Brian Kooiman – And for some of you, the enemy is saying, “You don’t have an alabaster box. What’s in your box is vile and it’s corrupt and it’s dirty and it needs to be hidden.” But the Lord said, “I brought you here today. I brought you here so you take everything that you have, and that you would pour it out before me! My Son gave everything He had, everything He had so that you could come before me.” So He says, “Your worship, I will receive your worship. I will receive your praise. I will receive your bow. I will receive your hands lifted high.” He said, “Take what you have, pour it out today, because it is pleasing to me.”

Linda Heidler – What Brian said about how some of you felt unworthy to bring your offering and you felt unclean. Immediately I though about that woman who brought the alabaster box to Jesus. And that is exactly what they said about her. “She is unclean. How could she dare to bring an offering when she is unclean?” And they tried to stop her from bringing her offering, her worship, from pouring out her worship, because they said she’s not worthy of it. Now I’m gonna tell you, the church picked that up through the ages, and they began to say, “Unless you are at this level, you can’t bring your offering. You can’t sing, you can’t pray, you can’t even read the Bible.” That’s how far that legalism took that accusation. She did not stand for it. She knew what God had given her, and she pressed through that opposition to bring her offering. The next thing they did was to criticize the offering. Judas said, “You shouldn’t be giving that to Jesus! That could be used for a whole bunch of other things. You can’t bring that offering to Jesus.” She had to overcome that criticism of what was in her heart to bring to Jesus. And it was because she truly saw who He was. They saw a carpenter. They saw a rabbi. She said, “He is the king, and He deserves the offering of a king! And I will not let their criticism of me, or their criticism of my offering stop me from offering what is due Him, from offering what He’s worthy to receive!” Now I think there’s something this morning that is on the Lord’s heart that’s important. As Keith said, “Some of you feel like I can’t bring my offering.” Listen, Jesus said of that woman, “She will be honored everywhere this gospel is preached.” Jesus didn’t say, “I know she’s a sinner, but…” He said, “No, she is an honored woman. And she didn’t try to hide who she was. She didn’t try to disguise herself. She said, ‘Yes, I am a sinful woman. I have a reputation, I have a past. But I have an offering for Jesus, and I will honor Him for what He’s done for me and for who He is.'” Now today, it is on the Lord’s heart that we break open whatever that is that needs to be broken open, that we pour it out on Him, not letting any accusation of us, or our gift, stop us from pouring out what He deserves. Lord, today we open our hearts, we open our mouths, we open, we give whatever is due you, whatever is in our hearts to pour out on you. And nothing will stop us from declaring and demonstrating who you are.