Love Like That: Being Self-Giving
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Today we are going to conclude our series Love Like That looking at how we can learn how to love more like Jesus. Over the last several weeks we talked about the idea of being mindful, approachable, grace-full, and bold, and looked at examples in accounts such as that of Zacchaeus, the woman caught in adultery, and Jesus flipping the tables of the money changers to see what we can learn from Jesus’ interactions with people during his earthly ministry. We are going to spend today talking about what we can learn about relationships and loving others from the example of Jesus in being self-giving. First, I want to remind us of our theme passage for this series, Ephesians 5:1-2 from The Message paraphrase of this passage.
1 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.
2 Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.
These two verses in Ephesians 5 are about about self-giving - “He didn’t love to GET but to GIVE.” Humility is not putting yourself down, but lifting others up.
As we get started, let’s also remember as we dig in today that loving like Jesus is possible, but only through the help of the Spirit in our lives as we are continually transformed and growing in our relationship with Christ.
This morning, let’s start with understanding:
The WHO of Self-Giving
We are going to take a look at two passages today. The first is in John 13. This chapter shows us much about the depth and character of God’s love. The events in John 13 take place not long before Jesus was crucified. He knew the end was near. He knew the moment would be remembered. He also knew of his coming betrayal. Yet he served the disciples, including Judas, who he knew would betray him. He took the time to teach and disciple all the way to the end. He continued to give of himself and pour into his disciples until the very end.
1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
We get a clear picture of the character of Jesus’ love beginning in the first verse. Jesus knew this was it. His time on earth was nearing an end. He was clearly aware that in just a few short hours he was be executed in the most brutal way. Yet he continued to teach, he continued to serve, he continued to use the time he had remaining in a way that would honor the Father.
The last words of David Cassidy, an American actor and singer known for The Partridge Family, were “So much wasted time.” Surely a statement of regret and challenge to make the most of one’s life. Or the words of Nathan Hale, American Patriot, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” An encouragement to sacrifice for the sake of your country.
Last words can carry the weight of guilt and regret or can help lead others to a deeper understanding of life and challenge us to navigate it wisely. We don't learn by discussing it. It's discovered through actions of love.
Jesus was no different.
He is celebrating one last Passover supper with his disciples,those he has spent three years pouring into. Remember he had warned of what was about the happen, but the disciples still hadn’t gotten it. He showed the disciples just what self-giving service to other looked like.
We are reminded that all power and authority is His. It’s in this context that Jesus puts on a towel and washes His disciple’s feet. Crazy. This just didn’t happen in that day. We’ve talked before about how foot washing was reserved for the lowest class of slave. Certainly no self-respecting Jewish Rabbi would be washing feet.
TELL ABOUT FOOT WASHING SERVICE AT NATIONAL QUIZ.
Jesus claimed to be God and did the work of God. But did you also realize that he was recognized by many as God?
17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,
29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
The Jews understood that Jesus was claiming to be God, and that’s the reason they sought to kill Him. If they had misunderstood Him, all Jesus would have had to say is, “Sorry fellas, you misunderstood. Let me clear this up.” But, He didn’t. They understood clearly. Jesus was and is God in the flesh.
That’s what makes this demonstration of humility so stark. The God of Creation, the God who spoke all things into existence, would humble Himself by doing the lowly act of washing the feet of His disciples… an act reserved in the culture for servants or the lowest classes of people.
Here’s the history and background. Walking in sandals on the roads of first century Israel made it a constant and regular practice of washing your feet before a shared meal. This was especially true because people didn’t normally sit in chairs at a table for a meal but reclined at a low table to eat and feet were exposed. When Jesus got up from the table to wash His disciple’s feet, He was doing work of the lowest of society.
The disciples must have been stunned with Jesus’ action that evening. Even though they hadn’t fully understood the fullness of Jesus’ identity yet, they knew this was “below Him.” As we look at His life, we say, “They shouldn’t have been surprised.” After all, Matthew 20:28 says He came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus’ act of self-giving and humility was actually a foreshadowing of the ultimate act of humility and love He would express on the cross in just hours.
Jesus’ self-giving attitude was in direct contrast to that of the disciples, who had recently been arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of God and who would sit on Jesus’ side. (Luke 22:24)
If we read a couple more verses in chapter 13, we see Peter question why Jesus would wash his feet? Jesus answer is that later they would understand.
In that moment, Peter was clueless about what was really happening. Peter and the other disciples did not understand the significance of Jesus’ self-giving act.
The second thing for us to understand this morning is:
THE “HOW” OF SELF-GIVING.
