1 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,040 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,080 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:13,080 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us, 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,360 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org, or just look 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:19,800 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:26,240 John 13. Let's just get to it. 8 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:30,540 All right, John, Chapter 13. John, Chapter 13. 9 00:00:30,540 --> 00:00:32,619 When we don't know what to say, we need to get into God's Word. 10 00:00:32,619 --> 00:00:36,740 All right, that's it, John, Chapter #13 as we finish our 11 00:00:36,740 --> 00:00:39,940 series this month, moving forward in our service to God. 12 00:00:39,940 --> 00:00:42,500 And I hope this month has been a helpful month to you. 13 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:45,380 And I love how the Lord orchestrates not just the Sunday 14 00:00:45,380 --> 00:00:47,980 morning messages, but even the Sunday school and the evening 15 00:00:47,980 --> 00:00:50,940 services, even though they're kind of on different tracks. 16 00:00:50,940 --> 00:00:54,140 Yet the Lord brings them together on parallel tracks to 17 00:00:54,140 --> 00:00:57,060 teach us certain things about ourselves and this month. 18 00:00:57,410 --> 00:01:00,450 Has been no exception, as he's taught us about service, and the 19 00:01:00,450 --> 00:01:04,970 title of my message this morning is a title that poses a question 20 00:01:04,970 --> 00:01:07,490 to you, one that you will have to answer in your own heart and 21 00:01:07,490 --> 00:01:09,490 your own life by the time the message is done. 22 00:01:09,490 --> 00:01:12,890 Not one that you have to answer to me because it's truly between 23 00:01:12,890 --> 00:01:16,730 you and God, but the title this morning is this Selfish Saints 24 00:01:17,330 --> 00:01:20,810 or Selfless Servants? Selfish Saints. 25 00:01:21,340 --> 00:01:24,380 Or selfless servants. If you're a child of God this 26 00:01:24,380 --> 00:01:28,020 morning, if you know Jesus Christ, your Savior, you are one 27 00:01:28,100 --> 00:01:31,220 or the other. You are either a selfish St. or 28 00:01:31,260 --> 00:01:34,900 a selfless servant, and I would not accuse you of either one or 29 00:01:34,900 --> 00:01:37,580 the other this morning. It's only the Lord, through His 30 00:01:37,620 --> 00:01:41,260 Holy Spirit, the Triune God, God the Holy Spirit, speaking to 31 00:01:41,260 --> 00:01:44,180 your heart this morning, I hope will help you and illuminate you 32 00:01:44,180 --> 00:01:47,860 and encourage you about which way you go in your service to 33 00:01:47,860 --> 00:01:51,090 God today. Now, late in his life, Winston 34 00:01:51,090 --> 00:01:53,650 Churchill took a cruise on a ship. 35 00:01:54,170 --> 00:01:56,930 Journalist encountered the former Prime Minister to ask him 36 00:01:56,930 --> 00:02:01,130 why he chose to travel on a different line when the stately 37 00:02:01,130 --> 00:02:04,490 Queens line under the British flag was readily available to 38 00:02:04,490 --> 00:02:07,650 him for free. Churchill gave the question his 39 00:02:07,650 --> 00:02:10,570 consideration and then gravely replied. 40 00:02:11,009 --> 00:02:13,370 There are three things I like about this ship. 41 00:02:13,810 --> 00:02:16,970 First, the cuisine, which is unsurpassed. 42 00:02:17,330 --> 00:02:20,690 Second, their service. Which is quite superb. 43 00:02:21,210 --> 00:02:25,250 And then Sir Winston gravely added, And then there is this. 44 00:02:25,250 --> 00:02:28,570 There is none of this nonsense about women and children first. 