What is He Worth to You?
Life In His Name
August 31, 2025
Rev. Dr. Gabe Sylvia
The sermon calls believers to make the Christian faith public and costly—like Mary's public anointing of Jesus and Lazarus's visible presence—by prioritizing corporate worship, offering sacrificial devotion, living worthily before others, and regularly sharing in the Lord's Supper as a visible sign of belonging to Christ.
Summary
Using the story of Mary anointing Jesus and the public presence of Lazarus, the sermon emphasizes that Christianity is inherently public, not private: our devotion should be visible, costly, and urgent. Mary’s act of pouring expensive ointment on Jesus and humbling herself publicly models how we should honor Christ with sacrifice and open testimony. Judas’s hypocrisy contrasts genuine devotion, and the gathering of believers (including the weekly Lord’s Supper) underscores that corporate worship and discerning the body are central to Christian life. Believers are urged to prioritize worship, present themselves as living sacrifices, walk worthily before others, and rest in the promises of God.
Key Points
- Christianity is a public faith and should be visibly shared, not kept private.
- Gospel accounts should be read on their own terms; John highlights Mary and Lazarus to make a point.
- Mary publicly anointed Jesus with costly ointment, modeling sacrificial, visible devotion.
- Lazarus’s presence served to point people to Jesus; public testimonies provoke faith in others.
- Judas’s objection revealed hypocrisy; true devotion is about honoring Christ, not appearances.
- Public displays of Christ-centeredness include prioritizing Lord’s Day worship and family worship.
- Loving Jesus means valuing what feeds the soul above what feeds the body; devotion is not gendered.
- Recognize the urgency to show Christ’s worth and present ourselves as living sacrifices.
- The Lord’s Supper is a weekly meal of promise for all who believe and a practice of discerning the body.
- Pray for strength to rest in God’s promises and to live visibly committed to Christ.
The audio description and summary text on this page was generated using AI, please report any errors to office@christouhopechurch.com