Wired for Worship: Beyond the Palms
Copyright: South Bay Community Church
Sermon Reflections: Wired for Worship: Beyond the Palms
Date: 24 March 2024
Speaking: Lead Pastor Tammy Long
Scripture Text: Sermon Texts: Mark 11:7-10, 14:3-8, Romans 12:1
Sermon Preamble
We are concluding our mini-series, “Wired for Worship” highlighting worship leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Today is Palm Sunday and Easter weekend is coming. The focus of this Wired for Worship series is a deepening understanding and desire to connect with God in worship that is pleasing to the Lord. In the first Wired for Worship message on the Heart of Worship, in John 4 Jesus met with the woman at the well and declared that a heart of worship involves both a spirit of passionate devotion and the truth of who God is and God’s ways. For the second Wired for Worship message on the Keys to Worship, we explored that we worship because God is worthy. How we worship is through voice, body, lips, service; the list actually is endless. In the third Wired for Worship message on the Power of Worship, we unpacked the truth that worship combats spiritual anemia through the power of God’s presence, which broadens our perspective, aligns us with God’s purpose and priorities, and unites God’s people in worship manifesting a powerful witness to the world. In this Wired for Worship message on Beyond the Palms, we are comparing two scenes as we enter into holy week. Both of these passages have something to teach us about true worship. In Mark 11, the crowd is charged in waving branches to celebrate a triumph of Jesus as Messiah and King. But within a week the crowd chants of worship turned to incriminating cries of “Crucify Him.” Jesus didn’t do what the crowd expected and wanted Him to do, which was to overthrow the Roman Empire. Their worship, in essence, was all about them. In Mark 14, a woman anoints Jesus with oil of extreme value. Because of God’s mercy toward us, and Jesus’ work in us and for us, we are to offer our precious bodies, meaning every aspect of our lives in a continuous act of worship. This lifestyle of worship is our response when we give ourselves to the Lord with a pure heart every day, every hour, and every minute.
Background: Jesus sends two disciples on an errand
See Mark 11:1-6 for the background. Jesus sent two disciples to the village ahead as they approached Jerusalem. Jesus told the two disciples to bring the colt to Jesus. If anyone asked why, tell them that the Lord needs the colt and will send it back shortly. “They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go” (Mark 11:6).
The crowd with Jesus may be worshipping with spiritual charge, but they are lacking in truth of God
“7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Mark 11:7-10).
Passover is the annual festival when the Jews remember how God liberated them from the bondage of Egypt through the Exodus event. Festivals in Jerusalem were always crowded, but during Passover the population increased five-fold. Energy was high; emotions were high; and expectations were high. The Jews were under oppressive Roman occupation at this time. Remembering the Exodus and God’s promise for a Savior fanned their hunger for socio-political liberation even more. They wanted deliverance. They wanted a King who would overthrow the government and restore Jerusalem to the glory days of King David.
Jesus entered the city riding a colt, which alludes to the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 which says, “9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey’s colt.”
By the time Jesus enters the city gate, the crowd is charged, primed and pumped even to the point of frenzy. Spreading coats and palms on the ground were hailing Jesus as King like putting out the red carpet. People would also wave branches to celebrate a victory or triumph. Anticipation was extremely high for what Jesus’ entry could mean and what they thought he would do.
Their cries of “Hosanna” literally mean “Save Us.” It is part of what is known as the Hallel from Psalms 113-118, sung during Passover. The Hallel they chanted in this moment was from Psalm 118:25-26, which says, “Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the lord we bless you.”
Significant differences between Jesus’ mission and what we think, expect, or want Jesus to do for us
Yes, the triumphant entry is a grand entry. Praise and worship are high. Jesus does indeed enter as Israel’s Messiah, but what they are expecting and what Jesus is coming to do are not aligned. They don’t understand Jesus’ mission or purpose. They may be worshipping in spirit, but they are lacking in truth.
