Serious Servanthood

Have your Bibles with you tonight unless you turn with if you would to the gospel of John going be looking chapter 13 verses one through 17 now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world of the father having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end during supper, when the devil it already put it in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon son, to betray him Jesus, knowing that the father given all things into his hands that he come from God was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments taken a towel tied 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 him, Lord, do you wash my feet Jesus answered him, what I'm doing. You do not understand male but afterward you will understand. Peter said to him, you shall never wash my feet Jesus answered, and 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 in my head. Jesus said to him, the one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet is completely clean and you are claiming but not everyone of you for you, who was to betray him. That was why said not all of your claim. When it wash their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, you understand what I've done to you. You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right for so I am if they in your Lord and teacher of washed your feet, you ought also to wash one another's feet drive given you an example that you should also should do just as I've done to you truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater that his master, nor is the master greater than the one is sinning.

If you know these things. Blessed are you, if you do them spray heavenly father we bow before you tonight.

Thank you Lord for the privilege of meeting together as your children in this very special time of the year. Heavenly father, we would ask tonight is we focus in on what Jesus did on the night before his crucifixion that we might have every worldly and fleshly thought driven out of our mind and our consciousness that our hearts and our minds might be so focused on the cross tonight that we would leave this place and absolute utter love for you and in Justin a deep all of what you have done for us. Heavenly father is we look at Jesus tonight in the that servant attitude that he showed to his disciples it absolutely just embarrasses me Lord that I am not the servant like he was when he walked this earth father Peter felt the same way and I'll try tonight as we look at Peter's response to Jesus that you might help us Lord that that we truly might understand the seriousness of servant hood and father that our lives would count for Christ sake guide and direct us Lord through this passage tonight. May Jesus be exalted and lifted up through it.

May this congregation be edified by and is in Jesus holy and precious name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Larry Bradley was my associate pastor in my former church. We have been friends for over 45 years, about 13 years ago. His daughter Jessica was getting married.

She asked me if I would assist her dad in the wedding service not agreed to do so on the night before the wedding. We had the rehearsal and after the rehearsal we had the rehearsal dinner, and we chow down on some good food and I after we did that, then the bride and groom got up and they gave out presents to the wedding party and then after that Larry stood up and Larry said I'm going to do something that is not like a traditional toast that he said might seem a little unorthodox to you Lisa.

I feel like the Lord would have me to do it and he walked into the kitchen and he came back with a big bowl of warm water and a towel up over his shoulder and he walked over to to Matt and Jessica that were sitting sitting down and he knelt down in front of them and then he reached over and he began to untie Matt she's and then he took his shoes off, he took his socks off and then he poured warm water over sleep and washed his feet and then dried it with a towel. Then he slipped back over to Jessica and he pulled her sandals off the poured warm water over her feet, and then he dried her feet with the with the towel.

Larry said at that point in time that 2000 years ago.

He said Jesus Christ did that very same thing for his disciples 2000 years ago Jesus surprised the disciples by washing their feet. They weren't expecting it I weren't thinking that this was going to happen and I remember looking over at Jessica and see in her startled ficus with all the asset and looking over at Matt and see in Matt's face was just as red as a beet, and they were startling. One expecting the as I did not know was going to happen.

Larry said what did Jesus do such a thing, because he loved his disciples, he loved them so much that he wanted to teach them.

One of the great lessons of the Christian life and that lesson is the seriousness of servant hood. I'm really him looking at at Jessica and and Matt and he said you two are getting ready to get married. He said you know marriage is not easy sometimes and you have ups and downs in good times and in bad times but but he said I can promise you this if you both develop a servant spirit and if there will be a servant to each other. The Lord will use that to powerfully strengthen your marriage. The example of foot washing. Larry said, is this. I love you more than I love me. Larry said to his daughter and her future husband. I hope that you never forget what I have done tonight. I hope this sticks with you all of your life, because the Lord himself was a servant, and if you want to be in the will of God, then you must be a servant is whale several years ago Cindy and I went to a movie cost. Second chance and Michael W Smith was the he had he was playing the role of a pastor's son, and that this particular pastor was called to go to a church that was in a drug ridden community. It was a tough, tough place to minister. It was a place where there were gains and their worst murders. They are all the time. There was drug addicts and there was prostitution about any kind of eye she can think of. It was right there any giddy win, and he began to share the gospel and and people that that were just down and I out that it hit rock bottom were pulled up out of the muck in the mire by the grace of God and saved in just gloriously wonderfully saved in that church. There was a smorgasbord of people I meet people from all walks of life, just different kinds of people and was one particular young man who was a little mentally handicapped. He was one of the most faithful members in the church, but there was one scene where there was a man that had been a member of the game and they'd share the gospel withing and this man trusted Christ as his Lord and Savior whole life turned around he got out of the gang they started looking around the neighborhood need he found out that there was a young boy in the neighborhood that was selling drugs and he was selling drugs for the game. The gang was make a lot of money out of offloading. So he went to this young boy and share the gospel withing the boy trusted Christ the gang didn't want to let go of them and they wanted inputs continue to sell those drugs because it was making him making them a lot of money.

