Servanthood will Change your Life
What would Jesus do if he came to our town? Who would he see? What plans would he have? What exposure would he get---or seek? What things would he complain about? What things would he strive to change?
I hope we get a frame of mind for anwerig this by how Jesus spent his last few hours with his disciples
Setting: (I hope we get a frame of mind for answering this by how Jesus spent his last few hours with his disciples)
We are getting close to the time we celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection: Good Friday and Easter.
The Bible gets very detailed about Jesus last week, and we often think of Palm Sunday, exactly one week before Resurrection Sunday. Looking at an event that happened on Thursday, one day before Jesus’ crucifixion:
The Last Supper: Passover Meal
The day on which Christians remember the Last Supper is also known as Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy comes from the latin word maundatum which means "command".
When Jesus and His disciples ate the "Last Supper" it was on the first night of the Passover festival, or during the Seder Meal.
During this meal Jesus explained to His Disciples that The Bread was His body and the wine was His blood of the new covenant, shed for the remission of our sins. Jesus instructed us to "Do This in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19)
The example Jesus set in washing the feet of His disciples is sometimes still done today on Maundy Thursday before the Passover supper. Most Churches offer a Maundy Service in which they end the service with Communion, Breaking the Bread and Drinking the wine in remembrance of Jesus’ death.
LET’S LOOK a little closer at the footwashing ceremony, and What Jesus Taught Us About Being a Servant:
Jn 13:1-17
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
The context of our sermon: disciplines and what WE can do to change.
“More than any other single way the grace of humility is worked into our lives through Discipline of service . . . Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service, but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition.” (John Ortberg, Life You’ve Always Wanted, p. 113 Foster quote)
Transition: but in contrast to what we perceive about the value of serving:
Big Idea: At the Last Supper, Jesus showed us how being a servant changes our lives
As a preacher, it is pretty safe (other than occasional stage fright) to stand behind the pulpit and preach. But I am much more vulnerable when coming out from behind it to wash feet (literally or metaphorically). [At this point I had a mini illustration with my young daughter who was on stage and I “washed her feet.”]
I think it is instructive and breathtaking to see how Jesus spends his last few hours on earth that he has with his disciples.
The first way being a servant alters our lives is that it
1. Change our usefulness to God
v.1, 3
Jesus submitted to God’s request at his own personal cost: therefore God worked through him the greatest act in history: but one that didn’t look great to the world. Pride (but think of Assyrians)
What does God want to do in this community?
Is it our idea or his idea?
As his servant we do his bidding
2. Change our quality of Love
v.1
Not when it is convenient.
Not I love you when I get something from you
Ongoing. To the end. Complete
LOVED TO THE END
V.1 Loved them eis telos: either temporal (until the end) or qualitative (to the fullest extent). Schnackenburg (v. 3 p16) thinks both are meant, with emphasis on the qualitative.
Also, he believes the way he loved them refers ultimately to the cross, which the hour for that was nigh, but it certainly doesn’t overlook the footwashing at which the cross was “made symbolically present.” He further says it points to the community founded on him (and in his death). I would say it would characterize not only their standing (washed/served) but also their demeanor/identity: servants
Sweet, p. 113, 114
Early disciples of Jesus were more compassionate than other around them. They outloved others. They outseved others.
Stark’s quote, middle of page “To cities filled with the homeless . . .”
Our love comes at a cost to US
We are people that love when love is called for (when it is not?!). As such, being a servant who loves at a cost to ourselves necessitates that we also:
3. Change how we view others
v.8 unless I wash you . . .
Jesus knew that without his act on the cross (washing their sins) they were DOOMED people, forever cut off from God.
He didn’t say Oh Wow, this is a pain. I would rather go down to the
More important, opportunities to help them
That Jesus thinks of us before his own welfare is amazing. He is perfect, we are not.
That we should think of others as more important to us is far less dramatic, for we are just as imperfect as they are.
Sweet: You and I are where we are by the grace of God. It’s all grace. It is grae alonge and grace amazing and grace abounding.
Certain daily habits follow: First, I have no right to critique anyone if I can’t first celebrate him. Celebration comes before critique There is a musician’s mottow: three strokes for each poke. If I can’t say three positive things about someone and life her up with prayer and thanksgiving to God, I have no warrant for complaint. (Soul Salsa., 109)
But because we are recipients of grace, God also calls us to look to the good of others. What are their needs?