45 00:02:32,090 --> 00:02:35,810 Some of you get that later. But anyway, of course, Winston 46 00:02:35,810 --> 00:02:39,130 Churchill was speaking, we hope, tongue in cheek, when he said 47 00:02:39,130 --> 00:02:41,010 such a thing. But my fear is that there are 48 00:02:41,010 --> 00:02:45,370 many believers who look at the Christian life with a level of 49 00:02:45,370 --> 00:02:51,510 selfishness and a level of. Self satisfaction instead of 50 00:02:51,510 --> 00:02:56,070 getting our satisfaction from Christ and serving him and 51 00:02:56,070 --> 00:02:57,990 serving others. And certainly we can laugh about 52 00:02:58,270 --> 00:03:00,790 a story like that, but it does hit a little bit closer to home 53 00:03:00,790 --> 00:03:04,430 when we realize God has called us, God has called you and me to 54 00:03:04,430 --> 00:03:10,870 be the selfless servants of Him, and he gives us an example in 55 00:03:10,870 --> 00:03:14,900 God the Son, Jesus Christ. An example that I alluded to a 56 00:03:14,900 --> 00:03:17,020 couple of weeks ago. I don't know that we could have 57 00:03:17,020 --> 00:03:20,460 gotten this far in this miniseries this month, moving 58 00:03:20,460 --> 00:03:23,260 forward in service without having referenced already this 59 00:03:23,260 --> 00:03:25,180 account. But I feel like we should take a 60 00:03:25,180 --> 00:03:28,980 greater look at and also contrast Jesus's response with 61 00:03:28,980 --> 00:03:32,300 the response of his disciples as we ask ourselves the question 62 00:03:32,300 --> 00:03:34,100 today. None of the disciples, and not 63 00:03:34,100 --> 00:03:38,500 of Jesus, but of ourselves. Are we selfish Saints or are we 64 00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:41,620 selfless servants? If you're able, would you stand 65 00:03:41,620 --> 00:03:42,900 please for the reading of God's word? 66 00:03:42,900 --> 00:03:44,860 John Chapter #13. And we're going to read a little 67 00:03:44,860 --> 00:03:47,540 bit longer of a passage, and it's one that might be familiar 68 00:03:47,540 --> 00:03:48,860 to you. But I ask you that you just 69 00:03:48,860 --> 00:03:53,500 stick with me as we read the 1st 17 verses of John chapter #13, 70 00:03:54,180 --> 00:03:56,860 now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that 71 00:03:56,860 --> 00:03:59,580 his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world 72 00:03:59,580 --> 00:04:03,460 unto the Father having loved his own which were in the world, he 73 00:04:03,460 --> 00:04:07,020 loved them until the end, and supper being ended the Devil. 74 00:04:07,330 --> 00:04:11,250 Having now put into the heart of Judas Ascariot Simon's son, to 75 00:04:11,370 --> 00:04:14,930 betray him Jesus, knowing that the Father had given him all 76 00:04:14,930 --> 00:04:18,690 things unto his hands, and that he was come from God, and went 77 00:04:18,690 --> 00:04:23,530 to God, He rises from supper, and laid aside his garments, and 78 00:04:23,530 --> 00:04:25,330 took a towel, and girded himself. 79 00:04:25,930 --> 00:04:29,490 After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash the 80 00:04:29,490 --> 00:04:33,090 disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewithy was 81 00:04:33,090 --> 00:04:35,890 girded. Then cometh heat of Simon Peter. 82 00:04:36,330 --> 00:04:39,330 And Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 83 00:04:40,210 --> 00:04:43,770 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou know, 84 00:04:43,930 --> 00:04:48,970 knowest not now, but thou shalt know Hereafter Peter saith unto 85 00:04:48,970 --> 00:04:50,970 him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. 86 00:04:51,850 --> 00:04:54,490 Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with 87 00:04:54,490 --> 00:04:57,250 me. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, 88 00:04:57,250 --> 00:05:00,870 not my feet only. But also my hands and my head. 89 00:05:00,870 --> 00:05:03,190 Of course, Peter, prone to the extremes, isn't he? 90 00:05:03,310 --> 00:05:05,310 You can't wash me. And then he says in the next 91 00:05:05,310 --> 00:05:10,070 breath, wash me everywhere. Jesus saith unto him, He that is 92 00:05:10,070 --> 00:05:14,070 washed needed not to save, to wash his feet. 93 00:05:14,590 --> 00:05:17,470 But it's clean. Every wit and you are clean but 94 00:05:17,470 --> 00:05:19,270 not all. There's a lot of theological, 95 00:05:20,190 --> 00:05:22,510 very practical ramifications for us today. 96 00:05:22,510 --> 00:05:25,790 We're not getting into that, but that's a very important verse. 97 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:28,120 For he knew who should betray him. 98 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,360 Therefore he said, he are not all clean. 