The Best Choice: Our Devotion to Christ

Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God.

Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library of free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith. Mary realized Jesus was going on the cross and she wanted to do something for him to show her love, Mary demonstrated her love for Jesus in an extravagant way. Pastor Greg Morrison. She actually set a good example more we discover about what Jesus is done for us, cause us to want to do more. The Bible says we love because he first loved Reginald thanks to like what is extraordinary modern purchases.

People level of the thank you to the level of receipt today on a new beginning for Greg Laurie takes his memorable moment in Jesus ministry gratitude was extended him with such a generous level drew attention and even criticism from the disciples. Pastor Greg explains Jesus love looked up the gospel of Mark, Jesus is headed to the cross is plainly declared that he was disciples of the place called Caesarea Philippi, he told them he was going to be betrayed he was going to be crucified that he would rise again on the third day of this game is bad news to his voice because his popularity was out of total peak in the name of Jesus was on everyone's lips. He was trending on social media.

We would've been if this happened today Matthew chapter 12 verse 12 said large crowds gathered to him. He got into a boat and the whole crowd was standing on the beach and then Luke 12 one says thousands of people are gathered together, and they were stepping on one another so everybody wanted to get close to Jesus. And so he was very popular but ironically the same people that were expressing their interest in him would soon turn against him when he made his way to the cross. Even though his own handpicked disciples did not fully understand what he was about to do.

He had come to die on the cross. This was always the plan from the very beginning. And even though he spoke about it in great detail. The disciples listed with one exception, and I was in John known for his spiritual perception, it wasn't Peter normally known for his outspokenness it was and then drew it was a Matthew.

It was a want to be apostles.

It wasn't a man.

It was a woman and she was not want to be apostles but she understood what Jesus had come to do in her name was Mary. Now there's a lot of Mary's in the Bible so sometimes you get confused. First of all there's Mary the mother of Jesus.

Then there's Mary Magdalene and then there is Mary and Martha. Okay so this is Mary of Mary and Martha saying it's worth noting that every time we read of Mary. She is sitting at the feet of Jesus. Maybe that's why she had this great insight. We remember one occasion when Jesus came over to her home where she lived with her sister Martha and her brother Lazarus and Martha went into the kitchen to make a great feast for Jesus and Mary was just sitting at his feet and this frustrated Martha because it's a lot of work to prepare a meal and she comes out demanding that Mary join her in the kitchen and Jesus made an amazing statement to Martha he said Martha Martha you're worried and upset about many things but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and I won't not be taken from her think about that Mary shows what is better, we have that same choice to do the right thing to not do the wrong thing we can be like a manic Martha splitting here and there going about our business or we can be like Mary take the time to sit at his feet and hear what he has just say and when you choose what is better, as Jesus said Mary did.

You're making the best choice and that's where she discovered this essential truth, Mary realized Jesus was coming to die on the cross. I know it seems obvious to us now, but no one else got there, she knew he was coming to die on the cross and she also understood that's where he was now headed as she thought I'd got to do something profound.

I have to do something significant that will show my thankfulness to him my love for Kim my devotion to him so she brings this great gift and Jesus said this will now be a memorial to her wherever the gospel is preached.

So what exactly did Mary do what was this profound gift that so move Jesus. He wanted to memorialize it. Let's read about it now Mark chapter 14 starting in verse one, another Passover in the festival of unleavened bread were only two days away and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him, but not during the festival. They said for the people they riot while he was in Bethany a reclining at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those who were present said no. This is worth more than a year's wages. Why this waste of perfume. This could have been sold and the money could have been given to the poor, and they rebuked her harshly look at the response of Jesus. He said leave her alone.

Why are you bothering her. The poor you always have with you. You can help them any time you want but you don't always have me with you. She did what she could. She poor perfume in my body beforehand in preparation for my burial at ICD wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world what she has done will be told in memory of her not to stop and to give up this this is a meal. This is a dinner and what a collection of people. We've got the Lord himself there but you know who else was there.

Lazarus. Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha would just been raised from the dead that I would've wanted as Lazarus.

