Invite to Practice the Presence of People
Speaker: Pastor Josh Jansen
Read: Matthew 22:37-40; John 12:1-8, 13:15-17
Sermon Recap:
Mary, the sister of Lazarus, had experienced his death and resurrection a few weeks prior. At a subsequent dinner party prior to the Passover she, in a very unique and surprising way, expressed her devotion to Jesus. She took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume worth a year’s wages and poured it on Jesus’ feet and then wiped his feet with her hair. In so doing, she demonstrated her willingness to die to herself and indicated that Jesus was most important to her. As others looked on, the fragrance of her actions and devotion filled the room. The fruit of our lives also has a scent. When we leave a place, there is a scent that we leave behind that others can smell when they experience us. But if we want the fruit of our lives to smell good, we too need to experience death, not a natural death, but a spiritual death of our will and our own way. We may have our lives set up in a particular way, but the only way for our relationship with Jesus to become real is when we deny ourselves and follow Him wholeheartedly. Yes, it is costly to do so, but the response to the kindness and mercy of God has never been a deep breath, but has and always will be death to oneself. The smell of our fruit becomes evident when we love God with all our hearts and souls, and love our neighbors as ourselves. When our first love is Jesus, the response will be an expensive love towards other people. The expression of such love will leave a fragrance that will be great and will fill rooms with the scent of hope and peace.
Discussion Questions:
1. What resonated with you as you listened to this sermon and reviewed it?
2. What does it mean to die to oneself? How does one die to himself? How did Mary die to herself when she expressed her devotion to Christ?
3. What are things that can stand in the way of us denying ourselves?
4. It was said that to die to ourselves is costly. In what way is it costly?
5. What do people smell when they experience your presence? Would they recognize you as a follower of Christ by their interactions with you?
6. It was said that we live in a world that wants us to think we are Americans before we are followers of Jesus. What does this mean to you? What type of issues does this mindset produce in contrast to the mindset that following Christ produces?
7. Read Galatians 5:22-23. When we join ourselves to Christ, what fruit or character traits does the Holy Spirit produce in us that are found in the nature of Christ? Which of these traits do you need to develop further as fruit in your life?