99 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaking of Judas, so after he had washed their feet, and had 100 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,960 taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, 101 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:42,280 Know ye what I have done to you? You call me master and Lord, and 102 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:47,440 ye say, well, for so I am. If I then your Lord and master 103 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,040 have washed your feet, he also ought to wash one another's 104 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,440 feet. For I've given you an example 105 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,240 that he should do. As I have done to you, Verily, 106 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,520 verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his 107 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,440 Lord, neither he that is sent, greater than he that sent him. 108 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,880 If you know these things, happy are ye. 109 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,640 If you do them, and Jesus gives the promise at the end to the 110 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,080 selfless servant, happy are ye if you do them. 111 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:16,520 Heavenly Father, be with us as we get into this morning's 112 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,160 message. Help me to accurately convey 113 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,160 what is in your word and touch every heart to respond as. 114 00:06:22,540 --> 00:06:24,860 You see fit this morning and we ask it in Jesus name. 115 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:26,860 Amen. Thank you may be seated. 116 00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:33,780 As we take our final look at the issue of service this week, we 117 00:06:33,780 --> 00:06:37,700 see that the spirit of selfishness repels any act of 118 00:06:37,700 --> 00:06:41,220 service like a magnet, pushing away another magnet when their 119 00:06:41,220 --> 00:06:44,820 poles are alike. Selfishness and service. 120 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,120 Cannot operate in the same sphere. 121 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,560 They are actually opposed to one another in every way. 122 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,000 And here in our text, in John chapter 13, we see Jesus 123 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:58,000 performing one of the most humble acts of service ever 124 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:02,200 found in human history. And maybe even more amazing when 125 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:06,040 we realize that he's doing it under the shadow of the cross 126 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,240 that looms across the table as they have the Last Supper, 127 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:13,040 knowing that within mere hours that he will go to the cross to 128 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:17,640 atone for the sins. Of all mankind in hours, Jesus 129 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:21,440 will agonize in the garden. Yet here he is attending to the 130 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,680 needs of the disciples, thinking not of his own needs, but 131 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,760 thinking to those of his disciples. 132 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,280 Now maybe you would ask yourself your the question this morning, 133 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:31,520 Pastor. Why did he wash their feet? 134 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:33,720 Why was that such an important thing? 135 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,400 And maybe the other thought you have in the back of your mind 136 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,160 is, Pastor, do we have to wash each other's feet here today? 137 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,320 And the answer is, I'll get back to you on that, But anyway. 