Do you ever ask the question - “Is it worth it?”
Sure you do - probably quite often
-from something as simple as - wondering if you should go to a movie
-it cost, $6 to go to a movie
-& so, sometimes you ask, “Hmmm, is it worth it to go to this movie?
“Or, should I just wait until its on DVD - then we can all watch it”
-to sometimes, more bigger questions - like buying a car
“Hmmm, is this car worth $20,000? Or, $10,000, or $5,000?”
“Or, should I just keep my clunker?”
The question that we find ourselves asking often & we should ask,
“Is it worth it?”
Is it worth it to buy something?
Is it worth it to drive out to the lake this afternoon?
Is it worth it to stay up tonight?
Is it worth it to run the Paavo?
That question of, “Is it worth it?”- comes up all the time in life
Today, as we come to the Lord’s Table
I want us to ask this same question concerning our serving the Lord
“Is it worth it, to serve the Lord? Or, what is it worth?”
-when we honestly look at the answer - we should be convinced
“Yes, it’s worth it!”
Last week, we considered the importance of serving the Lord - right now!
Jesus told us to get going with serving Him today!
-we need to wake up & stay awake - spiritually
-we need to be serving the Lord as if He could be coming back anytime
-we need to live for eternity, not for this short moment
-we need to live with the view that God has important plans for us - a job
& it all focuses on eternity & the Lord’s return
Wake up & stay alert - watch for the Lord’s return!
If you are spiritually awake - you will be active in serving God
So, I want to pose to you the question - how are you serving Christ?
And this is a question for all of us in the context of our church
-Sept. which is a few weeks away, begins a new season for our church
-there are many opportunities to serve - there’s a place for all of us
-there’s a place & a need, for everyone - to serve Christ in this church
-& more so, as we grow
Does God want this church to grow?
Are there more people to reach for Christ in this community?
Are there more people who still need to get serious about their faith?
Are there more people who need to become involved in fellowship
-& the teaching of God’s Word so they can grow?
-the answer is a thundering - YES!
-there is room for more growth in this church
-& so, we all need to get going & do the work of serving the Lord here
-the church grows, as more serve
-service & growth go together
-everyone of us needs to do our part
Is it worth it?
We’re saying - we should serve the Lord - that takes dedication & sacrifice
-it cost to serve the Lord
Is it worth it?
We looked at Mark 13 last week, let’s look at Mark 14
Let’s look at the people of that day, & how they responded to Jesus
-& we’re to respond ourselves to Jesus this morning, as we come to His table
-to have fellowship with Jesus
-& to remember His precious death for us
-this account is of some people who were with Jesus
Mark 14:1-11
Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
6 "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Our hero in today’s account of Jesus with His disciples - is this woman
-she used some expensive perfume on Jesus
-it was worth close to a year’s income - an average income
-so, it was probably worth in our economy - at least $20,000
-probably more - ? $40,000
-that’s a lot of money & I’d have to at first be in the group that protested
“Why this waste of money?!!!
“We could have used that for something!
“Like, a nice charitable gift!”
“It’s not worth it to pour that perfume all out at once & waste it like that!”
However, Jesus appreciated it as something special - a real service to Him
“That was a beautiful thing she did for me!” - that’s what Jesus thought
-& you know what? It became a lasting memorial
-wherever the gospel is preached - this gift to Jesus has been remembered
(We’re remembering it today)
It was a simple - yet a very costly gesture of worship
-a testimony of the importance & worth of the body of Jesus
-because it was this body that was going to accomplish
-the salvation of the world
-this body was going to be abused & die for our sin
-so we could have our sin forgiven by God
-so we could spend eternity in heaven
John fills in some more of the details with the people involved that day
John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 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. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6 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.
7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
There were a number of people there,
-Judas - he was the one who led the protest against the woman’s gift
-of course, he right here - probably right after this incident
-went off to work out a deal to betray Jesus
Was serving Jesus worth it for Judas? No - at least that’s what he thought
-he had in his mind, that it was a waste to give to Jesus
-he certainly thought this expensive perfume was a waste
-& in a broader sense, Judas had grown bitter & hardened
-to commitment to Jesus
-to where, I think we’d understand that commitment to following Him
-wasn’t no longer worth it to Judas
-to Judas - serving Jesus - wasn’t worth it
-that $20-40,000 wasn’t worth it
-time, was no longer worth it
-risks, weren’t any longer worth it
-to follow Jesus - you were taking a lot of risks
-Jesus was on a course to destruction - to Judas - it wasn’t worth it
Sadly, we too, fall in line with Judas’ way of thinking
-very few Christians give a tithe of 10% or more
-apparently the Lord isn’t worth it
-how much commitment do we give Him?
-how much is He worth to us? How much time do we give Him?
-are we willing to take some risks for Jesus
-I wish we weren’t like Judas
-but if we are or when we are - let’s wise up
& learn from some of those who were devoted to Him & serving Him
-despite the cost
Look at some of the others:
Lazarus - he wasn’t right now so much serving
-but he was in fellowship with Jesus
-that’s of course a necessary part of the service
-we need to spend quality time just being with Him
-you can’t serve the Lord if you don’t also spend time with Him
-Lazarus was spending quality time with Jesus - spend time with the Lord!
Martha - she was doing the right thing - she was serving
-she was hard at work serving Jesus & the other disciples
-that was her nature - probably she was good at it
-she could probably organize & efficiently run a mess hall
-for a platoon of marines if she needed
-you can just imagine her barking out orders to the kitchen staff
-as she had her sleeves rolled up chopping onions
-all the while, knowing what everyone else was doing or not doing
-she wonderfully served the Lord
But then there’s Mary - who spent all this valuable resource
-on just blessing Jesus - making a statement for the moment
-it seemed to simple - but so expensive - pouring out all that perfume
Was it worth it?
According to Jesus it was - it blessed the Lord
-anytime we can bless the Lord - it’s worth it
Serving God is worth it
-it’s worth all we can give
-it’s worth any sacrifice
Yeah, it takes time, energy, money, - it takes our lives
-but it’s worth it - it’s totally worth it to serve God
So, are you & will you serve Jesus?
Opportunities are before you to do just that
-I’m looking at this month of August - as sort of a recruitment month
-September is the month where a new season starts in our church
-if you’re a part of this church
-then the Lord means for you to be part of the body
-& the body of Christ is made up of many members
-it’s worth anything you can give to serve the Lord
-will you do it?
Today we come to Jesus - it’s really about spending time with Him
Remember what He gave you!
Mary poured out a lot of money - just to simply bless the Lord
-but that week, Jesus was to give everything to you & me
-& everyone who will accept His gift
-He sacrificed His whole life
-He sacrificed His relationship with God the Father
-when He took on the guilt of our sins on the cross
Let’s prayerfully consider what we’re doing for the Lord
& how we’re serving Him
Let’s be a church that faithfully serves the Lord in the precious years we have
Let’s be a church that grows
-& if we’re to grow - we’ll need to serve the Lord together
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