No Regrets | Doing What You Can for God

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The more we know of what causes one to do more for you.

Just as Mary sacrificed extravagantly.

Lori says perhaps we are called serious. We only do what we can do when we can do, it wastes almost but it is a waste. When it's done the right motive for the glory of God is. Here's the bottom line you just deliver yourself one day God will say never see yourself giving up money dictation comfort time today on the new beginning. Greg Laurie points out that you may be with the Lord wants from you. John chapter 12 Greg continues his series called life member anytime you want to recruit his counsel to a friend harvest.org title will start six days before the Passover celebration began. Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of the maleate race from the debt. Dinner was repaired and Jesus honor 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 is 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 that Judas cared for the poor.

He was a fee and since he was in charge of the disciples money. He often stole 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 will not always have. Though 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 beforehand 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 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's 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 a 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. Abandon is 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. But this wasn't about perfume at all.

This is about sacrifice. She reason there's nothing too good for Jesus.

And this is the most valuable thing I own and he's going to go and die for my sin and for the sins of everyone in this room that he's going to die for the sins of the world. In fact everything Jesus is been saying he is meant he is said what he meant and he is meant what he said. I think the disciples were he's talking mystically. What does he mean to be crucified, and she realizes he's speaking literally is gonna literally be crucified. He's actually going to be betrayed. He really is going to die and rise again, and I need to do something to say thank you in advance and so she brought this bottle of perfume and broke it and poured it at his feet.

You know, when we lose a loved one will bring tribute at the funeral somewhat by bouquets of flower or wreath of flowers spend a lot of money.

That's all fine, but the loved one is not aware of that.

I don't think we sit around and watch our funerals and I think it's better to bring your flowers now right so if you know someone that's meant a lot to you, including your grandparents and your mom and dad or somebody that touched your life. Don't wait till they die. To say it about them said to then face to face right now. Write him a letter novel idea.

There write a letter ink on paper. Imagine such a thing. But the cool thing is, you can save a letter you can save a car they can read it over and over. But if you just can't go there.

Okay, send an email if you have to even attack something and just say I love you. I appreciate you. You mean a lot to me. Thank you for all that you've done for me and Diana will maybe see each other thousand more times but I wanted to say it right now, so Mary that you know it I'm in a sale right to bring my flowers now, so she brought this incredible perfume told Judas Iscariot verse four for the year's wages, and we could've sold it and given the money to the poor and Mark's gospel that we read that the others were indignant, which means to feel pain and agree or literally to growl with this pleasure and away.

It seems like a legit complaint doesn't mean is it practical to take something worth 35 friend and pour it on the feet of someone I mean really you could've sold that 10 done a lot of good things with that money. But John gives us his little inside of her sex, not because he cared for the poor. He was at the and he was in charge of the disciples money.

We often stole some for himself.

But here's what's interesting. Judas said this right before he was about to go on betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Here's what I've discovered about people in the church the one to complain the most. Do the least and the want to do the most complain the lease but the one to complain the most to the lease. They just love the complaint I have the gift of criticism that's found in the Bible, but I am I'm really good at criticism and often if someone comes up so I don't like you were the way you do this in the way don't devise I want to help us out what your solution I don't know what I don't like it. Well, how about helping us solve it and let's do a better job together and sometimes the one who is the most critical is telling you more about themselves than the one or the thing they're criticizing it away.

They're kinda giving you a window into where they're at all because the fact of the matter is if you hear someone always harping on something there always critical of it in everyone else's life. Sometimes the reason is this, that's their issue.

That's their actual problem and the reason they were harping on it is going back to the analogy of Jesus in the sermon on the Mount. Why is it that you're hassling your brother over a spec in his eye. When you have a telephone pole and yours. I'll tell you why because you're so familiar with it. You see it everywhere except in your own life and so here's Judas of all things being critical of the sacrificial gift when he himself was about to betray Christ for money. Judas didn't care for the poor. He cared about himself and greed and selfishness motivated in this day and by the way Judas Iscariot was never a true believer, but the Bible even tells us that Satan entered his heart, so it just shows is that things are not always as they seem. I'm here at this moment Mary appears to be wasteful and frivolous because of her gift Judas seems to be thrifty, considerate, and maybe even spiritual, but was the very opposite Mary was in fact spiritually perceptive and sacrificial Judas was wicked and greedy.

It's a waste said Judas. And yet, in a few hours, Jesus would call Judas, the son of perdition, which means the son of waste outside for a nickname. Jesus said here the sun awaits man that's who you are, so the guys a waste. Waste. Jesus is talk about weight, you are the king of waste and what you did and how you get a moment.