138 00:07:44,590 --> 00:07:46,750 Why did Jesus wash the disciples feet? 139 00:07:46,750 --> 00:07:51,350 Well, walking in sandals on the roads of Jerusalem in the 1st 140 00:07:51,350 --> 00:07:55,790 century, 1st century made it imperative that feet be washed 141 00:07:55,790 --> 00:07:58,830 before a communal meal. You'll remember that if someone 142 00:07:58,830 --> 00:08:01,150 was to sit at the table, they wouldn't sit at the table like 143 00:08:01,150 --> 00:08:03,630 we would today, but rather they would be reclining. 144 00:08:03,630 --> 00:08:07,150 They would be on their side with their arm and their head closer 145 00:08:07,150 --> 00:08:09,230 to a low slung table and their feet. 146 00:08:09,820 --> 00:08:12,700 Being stretched out would also be close to the table. 147 00:08:12,860 --> 00:08:15,540 And I don't know about you, but dirty feet's one thing, but 148 00:08:15,540 --> 00:08:18,620 dirty feet near the table and the food on the table is 149 00:08:18,620 --> 00:08:21,500 something completely different. And so it would have been very 150 00:08:21,500 --> 00:08:25,020 normal with the acts of hospitality that whoever was the 151 00:08:25,540 --> 00:08:28,740 owner of that home would make sure that the feet of the guests 152 00:08:28,740 --> 00:08:30,540 were washed. And of course, with the 153 00:08:30,540 --> 00:08:33,340 disciples having a rented room, that upper room there wouldn't 154 00:08:33,340 --> 00:08:35,460 have been someone necessarily designated. 155 00:08:35,820 --> 00:08:38,980 To wash the feet of the disciples and Jesus when they 156 00:08:38,980 --> 00:08:41,500 had entered in. And somehow they had gotten to 157 00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:46,140 the point, to this point of the the meal of the Last Supper that 158 00:08:46,140 --> 00:08:49,180 they had not had their feet washed still. 159 00:08:49,460 --> 00:08:53,140 And it's almost as if everyone was holding out, waiting for 160 00:08:53,140 --> 00:08:55,980 someone else to do the job. It was almost as if. 161 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,320 Peter was thinking, well, John will do it. 162 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,760 And John was thinking, well, maybe Matthew will do it. 163 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,720 And Matthew was thinking, well, maybe Judas will do it, And 164 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,080 Judas was thinking something completely different, and their 165 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,000 minds were all in different places. 166 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:14,040 And so Jesus pushes back from the table, and he performs this 167 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,000 humble act of service, even though he was the one with the 168 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,960 most in his mind, even though he was the one who would agonize in 169 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:25,210 the guard with great. Drops of sweat as blood coming 170 00:09:25,210 --> 00:09:28,010 down from his brow in just hours from now. 171 00:09:28,090 --> 00:09:31,610 But yet here, under the shadow of the cross, he performs as 172 00:09:31,610 --> 00:09:34,890 humble active service. He washed the disciples feet. 173 00:09:35,090 --> 00:09:38,930 This was the work of a humble servant, not of heaven's savior. 174 00:09:40,530 --> 00:09:43,050 This was not the work of a or. This was rather the work of a 175 00:09:43,050 --> 00:09:45,290 humble servant, not of heaven's savior. 176 00:09:45,650 --> 00:09:50,570 But yet it's exactly the work of Heaven's savior, because he was 177 00:09:50,570 --> 00:09:53,380 a humble servant. No, maybe you didn't catch that. 178 00:09:53,380 --> 00:09:55,060 Let me say that again. I'm trying to say it properly 179 00:09:55,060 --> 00:09:56,940 this time. This was the work of a humble 180 00:09:56,940 --> 00:10:00,220 servant, not heaven's savior, but because he was heaven's 181 00:10:00,220 --> 00:10:03,980 savior, he was willing to do the work of a humble servant. 182 00:10:04,100 --> 00:10:07,860 Remember, we read this just recently, Matthew 20, verse 28. 