Give me the Mountain
Numbers 13:27-31 NKJ
27 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly [g]flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”
Caleb said let’s attempt the impossible?
Who me, What could I do and what difference would I make?
Many people have given the same answer throughout the ages and missed out on life changing, generational changing opportunities!
The accuser plays down the importance of a question like that always with the same response and would have you think, you would make no difference in the effort or cause!
And if you have answered that question, every time you were asked to do something, that’s bigger than you think you can handle, chances are you’ve never done or even attempted the impossible.
You see, when impossible situations are attempted and Gods miraculous capabilities are involved with the outcome, that’s when they become possible and memorable!
The Calebs in this world, are willing to put it on the line and the cause becomes bigger and more important than themselves and the mountain claiming faith filled experience is still told around the world thousands of years later!
We have witnessed the impossible be defeated many times, by one person standing up with the faith of Caleb and say, “we can do this thing I want to help!” A spark was started, a fire ensued!
Phil. 4:13 NKJ
13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
The Apostle Paul, had experienced many victories and many things throughout his incredible ministry, at any point he could have retired and been deemed successful!
Paul never let his circumstances decide his participation in any situation, he gave his all, even though he knew his capabilities were limited!
He also knew that Jesus capabilities were endless,
and as long as he trusted in Jesus strength, there wasn’t anything that he couldn’t do.
He knew about giving, in every cense of the word.
He knew about Gods supply side economics as well!
Give, trust God and He will supply all the need! Amen?
That’s what Paul was teaching to the Philippians!
Luke 6:38 NKJ
38. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
MSG. says it this way,
Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity
There would never be any good ole days to be remembered if there had never been Giving involved in it! The Giving is what makes events memorable!
Phil 4:18. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
19. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
20. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
That’s what happens when you give to God!
That’s why we should get excited about every opportunity we have, when it comes to giving to the things of God! Amen?
Pastor Schaffer used to say even a grouch can give, but
God loves givers, especially the cheerful ones!
Acts 10:1-4 NKJ
1. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,
2. a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
3. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
4. And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”
So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
When you give, God remembers your prayers and your alms as a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to Him.
When you give, its all part of your Love and Worship that you have for Him, its all part of your Love that you willingly lay down at His feet and He records it as a memorial unto your account.
You may say, I didn't know that I had an account with God, TBS. you do!
Mark 14:3-9 NKJ
3. And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.
4. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?
5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.
6. But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.
7. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.
8. She has done what she could. (in other words, she didn't just talk about it, she did it)She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.
9. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
"a memorial to her"
That means, that He thought it was worth remembering, never to be forgotten!
Someone once said that worship is the act of sacrificially giving to Jesus something that is precious to us.
What would that be for you?
What do you hold precious to you?
Your money? Your Valuables? Your time? Your job? Yourself?
For the woman described in this scripture, it was a container of perfume.
Mark identifies the place where this event took place, at the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany.
Mark doesn’t mention the name of the woman, but John identifies her as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
John says that Martha was serving at this gathering and that Lazarus was sitting with Jesus.
Jesus is the guest of honor at this gathering, and as He sits and eats, Mary enters the room with an alabaster box of perfume.
Now I want you to realize something, everyone of them had the same opportunity to do something extravagant for Jesus, but none of them realized the importance of what was about to happen!
And you can just imagine those who were in the room wondering, what was she going to do with a box of perfume!
Everyone was wondering what Mary was up to but Jesus, Jesus knew exactly what she was going to do!
Scripture identifies Marys perfume as spikenard, which was a very expensive fragrance imported from India.
It was valued at three hundred pence, which was the equivalent of a year’s salary for a common worker, in today's economy minimum wage for a year is $15,080.00 and an average wage of $26,200.00
As she began to anoint Jesus, immediately those around her, begin to criticize her.
They're claim was Mary wasted this precious perfume, and she should have sold it and given the money to the poor instead.
Can you imagine how Mary must have felt?
After pouring out everything she had as an act of worship, she gets criticized and ridiculed by the disciples of Jesus.
Isn’t that exactly how the world thinks?
Why in the world would you want to give something valuable to God?
Don’t you know how much that could buy, what you give in tithes to the church, well that’s almost a car payment.
The criticism they gave her, tried to ruin the praise and worship she had just poured out on Jesus.
Idn’t that just like the devil and his venom of doom and gloom concerning anything good in the world, but it was to late.
History had already been written! Gods record keepers had already recorded it as a memorial to her! God was already savoring the sweet fragrance of the gift!
TBS. But Jesus after hearing what they had said, stopped them all dead in their tracks!
He tells the disciples to leave her alone, because she has done what no one else noticed needed to be done.
You see according to Jewish tradition, the owner of the house should have washed Jesus feet, the moment Jesus entered his house, but failed to!
Jesus went on to say, they could help the poor anytime they wanted to, but that their time to worship Him in person, was quickly running out.
TBS. Jesus knew that He would be put to death as a criminal, and that He would be buried without the proper anointing.
The disciples were thinking Marys actions were meaningless and wasteful, but Jesus is so moved by Mary’s actions He goes on to tell all who were present that day and forever more.
Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her! What Mary did, her moment of sacrificial giving would be remembered forever!
As we study this passage, we learn several things from it.
First of all, the alabaster box of ointment contained something that was very precious and had great value, but as long as it stayed in the container, it didn’t benefit anyone.
John says that when the perfume was poured out upon Jesus that its fragrance filled the air, filled the whole house.
Jesus called the act a good work, and in the original Greek actually means “a beautiful thing.”
Illustration by sermon central
Steve Farrar tells the story of George McCluskey.
When McCluskey married and started a family, he decided to invest one hour a day in prayer, because he wanted his kids to follow Christ.
After a time, he expanded his prayers to include his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Every day between 11 AM and noon, he prayed for the next three generations.
As the years went by, his two daughters committed their lives to Christ and married men who went into full-time ministry.
The two couples produced four girls and one boy. Each of the girls married a minister, and the boy became a pastor.
The first two children born to this generation were both boys. Upon graduation from high school, the two cousins chose the same college and became roommates.
During their sophomore year, one boy decided to go into the ministry. The other didn’t. He undoubtedly felt some pressure to continue the family legacy, but he chose instead to pursue his interest in psychology.
He earned his doctorate and eventually wrote books for parents that became bestsellers. He started a radio program heard on more than a thousand stations each day.
The man’s name was James Dobson. Through his prayers, George McCluskey affected far more than one family.
(Kanye West Story) who would’ve thought? I’ll tell you who, his momma that’s who! A praying mothers heart for Gods will changes hearts!
Who me, what difference would I make? We’re all witnesses to what can be accomplished with prayer and Gods willingness to help those, who ask for help!
What can’t you do with Gods help?
Pray about your part in what lies ahead for you, your family, your ministry and your church!
God still has memorable things to participate in and mountain top adventures to believe for and if you are willing to ask God to give you the mountain, the best is still yet to come!
