Happy Sunday!
Today we celebrated our Bishop's 29th year in ministry and his 46th Birthday! Our guest speaker was Pastor Kerwin B. Lee from Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia. His message was entitled, "What Happens When You Give God Your Best". He used St. Mark 14:3-9 as his reference scriptures.
There are three levels that we humans beings can occupy. We are either below average, average, or above average. If you occupy two of these levels you will undoubtedly experience persecution. If you are below average, people will say..."What a waste, they should be doing more with the gifts God gave them". If you are above average, people will say..."Who does he/she think they are? It doesn't take all that!" The only level you can occupy safely without any persecution in the "average" level. My mother wouldn't allow us to be average. We had to bring our books home from school whether we had homework or not. She believed that no self-respecting educator would send a child home without homework. See required excellence even in our house work. If you didn't do a task properly you could expect to have to do it again. God is our heavenly father. He says we are special, unique, and precious. He will not accept average. He calls us out to be extraordinary. "But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light." - 1 Peter 2:9 (Easy-to-Read Version)
In the text, a woman gave an extraordinary gift to Jesus. When she gave her gift three things happened. First those around her got an attitude. Verse 4 says, "Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?" They didn't buy the perfume! They didn't have any business commenting about it, but they did what others will do when you give God your best. People will judge and criticize you. Secondly, they made an assumption. Verse 5 says, "It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” Those around her assumed that they knew better how her gift could be used. Third, they attacked her. Verse 5 also says, "And they rebuked her harshly." At that point Jesus spoke up.
Verses 6 through 9 say, “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (New International Version)
How can we give God our best? Good question! In order to give our best we must give like the woman in these scriptures; Personally, Publicly, Intentionally, Sacrificially, and Liberally.
Personally - The gift belonged to the woman. It was hers to give. Pastor Robert Morrison uses this example...imagine you drive a friend to the airport because they have to take a flight and you need to use their vehicle. When they return you tell them that the Lord has spoken to you and told you to give them the vehicle. They look puzzled. It was their vehicle in the first place. You can't give them something they already own. In the same way, the "tithe" belongs to God. When you give it it's more like returning it to it's rightful owner. The gift the woman gave was her own, it was not the tithe. It was above and beyond the tithe. Selah.
Publicly - She was not ashamed to give her gift in front of the others. Now don't get this point twisted, she didn't give it publicly to be seen or noticed. But she wasn't afraid to worship Jesus in front of others. There's a big difference. Jesus said, “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out." Matthew 6:2-4 (Message Translation)
Intentionally - The scripture says she broke the jar of perfume. She didn't make a small opening so a little bit could leak out. She broke it with the intention that it was all to be used on Jesus. There was no turning back after it was broken.
Sacrificially - The spectators remarked that the perfume was very costly, one writer even says it was worth a years wages. But the woman decided that Jesus was worth the cost. The Apostle John identified the woman as Mary, the sister of Lazarus. She had seen her brother raised from the dead. I imagined Mary had a new perspective about the value of "Things".
Liberally - She gave liberally. She followed the example of our Awesome God. She poured that gift out for Jesus. Malachi 3:10b says, "if you do(give tithes and offerings), I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in!" (Living Bible)
Today we celebrated our Bishop's 29th year in ministry and his 46th Birthday! Our guest speaker was Pastor Kerwin B. Lee from Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia. His message was entitled, "What Happens When You Give God Your Best". He used St. Mark 14:3-9 as his reference scriptures.
There are three levels that we humans beings can occupy. We are either below average, average, or above average. If you occupy two of these levels you will undoubtedly experience persecution. If you are below average, people will say..."What a waste, they should be doing more with the gifts God gave them". If you are above average, people will say..."Who does he/she think they are? It doesn't take all that!" The only level you can occupy safely without any persecution in the "average" level. My mother wouldn't allow us to be average. We had to bring our books home from school whether we had homework or not. She believed that no self-respecting educator would send a child home without homework. See required excellence even in our house work. If you didn't do a task properly you could expect to have to do it again. God is our heavenly father. He says we are special, unique, and precious. He will not accept average. He calls us out to be extraordinary. "But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light." - 1 Peter 2:9 (Easy-to-Read Version)
In the text, a woman gave an extraordinary gift to Jesus. When she gave her gift three things happened. First those around her got an attitude. Verse 4 says, "Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?" They didn't buy the perfume! They didn't have any business commenting about it, but they did what others will do when you give God your best. People will judge and criticize you. Secondly, they made an assumption. Verse 5 says, "It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” Those around her assumed that they knew better how her gift could be used. Third, they attacked her. Verse 5 also says, "And they rebuked her harshly." At that point Jesus spoke up.
Verses 6 through 9 say, “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (New International Version)
How can we give God our best? Good question! In order to give our best we must give like the woman in these scriptures; Personally, Publicly, Intentionally, Sacrificially, and Liberally.
Personally - The gift belonged to the woman. It was hers to give. Pastor Robert Morrison uses this example...imagine you drive a friend to the airport because they have to take a flight and you need to use their vehicle. When they return you tell them that the Lord has spoken to you and told you to give them the vehicle. They look puzzled. It was their vehicle in the first place. You can't give them something they already own. In the same way, the "tithe" belongs to God. When you give it it's more like returning it to it's rightful owner. The gift the woman gave was her own, it was not the tithe. It was above and beyond the tithe. Selah.
Publicly - She was not ashamed to give her gift in front of the others. Now don't get this point twisted, she didn't give it publicly to be seen or noticed. But she wasn't afraid to worship Jesus in front of others. There's a big difference. Jesus said, “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out." Matthew 6:2-4 (Message Translation)
Intentionally - The scripture says she broke the jar of perfume. She didn't make a small opening so a little bit could leak out. She broke it with the intention that it was all to be used on Jesus. There was no turning back after it was broken.
Sacrificially - The spectators remarked that the perfume was very costly, one writer even says it was worth a years wages. But the woman decided that Jesus was worth the cost. The Apostle John identified the woman as Mary, the sister of Lazarus. She had seen her brother raised from the dead. I imagined Mary had a new perspective about the value of "Things".
Liberally - She gave liberally. She followed the example of our Awesome God. She poured that gift out for Jesus. Malachi 3:10b says, "if you do(give tithes and offerings), I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in!" (Living Bible)
Give God your best this week! I salute all our nation's Veteran's this week! I appreciate that you have given your best for our country!
Love and prayers, Cynthia
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