183 00:10:08,140 --> 00:10:11,780 Even as the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to 184 00:10:11,780 --> 00:10:15,060 minister and to give his life a ransom for many. 185 00:10:15,220 --> 00:10:18,860 We've read this several times recently, but it I can't go past 186 00:10:18,860 --> 00:10:22,340 it without referencing it again. Philippians 2 verses 7 and. 187 00:10:22,940 --> 00:10:27,100 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him 188 00:10:27,660 --> 00:10:30,860 the form of a servant, and was made in the lightness of men. 189 00:10:30,940 --> 00:10:34,860 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and 190 00:10:34,860 --> 00:10:38,260 became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 191 00:10:38,420 --> 00:10:41,540 And it's interesting in both of those verses, in both cases his 192 00:10:41,540 --> 00:10:45,460 servant's heart is directly connected to his passion and his 193 00:10:45,460 --> 00:10:47,980 death on the cross. It wasn't just that he served by 194 00:10:47,980 --> 00:10:50,700 washing feet, although certainly that's an incredible thing. 195 00:10:50,820 --> 00:10:53,940 It wasn't just that he served. By feeding the 5000, although 196 00:10:53,940 --> 00:10:57,740 certainly that was a miraculous thing, He served by going to the 197 00:10:57,740 --> 00:11:01,300 cross for your sins and for mine, dying the death and paying 198 00:11:01,300 --> 00:11:05,020 the price that we couldn't pay so that you and I have the hope 199 00:11:05,020 --> 00:11:07,860 of eternity. That's what Heaven's savior did. 200 00:11:07,860 --> 00:11:11,260 But he did it within the mindset of one of the framework, if you 201 00:11:11,260 --> 00:11:17,620 will, of a humble servant. Now we take a moment and just 202 00:11:17,620 --> 00:11:22,930 consider and marvel the fact. That he would die for our sins. 203 00:11:24,250 --> 00:11:28,570 The Psalms have a word for the cela, meaning meditate on this. 204 00:11:29,890 --> 00:11:34,210 The fact that Jesus Christ, the humble servant, heaven's savior, 205 00:11:34,210 --> 00:11:36,970 would die for our sins. We could just meditate on that 206 00:11:36,970 --> 00:11:39,490 the rest of the morning and we'd have a lot to think about. 207 00:11:40,410 --> 00:11:44,090 But I also want you to meditate on this, that that same servant 208 00:11:44,690 --> 00:11:48,690 was willing to stoop down when 12 other men would not. 209 00:11:49,880 --> 00:12:00,280 And got down next to feet, feet, feet and got next to their feet 210 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,760 and did the work that none of us would want to do. 211 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:07,400 How do I know that? Because just a few moments ago I 212 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,720 talked about washing feet and I said, well, we'll talk more 213 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:11,200 about it later. And I saw some of you. 214 00:12:11,650 --> 00:12:14,170 Get a panic look on your face as if in a few minutes I was going 215 00:12:14,170 --> 00:12:17,130 to ask you to remove your shoes and try to cast lots to see 216 00:12:17,130 --> 00:12:18,890 which of us is going to wash someone else's feet. 217 00:12:18,890 --> 00:12:21,010 Guess what? Keep your shoes on this morning, 218 00:12:22,330 --> 00:12:24,050 all God's children today. Amen about that. 219 00:12:25,490 --> 00:12:27,570 If you don't agree with one thing I say, just the fact that 220 00:12:27,570 --> 00:12:30,210 I say keep your shoes on. Everybody ought to agree with 221 00:12:30,210 --> 00:12:36,930 that, but it's this very serviceminded Savior who made 222 00:12:36,930 --> 00:12:40,970 salvation possible for mankind because he was a servant. 223 00:12:41,580 --> 00:12:45,700 Salvation is possible today. No You can know for sure you're 224 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:49,860 going to heaven today because Jesus Christ the Servant went to 225 00:12:49,860 --> 00:12:51,980 the cross for the sins of mankind. 