How do we go about being self-giving? That is certainly something that doesn’t seem like what we see out in the world. Frankly, it’s not. It is counter-cultural, like much of what we see from Jesus’ earthly ministry.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
1. If we want to be self-giving, we first must understand that we CANNOT be selfish.
Have you ever watched kids fight over toys? I’ve observed kids who will hide them just to not have to share. Aren’t we kind of like that as adults sometimes too? We want to be selfish and not share just like the kids with their toys?
As we look pat Philippians 2, there is no room for us who claim to be Jesus followers to be selfish. Although no verb appears in the Greek text, Paul's statement has the force of a negative command. The word he uses is “eritheian.” It means "selfishness." It is sometimes translated "strife" because selfishness puts a person at war with others. It refers to factionalism, rivalry, and partisanship. Let’s take a quick look at what Galatians 5 says about this:
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul calls it a work of the flesh. The definition of egotism from Merriam- Webster: “excessive use of the first person singular personal pronoun; the practice of talking about oneself too much; an exaggerated sense of self-importance”
2. If we want to be self-giving, we first must understand that we CANNOT be conceited.
Let’s talk for a moment about pride. Have you ever heard the phrase “Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it.”
Pride refers to seeking personal glory, or the advancement of yourself over others. The key word is pride. Pride is what makes me independent from God. It’s appealing to me to feel that I am the master of my fate, that I run my own life, call my own shots, go it alone. But that feeling is my basic dishonesty. I can’t go it alone. Others have said, “It is amazing what can be accomplished when we’re not concerned with who gets the credit.”
3. If we want to be self-giving, we must regard others as more important than ourselves.
"Humility" or "Humility of mind" translates one word from the Greek text of Philippians 2:3. It was apparently coined by the writers of the NT because it is not found in any previous ancient writings. The adjective form of the word was used in other Greek writings to describe the mentality of a slave. It conveyed the idea of being base, shabby, low, and common. It was a term of derision - not virtue.
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
We need to remember that in the OT, God commends humility. He chose humble people to do His work. He saved the lowly and the meek. He hears the prayers of the downcast and gives grace to the lowly. So, where humility is an affirmed virtue in the OT, it was not viewed this way in the pagan world. The writers of the NT were introducing their previously pagan readers to an entirely new concept.
Paul defined "humility of mind" as regarding one another more important than us. We are to think of others in the church as superior to us. Yet often that's the opposite of what we think. For example, we're often quick to speak of the faults and failures of others.
Generally, we can only guess what's in the heart of another. A wife may say to her husband, "I know what you're thinking," and she may or may not be right. If she's wrong, he may be frustrated, and if she's right, he may be even more frustrated. But it's generally true that the only sin or grace we know of in another person is what we see or hear. Yet there is one heart we all know very well - our own.
4. If we want to be self-giving, don’t look out only for your own interests.
We live in a society where most people care only about their own personal interests. We're told to love ourselves, focus on ourselves, and even worship ourselves. But that only pours gasoline on the fire of human pride. When he said, "personal interests," I think Paul was speaking about legitimate ministry interests - those goals that honor the Lord and are part of our responsibilities as Christians.
Illustration - A 36-year-old woman discovered she had terminal cancer. The doctor told her to spend her last days enjoying herself in Acapulco. The second doctor offered hope of living two to four years with grueling side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. She penned these words to her three small children – “I’ve chosen to try to survive for you. This has some horrible costs, including pain, loss of my good humor, and moods I won’t be able to control. But I must try this, if only on the outside chance that I might live one minute longer and that minute could be the one you might need me when no one else will do. For this I intend to struggle tooth and nail so help me God.”
So what do we do with this? How do we become more self-giving? Here are two ideas:
First, what is your focus? Are you choosing to focus on growing in your relationship with Christ and as a result focusing on others or are you focused on yoursefl?
Second, List what you lose by giving and what you gain by giving of your selves. I bet when you sit down and think about it this way, you will find that there is much more to be gained when we give of ourselves to others.
If the church lives by the standard of conduct God has set for us, we will
eliminate competition and divisiveness. God's standard is very high. The only
one who ever lived it to perfection was Jesus Christ, so He is our model
(Philippians 2:5-8)
This morning, we are going to move in to a time of communion. As we conclude this series, I couldn’t think of a better way or us to end than by remembering and sharing at the Lord’s table.
COMMUNION
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.
RITUAL
The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.
The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.
All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.
In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:
PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION – ENDING WITH:
Holy God,
We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.
On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.
By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
EXPLAIN ELEMENTS
The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.
The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.
CONCLUDING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT