From Resistant to Receptive [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright Jesus use insistent on this thing if I was finally served to then Juergen have no share with me when he says it stuns Peter really gets pastor Alan light used that will help you see your life in a whole night by Daniel Britt excited for you to hear the teaching today.

In the series life of Peter is presented at an old church in North Carolina.

If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire broadcast how to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now can be yours for your donation this month. Alan Wright industries so as you listen to today's message deeper as we send you this special offer available today. Contact us at pastoralan.org that's Pastor Alan.org or call 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright though most have believed is a Christian and most preachers have essentially preached it. The Christian life is not so much about you serving God as it is about God serving you. It is a strange thought, and it is one that turns upside down so much of our thinking about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. For we know that God is the King.

He is the master we are not the King were not the master, so how could it be that indeed the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and there's something about this revelation that is so so important that I could say with certainty. You'll never receive fully from God until you get this to you embrace this and so we continue today in the life of Peter as we come to the famous scene of Jesus washing his disciples feet in John chapter 13 we been learning for the life of Peter the transitions and transformations that are taking place and his wife Peter, the one whose name was Simon and he was like shifting sand and Jesus called Peter which means rock solid one and he would say would build the foundation of the church. Upon Peter and his confession of faith in Christ, but we keep seeing at Peter as he slips, he falls, he stumbles and he is on the path towards something. And today we're going to look at how Peter is making this move from being so resistant to Jesus serving him to Peter being receptive to Jesus serving him were going to learn today about receiving from God and if John chapter 13 verse one John chapter 13 verse one number for the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the father ever loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end and during supper, when the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon son, to betray him Jesus, knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and did he come from God was going back to God, rose from supper.

He laid aside his outer garments taking a towel, tied it around his waist and 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 became Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet Jesus answered and what I'm doing.

You do not now understand, but afterwards you will understand the Peter said, you shall never wash my feet Jesus answered them, if I do not wash or you shall have no share with me.

Simon Peter said to Lord not on my feet, but also my hands in my head. Jesus said to him, the one was bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean and you are clean, but not everyone of you, for he knew who was to betray him. That is why he said all of your clean and when he wash their feet and put on his outer garment resumed his place, he said, you understand what I've done to you call me teacher and Lord, in your right, for I am.

If I then, your Lord and teacher, washed your feet, you also want to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you. Our son Ben is a junior now to Baylor University's bedroom of the same young man. The whole time. A good end of his name. Daniel Thomas I think you need to know about Daniel Thomas is. He is one of the brightest most articulate a confident, humble, really special young man that I've ever gotten to know and we've counted a great privilege their friendship. Daniel is a debate champion and he came in on full scholarship academic scholarship to Baylor and he is the most disciplined young guy. You might ever see. Unbelievably, discipline and just the kind of person that you know is going to succeed at whatever he does and loves the Lord very much welcome. I say all that. So this story will make even more of its point in his freshman year and the freshman religion class that is required to take on the opening day the professor and Daniels class stood up and made a startling statement he set out, they want to do today said just make you a deal is that I will pick out somebody and he just seemingly just randomly he didn't know Daniel Thomas. Nobody else there. Daniel Thompson. Christ is picked out Daniel and said Mr. Thomas here Butte my designated student for this is that I make you a deal. He says anyone in here could take me up on this deal. If you just would agree today that whatever grade Daniel makes in this class it in the semester will be your great and if you want to you can take them take me up on that deal today and what this means. He said, of course, is that if Daniel makes in a you get an a for the class. If Daniel makes a and F you get an F for the class, but what it means is if you trust Daniel to be your grade you don't have to even come to class will have to study the whole rest of the semester you want taking exams goes you get is you really mean this is what I really mean this.

You can you can get Daniels grade and the classes, sat there dumbfounded for a while and since army people want to take me up on this will nobody did, and he was the irony of it was if they had known who Daniel was. Daniel was premed. Daniel was like he's going to make straight A's will do whatever it takes to make an a in his freshman religion class, I guarantee you there was nobody in the class more likely to make a Daniel I can tell you that right up front, but they didn't understand that. So nobody took him up on the deal and when nobody took him up on the deal. The professor made his point. He said here's my point.

He said you can't even trust somebody for to substitute for your grade for freshman class and religion.

This goes far to explain why is difficult for people to trust in the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. I was a good point. If you're going to let someone make a grade in your place. You have to be confident in the sufficiency of their academic prowess if you're to be confident to let someone die in your place. You have to be absolutely confident and who they are is difficult to trust in a broken world. And because of this, we struggle to truly receive everything that God came to give us in Jesus Christ and in this scene where Peter is so resistant. You shall never wash my feet.

