Lost generations and a pound of perfume
Opening Scripture. Judges 21:25.
- Judges 21:25: In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
- Ephesians 4:14:
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Introduction. I began to prepare for this sermon about 2 months ago, with the intent of discussing the subject you see in the bulletin. Then about a month ago, I was impressed with another subject that I also thought would be good to talk about, but was unrelated to the first one. So I found myself in a dilemma as to which one I should present. And I battled with this for about a week or two, and I couldn't decide. Finally I thought: why not just present both of them in an abbreviated manner, which is what I'm going to do. I'll start with the "lost generations" title in the bulletin.
Lost generations. What do I mean by "lost generations"? By "lost" I mean in terms of church attendance. A person can never go to church, never read the Bible and never profess Christianity and still be saved, would you agree? The odds are against it, but it is possible. However, for the purposes of this discussion, what I mean by "lost" are those who never set foot in the church. That is, church non-attendance. Using that criteria, of those born after 1996, the "Y" generation, church attendance is about 8%. As compared to Baby Boomers, those born before 1965, which is around 19%. So, less than half the number of people under 30 years of age attend church as compared to the Boomers. If you include the Gen-X and millenials in the 30-65 age group, then it's 10-12% attendance. This includes all Christian churches, even the mega churches which has a higher percentage of the younger generations. If you exclude the mega churches then the dropoff would be greater.
Church attendance, weekly (2021 survey). Ages 18-34 (8.72%), 35-49 (10.7%), 50-64 (12.25%), Boomers 65+ (18.96%).
Obama (2006). "Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers" This is a true statement and truer now than 17 years ago when he made that statement. We are rapidly becoming a heathen nation, like all the rest of them in the world. You may not see that here in Tennessee, in the Bible Belt, but travel around the country and you will see.
Newsweek, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America," April 13, 2009. "The present, in this sense, is less about the death of God and more about the birth of many gods." We've become "one nation under God" to "one nation under many gods." From Christian to Greek (which is effectively, Pagan). From Absolute Truth to Relative Truth. From God's Word as the basis of truth to Man's Word as the basis of all truth.
Karaite Jews. I've been listening to a Jewish scholar recently, who is a Karaite Jew--one who believes that the oral traditions of the Midrash and Talmud are not authoritative. They only believe in their Bible as authoritative (in contrast to mainstream Rabbinic Judaism). In this group, one who has not read through the Jewish Bible (the Tanakh) at least twice in his lifetime, with a Teacher, is considered an ignoramus.
Biblical ignoramuses. The last 3 generations are largely Biblical ignoramuses. They have either never read the Bible or, if they have, they've read very little of it. Most consider it as fiction, fairy tale, and irrelevant to their daily lives. It is viewed by them as antiquated literature.
Belief system. The lost generations belief system is largely a Pagan mindset.
Pagan. For the purposes of this sermon, I will call these last 3 generations: Pagan. They can be called Secular or non-believers, or some other terms, but Pagan is more fitting, in my opinion.
Pagan beliefs
- Pagan god. When you say "God" to a pagan, what does a pagan think? Which God? You see, to a pagan, there are many gods. Like the Greeks, they have demi-gods and super heroes. You can see it in the movies made today. Superhero moviews draw a big crowd; they are big business. The gods of the pagans are powerful, independent, free willed; in many cases rebellious, rich and proud.
- Basically good. The prevailing thought among Christians today, from 45-60% depending on the survey, is that most people are basically good people. What is the fallacy of that belief? Answer: It depends on your criteria. What standard are you basing it on? There are really only two standards of morality: God's and man's.
- Divinity within. Everyone has the divine within, and everyone has a life-force. Everyone has their own individual spiritual path they follow. The concept of "your truth." A pagan does not believe in sin or a need for forgiveness, so they doesn’t see a need for salvation.
- Pagan sin. When you say the words "sin" what does a pagan think? Well, sin is the transgression of the divine law, but pagans don't follow a divine law. Following rules and regulations is so Old Testament, so restrictive. They know what is right and wrong. They don't need someone to tell them. The concept of "sin" is not in their vocabulary. There is no notion of the doctrine of "original sin."
- Pagan morality. Pagans accept morality in any form provided it is consenting and the individuals bear personal responsibility. Basically, anything goes, provided it is consentual.
- Pagan death. When you speak of "death and the afterlife" for pagans beyond death lies either some form of paradise or reincarnation or both. If you are Hindu or Buddhist then you enter a magical, never-ending rebirth, the ever turning wheel of reincarnation. A kind of sacred evolution. Basically, you never really die; you come back in some other form or sense, a ghost of some kind. The afterlife is neither heaven nor hell but a non-physical reality much less dense than ours. The land of eternal summer, with grassy fields and sweet flowing rivers, the Earth before the advent of humans. Where energy swirls coexist with the greatest energies, you become one with the Force.
- Pagan savior. Not a Savior, but saviors, as pagans have many gods.
- Pagan multiple paths to God. Many paths to God; therefore, non-judgmental attitude to all faiths. The image of a mountain that each religion climbs to the top.
- Pagan music. Mantra music. Repetitive, mesmerizing, few words, false message and teaching.
Evangelism to Pagans
- Christian evangelism. So along comes a Christian evangelism campaign teaching what? Think of what a pagan thinks when you talk about the following:
- Salvation. Man is basically good; there is divinity in each of us. There is no need for forgiveness, therefore, there is no need for salvation. There are many paths to God. There are no absolutes.
- Sin and Judgment. Calling people sinners sounds judgmental and intolerant. Matters of right and wrong are sensitive issues. Your truth might not be my truth. What is wrong to you, might not be wrong to me. Nothing is absolute; everything is relative. The view that God is Wrathful and Judgmental is not one a pagan wants to worshiop. He poured out His wrath on His Son. He will pour out His wrath on sinners. Therefore, God is not loving but a God to be feared. That is not a God a pagan wants to serve. An evangelism program that teaches a Judgment Day only confirms a pagan's fears of this kind of wrathful and unloving God.
- Creation and Consummation. The belief in Evolution distorts an understanding of Creation and God as Creator. If Evolution is God's form of Creation, then He is a weak god. Consummation (End-time Eschatology) is feared and avoided in any discussion. Basically, what the future holds is what it will be and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
- No commitment to Christianity. Pagans have no interest in living under a set of norms that are incompatible with their lifestyle. They don't want to change how they live, what they watch or how they think. Everything's fine, fine, fine.
- Evangelistic programs don't work on Pagans. Revelation Seminars don't work on Pagans because they don't believe their bad enough to be judged and they don't trust a wrathful God with strict rules to keep. Who wants to live having to keep 10 commandment and 28 church rules? In the end, they don't want to be judgmental and bigoted like Christians tend to be. I just want to mind my own business and live and let live. To pagans, light becomes darkness and darkness light.
- Sower. The sower went out to sow the seed, which is the Word of God. And he scattered seed on the ground. It landed on hard ground, and rocky ground and thorny ground and good soil. The majority of the ground nowadays is hard ground. Nearly impossible to penetrate.
- Mega churches. How do the mega churches do it? In two ways: (1) By introducing a false gospel and (2) By offering false (spiritist) music or, what I call, mantra music.
Matthew 26:6-13
Mark 14:1-11
Luke 7:36-50
John 12:1-11
EGW
- DA 558.4: In His mercy, Jesus had pardoned her sins, He had called forth her beloved brother from the grave, and Mary's heart was filled with gratitude. [1] She had heard Jesus speak of His approaching death, and in her deep love and sorrow she had longed to show Him honor. At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of “ointment of spikenard, very costly,” [2] with which to anoint His body. But now many were declaring that He was about to be crowned king. Her grief was turned to joy, and [3] she was eager to be first in honoring her Lord. Breaking her box of ointment, [4] she poured its contents upon the head and feet of Jesus; then, as she knelt weeping, moistening them with her tears, she wiped His feet with her long, flowing hair.
- DA 560.2: The fragrant gift which Mary had thought to lavish upon the dead body of the Saviour she poured upon His living form. At the burial its sweetness could only have pervaded the tomb; now it gladdened His heart with the assurance of her faith and love.
Notes on perfume
- Read Mark 14:1-11 and John 12:1-11.
- 300 denarii represents roughly a year of work of a day laborer. Today, at minimum wage, that would represent around $30,000. That is, 300 days x 10 hours x $10/hour. Not a small sum for a bottle of perfume. What can you buy for $30k? A lot of groceries.
- Most expensive perfumes today. Can run thousands of dollars per ounce. For example, Clive Christian's No. 1; Chanel Grand Extrait, $4,200/Ounce. Mary's 12 ounce bottle was worth $2,500/Ounce.
- Judas' 30 pieces of silver. Each piece was a tetradrachm or four drachmas. Thus, 120 days wages.
- Nard or Spikenard. Greek G3487, nardos. The head or spike (rhizomes) of a fragrant East Indian plant belonging to the genus Valeriana.
- Song 1:12: While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance.
- In the Song of Solomon, the bride is wearing the perfume nard. But in Jesus' anointing, he is wearing it. He is the one to be loved.
Effects on Jesus
- Perfume (purpose). To increase self-appeal and self-confidence. Scents are reported to enhance health and well-being by improving mood, reducing anxiety and stress, increasing cognitive function, and improving sleep.
- Thus, in the next 2 days, Jesus' sleep improved, his cognitive function increased, his mood improved, anxiety and stress reduced. Was all this important for Jesus? Absolutely. Jesus needed this like no one else in history. It was a kind of therapy, a kind of medicine for Jesus. It was to prepare him for a most horrible ordeal.
- So, let's walk through this:
- Jesus at Gethsemane, praying to the Father, under tremendous stress, "Father, if possible let this cup pass from me." Sweating drops of blood. Jesus still can smell the perfume on his head and clothing and knows, he knows that someone appreciates him and loves him. For Mary, it is worth it, and he goes on. I'm sure it was not his only thought, but I believe it was one of them.
- Jesus before the Jewish leaders, Herod, and Pilate. As he was insulted and slapped and beaten and whipped and tortured, he still caught a whiff of that perfume and Mary's gesture and thought, "It's all worth it. If I can save someone like Mary, it's worth it. I will go on with this."
- Jesus at the cross. As he's under the most intense suffering: physically, mentally and worst still spiritually, he still has that memory, and maybe still a small scent of that perfume and he thinks of Mary and her gratefulness and devotion to him, and he says, "It's worth it. I will go on."
- Is it possible that this $30,000 bottle of perfume did all this? That it prepared the way for Jesus' passion? I don't know for sure, but I believe it did. Mary's gift was just what Jesus needed to carry him forward.
- For Mary to pour this expensive perfume on Jesus, she had to break it. "She broke the alabaster jar and poured out the ointment on his head" (Mark 14:3).
Conclusion. Her memorial. See: Her Memorial : An Alternative Reading of Matthew 26:13, by Wongi Park,
- Matthew 26:13 (alternate reading): Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached throughtout the whole world, what she has done [to me] as her memorial will be mentioned.
Memorial (def). Serving to help people remember some person or event. G3422: a reminder i.e. record, memorial.
Memorial to Jesus. This memorial as a memorial of Mary to Jesus. This memorial to Jesus fills the whole world with its fragrance, greater than even permanent memorials. Mark's intended meaning as "shall be told as a memorial." And Matthew's intended to convey the meaning, "what she has done as a memorial to me shall be related." For Matthew, the proclamation of "this gospel" does not memorialize the woman per se, rather, it acknowledges her instrumental agency.
- Matthew 26:10-13: Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you causing trouble for this woman? For she has done a good deed to me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. 12 She has put this ointment on my body to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done [to me] will also be spoken of as a memorial to her.”
Double entendre: Thus, this event should be understood in two ways. Two things were accomplished in this anointing: (1) It showed Mary's great insight and faith in Jesus and (2) It memorializes Jesus sacrifice by being anointed (with a very costly perfume) before his death and burial.
Gospel preached. As long as the gospel is preached, we are to remember this event. We are to remember Mary and her faith. She had greater faith and insight than the disciples. She had greater appreciation of Christ than the disciples. She had greater willingness to give up all her earthly possessions for Christ. She was forgiven much, so she loved much.
Sacrifices
- Burnt offering and meal offering went together. If you study Numbers 29, you will see that they went together.
- The burnt offering represented Christ's sacrifice.
- The meal offering was a memorial to God.
- Leviticus 6:14-15: This is the law of the meal offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before Yahweh, before the altar. 15 He shall take from there his handful of the fine flour of the meal offering, and of its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the meal offering, and shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma, as its memorial portion, to Yahweh.
- Meal offering. Contained grain, oil and frankincense. Frankincense gave off its fragrance when it was burned. It represented man's response to the sacrifice. It also was sweet smelling. It represented surrendering one's self to God so that he may in love give to fellow man what is his due. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13).
Memorial to Jesus, for Jesus. Jesus only established one memorial in his life on earth. And it is this one. Matthew 26:13 and Mark 14:9. Also see Cornelius on Acts 10:4. Jesus intent is not only to remember the event, but remember the person who performed this act. It represents two things: (1) What Jesus did and (2) What our response should be. Mary typified what our act of remembrance should be. It is her memorial. It is her memory; it should be our memory.
THE LILY OF THE VALLEY
I have found a friend in Jesus
He's everything to me
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul
The lily of the valley and in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole
.
In sorrow He's my comfort in trouble He's my stay
He tells me every care on Him to roll
He's the lily of the valley He's the bright and morning star
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul
Miscellaneous
Lost generations. 3 generations (as classified): Gen-X (1965-1980), Y (1981-1996) and Z (1997-2012). Roughly the last 3 generations are lost from Biblical perspective. They either don't know God or care very little about God and rarely are seen in church. These generations either have never read the Bible, or the little that they have read is not regarded as relevant or trustworthy. Other generations: (Baby) Boomer (1946-1964), Silent (1928-1945), Greatest (before 1928).
Church attendance (2010 survey). Those who attend church nearly every week. Millenials (born in 1981 and later), less than 20% (18%); Gen-X and Boomer in the 30% range (27-32%); Silent 44% and Greatest 56%. Generaion Z (1999 and later) are the first truly "post-Christian" generation. Gen-Z does not assert a religious identity. Atheism in this generation is double that of the U.S. adult population (13% vs. 6%).
Truth. Truth seems relative at best and, at worst, altogether unknowable. More than half of all Americans, both teens (58%) and adults (62%), agree with the statement “Many religions can lead to eternal life; there is no ‘one true religion.’” There’s a sense among Gen Z that what’s true for someone else may not be “true for me”; they are much less apt than older adults (especially Boomers, 85%) to agree that “a person can be wrong about something that they sincerely believe in” (66%). For a considerable minority of teens, sincerely believing something makes it true.
LGBTQ. Man determines truth and truth is relative. Ultimately, anything goes. But, when anything goes, the absolutes of Christianity are opposed. Claim to allow all views. But they don't allow all views.
Problem of evil. The problem of evil and suffering is a deal breaker for the most recent generations. They struggle to find a compelling argument for the existence of both evil and a good and loving God. However, while the existence of evil is a problem, sin is the greatest problem of life.
Moral absolutism. The Bible teaches moral absolutism. The 10 commandments hasn't changed in millenia. The Torah containing the laws of Moses hasn't changed either. But this is all discarded and regarded as irrelevant in our world. Our society the last 70+ years has been teaching moral (or ethical) relativism. It is a version of morality that advocates "to each his own," and those who follow it say, "Who am I to judge?" Cultural relativism says that moral standards are culturally defined. That is, the majority decide what is right in terms of morals. Problem: The problem with moral relativism is that it's a moving target. Each generation descends into greater immoral and bizarre behavior. To the point where reasoning works against nature, and males can become females and females males or neither or both or some imagined kind.
Creationism. The Bible teaches Creation The world was created in 6 days by God and rested the seventh. But science disproves that with the science of Evolution, or so they say.
Gospel. Is the good news of salvation through Christ. The problem is that most millenials don't believe that their lost. Or, they'll admit to being lost and happy to be there. (1) The gospel is first understanding that your lost; that we are in a world of sin and death. (2) Then, that Christ's death and resurrection was to give man divine power to overcome sin and death. (3) And, finally, that the future hope is a new world with no more sin and death. If all we preach is eschatology, it means nothing to millenials, because they have no foundation. Their lost and don't know it.
Tolerance. Millenials what society to tolerate all beliefs. All, except Christianity. Why? Because Christianity, through belief in the Bible, is intolerant to anyone who does not follow the morality of the Bible. The Bible says that same sex "marriage" and sodomy is an abomination. Well, millenials tell you that is religious bigotry and intolerance. Millenials tolerant all views. Of course, all views except Christianity which doesn't tolerate immoral views.
Jews worldview. Acts 2. (Christianized) God, sin, death and Messiah.
Greek worldview. Acts 17. (Secularized) Which God? What sin? Why death? Why a savior?
Foundational Truth. (1) Genesis 1-11, (2) Genesis 12 thru Revelation, (3) Christian worldview, (4) All doctrine, (5) The gospel, (6) Everything.
Attack on the Word of God. "Did God actually say?"
Notes (other)