They were right to worship Jesus as King. Jesus’ entrance was for a different kind of Kingdom. Jesus was not there to save them from Rome, but to inaugurate an eternal Kingdom. They did not understand that. Jesus didn’t do what they thought, expected, and wanted Him to do. In essence, their worship was all about themselves. Within seven days their worship had turned to incriminating cries of “Crucify Him.” (See Mark 15:13).
After Resurrection Sunday, we understand the bigger picture of what Jesus came to do. We can look at the crowd and marvel at their fickleness over a matter of days. What about us? Do you and I often get caught up in the energy of the moment, the tides of emotion, or the circumstances? How often is our worship really about ourselves: what you and I want; what you and I expect; what you and I want to feel and experience, not about Jesus or the movement of what God is doing?
May God forgive you and me as we acknowledge how easy it can be to lose sight of what worship is really all about. Worship that is truly pleasing to our Lord is not based on the moment, the mood, or what I want God to do for me.
This difference between what we thought, expected and wanted Jesus to do based upon ourselves versus what Jesus and God is actually doing leads to our second scene for this message.
Jesus followed God’s agenda, not the expectations of the crowd
In Mark 14:3-9, two days have passed since Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. After all those high expectations of the triumphant entry, it was a bit anti-climactic. There was no big coup, no military mobilization, and no master strategic plan. These were not Jesus’ agenda. In those two days, Jesus chased crooked vendors out of the temple and taught lessons to his disciples. Jesus taught and preached to crowds that hung on every word much to the annoyance and anger of the religious leaders who were still trying to find a way to kill him.
A woman anoints Jesus in an intimate scene with her precious perfume as an act of worship
In this next scene, we find Jesus at a dinner party. Let’s enter the scene starting at Mark 14:3. “3 While [Jesus] was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly, I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Mark 14:3-9).
This is a very different scene from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. There is no high-energy crowd, no pomp and circumstance, no chants, or shouts of praise. In this quiet, humble, and intimate setting an unnamed woman approaches Jesus. In and of itself this is a bold and abnormal move for the times. The fact that she is there at all suggests that she is either an invited guest or part of the household.
The scripture says she came to Jesus with an alabaster jar of pure nard, a very expensive perfume. It was worth 300 denarii which was the equivalent of a year’s wages for a day laborer or enough to have provided a meal for 7,500 people. This perfume would have been the most precious thing she owned. She uses it to anoint Jesus in a spirit of deep reverence, devotion, and adoration. Since it was extremely valuable her worship was a lifestyle of sacrifice.
The woman worshipped Jesus by preparing His body for burial
Jesus is the Messiah, the literal meaning of the Anointed One. Her act of worship acknowledged the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. In Israel’s history, anointing was reserved for those selected for a special task like priest or king.
Jesus received her worship, not only in the declaration of who Jesus truly is, but also, as prophetic to his pending death. Jesus notes that she is preparing His body for burial. Jesus declares that she has done a beautiful thing. She will be remembered for it.
This woman comprehended the divinity and royalty of who Jesus is. The other dinner party guests didn’t appear to understand this. While they rebuked, ridiculed, and humiliated her for not giving to the poor, Jesus affirmed her for worshipping Him.
Worshipping God: love God with a devoted heart
The truth is that worshipping God comes before everything else. Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. That is exactly what she did.
Loving God with all that is within you is what true worship is all about. Her worship was not contingent on the approval of others. Her worship was not influenced by what was going on around her. Rather, her worship was an expression of love that transcended the transitory, superficial, and the conditional of the crowd. She offered worship that reflected a heart wholly devoted to the Lord. Her worship was all about Jesus. It wasn’t about her.
Deeper worship: An offering to Jesus without expectations of getting from Jesus
In worship this woman wanted to give an offering TO Jesus, not like the Palm Sunday crowd that wanted something FROM Jesus. The Palm Sunday crowd wanted something FROM Jesus. On the other hand, this woman wanted to give an offering TO Jesus. Her worship was so much TO Jesus that she was willing to sacrifice everything she had for Him. That was her worship. Jesus was pleased with her worship in sacrificial living.
Worshipping God as a Living Sacrifice embodies the essence of worship that is still pleasing to God today
The Apostle Paul captures this embodied worship in Romans 12:1, when he writes, ”Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).
