Church Requel
The Most Expensive Anointing
The anointing of Jesus' feet with Mary's expensive perfume is a story that will be forever told. Her worship was extravagant and expensive. With that in mind, Mary was not the only worshiper that day. What can we learn about worship AND about ourselves in John 12:1-8?
Locations & Times
Church Requel
2 Marion Ave, Mansfield, OH 44903, USA
Sunday 11:00 AM
Why "Requel?"
Here at Church Requel we want to celebrate the good news of Jesus in a way that makes sense and relates to every day people. From the songs we sing (contemporary) to the clothes we wear (casual) to the language we use (understandable) we want to be “requel” in our approach. We want to retell the story that has been around for more than 2,000 years in a new, fresh way with a message each week that is straight from the Bible. We invite you to join us as we sing, pray, celebrate and learn from the Word of God.
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The Most Expensive Anointing - John 12:1-8
Today I’d like to talk with you about our worship of Jesus. Praise and worship is how we express our love, adoration, admiration, and wonder at God’s Presence. As Christ-followers, we breathe in God’s goodness and we breathe out worship. A.W. Tozer said that “any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.”
There are many ways to worship. For a lot of the church, worship has become synonymous with singing - but that’s just one way that worship can be expressed. True worship happens when our entire life becomes a declaration of faith in God’s incredible mercy.
I’ve learned over my lifetime that worship is a deeply personal thing since it involves a deeply personal relationship with God! Tell a man or a woman that he or she is not worshiping correctly and you risk starting a war right then and there.
Today I’d like to look at a passage of Scripture that is all about worship. You might be surprised at this since we don’t usually look at the beginning of John 12 and think of “worship.” We see 4 worshipers, 4 styles of worship, but only 3 are accepted. One is not.
#1 - Worship can be EXTRAVAGANT and EXPENSIVE.
“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.” John 12:3
When we read this passage we most likely see Mary as the center of the story. This “pure nard” that she poured onto Jesus’ feet was most likely imported from the Far East. It may have been something inherited by Mary. It had great value and would have been extremely hard to come by and very expensive. Its estimated value was one year’s hard labor, assuming a 6-day work week! Clearly Mary was not thinking at all of the cost of the nard or what else she could have used it for. It was most likely the most precious thing she owned. She gave it all in a lavish display of worship by pouring it onto Jesus’ feet and wiping his feet with her hair. It didn’t matter to her who saw her do this. There was no embarrassment. She was utterly and completely in worship mode.
This is worship that is extravagant. Worship that is emotional. Worship that is all out. Worship that cares only about one thing - the One being worshiped. All else falls by the wayside. This worship is all encompassing. This worshiper is not concerned about what anyone else says or thinks or does. This is worship that begins in the heart and wells up from within. It is worship that doesn’t count the cost. When you see worship like this, it is moving and infectious. There can be no doubt about the sincerity of the worshiper.
If you are not accustomed to this kind of worship, it can be shocking when you see it. There is no concern about order of worship or time or schedule or anything else. It’s all about the worship, about a release of internal pressure that just explodes on the scene. There can be crying or shouting or (depending on the church) different languages spoken in tongues.
When I was a little boy I remember one woman who regularly could not contain herself. She would run and jump and dance up and down the aisle of the church. I sometimes think about her now that I am her age and I wonder if she is still running and jumping and dancing upon the streets of gold in heaven?
For those who worship this way, there can be no doubt in my mind that God inhabits this form of worship. Because He loves a pure and sincere heart fully dedicated to Him. But is this the only way? Were there other worshipers of Jesus at this special dinner for Jesus in Bethany?
#2 - Worship can be EXEMPLARY and EXECUTIVE.
“Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served.” John 12:2
Here’s something you probably haven’t thought about when it comes to this passage of Scripture. If Martha had not have arranged this special dinner to honor Jesus, Mary most likely would never have poured the expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. Someone had to plan. Someone had to make the arrangements. Someone had to put the date on the calendar and hire the servants and prepare the meal and purchase the food. That was all Martha.
I gotta say… I LOVE the Martha’s of this world. Martha’s make the world go round. Right? We love to tell the story of Mary and it truly was a remarkable thing that Mary did! An amazing demonstration of love and devotion. And likely all made possible by her sister, Martha.
If you are a Martha, you may not receive a lot of thank you’s. You may work tirelessly in the background. You may be someone whose mind just never stops. You may wake up in the middle of the night and think about that dinner meeting the next day or that party that you’re arranging the next weekend.
