 Hapisabat, everyone. We are welcome once again to the Divine Hour this evening. We want to sing a few songs, and we welcome each one of you to come inside the sanctuary so that we can sing praises to our God together. But before we start, let us just pause for a word of prayer. Let's pray. Our loving Father, we want to thank you once again for your continued presence with us today. Father, we pray that as we start this evening's service, your presence may continue to abide with us. Bring into our hearts your word that it may grow and lead us gently as you wait for your soon return. Let us to this end, because we pray in Jesus' name, amen. We shall do something number 516, as dear him know, all the way my saviour leads me. Such a wonderful time, Lord, that you have given and to us been enriching. And Lord, you've been with us. And therefore this evening, as we are going to listen to our pastor, Jean Donaldson, we ask you, Lord, to take charge and to take control of the situation. We want to pray for him that as he stands to speak to us, Lord, we ask you that you create in us a new heart and give us that power, Lord, that we'll be able to bless others. And therefore this hour, we pray that you stay with us, for we pray in Jesus' name. Hallelujah church. It's a wonderful evening. Not very cold because the sun has been there. And if you look at us, we are very bright. Look at one another, you'll find that we are good. And therefore I just want to take this opportunity to welcome especially the online viewers. These are people who are very special to us because they have been viewing us, watching us, listening to us. And we just want to say that we love you wherever you are watching us from. God bless you. Together we'll be able to eat and move together as children of God. I also want to welcome those who are already in charge. And I will not be calling the names of those who have been preaching, singing to us and the other team that have been doing one thing or the other to make this a success. But allow me just this evening, just for two minutes, I want to preach to our pastor, Jane, because I'm on fire, I've been blessed. And when I want to do this just one minute so that I give him the feedback that it has been a blessing to me because I will not ask you to carry up your hands how you have been blessed. But allow me to say this. Yesterday at this time, there was a message, a very powerful message from the man of God and it was burning your ship. And this was a message that really touched me because there was Elisha who met Elisha and Elisha had the 12 of Oxen and when they met, he had to leave for the 12 of Oxen and the point here is that you have to eliminate all the possibilities that are bringing you down, amen. Oh, you don't need to live in the past. I'm preaching to our pastor and I just want to say that, you know, there is that area where he said that there is a time you want to have a business, a business with the Holy Ghost. And when you have a business with the Holy Ghost, you don't need to turn back. Pastor, I really love this that you don't need to recall your past and this was so powerful to me. And look at this, what happened? Pastor Moio had the issue of the book of Luke 5.5 and was saying Simon Peter toiled the whole night with his brothers and they caught nothing. And then when they met Jesus, what happened? Look at this, there is what is written there that nevertheless, because they were commanded to take the net inside. And this is for Pastor Moio. Pastor Moio, look at what happened. You never underlined the word nevertheless when Simon Peter met Jesus. Nevertheless, if it is you, master, I will take the net back into the deep sea and of course he did that. And this is the message that when the catch was so great, what happened? They were amazed and they called and they were able to do something here. Look at this, what they did, they filled the two boats and they were almost sinking. And what happened? They went and kneel before Christ and said, as sinner. And do you know what happened? They left all the nets. And they also left what we called the fish, the great catch when you meet Christ. Oh, I tell you, you will be changed. You will never look back. Elasha met Elijah, never looked back. This is the message and it was so powerful. I don't want to be the grasshopper. I don't want to be the grasshopper. What I want, I want to say this, when I have the Lord with me, I will be a giant more than what the others saw in Kanaan and therefore, I want to have the Lord with me. Amen. God bless you. Good evening, sense of the living God. It's time to reach out for our Bibles, for our scripture reading. And this evening, we are going to read from the book of Luke, Luke chapter seven, verse 44 through to 47. Luke chapter seven, from verse 44, I'll read through to verse 47. I will read from my new King James translation and you can follow from your various versions. The word of God says, then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. Forty-five, you gave me no kiss, but this woman has not seized to kiss my feet since the time I came in. Forty-six, you did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil, 47. Therefore I say to you, her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much, but to whom little is given, sorry, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. May God add blessings to his word. We shall all rise up to sing the bim song with a story to tell to the nations. Let us all rise up. A story to tell to the nations that shall come and tell us to the run. Itano and everlasting father, we must die thrown this evening o God. We thank you father in heaven for thy grace and thy mercy father. We come at thy throne with fear and trembling God for you are a righteous God and father our nature is so sinful. We plead with