So finally, this gang member went back to the gang leader and he said look, he said, what do I have to do to obtain this young boy's freedom gang leader begin to laugh at pace what I'll tell you what you can do you can take his beating boring. He said okay I will. And so they'd be young man and they beating so badly they knocked him unconscious. A lifting there bleeding after little while. Some of the members of the church went looking for in an expanding they are just still semiconscious bleeding.

I took him to the hospital and they patched them up they are. He was okay for several weeks.

He it was very very broken up and a lot of pain with the just a very, very difficult and very very hard time with you guys later it that we get ready take a trip and he was getting on of the church van. His legs were still very very sore and he was trying to get his leg up in the van and when he was pulling that leg up a curse word slipped out in the mentally ill fellow looked over there, adding and was just horrified. He said I can't believe he said that they said you know better than that piece of you ruin your testimony. How would you do that and he turned around and he walked away from him and just absolute letter discussed next Sunday morning that gang member that is been so beaten up sit on the front row. The church, the pastor got up to preach, and that middle yield young man walked on the Allison preacher. Can you wait just a minute. He said I've got to do something in a bowl in his hand and he walked up and he got down on his knees right before the man that was so beaten up and broken any untidy shoes took his socks off begin to pour the water over state and washed his feet. The man looking support you doing why are you doing this, the board begin to cry he said I judged you at any said I busted you for saying a curse word in any said you took a beating for our friend and it almost killed you, you would've died for him and I want you to know I am so sorry for judging you, will you forgive me and they embraced each other and held each other and wept. Every time I read John 13 now I can't help to think of Larry and and Jessica and I can't help but think about that scene in that movie foot washing. That's what Maundy Thursday is about the word mom dessert comes from the Latin word mandate and it means a command. Jesus gave the command to his disciples that they were to follow him in his example of foot washing the first one stuck, get the setting in in in our minds what's going on here. This is the night that Jesus is eating the Passover with his disciples the last time they'll do that. This is the time that Jesus is going to institute the Lord's supper. This is the night that Judas Iscariot is going to betray Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver. This is the night that Jesus is going to be arrested in the garden of Gethsemane and then taken off for a totally illegal trial on the next day Jesus is going to be flogged and beaten and whipped and spit on and mocked and then nailed to a cross less than 18 hours from this moment Jesus dead body is going to be line in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a Jewish councilman that he given his tomb over to Jesus Christ what is Jesus thinking about is he thinking about himself is a complaining and whining to the disciples about all the injustices that he is going to be subjected to no he's not doing that at all. Instead he goes to each one of the disciples gets down on his hands and knees before them and he washes the dirt and grime from their feet and then after that he preaches perhaps and I think probably the greatest sermon it's ever been preached on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He's not preparing himself for his death. He's preparing the disciples for his death to Jesus and the disciples are gathered together in the upper room and that's where all this is taken place right there in the city of Jerusalem. Many scholars believe that that upper room. The house they are but belong to to the mother of John Mark is John Mark John Mark, is that the man who wrote the gospel of Mark and his mother was Mary Lotta marries during that time, but that that that room was used on many occasions. It was used right after Jesus's resurrection. When the disciples were praying and scared to death and frightened and they were shaking and trembling up in that room and all of a sudden Jesus walks through the wall in his new glorified body and appears before them at any talk to them and encourages them and then breeze only on the says receiving the Holy Spirit. It was in that same room that the disciples were praying after the ascension waiting for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

It was on that day of Pentecost at the Holy Spirit came in the place where they were shaken like an earthquake in the spirit of God moved upon their lives in such ways that they would never be the same again. This was the same room that the dislike disciples in the church early church got together and prayed in when Peter had been thrown into prison, arrested by King Herod Agrippa and I pray for his deliverance.

