No Regrets | Giving it All for the Lord

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Learn more and sign up at harvest.org. So Mary, she took the whole bottle of expensive perfume worth $25,000 to $30,000 and she anointed the feet of Jesus. Many pastors are asked a variation of one particular question. Can I do such and such and still be a Christian? It's never can I tithe and still be a Christian. It's always something questionable or clearly sinful. Essentially, it's asking, can I give my all to Jesus but hold this one thing back? Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie presents the flip side of that coin.

We'll see a New Testament story of a woman who gave it all for the Lord, including a most precious possession. Let me take a quick poll. How many of you have heard of the Beatles? Raise your hand if you've heard of the Beatles, okay. How many of you have never heard of the Beatles before? I'm talking about a band, not Bugs, by the way.

Well years ago in the 60s when the Beatles were at the very peak of their popularity, John Lennon made a very controversial statement in an interview with a British publication that was picked up by the American press and it caused a lot of people to get very angry at this band from England. But here is what he said in the interview. Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that. Or he would have said it. Christianity will go.

It will shrink. I didn't argue about that. Right Paul? No that's right John.

That's exactly right. Anyway. He says, I'm right and I'll be proved right.

And this is the big statement that got him in trouble. We're more popular than Jesus now, speaking of the Beatles. I don't know what you'll go first. Rock and roll or Christianity. Dear John. Who is more popular now?

The Beatles have been long broken up. But Jesus in a way is more popular than ever. In fact I read an interesting article in the news the other day with a headline. The popular Jesus is emerging. It can be debated whether or not America is a Christian nation.

But one thing is certain according to author Stephen Prothero. Everybody loves Jesus. And it is not just the usual suspects. In addition to Christians America has Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, and atheists who adore Jesus. This fascination with Jesus is the subject of two classes being taught at Vanderbilt University this semester. One is called Jesus in popular culture and the other is called Jesus in film. Prothero said, quote, I'm pretty comfortable saying the United States is unique.

This obsession with Jesus is unparalleled. End quote. Fascinating. Time magazine did a list of the 100 most significant figures in world history.

And who do you think got the number one spot? Jesus. The most significant figure in human history.

But by the way this is nothing new. Jesus was popular in the first century as well. Especially after he raised Lazarus from the dead. The name of Jesus was on everyone's lips. Wherever Christ went crowds of people would press on him. He would be thronged. Matthew 12 says, large crowds gathered him and he got into a boat and sat down because the whole crowd was standing on the beach. You know he had to get into a little floating pulpit in effect to get a little distance from the crowd. We read over in Luke 12 that so many thousands of people gathered together to hear Jesus.

They were stepping on each other. And then in John 12 the text before us, a large crowd of the Jews learned that Christ was there. And they came not just for Jesus but that they also might see Lazarus whom he raised from the dead. So Jesus was very popular.

But here is the problem. This popularity would be short lived. And the same people that were singing his praises now would be shouting for his crucifixion in only days. That is because they never really understood his real mission. Even his own hand picked disciples didn't fully get it until he died and rose again from the dead.

With one exception. And I would like to say it was Peter, James, and John sort of the favored three that Christ would take with him on special occasions. But it wasn't. Nor was it any other of the disciples that Jesus hand picked. In fact it wasn't a man at all. It was a woman. It was a woman who had greater insight spiritually than those who effectively spent every waking hour of their life with Jesus for some three extended years.

Who was the woman that seemed to get what all the guys missed? Her name was Mary. By the way there is a number of Marys in the Bible.

And we get confused. There is Mary the mother of Jesus. There is Mary Magdalene. There is Mary of Mary and Martha. Lots of Marys. This is the Mary of Mary and Martha. They were sisters and their brother was Lazarus. And it is worth noting that every time we read of her she is at the feet of Jesus. So maybe that is why she had such great insight. On one occasion when the Lord showed up at her house I don't know if He would call first or text. Probably not.

Since that technology didn't exist He would just show up. Hey guys I just was in town. I brought 12 of my friends. Is that ok?

