DOING WHAT YOU CAN PART 11 of 12

TEXT- MARK 14:1-9

INTRODUCTION

TODAY IS THEME DAY AT OUR CHURCH WHEN WE EMPHASIZE OUR 1994 THEME AND GOALS.

THIS MORNING I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH OUR STUDY FROM THE BOOK OF MARK WHICH I HAVE BEEN PREACHING FROM TO EMPHASIZE OUR 1994 MOTTO, "THE SERVING CHURCH."

OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN MARK 14:1-9 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "DOING WHAT YOU CAN."

THE TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE EVENT DESCRIBED IN OUR TEXT ARE MENTIONED IN VERSES 1-2 WHICH SAY, "NOW THE PASSOVER AND UNLEAVENED BREAD WAS TWO DAYS OFF; AND THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES WERE SEEKING HOW TO SEIZE HIM BY STEALTH, AND KILL HIM; [2] FOR THEY WERE SAYING, "NOT DURING THE FESTIVAL, LEST THERE BE A RIOT OF THE PEOPLE."

SINCE THERE WERE PROBABLY MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE WHO HAD PROBABLY COME TO JERUSALEM FOR THESE ANNUAL FEASTS IT IS MORE THAN LIKELY THAT JESUS SPENT HIS DAYS IN THE CITY AND THEN WENT TO BETHANY IN THE EVENING TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE HOME OF MARY, MARTHA AND LAZARUS.

ON THIS OCCASION, JESUS OBSERVED THE FEAST IN THE HOME OF A MAN NAMED SIMON THE LEPER WHO MAY HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE LEPERS JESUS CLEANSED AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY AND WHO RETURNED TO THANK HIM.

WHILE MARK DOES NOT NAME THE WOMAN MENTIONED IN OUR TEXT, WE KNOW FROM JOHN'S ACCOUNT THAT SHE WAS MARY THE SISTER OF MARTHA AND LAZARUS.

JOHN 12:1-3 JESUS, THEREFORE, SIX DAYS BEFORE THE PASSOVER, CAME TO BETHANY WHERE LAZARUS WAS, WHOM JESUS HAD RAISED FROM THE DEAD. [2] SO THEY MADE HIM A SUPPER THERE, AND MARTHA WAS SERVING; BUT LAZARUS WAS ONE OF THOSE RECLINING AT THE TABLE WITH HIM. [3] MARY THEREFORE TOOK A POUND OF VERY COSTLY PERFUME OF PURE NARD, AND ANOINTED THE FEET OF JESUS, AND WIPED HIS FEET WITH HER HAIR; AND THE HOUSE WAS FILLED WITH THE FRAGRANCE OF THE PERFUME."

AS WE EXAMINE OUR TEXT MORE CLOSELY I WOULD LIKE US TO NOTICE THREE PRINCIPLES ABOUT SERVING GOD.