Sometimes as I review on Mondays... I journal some quick thoughts that I have after preaching the weekend message I just taught. These are my thoughts from this past weekends message in a nutshell.
Mark 14 - This could be one of the greatest passages ever recorded for giving to the Kingdom of God to Advance the Good News of Jesus… The Story is about a sinner woman breaking open the Alabaster Jar!
Jesus said what this woman did would be Remembered and Discussed wherever the GOSPEL (GOOD NEWS) was Preached…Proclaimed…Promoted…Announced!
Why?
This woman had her worship on and her worship was about Advancing the Gospel!
Jesus says in the passage that her gift (Very expensive perfume wrapped in extravagant alabaster) was given in advance to prepare Him for burial. In other words… Preparing Him to be advanced to do what he came to earth to do… Go to the Cross – Die for our sin – and resurrect from the grave!
This event takes place right about the time of Passover… Just before He goes to the cross… The friends of Jesus that were in the room where the woman walked in with the gift and with a purpose for the gift did not get it! These were His friends, people who had been touched by Him, people who had walked with Him, but they did not get what this Sinner Woman Got… She gave extravagantly to Advance the Gospel! Just like the Kings gave the gifts when Jesus was a baby which helped to advanced Jesus to be moved to Egypt… This gift that this Sinner Woman gave was for the same reason… To advance the Gospel!
When we pay close attention to what Jesus said in the passage… “The poor will always be among you and you can always give to that”… Then He continues on to tell those friends in the room who thought the woman was being wasteful with her worship and her giving that He will not always be there with them physically.
Jesus is clearly saying:
You guys are about to miss a window of opportunity and you need to be like this woman and get your priorities straight… You have totally missed it!
ADVANCING THE GOSPEL should be on the top of your giving list! Needs will always be among you… stop focusing on the world’s problems and start focusing on the solution… Which was Him!
Advancing the gospel has to be top priority in our giving as followers of Christ. Giving to Advance the gospel is worshiping the One who we believe is the world’s solution… We give to what we worship!
The Kings advanced the Gospel to Egypt… This Sinner woman advanced the Gospel to the Cross… We advance the Gospel to peoples heart…
The Churches/Christ Followers top priority in giving should be to Advance the Gospel.
There is nothing wrong with giving to need, for merit, or because it is the traditional thing for us to do… We at Barefoot Church give for all these reasons… But Advancing the Gospel has to be Top Priority for a believers life and in our giving as a Church… Jesus is the solution and that Good News is what Changes lives.
The Jarring Event that took place in Mark 14 has become one of the most Jarring events (Impacting Events) that has ever hit the planet!
As Jesus said… it is to be remembered and discussed. Her worship was her extravagant giving - her giving was to Advance the Gospel.
The friends of Jesus in the room said her gift was a waste and could have been used to do something else! They did not think that her gift was very efficient, however it was very effective. Because the Gift that she gave did the most important thing … Advanced the Gospel!
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