What are the needs of THIS church? What are WE doing to meet them
On a private basis, and in our efforts as a church body, our ministries?
What are the needs of your family?
Would they benefit from a family outing?
Do they need the joy of serving others? Set up a service opportunity at an local shelter
Your wife? Or husband? Don’t tell me first what YOU need! Ask the Lord for strength to give what THEY need.
Does your wife need some time away from the kids? Gladly serve her.
Does your husband need some encouragement? Gladly serve him
Do the dishes need done? Do them!
Your children
4. Changes Who We Do Good Things For
v. 11 Judas.
Mt 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor z and hate your enemy.’ a 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, b 45 that you may be sons c of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. d 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? e Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect
Sweet, p 113 quote Dionysus.
Remember the quote of Dionysus: the Christians put no value on WHO they served, but THAT they served those who had need.
Does your boss need served?
The broken down car at the side of the road?
5. Change our perspective on status
vv. 4-6, 13-16
Master is Servant, servant is not King. (yet)
He is LORD and yet THIS is what he does.
Stripping down. Would we think it obscene? Would we make it a status symbol (give awards and pins, or make ripped bodies . . .
6. Change how we view ourselves
Not too lofty. –Not worthless, just not self absorbed
Last meal, and THIS IS what I have to do?
(remember the man who couldn’t help his wife out? Know how we are when we are sick? What if we were about to be executed? From our perspective, it is “never” about us. It is always about God, bringing glory to him, and serving others. (now, we are not self haters, nor are we door mats who can’t help it. We are WILLING servants, bent on following the example of Jesus, who served in “weakness” out of strength. He LOOKED weak, but CHOSE to do so.
Trophies: dan’s soccer trophies. Would we have honored Jesus in this? Saw it as a landmark event? I get a trophy for a few hours of soccer that no one will ever really be impacted by.
We need to spend time observing who others are and their needs, and less thinking about our own needs.
But be careful we don’t become conceited ORtberg, Life, p. 113 looking down on others, judging
7. Change our expectations of fulfillment
Footwashing and the cross
Do these strike us as fulfilling acts?
Comes at a cost and in the mundane
Man’s choice (in Ortberg’s Life) to serve wife by watching kids or going to conference to learn how to be a better husband
Don’t Seek Grandeur for its own sake: or our sake
When we evaluate our church and its ministry, do we compare ourselves to others out of envy or selfishness, or do we focus on our motives and fulfilling a need.?
Wow, wouldn’t it be cool to have a building like _________________________
Our youth/childrens ministry is wimpy cause we don’t have a dedicated family life chenter
Our
Our expetations should come from the perspective of HOW can we serve, because that’s who Jesus was and who we are.
8. Change our source of reward/payoff
v.17 you will be blessed if you do them.
Doesn’t give us a lot to go on. Commentators I have kind of avoided this
Schnackenburg:
“what is involved here is a realization of the relationship among the disciples in the activity of love.” (p. 25)
Dan’s rephrasing: We see and experience our connectedness, and the quality of our relationship, when we actively love (or SERVE) others.
Again:
WARREN WIERSBE
However, it is not enough just to know this truth; we must put it into practice. James
Even studying this section in John’s Gospel can stir us emotionally or enlighten us intellectually; but it cannot bless us spiritually until we do what Jesus told us to do. This is the only way to lasting happiness.
Be sure to keep these lessons in their proper sequence: humbleness, holiness, happiness. Submit to the Father, keep your life clean, and serve others. This is God’s formula for true spiritual joy.
What would our lives be like if we looked for the blessings of SERVING OTHERS rather than SERVING SELF?
Less strife?
Less disappointment?
More God focused?
What would our ministries
CONCLUSION
What would Jesus do if he came to our town? Who would he see? What plans would he have? What exposure would he get---or seek? What things would he complain about? What things would he strive to change?
Yesterday’s seminar on the Equipping Church
Bill Hybels early on would preach about servanthood “indefinitely”. Didn’t go over well (chuckle) but he said either when the church started doing it, or members left the church, then he would stop.
Our dreams for this church. Are they God’s? Are they to meet OUR needs, or are we seeking to meet the needs of others. Are they about looking like others (building, programs, ministers) or from how God wants us to serve him, others, community.
What would happen if the whole church sought to meet the needs of one another, instead of complaining about our needs not being met?
We would be less dissatisfied, and,
Our own needs would be met (by others!)
And God would be glorified!