Now Mark tells an interesting story in the Gospel of Mark that we don't hear about any of the other Gospels and I could be wrong but I have a personal belief that mark in this particular incidence incident is talking about himself. We are told of the young man who followed Jesus out of the garden of Gethsemane and he's got a sheet around the and he still away away from me. They probably did even noticing. But but he's away from them and then when the soldiers come to arrest Jesus the soldier see this young man and they go running over to him to grab them and they grabbed the sheet and they rip it off of him. He's butt naked and he takes off running through the woods just as fast as he can go. I believe that that young man was probably Mark himself who was in bed that night in his mother's house. He was down on the bottom floor and right above him in the upper room was Jesus and the disciples and what were they doing well. This is where late the Passover meal together is is where Jesus instituted the Lord's supper is as were Jesus washed the feet and that's where Jesus preach this great sermon on the ministry of the Holy Spirit and he heard all that he could hear perfectly. Through that ceiling and then they said was time for us to go there going to the garden of Gethsemane and he wants to go, we don't want to miss a thing sucks.

What is he doing jumped out of bed. He grabs a sheeting puts it around himself, and he follows them out. He follows them to Gethsemane. So with this young man was really John Mark, I think he was. That means that Mark wrote his gospel is an eye witness of the arrest of Jesus is and why would you just say his name is embarrassed. I would be if I get tell a whole big group work every body about me running through the woods with nothing on. I think it probably embarrassed them a little bit but there they are in the upper room, the top story of John Mark's house and the disciples were all seated around the room late the Passover meal together in the Jesus institutes the Lord's supper. He breaks the bread in his hands.

He says this is my body was broken for you. He takes the company holds it up says this is the blood of the new covenant that was she had for many, but after the Lord's supper. Jesus did something that absolutely shocked them beyond belief. Look with me if you would it verse four and five.

Jesus rose from supper the light aside his outer garments taken a towel tied 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 them in the culture in which they Leo the roads were dirty and dusty, and they traveled by camel or donkey or horse or they walked most of their shoes were sandals and so their feet were sweaty, dusty and dirty and up. It was common courtesy of that day that if you were going to go to a person's house as a guest that the host would be sure that once she stepped in that door that your fee got washed if you were rich. Nothing you had servants and those servants are those slaves would do the washing of the feet for you if you did have servants. Maybe you had kids and the kids could do it if you didn't have servants or kids. You did it yourself and that was expected that you would do that but at this meeting that we call the first Lord's supper, apparently none of the disciples and thought about it now can imagine if I was a disciple and as I was in that the in that situation.

I look around at the other disciples that say where are you and I really don't want to be messing with them and washing their feet on his desk, not something that I wanted to just forget that, but it surprises me that not one of the disciples said man what an opportunity this is for me to watch Jesus feet. What a privilege that would be to be able to get them before Jesus and wash his feet, but not one of them even gave that a fault so Jesus takes off his outer garment.

He girds himself up.

He goes and gets gets water and a towel and he comes down he gets down in front of the disciples on his knees and he watches the dirt. The grime the field from their feet.

Now I travel back with you to the book of Exodus for a minute, God gave Moses a pattern in a plan to carry out specifically if they were going to approach this holy God who is the creator of the Redeemer and in the sustainer of life and what did God.

God used a told Moses to build the tabernacle was the tabernacle, the tabernacle was a tent and it had two rooms and it separated by a 6 inch thick veil. The first ring was called the holy holy place for three things in it. The first there was a 7 pound candlestick and then there was a table of showbread.

And then there was an altar of incense. What is that that's a picture of Jesus, who is is what is the light of the world, the bread of life. He is our great high priest, the all the priest could go into the holy place, but there was a second room is on the other side of the veil. It was called the holy of holies, and only one priest could go into the holy of holies and that was the high priest and he could only go in one time a year in the holy of holies there was an article of furniture in it was called the Ark of the covenant.

It had a lid on it. Call the Mercy seat and the high priest one time a year on the day of atonement. What would take a basin of goat's blood.

He would walk back behind the veil, he would approach the.

The Ark of the covenant and he would take a branch of hyssop, dip it down into that goat's blood, and that he would sprinkle it on the Mercy seat of the Ark of the covenant. Why was that necessary. What did it do what did it accomplish will accomplish this it appease the wrath of God against their sin and it assured the people of God in Israel that their sins were forgiven for that year. But then there was a fence that went all the way around the tabernacle and the space or the land between the tabernacle and that fence was called the courtyard that fence was made up of of 12 sections in each section was named after one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

There was one particular section that stood right directly in front of the door, the tabernacle, and that particular section was for Judah and they are in that section was the gate, the way you entered into the courtyard was through the gate name Judah what is Judah mean Judah means praise the way to enter in to the courtyard to approach the presence of God was to enter in through praise that not what some hundred tells us that it what is it say that we enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his court with praise measure going in, headed toward the tabernacle. The first thing that you get to was the brazen altar. This was the place were sacrifices at were made, animals were sacrificed there and they were killed, and then they were burned on the altar and they could go no further than that. Until that sacrifice was made. What is that a picture of books that brazen altar is a picture of the cross. It all starts at the cross, we don't go any further with God until we have been to the cross. So that was the, the brazen altar. Most of you have read the great book Pilgrim's progress written by John Bunyan and John Bunyan tells of character is named Christian's taken a journey and his journey. What is he seeking 40s, seeking for salvation and he's got this huge bundle huge burden on his back represent sin and guilt.

