How Does One Enter Into Worship?

Luke 7: 44-47
Jesus said. 44Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. 47“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” (NLT)

1. The feet of those entering His Presence need a washing of water. Jesus told His apostles in John 13:10 that they were clean except for their feet. We are to walk in the love of God, but, like me, we don’t always obey that command. We act and speak (or don’t act and speak) in ways that deny the love of God. We become impatient, unkind and unmerciful, complacent and disengaged from the Holy Spirit. We speak in ways that do not edify ourselves and others. etc…As we approach His Presence, the feet of all need a washing through repentance and forgiveness.

2. We approach the feet of Jesus and offer an offering or our thankfulness and gratitude for His merciful forgiveness and extravagant love. As the woman in the above Scripture washed His feet with her tears and hair.

3. There is a welcoming of His Presence corporately and individually, with an intimate kiss.
Kissing as a Sign of Affection and Family Bond

• We are welcoming a Father into a Living room filled with sons and daughters.

Kissing as a Greeting and Sign of Respect

• An atmosphere of recognizing that our place of worship has become His throne room and Honor towards Him must ensue.

Kissing as a Sign of Devotion and Worship

• The atmosphere becomes charged with devoted hearts expressing adoration and worship of His glorious presence in our midst.

Kissing in Romantic Contexts

• The Song of Solomon, a poetic book celebrating love and marriage, includes references to kissing as an expression of romantic love. Song of Solomon 1:2 states, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is more delightful than wine."
• Intimacy and love being exchanged from the Lord of Glory to His worshipers and from His worshipers to Him.

4. Allow the fragrances of our extravagant love and worship to pour out of our alabaster boxes onto Him. Our anointing oil of worship washing over Him.

We all have an alabaster box. The place in our hearts where all that is precious to us is stored. This is what we open and pour out upon Him. A heart of extravagant love towards Jesus is the fuel of worship. Our spiritual alabaster boxes become full as we live in the realization of the mercy and forgiveness God has shown towards us in our individual lives.