Serving God Series

Serving God

Established - Week 4:

Scripture: John 13:1-

Over the last few weeks we have been in a series called, Established. We're talking about what it means to have a relationship with God. What it means to build this close relationship, not just knowing things about God, but actually getting to know God personally. Each week, we've been looking at different things that God has given us to grow in our relationship with Him.

Today, we will look at serving God, and will look to our example- Jesus.

Jesus lived in a time that had a social and political caste system so to speak.

In Roman Culture, you had various classes of people from the person at the top of the food chain being Caesar down to the lowest person- the slave.

In Jesus’ culture- you had several different caste levels from the servant, to a businessman, to a landowner, to a religious leader to a Pharisee. At each level, you had power, privilege, fame, and fortune.

Just like today, everyone within these cultures wanted to move up the hierarchy to the next level.

What poor person doesn’t dream of being rich one day?

In John Chapter 13, Jesus is going to demolish this hierarchy in the minds of his disciples.

He's going to flip that entire thing upside down and help us understand what life is truly about.

Prayer

John Chapter 13, verse 1 says, “It was just before the Passover festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.” In the next 24 hours, Jesus is going to be betrayed by one of his closest friends- Judas Iscariot.

Judas’ betrayal will set into motion the worst hours of Jesus’ life.

He is going to be arrested, is going to be put on trial. He's going to be mocked. He's going to be beaten, and he's going to be crucified.

That’s what makes the timing of John 13 so important.

Jesus knows what's about to happen.

He knows his time has come. Verse 1-Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end, knowing this is the end. Verse 2. “The evening meal was in progress and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God.”

I want you to focus on the words “All things”

Everything is under the power of Jesus. All the social and political hierarchy’s of Rome and Israel, all of the human empires and kings- Jesus knows HE is over all of it.

Jesus has All power. All authority.

Every atom in our universe bows down to HIM.

What does the extreme ruler of the universe do with his power? Verse 4. “He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and he began washing his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

If you read this, keeping in mind these actions are being done by the most powerful, majestic being in existence, it should really make us ask,

“What is He doing?”

In our human minds, it just doesn't make sense.

We think once you get to the top rung of the ladder, you can just chill out in the recliner. Everybody serves you. You're at the top of the food chain there.

But Jesus flips that idea and does something that was radical.

It was unexpected and shocking.

Jesus gets up from the meal, takes off his outer garments, so he still had his undergarments. He puts a towel around his waist and he kneels down and he begins to wash his disciples' feet.

Stop and visualize that for a moment.

Take in the sight, imagine the atmosphere of that room, the whispers between the disciples asking, “what is doing?”

The sound of water and towels, the smell of the feet and the food.

I want you to get this picture in your head, because this is the true picture of God.

I don't know what picture you have of God in your head.

If you are like most people, it’s probably based on how you did this week.

Examples-

• Angry Judge

• Retired in the recliner letting Jesus do it.

• 90% of Americans- A genie in the lamp waiting for you to rub him the right way to get him to perform.

Whatever your secret view of God, The Scripture is clear when it says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

If you want to know what God is like, you look at Jesus.