Sunday Evening Worship Service | Pastor Anthony “The Sweet Smelling Savor of God”

you can be seated and I greet each and every one of you in the precious name of Jesus and welcome to Sunday evening worship here at First Apostolic Church all of you in the house and everyone tuning in on online we welcome you just the same uh if you're a First Time guest here we want to say what an honor it is to have you uh joining with us it's a it's the highest honor that you would spend your time and uh worship alongside of us as we lift up that great name the King of Kings and the Lord of lords and we hope that you feel the love of Jesus Christ manifest through the great Saints of fa C it's what a tremendous uh crowd that we have here uh this evening I know the past few Sundays if you would if you would take that too a little more space you know in case stretch out uh but the past few Sundays I know we've had some inclement weather and questionable road conditions and freezing temperatures but there's there's no place there's no place like being in his presence with all of the examples that we see and all of the uh symbolic comparisons that we see throughout the the Bible God as a a a ferocious uh lion fighting on our behalf another an another equally equally uh strong comparison is said under his wings is where I find refuge and this is talking about being under the wings of a a mother bird and I don't think there's anything more ferocious uh anything that would uh protect or anything that would fight off Predators than than a mother and we see this example played out through scripture from the Old Testament to uh what took place with Moses and the power of his mother jeed and all the way through the New Testament with Jesus and his mother Mary uh taking him to Egypt as a place of libert ation and as a place of protection a a mother will do whatever she has to do to protect her her young one and I read that uh particular scripture and I find a lot of strength that there's refuge and in his presence in his presence is that same strength that we serve a God that never Slumbers nor sleeps we serve a God who has his eye on us at all hours of the night and I know that in this place tonight that whatever you might be in need of or whatever situation or circumstance that you came to his house whatever the case whatever point in life you're at you have made your way underneath the wing of our Lord and savior and he's ready to provide he's ready to protect and he's ready to fight on your behalf and if you believe that by faith would you give him a great big hand clap of praise what a tremendous word that we heard here this morning from pastor about hearing and being able to to discern God's voice and often times we uh associate it with uh fire and smoke and wind and this a humanistic Display of Power and certainly God could speak to us in that manner but often times it's in a still Small Voice and often times we we have to prepare ourselves and align ourselves to be able to hear what he has to say and position ourselves to hear what he has to say and I'm going to speak on that a little bit tonight and I'll uh go back to that particular story and that'll make sense what I'm saying here in a second hopefully but with uh Mary and Martha how Mary just stopped what she was doing in the presence of Jesus and said he's got a a word for me and I hope that will be my spirit tonight and your spirit tonight because it's nothing that I say it's nothing that I can do but I hope that his word tonight will sink deep into our hearts that we may put it into practice that we may uh uh place it into the situations of our lives and his Spirit be at work to show us what the next step is if you have your bibles if you would turn with me to the Book of John chapter 12 The Book of John chapter 12 and we'll read verses 1 through 7 John chap 12 1 through verse 7 then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany where Lazarus was which had been dead whom he had raised from the dead there they made him a supper and Martha served but Lazarus was one one of them that sat with him at the table then took Mary a pound of ointment of nut very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment then saith one of his disciples judas's scariot Simon's son which should betray him why was not this ointment sold for 300 Pence and given to the poor this he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and had the bag and bear what was put therein but I I focus not on Judas tonight and I focus not on the critic tonight then said Jesus let her alone against the day of my bearing hath she kept this against the day of my bearing hath she kept this I want to speak to you for a few moments tonight on the topic the sweet smelling Savor of God the sweet smelling Savor of God right where you're at would you bow your heads and let's pray a word over this sermon tonight Heavenly Father we thank you Father we thank you for the opportunity that you have given us to assemble here together to hear your word Lord we put our pride aside we put our agendas aside we put our flesh aside and Lord ask you to just sink down to the depths of our soul in the depths of our heart and on the Forefront of our mind Lord that you would give us Clarity and show us the way Lord with the cares of life that cometh on us and the uncertainty of situations that bestow us Lord we pray tonight as your word tells