This passage starts with therefore. This means whatever Paul wrote prior connects to this verse. The “therefore” is a hinge related to what came before it. In Romans chapters 1-11, Paul is reminding his readers of the many incredible displays of God’s mercy and grace toward us through the saving work of Jesus Christ and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Our response to God’s grace and mercy is to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice which Paul equates as our true and proper worship. We may not have expensive perfume to offer Jesus in worship. However, because of God’s mercy toward us, and Jesus’ work for us and in us, Paul indicates that we have something even more precious to offer. We offer our bodies, meaning every aspect of our lives in a continuous act of worship. We offer a lifestyle of worship as a living sacrifice.
The idea of sacrifice is not as familiar to us today as in ancient times
In the ancient world, sacrifice was the core of religion. Killing animals and sometimes, depending on the religion, killing people, was the focal point of worship. Sacrifices were the way the ancient world understood connecting with God. However, sacrifices became abused. Practitioners began to think all you had to do to appease the gods was make a sacrifice.
We worship God when we give ourselves to God with a pure heart any place and at any time
God sent Old Testament prophets to challenge that notion of sacrifice and explain that the sacrifice pleasing to God was from a pure heart. Paul used the metaphor of a living sacrifice. Paul was communicating that we worship God when we give ourselves to the Lord with a pure heart any place and any time every day, every hour, and every minute.
Worship as a living sacrifice is the only appropriate response for God’s great love for us
The command to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice is a response to who God is and all God has done. God’s love is so immense and unconditional that when we begin to receive it, experience it, taste it, we simply have to respond. We didn’t earn it. We don’t deserve it. It’s freely given. We’re freely forgiven. God’s love is eternal. Not to respond leaves God’s love unrequited and unreciprocated. When you think of all God is and all God has done, how can you and I not respond?
Paul exhorts us to present our bodies, our whole selves as a living sacrifice. To offer God anything less falls miserably short considering the magnitude of God’s great love for us. God sacrificed for us by sending Jesus to die in our place. So, a life of sacrificial worship really is the only appropriate response. Our lives as a living sacrifice completes the circle of love God initiates with us. God sacrificially loved us. We sacrificially love God back as a living sacrifice of worship.
What a lifestyle of worship as a living sacrifice looks like:
A lifestyle of worship begins with our daily decisions
Just as the woman at Bethany made a deliberate choice to honor Jesus in a deeply personal way, our choices reflect the priority of God in our lives. Each decision, no matter how small, becomes an act of worship when we align it with God's will and purposes. Worship choices as a fragrant offering to the Lord include choosing kindness in response to rudeness, integrity in the face of temptation, or faith in the midst of fear.
Our relationships offer opportunities for us to worship as a living sacrifice
By extending forgiveness, showing compassion, and serving selflessly, we emulate Christ's love. In the way we treat others, and in how we reflect God's love and grace to the world. Our interactions with family, friends, and even strangers can become acts of worship when we see them as God sees them.
Our work, volunteer and creative outlets are integral parts of worship
Whatever your vocation or talent, doing it with excellence and integrity as to the Lord glorifies God. There is no division between the sacred and the secular. All of it allows opportunities to worship God as a living sacrifice. God is over all, sees all, and is the giver of all. So, our work and creativity can be a worship offering to God, as a testament to God’s creativity and excellence.
The way we manage our time, talents, and resources in stewardship is a living sacrifice of worship
Worship is when we acknowledge God as the source of all we have and commit to using it for God’s glory. Worship is when we are generous with our time, serving others with our talents, giving financially with a cheerful heart, and caring for the environment. We are living a lifestyle of worship, when we take care of God’s business, and trust in his provision and sovereignty to take care of us as God has promised.
A living sacrifice of worship honors our bodies, minds, and spirits
See 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with care for your body.