Can you make lunch? And Martha was such an amazing hostess she would whip up these incredible meals for them. And Jesus really felt at home in the house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Until one time when He showed up Martha was getting a little frustrated. I mean 12 people counting Jesus. That is 13 actually. That is a lot of people to cook for.

Especially if you weren't prepared for it. But she needed a little help in the kitchen. But when she is frantically making the meals she looks out there and there is Mary her sister sitting at the feet of Jesus. So Martha in frustration comes out really upset and we read in Luke chapter 10 that she demanded that her sister come help her. And Jesus said, Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things but one thing is needed. And Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her. So Jesus is saying, Martha, listen.

Appreciate the awesome food. But actually Mary is right being here. She has chosen that one thing that really matters which actually is better. She seemed, Mary that is, to grasp an essential truth that was largely missed by the others. And it was this. That Jesus had come to die. So she had a unique understanding as to who He was and why He came. And because of this she brought the most incredible valuable gift she could. And Jesus was so moved by her sacrificial act that He commended her and said, this will be a memorial that will never be forgotten. In fact Jesus said, wherever the gospel is preached the story of what this woman has done will be told. So this was a big deal to Jesus. So it should be a big deal to us.

And I find this fascinating. Jesus singles this story out and we might not have done the same. Because you know a lot of amazing history was happening during the life and ministry of Christ.

Rome was at its absolute zenith. Many very significant wars were fought at that particular time. But the Bible says very little about Rome. It says very little about Caesar. It says very little about much of what was going on.

In fact all it is there for is a backdrop to pinpoint these events in human time. We probably wouldn't even know who Caesar Augustus was if it wasn't for the Christmas story. We wouldn't know who King Herod was if it wasn't for what is written in the gospel of Matthew. We wouldn't know about Pontius Pilate the powerful Roman governor if he did not play a role in the death of Christ. These people would be in the ash heap of history. And only history buffs would know about them. But we know of them because they played a role in the greatest story ever told. So this simply shows us that God sees things differently than we see them. So we look at things right now world history happening before our eyes and it looks really big and sometimes it looks really scary. God sees it differently.

In fact the Bible says that the nations to him are a drop in the bucket. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they receive from these daily messages. God's word ministers to them and it often gets them through some dark hours. I'm very sorry for the loss of your son Pastor Greg.

While I can relate to loss and grief, I love the Lord but I struggle with the type of survivor's guilt. My older sister and I are only 11 months apart. We are very close. I spoke with her just hours before her cardiac arrest and she was excitedly waiting for her son's 21st birthday. Her youngest son found her on his bed and he screamed for help. Emergency responders were able to get a pulse and she was rushed to the hospital where drastic measures took place.

Because my sister signed a do not resuscitate order, she was very clear about not wanting to be kept alive with feeding tubes and things. We had to let her go. It's been five years and as I tell you this you can hear me weeping inside.

I feel like it just happened. Like you've said you never really get over it you just get through it. I know the Lord will get me through this obstacle that robs me of fully experiencing peace with God's decision to bring her home. I also know more trials are just around the corner so I need to learn how to completely trust in the Lord and take myself out of the equation so Satan can't place those kind of strongholds on me. I pray for you that you will continue to preach the importance of having complete faith and peace with God's decision whether you like his decisions or not. May God continue to bless you and your family Pastor Greg.

Thank you so much for all that you do. We're so moved when we hear from listeners like this knowing that this broadcast is helping. Would you like to share your story with Pastor Greg? Email him at Greg at Harvest dot org.

Do it today while you're thinking about it. That's Greg at Harvest dot o-r-g. Well today Pastor Greg is helping us learn from the example set for us by Mary in the 12th chapter of John. It's a demonstration of love through lavish sacrifice.

Here's Pastor Greg once again. So what did this woman do that so impressed Jesus? Did she deliver an amazing sermon? No. Did she pray an incredible prayer of faith?

Actually no. In fact what she did was not really very practical at all. In fact you could even say it was somewhat impractical but it was very heartfelt. So let's see what she did and why Jesus commended her. John 12 starting in verse 1. Six days before the Passover celebration began Jesus arrived in Bethany the home of Lazarus the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor.