you this evening Almighty Father that may you forgive us our sins of God. Father we thank you so much for this father that you brought us. We thank you for the gift of life. We thank you for this beautiful opportunity that you've given unto us to the cup meeting to share and listen to thy word o God. Glory and honor be unto you. We recognize you as our creator and dear father on the face of this earth we walk on slippery ground of father. Is our prayer tonight that may you hold our hands may you hold our feet father in heaven and give us direction because without you without your support father we cannot make it. In a special way we invite thy Holy Spirit in our midst o God here we have different needs father in heaven some of us have thanksgiving some of us have challenges of various types o God and you as our God and our creator you know all these things of father and this evening we just want to bring our burdens at thy throne and say our prayer father that may you meet us father in heaven at a point of need o God your children have come and they have needs father in heaven may you have mercy upon them in a special way I want to pray for the youth of this church o God they are growing up father in heaven in a very difficult time it's a time when the dividing line between good and evil is so thin o God and we pray father that you may give them may give us father the power of discernment that may direct our steps o God o God we commit pastor Donaldson into your hands we thank you for how you've used him in a mighty way father in heaven to speak to us create us on your ass father fertile ground soft heart father that this world that is being spoken father in heaven may grow may germinate may grow o Lord that we may receive salvation of father we pray this believing and trusting that your name the name of Lord Jesus Christ has prayed this believing and trusting in your name amen thank you it is another special time that I want to call upon the deacon and the deaconess to stand and wait upon us and as you do that allow me to read from the book of Malaki 3 verse 10 the deacon and deaconess you wait upon us as I read Malaki 3 verse 10 bring here all the tides into the storehouse that there may be meet in my house and prove me now here says the Lord of Host if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour to you a blessing that there shall not be a room enough to receive it may God bless the reading we are praying our father was in heaven once again we come before the Lord that we want to give back that which you have blessed us with as we do this we ask you to be with us and continue blessing us for we pray in Jesus name that he come for the wama wama wama wama to be with me before we pray if I will not open to my soul and all of my life from that man to his control control at the church say another hearty amen amen you've been blessed by the music that we've been hearing night after night say amen again thank you both choir if you have your bai boze like to call your attention to the book of Mark 14th chapter I'd like to add to what was read earlier in our scripture reading from Mark's version it is Mark chapter 14 beginning with verse 3 and following I trust that whatever version you have will carry its import as has been our custom I invite you to please stand as we give honor to God's word we welcome you in the name of the Lord and all of our virtual friends who are watching across the airways we welcome you again to this marvelous and wonderful worship service the bible says this in the book of Mark the 14th chapter beginning with verse 3 being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper as he sat at the table a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikno then she broke the flash and pulled it on his head but there were some some who were at the party who were indignant among themselves and said why was this fragrant oil wasted or it might have been sold for more than 300 denari and given to the poor and they criticized her sharply Jesus said let her alone why do you trouble her for she has done a good work for me for you will have the poor with you always whenever you wish you may do to them good but me you do not have always she has done she has done she has done what she could she has come before to anoint my body for burial and assuredly I say unto you whenever this gospel is preached in the whole world what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her I want to talk this evening on the subject entitled an alabaster heart an alabaster heart father once again we are a Simbu for the express purpose of hearing a word from you now father we pray that your spirit might engulf us take control be with the listeners of course Lord I just servant for I have sense enough to know that your people have come to hear a word from you now bless us in this service we pray honor us with your presence for we ask it and beseech you for it in Jesus name that everyone say amen and amen you may be seated in the presence of the Lord an alabaster heart our narrative today records the last intentional expression of gratitude offered Jesus before the cross it's importance is highlighted brothers and sisters by the fact that this is one of the stories about Jesus in the gospels that all four riders record the scene is Bethany a small city a short distance from Jerusalem and in a few days Jesus will be arrested tried convicted beaten within an inch of his life crucified and he knows it so what does Jesus do as the clock six steadily toward his final hour he goes to a party hosted by a Pharisee named Simon whom he had earlier healed from leprosy now custom was that whenever a special guest came to an important person's home all of the Palestinian elite would be invited everybody who was anybody would come Martha was there she was the best