 But that said, we're going to be looking now at Mark chapter 14, and I'm going to begin by reading verses 1 and 2, and as I normally do, I'll just give you some background, remind you of a few things. We'll look at those two verses, give you some information. But the heart of our study today is actually going to be beginning at verse 3 and ending at verse 11. But we'll begin reading here in Mark 14 at verse 1, I'll read verses 1 and 2, give you some background, reminders, and then move into our study. Mark writes, after two days it was Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes saw how they might take him by trickery and put him to death. But they said, not during the Feast, lest there be an uproar of the people. Now as we've gone through the Gospel of Mark in chapter 13, I mentioned to you that chapter 13 is an answer actually to questions that had been asked of the Lord by His men. We remember how Jesus had left the temple area, and as they did so, His men had pointed out to Jesus the beauty of that temple. And as we've seen, Jesus pointed out that this beautiful temple would be destroyed, and that bothered His men. So they asked Him several questions, when will these things be? What will be the sign that these things will be fulfilled? What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age? So they're asking Him several questions, and the Lord begins to answer. And so the rest of chapter 13 was filled with His answer to those questions. It's the longest recorded answer in the Gospel of Mark to any question that He had been asked. So after answering the question, Mark returns as to why Jesus has come to planet earth. Jesus came, and He's going to point this out. He came that He might redeem us by laying down His life. You see, Jesus is in the last days of His ministry. He's about to fulfill the image of the Passover lamb by giving up His life. And this is what the last Old Testament prophet John had said of Him in John 1.29, where it says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So the death of Christ on the cross is the heart of the last chapters of the Gospel. Now He had recently predicted His death and its purpose in John 12 in verses 31 and 32. He said, Now is the judgment of this world, now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And He went on to say, And I, if I am lifted up from the earth will draw all peoples unto myself. So He's already pointed out that He's coming to the conclusion of His ministry. He's about to be crucified, but that crucifixion is intended to draw people to faith in Him. So as we look at this portion of Scripture and move on through Mark's Gospel, He's concentrating on the death of Jesus, and He's pointing out the cross and the purpose of the cross. So He says in verse 1, After two days it was Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. Now we as Christians were familiar with the terms Passover and also unleavened bread. The Passover is observed on the 14th day of Nisan and the Jewish calendar, which would be March or early April. It celebrates the night in Egypt that the angel of death had passed over Jewish households that had sprinkled blood on the doorpost. Now the feast of unleavened bread began the next day and lasted a full week. And that was to commemorate Israel's exodus out of Egyptian bondage. Now they were part of Israel's major feast. In Deuteronomy 16 verse 16, it says three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that He will choose. At the feast of unleavened bread, at the feast of weeks, and at the feast of booths they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. So Passover, it was a celebration. A lamb had been slain and it was eaten on the 14th day of the month of Nisan. And it was in memory of the day on which their fathers preparing to depart from Egypt were commanded by God to slain eat a lamb and to sprinkle their doorposts with his blood. That the destroyed angel seeing the blood might pass over their dwellings. The feast of unleavened bread referred to the bread that was hastily made when Israel fled Egypt. Passover only lasted one day but it was immediately followed by the seven days of unleavened bread. So Passover and the feast were combined to last eight days. Now Passover is intended to point us to Christ. This is what the apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1, 18 and 19, where he says you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers but with the precious blood of Christ a lamb without blemish or defect. And so this is taking place now in preparation of the week that Jesus has given up his life and this is going to give to us a background as we look at this. Now what's taking place? In verse one it speaks about the chief priests and the scribes. These are the religious leaders of Israel, the chief priests were individuals who were involved in a variety of the duties of religion in Israel. The scribes are the religious experts. They were those who were experts in the law of Moses. They've combined in order that they might work something out to have the Lord Jesus Christ dealt with. They want to take them by trickery because they want to put them to death. Now that wasn't necessary by the way. Jesus came to voluntarily lay down his life. He wasn't going to happen because he was tricked into it. It was because he voluntarily had decided to do that. Later on in the New Testament the book of Hebrews the writer