No Regrets | Giving it All for the Lord

We are glad you're joining us for a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast supported by harvest partners get more encouraging audio content. When you subscribe to pastor Greg daily Devos learn more and sign up@harvest.org a lot of money on route 1 of the most expensive perfume is your employer's gold shell because hundred dollars in the New Testament. Mary had an even more costly. Greg Laurie points out today, she used it on so she took the whole bottle of expensive you 25, $30,000 and she anointed the feet of Jesus and to the question why do such insurgents do Christian is never Christian. It's always something? What was essentially is asking can I give my all to Jesus.

But will this one pastor Greg Laurie presents the flip side of the New Testament story of a woman who had all the most precious possession all, how many of you have heard of the Beatles measuring the root of the Beatles looking how many of you have never heard of the Beatles before talking about a band, not bugs. By the way.

Well, years ago in the 60s when the Beatles were very peak of their popularity. John Levin made a very controversial statement in a interview with the British publication that was picked up by the American press and edit because a lot of people get very angry at this band from England, but here's what he said in the interview, Christianity will go it will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that or he would've said it. Christianity will go it will shrink. I didn't argue about that right. Paul will look forward to almost exactly what you know. Anyway, he says I'm right and I'll be proof dry. This is the big statement the government trouble were more popular than Jesus. Now speaking of the Beatles. I don't know what to go first rock 'n' roll, or Christianity." Dear John who is more popular now the Beatles will belong 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 Prothro. Everybody loves Jesus and is not just the usual suspects. In addition to Christians, Americans, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, and atheist who adored Jesus this fascination with Jesus is the subject of two classes being taught at Vanderbilt University this semester. One is called Jesus on popular culture and the others called Jesus and film are broken arrow said quote I'm pretty comfortable saying the United States is unique. This obsession with Jesus is unparalleled."

Fascinating time magazine. The list of the 100 most significant figures in world history, and who do you think got the number one spot.

Jesus that you 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 wrong on Matthew 12 says large crowds gathered to him and he got into a boat and sat down because the whole crowd was standing on the beach you know you had to get into a little floating pulpit.

In effect, to get a little distance from the crowd. We read over in Luke 12 are 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's the problem. This popularity would be short-lived and the same people that were singing his praises now would be shouting for his crucifixion and only days. That's because they never really understood his real mission.

Even though Sony handpicked 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 them on special occasions, but it wasn't nor was it any other of the disciples that Jesus and get in fact, there wasn't a man at all. It was a woman.

It was a woman or greater inside 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. The way this is theirs number of Mary's in the Bible and we get computers. Mary the mother of Jesus. There is Mary Magdalena there's Mary of Mary and Martha Alonso merits and take this is the Mary of Mary and Martha. They were sisters and their brother was Lazarus and it's worth noting that every time we read of her. She is out the feet of Jesus, so maybe that's why she had such great insight on one occasion when the Lord showed up at her house.

I don't know if you would call first or text probably not that that technology didn't exist to show up to guys. I just was in town I got 12 of my friends is that okay 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. One time when he showed up. Martha was getting a little frustrated. I meet 12 people. Kelly Jesus at 13. Actually, that's a lot of people to cook for, especially if you were prepared for it, but does she need a little help in the kitchen. But when she's frantically you know, making the meal she looks out there there's Mary her sister sitting at the feet of Jesus on Martha in frustration comes out really upset and we read in Luke chapter 10, that she demanded that her sister, helper, and Jesus said, Martha, Martha, you're 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 a Martha listen appreciate the awesome food but actually Mary is right being here she is 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. Because of this she brought the most incredible, valuable gift she could and Jesus is so moved by her sacrificial act that he commended her and said this will be a memorial that will never be forgotten about. 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 role 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 affect all its therefore is a backdrop to pinpoint these events in human time. We probably wouldn't even know who Caesar Augustus was about was up for the Christmas story we would know King Herod was if it wasn't for what is written in the Gospel of Matthew, we would 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. It looks really big and sometimes it looks really scary.

God sees it differently.

In fact, the Bible says that the nation to him drop your great glory will have the second half of his message just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they received from these daily messages were administered often gets them through some dark hours. Right right really not angry. You love the Lord, but I struggle with survivor guilt. Mildred, there are only 11 currently appearing our deeper cardiac arrest unitedly waiting for her 21st birthday 390 pounder anything for help converting the reminders were able to get up little girl where drastic measures to play because my mind that you not read the order was very clear about not wanting to live with meeting anything we had to let her go. It's been five years and I think you can hear me weeping.

I like that you never really get over it.

Get early the Lord will get me the globe that Rob only got to bring her home.

No more trials are just around the corner so I need to learn how to completely learn to take myself out of the equation, both on me.

I pray for you that you will continue to preach the importance of having to God when he liked it or not. May God continue to bless you and your family, your great, thank you so much probably get you some steps like this, knowing that this broadcast is helping. Would you like to share your story with pastor Greg. Email him at greg@harvest.org do today while you're thinking about that's great@harvest.org today. Pastor Greg is helping us learn from the example set forth 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 that she deliver an amazing sermon. No. Did she pray an incredible prayer of faith actually know. In fact, what she did was really very practical at all that 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 verse one, six days before the Passover celebration began.

Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from the dead. The dinner was prepared and 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 them and Mary took a 12 ounce jar of expensive perfume made from the essence of Nardi and she anointed the feet of Jesus with it, wiping his feet with her hair in the house was filled with a fragrant 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's not that Judas cared for the part he was a thief and since he was in charge of the disciples money yelp install some for himself. Jesus replied leave her alone. She's done this in preparation for my burial will always have the poor among you, but me you will not always have.

Now Mark's gospel brings a very important insight into the story. Speaking of the same event. Mark writes in Mark 14 eight she has done what she could surprise a scene of this woman. She has done what she could.

She came before he had to anoint my body for burial and assuredly, I say to you were ever this gospel is preached to the whole world with this woman has done will be told as a memorial to her are important.

While one at dinner. This was think about this Jesus was there. That's really all that mattered. But now we have resurrected Lazarus.

This guy wasn't dead. Imagine being invited over to our house for a dinner and meeting a guy who three days earlier had been dead when he be an interesting person to have a conversation with much of what you have them. So what's it like on the other side. What did you see over there wasn't scary was a law somewhat know what was it like when Jesus called you back from the dead, you know, tell me all about it and so there were a lot of questions and so this room was abuzz with conversation. A lot is going on and then the reality is, this is Jesus was pondering and thinking about what was ahead now you know it's not always great to know everything and Jesus dead. Aren't you glad you don't know everything about everyone. Sometimes we think we do. My granddaughter Allie came to me the other day and she said she's like five.

She said Poppa I'm smarter than you said okay she says I am. I'm smarter than you.

I didn't argue with. Sometimes we feel that way in life.

I know so many things so you know very little actually, but in fact Jesus knew everything, because he was God among us in one of the attributes of God's omniscience, which means knowledge of all things. He knew what was going to happen before it happened.

That's why Christ could predict the future. In Matthew 24 and the all of the discourse and in another situation speak so clearly about was about to happen for Christ it. He knew the details, but he spoke of the details of. 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 in three days later he would rise again. He knew all of this he knew he was going to take the beating and the whipping on 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 happen to notice. Except Mary, she's watching them.

She seen something is troubling the Lord and I want to do something so extravagant, so I'm amazing that it will be a great blessing to him so she breaks open the spots of expensive perfume diversity again a 12 ounce jar of expensive perfume. She anoints the feet of Jesus with the wiping his feet with her hair.

The house was filled with the fragrance is a good possibility that this bottle of perfume was a family heirloom, we find out later as were $25-$30,000.

Now it makes sense if she put a few drops on his feet in a little goes a long way. By the way that a good rule of thumb to know about cologne or perfume a little goes a long way. You don't have to pay. Then it we don't want to smell you after you've left an hour later, as it is a case for some people if they been in the room or if they been in the car wherever it is they been so she took the whole bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on his feet. It was an active complete devotion and adoration. Judas Iscariot with calculator in hand, abandoning the price of everything and the value of nothing instantly calculates how much of oasis was, as I said $25-$30,000.

What a waste to this as any 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 or were out there. I read one of the most expensive perfumes you can buy is called shutter Lonnie. I like that name shutter Lonnie sounds very mysterious composer rare flowers, including 336 roses and over 10,000 flowers of jasmine. Well, how they get all of that little bottle and celebrities really favors shutter Lonnie and it costs $900 a bottle only gets much worse. There's Clive Christians Imperial Majesty. This is a perfume I'm not making this up. By the way, it's a combination of mandarin orange Indian jasmine white pizza limited more. It'll set you back.

Get ready for $435,000 for a single bottle for the most expensive perfume in the world is called. No soccer, no. I mean, I knew that I should be. It's actually called DKNY delicious million-dollar perfume. That's even a stupid name if you ask me to pay $1 million.

At least give me show Lonnie her son David eventually call it what it is that's the DKNY delicious million-dollar perfume Apple sandalwood musk vanilla whose stinking carers. Who's gonna buy this listen I googled this because I used to wear this cologne you can buy a bottle of JDs for $22. I was shocked to find JDs still exists. How many of your verdict. JDs okay, if you're wearing JDs to anybody. Nobody is what brought me know if you were that someone raised in a beard and a surrogate okay thank you I was getting a high carotid 20s should mention that I is also aware that that's $56 or high carotid and old spice much more affordable.

13. Box fell but this wasn't about perfume along. This was about sacrifice. She brought the most valuable possession. She'll David Greg Lord, pointing out the extravagant sacrifice on the part of Mary toward Jesus, and will learn more about the meaning behind this gesture as her study continues to run 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'm 16 years old from the United Kingdom. I've been enjoying listening to a new beginning for the past seven years I'm so thankful that all your messages revolve around salvation, which I love Christianity is all about the cross you been a blessing to my friends and family. Well, you know, as your 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 so might be right across the street so maybe across an ocean, but the word of God is relevant to everyone everywhere and we hope you 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 the pastor Greg we have some big plans for major ministry this year only yeah you know that's true, Dave, and whatever you send to us here. The new beginning will 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.

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