We are so fortunate to have a Martha here at Church Requel. We call her by her given name, Brandi. But she’s a Martha! She plans each of these Church Requel worship services three to four weeks in advance. She thinks way ahead of time about who will pray, who will serve communion, who will sing, who will preach. Like Brandi, Martha’s can also be emotional in the moment, but it is their clear-headed, rational, executive planning that is at the heart of their worship.
God loves these worshipers too because they really THINK about their worship. Their worship starts in their heads and moves down to their hearts. Their worship is pure too because it’s so important to them to think ahead of time about it! If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right!
#3 - Worship can be EXISTENT and EXUBERANT.
“Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead… Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.” John 12:1-2
Again - most of us probably never thought too much about Lazarus being a worshiper. But know this - Lazarus was exhibit numero uno when it came to Jesus and his miracles. Lazarus had been dead! For days! In the tomb! Rotten, smelly, corrupted, bloated, gone, finished, dead-dead-dead. And now he’s sitting (reclining) at the table with Jesus. Enjoying the food. Enjoying the company. Enjoying LIFE!
There is something to be said about the worshiper who just knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that there was one kind of life (actually a dead kind of life) BEFORE Jesus and now there is a completely different kind of life (REAL life, a 2nd life, a born again kind of life) with Jesus. And because of that, this worshiper just likes to hang around with Jesus. Likes to go where Jesus goes. Likes to do things that Jesus likes to do. Wants to be with the kind of people that Jesus likes to be with.
This kind of worshiper is EXISTENT, meaning they know that their very lives are existing because of Jesus. They can tell you what their life was like BEFORE Jesus and what their life is like now WITH Jesus. They are exhibit #1 regarding the change that happens when Jesus comes and moves in with them. They can’t help but tell their story because their story may not even involve words. It’s just LIFE. They are ALIVE with Jesus and everyone they see who knows them has to also know about Jesus. There’s just no other way to explain the change.
This worshiper may not be the most emotional worshiper. They may not be the most executive worshiper. But wow! Are they exuberant or what? Give them any opening at all and they will tell you their Jesus story!
Sadly, we can’t stop the sermon here. Because there is one more character in this gospel story. One more PSUEDO worshiper. Someone who pretends to be a worshiper, but really is not…
#4 - Worship that is EXPEDIENT is EXCOMMUNICABLE.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” John 12:4-5
Mary’s worship WAS SHOCKING! No one expected it. No one saw it coming. Her pouring out of perfume on Jesus’ feet - worth many tens of thousands of dollars in today’s money - would grab anyone’s and everyone’s attention. But only one person said anything negative about it. That was Judas Iscariot. The same Judas who always and forever has the tagline - “who was later to betray [Jesus].”
If nothing else, this should grab OUR attention. Be very careful when you are questioning the internal motivations for someone’s worship of Jesus Christ! The gospel writer is very clear in helping us to see exactly what is going on here. John tells us that Judas wasn’t all that concerned about being a good steward of the money…
“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.” John 12:6
For Judas, worship was not so much what he could give of himself to God. Rather worship was a means to an end. He looked at the opportunity of worship as an opportunity to help himself. Worship wasn’t what he could give, but rather what he could get from it.
Be very careful when you go home from church and say to yourself or others, “I just didn’t get anything out of the service today.” I’ve got news for you. If you ever find yourself even beginning to think such a thing, stop it before the next neuron can fire. Worship is never about what you can get out of it. Worship is always always always about what you give to honor and glorify God.
Whenever you look upon worship as a “get” instead of a “give”, you’re on dangerous ground. The first commandment about having no other gods before the Lord God is first for a reason. If you look upon worship as what you get from it, you are literally placing yourself ahead of God. You are literally saying, “I was not served well!” We call it a worship “service” not to be served, but rather to serve!
Sad to say, many people go to church for what they can get out of it. Business men and women look for potential clients. Those who want help go for the financial resources they think they may find. Those who want to demonstrate their abilities go to be on the platform and to be seen. There are many who are in danger of being the Judas in today’s story.
Judas did not survive his sin. He stole not just from the Lord, but ultimately from himself. We cannot place ourselves ahead of God and then at the same time seek His mercy and grace. Humility is a requirement for forgiveness. Beware worship that is self-serving.