says we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. You see the wages of sin is death the scripture says. It is appointed unto man to die but once the scripture says and after that the judgment. So Jesus Christ came to take upon himself our penalty so that we might have a freedom of relationship with him that comes through what he has done. But what's happening is they're having a secret meeting in order that they might be able to put together a plan to take him. And this is being held by what is called the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin. The Psalmist in Psalm 2 says it like this in verses 1 through 3. He says why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves. The rulers take counsel together against the Lord against his anointed saying let us break their bonds in pieces cast away their cords from us we will not have this man to rule over us let's determine what we can do to keep that from happening. And that's what they're doing. And as we remember during this week Jesus had entered Jerusalem to an enthusiastic welcome. These people are doing it in secret because they don't want to inflame the followers of Christ. Luke tells us in chapter 22 verse 2 that the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him for they feared the people. So they're secretly gathering together they're plotting how they might be able to take Christ. They don't want to cause the people to get into an uproar so they're plotting against him and they do so in the courtyard of the current high priest the man by the name of Caiaphas. In Matthew 26 verses 3 and 4 it says the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest whose name was Caiaphas and they scheme to arrest Jesus secretly in order that they might kill him. Caiaphas wanted to kill Christ because Jesus was a threat to him. You see after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead Caiaphas called for the death of Christ. In John 11 47 through 50 it says the chief priests and Pharisees called the meeting of the Sanhedrin. What are we accomplishing they ask? Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this everyone will believe in him and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. Then one of them named Caiaphas who was high priest that year spoke up. You know nothing at all. You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish. But they said not during the feast lest there be an uproar of the people. Again Jesus was extremely popular. They wanted to do this but they had to do it with caution and they are unaware that their plan to kill him fit into the plan that God had for salvation. In John 12 24 Jesus said it like this. He said most assuredly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone but if it dies it produces much grain. And so Jesus came with the purpose, the purpose of dying in order that he might give up his life voluntarily for us so that we believing in him might have eternal life. He took upon himself our sin as the Lamb of God and he did so voluntarily. The religious leaders seeing him as a threat wanted to put him to death but that all fit into what the Lord God was planning to do. He was going to save us through his son Jesus Christ. And so as that is taking place we move into verse three. Being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper as he sat at the table a woman came having an alabaster flask, a very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on his head but there were some who were indignant among themselves and said why was this fragrant oil wasted? It might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor. They criticized her sharply. But Jesus said shut up no. Jesus said let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me. For you have the poor with you always and whenever you wish you may do them good. But me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. Assuredly I say to you wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. This is a flashback to the previous Saturday. John in his gospel records the same event and he gives us the day that it occurred in John chapter 12 verses one and two six days before the Passover. Jesus arrived at Bethany where Lazarus lived whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus's honor. Martha served while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table. Now the reason that Mark would insert the story here is because it contrasts the hatred of the Sanhedrin with the love of those who were Jesus's disciples. You see the people love Jesus but the religious leaders hated him. And they had no good reason for that. In John 15 25 Jesus said it like this. He said this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law. They hated me without a cause. Now Jesus is in Bethany at the home of a man known as Simon the leper. If you're looking at a map you look at Jerusalem to the east is a small village just a few miles outside of town. And in that village live several disciples including a man by the name of Simon. Now he's referred to as Simon the leper but he would have been Simon the former leper who had been cleansed by Jesus. Because if he were still a leper he would not have a home in town. In the Old Testament there were laws related to leprosy and lepers in general. And in Leviticus 13 46 it says a leper is unclean he shall dwell alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. Leprosy in the