Maundy Thursday- Jesus our example

Introduction -

Who I am

Married to

Children

Serve as lead pastor at NCF

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Today is Maundy Thursday and we are sharing how the stories of Jesus interact with the stories of our own lives.

Today I want to share with you the blessing of serving others over your own self interests.

John 13:3–14 ESV

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

One of the last times Jesus would share with His disciples, he teaches them how leadership works in His Kingdom.

The King of Kings, bowed before dirty feet to serve.

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This kind of serving is does not come easy.

Our world and culture has wired us to seek service from others.

Our environments reward us for climbing over the backs of others as we reach for advancement.

Our culture is a me first culture.

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And yet, the Kingdom of God has a culture of service.

Mark 10:42–45 ESV

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

My struggle with laying aside the culture of success and taking on the culture of service.

After college I wanted to be great. – Nice suit, lots of buttons, big church, TV, Book deals, fame, hero:

I wanted a Name for myself.

I wanted a name above everyone else.

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Yet, as Scripture makes so very clear –

The greatest of all servants has been given the Name above all Names.

Philippians 2:1–11 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God has called us to serve one another.

We the people of God are ruled by a different Kingdom, different principles of life.

We are not to rule over one another but rather, we are to serve one another.

------------------------------------------------------------ Here is the beauty of serving others like Jesus.

You becoming famous, your employees fear you and honor your name out of fear?

You being the talk of the town?

In service to others we are freed from the pressures of success

Or –

Being like Christ and serving the least.

Working towards helping others

In service to others we find purpose and meaning beyond ourselves.

And then on that great day of Judgment having Jesus say to you –

In service to others we find true success defined by our creator.

“Well done Good and faithful servant!”

In service to others we find peace and happiness.

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We serve a different kind of King

And we are called to be a different kind of people.

We are