I. Introduction
Some preliminary thoughts:
“Prayer focuses on the problem”
“Praise focuses on the provision”
“Worship focuses on the PROVIDER”
“Worship is the correct response to the presence of God.”
Essence of The Lesson:
Worship is a flow and a dialogue between you and your Savior, it is His means of entry into your life and into your church.
St. Francis of Assisi once said:
“Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words”.
Evangelism is a lifestyle: it’s not a class, it’s not a program, it is not a chore or a hassle. It is an absolute discipline of devotion and love that comes from a heartfelt response to the Good News of Jesus Christ. It’s a “given” for one who has been redeemed from the pit of hell. It may take many forms, but evangelism is a most natural response for the believer to tell others about what Christ has done in your life!
Another individual extended the St. Francis quote to illustrate a very relevant and hard-hitting principle.
“Worship at all times; if necessary, use music”.
Similarly worship is not a program! Worship is not a plan or a performance! Worship is NOT a given set or style of music! Worship is a heart-felt response to a Savior who has healed, delivered and forgiven you
“Worship is the correct response to the presence of God”.
Do we believe that the presence of God is here? The degree to which we believe that will determine the depths of our worship.
There are absolutely no limits to the church that will worship.
As we look tonight at a centuries-old, inspired story of an anonymous and otherwise forgotten woman we see one of the most beautiful and awe inspiring pictures of true worship that mankind as been afforded.
Her worship did not revolve around a particular style of music, or a performance of any kind!
She was disqualified by every social convention of her day to come into the presence of God…she was a “sinful woman”.
She literally risked her life to come to Jesus’ feet with her gift of heartfelt love. Are we willing to risk it all in order to come to His feet?
There is no substitute for time at the feet of the Savior. Corporate worship as a body is very important, but it is pointless and empty apart from lifestyles of worship living in the members of the body.
We can hire the greatest worship leader, back them with a symphony orchestra, and hire the finest mix of backup singers that money can buy, but we cannot buy worship.
It is is a response of love and devotion and can no more be purchased or contrived than these affections themselves!
The heart of worship is at the feet of Jesus.
Let’s look to this passage to see what God would have us to understand. What we see here transcends all barriers of time and social convention. It is worship of the Savior, the Second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, in the purest form humanly possible.
Let’s proceed through the passage, beginning with the cast of characters. God doesn’t waste words. I believe there are principles in each verse that we can draw upon for our instruction.
II. The Pharisee
Simon was his name. He invited Jesus to his house for dinner. It seems likely that
it was a “politically correct” thing to do, and it is implied that there may have been a more clandestine motive…an attempt to test and/or embarrass Christ.
A. His Prejudice
Towards sinners, towards women, his hypocrisy
How do we feel towards those who would come into our midst to worship with us? What if a known prostitute came to our church services and began to praise and worship God with everything that was in her? Would we be shocked?
B. His Pride
1. In his position
2. In his status
Do we bristle with pride over our position and tradition?
Do we vociferously protect our status against any and all intruders?
Is our comfort paramount in our plans?
Are our perceptions always true?
Do we consider that perhaps
God may be attempting to do a new thing in our midst?
C. His Presuppositions
His presupposition would cost Him this unique moment in time, and quite possibly his very soul.
His presuppositions indicate that He had no idea who Jesus was. Thank God that we do know Him, that He has revealed Himself to us.
What a picture Simon chooses to ignore!
God ordained this moment in time to reveal Himself to sinners through the actions of this worshiper who had been redeemed. It could well have been Simon and Company’s last chance.
It was a cry from the Savior to extend His mercy and grace to Simon and the others.
Will we ignore the “moment of God”? Will we join the prostitute, at His feet in tears?
Jesus is calling…
Lets’ take a look at the “star” of our story, a woman who was considered worthless and cheap…
III. The Prostitute
A. Her Pain
A lifetime of sin and abuse
Life for a 1st century prostitute was not easy. Prostitution is the end product of a lifetime of abuse. She may have been a barren woman…and no man wanted to marry her.
B. Her Predicament
Slavery and bondage, no hope, no escape
Women in general were treated like chattel in this culture. A prostitute was treated as the lowest of the low. It was not a position to be envied.
C. Her Position
On her knees, at His feet, at the right moment in time
broken before the Lord, her tears flowing over His feet
The anointing was meant for the head of the honored guest, She was at His feet-
She threw caution to the wind. All she knew was that she must get to her Savior to thank Him.