226 00:12:51,980 --> 00:12:54,860 And I would say to you today, although this is a message and 227 00:12:54,980 --> 00:12:58,340 this is a theme that deals with Christian service, that means 228 00:12:58,340 --> 00:13:00,970 for believers. But friend, we would be remiss 229 00:13:00,970 --> 00:13:03,090 if we didn't. Just take a moment to say if you 230 00:13:03,090 --> 00:13:06,170 don't know that you're going to heaven, if you don't know that 231 00:13:06,250 --> 00:13:08,850 Jesus Christ is your savior, if you don't know where you'll 232 00:13:08,850 --> 00:13:11,970 spend eternity when you pass from this earth, don't leave 233 00:13:11,970 --> 00:13:14,810 this building without getting confirmed in your heart and life 234 00:13:15,090 --> 00:13:17,810 that you've repented of your sins and called upon Jesus 235 00:13:17,810 --> 00:13:20,330 Christ to save you. That's why the humble servant 236 00:13:20,330 --> 00:13:23,650 came to give his life as a ransom for many, although 237 00:13:23,650 --> 00:13:26,410 certainly washing the feet was an incredible thing. 238 00:13:26,570 --> 00:13:29,410 But the act of dying on the cross, of shedding his blood. 239 00:13:29,690 --> 00:13:33,690 For the remission of your sins, and my sins, don't leave here 240 00:13:33,690 --> 00:13:35,810 today. Listen, if you hear nothing else 241 00:13:35,810 --> 00:13:38,530 that I say today, and I hope that's not the case, but if you 242 00:13:38,530 --> 00:13:40,730 hear nothing else that I say today, know this. 243 00:13:40,930 --> 00:13:44,490 You must be born again. And it's through Jesus Christ 244 00:13:44,730 --> 00:13:49,050 and Christ alone, the name that you must call upon asking him to 245 00:13:49,050 --> 00:13:51,210 forgive you of your sins. Because you're a Sinner. 246 00:13:51,210 --> 00:13:53,450 And I'm a Sinner. And it's only through Jesus 247 00:13:53,450 --> 00:13:57,170 Christ for giving those sins, those transgressions against 248 00:13:57,170 --> 00:14:04,310 God's law, that we can be saved. Jesus, the humble servant and 249 00:14:04,310 --> 00:14:10,190 heaven savior. But yet his attitude stands in 250 00:14:10,190 --> 00:14:13,230 stark opposition to the disciples. 251 00:14:14,070 --> 00:14:16,270 May I remind you that there were 13 in that room. 252 00:14:16,990 --> 00:14:20,270 There were 12 disciples and Jesus Christ. 253 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:23,960 And when no one at the table was willing to wash the feet of 254 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:27,080 those who were at the table, it was Jesus who gird himself with 255 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,200 a towel. It was Jesus who went and 256 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:30,520 stooped himself. No, no. 257 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:32,960 To wash someone's feet you'd have to stoop yourself down. 258 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:34,360 You would have to make yourself low. 259 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,840 It was Jesus, the one who we bow our knees to today, that 260 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,560 literally bowed Himself in front of his own creation and wiped 261 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:45,080 off the dirt which was part of his creation, off the feet of 262 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,760 which were his creation, and the Creator God, Jesus Christ, the 263 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:51,000 One who was active in creation. John. 264 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,640 Chapter one, who was washing their feet in an act that his 265 00:14:54,640 --> 00:15:00,440 creation wouldn't do to each other or do to him, but the 266 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,280 attitude was in opposition. How do we know so well Luke 267 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:05,880 chapter 22? Would you turn to Luke chapter 268 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,040 22 this morning, just a few pages away? 269 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:13,160 Go backwards one book. Luke Chapter #22 and verse #24. 270 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,040 And this also speaks of the Last Supper. 271 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,720 And I will say, the passage we're about to read. 272 00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:24,580 There may be some question of how this fits into the timeline 273 00:15:24,580 --> 00:15:26,620 of the Last Supper. If you've ever taken the four 274 00:15:26,620 --> 00:15:29,100 Gospels and tried to fit in where the different parts of the 275 00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:32,220 Last Supper took place, there could be some question exactly 276 00:15:32,220 --> 00:15:34,740 where this fits in. Did this passage take place 277 00:15:35,020 --> 00:15:38,100 before the feet were washed, or did this passage take place 278 00:15:38,140 --> 00:15:41,020 after the feet were washed? Say, Pastor, what's the answer? 