A lifestyle of worship in times of trial is perhaps the most profound
It is easy to praise God when life is smooth. True worship is found in the midst of storms in suffering from following Christ. We trust God's goodness and sovereignty even when it doesn't make sense. Like Job, Paul and Silas, who worshipped in their suffering, let us cling to the unshakeable truth of God's love and faithfulness because of who God is. A lifestyle of sacrificial worship in these moments becomes a powerful witness to the world of our unwavering faith.
Sacrifice in worship out of love and devotion for Jesus
Are there ways that you and I can deepen our worship through sacrifice for Jesus? Each of the areas already identified are not only ways to worship, but deepen our worship through sacrifice. We can deepen our worship by sacrificing our preferences and desires for the good of another. We can sacrifice our resources to extend the Kingdom of God. We can sacrifice our time to spend more time with God in God’s Word. We can sacrifice convenience to serve when it is inconvenient. You are invited to view this video on deepening your worship through sacrifice for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwf7rmA1y9M&ab_channel=TimMcCaffrey
As we conclude, let’s worship God with the help of the worship song using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1c3m8mRb8g&ab_channel=BKTabernacleVEVO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDING FAMILY GROUPS
Sermon Preamble
-What would be the impact if your worship was a lifestyle of continuous worship at any place and at any time?
Background: Jesus sends two disciples on an errand
-What would you feel if you were one of the 2 disciples Jesus (the Living Word) sent and the events happened just as Jesus said they would?
The crowd with Jesus may be worshipping with spiritual charge, but they are lacking in truth of God
-Place yourself in the scene of worship on Palm Sunday followed by attacks from leaders in this fallen world with cries a few days later from the crowd against Jesus to crucify Him. Why can your worship become fleeting like the crowds on Palm Sunday?
Significant differences between Jesus’ mission and what we think, expect, or want Jesus to do for us
How often is our worship really about ourselves: what you and I want; what you and I expect; what you and I want to feel and experience, not about Jesus or the movement of what God is doing?
Jesus followed God’s agenda, not the expectations of the crowd
-What were the expectations of the crowd as they waved the palms at the triumphant entry? When have you had expectations of what you would receive from Jesus and when you would receive it that turned out not to be God’s agenda and timing?
A woman anoints Jesus in an intimate scene with her precious perfume as an act of worship
Enter the scene as the woman at the dinner party. Similar to the woman, when have you desired to worship as you ministered TO Jesus in a quiet, intimate setting with humility?
The woman worshipped Jesus by preparing His body for burial
Consider Matthew 25:40. In what ways can you worship God recognizing that Jesus is the Messiah (the Anointed One) and King when you participate in anointing of other humans called for a special Godly task? Why can anointing of others called for a special Godly task be like anointing Jesus?
Worshipping God: love God with a devoted heart
Consider Mark 12:30 stating the first of all commandments: to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. How can you get better at loving God with a devoted heart?
Deeper worship: An offering to Jesus without expectations of getting from Jesus
-What do you have to give to Jesus without expectations of what you would get from Jesus?
Worshipping God as a Living Sacrifice embodies the essence of worship that is still pleasing to God today
-In what ways can you offer your bodies, meaning every aspect of your life in a continuous act of worship, as a living sacrifice as your true and proper worship as urged by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1?
The idea of sacrifice is not as familiar to us today as in ancient times
-Consider John 1:29: Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Explain why animal sacrifices are not part of Christianity?
We worship God when we give ourselves to God with a pure heart any place and at any time
-What does the Apostle Paul mean by living sacrifice as the metaphor in Romans 12:1?
Worship as a living sacrifice is the only appropriate response for God’s great love for us
Why is a life of sacrificial worship really the only appropriate response to God’s great love for you and me?
What a lifestyle of worship as a living sacrifice looks like:
-Among the descriptions of a lifestyle of worship as a living sacrifice, which description most resonates with you as an opportunity for you as a living sacrifice to continuously worship?
Sacrifice in worship out of love and devotion for Jesus
-How do you want to deepen in devotion and worship like the woman with the alabaster jar?
-What areas of your life do you sense God inviting you to offer to God in worship?
-In what areas is God inviting you to sacrifice more deeply?
