"SPECIAL BLESSING" AT THE FEET OF JESUS - THERE IS A PLACE OF SERVICE

John 12:1-8

I have been speaking to you about a woman named Mary. She is Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. She is also the Mary who we find often at the feet of Jesus.

Two weeks ago we saw Mary at the feet of Jesus in a place of stillness as she came to listen and learn from Him. Last week we saw Mary at the feet of Jesus in a place of supplication as she came to lean on Him in a time of great sorrow. And today we will see Mary again, at the feet of Jesus in a place of service and sacrifice.

I have tried to stress to you through these messages that being at the feet of Jesus is a necessity for each and every one of us. And that we must learn to take the time every day to be at His feet…to study His Word…to communicate with Him in prayer and to worship for who He is.

So we should listen and learn from Him…we should lean on Him…and today we will learn that we should lavish Him!

Stand and Read John 12:1-8…

The first time Mary sat at the feet of Jesus because she was so overcome with His Words…the second time Mary fell at Jesus feet because she was so overcome with her World…and now she kneels at the feet of Jesus because she is so overcome with Worship!

After all, Jesus had just raised her brother from the dead! What more could she do to thank Him for what He had done?

Thought: I have often wondered how Lazarus felt about being raised from the dead!

Nevertheless, as we focus on the actions of Mary in the passage I am reminded that it is not enough to simply know His Word, or to call on Him in prayer, if I do not also take the time to worship Him for who He is and for what He has done and will do!

The first and greatest service that we could render to God is Worship!

I assure you that Jesus is worthy of all our adoration and praise and worship! So it is right and proper to kneel at His feet in a place of servitude and sacrifice and worship Him!

It is a place:

Where WE Humble Ourselves before Him

In order to truly worship our great God, there must be a genuine sense of humility!

God owes us nothing! And we owe Him everything! Amen! The Bible says that we are like grasshoppers in His sight. He is our Creator, Sustainer, Savior and King!

So why would we ever attempt to worship Him without an enormous dose of humility?

Mary humbled herself…at His feet – Being at someone’s feet is a sign, an indication of humility and submission.

Mary humbled herself…by wiping and anointing His feet. Again this was something that pointed to servitude. A servant humbly serves his/her Master. Others served Jesus as well in this passage – they made a meal, Martha served the meal, Lazarus and the disciples shared fellowship with the Lord, but Mary…Mary chose the baser service. She wiped His feet.

There are church members today who avoid the lower or lesser things that need to be done in the Church…Some who would never clean the bathrooms, take out the trash or change a diaper in the nursery. Friends every one of these things must be done! Not for me, not for the Church, but for Jesus!

Mary humbled herself…she wiped His feet with her hair. It that culture if a woman had her hair down in public it was a sign that she was an immoral woman. But Jesus knew Mary’s heart.

Mary did not care what others thought…she simply humbled herself and worshipped at His feet.

I recall an occasion where King David stripped down to his undergarments and publically leaped and danced before the Lord as the Ark of the Covenant was being carried into Jerusalem. His wife criticized him and accused him of being undignified; making a fool of himself in front of others. His response:

"It was before the Lord God of Israel that I did this…and for Him, I will be even more undignified than this!"

David cared not what others thought of him…he humbled himself in the sight of all, before almighty God!

Church, when we are together in the building it is not to promote ourselves, or CBC, or to perform a song or a sermon…it is to lift up, honor and praise, and worship our great God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And though we worship corporately, you should worship in the place as if no one else is here except you and the Lord!

I’m gonna dance for You like nobody is watching, nobody’s watching me, And dance for You my Lord.

I’m gonna sing for You like nobody is listening, nobody is listening, And sing for You my Lord.

I’m gonna worship You like nothing else matters, nothing else matters, Worship You, my Lord.

I’m not ashamed to worship the name Jesus, Jesus.

I’m not ashamed to shout out the name Jesus, Jesus.

So, at the feet of Jesus there is a place of service where we humble ourselves before Him…and…

Where We Make Our Sacrifice to Him

Notice that verse 3 says Mary poured out a pound of spikenard ointment on the feet of Jesus. We may say well so what…but look at verse 5…three hundred pence in that day would equal about one year’s salary for the average worker. That is a lot of money!

When Mary wanted to worship the Lord and make a sacrifice to Him she didn’t really think about the cost. She simply took the very best she had and used it ALL for Him! She lavished Him with her love by pouring out the most valuable possession that she had!

When we give less than our best to the Lord can we really call it love or worship? And can we really call it a sacrifice?

Giving God what is leftover or what we do not really need or what has no real value to us is a very poor way to show our love, adoration and worship to Him.

Sometimes we express our love and devotion to the Lord like the guy who called his girlfriend and said, "Darling, I love you. I'd climb the highest mountain for you; I'd swim the deepest stream for you; I'd fight a whole jungle of lions for you; and if it doesn't rain, I'll be over to see you tonight."

Words are not enough friend! Actions speak louder than words. So what must we give to Him as a true sacrifice?

Romans 12:1 tells us what we should give: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

II Corinthians 9:6-7 tell us how we should give: But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7　Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

And finally we learn from several different scriptures that Obedience is better than sacrifice! So what God wants most, and what He wants more, and what He wants first is obedience!

The key is that no matter what you give, no matter how costly it is your heart needs to be right before the Lord.

Remember the little widow woman only gave two mites (less than two pennies) and the Lord said that she had given more than everyone who had given money that day. Why? Because she gave ALL and her heart was in the right place.

There is a short story called "The Gift of the Magi." It is the story of a young couple named Della and Jim. They were a poor couple but they loved each other very much. They had very little of value between them. But each one had their own unique possession. Della's hair was her pride and joy. It was long and flowing and beautiful. Jim had a gold pocket watch, which his father had given him.

On the day before Christmas, Della only had $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She wanted to get him something that would express her great love to him…but she knew that she could not get much with a $1.87. So she did the only thing she could do. She went and sold her hair for $20.00. And with the money she bought a platinum chain for Jim's precious watch.

When Jim came home from work that night and saw that Della' shaved head, he was speechless. So she handed him her gift…as he opened it he she told him what she had done. Then, weeping Jim handed Della her gift…it was a set of very expensive tortoise-shell combs with jeweled edges for her lovely hair. Jim had sold his gold watch to buy them for her.

Now Jim had a chain, but no watch and Della had combs, but no hair…nevertheless both were happy for each had given all he or she had to give.

So, at the feet of Jesus there is a place of service where we humble ourselves before Him; where we make our sacrifice to Him and…

Where We Make Our Statement about Him

Notice verse 5 again…and also Mark 14:4-5 you see that there were some that question Mary’s act of worship some criticized and some were even angry with her.

Nevertheless, Mary’s act of worship there at the feet of Jesus was a clear statement to others about how she felt about Jesus. Turn to Mark 14:4-9…

Did you see that? Wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what Mary has done will be a memorial to her…it will be an evident token of her love and devotion for Christ!

What will you be remembered for? Will you be remembered for your love and devotion to Christ or something else?

If we will be remembered for our love and devotion to our Lord then we must sit at His feet and learn…we must bow at His feet and prayer…and we must kneel at His feet and worship Him!

But are we willing to humble ourselves? To make a sincere sacrifice? To make a clear statement about Him?

Believe it or not a day is coming when every person will be at the feet of Jesus: Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. But for some, on that day it will be too late.

Pastor John Sweat, Sr

Crossroad Baptist Church

1595 Baxley Road

Middleburg, Florida