us that you are the Refuge Lord that you are the Healer and the provider Lord let me have the faith tonight let me have the empowerment and the encouragement enouragement to know that whatever place of life that I am at that no matter what doubt or weariness that I've experienced that I can say tonight that you're a provider and you're a Healer and that in your name there is Victory we thank you and praise you in Jesus name we pray amen and amen the sweet smelling Savor of God it says the nard that from the broken alaster box that Mary had it the aroma just filled the room in a very overly Earthly example I guess um all of us in terms of smelling perfume or cologne can recall perhaps being at the mall right and going right into the fragrance section and you get hit with so many different smells and the spray happy clerk no offense if that's what you you do for a living but they're they are there waiting on you just hoping that a particular scent will get your attention hoping that a particular scent that can then be accompanied by you know every type of lotion uh that you can think of and and maybe a a complimentary duffel bag as well you know there's uh a lot of things going down and if you're lucky that department store will be located maybe just uh a a few shops down from maybe a Cinnabon or something where you just get that specific smell of uh of Cinnabon in the food court and and then also uh the fragrance section of that particular department store we we've all been there before and it has that distinct Aroma uh Christmas ago and I I must confess and luckily uh marriage Retreat is this this upcoming week so that that that will U hopefully get me out of this Jam potentially but about a year ago I was going to go you know buy some clone I hadn't you know purchased any and a quite a bit from a a department store usually I go to like Marshalls or TJ Maxx and you know they they greatly discount that stuff after it's had a few sprays out of it so you can get it for a a good price and then it says like it's our version of something else but hey it works but I was going to go get just you know just a a good cologne something for a for a good occasion you know just a special occasion you're not going to wear it every day to work you're not uh going to wear it when you're just running errands but you know that fragrance that you have maybe I'm the only one is is there anybody out there that might help me you got that special fragrance that just sits there for that special occasion nobody okay f fantastic this is going great going fantastic but but that's what I was going to do and I started looking through the different colog and then you know after you smell two or three of them everything's the same and allegedly they they have these coffee beans out or something that you smell and it restarts the process in your nose and you just feel really fancy right or what's Landon say when he's here real bougie or something like that I don't say that but I hope that means what I think it does but anyways you feel real fancy and you're smelling these you know spraying them on that little card and usually a business card or something you're like oh yeah that's great well this this store clerk she she started showing me these different ones and you know she's talking about the different crushed petals and ointments and oils and I'm you know I'm just feeling very Renaissance like yeah yeah like I have any idea what she's talking about and that was finally this one and of course how do we normally pick them uh we like the bottle right and uh uh it had like a Viking ship on the front of it and I was like yeah I'm going to get some clone but you know it's got a Viking ship on it so that gives me you know a decent balance to maintain my masculinity and also there was a couple different colors of it and of course there was one that had just the particular shade of Tennessee orange so I was like cologne Viking ship Tennessee orange do it and this is around the holidays and I assume that most of those cells clerks are commission based and you know I wanted to help out the local economy and all those things I'm at Westtown Mall you know we get up to the register and she says that'll be $340 something dollar Excuse Me Maybe you rang that up five or six times and I had to gently back away and you know say you know I I don't know if this Aroma is going to be the right one for me I I don't think that's going to be the special occasion one I think when my wife smells that or sees the price of that scent that it's actually probably going to get me on the couch or out in the dog housee and I don't even have a dog if that receipt ever came through that's exactly what it would do but I did not purchase it and the the uh the hurt and the uh um um the the sorrow in the eyes of the store clerk and I'm sure it was a mixture of excitement and also like what clown is about to spin this on some clone right at Westtown Mall who knew they even sold stuff for that price so back to acts body spray it was for me so be cautious but you maybe you have that particular fragrance that colog or perfume that you know your own only going to use it for a special occasion is let me ask again does anybody have one of those okay okay thank you yeah we're getting transparent we're getting real here tonight but you keep it on the top and it's real beautiful and sometimes you go by and you're