The importance of love feast
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
If you have your bibles please turn to
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
This morning I want to take the next bit of time and explain to you the importance of coming to love feast which will be on Thursday March 28th at 7:00pm. There are precious few practices left over that are directly linked to Jesus. Two of those practices fall into one evening which is the Love Feast. The Love feast dates back to the last supper with Jesus and the disciples and then the first church would continue the practice. It was originally called the “Agape meal”.
In the first through the third centuries, the focus was not on Jesus’ death but instead the focus of the meal was in fact on the unity between the community of Jesus’ followers. This unity is vitally important to the body of Christ.
The early church in Rome for example during the time of the emperor Nero had to meet in secret and were thus spread across the city. However the church still wanted to be united when they participated in this agape meal. So what they would do, is that the bread used during the eucharist would be the same bread. One house church would make the bread and then they would spread the bread across the city so that all the believers taking part in the Agape meal would be using the same bread. This was how they were able to keep that unity despite the inability to meet in a large group.
So we celebrate Jesus by doing what He did but we also celebrate the unity and fellowship of this church. Part of that meal is the foot washing that we perform during the evening. If you haven’t joined us for a Love Feast before, trust me, I know what you are thinking. Well that is awkward or that is weird. Trust me, I get it and I can understand that. What I am asking you to do , is to suspend that thinking for a little bit and understand the why behind the act. By the way, you can come to the meal and not do this part of the evening if you would like. There is absolutely no pressure from anyone to do this. But again, please hear me out before you make that decision.
The lure of power can separate the most resolute of Christians from the true nature of Christian leadership, which is service to others. It’s difficult to stand on a pedestal and wash the feet of those below.
Charles W. Colson; Charles Colson
We must understand first, why foot washing? That part is actually pretty simple. They lived in a desert environment. They weren’t wearing the fancy shoes and Jordan’s that we have now. They were wearing sandals. Their feet got dirty. Now here is the amazing part of this whole thing. No Hebrew slave would even be required to wash people’s feet. There would be water at the door of each house and a person washed their own feet. That is what Jesus is showing us, something that not even the lowest servant would do, Jesus does it
There is a lot that is happening with the feet washing, let us go to the words of Jesus once more
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
The first lesson that Jesus teaches within these passages is leadership by example. Jesus is setting the example of how we are treat other people. He is setting the example of how we are to be true servants.
He is setting up the example of a practice of humility. We talked two weeks ago about legalism and the definition. The outward appearance was the key part.
The Pharisee's were not washing people’s feet. This as an act that will bring humility to your life and your heart. This is an act that will be service to your heart. Jesus showed us the way in which we can truly put away all of the trappings of pride and do something for someone else. Many have called pride the nexus point for all sin. The foot washing strips away all of that pride.
By the way one point that I want you to think about in terms of humility and servitude. Jesus also washed the feet of Judas,
The second lesson and perhaps one of the most important is that the last supper the apage meal, including the feet washing portion is directly linked to the cross. Why did Jesus wait until His last night with the disciples before the cross to do all of this? He waited because the two actions are linked. He brings about the new covenant and this act of foot washing is one that we are to repeat. The cross is only something Jesus could do. That was His cup to drink but the agape meal that was for all of us to continue to do. To continue the renewal of the new covenant. This is something Jesus leaves us to do because we cannot absolve the world of Sin. But we can spend an evening renewing the covenant. We can spend an evening in unity and celebrating Jesus. Finally we can serve other people.
The Third lesson is what the first church celebrated. It is an evening of unity between believers of Jesus Christ. It is a time of fellowship , but it is also a time of serious reflection of what Jesus did for us. In a world that is seemingly becoming more self absorbed by the day, this is an evening in which the self is not the center. The body of Christ is the center. The unity that happens when a large number of believers come together on that evening is unbelievable. The Holy Spirit flowing through that fellowship hall behind us is undeniable.
Brothers and sisters, we represent a portion of the remnant of believers in the Western world. Solid Biblical foundation is eroding away, we have talked about this a lot of the past year or so. This church continues to stand on solid Biblical truth and the agape meal , love feast is a spiritual practice that we simply cannot let pass away.
The words of Jesus
Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Again, we can’t go to the cross for all humanity. We can’t make people accept Jesus. But that doesn’t mean we do not do what Jesus would have us do. No messenger greater than the one who sent him. We know what to do, God has given us the Holy Scriptures. If you feel stuck in your spiritual life, if you want to feel closer to Jesus, start doing the things He did. When He says you will be blessed, He is talking about feeling that presence of the Father. There is nothing in this world that compares to that peace you feel when you are living in the will of God. All of the other noise outside the world washes away. You will be blessed if you follow His example. You will be blessed when you put aside pride and embrace humility. You will be blessed when you continue the actions that Jesus Himself put into place. This isn’t about being more religious, this is about Jesus and doing as He did.
The real test of the saint is not preaching the gospel, but washing disciples’ feet, that is, doing the things that do not count in the actual estimate of men, but count everything in the estimate of God.
Oswald Chambers
That is what the night is about.... It is about doing the things that count in the eyes of God. It is about doing something that has zero value in the world man. The bread and the cup, have no value in the world of men. It is just a fact, but in the Kingdom of God it is one of the greatest gifts Jesus gave us. Washing each other’s feet, there is no value in world. In the Kingdom of God it has immense value. We do these feasts two nights a year. Especially during the Holy week, I would really encourage you to put aside the world for an evening and embrace the Kingdom of God.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Here is the sad truth of the love feast. After the third century it began to waver in popularity among believers. It has continued to waver in popularity ever since the 3rd century. Do not give up on meeting together, each day we get a day closer to Jesus coming back. The Maudy Thursday, the last supper and our love feast is about encouraging one another. Jesus spent His last night with the disciples encouraging them for what was about to come.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
This is encouragement, this is what Jesus spent the evening doing before He goes to the cross. This is the point of the Love Feast , the encouragement that we can give one another, to keep the commands of Jesus and to love one another. To truly show that love to someone, is to put another person in front of your own needs.
So as we close this morning, I would like to really challenge you about attending the love feast on Thursday March 28th at 7:00pm. I’ll give you my own thoughts on the Love feast. When I came to this church a few years ago now, that’s weird to say. This was the first church that I have been a part of that did the love feast and the foot washing. I had the exact same thoughts that many of you probably have or had prior to coming to one. Well this is a bit odd, and awkward. I pushed through those feelings. I have been a part of or lead all kinds of spiritual practices. The Love Feast on Maudy Thursday is by far the most powerful spiritual practice I have ever done. You will feel the Holy Spirit, you will feel closer to your brothers and sisters in Christ. You will be blessed that evening
Let us pray