Introduction: Have you ever done something, you thought the right way and for the right reason, and still got hammered by someone because it wasn’t done their way?

ILL: Years ago, a large statue of Jesus was erected high in the Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile. Called “Christ of the Andes,” the statue symbolizes a pledge between the two countries that as long as the statue stands, there will be peace between Chile and Argentina. Shortly after the statue was erected, the Chileans began to protest that they had been slighted—the statue had its back turned to Chile. Just when tempers were at their highest in Chile, a Chilean newspaperman saved the day. In an editorial that not only satisfied the people but made them laugh, he simply said, “The people of Argentina need more watching over than the Chileans.  (Bits & Pieces, June 25, 1992)

What was done for the right reason by some was criticized by others. It happens in politics and it happens in the church. The ‘worship wars’ of the 21st century is one prime example.

•    Some God honoring Christians take Scripture more literally and use their whole bodies as instruments of worship as well as singing, as the psalmist puts
      it  ‘new songs’ expressing their love and thanks to God.
•    Some God honoring Christians take Scripture less literally and choose to worship more inwardly than outwardly.

Who’s right? Isn’t that what we want to know…honestly? Can two groups of people, who truly want to honor God, worship differently and still both be right? Yes! Especially when it comes to worship. Why? Because God searches the heart.

Read: Ps 51:16-17  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.

The key here is the intent of the heart. However, sometimes the intent of some Christians is not so much on honoring God but having others worship more like them. It’s here that God is not honored.

While there are Biblical parameters for worship, it’s primarily a matter of the heart, and as such, only God can determine the validity of the offering. Yet, some still will voice their dissenting opinion. It’s true today as it was in Jesus day.

Transition: Open your Bibles to John 12:4 and open your hearts to God’s Word concerning how he is to be honored in Worship.

John 12:4-6     Extravagant Worship is   Controversial

Background: While the men are sitting around the table eating and talking, Mary comes in and pours a whole bottle of very expensive perfume on Jesus, covering him from his head to his feet. As we will see, not everyone thought what Mary did was a good idea.

Read: John 12:4-6

Judas speaks up concerning Mary’s extravagance. He basically tears her down for her excessive and over the top worship of Jesus. To him this type of extravagant worship is a waste. And he says so. ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?’  While this sounds like a legitimate, spiritual concern, in reality it’s a veiled attempt to hide his true heart. Judas was a thief. And he was angry. Mary wasn’t doing it right, it affected him and he wanted everyone to know it.

Remember John wrote this after Jesus died, rose and ascended to heaven. He wrote this to let us know Judas’ heart…He said that Judas was the disciples treasurer and had been skimming from the donations given to Jesus’ ministry…boy if that’s not relevant to the headlines today…even in our own area.

We can see a big difference between Mary and Judas.

•    Mary gave all she had; openly and sacrificially while Judas held back; secretly and selfishly.
•    Mary gave her whole head, hands, and heart to worship Jesus while Judas wanted to give Jesus just the bare minimum.
•    Mary was not trying to attract attention but Judas wanted everyone to know what he thought.
•    Mary was caught up in the moment, Judas was caught up in himself.

ILL: Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, "If those who accuse me had had their eyes and minds on God, as I had, they too would have failed to notice events around them, and they most certainly would not have noticed what I was doing."  (Today in the Word, March 10, 1993)

According to Mark 14:4-5 the other disciples picked up on Judas’  criticism and rebuked Mary as well. It seems the eyes and minds of many at the feast were focused elsewhere…and so were their hearts.
•    Let’s worship Jesus but let’s not get silly about it.
•    Let’s worship Jesus but let’s not make it cost us so much.
•    Let’s worship Jesus but let’s not become fanatics.

The church today has too many people who are like the disciples here at the feast:
•    They want to worship Jesus, but only in moderation
•    They can’t understand nor do they like the excessiveness of what some see as authentic worship.
•    They want to be Christians but don’t want Christianity to take up too much time in their busy lives.
•    They want to be part of a local church fellowship but don’t want that church fellowship to make any demands on their lives.

Scripture gives these Christians a stern warning.

Read: Rev. 3:15-16  I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
 
I am not really certain all that that means. I don’t believe it means you can lose your salvation…but whatever it does mean, it’s not something I want…and I hope not something you want either. But it pictures perfectly the disciples at this time in their spiritual journey…Hopefully, it’s not a picture of your spiritual journey.

Transition: So it seems the predominate attitude in the room was Mary did a bad thing…Ok maybe not bad, but certainly excessive. How does Jesus respond?

John 12:7-8    Extravagant Worship is  Acceptable
Read: John 12:7-8

Jesus defends Mary’s extravagant act of worship. Understand, this is not a passage about the poor and whether or not we should help them…we are.

This passage is about giving our all to Jesus, in wholehearted, unrestrained extravagant worship. And it’s about knowing that over-the-top worship is accepted by Jesus.  In fact let’s read what the other Gospel writers add that Jesus said.

Read:  Matthew 26:13, 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.

Jesus’ acceptance of Mary’s extravagant act of worship is a rebuke to Judas, the other disciples, and anyone in the church today who wants to only give what is respectable, what is customary, what is…easy to give as an offering of worship.

Jesus’ acceptance of Mary’s extravagant act of worship is also a rebuke to Judas, the disciples and anyone in the church today who would criticize a fellow Christian for worshipping God in a way they don’t like.

Transition: As Jesus corrects the dissenters in the house, a group of diverse folks gather outside.

John 12:9-11    Extravagant Worship is Contagious
Read: John 12:9-11

How do you like that? Jesus brings Lazarus back from the dead…and now the religious leaders not only plan to kill Jesus, they add Lazarus to the hit list. While Lazarus was a wanted man, it didn’t stop him from telling people what Jesus had done for him. And the result was that many believed in Jesus.

Is your life showing people the power of God, so that they might want to accept Jesus for themselves?

Conclusion
In closing let me summarize what we have gleaned from John 12:1-11.

1.    Mary’s act of extravagant worship is reflective of what we will be doing for all eternity in heaven. (Read Rev. 4:1-11)
2.    Mary’s act of extravagant worship was spontaneous.
3.    Mary’s act of extravagant worship was motivated by a great love for Jesus.
4.    Mary’s act of extravagant worship was self-less, and sacrificial. Remember David’s promise to God ‘I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing.’
       It was brought to my attention after last weeks message that women were not allowed to own anything in Jesus’ day. So, the jar of expensive perfume must
       have been her dowry. So what she gave up was her future security…to worship her Lord today.
5.    Mary’s act of extravagant worship was criticized by other followers of Jesus Christ. But it didn’t stop her.
6.    Mary’s act of extravagant worship was not meant to draw attention to herself, but to Jesus alone.
7.    Mary’s act of extravagant worship was accepted by Jesus.