279 00:15:41,020 --> 00:15:43,220 And the answer is this. I don't have an answer. 280 00:15:44,050 --> 00:15:47,690 At least not with any certainty. But I will say this I do know as 281 00:15:47,690 --> 00:15:51,410 a matter of fact that no matter when it took place, this passage 282 00:15:51,410 --> 00:15:55,730 reveals the general heart of the disciples who were at the table, 283 00:15:56,010 --> 00:15:59,090 no matter when this was said. Look at verse #24. 284 00:15:59,610 --> 00:16:01,890 And there was also a strife among them. 285 00:16:01,890 --> 00:16:03,690 Who's them? The disciples? 286 00:16:04,490 --> 00:16:08,890 Which of them should be accounted the greatest? 287 00:16:11,570 --> 00:16:14,730 Which of them? Should be accounted the greatest 288 00:16:15,410 --> 00:16:17,970 Jesus, may I remind you, hours from the cross. 289 00:16:18,490 --> 00:16:20,290 And the disciples are doing what? 290 00:16:20,930 --> 00:16:23,490 Trying to figure out which of the 12 of them are the best of 291 00:16:23,490 --> 00:16:26,850 the 12. Talk about something that is so 292 00:16:27,210 --> 00:16:31,530 petty and so selfish and so prideful. 293 00:16:32,570 --> 00:16:35,810 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise 294 00:16:35,810 --> 00:16:38,970 lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon 295 00:16:38,970 --> 00:16:41,650 them are called benefactors, meaning. 296 00:16:41,940 --> 00:16:43,860 This one commentator put it this way. 297 00:16:44,340 --> 00:16:47,460 In the world, authority over other people constitutes 298 00:16:47,460 --> 00:16:50,860 greatness. But in Jesus Kingdom service of 299 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:54,060 others does Pagan rulers have two objectionable 300 00:16:54,060 --> 00:16:57,140 characteristics at least. First they Lord it over or 301 00:16:57,940 --> 00:17:01,620 tyrannize others, and secondly they take titles to themselves 302 00:17:01,620 --> 00:17:05,619 that indicate their superiority over others such as benefactor. 303 00:17:06,579 --> 00:17:10,260 Here he's saying, those Pagan kings, those Pagan rulers. 304 00:17:10,829 --> 00:17:15,430 They do much damage to their people as they lift themselves 305 00:17:15,430 --> 00:17:18,550 up, but at the same time, they say they're there to help the 306 00:17:18,550 --> 00:17:20,950 poor. Does that sound familiar to 307 00:17:20,950 --> 00:17:23,950 anybody today? Hey, we're here to help the 308 00:17:23,950 --> 00:17:27,630 little people while they rob the little people blind, he says. 309 00:17:27,630 --> 00:17:30,910 That's what the world does. They look for power. 310 00:17:30,910 --> 00:17:35,750 They are hungry for power, and they do it by trotting over the 311 00:17:35,750 --> 00:17:39,070 bodies of whoever they have to tread over to get where they're 312 00:17:39,070 --> 00:17:41,870 going on the ladder. But what does Jesus say? 313 00:17:42,310 --> 00:17:46,590 But you shall not be so. Hey, this is not what we do as 314 00:17:46,590 --> 00:17:48,910 believers. We don't act in this way. 315 00:17:48,910 --> 00:17:51,030 We don't. We don't behave ourselves in 316 00:17:51,030 --> 00:17:53,750 this way to see who is the greatest, who can get to the 317 00:17:53,750 --> 00:17:55,630 top, who's the most important at the church? 318 00:17:55,670 --> 00:17:58,190 Who has the biggest class? Who's the one that gets the most 319 00:17:58,190 --> 00:17:59,510 amens? Who's the one that gets the 320 00:17:59,510 --> 00:18:01,350 applause? Who's the one that pastor picks 321 00:18:01,350 --> 00:18:03,670 out of the crowd? Who's the one that gets to read 322 00:18:03,670 --> 00:18:06,190 the worship the most? Who is the one that gets to pray 323 00:18:06,190 --> 00:18:08,470 at the end of the services? Who is the one that gets to 324 00:18:08,470 --> 00:18:09,230 this? To that? 325 00:18:09,350 --> 00:18:10,070 He says. But. 326 00:18:10,150 --> 00:18:13,710 He should not be so. That's the kind of stuff the 327 00:18:13,710 --> 00:18:17,590 world does. But he that is greatest among 328 00:18:17,590 --> 00:18:22,190 you, let him be as the younger and he that is chief. 