Old Testament was a picture of sin. It isolates you you dwell outside of the community because sin makes separation. And so Simon was a leper at one time but now he has a home. So that would give to us insight that he must have been cleansed by Christ and now he's giving him a supper. John 12 verse 2 says they made him a supper there. So Simon is hosting Jesus making him the guest of honor in his home. It may be because he's showing gratitude for Jesus cleansing him of leprosy or it may be in gratitude for the recent raising of Lazarus from the dead it doesn't say. But it does say this it does give to us an insight that he was thankful. And he's doing something because he's thankful. And thankfulness is a mark of a genuine believer in Christ. Thankfulness being grateful for what God has done. What has God done in your life for those of us who are believers? What has God done in your life? Sometimes we only see the bad around us we feel the pressure and God knows we go through a lot of pressure. I'm not saying we don't but that pressure that we go through. How do we respond to it? What is it in a heart that comes out through that pressure? One of the things that we need to understand is that we were once lost and now because of Christ we're found once we're going to hell now we're going to heaven. Once we had no family now we have a community of believers. Once we had no purpose now we have a great purpose. Once we're lost in sin now we've been saved by grace. We ought to be thankful for what God has done. We ought to be thankful for the work he's done in our life. Look at what he's done. Look at what he's done. The Holy Spirit has done a new work and God has done something in us. He has freed us from the bondage that we at one time lived in. And it didn't come through any other way other than the word of God. But I got saved. I got saved in a time when the world was crazy. It hasn't changed a whole lot. I mean it's been 50 plus years almost 52 years. But we're going through craziness then. You know we were talking about weather at that time. But it wasn't getting too hot. At that time there was going to be a new ice age. That's what they said 50 plus years ago. We're going to have a new ice age. We had anger. We had riots. We had Chicago, Detroit. We had takeovers of colleges, University of San Francisco, and other places. We had wars that we're dealing with. We're dealing with illnesses. We're dealing with a lot of things. Very similar to what we're dealing with today. Very similar. Today is a little bit on steroids compared to what we were going through. But it was rough then too. There was no hope. We were lost. The hippie generation was bringing in promiscuity and making promiscuity a way of life. It's gotten worse. But yes. And for me, when I was 20 years old and I was totally hopeless, it wasn't the promise of some political man who's going to make me free. It was the promise of Jesus Christ who was going to set me free. And somebody loved me enough to tell me that my sins, the problem with this world, isn't just our elected officials. The problem with this world was me. I'm a man of sin. And I need to be saved. I need to be forgiven. And when that happens, I'll be transformed. And so the gospel came, set me free, made me new. And now I can influence others for the good for Jesus Christ. That's how people change. It's not because I elect an official. It's because the King has saved me. That's how it works. And we need to remember that. Now, that doesn't mean we shouldn't be involved in the process, of course. But we're salt and we're light. And we do it for the right reason. I don't expect a man to save me. Jesus Christ already has. And God has made me thankful. And for a believer, I should have a heart of thankfulness. The Bible speaks concerning that constantly. Psalm 9, verses 1 and 2, I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you. I will sing praise to your name almost time. Psalm 105, verse 1, I'll give thanks to the Lord. Call upon his name. Make known his deeds among the peoples. And so there's a thankfulness here. And it must be that, one of the two reasons that I mentioned. Well, as this is taking place, notice verse 3. It says, being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask, a very costly oil of spiking iron. She broke the flask and poured it on his head. So Jesus is reclining. They weren't seated at seats or chairs. They were reclining. She approaches from behind and anoints him. Mark leaves the woman unnamed. John supplies her name for us. She's Mary, the younger sister of Martha and Lazarus. John 12.3 says, Mary took about a pint of pure nard and expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. In an act of worship, she pours the costly perfume upon Jesus' head in his feet. She may have had a clearer perception of what Jesus was about to do. It may be that she could see what his beloved disciples were refusing to see. You see, the disciples didn't want to accept that Jesus was about to die. The thought of him dying wasn't something they could come to grips with. Remember how Jesus spoke to them of his death and often when he did so they would resist. They couldn't bring themselves to accept it. We saw in Matthew 16, verses 21 and 22 how it says that Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed, be raised the third day. And Peter took him aside, began to rebuke him saying, Far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you. Don't