you're going to do you're like a that that cost cost some some money that's that's from Paris or something like that and I I won't try to speak any french but if it's got a French name on it then you know that it's it's probably a good fragrance but you only wear that maybe when you're going out on a date with that significant other or maybe a h a a positive uh um event taking place in your life life or some type of Celebration that's when you're going to spray that or douse yourself in that some of you do that and some of you might be sitting close to somebody that says yeah that person does that and I'm making my throat itch but we all have that clone and we've all been hit by those aroma so just kind of keep that in the the back of your mind for a second but we we meet our story with Mary and the alabaster box and the the very expensive perfume the very expensive ointment in the city city is not a good word the the town really of Bethany and our story is set in Bethany and Bethany is known as a House of Affliction it's also known as a a poor house it's a a place of sickness it's a place of illness it's not a prosperous place it's not a place where there's a lot of fragrance being spewed out onto the streets or into the homes it's it's a it's a poor place it was a place where the afflicted found a semblance of community it was familiar with the shadows of illness and poverty yet this is where we see Jesus choosing to display his omnipotence and display his miracles and teachings Bethany was home to some of the closest friends that Jesus had Mary Martha and Lazarus whom he raised from the dead I would say that's a pretty good friend to have it's in the context that we first begin to see this transformation from Death to life and a precursor of what was to come through the resurrection power that Christ embodies and being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper as he sat down at the table a woman came having an alabaster box an alabaster flask a very costly oil of spikar she broke the flask and she poured it all over the head of Jesus down to his feet and there were some as we read Judas es scariot who questioned and who were a Critic of the outpouring of love and the outpouring and the bountifulness of the worship that she gave but again I don't want to focus on uh the critics tonight for he was saying it might have been sold for more than 300 dinari and he criticized her sharply but I used his statement just to uh to reiterate and to call more attention to how valuable it was it it got the attention of everyone in there whether it be somebody condoning her worshipper someone criticizing there was no doubt that what she was was doing and the ner that she had it it had some relevance and in their life that they knew that that is the good stuff better than the Viking bottle with the orange I I I promise you but but Jesus said leave her alone don't don't trouble her she's doing a good work for me for you have the poor with you always and wherever you wish you may do them good but you're not always going to have me with you and we we've heard a lot of sermons centered around this before but I I'm not focusing on that Jesus said she's done what she could she gave her very best and she has come beforehand to notice anoint my body for burial and assuredly I say unto you wherever this gospel is preached whereever the uttermost parts of the world that this gospel Goes Forth what this woman has done is going to be a testimony and I'm going to memorialize her and the act of worship displayed in this house tonight in this house of Bethany in this house of the poor in this place of Affliction in this woman giving everything that she had it's going to be told about everywhere that this gospel pre is preached in the ancient world an alabaster box was a symbol of both wealth and sacred offerings it stored precious ointments and perfumes Aroma indeed but also having medicinal properties also being a type of monetary exchange that you could place uh a lot of your value into to use for trade at one time or it was uh a savings account if you will something that you had a value that you could always go back to and it was easily managed it wasn't a bunch of coins stored up and hid somewhere it wasn't something that was going to tarnish or perish barring something breaking with the box but it was something easy that you could put uh an investment into and your livelihood into and value into that you would always have should you need it it stored precious ointments and perfumes preserve from the ravages of time until a worthy occasion arose for its use and our narrative the Box contained pure nard Spike nard a costly and fragrant oil derived from a rare plant in the Himalayas the Himalayas are not next door to Jerusalem or Bethy this choice of spikenard is no accident but its Divine detail connects with the overarching theme of Peace healing and transformation nard had a strong distinctive Aroma and it was an oil that would stay on and cling on to the skin and the hair for several days and it would give off this this heavy heavy perfume in the days to come and we read that she poured it all over Jesus according to Eastman's Bible dictionary nard is the root of an Indian plant and the ointment prepared from the root was highly valued it symbolized the very best in ancient cultures it is a comparison to what we would referred to as saying something