extravagent worship v.2

So I gave the message I was prepping for last week, but I ended up rewriting half of it.  I completely skimmed over the WHY of extravagent worship the first time.  I guess my motivations have evolved considerably over the last couple of years.  It also took a bit of work to tailor the message to its audience, but I relish the opportunity to speak specifically to the heart of people. 

A realization that comes most poignantly to me through preaching is that the pulpit is no pedestal.  A preacher stands apart from his audience, facing them, with the cross behind him.  As if he has the backing of God Himself.  But he has no special knowledge, no elevated level of holiness, no increased amount of blessing.  All he has is the attention of the crowd for a few short minutes. 

Standing between the cross and the crowd, there is no other time when it is more evident to me that my proper position is on my hands and knees.  It is a terrible day when a man begins to feel that his rightful place is in front of the people and not among them.

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Extravagent Worship

Set the scene:
• Near the end of Jesus’ ministry
• 3 years with the disciples
• Right before Judas went to betray Jesus
• Right before the Last Supper
• Right before the cross
• Last few days to be with disciples

Jesus knows what was going to happen; he tells them repeatedly that he is going to leave them soon.

Springtime in Israel. A cool evening. Jesus, disciples, a few guests. Relaxing after a meal.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany
Mark 14:3-9

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as 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.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.

"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

The book of Mark does not identify the woman, but Luke says it was a “woman who had lived a sinful life” (possibly Mary Magdalene), and John says it was Mary sister of Martha and Lazarus. So this is either a sinful woman who turned from her ways and followed Jesus, or someone who saw Jesus raise her brother from the dead. In either case, Jesus has given her something that has changed her.

The Nard she pours is a rare spice from the Himalayas and was very expensive. A typical alabaster jar was thin and not more than 6 or 8 inches high. One of them said it was worth more than a year’s wages. It is probably her most treasured possession. She may have kept it with her at all times, maybe wearing it around her neck. Something to be savored a little bit at a time. But instead of a sprinkling, she snaps the neck off the jar and empties it on Jesus. So this would be like a 40,000 dollar bottle of Chanel or Calvin Klein, or AXE body spray, sprayed completely out. Can you imagine? When the disciples saw this, one of them says,

"Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.

I have to say I probably would have responded the same way. They could have done a lot of good with that money, or at least used the perfume slowly in sane amounts. I mean, be practical Mary. We do need be practical in order to manage our responsibilities and survive as students, and as employees, and as Christians. To be practical and efficient is to be a good steward of what God has given us.

But this is something so completely different, and Jesus recognized it. What Jesus saw in Mary was LOVE. And when someone is in love, practicality goes out the window. If you have ever loved someone like that, you know what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t, you still know it when you see it, because it is just insane. What Mary felt about Jesus was irrational, overwhelming, and looked crazy to the people witnessing it. But that is how love is supposed to work. A girl wouldn’t say to her boyfriend, “Boyfriend, thank you for loving me so efficiently.” Jesus understands this and calls her act of worship beautiful.

"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me…You will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Jesus shows us that worship is not about practicality, it is about EXTRAVAGANCE. In few other situations would it be beautiful to use a $40,000 bottle of perfume like that. It is not about the amount of money. The kind of worship that pleases God is the kind that is able to at times ignore practicality to tell Him that He is worthy of all glory and every glory. When I talk about worship, I don’t mean singing Jesus songs or coming to church. It is something more personal, something more inward than outward. It includes all the things we do at church, but is not limited to it. When we worship extravagantly we are telling God that He is our real treasure. We are saying that our earthly treasures come from Him anyway and that we value the giver more than the gift.

Practicality is about returns, but extravagance does not care. There are two ways to fix a car. One way is to fix it for functionality, to replace what is broken just to get it running. This is the most efficient way. The second way is to restore it, to meticulously make sure that every nut and bolt is shiny, even polishing the underside that no one will ever see. Very few people will be able to appreciate the time and effort that goes into it. But that car becomes more than just transportation; it becomes a treasure to its owner. So how do we treat our relationship with God? Do we just make sure that we have enough faith to get us through the week, or do we allow it to become personal, and passionate, and beautiful?

This is our daily relationship with Jesus. Spending time with God is not about getting the biggest return for our investment. It’s not about fulfilling a spirituality quota, or checking off another thing on the to-do list. But that’s how we treat it sometimes, if we even get that far. Or we show up to church every week because that’s what Christians do, but the other 6 days of the week belong to us. Again, that isn’t how love works. Being in a relationship with someone is 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It means they are a part of your life, wherever you are.