We are concluding our mini-series, “Wired for Worship” highlighting worship leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Today is Palm Sunday and Easter weekend is coming. The focus of this Wired for Worship series is a deepening understanding and desire to connect with God in worship that is pleasing to the Lord. In the first Wired for Worship message on the Heart of Worship, in John 4 Jesus met with the woman at the well and declared that a heart of worship involves both a spirit of passionate devotion and the truth of who God is and God’s ways. For the second Wired for Worship message on the Keys to Worship, we explored that we worship because God is worthy. How we worship is through voice, body, lips, service; the list actually is endless. In the third Wired for Worship message on the Power of Worship, we unpacked the truth that worship combats spiritual anemia through the power of God’s presence, which broadens our perspective, aligns us with God’s purpose and priorities, and unites God’s people in worship manifesting a powerful witness to the world. In this Wired for Worship message on Beyond the Palms, we are comparing two scenes as we enter into holy week. Both of these passages have something to teach us about true worship. In Mark 11, the crowd is charged in waving branches to celebrate a triumph of Jesus as Messiah and King. But within a week the crowd chants of worship turned to incriminating cries of “Crucify Him.” Jesus didn’t do what the crowd expected and wanted Him to do, which was to overthrow the Roman Empire. Their worship, in essence, was all about them. In Mark 14, a woman anoints Jesus with oil of extreme value. Because of God’s mercy toward us, and Jesus’ work in us and for us, we are to offer our precious bodies, meaning every aspect of our lives in a continuous act of worship. This lifestyle of worship is our response when we give ourselves to the Lord with a pure heart every day, every hour, and every minute.
Background: Jesus sends two disciples on an errand
See Mark 11:1-6 for the background. Jesus sent two disciples to the village ahead as they approached Jerusalem. Jesus told the two disciples to bring the colt to Jesus. If anyone asked why, tell them that the Lord needs the colt and will send it back shortly. “They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go” (Mark 11:6).
The crowd with Jesus may be worshipping with spiritual charge, but they are lacking in truth of God
“7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Mark 11:7-10).
Passover is the annual festival when the Jews remember how God liberated them from the bondage of Egypt through the Exodus event. Festivals in Jerusalem were always crowded, but during Passover the population increased five-fold. Energy was high; emotions were high; and expectations were high. The Jews were under oppressive Roman occupation at this time. Remembering the Exodus and God’s promise for a Savior fanned their hunger for socio-political liberation even more. They wanted deliverance. They wanted a King who would overthrow the government and restore Jerusalem to the glory days of King David.
Jesus entered the city riding a colt, which alludes to the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 which says, “9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey’s colt.”
By the time Jesus enters the city gate, the crowd is charged, primed and pumped even to the point of frenzy. Spreading coats and palms on the ground were hailing Jesus as King like putting out the red carpet. People would also wave branches to celebrate a victory or triumph. Anticipation was extremely high for what Jesus’ entry could mean and what they thought he would do.
Their cries of “Hosanna” literally mean “Save Us.” It is part of what is known as the Hallel from Psalms 113-118, sung during Passover. The Hallel they chanted in this moment was from Psalm 118:25-26, which says, “Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the lord we bless you.”
Significant differences between Jesus’ mission and what we think, expect, or want Jesus to do for us
Yes, the triumphant entry is a grand entry. Praise and worship are high. Jesus does indeed enter as Israel’s Messiah, but what they are expecting and what Jesus is coming to do are not aligned. They don’t understand Jesus’ mission or purpose. They may be worshipping in spirit, but they are lacking in truth.
They were right to worship Jesus as King. Jesus’ entrance was for a different kind of Kingdom. Jesus was not there to save them from Rome, but to inaugurate an eternal Kingdom. They did not understand that. Jesus didn’t do what they thought, expected, and wanted Him to do. In essence, their worship was all about themselves. Within seven days their worship had turned to incriminating cries of “Crucify Him.” (See Mark 15:13).