caterer in Bethany people travel miles to taste her in golly greens cornbread candy yams and teach kaplah Lazarif was there the one who now enjoyed overnight celebrity status ever since he became a living testimony about a real death experience the disciples were there ordinarily they would not have been on the guest list but they were associated with Jesus and friendship with Jesus has its privileges now on these grand occasions the host would always do three things in order to honor the special guest there was a kiss of peace a formal gesture of welcome there would be cool water poured on the feet for cleansing and comfort there would be a drop of oil placed upon the head as a statement of respect and esteem for the honored guest this was never omitted nor neglected and to do so would be the height of social impertinence and just plain impolite now permit me to pause right here for it is at this point in the narrative that I can hear the alarm clock of the Holy Spirit ringing loudly begging to get our attention in case you missed it let me read it to you from Luke's narrative on this particular story Luke chapter 7 verse 44 says I entered into your house and you gave me no water for my feet no kiss for my cheek no oil for the anointing of my head did you get it? Heaven's brightest Jew Earth's greatest personality Emmanuel God with us the most significant person who has ever walked on the face of the earth about to perform the most important mission in human history and he didn't even merit a common kiss just as there was no room in the end when he was born there is no room to honor him at the party before he dies come to think of it brothers and sisters when you read the gospel stories closely the only room ever reserved for Jesus was between two thieves on a cross where was Martha too busy putting the final touches on the meal where were the 12 disciples no doubt hovering around the kitchen wondering what each person heard him previously talk about his impending death on the cross and yet the words that he said to them had no effect on them they pledged fidelity to him but in reality they were all consumed with their own agendas the actions of the people gave literal meaning and confirmation to John's piercing words in his gospel he came unto his own and his own received him not well brothers and sisters there is a lesson here that we would do well not to miss the Holy Spirit is not pleased when the people of God neglect to give Jesus what he should rightfully receive from us hear me now it is not always what we do but how we do what we do that's got the Holy Spirit upset with us we count the offering but the Holy Spirit measures the sacrifice we revel in the results but the Holy Spirit wants to know does our service match our testimony we sing a victory song when a particular goal is reached but the Holy Spirit only shouts when what could have been done is actually done but I'm trying to tell you is this it is not about the amount involved it's about the level of your resolve the Holy Spirit is interested in the degree of your sacrifice and the intensity of your desire that's why Jesus declared that in the annals of heaven a widow's fight was of more infinite value than the combined amount of all the other offerings that he observed being placed in the treasury why? you see all of them gave from their overflow but she gave from what it took her to live God never asked her to do that but that's what she did it was not what she gave she only gave one might it was how she gave because the Holy Spirit saw in her gift evidence of some hurt in her homage to Jesus if you don't hear anything else I say hear this don't miss it this story is not an observation about the gift this story is an examination of the giver what's being dissected here is not your strict adherence to duty the issue here is about the depth the direction and sincerity of your devotion it is not just what your hands do but what your heart intends what your heart intends what your heart intends that is most important to the Holy Spirit it's about motive we talk can be the greatest enemy of your relationship with Jesus just because you are a declared seventh day at finished Christian doesn't mean that you are necessarily a Christian I don't want to disturb your delicate sensibilities but the devil is not the biggest threat to your capacity to be a fruitful disciple the devil is a defeated soul he is a dog with no teeth Jesus whipped him up when he started his mess up in heaven he sentence him at Calvary's Cross he's going to lock him in solitary confinement at the second coming and he's going to take him out for good at the end of our thousand year vacation the devil is the biggest problem Jesus already took care of him the biggest obstacle to our advancing the kingdom is not the devil it's us this battleground is the relentless struggle to repel every attempt for self-indulgence to divorce us from true spirituality and to force us into a passionless religion our greatest hindrance is our eagerness to substitute church busyness for kingdom business make no mistake the devil's objective is simply to hijack your service your commitment your productivity your love for the gospel he notices that the greatest drain on our potential is our preoccupation with teaching and practicing holiness by subtraction don't do this and don't do that stay in a straight line the problem is you can do absolutely nothing wrong and still do nothing right in the eyes of God God's construct righteousness is more than not doing something wrong righteousness is also doing what is right in the eyes of God God's construct it's not what you refrain from doing it's not that you have behavioral mastery over a code of conduct it's also what are you doing to tear down the gates of hell honor the Sabbath and you ought to you disdain the unclean and you ought to but what are you doing positively to ensure that the kingdom is advancing I was at the San Diego Zoo San Diego is a major city by country and it has one of the most world famous zoos in the United States I saw a magnificent majestic silverback gorilla they had brought him over from Uganda but he was behind a wall and protective plexiglass he looked emasculated dejected without purpose like this was not where he was supposed to be but what he was supposed to be doing they dawned on me when I I gazed upon him and his far off looked bored that unintentionally churches do to their members what zoos do to animals in our eyes people we actually tame them and by doing such a great job taming people we actually hurt them people secure from the world we actually keep them from the very thing disciples are supposed to do aggressively engaging the world through mission not vegetating on some pew behind the protective plexiglass called the church God wants his church to be militant about mission rather than indulging in new ways to feed an insatiable appetite to entertain members elmissi Satan does not want you to do away with God just take shortcuts with the sacred he's not asking you to be anti God just do God's work while running on empty on the inside he doesn't want you to stop being a member of the church as long as you don't care who about the kingdom of God he's not trying to stop you from praising he's not trying to diminish you he simply wants to diminish your dedication to telling somebody else about what Jesus did because the more people you tell the more he's got the burden elmissi the people at the feast cared about Jesus to a certain degree after all Simon did give him the party and Marfa did serve him a good meal and the disciples did support him with their presence the problem is their religion was ugly and their sacrifice was empty because it wasn't genuine they drew near Jesus with their mouths they honored him with their but their hearts were far from him Bible says the Passover was six days away the plan of salvation was inextricably moving toward its critical moment the destiny of the entire from Adam all the way up to each one of us that's been born today would be weighed in the balance Jesus was about to be crucified and nobody had a clue regarding the sobering implications of what was that state nor did anybody really care one who about what he would shortly have to face ah but the Holy Spirit anticipated this callous slight from the religious and then he intersects the drama by crashing the party with a demonstration of how to love God in a manner that is sweet saver to him Luke calls her a woman of the city a sinner sinner is a polite word here because it is a euphemism for an immoral person it was a polite way to say that she was a harlot a prostitute John says that she was married Lazarus of a sister in the little book Desire of Ages we are told that she was that Mary whom Jesus had freed from seven devils of all the people who were there to honor Jesus it is only Mary's response that the Holy Spirit reference as authentic and worthy I want to suggest to you today that Mary's actions at the party are particularly instructive because they demonstrate what ought to motivate us to be spirit field and mission driven the first thing that I want you to see is this love matters most as Jesus reclines at the table with Simon whom he cured of leprosy on the one side and Lazarus whom he raised from the dead on the other side Mary takes an alabaster jar containing a very expensive perfume and she breaks the container and uses all of the perfume in the bottle to anoint the head and feet of Jesus some at the party the record says begin to criticize her what a waste Judas chimes in that perfume could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money could have been given to the poor but Jesus rebuked them all leave her alone for she has done a beautiful thing for me she has poured perfume on my body before to prepare my burial and I tell you the truth whenever the gospel is preached Jesus said throughout the world what she has done will be memorialized why? because what she did that evening was an example of unsolicited love and willing sacrifice that delicious fragrance ran down over his head paved his body with its delightful aroma it drenched his tunic with its pungency so whenever he moved during the ensuing days the scent of that perfume went with him into the Passover into the Garden of Gethsemane into Heret's Hall and Palitz patio reminding him every time he smelt it that despite the dark time omission Jesus and that somebody appreciated what he was trying to accomplish with each crack of the whip with each nail driven Mary's unsolicited act of love was remembered by Jesus that ornament was not just a bottle of perfume it was the symbol of the heart of the giver it was an outward demonstration of love fed by the goodness of God until it overflowed it's sad to say but most people who followed Jesus came to him for selfish reasons the sick came to him to get healed the poor came to get fed his disciples followed because they wanted a position in the kingdom the religious leaders followed him in order to try to trap him in fact there is no record of anybody coming to Jesus before the cross simply to say Lord I love you and thank you and not one person save a Samarian leper ever came back for the express purpose of thanking him and the sobering reality for us today is that it is easy hear me now it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of religion to get so trapped by the drudgery of duty that we morph into serving our Lord like joyless slaves rather than the liberated sons and daughters of God so easy to get comfortable with the graciousness of God that we treat Jesus just like Simon and Martha and the rest of the people at that feast can we talk our problem is in many respects God does too good of a work in reconstructing us see our problem is we have been insulated by his mercy and hugged too firmly by his goodness our problem is we've been squeezed too tight by his love and spoiled rotten by his grace our problem is that we have been sufficiently inoculated by the truth that what we used to be and the way that we used to be are vague memories to us our problem is God has lifted us up so marvelously that we have well now forgotten how low Jesus had to stupe to save our mangy caucuses our problem is we are stimulated by the truth but we are not intoxicated by the gospel our problem is that in our churches we practice a kind of love that is not loving DHDs in what somebody else ought to be doing master degrees in proof text theology but preschool practitioners in extravagant love for mission not realizing that in God's construct it is love for others that matters most in God's construct love is more important than your giftedness and your ability in God's construct love is more important than your duty or keeping some rule in God's construct love is more important than you being right love matters most and nothing else comes close second thing I want you to see is that love must be expressed the woman having alabaster flax broke the very costly oil and poured it on Jesus she used the entire flax now don't miss the power of those words because it's Mark's way of telling us the extent Mary was willing to go in order to boldly demonstrate to Jesus that he was the supreme object of her regard see Mary could have poured one drop on Jesus that was all that social etiquette required but when she thought about what Jesus had done for her nothing but the entire broken jaw nothing but the entire mouth could begin to express her thankfulness thank God Mary crashed that party thank God that she didn't care about custom or cost or criticism or that she didn't get an invitation thank God she understood how important it is to love Jesus extravagantly when the question what shall I render is asked Mary couldn't get in the line where you give one shilling because she knew if it had not been for the Lord Jesus was real to Mary she had heard his strong cries to the father on her behalf father forgive her for she knows exactly what she is doing even so father try her one more time Mary hadn't forgotten what it was like to wake up in the morning realizing that she once again had been used endukt and abandoned by the former night's lover dejected and miserable loathing her own very existence but one day she met a man called Jesus who didn't offer her money for sexual favor he offered her something money couldn't buy grace and mercy and forgiveness in exchange for her wretched transgression seven times he had to rebuke the demons seven times she back slid before she finally got it right but because his love would not let her go Mary the slave to sin now becomes a citizen of heaven with all rights and privileges all because of him Mary the sinner from the city became the Mary who sat at his feet and anointed his body Mary the last one to leave him at the cross and the first one to meet him at the resurrection Mary was so overwhelmed by his goodness she had to express it in a way that God would get the point she had to tell somebody do something that demonstrated unequivocally who Jesus is and what he had done for her and I say to you today brothers and sisters has he ever really done anything for you if he's ever walked into your life and made a way out of no way if he's the one that picked you up turned you around placed your feet on solid ground every now and then you ought to say thank you Jesus in a way that Jesus gets the point every now and then you ought to declare Lord there's no doubt about it your grace and mercy has bought me through I'm living this moment because of you thank you for waking me up this morning thank you for giving me a sound mind and reasonable portion of health thank you for food on the table thank you for making a way out of no way thank you for keeping in the closet what would shame me if everybody else knew thank you Jesus now you may not have been as raunchy as Mary but it's today you are not what you used to be and he is the reason even the most conservative Christian every now and then ought to give God a shout out amen who woke you up this morning who got you that loan when you wouldn't have loaned the money to yourself when the doctor told you something bad last month but he had to retract it this month who did that nobody but Jesus well I don't do it every time but every now and then I could be driving down the highway and something will hit me now I will remember some unexpected blessing I'll just have to bear for me and I get so full not because I'm sad but because my heart is about to burst with gratitude to most people at the party Mary's act was foolish and unnecessary Mark said she broke the entire flask it is interesting to note that the alabaster jar containing the expensive perfume scholars tell us was used by prostitutes who walked the streets the reason that they had the alabaster it was a tool of their trade the prostitutes would literally douse their bodies in an effort to make themselves more appealing by sent to their clients and if that is true then Mark's statement that she broke the entire flask is even more significant and has a more deeper meaning because it suggests that Mary was saying to Jesus without words that I am taking the very tool of my former trade and I'm breaking it and giving it to you and by her actions she was saying with the same enthusiasm that I once applied to my life of sin I am now giving that same enthusiasm to you foolish perhaps but her sins were forgiven and because of Jesus she would not be returning to