THERE IS SOMETHING ABOVE ME
William Bennettt has said, “we live in a society that “values self-expression over self-control.”
Pollster Daniel Yankelovich has reported that our society now places less value on sacrifice and moral good, less value than before on what we owe to others as a matter of moral obligation, and less value on restraint in matters of sexuality.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn said in a speech, “The West … has been undergoing an erosion … of high morals … ideals. The spiritual axis of life has grown dim.”
In New Jersey – according to the Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, 2001-2002
Violent Crime increased 129% -- from 1967-2000
State Prisoners increased 508% -- from 1965-2001
Illegitimate births increased 578% from 1960-1999
Divorce rates increased 328% from 1960-1999
Children living in single parent homes increased 139% from 1960-2000
Cohabitating couples increased 195% from 1980-2000
SAT verbal scores decreased 27 points from 1972-2001
TWO VIVID EXAMPLES:
Our Elderly
Doctor’s Slang Term: Granny Dumping - dumping elderly relative in A&E; often happens just before Christmas or family holiday aka the hospital granny-sitting service.
Sometimes the perpetrator is a relative, too. "We’re seeing more occasions of granny dumping," says O’Reilly, referring to cases where an unscrupulous relative is in charge, fritters the elder person’s money away, then abandons the person to receive whatever public services can be mustered.
Granny dumping is slang for the purposeful disassociation of a family from their elderly relative as a way to force the government to pay the expenses of caring for that relative.
Possibly as many as 100-200 thousand a year!
Our Youth
What is the most obvious way to stop the spread of the AIDS virus, and of unwanted pregnancy? You guessed it -- living under biblical guidelines for sexuality.
What was the solution – not abstinence, but distribution of birth control.
The results: -- each time birth control is distributed in the schools – the pregnancy rate goes up.
The NEW solution – have an abortion!
The bible records an incident of this kind of self-focused activity:
Mark 10:35-38
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."
36"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
37They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
38"You don’t know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
Notice the answer of the Lord – You do not know what you are asking!
I would like to draw your attention to John 13:1-17
John 13:1-17 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
8"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." 9"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" 10Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13"You call me ’Teacher’ and ’Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
I LIVING ABOVE ME IS HAVING AN AWARENESS AND DESIRE FOR THE PLANS OF GOD
John 13:1
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
A The Real Questions We Should Be Asking
1 What does God want me to do?
2 What is God doing with me
B The Real Example of Jesus
1 At the end of His earthly ministry Jesus was focused on others
a Should have been absorbed with the future – He knew what was happening.
b Greater concern for those who would be left than for Himself.
C The Real Christian Life
1 There are significant times in the Christian life when there is joy
2 There are also times in the Christian life when there are struggles
a Jesus struggled with God’s plans
Matthew 26:36-38
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
b Jesus experienced sorrow – even knowing what he was about to do
John 11:35-36
Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
c Jesus struggled with God the Father’s timetable
Matthew 26:39
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK RIGHT NOW – LOOK AND SEE IF YOU ARE NOT A SOME MAJOR JUNCTION IN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE! We are struggling not with what we know, but with what we will do with what we know!
II LIVING ABOVE ME IS HAVING AN AWARENESS AND DESIRE TO LOVE BIBLICALLY
John 13:2-5
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
A Jesus Would Express His Love (vs. 1) in three ways
1 In His Service – Our passage this morning
2 In His teaching – 13:18-17:26
3 In His Sacrificial Death – What we remembered in Communion this morning
B Notice Judas
1 Satan is or has prompted him to fulfill his agreement to betray Jesus.
2 He is still in the room when Jesus washes his feet
BIBLICAL LOVE IS EXPRESSED EVEN TOWARDS THOSE WHO ARE NO WORTHY OF HUMAN LOVE
III LIVING ABOVE ME IS HAVING AN AWARENESS OF MY RESPONSIBILITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
John 13:6-9
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
8"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
9"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
A A World Without Obligation
1 We live in a world that is desperately trying to downplay our mutual obligation
2 At times this attitude comes into the body of Christ – we forget or ignore our obligation to the body of Christ
3 The act of salvation interconnected each believer
4 Peter resisted an obligation to the rest of the disciples – he resisted the mutual interconnection
B The Servant Act of God is For Everyone
1 The very act of salvation was an act of service
Philip. 2:3-8
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
2 Jesus Cared about what happened to others
3 Jesus acted on what He cared about
4 Washing the feet of the disciples was an opportunity to learn
John 13:12-16
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13"You call me ’Teacher’ and ’Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
a Jesus in Teacher and Lord
1) The one we learn from
2) The one we obey
b Jesus sets the EXAMPLE – PATTERN
1) The Lord can serve
2) The servants can serve
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
§ JESUS WAS ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE NEED OF OTHERS
§ JESUS UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PLAN OF GOD
§ JESUS LOVED US MORE THAN HE LOVED HIMSELF
§ JESUS MODELED WHAT IT MEANS TO “BE ABOVE ME”
ONE FINAL POINT
John 13:17
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
§ KNOWING ALL OF THIS DOES NOT MATTER A HILL OF BEANS
§ ACTING ON WHAT YOU KNOW IS GOD’S DESIRE FOR ME AND FOR YOU!
§ JESUS GAVE US MORE THAN A LESSON – HE GAVE A PATTERN!
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