So how does a practical relationship with God become an extravagant one? We can go back a couple chapters and look at the poor widow in Mark 12:41.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

We can only start from wherever we are. We see over and over again in the gospels that Jesus cares less about the external circumstances of a person and more about their heart. These 2 pennies from this poor widow was no less extravagant than Mary’s expensive perfume. If you have never prayed in your life, a two word prayer could be as extravagant as two hours of prayer from someone else. If you have never read the bible before, reading for just 5 minutes a day could be equally as big a step. The point is that we give what we can, but God is always ushering us toward a fully committed relationship to Him. Toward a relationship where nothing else is more valuable to us. Toward an extravagant kind of worship.

What I failed to cover the last time I gave this message I missed a very important point. We see now the kind of worship God desires from us, and a little bit of HOW. But the most important aspect is WHY? WHY does this woman decide to empty her most valuable possession on Jesus? WHY is this poor widow willing to give away what little she has to survive on?

See, Mary’s extravagant worship was not something she just decided to do on her own. It was a response. Jesus is in the business of loving the unlovable. What attracted people to him was that he was willing to associate with people that a man of his stature just wouldn’t. He was a teacher, a Rabbi, a prophet. Deserving of respect. Other men in his position would not have even gone near the house of Simon the Leper. Leprosy is a skin disease with no cure and lepers were considered unclean, sinful. They assumed that lepers did something to deserve their condition. They were less than human. Jesus could have stayed in any house in Bethany, but He chose Simon’s house. For Jesus to even walk inside is to say “Simon, though other men turn away from you in disgust, I acknowledge you as a human being, and I accept you as my friend.”

Mary, as a sinful woman, would have been shunned by society. She would have been used to being ignored, and looked down upon, and judged. Yet Jesus forgives her sins and welcomes her, even letting her touch him. Even just as a woman, she should never have entered the room where men were relaxing. Yet Jesus not only doesn’t rebuke her, he elevates her above the men in the room. This stuff was completely unheard of at the time. The important people were outraged by these kinds of things. Jesus was hated in polite society because he loved the unlovable. But the poor, the broken, the outcast, could only fall at his feet in worship.

And that’s what we are. Every single one of us; sinners, screw ups, unfaithful followers, men and women unworthy of God’s love. Yet he pours it out on us like expensive perfume from an alabaster jar. The vessel that was broken in order to deliver that love was Jesus himself, God’s most prized possession, sacrificed for us. Only this time, instead of Jesus being anointed for the cross…for death…we are anointed for life everlasting. Extravagant worship always comes at a cost, an expensive cost. But for Mary, her jar of expensive perfume was cheap in comparison to what Jesus had already given her. It was the only response she could have given. This is WHY extravagant worship is possible. Because God first loved US extravagantly.

So I will rejoin you now in lifting up a response to God, as forgiven sinners, as redeemed screw ups, as unworthy people trying to give up our alabaster jars in response to the alabaster jar broken for us on that cross 2000 years ago.

-Community 153-
August 28th, 2011

progress

I can't say unplugging has been easy, or that I've been as consistent as I hoped, but it has been helping a bit.  I am starting to recapture a bit of the inner monologue that had been seeking to be replaced with outer distraction.  The longer commute and busier work pretty much wipe me out by the time I get home.  The temptation to veg is sometimes overwhelming.

Tonight I am working on a message that I am giving on Sunday.  I'm just going to recycle something I wrote a few years ago, but I've been putting off refreshing myself on it. 

a broken and contrite heart

Last time I spoke at UCLA, the topic was the kind of worship that God desires from us; worship that defies efficiency and practicality. Continuing from there, this message is about the kind of heart that God desires from us; a heart that is broken and contrite.

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice,
or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God,
you will not despise.
In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 51:16-19

Some background: This psalm was written by King David after he commits adultery with Bathsheba and murders her husband. It is an expression of his repentance before God. By the law of Moses, when someone sins, he is to slaughter an animal that is without defect, which atones for the sin and admonishes the man. The idea is that the animal, which is clean, takes on the sin of the man, who is dirty. The lamb or goat or bull is made dirty so that the man can be clean. The animal is then slaughtered to pay the penalty for the sin. This idea carries through to Jesus, who is offered as a clean sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. So if a goat takes on one sin for one person, Jesus takes on all sins for all men. Same idea.