After Resurrection Sunday, we understand the bigger picture of what Jesus came to do. We can look at the crowd and marvel at their fickleness over a matter of days. What about us? Do you and I often get caught up in the energy of the moment, the tides of emotion, or the circumstances? How often is our worship really about ourselves: what you and I want; what you and I expect; what you and I want to feel and experience, not about Jesus or the movement of what God is doing?
May God forgive you and me as we acknowledge how easy it can be to lose sight of what worship is really all about. Worship that is truly pleasing to our Lord is not based on the moment, the mood, or what I want God to do for me.
This difference between what we thought, expected and wanted Jesus to do based upon ourselves versus what Jesus and God is actually doing leads to our second scene for this message.
Jesus followed God’s agenda, not the expectations of the crowd
In Mark 14:3-9, two days have passed since Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. After all those high expectations of the triumphant entry, it was a bit anti-climactic. There was no big coup, no military mobilization, and no master strategic plan. These were not Jesus’ agenda. In those two days, Jesus chased crooked vendors out of the temple and taught lessons to his disciples. Jesus taught and preached to crowds that hung on every word much to the annoyance and anger of the religious leaders who were still trying to find a way to kill him.
A woman anoints Jesus in an intimate scene with her precious perfume as an act of worship
In this next scene, we find Jesus at a dinner party. Let’s enter the scene starting at Mark 14:3. “3 While [Jesus] was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly, I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Mark 14:3-9).
This is a very different scene from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. There is no high-energy crowd, no pomp and circumstance, no chants, or shouts of praise. In this quiet, humble, and intimate setting an unnamed woman approaches Jesus. In and of itself this is a bold and abnormal move for the times. The fact that she is there at all suggests that she is either an invited guest or part of the household.
The scripture says she came to Jesus with an alabaster jar of pure nard, a very expensive perfume. It was worth 300 denarii which was the equivalent of a year’s wages for a day laborer or enough to have provided a meal for 7,500 people. This perfume would have been the most precious thing she owned. She uses it to anoint Jesus in a spirit of deep reverence, devotion, and adoration. Since it was extremely valuable her worship was a lifestyle of sacrifice.
The woman worshipped Jesus by preparing His body for burial
Jesus is the Messiah, the literal meaning of the Anointed One. Her act of worship acknowledged the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. In Israel’s history, anointing was reserved for those selected for a special task like priest or king.
Jesus received her worship, not only in the declaration of who Jesus truly is, but also, as prophetic to his pending death. Jesus notes that she is preparing His body for burial. Jesus declares that she has done a beautiful thing. She will be remembered for it.
This woman comprehended the divinity and royalty of who Jesus is. The other dinner party guests didn’t appear to understand this. While they rebuked, ridiculed, and humiliated her for not giving to the poor, Jesus affirmed her for worshipping Him.
Worshipping God: love God with a devoted heart
The truth is that worshipping God comes before everything else. Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. That is exactly what she did.
Loving God with all that is within you is what true worship is all about. Her worship was not contingent on the approval of others. Her worship was not influenced by what was going on around her. Rather, her worship was an expression of love that transcended the transitory, superficial, and the conditional of the crowd. She offered worship that reflected a heart wholly devoted to the Lord. Her worship was all about Jesus. It wasn’t about her.
Deeper worship: An offering to Jesus without expectations of getting from Jesus
In worship this woman wanted to give an offering TO Jesus, not like the Palm Sunday crowd that wanted something FROM Jesus. The Palm Sunday crowd wanted something FROM Jesus. On the other hand, this woman wanted to give an offering TO Jesus. Her worship was so much TO Jesus that she was willing to sacrifice everything she had for Him. That was her worship. Jesus was pleased with her worship in sacrificial living.
Worshipping God as a Living Sacrifice embodies the essence of worship that is still pleasing to God today
The Apostle Paul captures this embodied worship in Romans 12:1, when he writes, ”Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).