I will read you just a part of this story because I think this is absolutely glorious. So now also in my dream is a highway up which Christian was to go was fenced on either side with a wall and the wall was call salvation up this way therefore did burden Christian run, but not without great difficulty because the load on his back he ran. Thus, Tilly came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place to the cross and the little blow in the bottom a sepulcher sauce on my dream that justice Christian came up with with the cross is burden loose from his shoulders and fell from his back and begin to tumble and so continue to do.

Tilly came to the mouth of the sepulcher and where it fail in I saw it no more than there was Christian Gladden, like some incentives, the Mary Hart PS given me rest by his saw my sorrow in life by his death and he stood still while the look and wonder, for it was very surprising to him at the side of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked therefore looked again even till the springs that were in the head since the waters down his cheeks as he stood looking and weeping. The whole three shining ones came to him and saluted him with peace be to the so the first said tooling your sins be forgiven. You, the second strip him of his rags and closing was change arraignment the third also set a mark in his four head and gave them a role with a seal upon it which he be at bit him look on as he ran and that he should get in at the celestial gate so they went their way than Christian gave three leap for joy, and went on singing the brazen altar represents the cross. This is a picture of the blood of Jesus Christ, washing away our sins washing away our sins pay NRC and debt a suffering are hail forces. What Jesus did and then also imputing his righteousness to us. The next thing that you would go to go to before you got to the to the tabernacle was the brazen labor. It was a huge bronze bowl or bronze cattle filled with water and you go to that water and you take it in.

You would wash yourself after you'd been to the brazen altar where the blood was shed, you would wash yourself with the water and then you could approach the presence of God. So the Old Testament you shed the blood of an animal symbolize your relationship with God and then you cleans yourself with water to symbolize your fellowship with God and this is what Jesus is teaching us about foot washing. We need the blood of Christ shed for our sins to see me and our relationship with him to make our relationship with him that we might be in the family of God and in the foot washing symbolizes God cleaning us from our daily sins that we might have fellowship with him hi look at me verses six through 11 he came to Simon Peter said to him, Lord, you wash my feet Jesus answered him, what I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. Peter said to me shall never wash my feet Jesus answered him, if I do not watch you util 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 bay does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean and you are clean but not every one of you for you is to betray him. That was why said not all of your claim. Many Bible commentators that are that are red jump all over Peter and they call them unfaithful and they say that heat heat heat spurned Jesus and did this in the arrogant matter that was a matter of pride. I look at that.

I don't see that at all.

I don't think Peter was being arrogant. I don't think he was being prideful. I don't think he was even acting in unbelief.

I think Peter was ashamed and I think Peter was absolutely embarrassed.

I think Pete when Peter looked over and he saw Jesus down in front of him on his knees, get ready to wash his nasty feet.

Peter says to himself. How is this happening. This is the king of kings and the Lord of lords shouldn't be washing my feet out of the washing his feet and I believe that he's upset. I believe that he's embarrassed and he's sorry that his negligence may abroad hurt to the heart of the son of God. I think the Jesus all that to. He didn't tell Peter that he had no faith. He told Peter he didn't understand, but Peter, he was notorious for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but he had hoof and mouth disease jumps up and says Jesus you will not wash my feet. Now this is where you have to move from the physical to the spiritual realm in the physical ram. What is this it's a lesson in humility and it Jesus is teaching us how God's people should have a servant heart and how do you do that you start thinking about others and study yourself you go the 2nd mile you turn the other cheek you start, striving to help others. Instead of worrying so much about your own self. Chuck Swindoll said that he had a lawyer in his church. That was a very successful man very wealthy man and this lawyer was elected as a Deacon in the church and he said that one Sunday morning they were in the fellowship hall and will girl kindergarten age was there and play and she got sick and right in the middle of fellowship hall floor.

She just vomited and it went everywhere before get out of the way and moving out move and out in this lawyer in his three-piece Armani suit goes over to the janitors closet gets out. The mop gets out a bucket and Lysol cleaner and he goes over and starts mopping and cleaning until everything is perfectly clean like nothing ever happened.