She literally risked her life to be there at that moment. What if he didn’t accept her? What if she
couldn’t make it all the way to His Presence? She would certainly have been stoned.
D. Her Product
A gift that was normally given to kings and lords-it was a gift for the honored guest at a banquet; Nard, perfume;
It was costly, it was beautiful, it was aromatic. Perhaps it was a family heirloom.
It may have represented all that was left in her life that was beautiful-her hopes and her dreams. Perhaps she had been saving it for a special occasion.
It was the very fragrance of of worship.
Worship is often referred to in terms of a sweet smelling savor in the nostrils of God.
On the highest and holiest day in all of Judaism…Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, the high priest would take a perfume filled burning censer with him into the Holy of Holies, as he approached the very presence of God.
The sweet smelling savor of worship is graphically pictured here. She brought something COSTLY, something precious. It was rare and beauiful.
This was a “one shot deal”…she was placing it ALL ON THE ALTAR.
When I get something that I really like, something that is “special” I often like to put it in a place of honor, on my fireplace mantle!
What’s on your mantle?
What gift can you bring Him that is costly, extravagant, What can you pour out upon His feet? He was broken and spilled out for you.
It cost Him everything to save your soul.
She Brought Something PRECIOUS
What was a first century prostitute doing with something so costly, so rare, so precious?
Perhaps it was something that reminded her of a happy time. Maybe it’s something that her Mother left to her for her “hope chest.” Maybe it was a very special present from a Daddy who loved her when times were good, before Daddy was killed and before she was
cast out on her own. Perhaps it was something she was saving for one day, when things would get better.
What can you bring Him, that is costly and precious; something that’s of worth?
I Chronicles 21:1-24 David and Araunah- Threshing Floor- David tells Araunah the Jebusite "I will not offer to the Lord a sacrifice which costs me nothing!"
IV. The Provider
A. His Uncanny Perception
1.He knew all about her past (and her future)
and he not only received, but he loved her worship!
We do not have to be ashamed! Our Savior has purged our conscience by His Blood!
(Heb 9:14 KJV) How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
(Heb 10:18-22 KJV) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And having an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Have you been washed in the Blood of the Lamb? YOU QUALIFY as a worshiper, white as snow and without spot!
We can enter in! The sacrifice has been made. We have been redeemed and there is
no more qualification…Praise His Name Forever.
2. He knew the very thoughts of the Pharisee
Once again, a line is drawn between individuals…those who will bow at the feet of the Savior and those who will bristle and maintain their arrogant pride. It is the very dividing line of human history…Every knee will bow one day
quote Phillipians 2:5-11
B. His Unlimited Provision
He gave her everything He could give-the very riches of Heaven
Her sins were forgiven… “her faith had saved her”
While the perfume was costly, it was something of worth, it was rare and precious, it could not even come close to what He gave her. It cost Him
everything to forgive her sins.
He wants to provide for you, for TODAY as you worship at His feet.
C. His Universal Lead In Worship from Heaven
I find it interesting that in two different passages in the Gospels, we see “sinful women”…women with “pasts” that Christ uses to illustrate the principles of worship. In the story of the Woman at the Well of Sychar, Jesus says:
(John 4:22-24 KJV) Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
The time is now. The Kingdom of God is here.
God is seeking worshipers to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. No longer is worship and salvation limited to the Jews through the propitiation and atonement offered in Jerusalem by priests of the order of Aaron. Jesus Christ himself, our Great High Priest of the Order of Melchisedech leads worship in the heavenlies!
First, in the graphic and clearly Messianic Psalm 22, we see a universal chorus of worship arising:
(Psa 22:19-22 KJV) But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise
thee.
(Heb 2:9-12 KJV) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
Thus, Jesus Christ, the object of our worship, and the very heart of our worship, the one who is our strength and our source…is also our Great Worship Leader!
That takes tremendous pressure off of us! We do NOT have to contrive, formulize and make plans by the dozen in order to be successful in our worship. All we need do is look to the Author and Finisher of Our Faith…our Great High Priest who has forever finished the work of mediation between God and Man. From His seated position at the right hand of the Father…He leads His brethren in worship!
I believe if we can truly grasp these truths…our worship, and our lives will never be the same.