This passage starts with therefore. This means whatever Paul wrote prior connects to this verse. The “therefore” is a hinge related to what came before it. In Romans chapters 1-11, Paul is reminding his readers of the many incredible displays of God’s mercy and grace toward us through the saving work of Jesus Christ and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Our response to God’s grace and mercy is to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice which Paul equates as our true and proper worship. We may not have expensive perfume to offer Jesus in worship. However, because of God’s mercy toward us, and Jesus’ work for us and in us, Paul indicates that we have something even more precious to offer. We offer our bodies, meaning every aspect of our lives in a continuous act of worship. We offer a lifestyle of worship as a living sacrifice.
The idea of sacrifice is not as familiar to us today as in ancient times
In the ancient world, sacrifice was the core of religion. Killing animals and sometimes, depending on the religion, killing people, was the focal point of worship. Sacrifices were the way the ancient world understood connecting with God. However, sacrifices became abused. Practitioners began to think all you had to do to appease the gods was make a sacrifice.
We worship God when we give ourselves to God with a pure heart any place and at any time
God sent Old Testament prophets to challenge that notion of sacrifice and explain that the sacrifice pleasing to God was from a pure heart. Paul used the metaphor of a living sacrifice. Paul was communicating that we worship God when we give ourselves to the Lord with a pure heart any place and any time every day, every hour, and every minute.
Worship as a living sacrifice is the only appropriate response for God’s great love for us
The command to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice is a response to who God is and all God has done. God’s love is so immense and unconditional that when we begin to receive it, experience it, taste it, we simply have to respond. We didn’t earn it. We don’t deserve it. It’s freely given. We’re freely forgiven. God’s love is eternal. Not to respond leaves God’s love unrequited and unreciprocated. When you think of all God is and all God has done, how can you and I not respond?
Paul exhorts us to present our bodies, our whole selves as a living sacrifice. To offer God anything less falls miserably short considering the magnitude of God’s great love for us. God sacrificed for us by sending Jesus to die in our place. So, a life of sacrificial worship really is the only appropriate response. Our lives as a living sacrifice completes the circle of love God initiates with us. God sacrificially loved us. We sacrificially love God back as a living sacrifice of worship.
What a lifestyle of worship as a living sacrifice looks like:
A lifestyle of worship begins with our daily decisions
Just as the woman at Bethany made a deliberate choice to honor Jesus in a deeply personal way, our choices reflect the priority of God in our lives. Each decision, no matter how small, becomes an act of worship when we align it with God's will and purposes. Worship choices as a fragrant offering to the Lord include choosing kindness in response to rudeness, integrity in the face of temptation, or faith in the midst of fear.
Our relationships offer opportunities for us to worship as a living sacrifice
By extending forgiveness, showing compassion, and serving selflessly, we emulate Christ's love. In the way we treat others, and in how we reflect God's love and grace to the world. Our interactions with family, friends, and even strangers can become acts of worship when we see them as God sees them.
Our work, volunteer and creative outlets are integral parts of worship
Whatever your vocation or talent, doing it with excellence and integrity as to the Lord glorifies God. There is no division between the sacred and the secular. All of it allows opportunities to worship God as a living sacrifice. God is over all, sees all, and is the giver of all. So, our work and creativity can be a worship offering to God, as a testament to God’s creativity and excellence.
The way we manage our time, talents, and resources in stewardship is a living sacrifice of worship
Worship is when we acknowledge God as the source of all we have and commit to using it for God’s glory. Worship is when we are generous with our time, serving others with our talents, giving financially with a cheerful heart, and caring for the environment. We are living a lifestyle of worship, when we take care of God’s business, and trust in his provision and sovereignty to take care of us as God has promised.
A living sacrifice of worship honors our bodies, minds, and spirits
See 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with care for your body.
A lifestyle of worship in times of trial is perhaps the most profound
It is easy to praise God when life is smooth. True worship is found in the midst of storms in suffering from following Christ. We trust God's goodness and sovereignty even when it doesn't make sense. Like Job, Paul and Silas, who worshipped in their suffering, let us cling to the unshakeable truth of God's love and faithfulness because of who God is. A lifestyle of sacrificial worship in these moments becomes a powerful witness to the world of our unwavering faith.