But what King David says here turns that idea on its head. Even though God specifically says that one sin can be paid for by one goat, David says that’s not what pleases God. He’s not saying that dead animals are bad, because verse 19 says that there will definitely be dead animals. He says that God does not take pleasure in that kind of sacrifice unless it comes with a heart of repentance. So what David does is he falls to his knees before God and begs for forgiveness. As king, he did not have to do this. He could have justified himself and silenced anyone who objected. He could have had a priest quietly kill a goat and wiped his conscience clean. But not only does he publicly admit that he sinned, he publicly humbles himself before his kingdom. This is tremendous humility! If it doesn’t sound tremendous, when was the last time a President responded to a mistake in the same way?

So two kinds of sacrifices are presented here; one that is pleasing to God and one that isn’t. The sacrifices of men are burnt offerings and slaughtered bulls. But the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a humble heart. So even though God instructs them to offer external sacrifices, Israel knew what He was really looking for.

An even more theatrical demonstration of this happens earlier with Abraham and Isaac. Before Israel existed as a nation, the Lord promises Abraham a son through whom all of Israel will be born. God delivers Isaac but tells him to kill him as a sacrifice. Somehow, Abraham obeys, but I’m sure that as he gathered the wood and traveled to the sacrifice place, his heart was shattered. Why would God deliver a miracle and then take it from him? How would Israel be born through Isaac if Isaac was dead? God is cruel! But of all the confusion and anger and chaos swirling around in Abraham’s head, one thing was clear and allowed him to obey: It is God who gives and God who takes away. His heart was humble and contrite before the Lord despite his circumstance, or maybe because of it. And as he reached out his hand to slay his son, God stops him. It was never about the act of sacrifice, it was about the heart behind it. God wanted to bring Abraham to a place where his heart was broken and his will was submitted. That’s the heart that pleased God and from that heart, Israel was born.

Yet by the time the New Testament is written, Israel seems to have lost sight of this. Jesus continually rebukes the leaders of Jewish society for their hypocrisy.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Matthew 23:25-28

The Pharisees had taken the law and run with it. They prided themselves on doing the right things and having the right words to say. They made sure that they followed the rules to the letter. They probably had a whole stable of goats to sacrifice just in case they messed up. They were by all human accounts perfect Jewish citizens. But their bones were dead men’s bones. For all they knew of the Torah, for all their prayers and offerings, for all their sacrifices, they did not know God at all. They had the stories of David and Abraham memorized, but they did not know humility and brokenness. It didn’t matter how well they obeyed the law, their hearts were stone, and by their hearts they were condemned.

So why would God even give us those laws? I think the answer lies in our weakness. Why does every country on earth have laws? Everyone knows that murder is bad, that stealing is bad, that driving too fast on the freeway is bad. So why have speed limits if everyone is going to speed anyway? Because without written rules and punishments, we can justify anything and everything. Without speed limits and speeding tickets, I’m sure I can find a reason to drive 120 on the 405. But even with laws, people speed anyway, right? Yes they do, but nothing brings about a broken spirit and a contrite heart faster than flashing blue lights in the rear view mirror. The law exists to remind us that we are sinners, and that we need forgiveness.

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Romans 3:20

So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:24

The laws that God has given us exist for our benefit, but we cannot live for them alone. God’s law exists to lead us to repentance and humility. But it is much easier to live according to a set of rules than it is to live in brokenness and humility. It is much easier to be a Pharisee than it is to be a David. I recently realized how tricky legalism can be. It snuck up on me while I was trying to do the right thing and all of a sudden I realized I had put myself on a pedestal. But like He is so good at doing, God brought me crashing down from that high place.

And that’s where God wants us. He wants us to be aware of our sin and He humbles us every time we lose sight of Him. He does this not because He is cruel, but because He loves us. He knows that in order for us to fully experience His grace, we need to be broken. And He is willing to cause us pain if it leads to a humble and contrite heart, because that heart leads us to Him. Nobody likes to be broken, but when we understand why he breaks us, we stop being afraid of it. We might even start praying for it. And from experience, that prayer rarely goes unanswered.

[WHEC, 7-12-2009]
..feedback welcome..

extravagant worship

I have been going through Mark for quiet times and came to this passage in Mark 14 about Jesus' anointing at Bethany. It is a demonstration of the kind of worship that God desires from us: Worship that is extravagant. This is right before the Last Supper leading to Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus knows what he must go through very soon. I imagine his countenance would be pretty somber and serious. Let’s read Mark 14:3-9.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany:

³While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as 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.