let this happen, far be it. You're just a little depressed, you need a rest. So Peter becomes his counselor, right? Far be it from you, Lord. They could not accept this. So it seems that Mary had accepted what the others could not. It speaks again in verse three, how a woman came having an alabaster flash, notice a flash, flask of very costly oil of spike nerd. So what we're about to observe is an act of sincere worship. Love for Christ is always revealed by actions. There are a lot of people who claim that they love the Lord but their lives don't reflect that, it doesn't show. We are sermons by the way that we live. What I believe is exposed by the way I behave. And so it's easy to say, oh yes, I love the Lord. But love for God is demonstrated by how we live. In James chapter two, verse 26, it says, as a body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. So she's doing a good work for Jesus. If you notice in verse six, notice how Jesus says the last portion of that verse that she's done a good work for me. And so she's doing a good work on behalf of the Lord. It says that she had an alabaster flash of very costly oil of spike nerd. It's interesting how that on another occasion, a poor widow gave God an offering of two mites. Well, this time a woman gives a very expensive gift to Jesus. It's extremely costly. When it speaks concerning it being extremely costly in the way that it does, that word costly speaks of that which is excellent. It's very precious. It's of surpassing value. Verse five reveals its value in terms of monetary. It's 300 denarii. 300 denarii is equivalent to 300 days wages, of full years wages. And so we see something of this offering in that it was costly. It was precious of surpassing value. And that gives us insight into worship because true worship incurs sacrifice. In 2 Corinthians eight, one through five, Paul said it like this. He said, we want you to know brothers about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. And this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. People say, well, we give offerings to the church. No, you don't, you give your offering to the Lord. You first give your offering to God. And that's what Paul was saying. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us. Mary was genuinely grateful to Jesus for all he'd done. For her, such an expensive gift was proper in light of all he was to her. In 2 Corinthians 9, verse seven, it reads, let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity. God loves a cheerful giver. The word cheerful is a Greek word, hilarious. They give with great joy. God loves that. Well, her extravagant gift revealed her depth of love and understanding. She was one who listened closely to what he had to say. We can see that on a different occasion recorded by Luke in chapter 10, verses 38 and 39. It happened as they went that he entered a certain village, certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. We know that story. It's where Martha is busy in the kitchen, banging those pots and pans and she's getting angry because she thinks her sister's lazy because her sister is seated at the feet of Christ listening to him as he's teaching. And finally she's so frustrated, Martha comes in and you can almost see her putting her hands on her hips and looking at Jesus glaring at her little sister and saying, don't you care? Look what she's doing. She's sitting here when I'm in there making food for not only you, but everybody else. You brought your boys over. I'm feeding a whole slew of you guys. And then there she is just, get her up. That's what she does. She says, she says to Christ, she orders God. She says, get her up and have her come and help me. Can you imagine that? It's almost like she was married to Jesus. Martha, Martha, you were troubled by many things. Your mind is caught up with so many things. You're troubled by many things. You're anxious. You're doing something with the wrong heart. And then he points to her sister and she's chosen the better, the better thing. What is the better thing? She has chosen to serve me with a better heart because she first sat at my feet to hear and secondly she acts on it. You're not listening, you're busy trying. That's not the way it works. You first give yourself to the Lord and then to others and she wasn't doing that. So we've seen Mary already. She's one who sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word. And as she was listening to him, she was perceiving perhaps something that her men, the men had refused to see. Well, as this has taken place, again I'll read verse three but I'll move forward. Being in Bethany at the house of Simon the Lepper as he sat at table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikernard. She broke the flask, poured it on his head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves and said, why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than 300 denari and given to the poor and they criticized her sharply. The reaction of the disciples is revealing. Notice there were some who were indignant among themselves. Now this reaction was prompted by Judas. Judas calculated the value and responded critically to what had taken place. In John 12, four through six, one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected. Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. So there's Judas, he sees this taking place, his thieving mind is calculating the value and he's saying that's worth a year's wages. Then he uses a religious kind of way to say, oh, this could have been given to the poor when in fact he wanted to help himself to what was put in that bag. He was pretending to be concerned with care for the poor but he saw just a great deal of money that he was about to lose and his false charity infected the others and so they actually joined him in criticizing her. Notice verse four, why was this fragrant oil wasted? Now what Jesus saw as pure worship, Jesus saw as a waste of money, wasted. This attitude continues to this day. Somebody may ask you, why do you go to church so often? That's a waste of time. Why are you serving in a church? Come on, what are you slave labor? Why do you give? There are things you could buy for yourself. That attitude is with us to this day and the result is criticism. Verse five says they criticized her sharply. That word sharply means that they indignantly scolded her. They were angry and they were scolding her. Now this thought was voiced among themselves and to marry, it was really in a kind of a smaller group but Judas's influence had infected the attitudes of the others. He was a thief but he also knew how to manipulate and all he had to do was call into question the use of the money and that undercut trust in Jesus and his ministry. Well how did Jesus respond? Well notice verse six, Jesus said, let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She's done a good work for me. For you have the poor with you always and whenever you wish you may do them good but me, you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. And so he rebukes them, let her alone. In John 12 verse seven, John says, Jesus said, let her alone, she has kept this for the day of my burial. Mary has anticipated my death in burial and she's anticipating what is going to occur. You see after Jesus was crucified, she returned to anoint his dead body. She wanted him to have a proper burial but she was doing this before it actually happened. Notice in verse seven how it says, you have the poor with you always and whenever you wish you may do them good but me, you do not have always. As long as there are people, there will be poverty and you can always help them. It's always within the power of your hand and your decisions to help the poor. It's always there. In Deuteronomy 1511, the Bible says there will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. You always have opportunity but on the other hand, I'm departing soon so your priority is to worship me and that's what Mary's doing and this is what you should be doing. Again, all true service begins with serving and worshiping God first. Notice in verse eight, she has done what she could. She's held nothing back, nothing that was dear to her. She was willing to give that which had value. She was willing to sacrifice that. It's been said, he who has a religion that costs him nothing has a religion that is worth nothing. So instead, what she did is she poured out her offering and notice she offered it completely. She held nothing back. In a short time, Jesus is gonna pour himself out completely for us, holding nothing back. And you can give but you can only give what you have. Not what you wish you had. You give what's yours in the power of your hand to give at that time. In second Corinthians eight, 12, it says, if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he doesn't have. So she did what she could, she gave what she could. Mark tells us in verse three that she poured it on his head. John 12 three tells us that she included his feet and she wiped his feet with her hair and that is an act of humble service. Now this act of humble service is something that was noticed but it wasn't done in order to be noticed. The Bible tells us in John 12 three, the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. It wasn't done to draw attention from man but it was noticed by man. Some are criticizing but Jesus is commending because genuine, worshipful sacrifice is something that he notices but others will be aware of too. The entire house was filled with the fragrance. In second Corinthians two, 15 and 16 it says we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing to one a fragrance from death to death to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who was sufficient for these things? She's telling what she could. She couldn't prevent his death but she could reveal the death of her love. She revealed her devotion and she did that in the face of criticism. And so he says in verse nine, assuredly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her, think about it, 2,000 years after the fact we're still speaking about what this woman did. We're speaking of it even now. And Jesus pronounced a blessing on her worship and in doing so he's showing us what the heart of worship really is. Well notice what happens in verse 10. Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, went to the chief priest to betray him to them and when they heard it they were glad and promised to give him money so he sought how he might conveniently betray him. When it first got saved I thought that Jesus Christ I thought Jesus was his first name and Christ was his last name. I looked at Judas Iscariot and I thought Judas is his first name Iscariot is his last name because I thought well my name's David Rosales I got a first and a last name. Now Judas Iscariot it is literally Judas Iscariot. Is is man, Carriot is a village. Judas the man of Carriot is what his name is. There was another Judas in the 12 so Judas is reflected as being the one who betrayed him or Judas from Carriot. Carriot was in the south. The other 11 apostles were from the north and so this distinguishes us concerning this man but it says Judas Iscariot one of the 12 went to the chief priest to betray him. So when Jesus was saying leave her alone that stung, that rebuked stung Judas and that got him apparently angry enough to go out and to continue with and to fulfill his plan. Luke 22, three through five says it like this. Satan entered Judas called Iscariot one of the 12 and Judas went to the chief priest and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. They agreed to give him 30 pieces of silver. So in contrast to loving worship, Judas went out and sold Jesus. He made his money, he sold out Jesus for the price of a slave. Exodus 21 32 says if a bull goers a male or female slave the owner must pay 30 shekels of silver to the master of the slave and the bull must be stoned. So the stage has been set, Jesus is soon to die. Now I want to take a few minutes and close with application. When Mary came and made this offering it was in an alabaster vase, very expensive. You could have removed the cap and you could have poured it out like that but you didn't do that. What you did is you broke it. So that means she was offering not only the contents but the vessel that held the contents. And when you think about that she was offering to Jesus anointing, the anointing which he was anointing for the day of his burial but she was also offering a broken vessel. The most valuable vessel in the hand of God will always be the broken one. It will always be the broken one. That is one of the lessons and I want to close with just some application. That is one of the hardest lessons that I in all the years I've followed Christ as one of the hardest lessons that you learn is that there's purpose in suffering, there's purpose in hurt, there's purpose in affliction, there's purpose in brokenness. When you're young like I have been at one time, you could read the Bible and as you read the Bible say well of course you do this and of course you say that and of course you believe this because it's an of course thing, of course for me because it's true therefore we do. So I had within me I had the desire but I didn't have the understanding. I didn't know that the way to heaven was paved with brokenness. I didn't know that, I didn't know that there'd be many times in my life that I would be broken. We were singing a song earlier, I leaned over to John I mentioned that it's one of the songs that was one of the slides that we have. Perhaps you noticed it as you were reading the words of the song but it was like a pathway and it was there were trees in this pathway and they had all these leaves and I turned to John as I mentioned to Marie earlier I said I used to run when I was in the army I used to run through a forest that looks exactly like that. We didn't have the leaves it was clay but I would run through that on my own. I would run three miles a day, six days out of the week by myself and as I would do that I would pray and I would seek the Lord. I was a new Christian and I always prayed the same thing every day I did that. Every day as I ran I did that I'd say God help me to learn to love, God help me to learn to care, God help me to learn to be a good man because I was everything but that before I got saved. Everything but that. Love was something you said when you wanted something from somebody else. Love was something you used to get what you want. Love is a word you use that you give to somebody who wants to hear that word so they'll give you what you want. It's a bargaining chip. That's what it was to me. That's what love is and I knew and I knew that I didn't know what love was and I would pray I still do to this day almost 52 years later, God teach me to love. Teach me what that means because I still don't know and I want to know how to love, help me Lord. And I would do that at the age of 20 I would run every day six days a week every day through a forest. Then I finally went to a track and ran the track but I used to go through the forest. It was right next to our barracks across the street going to the forest and run. That's what I did by myself every day. Praying, God help me, God teach me, I want to be your man, help me. I didn't know that the way to love was brokenness. I didn't know that. I didn't know that. I didn't know how much pain would be involved. How much hurt, how many disappointments, how many times your heart gets broken. I didn't know how many times over 50, almost 52 years. The way up is often down. The times that somebody loved deeply hurt you. The times that you trusted somebody there's so much for your life only to see them lie about you and have so many believe the lie rather than ever asking you. The joy of having a baby and then sorrow of seeing that baby not doing well as they grow older. The times that perhaps you've done this, I've done this. You've fallen literally on my knees and then laid on a carpet on my face, weeping. God help me, I don't know what to do. I dedicated this baby to you, Lord, but the break in my heart. And as you go through that, having people say, oh, you're not a real good pastor because you didn't raise perfect children and see hundreds of people leave our fellowship because I'm imperfect. When you still come up, you still open the Bible and you still talk about Jesus and you still encourage people when you're broken hearted. How many times? How many times? 