Serving Dirty Feet
Notes
Transcript
Handout
What would you do if you knew you only had 24 hours left to live?
What would you do if you knew you only had 24 hours left to live?
This question provokes the answer to the question “What’s the most important thing to us?”
• Skydive
• Fly to a place you’ve never seen- I’ll even give you 72 hours so you could get more accomplished if you wanted to.
• Sleep
• Old GF/BF
• Spend all your $$ on a car/mansion or something you’ve always wanted
I thought about this question and I knew there is nothing more important that I could do than to spend the remaining time with my family talking to them about the things I would want to leave with them when I was gone(following Jesus).
When we meet Jesus here in John 13 he only has a short time with is apostles left. This will be the last time that He will get to gather them altogether in the same place and instruct them. So He knows He’d better leave with them what counts.
Today in John 13 we’re going to see that the apostles encounter with Jesus in their last moments altogether before Jesus is taken away changes their idea of what it is to live, move, and breathe in the kingdom of heaven.
[They are currently about to celebrate the Passover Meal- a big celebration that’s important in the Jewish faith pointing back to how God saved His people out of Egypt. There were a lot of extra people in Jerusalem to celebrate each year at Passover.]
John 13:1–17
1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.
Why would Jesus do this? Why would He make such a show out of washing their feet? Why is washing feet the last thing He’s going to leave with them?
Why would Jesus do this? Why would He make such a show out of washing their feet? Why is washing feet the last thing He’s going to leave with them?
Well let’s look back at one of Jesus’ most famous teachings the Sermon on the Mount in when Jesus tells His apostles how to pray.
7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
We see again and again Jesus tell us not to be like other people groups b/c they live by human wisdom.
We see again and again Jesus tell us not to be like other people groups b/c they live by human wisdom.
Jesus doesn’t focus us on:
perfect doctrine
going to church
getting a job so that we can provide for our needs.
He says:
Pray that God IS HONORED
That His KINGDOM COMES
Jesus implores us to seek out His kingdom first and that God’s kingdom would be first in our lives. Jesus WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND THE CORRECT ORDER of things in this life and that is Praying for and seeking His kingdom first.
4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
The interesting thing here is that washing someone’s feet was customary as they would be a guest in your house. However, this wasn’t the task of your, your kids, or even your dog. It was reserved for the servant. And yet Jesus is the one washing his apostles feet. What Jesus is doing here is setting a new precedent. If you are going to call yourself apart of my Kingdom you will be a servant to all.
#1- No One is Above Serving
#1- No One is Above Serving
Remember we are to be like Jesus and He is our physical example of who God is…
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
I saw why this [the incarnational ex]was so powerful two weeks ago when I was in Cuba.
Story of Suzie: We were taking a walking tour around the city. We were maybe 20 mins in of our 4 hours and one of the ladies in our group started to overheat and lose her wits. So, the question was asked who would be willing to escort her back to the church and help get her temperature down. An older lady and a young boy stepped up and volunteered. When we got back to the church after the walking tour you could tell the difference getting her back to the church and nursing her back to heath made to her, but what was even bigger was that these two individuals served her and took out of their time to help her.
I’m sure we could all think of a time that someone took their time to help us or those we love and we understand the impact that makes.
We see Jesus have a conversation with Peter where he says-
John 13:7 (NLT)
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
Here’s the Truth about God’s Truths. We often don’t understand the impact they have until we physically follow them in Trust. In other words- They often don’t make much sense to us until we actually follow through with them.
Here’s the Truth about God’s Truths. We often don’t understand the impact they have until we physically follow them in Trust. In other words- They often don’t make much sense to us until we actually follow through with them.
Like why does it matter if I allow myself to think hateful thoughts about someone if I don’t say anything mean to them out loud?
Why does it matter if I allow myself to lust over that person that isn’t my husband/wife?
Why does it matter if God is my absolute first priority?
What does it matter if I don’t take sabbath?
I remember thinking what benefit could taking a sabbath be… Never really having taken one it seemed as though I could get more done w/o taking one.
When I started to take one and saying if God says to do this and I trust Him I’d better do it. I remember learning new things every single week.
It’s incredible what happens when you decided to live out your faith in Jesus by walking into things you don’t understand.
Jesus is their Lord and is trying to get them to the place where even if they don’t understand what He’s doing they can know and trust whatever He is doing it is for their good.
Jesus is their Lord and is trying to get them to the place where even if they don’t understand what He’s doing they can know and trust whatever He is doing it is for their good.
But how many of us ever distrust what God says? NEVER RIGHT?!
But how many of us ever distrust what God says? NEVER RIGHT?!
One example… Don’t worry, instead pray?
John 13:12–15 (NLT)
12 “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.
And here we have it…
Jesus says “go and do as I do”.
There are a few quick things I think we should consider as we follow our Lord into service.
#1- Look for opportunities where we can show people we are thinking about them more than we are thinking about ourselves.
#1- Look for opportunities where we can show people we are thinking about them more than we are thinking about ourselves.
14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.
Paul echoes this in Phil. 2:3-5
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
When we were in Cuba the church that we were visiting had chef’s, building’s and grounds people, translators, drivers, etc. they were all focused on us. Every single one of them made us feel like they thought we were more important. They didn’t have to do that. I know how people from other countries view Americans. Yet these people loved us and treated us like we were the most important people in the world at that moment.
#2- Why are you serving?
#2- Why are you serving?
As I look around, most of us are serving people… Most of us serve others for noble purposes…
If we are going to be honest most of the time we serve is to: gain something.
A feeling
friendship
respect
love
maybe so we can ask someone for help later.
Ex. How do you feel when someone asks you to help and you help them, then they ask you again and you do it again, and maybe they ask you a third time and you’re there. Then you ask them 1 time and they say no.. Do you get upset? Do you question if you should have helped them? Do you wonder how they could possibly ask you three times and then the one time you ask them, say no!
Jesus says the reason to serve isn’t to gain any of those, it’s to advance the kingdom on earth
25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus wants us to serve, not for our purposes but for His. That is countercultural.
Today, my job isn’t to try to convince you to serve more. It’s to remind you that your life is to be a service to those around you. Asking for God’s wisdom in the best way to serve people. I often don’t know how I need to be served. And often if you ask me I will give you the wrong answer. But God knows. So, it’s in our seeking God out that we will uncover the best way to serve those in our lives.
So do we truly trust Jesus? Then we will do as He has done to us. What’s the most important thing we could do, serve those around us. Jesus calls us to be people of the towel. Not to get our way but to advance His kingdom.
People who don’t use their positions/importance/level of influence to do what P. Diddy has done. But people who use all of those things to lift other people up.
Response- Identify a person this week that you can serve in a meaningful way.
Work
Family
community
Ask the HS for one person and allow Him to reveal to you how.
RESPONSE TIME—- IS THERE SOMEONE YOU NEED TO FORGIVE OR ASK FOR FORGIVENESS? Jesus love.
Communion- Jesus served Judas even though he knew he was going to stab him in the back. This is perhaps the greatest way to bring the kingdom to earth.