Beyond that single grave error, you worship in the way God created you to worship. If you’re emotional and extravagant, then go ahead and give worship all you’ve got! If you’re rational first and emotional second, then give God your thinking and the emotional will follow. If you’re a planner, plan well to benefit the church and to bring God all the glory you can. If you know that your very existence is alive today because of what Jesus has done in your life, then tell your story! Be exhibit #1! Worship on Sunday and then on every other day too! Make worship your habit and your purpose. Make worship your very life’s work and ambition. Give Jesus every ounce of who you are. Give Jesus back everything He has given you. Praise Him. Honor Him. Love Him! Worship Him!
Today I’d like to talk with you about our worship of Jesus. Praise and worship is how we express our love, adoration, admiration, and wonder at God’s Presence. As Christ-followers, we breathe in God’s goodness and we breathe out worship. A.W. Tozer said that “any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.”
There are many ways to worship. For a lot of the church, worship has become synonymous with singing - but that’s just one way that worship can be expressed. True worship happens when our entire life becomes a declaration of faith in God’s incredible mercy.
I’ve learned over my lifetime that worship is a deeply personal thing since it involves a deeply personal relationship with God! Tell a man or a woman that he or she is not worshiping correctly and you risk starting a war right then and there.
Today I’d like to look at a passage of Scripture that is all about worship. You might be surprised at this since we don’t usually look at the beginning of John 12 and think of “worship.” We see 4 worshipers, 4 styles of worship, but only 3 are accepted. One is not.
#1 - Worship can be EXTRAVAGANT and EXPENSIVE.
“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.” John 12:3
When we read this passage we most likely see Mary as the center of the story. This “pure nard” that she poured onto Jesus’ feet was most likely imported from the Far East. It may have been something inherited by Mary. It had great value and would have been extremely hard to come by and very expensive. Its estimated value was one year’s hard labor, assuming a 6-day work week! Clearly Mary was not thinking at all of the cost of the nard or what else she could have used it for. It was most likely the most precious thing she owned. She gave it all in a lavish display of worship by pouring it onto Jesus’ feet and wiping his feet with her hair. It didn’t matter to her who saw her do this. There was no embarrassment. She was utterly and completely in worship mode.
This is worship that is extravagant. Worship that is emotional. Worship that is all out. Worship that cares only about one thing - the One being worshiped. All else falls by the wayside. This worship is all encompassing. This worshiper is not concerned about what anyone else says or thinks or does. This is worship that begins in the heart and wells up from within. It is worship that doesn’t count the cost. When you see worship like this, it is moving and infectious. There can be no doubt about the sincerity of the worshiper.
If you are not accustomed to this kind of worship, it can be shocking when you see it. There is no concern about order of worship or time or schedule or anything else. It’s all about the worship, about a release of internal pressure that just explodes on the scene. There can be crying or shouting or (depending on the church) different languages spoken in tongues.
When I was a little boy I remember one woman who regularly could not contain herself. She would run and jump and dance up and down the aisle of the church. I sometimes think about her now that I am her age and I wonder if she is still running and jumping and dancing upon the streets of gold in heaven?
For those who worship this way, there can be no doubt in my mind that God inhabits this form of worship. Because He loves a pure and sincere heart fully dedicated to Him. But is this the only way? Were there other worshipers of Jesus at this special dinner for Jesus in Bethany?
#2 - Worship can be EXEMPLARY and EXECUTIVE.
“Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served.” John 12:2
Here’s something you probably haven’t thought about when it comes to this passage of Scripture. If Martha had not have arranged this special dinner to honor Jesus, Mary most likely would never have poured the expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. Someone had to plan. Someone had to make the arrangements. Someone had to put the date on the calendar and hire the servants and prepare the meal and purchase the food. That was all Martha.
I gotta say… I LOVE the Martha’s of this world. Martha’s make the world go round. Right? We love to tell the story of Mary and it truly was a remarkable thing that Mary did! An amazing demonstration of love and devotion. And likely all made possible by her sister, Martha.
If you are a Martha, you may not receive a lot of thank you’s. You may work tirelessly in the background. You may be someone whose mind just never stops. You may wake up in the middle of the night and think about that dinner meeting the next day or that party that you’re arranging the next weekend.
We are so fortunate to have a Martha here at Church Requel. We call her by her given name, Brandi. But she’s a Martha! She plans each of these Church Requel worship services three to four weeks in advance. She thinks way ahead of time about who will pray, who will serve communion, who will sing, who will preach. Like Brandi, Martha’s can also be emotional in the moment, but it is their clear-headed, rational, executive planning that is at the heart of their worship.