If you question so well what happened, what was it like to type go to the other side and what did you see their incredible so they're all gathered around probably talking the Lazarus a lot of questions for Jesus. He had just delivered what we called the all of the discourse recorded in Matthew 24 and basically that's where Jesus talked about the end times and they probably had more questions about the wooded you mean when you said the abomination of desolation to explain this. Aldo was so this was quite the night that they were having together but everything was sort of coming to a head in the life and ministry of Jesus and now Mary, watching all of this is so move. She knows what Jesus is about to do so.

She does this, verse three, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume and broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head, though this probably was a family heirloom as it's been pointed out, it was worth a year's wages so it was worth thousands and thousands of dollars under normal circumstances.

Just a few drops of from a bottle like this would be sufficient. She pours a whole bottle on him and then wipes his feet with her hair but Judas is very critical maybe has little calculator out. He knew the price of everything and the value of nothing. He calculated it and said this is a waste, and in it did seem like a waste, but it actually wasn't a waste of all, I read that one of the most expensive perfume that you can buy is called Clive Christian number one Imperial Majesty. Oh my that's a very impressive title is meant it's a combination of mandarin orange Indian jasmine, white peach, lemon and more.

And it cost you $200,000 a bottle all the way they deliver it in a Bentley. So that's a lot of money spent on perfume at it even gets crazier the most expensive perfume you can buy today is called here you go, sucker data, it's actually called Sean who I don't even know if I'm pronouncing that right and frankly I don't even care. But this comes in the crystal bottle are covered in diamonds, pearls and gold. How much is it because are you ready for this $1,295,000.

Then again you can go over to Amazon and order some CDs for around $22 per hi karate for $56 or old spice for about $13 and there's fruit. Don't forget that. But in the idea here is, it is not how much this cost. It's how much it cost her the cost her a lot.

She was giving the most precious thing she owned Jesus as your great glory will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Pastor Greg Laurie talks about his new book, Billy Graham and the man I knew. Billy said to me I'm just a country preacher. He was just a country preacher but God elevated him and he had a fence thousands of young people, and when he spoke those kids listen, you could've heard a pin drop. Certain God has forgiven you. That's why Christ died on the cross and that's why he rose again so you might be for you. You said you believe in instant salvation certainly do now is right. This is every link farm boy would go on to be the greatest evangelist in history so I write about them a lot more in this book I've written called Billy Graham the man I knew, get to know the country preacher Sean millions come to Christ. When Pastor Greg introduce you to Billy Graham, the man I knew a brand-new biography available for your gift of any size and harvest.or will Pastor Greg is pointing out that Mary Martha sister gave the most precious thing she had to the Lord. It was a surprising gesture, but the Lord commanded her Pastor Greg continues but if he missed any part of today's presentation. Get caught up@harvest.org what is the most precious thing that you all.

What is more valuable to you than anything else.

Now question.

Would you be willing to give that to Jesus. That's what this is all about. We remember the story of the young man we call the rich young ruler came to Jesus and his supercold tricked out chariot lowered drinking a latte, probably, but he comes up to Jesus and he says good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus reminds him some of the commandments in this rich young you own your eyes says well all these. I've kept from my youth up and Jesus probably laughed out loud. The Bible doesn't say, but no one skipped the commandments from his youth up and here's what I find fascinating. After this brash and arrogant young man said he had kept the commandments we read this statement Jesus looked at the man that genuine love for him.

And then Jesus made this statement. There's one thing you haven't done, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor meal of treasure in heaven.

Then come and follow me listen to that and then the men space spell anyone anyway said because he had great wealth understand this was never about the man stop. Jesus didn't want to stop. He just saw that in the heart of this young man, those things were more important to him than anything else including God. He says you there's one thing you need to do.

See that young ruler miss the one thing Eddie walked away said he wasn't willing to let it go, but Mary she got that one thing one thing is essential. Jesus said of Mary, and she has chosen it will. Judas did not get it. And so he criticized Joe. This is typical of so many people today like dutiful Pharisees. They want to give the bare minimum to God the lamely asked questions like, can you do this and still technically go to heaven until I get away with this and still call myself a Christian those of the wrong questions will will give our leftovers to God. If you will will pray briefly if we think of it will read the Bible. If we can make time in our busy schedules for it and and then what's even worse is we will criticize others that are more committed to the Lord than we are.

Maybe that's one of the reasons why the early church change their world. Maybe that's why the early church churned their world upside down because they had a sense of abandoned God would tell Philip go to the desert any way, in obedience to the Lord God would tell Peter reach out to take a member they had in Poland was free, then he would do it.

They took risks that they love their comfort zone. Why because the Scripture says he had been with Jesus fax 413 says the members of the Council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John because they were ordinary men, they had no special training but they recognize them as men who'd been with Jesus.

Can someone tell you been with Jesus.

Can they see it reflected in your life. Does the fragrance of your life filled the room as it did with Mary and her gift to the Lord.

It's a wonderful thing when people see that and ask us why we are the way that we are.

They want to know more about us and then we can share the gospel.

Now again I want to emphasize Mary did not have the same privileges as a disciple. They spent pretty much every waking hour in the presence of Jesus were some three years she was with him sporadically, but she was going to take advantage of this opportunity.

She's going to listen to him. She's gonna learn from him and she's going to bring a great gift to him because she could see the lines. Ed seen his face and read or write the problems reflected in his eyes, and she understood he had said what he meant and he meant what he said he was going to die on the cross and that broke her heart so she was going to bring her tribute to Jesus. Now she would not wait until he was gone and I want to remind you right now, there might be someone that you know and love and I want to ask you once last time you told him you love them will all see something nice at their funeral service will they will be around to hear that. Will they, so bring your flowers now, if there someone you love and appreciate told him now. If you have regrets deal with that now and make the appropriate changes there someone you need to forgive. Do it now and why should you forgive someone you say will be no deserve my forgiveness, my responses do you deserve to be forgiven by God answer is no. So the Bible says forgive as God in Christ is forgiven you. She forgiving a person isn't letting them off the hook.

It's a way for you to get free of your bitterness is the one that's been hurt more by your lack of forgiveness is not the person that hurt you. It's you, as I've said so many times when you forgive a person you set a prisoner free yourself and so this woman said I'm gonna do it now listen now is the time to share the gospel with the person now is the time to make a change in your life seize the moment carpe diem is the expression that's exactly what Mary did.

But of course Judas thought it was a waste and he criticized her for it. But then John gives us an interesting little detail about Judas.

He said Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor. He said this because he was a thief.

Basically, Judas was hanging on the money for the disciples and he was pocketing it and so this had nothing to do with this concern for the poor and that reminds me of a very important point about critical people sometimes the people that complain the most. Actually do the very least, and sometimes the people were aiming accusations and you are revealing something about themselves.

The thing they're accusing you of is actually what they are personally guilty of after all, it was Judas who sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

So careful if you're always harping on a certain sin over and over again. You may be telling us more about yourself than you want to reveal and so things are not always as they seem from the outside. Judas look thrifty and careful and spiritual and the woman looks frivolous and wasteful and silly, but the very opposite was true. Judas was evil and greedy and wicked and she was thoughtful and godly and committed. So things are not always as they appear. You know we always think Judas would've been the easiest guide to identify in all the other disciples were white robes, and he wore a black robe, a black leather over the color turned upright and of course if I Judas was such a good actor such an effective speaker that when Jesus said one of you is going to betray me. No one suspected Judas. You would've thought that some of what is said I bet it's Matthew used to work for Rome it said Ms. Bennett, no. They said is it me, no one thought Judas if he was as obvious as people thought he might've been they would've all pointed in unison.

It's it fits Judas visited the guy who wears a black robe know. No one suspected Judas because he was such a good actor but he was a liar and it's interesting because Judas accused her of being wasteful yet Jesus would say of Judas. He was the son of waste. Jesus called Judas, the son of perdition, which means the son of waste.

He was the very thing he accused her of being. Now Jesus commends her as an example to us a good verse eight she has done what she could just come beforehand to anoint my body for burial.

She did what she could because she understood that he would do what he did in the same way. The more we discover about what Jesus has done for us will cause us to want to do more for him. The Bible says we love him because he first loved us.

She saw this love that was driving him. She saw this concern for her and the others in all of humanity. So she wanted to do something for him to show her love good inspiration for beginning pastor Greg Laurie pointing out Mary's extravagant love and gratitude for the Lord and there's more to come from this message.

