John 13:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,
4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.
5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
This opportunity to teach one of the most valuable lessons, a lesson that the disciples would struggle with, a lesson they were struggling with (James and John wanted to sit on the right and left hand in His kingdom) and a lesson that you and I struggle with!!
A lesson of being a servant!!
Because being a servant is foreign to us, it doesn’t come natural to most of us, we like to be served, not having to serve others!!
I’ve never had anybody come up to me, before we have dinner on the ground and say, “Hey, I want be last in line today!” But trust me, I’ve seen people make sure that they are first in line!!
Most people got the misconception that serving God is about popularity, it’s about the spotlight, it’s about being recognized, it’s about a pat on the back, but the truth is… Serving God is about not lifting yourself up, but lifting God up!!
And the best way to do that, is to be a servant to others!!
But I want to you notice something in verse 17- If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Jesus is giving a clue how to find happiness (Happy and blessed are synonymous with each other), how to find real contentment, how to find satisfaction in your life, a real purpose for your life!!
How do you do that? Become a servant to others!!
The reason so many Christians are so miserable, is because they haven’t learned this lesson, or they have forgotten this lesson!!
You want to be happy, to live abundant life, to live a life, instead of just existing, you want to remembered after your gone from this world, then pour your life into others!!
Matthew 10:39 (NKJV)
39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
PLACES TO SERVE
To many people are more concerned about what everybody else is doing or not doing in the church, or having excuses why it’s somebody else’s job to do it, or waiting for someone else to do it, when in reality, we should decide….To Serve Who We Can, When We Can!!!
You can be a pastor, and not be servant, you be a song leader and not be servant, you can be piano player and not be servant, you can be deacon, and not be servant, you can be Sunday School Teacher and not be servant, you can hold any office, any title within the Church and not be servant, but if you want to be better than just having a job title, if you want to do more than just occupying a office within the Church, then you got to humble yourself and become a servant!!
Get that attitude of servanthood!!
He Loved Them To The End
Here is what convicts me!!
1-He is serving others, while He is dealing with His own problems, while He is facing His on trials!
He knew what was going to happen in the next few hours, He knew Judas was going to betray Him, He knew Peter was going to deny Him, He knew the other disciples were going to desert Him and yet here He is serving others!!
He knew about every lash from the whip, every slap across the face, every verbal assault and yet His mind is not focused on that, it’s focused on helping His disciples become better servants!!
When I got problems, when I got situations, when I got trials, it’s hard to focus on anybody else, it’s hard to minister to anybody else, but if I want to follow Jesus, and to be the person Jesus wants me to be, then I have to learn the lesson of getting the mind of a servant, not focusing on my needs, but focusing on the needs of others!!
2-He is serving people that will deny Him, that will betray Him, that will leave Him!
When is the last time you done something for someone, and you know they are never going to repay you for your kindness?
We are more prone to do something for someone, who is going to return the favor!
We got to learn to be a servant to whoever God puts in our path!!
Not to just pick and choose who we want to serve, or serving others if it will benefit us, but coming to the point in our relationship with the Lord, that we will be obedient to God and serve others, whoever they maybe, or how you feel about them, because God may ask you to serve someone that you may not like, or someone that’s hurt you, or been cruel to you, or mean to you, and that will be the test, to see if you have a servant’s heart!!