What you see on display symbolically is what Jesus came to do and what you see. Also, symbolically, is how difficult it is for us to receive what Jesus came to give us which is simply talking about why Peter was so resistant as we can see that understand the context and why he was so appalled at the idea of Jesus washing his feet that'll help us then go to the second point we should be was talk about why we struggle to receive from God and then thirdly, this will show you how there's a picture of the gospel here and how when you really understand the gospel. It changes everything. Let's first talk about why Peter is so resistant foot washing was just something that was customary for the Jewish people.

It was just something that was customary in the ancient world, certainly during Roman times, people lived in an hot climate, they often they generally wore open toed type shoes, sandals, and they didn't have nice paved streets. They had dusty thoroughfares and muddy paths and animal Don Gund all that. If it rained and become muddy and it was just business people walking around with dirty dirty feet, and so they would have a custom of washing their feet and it was a very very menial task to wash someone's feet.

It's almost hard to describe how menial this is, except to say that if the household had a slave, then it would be the slaves job if you wanted to greet someone in a hospitable way.

Wash your feet to be the slaves job talent right will have more teaching moment from today's important series pressures always find hard to say no way that shall disappoint someone once in any relationship in paradise. They were naked and felt no shame entered the world and became anxious and nine question like this painting. There is only one solution. The grace of God that lifts our shame. Six master class pastor how unexposed shame and share is an individual or in a snobbery series is sure to bring healing and hope are night ministries. This man thinking to digital Mastercraft. Thanks for your partnership in a world separate shame. It's time to let God's grace to shame. We missed our night ministries, 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor hour and.org. Today's teaching now continues here once again is in Jewish law.

It's thought of is such a menial task that if you had if you were Jewish, and you had a Jewish slave you could not ask that you a slave to wash feet so I had to be a Gentile slave and oftentimes will be relegated to a Gentile female slave whatever was considered to be the lowest person that's only one that would be allowed to to wash feet like they were really only three acceptable cultural situations where someone could wash another's feet without violating all social mores of the culture. The first of course is I just mentioned is the lowly slave. So it was acceptable for slave to wash a Masters feet, or slave to wash our guests feet would come to the house but there's a second scenario where was asked acceptable for someone to wash feet and that was it was acceptable, culturally for a student to wash the rabbis feet so if your student and you had a rabbi so different than what we think of as a teacher, because you would essentially link yourself inseparably to this rabbi was almost like the student was a slave to a master. That's how how close the alignment was of a rabbi and his students, but the student wouldn't wash the rabbis feet because the student was like a slave, but because of the high high honor in the deep deep submission of the student to the rabbi. So the idea try to get through your mind is the student is highly submitted to the rabbi who is teaching them the way of life.

And so the act of foot washing was to posture yourself and set the deep submission.

There's an interesting note, I ran across some of the Jewish writings that describe the case of just my L a rabbi, and 135 BC in this little story will convey to you just how strong the cultural norms and mores were in the mind of the Jewish people and what they thought about that one day this rabbi. He returned home, and he wanted to wash his feet.

Oftentimes this will most times people wash their own theater be a basin of water you washer your own feet. But as he came in the home that rabbis mother insisted that she wash his feet and she wanted to express her respect to her son. The rabbi well if Ishmael refused since he was afraid if he let his mother wash his feet that he would be breaking the fourth commandment and would have the sin of not honoring his mother and so he wouldn't allow his mother to wash his feet while the mother then went to another rabbi to report the disrespect that she was shown she felt by her son for not allowing her to wash her sons feet because he was a rabbi and in the end, the other rabbi ruled that her wish should be granted and she was allowed to wash her sons feet, a reason to tell you that story is to see that in our culture, especially today it seems like these cultural norms and mores are all just up for grabs and invited you know it we don't live like that. But in this culture, and in the Jewish culture.

It's almost like Lawson them right. So my guess comes your home.

Here's what you do someone's feet need to be washed peers who can wash those feet. That's the way it once in Luke chapter 7 there's a Pharisee that is invited Jesus. This Pharisees name was Simon not not our not her disciple, Simon Peter, but a different Simon the Pharisee and when this rabbi, this it's this this this Pharisee rather agrees Jesus he calls them rabbi. So is acknowledging that Jesus is rabbi, but a sinful woman comes in and washes Jesus feet, and Simon.