like oh the Tiffany diamond or the gold stamp this was the kind of value that Mary had in her room and in her house in Bethany and I have no doubt that it was sitting up on top of a dresser or a cabinet the most valuable thing that she had it had a unique fragrance that many people in Bethany had probably never had the opportunity to smell before in that house of poorness that house of illness that house of Castaways that place where those who had been dejected and rejected had gathered the presence of its Aroma was an indication that the very best was being offered we find spikenard in one more instance in the Bible in the Song of Solomon of course it would be with Solomon with his great wealth and great riches and this is the fragrance used from the bride to the groom and in the Song of Solomon and we won't go too deep in Song of Solomon because we might have to censor some of it but in the Song of Solomon when he sprays when she the the the bride sprays that spikenard on and places that n on it it talks about it over encompassing every other smell anything present that nard when the aroma be to diffuse and when the aroma be to go out it overpowered everything else in s Solomon 1 and2 it says while the King was at his table my the perfume spread its fragrance despite all other fragrances in the room only his Brides would matter to the groom that that's all that was able to be identified the presence of the nard represented their p passion and the the value and the it was the absolute best there was nothing finer there was nothing greater and when Mary of Bethany broke her alabaster jar of spikar and bathed the feet of Jesus with the oil it showed that she too Wanted only the absolute best to Define her love and Define her passion and to show her gratefulness for the Savior that was in her midst it had been speculated that this jar of Mary was was my maybe a a dowy for uh a marriage one day or her inheritance but this we this jar of spikar ointment may have been all she had of value but we read that she poured every ounce of it at we don't know the means by which she obtained it we don't know if it was given to her we don't know if it was an an inheritance we don't know if she worked many hours to obtain it we we don't know but we just know it was very valuable uh and I and I can I can imagine that it sat on the top and you you had these other things in her life but and these other these other oils and these other fragrances and but but maybe she focused on this in her in her room that this is what I've got all my value in and maybe she imagined a day when she was going to get to be able to to use this and maybe a relationship started in her life where she was like this is going to be the time that I get to use that but it was only met with heartbreak or maybe there was another instance in her life where she thought things were about to turn around for her and get out of this house of Bethany get get out of this place of Affliction and maybe when she looked at that Spike nard no matter how she obtained it it was the most valuable thing she has maybe it motivated her and maybe she would get lost in the Daydream and go that represents the finest and one day I'm going to be able to use that and one day I'm going to live a life right I get to get to get to break that and and everything's going to be different maybe that was her motivation in the daydreaming and maybe that was what represented the most valuable thing that she had and maybe she had gone through nights of isolation and broken relationships and being in a house of poorness and a house of Affliction not knowing what tomorrow is going to hold maybe she had goals and aspirations in her life that they had never come into fruition but she would pass by the spike nard and just hope that maybe there's going to be a day where I get to use that I've never come across a person just yet where I felt worthy or they were worthy of me using that every bodies and I and give me a little latitude and maybe you have that tonight maybe it was a relationship that that that she thought maybe this was going to be the time where I get out of this place and things are going to turn turn around but it was just another failure another house of Bethania another place of Affliction one after the other no event had been worthy thus far maybe it represented as I said a life that she strived for that maybe as she got older she thought I is there ever going to be a time where I get to use that surely there's going to be an occasion or it's worthy for me to use it how many times did she her hopes and dreams maybe she hold it thinking that this is the time tomorrow is the day but only met with hurt and Brokenness 300 dinari would have been the equivalent about one year's worth of wages the average income in the America today is around $50,000 for so present day perspective it would have been like Mary pouring $50,000 worth of perfume on the feet of Jesus this was the good stuff oh only only the best this was her inheritance this was her savings this was all of her value that she had wrapped up in this spikar but as she saw her Lord and Savior she was willing to give everything that she had as an act of worship and what happens next is a miracle in an of its own it says the fragrance of the spike Nar fills the house a sensory symbol that something Divine is occurring we've got the picture here Mary pouring $50,000 some of you are thinking I don't know about 50 where's that Viking clone at $50,000 of perfume on the feet of Jesus that smell wouldn't have just filled the room but it would have filled the street the whole neighborhood must have known something was going on that place of Affliction and that house of poorness and illness and all of the rejected and dejected would have known what what is that Aroma that I smell in that house and Jesus made it perfectly clear that Mary wasn't just making an offering she was anointing the savior of this world for burial sorrow sorrow could not but lie deep in Mary's heart in that hour but don't misinterpret this scripture she's saying this is no time to weep this king of mine is giving himself as a free and joyful sacrifice to God for his people God manifest in in flesh right in my midst the savior of this world who's going to give repentance and salvation and eternal life this is the best I have what's $50,000 in comparison to be able of repentance to say God I'm sorry for my sins would you remove them from my heart what what's $50,000 to see a relative and your brother being raised from the grave what's $50,000 where there's a man in the house who's going to provide eternal life and be the ultimate sacrifice what's $50,000 for healing what's $50,000 if you think I'm talking about a monetary exchange tonight or offering you've completely missed it he I'm talking about giving the best you have in worship and praise to the almighty God it wasn't what she said it's what she did that house that had once been a graveyard to her brother was now a house of life that town that was known for illness and affliction that was now an aroma that begin to seep and fill the street that house of Brokenness had become a house of healing that house of poorness had now become a town of blessing oh it may have well been that as Jes Jesus felt the whip lacerate his flesh as he felt the nails Pierce through his hands and his feet just maybe that oil that would stay on your skin that oil that's came off it just maybe that oil that would stay that would stay on your skin maybe maybe every now and then in his flesh he would smell that and then it would bring encouragement and it was worship right then maybe days later when Peter and John B burst into Jesus tomb when they they were going to go into a tomb which represented death and destruction and Decay there wasn't no body there I Peter I think I smell a little art still in the house somebody's been here somebody this place of death is a place of life this wasn't a time for mourning this wasn't a time where she said well I don't know if Jesus is worth this one I I don't know if this is the right occasion or not she knew when the man showed up that it was the occasion had finally come all those nights of isolation all those nights of Brokenness all those nights of failure all that time of living in the place of Affliction and living in the place of poor hallelujah there's a man here that's going to give me something that's greater than anything you can receive in the natural in my flesh maybe I was daydreaming about getting out of this town to a place that's more prop prosperous by the world standards but Mary began to realize what she was being able to be a part of was something Eternal and a heaven that was promised her in her extravagant Spirit of gratitude Mary didn't hold anything back she was so overcome with gratefulness that she gave her very best to the Lord so what's that tell us here tonight what should be our posture when we get into his presence is there anybody here tonight that would denounce that God's presence is not in here I hope not cuz why would you why would you even bother right why did I kind of look like I fixed my hair kind of why I even show up right but but you came CU you're expecting something or you it came because you hoping for something you came because maybe this is the time but is it going to be word or is it going to be action God's presence is here cool what what you got for him what did you bring him what are you what are you wan him to do in your life when he showed up she said I'm I'm going to go get the best she probably knocked these over trying to get her hands on that and she broke that Alabaster Box and that narn be to fill the room and what do we know about Mary uh we know from an earlier story that when Jesus showed up her sister was working and serving and she was like I'm going to listen to Jesus once X Y and Z once every te is crossed and once every ey is daed but but Mary we we we get a glimpse into her character and her personality she stops whatever she's doing and she goes right there because there's a word and we see this same passion once again when Jesus shows up just before he's going to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins she goes and gets the very best and she says now is the time to praise no not not everything's going right in the moment I don't understand what tomorrow is going to bring yes I've got some situations in my life but I'm not going to wait for that before I run the aisle I'm not going to wait for that before I lift my hands and give you praise yes there's a doctor's report that I don't know what's going to come of it yes there's some uncertainty and turmoil in my family that I wish I could fix in a snap but I'm not going to wait for that before I start giving God a praise I'm