Two Kinds of Worship
Luke 7:36-50
FCF: Failure to Worship our Lord Jesus Christ in true reverence.
Prop: When we stand before our Lord let us look at ourselves not seeing others. Simon the Pharisee saw the sin of the woman but failed to see himself. The woman came to worship Jesus, while Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to look at his failures. If we come to worship Jesus Christ, we will reap forgiveness.
Relevant ? How should we worship the Lord and be forgiven?
Intro/ Illu
Henry Ward Beecher was one of the great preachers of the 19th Century. He was ill one Sunday, so a substitute pastor walked up to the pulpit as the worship service began. Seeing that Dr. Beecher would not be speaking that day, a number of people got up and headed for the door. The substitute preacher said, "All those who came to worship Dr. Beecher this morning may leave. All those who came to worship the Lord, may stay in their seats." Everyone sat back down.
Illu:
Chuck Swindoll, in his book, "Living Above the Level of Mediocrity," tells about a church in the Soviet Union a few years ago that was forced to meet secretly because the holding of house church services was illegal.
They tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as they gathered on Sunday to worship the Lord, so they came at different times & casually walked into the house until they had all arrived. Then they would close the doors, pull the curtains, & quietly worship the Lord.
But one Lord’s Day, right in the midst of their worship service, two soldiers broke into the room, & at gunpoint lined the Christians up against the wall. One shouted, "If you wish to renounce your faith in Jesus Christ, leave now!"
Two or three quickly left, then another, & then two more. Again the soldier spoke, "This is your last chance. Either leave now & renounce your faith in Christ, or stay & suffer the consequences." Another left, & then another, almost hiding their faces in shame as they went out.
But the rest stood their ground, children standing beside their parents, trembling, some even crying as their parents stood with their hands in the air, fully expecting to be gunned down or imprisoned.
After all had left who chose to flee, the other soldier closed the doors, looked back at those who stood against the wall & said, "Keep your hands up - but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are Christians."
The two soldiers explained that some time earlier they had been sent to another house church to arrest the Christians there. But in the process, they had heard the gospel & had accepted Jesus as their Lord & Savior, too. But they explained, "We have learned that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted."
Sometimes believers come to worship in two distinct ways. Today we will find out how are these worship and how it will affect our lives and soul.
Prop: If we come to worship Jesus Christ, we will reap forgiveness.
Relevant ? How should we worship the Lord and be forgiven?
Read Luke 7:36-50
Synthesis:
We have before us this morning a record of the worship of woman who falls at the feet of Jesus in worship. We are never told her name. Luke does not record a single word spoken by the woman in her sacrificial act of worship. Wordless worship now there is a thought. But her worship was so profound that Jesus uses her as an example to a very proud religious leader.
The woman enters the house…
Relevant ? How should we worship the Lord and be forgiven?
I. If we come to worship Jesus Christ, we will see our sins and pour it to Jesus.(vv37-39)
The woman enters the house and saw Jesus. She went beside Him and cannot help to pour her guilt that even without speaking; you can see her sorrow by the tear that came from her eyes… She is pouring it to Jesus.
But Simon the host is there looking at would happen. He is looking for some things to criticize. He is looking some things that someday they would throw against Jesus.
“If this man were a prophet, he would know… she is a sinner.”
Illu:
A college girl visited the home of Beethoven. She slipped under the rope and began playing Beethoven’s piano. She said to the one in charge, "I suppose every musician who comes here wants to play this piano."
He explained to her that recently the great Paderewski was visiting there and someone asked him to play that piano. He replied, "No, I do not feel worthy to play the great master’s piano."
SOURCE: James Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, Tyndale, 1988, p. 294.
Appli: Before we can do a real worship, we need to see ourselves. Who are we in relation to Jesus. Who gave his life for us. We need to assess our lives if there are sins needed to pour on Jesus. This is the reason why we come to worship. What can we give to God.
Relevant ? How should we worship the Lord and be forgiven?
II. If we come to worship Jesus Christ, then we can give freely. (v37)
The result of the grief in her heart tears flowed to Jesus feet. She was not expecting this. She was looking for something to wipe his feet. But she cannot find anything. Not even her dress worthy to wipe it, because her dress too is dirty and unworthy where she used it for her prostitution acts. So she grasped her long hair thinking that it will do the work. Yet, the more she wipes, the more tears flowed. And with the dirt on Jesus feet the more it became messy, so she reaches out her perfume (alabaster), must be expensive but she poured it to Jesus feet just to make it smell clean.
Simon invited Jesus but he did not even gave any water for his feet. He did not give him a kiss. He did not put oil on his head.
Illu: That woman broke her alabaster jar…
Appli: That Alabaster jar is all she had. It was her material to entice men to join her. It was her all. But when he learned her sins, she gave it to Jesus. She surrenders it all to Jesus.
When we learn to worship the great forgiver, we will learn to give even the most expensive property we have .
“But he who has been forgiven little loves little” v47
Jesus gave an illustration here about debt… Two men owed money...
“Which of them will love him more?”
Jesus is not saying who has bigger sin, but who will give him more love. Little or bigger, the love that displayed is what Jesus wants to see.
Even if Simon has little sin, he needs to give greater love to Jesus because the cost Of Jesus life is the same worth compared to the woman sins.
Relevant ? How should we worship the Lord and be forgiven?
III. If we come to worship Jesus Christ, your sins will be forgiven. (v47)
In verse 48, Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins has been forgiven, go in peace.” She reaps the blessings of true worship. She went away in peace taking with her a happy and assured life on earth and in heaven.
Simon on the other hand, is struggling with his worship. Truly, he is a Pharisee, a master of the law. He thought he will be saved by his mastering the Law. He forgot that the law requires obedience and to portray holiness by truly worshipping the Lord.
He might be thinking, I did not invite her why is she here?
Illu: In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he o worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned, “If Christians have caste differences also, “ he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.”
That usher’s prejudice not only betrayed Jesus but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior. If we come to God and confess your sin He will not deny you he will embrace you.
Forgiveness is available to everyone.
Ill.-- A little boy had just gotten saved and sat on a bench next to an old man who looked upset. The little boy said to the man, "Sir, do you need to get saved?"
The man, startled, said abruptly, "I’ll have you know I’ve been a Deacon in this church for over 30 years and Chairman of Deacons for 15 years."
The little boy responded, "Sir , it don’t matter what you done, Jesus can still save you!"
Today, God’s forgiveness is available. He offers it to you through Jesus Christ His Son. The price has been paid & He invites you to come. Will you come?
Conclusion:
Relevant ? How should we worship the Lord and be forgiven?
I. If we come to worship Jesus Christ, we will see our sins and pour it to Jesus.
II. If we come to worship Jesus Christ, we can give freely even our expensive property.
III. If we come to worship Jesus Christ, your sins will be forgiven.
Prop: If we come to worship Jesus Christ, we will reap forgiveness.
ILL. Robert McCormack was a sergeant in WW I. He nearly lost his life while saving the life of Major Henry Parkin. Fortunately, both men survived the war. From that day on, until he died 25 years later, in April of every year Parkin wrote McCormack a letter of gratitude.
The last letter Parkin wrote contained this brief note: "Dear Bob, I again want to express to you my appreciation for another year of life which I would not have enjoyed had it not been for you & the price you were willing to pay to save my life. I want you to know, I am grateful."
Appli:
Are we grateful to Jesus when he saved us and prepared a place for us in heaven. So when you come to Him to worship prepare yourself in reverence to Him.
Nothing is much beneficial than when we come to worship God, we should bring ourselves (our sin, our acts, our property). The very act of worship is the very act of forgiving.
