Many times in the Bible when a certain woman is talked about, she is often a type and a shadow of the church.
In Luke chapter 15 we find the woman who had ten coins. We find in her a picture of the church. She began lighting the light, cleaning the house, and searching diligently for that which is lost.
In Rahab we see a picture of God's children being covered and protected.
In Hosea we see Gomer, the bride of whoredom, a picture of an unfaithful church.
In Proverbs 31 we see a virtuous woman. We see a picture of a church working for the cause of the bridegroom.
Today I want to speak of another woman in the Bible.
She is a lady mentioned in all four gospels.
She is a lady whom Jesus said that wherever this gospel is preached she shall be mentioned.
Turn with me to Mark 14:3-9.
If you read all four accounts of this, you find the disciples were there and even Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They were not excited about Jesus anymore. They sat at meat with Jesus like he was just one of the fellows. They had become comfortable with Jesus, or maybe they got so involved in the work of the Lord they forgot about the Lord of the work.
Luke 7:44 says Simon didn't even offer him water to wash his feet.
I wonder if the disciples even got up in His presence.
That's how a lot of people come to church;
here I am Lord, bless me.
I sort of imagine a room full of Christians who have eaten of the feast, have been fed real good, and now they have laid back.
THIS WOMAN IS ABOUT TO UPSET THEIR COMFORT ZONE!
This is a person who has come with a purpose.
She is out of tradition.
She is murmured against.
She is not welcomed by everyone in the room.
Those who have been comfortably sitting have become indignant toward her, but she kept coming.
She has come with something to offer.
She has brought something precious to offer up, and
She is not detered by what others think of her.
What you have to offer is important to the Lord.
We need to learn to bring in our offering of praise and worship and give it to the Lord regardless of how others may act.
Quit looking to see what everyone else is doing.
It's time to break free and worship God, or did we come to do that?
Maybe we just came to get filled and lay back.
The lady is a picture of the true church, and how praise and worship should be offered.
She let down her hair.
What does the Bible say a woman's hair represents? HER GLORY.
She laid her glory at the feet of Jesus.
We see a lot of churches today that are glorying in themselves,
or fine buildings and high steeples.
Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it.
I know we often talk about laying our burdens at the feet of Jesus, but I believe it is time the church stopped glorying in herself and laid her glory at the feet of Jesus.
This woman let down her hair.
She let go.
Friend when was the last time you let your hair down,
let the tears flow, and worshiped God in Spirit and in truth.
Your praise and worship are a precious ointment to the Lord.
The lady brought the precious ointment in an alabaster box. This was expensive perfume. It was costly, but she was willing to give it. It will cost you something to really worship God.
The Bible says she broke the box. There was no holding any back, and no control over how it came out.
Once you break the box, you can't hold back the contents.
To worship in Spirit means to quit trying to hold back.
Quit trying to control how much you let out.
Many times we come in and open the box and let a little out, but then quickly close it up again.
Often this depends on what kind of day we have had.
She broke the box. She let it flow freely. John said that sweet aroma filled the house.
This woman didn't come to worship a building, or to hear some special singing group. She didn't come because of traditions or because it was church night.
She came because of Jesus.
She didn't wait 'till all the imperfections in her own life were worked out.
She came to Jesus just as she was and knelt at his feet.
She broke the box and began to pour it all out.
What a picture of repentance and breakthrough.
While others murmured and talked about her Jesus said, "Her sins and they are many are forgiven.
"It doesn't matter what others think about you.
Let me invite you today to pour it all out at the feet of Jesus.
Pour every hurt, every care, every sin, every problem, and every circumstance.
Let us lay our glory at the feet of Jesus, and not become complacent in His presence.
How many times will we set by while Jesus passes by?