Nobody else wanted to touch it.

Nobody. What else would have anything to do with it but this is what Jesus is talking about is not just physically washing feet is physically but in others above herself.

Jesus wanted Peter to see not just the physical but also the spiritual realm. Peter said Jesus you shall not wash my feet and Jesus said if I don't wash your feet Peter and you have no part with me and then Peter said a whole test the case. Lord, that they don't just wash my feet. Give me a bath.

Clean me all over and Jesus said that's not necessary, Peter. You had your bath. Your clean but you're also dirty. Your feet are dirty and you need a foot washing.

What does Jesus mean by that Jesus is teaching us here about the difference between relationship and the difference in fellowship folks when when we come to Christ. When Jesus does that work of regeneration in our heart, by the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives are turned around, and our sins are forgiven and we come to really know him.

He takes our sin and it's a permanent thing that will never change. That's where we are positionally he has taken our sin, he is removed it from us as far as the east is from the west.

He is taken our sin and thrown it into the very depths of the sea and all of a sudden we are children of God we are part of the family. This is what Paul meant when he said, what shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord shall persecution or tribulation, or distress, or danger, or peril, or sword. No were in all things we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. Brian persuaded that neither death nor life, or powers or principalities or things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But that's relationship. That's where we are, positionally, and nothing can ever change that.

But practically it's different and it will live in a dirty world we walk through a dirty world and we get our feet dirty, because we slip and we sin, and that has to do with fellowship. We don't lose relationship but you can lose your fellowship with God with unconfessed sin.

We have principles in the word of God to teach us about that first John chapter 1 verse nine if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. A W paint 6 foot washing is more than just confession to listen to this. What is the washing if I wash the knot that was no part with me. It is something which is needed by all believers, we say believers for though all such of a portion in Christ, how often they fail to enjoy their part with him. This washing is something more than confession of sin and the consequent forgiveness is searching out of the word in the presence of God, of that which led me into evil is judging the root of which sins are the fruit yet this washing must not be limited to God's remedy for our declension and failure.

Rather, should we view it as a gracious provision for our daily need is a preservative and preventive against outward failures. We need to get alone with our Lord each day, opening our hearts to the light as a flower does its petals to the sun. Alas, that we have so little consciousness of our deep need for this that there is so little retirement examination of our ways before God to really place our feet for washing in the blessed hands of Christ is to come before him in the attitude of the psalmist search me oh God, and know my heart try me and know my thoughts.

See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

This incident in comparatively necessary if while in such a defiling places this world we are to have a part with him. Then lastly list look at what Jesus does. After the foot washing is done. Verse 12 through 14 when he had washed their feet and put on his outer garment resumed his place, he said to them, you understand what I've done to you. You call me teacher and Lord, in your 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 would have been the natural thing for Jesus to have said there.

I think it would've been this okay guys, I washed your feet that you wash my feet is not what he said is that I've washed your feet, you wash one another's feet.

What is that teach us it teacher teaches us that when we do for others in the name of Jesus, then it's just like we are doing it for him. Matthew chapter 25 Jesus said that in the last day the Lord will look over to the sheep on his right hand and he will say, come, enter into my kingdom for I was hungry and you and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was naked and you clothed me, I was in prison and you visited me, I was sick and you came to me and I said what you meant Jesus. When we do that for you.

And Jesus said when he did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me. What is that mean for us means for us that if you're washing somebody's feet so will we don't really do that well.

Think of it in other ways. Maybe baking a cake for somebody that's sick and just needs a little attention maybe going over to two ladies that a single mom and baby sit for her with no charge so that she can go out and have a little have a little alone time spent some time with herself. Maybe it's pay in rent for a poor person that can afford his rant. Maybe it's giving food to orphans who were desperately hungry when you do it for them.

You don't just do it for them, but you do it for Jesus.

That's our calling is a calling to humility. It's a calling servant hood and Jesus gave us an example example of how to do this just 18 hours before he was nailed to a cross. Hallelujah.

What a Savior thinking of not himself, not dwelling on the pain, not dwelling on what he was going to go through but thinking of others and preparing them for his death.

We can enter into his presence now by celebrating with the Lord's supper and in doing this we need to prepare hearts and I want you to prepare your hearts, not just for the Lord's supper, but for the greatest day for the Christian in our entire year, which is this Sunday and what is this Sunday resurrection day, the day that we celebrate the fact that we don't serve a dead Savior of a cross. We serve the living Lord on his throne