This Pharisee says if Jesus knew who this woman was, he wouldn't allow it in reading assignments thought Jesus then speaks back to him and in that. Interestingly, he rebukes the Pharisee he says I came in here and you didn't wash my feet using you call me rabbi, but you didn't wash my feet and then he applauds the woman who did wash his feet again, just highlighting this social cultural influence that is so prevalent a student to wash a rabbis feet, but a rabbi couldn't wash the students feet a slave could wash a Masters feet, but a master could never wash slaves feet. There's one other instance which it was accepted in this culture wash feet and this was a wife was allowed to wash her husband's feet not as an act of slavery but as an act of intimacy and something that's for personal the Jewish culture for women are very modest and so there's something even if you had a number of maids in the household. Still, only the wife would change the linens on the bad only a wife would wash husband's feet. You could have slave wash feet as a husband came in.

If you would a rabbi, a student could wash his feet, but otherwise it was something that was just for a wife very personal thing. People that were married.

So Peter is reclining at the table, and he sees Jesus Start washing feet and Peter is completely appalled he the first instance like Jesus is violating every cultural norm, this is Peter who is at this growing revelation of who Jesus is and he sees them doing this is isn't fit any of those three cultural culturally acceptable instances of washing feet. Certainly not a Gentile slave. He's the rabbi, not the student, and he certainly not so personal with us like a married couple would be and so he is reclining at the table and his feet or back away from. And this is the way they would easier lean on your low table lien on your left elbow, legs and feet back behind you in your eating with your right hand fell shipping around this low table is it what would happen sometimes in this setting is that if there was a slave in the household. That servant might well people reclined to table come around and graciously wash the feet that are back away from the table, but in that instance. It's like the slave is just anonymous hope you know you paying attention the fact you're eating fellowship is a lie comes over and washes your feet behind your time paying attention to it. It is not unlike the fact that you go out to eat sometimes. Somehow, they're serving your table and hopefully you are generous spirited toward them and leave. Good to have been there kinds of people that serve and if not, please don't leave them a Christian track but anyway my wife worked at Shoney's when she was young she said Sunday was the worst day to get coins in a Christian track on the table. Don't do that. But anyway, when somebody serving at your table and it was always for my table cordial them you want to say thank you to them in the appropriate way but you're not there to develop a relationship with them, rightly so, I'm not you so sometimes you just come to table hi, I'm Samuel. I'll be your servant today. I'm guilty sometimes. I keenly remember later what they say their name was because his is your being. You just that's their role so that would be the normal setting is some is a start washing Peter's feet wise recliner table would be an anonymous servant, and therefore it's not intimate but as soon as Jesus did this it became intensely personal and soak Peter's like you.

You can't do this you're you're not the slave, and you're not the student so would only leave one other situation that would be a make understand that would be that you're doing something very, very personal in that field to close to me and he says you shall never ever ever do this. And so it is that that that Jesus is insistent on this, saying if I don't do this if I don't wash if I don't serve you, then you're going to have no share with me when he says that it stuns Peter.

It really gets his attention to Peter's resistant because it doesn't fit his picture of who Jesus is and it is so upside down so personal become an wash his feet is one thing if an anonymous slave, but it's something else. When is your teacher is outcome and wash your dirty feet and a dirty week to go barefoot is kids you know play all day in the summertime and by that night you feet look like a different color so that he did think about that. I play all day the next day with his dirty feet of a dislike who has sustained these feet a different color image feet are dirty is the point of contact with the earth, and there are some things like I don't Jesus getting that close to my dirt. We struggle on several levels to really open up and receive from God because we like little children, and we don't know what God knows right. Today's teaching from resistant to receptive and Alan is here in the studio back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and today's final word pressures always find hard to say no worry, that shall disappoint someone one thing in any relationship in paradise. They were naked and felt no shame entered the world and became anxious and with a nine question like this painting.

There is only one solution. The grace of God that lifts our shame in six-week master class pastor how unexposed shame shows the individual or in a snobbery series is sure to bring hearing Ehrenreich ministries this man thinking to digital master class but is instead a way of saying thanks for your partnership in a world separate shame. It's time to let God's grace to shame Misty Banks from Allen Wright ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work so well.

I want to go back to the way we concluded the teaching today.

Others a struggle so slow times to being open and being receptive and if someone is listening right now.

They identified they been here. Maybe they are here right now we have to say this is one of the most radical stories in all the Bible. If you think about it when Jesus wants to wash Peter's feet. His reaction to Jesus. At first we would think would be the noble religious reaction. No you not going to serve me I'm your surf with Jesus is saying if you don't let me wash your feet. How are you going let me do something much greater and that is wash you of all your sin so I would say the listener's annual understand that the gospel while you are called to serve and be obedient all that did begins with an is pervaded by a greater active servant and that is Jesus dying for you. So to be a Christian means to learn to see from God what you could never have given today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen Wright ministries