her old life and to her nothing was too costly to give no self-denial too great to be endured for his sake Mary poured her whole soul into her act of love because she never forgot how empty her life was previously without Jesus she understood that you can never waste when you give to God with heartfelt devotion through unprovoked acts of willing sacrifice for mission she broke the whole job because the Bible says she loved much the last thing I want you to see is this is that love must always give the best the record says that Jesus said to Mary you have done a beautiful thing to me for you have done watch this what you could you have done what you could that affirmation from Jesus meant that Mary's gift was acknowledged because it represented the best that she could give and here's the point brothers and sisters God never asked us to do more than we can do but he does require us to do all that we can do now those words of Christ struck me when I read that you have done what you could because I don't know about you but when I stand before the throne of the Almighty and my name is read from the registry of the Book of Life I want more than anything else for Jesus to say father this is Gene Donaldson he is mine and the record shows that he did what he could many others did more but he took what we gave him and he did the most with it the most with it the most that he could not that he did something as opposed to nothing but he did the most that he could which means he seized every opportunity to make God be Mary didn't have much but what she had she surrendered all to Jesus she held nothing back not just a drop to meet the minimum requirements of social etiquette now it was Jesus so she poured the entire bottle have you ever asked yourself have I ever done that was beyond plain required because God used have you ever asked yourself what have I ever done for Jesus that could be categorized as extravagant have I done anything that the Holy Spirit can classify as an extravagant sacrifice for the advancement of the kingdom but I'm asking you is simply this where is the broken jar in your life where is the expense of perfume poured out for his cause where is the tear in your eye at offering time because you wish you could have given more where is the ache for people all around you who are going fast to Christless graves have you ever said Lord I just want to tell you that I love you and I love you more than words can say and I don't know how else to do it except to take the most valuable thing I have and give it to you and if you think I'm talking about money then repent talking about for once in your life wholeheartedly your heart I'm talking about for once committing yourself resources entrusted to you I'm talking about your dedicating yourself to being spirit field and consecrating yourself to be mission driven I'm talking about declaring I'm yours Lord whatever you want whatever you need I'm yours Lord totally and unreservedly that's what the Holy Spirit wants to hear give God your best because anything else is a waste of time and an exercise in futility incidentally I'll just say this parenthetically did you know that if your heart is not right and it doesn't represent your best that God doesn't even accept whatever it is you're giving and the Holy Spirit rights on your offering or your service return back to sender give God your best and for some of us if we are brutally honest that will require much more than we are currently doing after all when God made the decision to send somebody to save us He didn't mess around sending an angel He didn't waste our time by sending the 24 elders who surround the throne He didn't send the four living creatures around his throat no when God saw our problem He sent the best Brightest June give God your best do the most you can and the best of who you are shine like a glow worm if you can't be a star work like a pulling if you can't be the crane be the best grease wheel if you can't drive the train be a polished ore if you can't be the sailor be the most used needle if you can't be the tailor be the dustpan if you can't be the sweeper be the sharpest sickle if you can't be the reaper give God your best because in God's construct only God spirit field heartfelt devotion because in God's construct it's not just what the hand does but it's what the heart intended that's most important to God in God's construct it's not the what but the how that the Holy Spirit monitors more closely lessons so important that the Holy Spirit ensured that all four Gospel writers record the actions of Mary because she met the divine threshold she loved March and she did what she could and when the question is asked what does it mean to be spirit field the only acceptable answer will be it takes an alabaster heart your head's about you're thinking about yourself I don't want you focusing on husband, wife son, daughter grandparents friend, enemy know you are taking personal time right now you're asking yourself what question here's what I want to do when I appeal to you Nick if as you take your own introspection you want to say to the Lord and save you Jesus Christ Lord I heard you tonight you spoke to me and by your grace I'm willing to give God my best you spoke to me tonight Lord I to demonstrate an alabaster heart here's what I want you to do you can make that statement in honesty don't do it if you don't mean it but if you mean it and you want God to know today that he spoke to you and you want to give God your best by his grace you want to demonstrate an alabaster heart I want to invite you to stand those who are on the virtual airways I want to invite you to stand wherever you are in your home just change your posture and stand if you can make that kind of statement now I've got some good news for you brothers and sisters pastor has informed me that