Before Kings: The Fragrance of Fellowship
September 26, 2021 SeriesBefore Kings
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (TPT) Aspire to lead a calm and peaceful life as you mind your own business and earn your living, just as we've taught you. By doing this you will live an honorable life, influencing others and commanding respect of even the unbelievers. Then you'll be in need of nothing and not dependent upon others.
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2 Corinthians 2:14–16 (NLT) 14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.
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Luke 10:38–42 (NIV) 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Martha's posture
Laborer + Doer + Busy.
Busy is the enemy of fruitful!
Busy will get you concerned about many things and critical of those doing the doing the better thing.
Jesus calls her distracted
Distractions will derail devotion.
Doing for Jesus will never substitute being with him.
Jesus longs for fellowship.
Following Jesus begins and ends with fellowship.
1 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV) God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Busy in the enemy of fellowship!
Mary's Posture
"who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said."
John 15:4–5 (NLT) 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
Living connected is more productive than working harder.
- Duty without devotion eliminates delight.
- Lovers will always outwork & outlast laborers.
Receiving fellowship
1. Sitting.
2. Listening.
Psalm 27:4 (NIV) One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
John 12:1–8 (NLT) 1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 "That perfume was worth a year's wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor." 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples' money, he often stole some for himself. 7 Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
A Fellowship Offering
1. Pure.
2. Costly.
3. Broken.
4. Poured out.
5. It filled the room with fragrance
Warning: Fragrant offerings are often criticized.
The Great Adventure (2)
From Death To Life (5)
Spirit & Truth (5)
Believe (7)
Still (3)
The Blessing (6)
The Grow Series (3)
Before Kings (7)
Summer_Slam (6)
Together (3)
Our Father (9)
Cultivate (7)
Good Good News! (16)
God of Promise (8)
Thieves and Robers (7)
Love on Fire (5)
Encounters (7)
Anchored (3)
Encounter (2)
Awakening (6)
Wild (5)
We Are Overflow (8)
ABBA (5)
RealityTV (7)
A Heart That Longs (7)
Over (4)
Capacity (5)
Lover (6)
YES! (5)
The Hunt (5)
faith (4)
Hope (4)
Royalty (7)
Indwelling (6)
Toxic (6)
God_with_Us (3)
Thresholds (5)
The Jouney (7)
The Good Shepherd (7)
refuge (6)
fascinate (6)
Grateful (4)
Peace peace (2)
start (5)
when_God_prays (5)
fruitful (6)
voices (5)
Anatomy (5)
Lifegoals (4)
The Furnace (7)
summer17 (5)
flight (5)
9/6 (5)
War (6)
unscripted (3)
Virtrue (4)
It is Well (6)
Thank_You! (5)
why (5)
switches (5)
CrossWorthy (5)
Striver (6)
mixtape (5)
Rivers (8)
Wonder (4)
Born_To_Reign (4)
more (8)
summer2020 (5)
From Death To Life (5)
Spirit & Truth (5)
Believe (7)
Still (3)
The Blessing (6)
The Grow Series (3)
Before Kings (7)
Summer_Slam (6)
Together (3)
Our Father (9)
Cultivate (7)
Good Good News! (16)
God of Promise (8)
Thieves and Robers (7)
Love on Fire (5)
Encounters (7)
Anchored (3)
Encounter (2)
Awakening (6)
Wild (5)
We Are Overflow (8)
ABBA (5)
RealityTV (7)
A Heart That Longs (7)
Over (4)
Capacity (5)
Lover (6)
YES! (5)
The Hunt (5)
faith (4)
Hope (4)
Royalty (7)
Indwelling (6)
Toxic (6)
God_with_Us (3)
Thresholds (5)
The Jouney (7)
The Good Shepherd (7)
refuge (6)
fascinate (6)
Grateful (4)
Peace peace (2)
start (5)
when_God_prays (5)
fruitful (6)
voices (5)
Anatomy (5)
Lifegoals (4)
The Furnace (7)
summer17 (5)
flight (5)
9/6 (5)
War (6)
unscripted (3)
Virtrue (4)
It is Well (6)
Thank_You! (5)
why (5)
switches (5)
CrossWorthy (5)
Striver (6)
mixtape (5)
Rivers (8)
Wonder (4)
Born_To_Reign (4)
more (8)
summer2020 (5)
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