But if you missed any part of it. You can hear what you missed@ourwebsiteharvest.org just look for the message title the best choice yesterday were talking about Billy Graham. Yes course, many of our listeners are reading your new book, Billy Graham, the man I knew and you been revealing some surprises to us based on the content of the book yeah one of them is that he knew how to use media like few other people of his time he used it not only to help spread the gospel but to build a platform for his ministry yeah and that started early on in his ministry when he was having a short stint as a pastor he was on a radio program that was simply called songs in the night.

That's where he met George Beverly Shea who went on to become his song leader at his crusades and in they were a team of Billy Bevis. He called them George Beverly Shea Bev and Cliff Barrows, but Billy understood the power of media you know Howard Stern likes to call himself the King of all media. The fact is Billy was the first King of all media as his ministry was taking off.

He went on radio, no were used to hearing Christian radio.

There were no Christian radio stations for the most part. Back then, but he was going on in Meijer, a radio stations with this program called the hour of decision. Some of our listeners be even remember it.

This is what his show sounded like the hour of decision.

Let's go back in time. Listen to this Mario all the world is forgiven you for giving. Are you sure are you certain that God has forgiven you, but then he also was one of the pioneers of Christian television, but I don't even know if you would call a Christian television. He was a Christian on television, but he would buy time in the Meijer networks locally, nationally and broadcast the gospel in so many of us remember watching Billy Graham on TV. I remember I was living with my grandparents and Southgate in California and we would watch Billy Graham and are black and white television set and if that wasn't enough. He also started a film studio in Hollywood called worldwide pictures and they made films that they released in theaters sin and they were beautiful films that always had an evangelistic message.

In addition to that, he wrote a column called my answer that rent six days a week in newspapers across the United States and reached 20 million people. He founded two monthly magazines Christianity today and decision magazine, and he also was an early adopter of sunlight tech and the Internet.

I remember I was with them in Puerto Rico for an event that they called mission the world and they took the satellite dishes and being done all around the planet so really utilize all forms of media to reach as many people as he possibly could so that just one of the many things I bring out in this book that I wrote about Billy called Billy Graham the men I knew. I also tell a lot of personal stories conversations we had things that he said to me impressions I got from watching him up close and personal, and I want to share that with you I feel after you read this book, you'll feel like you kind of knew Billy Graham as well. So if you want to order a copy were offering it right now for your gift of any size whatever you can send the support harvest ministries will then send you and return a copy of Billy Graham, the man I knew that some of you can send a lot and that's appreciated because wool invested in teaching the Bible and getting the gospel out turn a new beginning but some of you maybe can only send a little will send you a copy as well so order your copy of my brand-new book, Billy Graham, the men I knew. Yes, a landmark overview of Billy's life with exhaustive painstaking research that literally took years in spite of how well pastor Greg knew Billy personally. He found out so much more. During that in-depth research and you'll benefit from these deep insights so we hope you get in touch for your own copy of Billy Graham, the man I knew as pastor Greg said will send it to you to say thank you for your donation of any size. Thanks for your investment right now and to thank you tangibly will send you a copy of the new book, Billy Graham, the man I knew just write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 were here to take your call around the clock at 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.org pastor Greg you been teaching the Bible here on radio for many years now. In fact, almost 40 years, but you have some exciting news about television John Dave. I'm very excited to share this news with our listeners and supporters listen everybody were launching a new television program called harvest with Greg Laurie to major TV networks across the United States. This show will air on Sunday mornings on some networks you might be familiar with like the lifetime network FOXBusiness network Newsmax DayStar TBN and kcal here in Los Angeles. Combine these air times will reach listen to this. Over 60 million viewers annually.

That is exciting and some of these are secular TV networks so were reaching more people who need to hear the gospel so I'm really excited about this and I'm also grateful for harvest partners and donors who have helped us launch this new TV program join us Sunday morning. You can find air times that harvest.org will next time more insight on the wise choice. Mary made contrasted with the choice of her chief critic Judas Iscariot join us next time on a new beginning. Greg Laurie and everybody thinks you're listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow this show and consider supporting it.

Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God