Serve With Me

Introduction

Alright, I need to confess something to you. There was a moment recently where I was faced with a very real, very spiritual decision. And I failed… completely. So I walk into my house, and I see it immediately. There are dishes in the sink. Not like one or two… I’m talking a full situation. And I see them… I make eye contact with them… we have a moment. And in my head I’m like… someone should really take care of that. And then I did what any mature, godly man would do. I walked away.

Like I literally just turned around and thought… not my job. And if I’m honest, I started justifying it in my head. I’ve had a long day. I’ve already done a lot. Surely someone else will get to it. And the truth is… it wasn’t that I couldn’t do it

I just didn’t want to. Because in my mind… that was a low job. That was the kind of thing nobody notices. Nobody thanks you for. Nobody cares about

And I think if we’re honest… we all live like that more than we want to admit. We all have things we’re willing to do. And we all have things we avoid. Because somewhere along the way, we’ve decided. That’s beneath me. And here’s why that matters

Because today, we’re talking about one of the most important rhythms of following Jesus. Service

Not the kind of service that gets attention. Not the kind of service that benefits you

But the kind of service that actually forms you. The kind of service that changes you. And what’s crazy is, the exact struggle we feel in moments like that.

So if you have your Bible, go to John 13

Scripture

John 13:2–17 CSB

Now when it was time for supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.” “You will never wash my feet,” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Body

POINT 1 — START WITH YOUR WHY

Before we ever talk about serving. Before we ever grab the towel. Before we ever look at what Jesus actually did. We have to start here, because if we miss this, we will misunderstand everything that comes next

John 13:3 “Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God.”

And right after that. He got up , took a towel, and started washing feet

That order matters, because Jesus didn’t serve to figure out who He was, He served because He already knew

And that’s where most of us get it backwards. We think if I serve enough... I’ll feel important. If I do the right things... people will notice me. If I help enough... maybe I’ll feel like I matter

So we use serving to try to build an identity. But that kind of serving never lasts Because the moment you don’t get noticed you stop. The moment you don’t get thanked you get frustrated. The moment it costs you something you pull back

Because at the core it was never about serving but it was about you. And if we’re honest that’s the world we live in:

Everything is about being seen

Everything is about building your name

Everything is about creating an image that other people will approve of

Even good things like helping people can become about us. But Jesus steps into that kind of world and does something completely different

He had all authority, all power, all status. If anyone deserved to be served it was Him and yet He chose to serve

Why?

Because He didn’t need anything from anyone. He wasn’t trying to prove anything. He wasn’t trying to earn anything. He wasn’t trying to become something

He already knew who He was. And here’s why this is so important for you. If you don’t know who you are in Christ... you will always try to use serving to prove something!

You’ll serve for attention

You’ll serve for approval

You’ll serve for recognition

And the second those things aren’t there your serving disappears. But when you understand that you are already loved, already accepted, already secure in Jesus everything changes!

Now you don’t serve to get something, you serve because you already have everything. You don’t serve to build your identity, you serve from your identity

And that’s the starting point for this rhythm, because once your heart is secure now you’re free.

Free to stop chasing attention. Free to stop needing credit. Free to stop asking what’s in it for me.

And when you’re free like that... you can finally do what Jesus does next

POINT 2 — CHOOSE THE LOW PLACE

John 13:4–5 “So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.”

So now that your heart is in the right place, now that you’re not trying to prove yourself, now that you’re not serving for attention or approval, Jesus shows us what this actually looks like

He gets up from the table, takes off His outer garment, wraps a towel around His waist, and begins to wash His disciples’ feet

And we read that and miss how shocking this really is because in that culture, washing feet was the lowest job in the house

This was not something a teacher did. This was not something a leader did. This was not something someone with authority did. This was the job of the lowest servant.

And here’s what’s crazy. Every single disciple was in that room. Every single one of them had feet that needed to be washed. And not one of them stepped up to do it.

Why?