he wants to have a baptism on July the 16 not this Sabbath but the next one and I think that that is appropriate because I sense that there are people here today who need a new start you've been running on empty a long time act what you once had with Jesus you need a new beginning a new moment in your spiritual journey where you can mark that you and the Lord got back on the same page you haven't been as raunchy as Mary was but you know and God knows that y'all haven't been tight in a long time so you need a fresh start, you need a fresh opportunity and so tonight not only am I going to ask you to just stand but I'm going to ask you to respond if you need a new start a new beginning a new do over if you want to say Lord I need you the way I once had you before I want to be extravagant to let you know how serious I am perhaps you ought to consider being in that gracious baptism that our pastor is planning so while your head's about here's what I want you to do don't think about anybody else in here because the truth of the matter is nobody else in here has a heaven to give you or hell to keep you out of this is about you and Jesus what I want you to do right now in the quietness of the moment your neighbors will excuse you I want you to just step out of your seat and I want you to come down to the altar you are saying I want to be extravagant I need a new start I need a new beginning I need Jesus back in my life I want to be a part that baptism that pastor is planning anyone here today want to be bodacious want to say to the Lord and Savior or perhaps you're here baby you have never completely surrendered your heart to Jesus you've been around Him, you know about Him but you haven't had a relationship like that surrendered to the rule and reign of Jesus Christ but today God is speaking to you you need to respond and if you do we'll give you everything that you need you can have the joy of being welcomed into God's family if you're online there's a telephone number on the bottom of your screen someone will welcome you and you too can be a part of making the decision to have a new start new beginning new opportunity in the Lord anyone else here today who needs that kind of experience don't worry about anybody else the truth of the matter is all of us need Jesus thank you today that we can have a new start and a new beginning thank you that you don't give up on us thank you for Mary's example thank you Lord that you require from us in alabaster heart now Father pray for those who are online we pray for those who are in this auditorium this church and I ask Lord that every person within the sound of my voice in that number that you're recording angels are saved loved you much and have done what they could bless and strengthen to our commitment today to have alabaster hearts and may the example of Mary truly be memorialized in each one of our experiences and may we never forget that it's not the what but it's the how it's what the heart intends that is most important now bless us we pray in Jesus name amen and amen turn to your neighbor and tell your neighbor you need an alabaster heart we shall close the service by use of him number 462 blessed assurance Jesus is mine shall we rise shall we rise with song number 462 blessed assurance Jesus is mine let us bow together our Father in heaven it is with great humility that we now commit these petitions from your children in the book of psalms you are known as mighty in battle that on our behalf you fight the challenges of our lives all this is because of your great love your immeasurable grace and because you are kind hearted and for this reason Lord receive these petitions Christ when you on this earth you healed all those that came to you that was sick sometimes even when you went through towns none were left that suffered you brought great comfort to your children you are our protector because you are our God and so we run to you in times of need and I want to praise you and honor you for you keep your promises and we ask O Lord that you hear your children now and according to your loving mercy meet their needs this is our prayer in Jesus name so number two zero three this is the three four what do you say for such a wonderful yeah that is so great thank you so much the heralds and uh just before we we leave I would like to thank all of you for being here since morning when we began at eight when we had the devotion we went through the divine service we had a wonderful afternoon also with the leadership health the recipes from the deconesses and the family divisions which we had I don't want to forget the pianists the choristas the sign language interpreters and all those who participated today we had the seraphics singing we had the silver chord and we had silver chord and the heralds so thank you so much I just want to mention that as much as we got all the blessings we got today today was our fifth day of the come meeting tomorrow is the sixth day don't miss we want to be here before eight so that by eight we start our song service and by ten eight ten our pastor benjamino kindo will stand here with a devotion and the day will roll on there are so many blessings God has prepared for us I don't want to forget one announcement which is very important that uh we'll have a baptism on the 16th of uh that is there the next sabat and those who are interested who would like to be baptized please be free and bring your names to us um or one of the elders or even the pastor so that uh we get ready or you get ready for your baptism so to end it all out like us to say the benediction so we'll stand so that uh we live on time and then come back tomorrow on time so with our heads bowed may the grace let's begin may the grace over Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more amen thank you so much and may God bless you