going to give him the best very best I have right now in the moment musicians and singers come I'm going to go get the very best oh there might be chaos going on but now is the time now is the time I'm going to stop what I'm doing I'm going to remove my alleged logic and my alleged reasoning and say right now is the time I'm not going to let this moment Pass Me By I'm not going to let this Sunday evening Pass Me By I'm going to say God you're worthy you're deserving of my very best praise it says she give what she got she came but she had she did the very best with what she had and that's all that is all that is all that God is asking of us to just give the best we have death we don't find Jesus rubbing shoulders in Rome before with the Romans before his crucifixion we don't find him hanging outside of the temple we find him hanging out with his friends those who believe that he's able to do something miraculous and I want you to know tonight no matter what situation you find yourself in no matter how poor the situation might seem in your life no matter how broken the situation might seem in your life no matter what characteristic you could give to it when you begin to give God praise when you begin to give him your very best there is an aroma that begins to seep out right there where you're at there's an aroma that begins to fill the room and that's what'll get the attention of Jesus that's what'll make him show up when I give him praise when I say God I love you God I know I know you're able to provide stand with me I know you're able to work I know you're able to move yeah all hell is broke loose but I'm going to give you my very best praise I'm going to give you my very best worship I'm not going to wait another second I'm going into my room Now's the Time oh Now's the Time he's finally here he's finally here I wish somebody would obey his word right now and step out of your seat and say God I love you God I'm giving you my best praise I'm giving you my best worship I'm giving you everything I have oh there's Affliction oh there's drought oh there's weariness oh there's doubt there's chaos there's turmoil but I'm stopping what I'm doing because right now is the time oh and that fragrance begins to feel the room oh and it begins to touch all that comes near when one person breaks that bottle when one person breaks that Alabaster Box oh it just begins to fill the house oh I can smell that Heavenly Aroma coming down yes Jesus Oh I smell that scent of his love and his grace oh what was a graveyard is now a place of life oh what a place of illness now there's healing you got to have a sacrificial heart you got to give him everything well I'm not materialistic I you know that that that giving stuff really isn't for me yeah but when you get a report when the chaos of your life begins to take place and that security that you had begins to raise some questions in your mind what you're going to do what you going to do H when all this gets through then I'm going to give him praise or but when all this gets through we'll we'll see what happens absolutely not right in the shadow of the giant I'm going to break that Alabaster Box you got to surrender some people in the room tonight need to break the alabaster box there's some things in your life that you need to break right now that's keeping you from giving your very best it may be some preconceived ideas it might be a grudge and some coldness and some callous that's developed around your heart but you ought to break that right now with the pin prick of the Holy Ghost like on the day of Pentecost and it's going to fill the room and then there's going to be healing through faith oh that fragrance is going to take over this house and the house of poorness is going to be a house of blessing and the the house the house of hurt is going to be a house of healing I wonder if you join up with somebody right now it says is that Spike nard went out that it just filled the room that there was nobody in the house that would be unable to not know what was going on and I wonder if with one unified voice we could pray that prayer and give our very best right where we are our very best right in the situation that we're faced with are you ready let's pray right now and pray for where you can hear yourself Mighty God you see where we're at right now God you know the needs of every individual in this house God you see the isolation you see the hurt you see the confusion but God right now let that Aroma of Our Praise go out oh Lord and we believe it's getting your attention in your nostrils right now oh and we believe that you're moving up and down the aisles we believe that you're transforming these situations right in our midst oh I believe Miracles are taking place I believe healing is taking place oh let it take place right now in Jesus name in Jesus name my God found yes Jesus it is I'll at all I'm not letting it pass me by I'm not letting it pass me by yes Jesus to my saor who SE on high by Grace I you res me don't let the negative voices have a seat at your table don't let the voices and influences of this world talk you out of what you're doing for God it was way more than What Judas sold himself out for you give your very best and Jesus is going to provide you give your very best and Jesus is going to show up you give your very best and it's going to get Jesus attention and it's going to be a testimony to