56.160
 Bodily form,

00:23:56.380 --> 00:23:57.799
 here on earth with you.

00:23:58.140 --> 00:23:59.920
 So to be generous toward me

00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:01.460
 was an appropriate thing

00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:02.799
 for Mary to do

00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:04.279
 in this moment.

00:24:04.279 --> 00:24:06.619
 So,

00:24:07.220 --> 00:24:08.859
 some final applications

00:24:08.859 --> 00:24:09.839
 in closing,

00:24:09.980 --> 00:24:10.539
 just to sum

00:24:10.539 --> 00:24:11.519
 some of this up

00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:12.200
 for us.

00:24:13.399 --> 00:24:14.399
 Number one,

00:24:15.259 --> 00:24:16.559
 remember the grace

00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:18.099
 you have received.

00:24:19.460 --> 00:24:20.639
 Lazarus at the table

00:24:20.639 --> 00:24:21.799
 reminds us

00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:22.920
 that Christian devotion

00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:23.639
 begins

00:24:23.639 --> 00:24:24.980
 with resurrection

00:24:24.980 --> 00:24:26.200
 grace.

00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:28.140
 We recline

00:24:28.140 --> 00:24:29.200
 and we serve

00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:30.039
 and we worship

00:24:30.039 --> 00:24:31.819
 because Christ

00:24:31.819 --> 00:24:32.680
 has made

00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:33.840
 dead sinners

00:24:33.840 --> 00:24:35.039
 alive.

00:24:35.580 --> 00:24:36.759
 All of it's possible

00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:37.920
 because of what God

00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:38.319
 has done

00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:39.580
 on our behalf

00:24:39.580 --> 00:24:40.559
 and the personal work

00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:41.319
 of Jesus.

00:24:41.460 --> 00:24:42.140
 Remember the grace

00:24:42.140 --> 00:24:43.160
 you have received.

00:24:44.180 --> 00:24:44.700
 Number two,

00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:46.279
 examine

00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:47.920
 what your sacrifices

00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:48.880
 reveal

00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:50.620
 about Christ's worth

00:24:50.620 --> 00:24:51.799
 to you.

00:24:52.080 --> 00:24:53.140
 Just ask that question

00:24:53.140 --> 00:24:53.559
 again.

00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:54.920
 What is Jesus worth

00:24:54.920 --> 00:24:55.800
 to you?

00:24:56.660 --> 00:24:57.700
 Our use of money,

00:24:58.080 --> 00:24:58.519
 time,

00:24:59.080 --> 00:24:59.500
 comfort,

00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:00.980
 reputation,

00:25:01.360 --> 00:25:02.000
 and energy

00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:03.539
 reveals what we believe

00:25:03.539 --> 00:25:04.400
 is valuable.

00:25:05.560 --> 00:25:06.779
 How do you spend

00:25:06.779 --> 00:25:08.420
 and how are you

00:25:08.420 --> 00:25:09.519
 spent?

00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:12.200
 How do you spend

00:25:12.200 --> 00:25:13.480
 and how are you

00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:14.660
 spent?

00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:16.600
 What do you think

00:25:16.600 --> 00:25:17.259
 about most?

00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:18.420
 What do you talk

00:25:18.420 --> 00:25:19.240
 about most?

00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:21.060
 Start to notice

00:25:21.060 --> 00:25:22.279
 what this may communicate

00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:23.980
 about your heart

00:25:23.980 --> 00:25:24.900
 and what about you

00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:27.300
 truly value.

00:25:28.940 --> 00:25:29.680
 Third,

00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:32.300
 beware of respectable

00:25:32.300 --> 00:25:32.900
 arguments

00:25:32.900 --> 00:25:34.580
 that conceal

00:25:34.580 --> 00:25:35.960
 sinful loves.

00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:38.480
 Judas teaches us

00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:39.600
 that the human heart

00:25:39.600 --> 00:25:40.560
 is capable

00:25:40.560 --> 00:25:41.640
 of clothing,

00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:42.180
 greed,

00:25:42.180 --> 00:25:43.860
 and false worship

00:25:43.860 --> 00:25:44.880
 of all sorts

00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:46.600
 in theological

00:25:46.600 --> 00:25:48.100
 language.

00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:49.840
 Beware of respectable

00:25:49.840 --> 00:25:50.360
 arguments

00:25:50.360 --> 00:25:51.280
 that conceal

00:25:51.280 --> 00:25:53.080
 sinful loves.

00:25:53.079 --> 00:25:53.179
 things.

00:25:54.179 --> 00:25:55.279
 And fourth,

00:25:55.619 --> 00:25:56.220
 and lastly,

00:25:57.220 --> 00:25:58.339
 do not confuse

00:25:58.339 --> 00:26:00.099
 extravagant devotion

00:26:00.099 --> 00:26:01.779
 with waste.

00:26:02.500 --> 00:26:03.619
 The world,

00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:04.259
 and sometimes

00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:05.119
 even professing

00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:05.519
 Christians,

00:26:05.619 --> 00:26:06.299
 will regard

00:26:06.299 --> 00:26:07.460
 wholehearted devotion

00:26:07.460 --> 00:26:08.259
 to Christ

00:26:08.259 --> 00:26:09.559
 as excessive.

00:26:09.559 --> 00:26:11.299
 but nothing

00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:12.259
 is wasted

00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:13.000
 when it is

00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:13.799
 genuinely given

00:26:13.799 --> 00:26:14.819
 to the one

00:26:14.819 --> 00:26:16.259
 of infinite

00:26:16.259 --> 00:26:17.279
 worth.

00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:19.359
Let's pray.

00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:19.359


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