41 years in this church. How many times? When people could have put their arm around the shoulder and said, I'll pray for you instead, they're leaving and gossiping. How many times? The pain is deep and it hurts. And you cry because God, you said there'd be joy and then you hear his word. The most valuable vessel in my hand will always be the broken one, son. You said you wanted to be like me. Yes, I did. Well, don't you remember that Jesus according to Isaiah 53 is the wounded healer, he was broken. Don't you remember that? That he was unjustly accused? Don't you remember that? That the men that he ministered to included a Judas? Don't you remember that? The people who were crying out, Hosanna are the same ones who cried out, crucify him a week later, don't you remember that? Do you wanna be like Christ, you will be broken. You will be broken. I'm not trying to scare you. So right now you're thinking, I don't wanna be like Christ. No, if you wanna be like Christ because it deepens you, it breaks those parts of your life that don't please God, it makes you dependent on him. The most valuable vessel in the hand of God is the one that he's broken. In 2 Corinthians 4 verse 7, Paul said it like this, we have this treasure in earth and vessels that the excellence of the power of God may be of, the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us, all for you Lord and none of me. Are you sure you want that? To the best of my ability I do. Do you understand what that's gonna take? It's gonna take a pouring out and a breaking. Why? Because the vase itself is only containing the excellence. In order for the excellence to pour out, there'll be a breaking so it can come out. Do you want the breaking so that the pouring out will occur? Anything Lord, anything. So I can be like you, anything. Criticism? Yeah. Why this waste? Yeah. But Mary knew what she wanted. She wanted to worship and honor her God. There are people who have said to me oh I wanna be in the pastoral ministry and I've actually literally cried telling them you don't know what you're asking for. You think it's just standing up there talking and going and playing golf the rest of the week. It's a brokenness. How many times have I been in a bed when someone was dying? Funerals, ministering to people who are broken and hurt themselves. How many times? How long? Can you do that? As long as God gives you strength. As long as you love him. Your life is a pouring out to the end. Worship for Jesus Christ. That's what it is. That's how it works. Remember that the most powerful thing that God has in his hand as he uses is the broken one. So maybe you're going through her right now. Maybe you're going through loss. Maybe there are things you're concerned with. God, I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what to do. Somebody asked me once, pastor, what is the greatest lesson that you've ever learned? And I said, the greatest lesson? It all works out in the end. For all things work together for the good of those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose. I may not understand what's taking place right now, but I do understand him and I know he loves me and he will take you through whatever you're going through and on the other side you'll turn around and you'll say, I thought I was alone, but I see every step of the way. You were with me. You never left me. You never forcipped me and you brought me through. And that's what you learn when you worship the Lord. It's much deeper than coming and singing a song and then going home. It's walking with Jesus every day willing to do whatever he calls you to do. And guess what? It is a beautiful life. When that brokenness has continued even to the point where it's completed and you say now I understand Lord and at that point you die. So every step of the way. I have broken vessels in this room right now. God heals. God does a perfect work. And you will rejoice in what he's done. I guarantee you, you will rejoice. One last thought. I hope this isn't too personal. Forgive me. Many years ago, my son David and his girlfriend, she got pregnant. She gave birth. My baby, my granddaughter. Broke my heart that it came about that way, but I've never ever been unhappy that I have her. I love my baby. It just broke my heart. It wasn't done in the way it should have been done. People left. I'm a bad pastor. You didn't raise perfect son. But guess what? Then the last baptism. I have a picture of me baptized in my baby. My son brought her to faith in Jesus Christ and I baptized that little girl that people said oh you should, no, I believe in the grace and forgiveness of God. He forgave me. Why can't he forgive you? How it works. It all works out in the end. It all does. Hold fast and watch what the Lord will do. Hold fast and you'll rejoice at what God has done. And when people are saying things, let it alone. God has a way of taking care of all of his children, including the ones who aren't kind right now. He has a way because he's gracious. Just keep your eyes on him and watch what he'll do in yours. Watch what he'll do in your life. Father, I ask that you would have your way in life.