AT THE FEET OF JESUS
Luke 10: 38-39; John 11:32; John 12:3
S-1759
·BACKGROUND SLIDE #1: Turn to Luke 10
·SLIDE #2: Apologize for dog and cat comments from last week. Susan DeBake Cat Biscuit. (That is one cat you don’t want to meet in a dark alley.)
We are equal opportunity pet lovers. We do not practice feline discrimination.
·SLIDE #3: Preach It Teach It features
·SLIDE #4: LUKE 10: 38-39: “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”
·SLIDE #5: Humbling to sit at someone’s feet pedicures
·SLIDE #6: Julie’s feet
·SLIDE #7: Roger in the Snow in Jasper, Canada
·SLIDE #8: Roger at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul
·SLIDE #9: Roger and Julie on a mountain trail in Switzerland
·SLIDE #10: Baby feet
·SLIDE #11: I wonder if Jesus had Sweaty Dirty feet!?
Mary of Bethany is mentioned only three times in the New Testament, and every time we find her in the same place—kneeling at the feet of Jesus.
·SLIDE #12: LUKE 10:39: “She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”
Now keep your place there and turn to John 11. We have a second episode of Mary meeting with Jesus which occurred four days after the burial of her brother Lazarus.
·SLIDE #13: JOHN 11:32: “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Then, turn the page John 12. The third episode occurred in Bethany at a dinner a few days before He was crucified. Jesus, His disciples and Lazarus were reclining at the dinner table—
·SLIDE #14: JOHN 12: 3: “Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it out on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
Wiping his feet means what? She is on her knees at his feet.
Her outward actions picture the inward dimensions of worship.
·SLIDE #15: In Luke 10 she found at His feet her blessing.
In John 11 she brought to His feet her burden.
In John 12 she gave at His feet her best.
Mary lived out worship before our eyes where we can’t miss it.
SWITCH TO ROGER’S COMPUTER
·DRAW SLIDE #16: Mary illustrates Philippians 3:10—the key verse for becoming like Christ:
“That I may know Him” (That’s Luke 10 receiving a blessing.).
“And the power of His resurrection” (That’s John 11 bringing her burden.).
“And the fellowship of His sufferings” (That’s John 12 giving her best.).
·SLIDE #17: In LUKE 10: SHE FOUND AT HIS FEET HER BLESSING.
Now the big question that we have to answer today is this: Where do I get my blessing?
·DRAW SLIDE #18: God-shaped vacuum
I am continually amazed where people go to get their blessings in life.
The television set
Sports
Job
Other persons
Crafts and hobbies
Restaurants
·SLIDE #19: There is only one place that will bring ultimate blessing and fulfillment”: kneeling at the feet of Jesus. We find our blessing at the feet of Jesus.
SWITCH BACK TO TECH’S COMPUTER
·SLIDE #20: Flying to San Antonio several weeks ago with Julie to lead a conference for Pastor’s and wives. Argued with lady at ticket counter over Julie’s ticket.
“By the way, I want a window seat.” She gave me 38F. Plane was empty. Not more than 60 or 70 on the plane. I kept walking back to 38F and I began to smile. I wonder? Sure enough. Last row in the plane. Galley on left, can’t see out that side. The window of 38F is covered by the engine nacelle. You can’t see anything out of seat 38F.
Flight attendant: “What did you do to get banished back here?”
Smiled and told her what happened. She looked at me and asked, “Are you a believer?”
Yes.” Are you flying on business?” “Yes, Julie and I are on the way to lead a pastors’ conference.
“Move to 37F where you can see out. May I talk to you after we take off? I have a bunch of questions I want to ask you?
I soon discovered that this 45-year-old-single-Delta-flight attendant gave up a lucrative career in the insurance business to have a personal ministry flying across America ministering to hurting flight attendants.
There were two stewardesses working the coach section of that afternoon flight. She was happy and bouncy and full of excitement. The other was cordial, but hurting.
“I want you to meet my partner.” She’s hurting a lot isn’t she? Yes. How did you know? I watched her for a moment. It was not hard to miss.