God loves these worshipers too because they really THINK about their worship. Their worship starts in their heads and moves down to their hearts. Their worship is pure too because it’s so important to them to think ahead of time about it! If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right!
#3 - Worship can be EXISTENT and EXUBERANT.
“Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead… Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.” John 12:1-2
Again - most of us probably never thought too much about Lazarus being a worshiper. But know this - Lazarus was exhibit numero uno when it came to Jesus and his miracles. Lazarus had been dead! For days! In the tomb! Rotten, smelly, corrupted, bloated, gone, finished, dead-dead-dead. And now he’s sitting (reclining) at the table with Jesus. Enjoying the food. Enjoying the company. Enjoying LIFE!
There is something to be said about the worshiper who just knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that there was one kind of life (actually a dead kind of life) BEFORE Jesus and now there is a completely different kind of life (REAL life, a 2nd life, a born again kind of life) with Jesus. And because of that, this worshiper just likes to hang around with Jesus. Likes to go where Jesus goes. Likes to do things that Jesus likes to do. Wants to be with the kind of people that Jesus likes to be with.
This kind of worshiper is EXISTENT, meaning they know that their very lives are existing because of Jesus. They can tell you what their life was like BEFORE Jesus and what their life is like now WITH Jesus. They are exhibit #1 regarding the change that happens when Jesus comes and moves in with them. They can’t help but tell their story because their story may not even involve words. It’s just LIFE. They are ALIVE with Jesus and everyone they see who knows them has to also know about Jesus. There’s just no other way to explain the change.
This worshiper may not be the most emotional worshiper. They may not be the most executive worshiper. But wow! Are they exuberant or what? Give them any opening at all and they will tell you their Jesus story!
Sadly, we can’t stop the sermon here. Because there is one more character in this gospel story. One more PSUEDO worshiper. Someone who pretends to be a worshiper, but really is not…
#4 - Worship that is EXPEDIENT is EXCOMMUNICABLE.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” John 12:4-5
Mary’s worship WAS SHOCKING! No one expected it. No one saw it coming. Her pouring out of perfume on Jesus’ feet - worth many tens of thousands of dollars in today’s money - would grab anyone’s and everyone’s attention. But only one person said anything negative about it. That was Judas Iscariot. The same Judas who always and forever has the tagline - “who was later to betray [Jesus].”
If nothing else, this should grab OUR attention. Be very careful when you are questioning the internal motivations for someone’s worship of Jesus Christ! The gospel writer is very clear in helping us to see exactly what is going on here. John tells us that Judas wasn’t all that concerned about being a good steward of the money…
“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.” John 12:6
For Judas, worship was not so much what he could give of himself to God. Rather worship was a means to an end. He looked at the opportunity of worship as an opportunity to help himself. Worship wasn’t what he could give, but rather what he could get from it.
Be very careful when you go home from church and say to yourself or others, “I just didn’t get anything out of the service today.” I’ve got news for you. If you ever find yourself even beginning to think such a thing, stop it before the next neuron can fire. Worship is never about what you can get out of it. Worship is always always always about what you give to honor and glorify God.
Whenever you look upon worship as a “get” instead of a “give”, you’re on dangerous ground. The first commandment about having no other gods before the Lord God is first for a reason. If you look upon worship as what you get from it, you are literally placing yourself ahead of God. You are literally saying, “I was not served well!” We call it a worship “service” not to be served, but rather to serve!
Sad to say, many people go to church for what they can get out of it. Business men and women look for potential clients. Those who want help go for the financial resources they think they may find. Those who want to demonstrate their abilities go to be on the platform and to be seen. There are many who are in danger of being the Judas in today’s story.
Judas did not survive his sin. He stole not just from the Lord, but ultimately from himself. We cannot place ourselves ahead of God and then at the same time seek His mercy and grace. Humility is a requirement for forgiveness. Beware worship that is self-serving.
Beyond that single grave error, you worship in the way God created you to worship. If you’re emotional and extravagant, then go ahead and give worship all you’ve got! If you’re rational first and emotional second, then give God your thinking and the emotional will follow. If you’re a planner, plan well to benefit the church and to bring God all the glory you can. If you know that your very existence is alive today because of what Jesus has done in your life, then tell your story! Be exhibit #1! Worship on Sunday and then on every other day too! Make worship your habit and your purpose. Make worship your very life’s work and ambition. Give Jesus every ounce of who you are. Give Jesus back everything He has given you. Praise Him. Honor Him. Love Him! Worship Him!