Series: MADE TO...
Sermon: Made To Give Sacrificially
Scripture: Mark 14:3-9
ICE BREAKER: What is the most generous thing a friend has done for you?
REVIEW:
This week, we continued learning about the 7 values that guide our life and movement at MetaChurch. Meta is a movement of sacrifice. We give of our time, energy, talent, and money to help push the movement of Jesus forward. We follow a leader who gave the ultimate sacrifice and we do our best to follow in His path!
To help us understand what generosity looks like, we walked through the story of the woman who anoints Jesus with perfume shortly before his crucifixion. The woman spent an entire years salary on this gesture! The men at the dinner were actually horrified that she had wasted so much money.
However, the woman was following a prompting God put on her heart. The first lesson we gather from this story is to not allow our minds to rationalize away what God is prompting our hearts to do.
Can you remember a time that your head got in the way of something you felt prompted to do?
The second lesson we learn comes from HOW she gives her offering. Instead of gently opening the vase and pouring the perfume on Jesus, she breaks the jar and then pours it. This was a move designed to leave no room for compromise or retreat. This offering was meant SOLELY for Jesus and she ensured he would get every bit of it.
Jesus stood up for the woman and said that her story would be told all around the world. He then brought to light the true significance of her act - this perfume was his preparation for burial! This teaches us that when we give sacrificially in faith, God can use our gifts in ways we simply can't imagine!
APPLY:
We only have a few things that we get to invest in this life:
TIME ENERGY TALENT MONEY
Will we use these things for selfish gain? OR, will we learn to give sacrificially and watch Jesus do wonders with what we have!
What is ONE WAY you can begin to live more generously with your time, energy, talent, and money this week?
PRAY:
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any areas where you have rationalized away the promptings God is putting on your heart. Pray for the courage to make the necessary sacrifices to see your full potential on display!