“Would you talk with her?”
“I am 24 years old and outwardly everything in my life is great. I have a great job and good friends and things going on every moment. I am involved with all kinds of activities, and I’m miserable.”
Some of you could give this same testimony.
Could it be that she was looking to the wrong people, and to the wrong things, and in the wrong places for a blessing?
·SLIDE #21: The miserable flight attendant reminds me of Mary’s sister Martha. Martha’s life was filled with bustling activity. Martha was not a very happy person. The Bible portrays her as worried and anxious and harried.
●SLIDE #22: LUKE 10:40. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
Jesus: Why don’t you take a load off your mind and sit down.”
●SLIDE #23: Dr. Alan Redpath, former pastor of Moody Church, had a slogan on the wall of his office. “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
America is a land of Marthas. We’re busy – busy, busy people.
Let me tell you what happens when life gets so busy.
We get all out of sorts. We run from activity to activity; we don’t sleep; days are filled with ceaseless activity. No one enjoys it.
In fact, Jesus disappears from our lives when we get too busy.
·SLIDE #24: Have you ever played Where’s Waldo? Look and look for Waldo.
·SLIDE #25: It is like playing Where’s Jesus. Look and look. Where is Jesus.
·SLIDE #26: Oh, there He is! He should not be so hard to find.
Jesus has a lot of competition these days.
Blessing at someone’s feet.
Imagine kneeling to propose and your fiancé said yes—wasn’t that a blessing?
Wanted daughter’s boyfriends to kneel before me when they asked for my girl’s hands in marriage!
Derrek proposes: took me to lunch.
Ricky proposes in his underwear. We have been bonded ever since.
·SLIDE #27: Kneeling at Swindoll’s feet. Would do anything for that man. Brie is a Chucklet writing his speeches.
Kneeling at Gary’s feet. Rabbit, castrating bulls, sitting on tractor—deep thinker. Watch and listen before speaking—and have something worthwhile to say.
Kneeling at Steve Dowdle’s feet.
Eric Kendle
I want to recommend to you – I know that you have a lot to do – that you begin your day at the feet of Jesus. It will save the day for you.
·SLIDE #28: IN JOHN 11 SHE BROUGHT TO HIS FEET HER BURDEN.
Don’t ever get the idea that because you’re in the will of the Lord that you won’t have any burdens. You will. Burdens come to Christians.
We carry burdens that are natural to human beings. Our bodies are getting older and perishing. Some of us are more perishable than others.
People come to you with their burdens. What are you going to do with them?
Where do you take your burdens?
As a child, where did you go? When you suffered the inevitable hurts of life. Struck out with the bases loaded, did not get cheerleader, teased on the bus. Where did you go?
Sad thing is, most of you went nowhere. You suffered alone.
●SLIDE #29: JOHN 11: 17: On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days….
●SLIDE #30: JOHN 11: 19-20: and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
Martha accosted Jesus: “Why didn’t you come. I know there is resurrection some day. But, we wanted him here now. If you had come you could have healed him and he’d still be with us.
●SLIDE #31: JOHN 11:29: And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.
Martha ran right out as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming. Mary didn’t.
Mary, you see, was waiting and praying – waiting for His message to come to her. And in verse 28 it came.
One of the great blessings of sitting at the feet of Jesus is learning how to wait.
I can see Martha as she paces up and down… looks out the window… paces up and down… goes out to the edge of town… looks. “Where’s Jesus?”
●SLIDE #32: Now impatience leads to fretting. Fretting. Oh, how people fret.
Some of you are doing this now. You’re like Martha. Fretting and worrying. Problems in life you want fixed. Why aren’t you answering!
●SLIDE #33: Impatience: picture of train and subway doors closing in Europe. American woman getting rear end stuck in closing tram in Chicago.
Some of you are living with a squeezed rear end. Take the next tram.
●SLIDE #34: Mary had learned to wait on the Lord.
When a child of God is in the will of God and the hand of the Lord seems in no hurry, it’s often because He has something better for you. And He did for them.