Pastor Greg points out how our sacrifice for the Lord is never wasted when it's done with the right motive and for God's glory will explain in a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they received from these daily messages God's word ministers to them and it often gets into some of their darkest hours are a lot smarter about anger and why Juan and I like that Stanley completely changed entrance and that how I get a great God and figure that out every day. I ended. God is with us 24 7.each and every one it's encouraging to know that the studies in God's will in fact this woman's life is Pastor Greg drop him an email telling your story, send it to great@harvest.org today will you thinking about again. That's great@harvest.org today. Pastor Greg is focusing on the elaborate sacrifice of Mary when she anointed Jesus feet with some very expensive perfume is part of Pastor Greg study called no regrets. So this woman did what she cut Mark 14 eight commenting on the same story.

Jesus said she has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. She is done what she could in the same way.

The more we know of what he did for us will cause us to want to be more for him. Listen to this. Nothing is ever wasted. When it's done with the right motive for the glory of God like you can't do everything, nor can I but we can all do something I can win all the people in the world to Christ. But I can win some, as it has been said, I am only one, but I am one.

I cannot do everything that I can do something. What I can do. I ought to do what I ought to do. By the grace of God I will do right" so we all need to do what we can do when we can do it one away. Some will say a young person gives up a promising career and says I want to go to the mission field. Stupid decision that incredible degree that you earned in that job offer you have in your going to go on mission field that is a complete waste someone else. A crystal saying I'm looking to do those things I used to do with my friends.

I give up those parties.

No so-called pleasures and because they told me spiritual man your method you crazy when you do go to church tomorrow is matter fact yeah that's away still say or maybe it's only faithful to my spouse for our lifetime together a Mexican on those valves.

For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in hell I went to avoid those temptations to go astray so wholesale man you missed out he could be in your third marriage right now yeah I know I can like my first one, someone might give to the work of God, financial summary write the significant check that is sacrificial for me because I believe in this ministry. I believe in with this work is that's a waste good about yourself. More things, but it isn't a waste when it's done with the right motive for the glory of God.

Because here's the bottom line if you choose to live for yourself.

Do whatever you want with your life one day God will say what a waste of other people say it's awaits and have God say what a waste. God look at my life into many just use through it all away if you could indent so much.

I give you so many opportunities and you know you just threw it away. The story is told of a man in a close with this name William Borden may be a part of him. He was heir to the Borden Darius state and even as a young man he was already a millionaire in our economy, he would be a millionaire many times over. So as a graduation present Borden's parents give them a trip around the world. So as Borden was traveling first class and staying in the most luxurious hotels in seeing all that was out there in the world. It is hard was moved very deeply as he travel to Asia and the Middle East and Europe and found a bird growing and that's hard for people that did not know Christ and so he wrote back to his parents and said I believe God is calling me to go on the mission field, and after that decision up Borden wrote these words in his Bible.

No reserves.

Upon graduation from seminary turning down many high-paying job offers. Borden began his ministry or lease to prepare a little bit more. He needed to learn Arabic because he felt called to speak to Muslims who did not know the Lord. So he wrote after that first phrase, no reserves the words, no retreat. So now it's no reserves no retreat to know he's finished his studies and he heads out to the mission field, and he stops to study Arabic and within a month he came down with spinal meningitis and 25-year-old William Borden was dead while in so they came to claim his body and buried him.

They found his Bible, they found he had written one more phrase he had written no regrets, no regrets is it will not to waste know it isn't because in his heart, he wanted to do God wanted to do was he ever able to do it now. Jesse was a but you know what his heart was in the right place and I think we should all be able to look back in our life and save no regrets, no regrets, only make mistakes here and there. We do things we shouldn't of done or what I'm talking about the big picture now big picture stuff you know I should've ordered you know burrito supreme instead of the double-decker taco fix it next time.

Should award green shirt instead of a blue shirt yeah whatever who cares. Okay no within the big picture. You've made the right decisions for Christ, even the fact that you said I'm going to a midweek Bible study. I'm going to go to church tonight. That's a good decision and I think we all want to look back on life and say no reserves no retreat, no regrets for life is never wasted when it's invested in bringing people to Jesus nor is it wasted when it's live for the glory of God. Because here's the bottom line, I was made to know God. That's what it's all about. I was made to know God. That's why none of the things this world offers really satisfy. I mean, they might bring temporal pleasure and then a certain fund but but it's short-lived to know that euphoria you get out do you mean I'll get that thing you been wanting to get for so long and then I can I get used to it you move on or all of this relationship is so exciting at first and now it's not as exciting or whatever it is you think skin ring your bell that always comes up short because you were made for another world you were made for more. It's fine to enjoy the things this world can offer.