⁴Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? ⁵It 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. ⁸She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

This passage is found also in the other three gospels. Matthew and Mark do not identify the woman. Luke says it was a “woman who had lived a sinful life” (possibly Mary Magdalene), and John says it is Mary sister of Martha.

In any case, this woman who is familiar with Jesus pours an alabaster jar of nard on Jesus, anointing Him just days before his crucifixion. Nard is a rare and expensive spice from the Himalayas and was very expensive. A typical alabaster jar was thin and not more than 6 or 8 inches high. Someone present says it is worth more than a year’s wages. So this is equivalent to a $40,000 dollar bottle of CK Obsession for Men. It is probably her most treasured possession. But instead of a light spritz, she breaks the whole jar and empties it completely on Jesus.

"Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.

The practical part of me agrees with that voice in the crowd. There could be much better uses for something so valuable. They could do a lot of good with that money, or at least use the perfume slowly in sane amounts. I’m sure Jesus knew that also, but He rebukes the crowd. He calls it a beautiful act. He accepts this act of worship and here we are reading about it 2000 years later.

"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me…You will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

We learn to be practical and efficient, and those are useful qualities. This is how we balance our responsibilities and survive as students, as employees and as Christians. We need to be practical and efficient to be good stewards of what God has given us. But guess what? God is not impressed with our practicality, at least not in worship. In a relationship, a girl would never say to her boyfriend, “Boyfriend, I love that you are able to love me so efficiently.” That's not how relationships work.

The same goes for our relationship with Christ. Spending time with God is not about getting the biggest return for our investment. If it were, we shouldn’t be developing a relationship with Him, we should be developing a portfolio. But that’s how we treat it sometimes. If we invest a certain amount of time into prayer and church and discipleship and people, we hope to get a certain amount of return on the investment in the form of blessings or growth.

Except Jesus shows us that worship is not about practicality, it is about EXTRAVAGANCE. In no other situation would it be beautiful to use a $40,000 bottle of perfume like that. And it is not about the amount of money either. The poor widow who gave her only 2 pennies was no less extravagant. It is about the heart and the circumstances behind the act. The kind of worship that pleases God is the kind that turns its back on practicality to say that He is deserving of all glory and every glory. When we give extravagantly we are telling God that He is our real treasure. We are saying that our earthly treasures come from Him anyway and that we value the giver more than the gift.

Practicality is about returns, extravagance does not care. There are two ways to fix a car. One way is to fix it for functionality, to replace what is broken just to get it running. This is the most efficient way. The second way is to restore it, to meticulously make sure that every nut and bolt is shiny, even polishing the underside that no one will ever see. Very few people will be able to appreciate the time and effort that goes into it. But that car becomes more than just transportation, it becomes a treasure to it's owner. So how do we treat our worship? Do we just make sure that it runs or do we make it shine?

Extravagant worship does not neglect our responsibilities; the poor, in this example. It is displaying faith that God doesn’t need us to carry out His will. He wants our focus to be on Him first. Everything else, even our mission and ministry and responsibilities come second to that. Extravagant worship demonstrates trust that God will provide for everything else.

This could mean setting aside our most attentive hour of the day for quiet time, or putting extra time into a banquet skit to make it perfect, or staying up all night to comfort a friend. It is basically going the extra mile when it comes to God. Matthew 5:40-41 says,

If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Go two miles for God, even if you can get away with going just one. The extra mile is the one that really puts a smile on God’s face. The extra mile silences the voices which say that the perfume could have been used for more practical purposes. Not for a return on the investment, but for love and out of genuine worship. Efficiency is not a fruit of the spirit.

I speak as one who has failed at this continuously. I love efficiency. There’s nothing wrong with being efficient or practical, but I know I have missed out on a lot of blessings because of it. Homework and studying took me away from worshiping extravagantly when I was an undergrad. I was always looking for a quick exit from ministry activities so I could study for that midterm or finish that problem set. Looking back now I barely remember any of my classes but I would give anything to be able fellowship with my class again. At work, my desire for a professional image keeps me from extravagant worship. I don’t want to be known as a Jesus freak and I want to be respected by my colleagues. This year as staff, maybe worst of all, I have accepted the adequate completion of tasks as a substitute for extravagant worship. I hope you guys don’t make the same mistakes.

Once again, our relationship with God is not to be reduced to a portfolio, to investment versus return. He has already given us the most extravagant gift of all in Jesus Christ. He is deserving of worship of the same caliber.

[UCLA ICA, 5-21-2009]
..feedback welcome..