Are You Wasting Your Life?

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Are You Wasting Your Life?

Mark 14:3,4

August 9, 2020 • Pastor Ray Viola

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Mark 14:3,4 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

What we have before us in Mark 14 today is the lavish expression of love and devotion by Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, upon Jesus Christ. So important was this act of devotion that Jesus said that wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, this act of devotion is to be mentioned (v 9).

Mary expressed the love that she had in her heart for Jesus by pouring out upon Him an expensive ointment that would have been the equivalent of a year’s wages. This ointment was also reserved by a woman for the time when she would meet her bridegroom. What a beautiful, unashamed expression of public devotion for Jesus! And yet Jesus’ disciples, influenced by Judas Iscariot, regarded her lavish act of devotion as a waste, saying that this amount of money could have been given to the poor.

What is a waste? It is something that is a loss or a tragic misuse, be it of money, time, talents or, most importantly, the object of devotion. This story reveals to us an important point, namely, what the world considers to be a waste in contrast to what Christ considers to be a waste. To the world, spending and being spent for Jesus is a waste. To God, spending and being spent for anything or anyone apart from Jesus is a waste. To invest your life in anything other than service and devotion to Jesus Christ is a waste, regardless of one’s wealth or success in the eyes of man. The world system would call the person who is “sold out” for Jesus someone who is wasting his or her human potential.

The prophet Haggai lamented because the people of God were spending all of their time, energy, and money building their own kingdom while the temple of God was being reduced to shambles. Why? Because the priorities and interests of the people of God were more set on self than on the things of God.

Beloved, have we created a type of Christianity where sacrifice and full devotion to Jesus Christ and His kingdom has become an option (Romans 12:1,2)? Have we created a comfortable type of Christianity where being a disciple no longer means to bear a cross (Mark 8:34)? Or hazard our lives (Acts 15:26)? Or be addicted to serving (1 Corinthians 16:15)? Remember, beloved, that what we learn this morning from our sister Mary in her all-out expression of love for Jesus is that she was following the example of The One Who would give His all for us, that we might live our lives for Him and His glory (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Are you wasting your life? Selah

The Resurrection of Jesus - The Great Commission

October 4, 2020 • Pastor Ray Viola

Matthew 12:39-40 …there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The bodily resurrection of The Lord Jesus Christ was the AMEN of His work of atonement. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15 that if there is no resurrection, there is no forgiveness of sin, no hope; our “faith” is vain and meaningless (vv.14,17-19). But Jesus did rise from the dead on the third day just like He said He would. Nobody expected to find an empty tomb, but God rolled away the stone over the grave of Jesus, not to let Him out, but to let the world know that He has risen. Because He has risen, our faith is a living faith in a Living Savior Who has forgiven us of all of our sin and is Himself our Living Hope!! But along with the resurrection of The Lord Jesus is the mandate given to all believers to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Who is to go into all the world and preach the gospel? Mark says that it is he who believes in the Person and work of Jesus Christ who shall be saved (Mark 16:16). Every follower of The Lord Jesus Christ is an ambassador of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A part of the armor of every born again follower of Jesus Christ is feet that are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15)! When Paul writes of the 5-fold ascension ministry gifts in Ephesians 4:11-12 of “apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers”, it is “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”. The purpose of ministry offices and callings is that the entire body of Christ would be equipped for the work of the ministry. Evangelism and sharing the gospel is the work of every single part of the body of Christ. In this day and age of high technology and mass evangelism crusades, the most effective means of reaching the lost with the gospel is via one on one encounters with people. Here is the gospel: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus began His ministry with the words, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) Paul wrote in Romans 10:14,15: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Beloved, Jesus is risen and He is coming soon. May God open the door for you to share the gospel today. The harvest is ready!! Selah

Grace Alone

September 27, 2020 • Pastor Ray Viola

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, ... Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) I have heard it said that the definition of grace is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Mark 15 would certainly affirm that definition. The only way that fallen man can be saved is by the grace of God. Fallen men cannot save themselves. Therein lies the difference between the gospel of Jesus Christ and every other religion or religious system. Every religion and religious system on earth bases salvation upon the works or religious ceremonies of man. I do not doubt that there is some kind of affirmation and perhaps even adoration of the Person of Jesus Christ, but at the end of the day, salvation according to religion or religious systems boils down to this: Christ died on the cross for our sins, but saving faith believes in Christ and my religious ceremony or my good works. Beloved, that is what the Galatians struggled with (Galatians 4:8-10). Christ plus anything nullifies grace, because grace is unconditional and free. Salvation is the free gift of God, period (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus is The Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Hallelujah to The Lamb of God! The cry of Jesus from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), was a cry of victory, for those words mean “paid in full”. When Jesus cried, “It is finished”, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:37,38), signifying that the way to enter into the presence of God was now made available to whosoever believes in Him. Reader, are you trusting in a religious system or some religious ceremony or your good works to atone for your sin and save your soul from eternal damnation? Look up to the middle cross of Calvary. What do you see there? Who do you see there? What you see and Who you see is the Lord Jesus Christ, the grace of God Who came to save fallen man from the debt of our sin. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:22) Selah

The Lord Jesus, Our Master, Teacher

August 23, 2020 • Pastor Ray Viola

Jesus gave this two worded invitation to those who heard Him teach, “Follow Me.” (Matthew 4:19) Do not just be content hearing what I say; follow Me and do what you see me doing. We know that The Lord Jesus is the express image of The Father (Hebrews 1:3). He is The Eternal Word of God made flesh, Who dwelt amongst us (John 1:1,14). Thus, it would be proper to say that The Lord Jesus is not only the perfect theology of God on earth, but that The Lord Jesus is the Perfect Master and Teacher as well. Contrary to the popular “cross-less gospel” that is prevalent in today’s church, The Lord Jesus is not looking for fans; He is looking for followers. While the “Jesus Fan Club” may have multitudes, the followers of Jesus are few. We are living at a time when the heretical gospel of the healthy and wealthy is producing a number of coddled, comfortable, and covetous pseudo-saints. Did you know that there are two places in Scripture where The Lord Jesus is specifically called our example? In 1 Peter 2:21 He is referred to as an example of suffering. In John 13:15, which we will be looking at this morning, The Lord Jesus is referred to as an example of being a servant. Suffering? Servant? The practical example of The Lord Jesus Christ is offensive to today’s soft living, self-centered church. Beloved, there is not comfortable or convenient way to suffer or be a servant. It is no surprise when The Lord Jesus invited people to come unto Him that so few responded. Why? Because human nature, be it 2,000 years ago or today, is addicted to living for the inferior trinity of me, myself, and mine. The slightest message of discomfort in following Jesus or an appeal made to serve by putting others first causes many to flee for cover. We have One Master-Teacher and His Name is Jesus Christ. The pathway to happiness and purpose in life is not found is serving self, but by denying self, be it for the sake of suffering or serving Jesus for the glory of God. Selah