·SLIDE #35: JOHN 11:32: “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Jesus had in mind a resurrection!
·SLIDE #36: What might bringing our burdens look like?
Talk about an interactive lifestyle with the Holy Spirit inside.
Talk about my Journals filled with burdens.
Talk about story of putting all burdens by the side of the road driving out of Tucson last summer.
Talk about the body of Christ ministering to needs. I go to Julie, Gary and Pete. Talk about going to Pete yesterday. “I am really discouraged. Please pray for me.”
SWITCH TO ROGER’S COMPUTER
●DRAW SLIDE #37: So she found at His feet her blessing and she brought to His feet her burden.
Now don’t reverse these. You can’t bring to His feet your burden unless you get your blessings at His feet.
There are some Christians who ignore their Bibles and don’t spend time in prayer and who don’t know what it is to worship and then trouble comes and they run to the Lord!
·SLIDE #38: IN JOHN 12 SHE GAVE AT HIS FEET HER BEST.
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Wednesday night, two days before the crucifixion: As the Lord Jesus was reclining at the table,
·SLIDE #39: JOHN 12: 3: “Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it out on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
Mary knew the secret that the Lord Jesus was going to go to the cross and die.
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.”
Do you know any of God’s secrets?
And she had been saving a pound of very costly perfume.
I can imagine that when Lazarus died Martha went to the shelf and brought down the ointment and said, “I’m glad that we have this to anoint his body.”
And Mary replied, “No, we’re saving the best for Jesus.”
This is worship. This is giving our best at His feet.
Love always costs.
Have you ever fallen in love? It costs. Thought Julie cost a lot when we were dating. After I got married, I found out how much a wife really costs.
Say you are in love and it doesn’t cost you anything. I will tell you it is not true.
Say you love Christ and it never costs anything, I will tell you it is not true.
Remember when you were dating, the value of your gifts increased as you became more intimate?
Remember the first gift I gave Julie: a pair of blue earrings. One day I gave her a ring. After we were married the gifts got even more intimate.
Frederick’s of Hollywood: “There is not much to it, is there?”
First gift she gave me was a pair of paper-mach clowns.
·SLIDE #40: Then one day she gave me a home made candle book and poem.
·SLIDE #41: Let me open it up and read the poem. This is when I knew she was serious.
Mary’s gift meant a lot to Jesus. Probably perfumed Him on Saturday night.
·SLIDE #42: Less than a week later He was hanging on the cross.
No bath. Used perfume to smell good. Some powerful perfume. Take it to the fragrance on the cross….”What’s than I smell? Ah, Mary.”
What might sacrificing for Jesus look like?
Matthew 25: Volunteering to teach children, crisis pregnancy center, meals on wheels, money in offering plate, sharing the gospel.
·SLIDE #43: Greg and Jen—life changed. Do all for children—top priority—sacrifice is love.
Greg and Jen 744-2136; 465-3107c
John 21—because you love Jesus
John 21:16: Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
·SLIDE #44: Because Mary lived at Jesus’ feet, God used her to be a blessing.
·SLIDE #45: In John 12 she was a blessing to the whole house. She anointed the feet of Jesus, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. She was a blessing to the whole household. What does your house smell like?
·SLIDE #46: Mary was also a blessing to her friends.
READ JOHN 11:45: Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.
Mary’s friends found faith, Martha’s didn’t.
Why, because Mary’s Jesus was attractive to people.
·SLIDE #47: And she’s even a blessing to the whole world.
READ MARK 14: 9: 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.”
Mary was a blessing. Why? Because she was talented? No. There are many talented people that God has bypassed. Because she was gifted? No.
Mary was blessed and Mary was used because she learned the secret of where to live: At the feet of JC.
·SLIDE #48: In Luke 10 she found at His feet her blessing: That I may know Him.
·SLIDE #49: In John 11 she brought to His feet her burdens: And the power of His resurrection.
·SLIDE #50: In John 12 she gave at His feet her best: The fellowship of His sufferings.
●SLIDE: The feet of Jesus is a pretty good place to spend the rest of our lives.