Because it was beneath them. Because they were still thinking about status. They were still thinking about position. They were still thinking about who was the greatest

And while they were arguing in their minds about who should be lifted up, Jesus quietly stepped down. He didn’t wait to be asked. He didn’t assign it to someone else. He didn’t avoid it

He stepped into the very thing everyone else stepped over. And this is where the practice gets real for you. Because serving is not just about having the right heart, it’s about training your eyes to see what others ignore. Most of us don’t serve, not because we’re unwilling, but because we’re unaware. We walk past needs every single day:

Trash on the ground that nobody picks up

A friend who is struggling but doesn’t say anything

A parent who is stressed and overwhelmed

A teammate who needs encouragement

And we think someone else will take care of it. But servants don’t wait for someone else. Servants notice. Servants step in. Servants take ownership. Jesus saw what everyone else ignored, and He moved toward it. So if you want to practice this rhythm of service, you have to start asking a different question

Not what do I feel like doing. Not what will people notice. Not what benefits me. But what needs to be done. And then you do it

Even if it’s small. Even if it’s inconvenient. Even if no one says thank you

Because this is what it means to follow Jesus. To choose the low place on purpose. To step into what others avoid. To do what feels beneath you. Because the truth is, if something feels beneath you, it’s probably exactly where Jesus is inviting you to go.

POINT 3 — SERVE IN SECRET

John 13:12–17 “When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

So now your heart is in the right place, and now your eyes are open. You’re not serving to prove yourself. You’re starting to notice what others ignore. And now Jesus takes it one step further. After He finishes washing their feet, He sits back down and says, do you understand what I have done for you. He calls Himself their Teacher and their Lord, and then He says that if He has washed their feet, they also should wash one another’s feet. And then He says something that shifts everything. "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

Not if you understand them. Not if you agree with them. Not if you talk about them. If you do them.

Because following Jesus is not about information, it is about formation. It is not about knowing what He did, it is about becoming like Him. And this is where a lot of people stop. We hear a message like this, we feel something, we think that was good, and then we move on. But nothing actually changes. Because service is not meant to be a moment, it is meant to be a rhythm. Something you do over and over and over again until it becomes who you are

And the way that happens is through consistency, especially when no one sees it. Because hidden service forms real humility. When there is no recognition. When there is no applause. When there is no credit. That is where God begins to shape your heart. That is where you start to look more like Jesus.

Conclusion

There was a man named William Borden. He was born into one of the wealthiest families in America. His family owned the Borden Dairy company, and by the time he graduated high school, he was already set for life. For his graduation gift, his family sent him on a trip around the world. And while he was traveling, he saw poverty, suffering, and people who had never heard the name of Jesus. And something changed in him. He came back home and wrote two words in the back of his Bible.

“No reserves”

Meaning, I’m not holding anything back. He went to college at Yale, and while he was there, he started gathering other students to pray and study the Bible. People noticed something different about him. Not because he was trying to be seen, but because of how he lived. After college, he made a decision that shocked everyone. He walked away from his family’s wealth, his future, his comfort, and he wrote two more words in his Bible.

“No retreats”

Meaning, I’m not turning back. He felt called to go overseas as a missionary. But before he ever made it to the mission field, he got sick and at just 25 years old, he died. Before his death, he wrote two final words in his Bible

“No regrets”

“No reserves” “No retreats” “No regrets”

And when people heard his story, a lot of them said the same thing. What a waste. He had everything. He could have been successful. He could have been known. He could have had influence. And instead, he chose a different path. But here’s the truth

It wasn’t a waste. Because he understood something most people don’t. His identity wasn’t in what he could build. His identity wasn’t in what people thought about him. He was secure. And because of that, he didn’t spend his life chasing the spotlight. He chose the low place. He gave his life serving others. And even though the world might not celebrate that. That is what it looks like to follow Jesus. That is what it looks like to take the towel

And that same invitation is in front of you today.

Not to go overseas. Not to do something massive. But to live differently this week

To start with your why. To get your heart secure in who you are in Christ. To train your eyes. To begin noticing what others ignore. And to build the habit. To serve, even when no one sees

So here’s your challenge. For the next seven days. One act of service every day. One

Do it quietly. Do it intentionally. Do it without being seen

At school. At home. On your team. With your friends

And don’t tell anyone. Let it be between you and God. Because this isn’t about proving something. This is about becoming someone. So today, you have a choice.

You can keep chasing attention. You can keep building your image. You can keep living for yourself or, you can take the towel. You can choose the low place. You can follow Jesus

And here’s what I know. The world will tell you that going low is a waste. But in the kingdom of God. That is where real greatness is found. So this week. Take the towel. And watch what God begins to do in your heart.