By the way I'm reading from the New Living Translation. Martha served as she usually did and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. And Mary took a 12 ounce jar of expensive perfume made from the essence of nard and she anointed the feet of Jesus with it.

Wiping his feet with her hair and the house was filled with a fragrance. But Judas Iscariot the disciple who would soon betray him said, This perfume was worth a year's wages. It could have been sold and the money could have been given to the poor.

I love John's commentary here. It is not that Judas cared for the poor. He was a thief. And since he was in charge of the disciples' money he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, Leave her alone. She has done this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you.

But me you will not always have. We will stop there. Now Mark's Gospel brings a very important insight into this story. Speaking of the same event Mark writes in Mark 14 eight. She has done what she could. So Christ is saying of this woman. She has done what she could.

She came beforehand to anoint my body for burial and assuredly I say to you wherever this gospel is preached to the whole world what this woman has done will be told as a memorial to her. Very important. Wow.

What a dinner this was. Think about this. Jesus was there.

That is really all that mattered. But now we have the resurrected Lazarus. This guy was dead. Imagine being invited over to a house for a dinner and meeting a guy who three days earlier had been dead. Would he be an interesting person to have a conversation with?

Imagine what you would ask him. So what is it like on the other side? What did you see over there? Was it scary? Was it awesome? What was it like when Jesus called you back from the dead?

Tell me all about it. I am sure there were a lot of questions. And so this room is abuzz with conversation.

A lot is going on. And the reality is Jesus was pondering and thinking about what was ahead now. You know it is not always great to know everything. And Jesus did. Aren't you glad you don't know everything about everyone?

Sometimes we think we do. My granddaughter Ali came to me the other day and she is like five. She said, Papa I am smarter than you. I said ok. She says I am. I am smarter than you.

I didn't even argue with her. Sometimes we feel that way in life. I know so many things. You know very little actually. But in fact Jesus knew everything because he was God among us. And one of the attributes of God is omniscience, which means knowledge of all things. He knew what was going to happen before it happened.

That is why Christ could predict the future in Matthew 24 and the Olivet Discourse. And in another situation speaks so clearly of what was about to happen. For Christ he knew the details of it.

He spoke of the details of it. In fact he would describe how the Son of Man, speaking of himself, would be betrayed by one of his own. He would be delivered to the high priest and crucified by the Romans.

And three days later he would rise again. He knew all of this. He knew he was going to take the beating and the whipping and the crucifixion. And worst of all he knew he would bear all the sins of the world. And it was weighing heavily on him this night.

And I don't think anyone happened to notice. Except Mary. She is watching him. She is saying something is troubling the Lord. And I want to do something so extravagant. So amazing that it will be a great blessing to him. So she breaks open this box of expensive perfume.

Look at verse 3 again. A 12 ounce jar of expensive perfume. She anoints the feet of Jesus with it wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. There is a good possibility that this bottle of perfume was a family heirloom.

We find out later it was worth 25 to 30 thousand dollars. Now it would make sense if she put a few drops on his feet. You know a little goes a long way. By the way that is a good rule of thumb to know about Kelowna perfume.

A little goes a long way. You don't have to bathe in it. We don't want to smell you after you have left an hour later. As it is the case with some people. If they have been in a room or if they have been in a car.

Wherever it is they have been. So she took the whole bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on his feet. It was an act of complete devotion and adoration. Judas Iscariot with calculator in hand. A man who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing instantly calculates how much of a waste this was.

As I said 25 to 30 thousand dollars. What a waste Judas says. And he had a point. You know you can spend a lot of money on perfume today. I Googled it just to find out what expensive perfumes there were out there. I read one of the most expensive perfumes you can buy is called Shalani.

I like that name Shalani. It sounds very mysterious. It is composed of rare flowers. Including 336 roses and over 10,000 flowers of jasmine. Wow. How did they get all of that in that little bottle? And celebrities really favor Shalani. And it costs 900 dollars a bottle.