Sacrifice in worship out of love and devotion for Jesus
Are there ways that you and I can deepen our worship through sacrifice for Jesus? Each of the areas already identified are not only ways to worship, but deepen our worship through sacrifice. We can deepen our worship by sacrificing our preferences and desires for the good of another. We can sacrifice our resources to extend the Kingdom of God. We can sacrifice our time to spend more time with God in God’s Word. We can sacrifice convenience to serve when it is inconvenient. You are invited to view this video on deepening your worship through sacrifice for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwf7rmA1y9M&ab_channel=TimMcCaffrey
As we conclude, let’s worship God with the help of the worship song using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1c3m8mRb8g&ab_channel=BKTabernacleVEVO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDING FAMILY GROUPS
Sermon Preamble
-What would be the impact if your worship was a lifestyle of continuous worship at any place and at any time?
Background: Jesus sends two disciples on an errand
-What would you feel if you were one of the 2 disciples Jesus (the Living Word) sent and the events happened just as Jesus said they would?
The crowd with Jesus may be worshipping with spiritual charge, but they are lacking in truth of God
-Place yourself in the scene of worship on Palm Sunday followed by attacks from leaders in this fallen world with cries a few days later from the crowd against Jesus to crucify Him. Why can your worship become fleeting like the crowds on Palm Sunday?
Significant differences between Jesus’ mission and what we think, expect, or want Jesus to do for us
How often is our worship really about ourselves: what you and I want; what you and I expect; what you and I want to feel and experience, not about Jesus or the movement of what God is doing?
Jesus followed God’s agenda, not the expectations of the crowd
-What were the expectations of the crowd as they waved the palms at the triumphant entry? When have you had expectations of what you would receive from Jesus and when you would receive it that turned out not to be God’s agenda and timing?
A woman anoints Jesus in an intimate scene with her precious perfume as an act of worship
Enter the scene as the woman at the dinner party. Similar to the woman, when have you desired to worship as you ministered TO Jesus in a quiet, intimate setting with humility?
The woman worshipped Jesus by preparing His body for burial
Consider Matthew 25:40. In what ways can you worship God recognizing that Jesus is the Messiah (the Anointed One) and King when you participate in anointing of other humans called for a special Godly task? Why can anointing of others called for a special Godly task be like anointing Jesus?
Worshipping God: love God with a devoted heart
Consider Mark 12:30 stating the first of all commandments: to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. How can you get better at loving God with a devoted heart?
Deeper worship: An offering to Jesus without expectations of getting from Jesus
-What do you have to give to Jesus without expectations of what you would get from Jesus?
Worshipping God as a Living Sacrifice embodies the essence of worship that is still pleasing to God today
-In what ways can you offer your bodies, meaning every aspect of your life in a continuous act of worship, as a living sacrifice as your true and proper worship as urged by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1?
The idea of sacrifice is not as familiar to us today as in ancient times
-Consider John 1:29: Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Explain why animal sacrifices are not part of Christianity?
We worship God when we give ourselves to God with a pure heart any place and at any time
-What does the Apostle Paul mean by living sacrifice as the metaphor in Romans 12:1?
Worship as a living sacrifice is the only appropriate response for God’s great love for us
Why is a life of sacrificial worship really the only appropriate response to God’s great love for you and me?
What a lifestyle of worship as a living sacrifice looks like:
-Among the descriptions of a lifestyle of worship as a living sacrifice, which description most resonates with you as an opportunity for you as a living sacrifice to continuously worship?
Sacrifice in worship out of love and devotion for Jesus
-How do you want to deepen in devotion and worship like the woman with the alabaster jar?
-What areas of your life do you sense God inviting you to offer to God in worship?
-In what areas is God inviting you to sacrifice more deeply?
Sermon Resources
Posted in Wired for Worship
Tagged with palm, Mark 11, Mark 14, Zechariah 9:9, Hosanna, Psalm 118:25-26, Mark 15:13, worship, alabaster, nard, anoint, living sacrifice
Tagged with palm, Mark 11, Mark 14, Zechariah 9:9, Hosanna, Psalm 118:25-26, Mark 15:13, worship, alabaster, nard, anoint, living sacrifice
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