If there proper things not sinful things, but ultimately what you're longing for his God, and when you bring God pleasure.

You'll find yourself having the most fun ever in life. You know you'll find the joy that comes from serving the Lord.

So I close by asking you do you know God in a personal way been talking about knowing Jesus and they mentioned that Jesus came to die. You know why he came to die. Why couldn't he have just you know gone on to greater heights and just ascended to heaven and skip the whole crucifixion part because we've all sinned against God, and because we've all broken God's commandments. And because were all separated from God. So Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sin, so we wouldn't have to.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins so we could be forgiven and have a relationship with him. That is why Jesus and Jesus alone is the only way to the father because only Jesus was uniquely qualified to satisfy God's righteous demand. Only Jesus could know what it's like to walk in her shoes because he was literally a man that walked this earth and that's why he bridge the gap between a perfect God and imperfect humanity and really if I want my sins forgiven and if I want to know that I'll go to heaven when I die, I need to ask Jesus to forgive me of my sin in the vitamin of my life and he'll come and become my friend will become my Savior. He'll become my Lord.

He will be my God, but I have to say Lord come in and he won't force his way in the my life. He stands at the door and he knocks and he says a full hear his voice and open the door shall commence sonic close with an opportunity for you to believe it. If you've never asked Jesus to come into your life. Why don't you do it right now. Let's all pray father I pray for any person that is joined us or anyone that's watching us or listening to this wherever they might be.

I pray that they will see their need for you and that they will come in Jesus name I pray, came to Greg Laurie important prayer and wherever you stand with the Lord today.

You can make a change and make things right. Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes then can we just say thank you thank you to those who not only listen on a regular basis but also pray for us and not only listen and pray, but also invest. They recognize the power of the gospel to change lives in the invests of the studies can continue and Pastor Greg you know that support makes a big difference in the lives of the people to listen to us. Yes I do and I would encourage some of you to be generous because when you are generous with your finances.

We will put that money to work in expanding this ministry to reach more people with the teaching of the word of God and the message of the gospel. Yes, we hope you'll contact us today and let us know you want to partner with us. We have a special way to say thank you. It's a book called don't give the enemy a seat at your table written by Pastor Louis Giglio. He point out where in the battle for 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 will send you this book to thank you for your investment and we won't be mentioning this much longer.

So contact us soon go to harvest.org and you can make that investment while you're there or call any time 24 hours a day at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 will Pastor Greg we heard in today's message. The importance of coming to Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. For those you've never done that before.

Maybe you could explain just exactly how we do come to Christ be happy to Dave.

You know sometimes people wonder why. How does one become a Christian.

Sometimes you will hear people say well I'm in the process of converting. Listen here either converted or you're not converted conversion doesn't take years. It doesn't take months.

It doesn't even take hours. It can happen in a flash. Listen God is only a prayer away. You need to admit your sin. The God turn from it and put your faith in Jesus Christ and you can know that you go to heaven when you die and be done that yet. If not, it would be my privilege to lead you in a prayer of asking Christ to come into your life and forgive you of your sin. If you would like to do that.

Please pray this prayer after me right now. Again, if you want Christ to come in your life. Pray this prayer after me now. Let's pray Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but you died on the cross for my sin and paid the price for every wrong I've ever done. I'd churn from that sin. Now, and I ask you to come in the my life be my Savior be my Lord be my God, and be my friend. I choose to follow you from this day forward.

Thank you for loving me and calling me and accepting me in Jesus name I pray, amen. If you just pray that prayer and minute Jesus Christ himself has come to live in society view. The Bible says, for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become sons of God is you just pray that prayer you are receiving him so God bless you and welcome to the family of God, and you know what we have some great resources we want to send you to grow spiritually.

So here's day was in details yet as resources are all assembled for you and our new believers growth packet. It's free to those who are making a first time commitment to Christ today, so get in touch and ask for the new believers growth packet. Call us at 1-800-821-3300.

That's a 24 hour phone number 1-800-821-3300 or go to harvest.org and click on know God when next I Pastor Greg continues this series called life.

Based in the gospel of John. Learn what it is that angers and saddens God join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible feature Greg Laurie will buy harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God learn how to do, harvest partners, sign up for daily devotions and find resources to help you grow in your faith harvest.org