Oh it gets much worse. There is Clive Christian's Imperial Majesty. This is a perfume. I am not making this up by the way.

It is a combination of mandarin, orange, indian, jasmine, white, peach, lemon, and more. It will set you back. Get ready for it. 435,000 dollars for a single bottle. But the most expensive perfume in the world is called. Here you go sucker.

No I made that up. But it should be. It is actually called DKNY. Delicious million dollar perfume. That is even a stupid name. If you are going to ask me to pay a million dollars at least give me Shalani.

They actually call it what it is. It is the DKNY delicious million dollar perfume. Apple, sandalwood, musk, vanilla. Who stinking cares. Who is going to buy this.

Listen. I Googled this because I used to wear this cologne. You can buy a bottle of JD's for 22 dollars. I was shocked to find JD's still exists.

How many of you have heard of JD's? Ok. How many of you are wearing JD's? Anybody? Nobody here? Ok. Because we would probably know if you were. Did someone raise their hand over here and I missed it? Ok. Ok thank you. I was getting the high karate.

It is funny you should mention that. I used to also wear that. That is 56 dollars sir.

High karate. And Old Spice much more affordable. 13 bucks. Yeah. But this wasn't about perfume at all. This was about sacrifice. She brought the most valuable possession she owned and gave it to Jesus. Pastor Greg Laurie pointing out the extravagant sacrifice on the part of Mary toward Jesus. And we will learn more about the meaning behind this gesture as our study continues here on A New Beginning. And then let me take just a moment and read something. A listener recently wrote us and said, Hello Pastor Greg.

I am 16 years old from the United Kingdom. I have been enjoying listening to A New Beginning for the past seven years. I am so thankful that all your messages revolve around salvation, which I love, as Christianity is all about the cross.

You have been a blessing to my friends and family. Well, you know, as you are joining us each day, there are thousands and thousands listening right along with you. Some may be right there in your neighborhood or in a faraway country. Some might be right across the street.

Some may be across an ocean. But the Word of God is relevant to everyone, everywhere. And we hope you will recognize how God is using these studies to touch lives. Would you pray for us that God prepares the hearts of those who listen? And would you also partner with us so we can continue to reach out? And Pastor Greg, we have some big plans for major ministry this year, don't we? Yeah, you know that's true, Dave. And whatever you send to us here at A New Beginning, we'll take those resources, that money, and channel it into continuing this ministry and even expanding this ministry around the nation and the world.

Yeah, that's right. So would you prayerfully consider partnering with us today? You can make that investment online and get details on the resource we'd like to send your way to thank you. It's a book called Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table, written by Pastor Louie Giglio. He points out we're in a battle for the control of our minds, and our enemy is trying to push a narrative that will lead to defeat.

The subtitle is It's Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind. And we'll send you this book to thank you for your investment. Just go to harvest.org. Or drop us a note at A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call us anytime 24-7 at 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300. Are you receiving Pastor Greg's daily devotions? They're a great way to start your day with extra insight and inspiration. Sign up for his devotions today at harvest.org.

And then we want to let you know about something exciting. Pastor Greg and the Crusade team are headed to Idaho soon for an important evangelistic event. It's called the Boise Harvest. It's at Extra Mile Arena, April 23rd and 24th. Pastor Greg's music guests are Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin, Andy Mineo, and Jordan Felice. Please keep this event in prayer, would you? Ask the Lord to prepare the hearts of those who will attend. And you can help us spread the word about this event. Tell your friends in Idaho about the Boise Harvest by sending them to boise.harvest.org.

Hey everybody, what are you doing this weekend? I'd like to hang out with you at Harvest at Home. When is Harvest at Home? It is a time of worship and Bible study exclusively designed for people that are viewing in from all over the place. So you can be a part of our extended congregation at Harvest at Home.

Join us this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, for Harvest at Home at harvest.org. Well next time, Pastor Greg has more insight from his message called, No Regrets. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie. A New Beginning is a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. If this show has impacted your life, share your story, leave a review on your favorite podcast app, and help others find hope.