Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Many who call themselves
Christians delight in being entertained and mindlessly led along by trained
so-called worship leaders. This is quite a departure from
the worship which we see displayed in Lazarus' house. Mary took
a container of precious ointment and poured it on the Lord's feet.
The Lord was pleased with this offering and act of worship.
In this offering, we can see the nature of worship illustrated. The object of worship was the
Lord Jesus. If a man will worship the true
and living God, he must worship Jesus Christ. The Lord said,
no man comes to the Father but by me. The central figure in
everything we say and do concerning the gospel is Christ. The gospel
is not about Christ. The gospel is Christ. We see
worship illustrated in who the act of worship was prepared for.
This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision on the part of Mary.
She had to procure the ointment and then apply it at an appropriate
time. It is a sad commentary on the
coldness of men's hearts when they have to be prompted and
choreographed to worship the Lord. God's people should prepare
themselves for the time and opportunities they have to come into His presence
with love and devotion. This was an act of worship which
was not without cost. This was a costly ointment. David
said, Nay, but I will surely buy it of thee at a price, neither
will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that
which cost me nothing. The cost of true worship cannot
be measured in dollars. In fact, men often think they
are worshiping God by giving of their money when they give
out of their abundance, but they are mistaken. There is usually
very little cost associated with giving monetary gifts. What have
you ever actually given to the Lord? Worship is a total commitment
without regard to the cost. When David danced before the
Lord, he was so desirous of worship that he gave no thought to the
possible embarrassment of his actions. This act of worship
was judged extravagant and in excess by religious men. Religious
men are content to go through their liturgies and orders of
worship and grow incensed when the program is interrupted. The
Lord is always pleased by that worship which comes from a pure
heart, even when it disrupts the decorum of a meeting. The
Scripture admonishes us to do all things decently and in order,
but it does not define order as some rigid schedule which
cannot be disturbed. The act of worship is essentially
a display of humility. The publican worshiped the rite
when he smote upon his breast and did not so much as lift up
his eyes to heaven. Mary humbled herself at the feet
of the Lord, taking upon herself the form of a servant. Such must
be the attitude of all who will truly worship. There is no self-seeking
in true worship, nor is it a display or performance meant to be seen
by others. Though worship may be performed
in a public setting, it is basically a private endeavor. True worship
is a sweet-smelling savor, not only in the courts of heaven,
but to all those present as well. The passage says that the odor
of ointment filled the house. There is no more blessed place
on earth for the children of God than gathered with the saints
in worship. The Lord said, For where two
or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them. The Lord inhabits the praises
of his people, but those most personally involved will always
be those who receive the greatest blessing. Mary wiped his feet
with her hair. No doubt the fragrance of this
ointment stayed with her for days to come. True worship is
never wasted, nor soon forgotten. True worship is the result of
the Lord's work in His people. The Lord prepared the heart of
Mary to worship Him by the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. How
foolish we are to think that men can stimulate us to true
worship. They can teach us to be like parrots, repeating courses,
raising hands, quoting Bible verses, etc. But only God can
stir up a man to truly worship Him. The religious world can
supply tantalizing counterfeits and somewhat fulfilling substitutes,
but only God can humble a man's heart and bring him before Him
with genuine adoration and devotion. Thus saith the Lord, the heaven
is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house
that you build unto me, and where is the place of my rest? For
all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have
been, saith the Lord. But to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a chondrite spirit, and trembleth
at my word. Do you worship Christ, or do
you follow the worship of him? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net