Gtcotr/ss032121
Today we are going to read a very familiar account in the Book of Mark and discover the invisible inspiration of God at work in the life of a young lady. Most likely this woman was completely unaware of just how important she was to the plan of God. To many she seemed a very unlikely candidate to be chosen and used by God in such a bold and public way. You may remember the woman I’m referring to … she owned an alabaster jar of costly perfume. We imagine it to have been the most valued and treasured possession she had. Perhaps she had planned to use it for her wedding night … but something changed her plans.
There
will be three important elements you will want to listen for as we read this
account.
1.
The
first important element we will look for involves The
Invisible Inspiration of God.
2.
The
second element is Critical Timing.
3. Thirdly, there will be some Personal Cost.
So, without delay, let’s read from our text for today:
Mark 14 NLT
1 ¶
It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened
Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking
for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.
2
“But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people
may riot.”
3
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had
previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful
alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open
the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked.
·
Let me assure
you, whatever you do for the Body of Christ is never a waste.
·
To honor
Christ with our best is not a burden but is our sacred privilege.
Let’s continue … “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?”
5
“It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the
poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
6
But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a
good thing to me?
7
You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever
you want to. But you will not always have me.
8
She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of
time.
9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
So, let’s remember and discuss this woman’s deed for a little bit today.
“She
has done what she could.”
·
That
is all that is ever required from anyone.
·
God
will never ask you to do more than you and Him can accomplish together.
·
She
reached the highest that was within her power and means.
· It may have taken everything she had, but she willingly gave it all to Jesus.
“She
has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.”
·
No
question this woman was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do something completely
outside of the ordinary and way outside of the understanding of anyone else but
Jesus that day.
· What made her want to do this thing?
It is evident this woman saw something others did not see. Or she heard something others did not hear. Perhaps she felt something others did not feel. And so she did something others did not do. As well, she paid a price other people did not pay. And she was harshly criticized for something others were not chosen to do. But she is remembered in a way which others are not remembered.
Who knows, maybe she was not the Holy Spirit’s first choice … but she was His last. Perhaps you are not the first person God has called to do something He needs you to do. Maybe there are several people around you, or even closer on scene, who are ignoring God’s moment of need.
To say God did not choose one of Jesus’ disciples or someone closer in Simon’s house might not be correct. But, to say no one else attended to the Body of Christ would be.
Evidently this woman had an invisible friend, the Holy Spirit, who inspired her to take this costly oil and go to Simon’s house and anoint the Body of Christ. Chances are that this woman had no idea why she was doing what she was doing. Nonetheless, she allowed the Holy Spirit to use her without hesitation. She followed that invisible inner witness of the Holy Spirit and did what she did with kindness, grace, gentleness, and love … as well as at a great personal cost to herself.
This account amazes me and inspires me to hope for and listen for that gentle prodding, that almost silent nudge of the Holy Spirit to do something God needs someone to do. I’ve felt the tug of what must be angels on assignment, interrupting my thoughts, pulling at my will, introducing opportunity or solution to me. You know what I’m talking about.
The Holy Spirit is interested and invested in everything you do … not just the big things but even the seemingly small things. Everything that involves you in on God’s mind. It’s hard not to recognize those gentle nudges but, wait too long, and it will go away.
When
we ignore inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can miss the best God wants for
us. And just like Mordecai told Queen Ester, timing is critical. “If you hold
your peace at this time …”
·
This
week I was encouraged by the unseen around me to ask God for help with
installing a starter on a generator. With that evident intervention of God
interrupting and invading my thoughts with the ever-so-sweet nudge, I stopped
what I had been trying to do by myself for over an hour and laid back on the
pavement underneath that vehicle and simply asked God to speak to me and give
me a creative idea on how to do the impossible and to send an angel to assist
me with the task. This amazing idea immediately materialized in my mind and I
crawled out and fashioned what I saw and slid back underneath that vehicle. I
was not one bit surprised that it worked as easy as pie. What had previously
taken a mechanic’s shop two days and over $500 to do, which was estimated to be
over a thousand dollars in just labor, I was able to repair myself in a few
minutes with no added cost.
· There is no equal to having a companion like the Holy Spirt.
It was after 5pm when that unseen inspiration made me stop and ask God for help. Now, the Holy Spirit didn’t just tell me what to do, but rather I was inspired to stop and ask God for divine intervention. God knew I had a dinner appointment with an out-of-town pastor and his wife who were driving through our city. He knew I didn’t have much time. And, if I had not have listened to that gentle nudge invading my thought at the moment I did, the opportunity would have passed, and I would have missed it. Perhaps it would still not be repaired or maybe I’d have gotten discouraged and given up and paid all that money to have someone else do it the uninspired way. Later I told that Pastor and Brenda that I wanted to write a manual on how to fix this problem and send it to the manufactures. It was a whole lot quicker, cheaper, and easier than the instructions they have in their repair manual.
But timing was critical. Like the woman with the alabaster box of perfumed oil. If she had have said, “I’ll do it later,” later would have come and gone and so would Jesus. In just two days He would be crucified, dead, and buried in a tomb with a big stone sealing the door.
A similar thing happened in the life of Zacchaeus. He was inspired to leave work and climb up in a sycamore fig tree in what he thought was an effort to see Jesus. But God had a plan far beyond Zacchaeus seeing a famous celebrity. This would be the last time Jesus walked through Jericho. If Zacchaeus had have said to himself, I’ll catch Him on His way back through, or perhaps next festival … Zacchaeus and all those poor and burdened people would have gone without that day and it is possible Zacchaeus would have been in hell today.
The Holy Spirit will inspire, guide, and provide, but Not everything can be done later. You will never be asked to do more than you and the Holy Spirit can do together. We don’t have to know all the reasons why. No investment you make in the Body of Christ to honor Jesus is a wasted gift.
Refuse to listen to the critics and don’t consult fear when considering your future. Fear comes from inferior information. And don’t mistake adversity for God’s opposition. (Pastor Mike Maiden) Stop drawing ungodly conclusions about your life. The Holy Spirit is your friend. He speaks to you often.
Pay due respect to the invisible inspiration of God.
Here
are three things I want to leave you with this morning:
1.
Pay attention to the invisible inspiration of God.
2.
Timing is critical.
3. Be less focused on what it will cost you if you obey God and more concerned about what it will cost others if you don’t.
That which you give to and all that you do for the Body of Christ is never a waste.
Now let me pray a blessing on you that you might hear and discern the inaudible voice of God.
Don’t be concerned or afraid … this is not spooky. This is how it happens … just little nudges and inspirations and revelations all throughout life. You are going to experience these nudges with or without your knowledge or permission. All I am asking this morning is for you to be a little more alert and aware of them and discern the Lord’s attempts to work in you, for you, and through you for everyone’s benefit.
Ok, so let’s open our hearts and minds and ask the Holy Spirit to make us more spiritually keen.
John
16:13a When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all truth.