329 00:18:22,190 --> 00:18:24,670 Is that me? It's not me. 330 00:18:24,710 --> 00:18:25,870 Okay. All right. 331 00:18:27,830 --> 00:18:29,270 Thought it was my echo there for a second. 332 00:18:29,270 --> 00:18:32,150 All right, But he it's all right. 333 00:18:32,510 --> 00:18:35,350 But you shall not be so. But he that is greatest among 334 00:18:35,350 --> 00:18:39,690 you, let him be as the younger. And he that is chief as he does 335 00:18:39,690 --> 00:18:42,330 serve, what is, what does it say? 336 00:18:42,330 --> 00:18:43,890 All right, there we go. What? 337 00:18:43,890 --> 00:18:46,250 What is it saying? When we serve? 338 00:18:47,090 --> 00:18:50,850 We are doing greater things than when we exalt ourselves. 339 00:18:51,650 --> 00:18:53,370 And that's the problem that we have. 340 00:18:53,370 --> 00:18:55,930 We look at service as something menial. 341 00:18:56,530 --> 00:19:00,650 We look at surface service as something that is entry level. 342 00:19:01,170 --> 00:19:03,850 We look at service as something that is not important. 343 00:19:03,850 --> 00:19:06,770 But yet, I would submit to you that we are most like our 344 00:19:06,770 --> 00:19:10,060 savior. The humble servant when we 345 00:19:10,060 --> 00:19:14,260 ourselves are people of service. But the act of selfishness, 346 00:19:14,300 --> 00:19:16,220 Who's the greatest? Who's the one who? 347 00:19:16,460 --> 00:19:18,060 Who? You know who had them, You know 348 00:19:18,060 --> 00:19:21,380 with pastors saying who had the most on Sunday, oh, who had the 349 00:19:21,380 --> 00:19:23,580 biggest altar call? You know who had the biggest 350 00:19:23,580 --> 00:19:24,780 offerings? Who had this? 351 00:19:25,380 --> 00:19:26,860 Could I say this in all humility? 352 00:19:26,860 --> 00:19:30,060 Who cares? No, no. 353 00:19:30,060 --> 00:19:32,420 What is the matter? What's as important as this? 354 00:19:32,900 --> 00:19:35,380 No one goes to a preachers meeting among pastors and say 355 00:19:35,540 --> 00:19:39,530 who served the most. Who cleaned the most? 356 00:19:40,770 --> 00:19:44,130 But isn't that what Jesus is saying is important? 357 00:19:45,330 --> 00:19:49,050 Is the act of service. In fact, that's what Jesus meant 358 00:19:49,050 --> 00:19:51,410 in verse 15 of our text when he says this. 359 00:19:51,650 --> 00:19:55,730 For I have given you an example that you should do as I have 360 00:19:55,730 --> 00:19:58,210 done. See, when Jesus is talking about 361 00:19:58,210 --> 00:20:00,610 doing what he has done, I believe this, and you can 362 00:20:00,610 --> 00:20:03,010 breathe a sigh of relief. It's not talking about the fact 363 00:20:03,010 --> 00:20:04,610 that we need to wash each other's feet. 364 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:07,360 Some of you were really worried about that. 365 00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:08,600 So I want to get that out of the way. 366 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,880 The Bible does talk about in one other place in in First Timothy 367 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,400 about foot washing and that there was a person who was a 368 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:20,960 servant, who was a foot washer. But yet nowhere is it mentioned, 369 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,120 I believe to be an ordinance of the church, like baptism in the 370 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:26,160 Lord's Supper, ordinances of the church. 371 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,680 Here's what foot washing was in the 1st century. 372 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:34,880 It was a need because you walked in sandals around dusty roads 373 00:20:35,370 --> 00:20:38,770 and he went into a home that was trying to be kept clean and 374 00:20:38,770 --> 00:20:41,810 somewhat sanitary by 1st century, 1st century standards. 375 00:20:42,370 --> 00:20:45,010 So to have someone wash your feet was a necessity. 376 00:20:45,730 --> 00:20:49,610 But at the same time, and this is true 2000 years later, nobody 377 00:20:49,610 --> 00:20:53,050 wanted to do it. And especially then when those 378 00:20:53,050 --> 00:20:56,050 feet had been exposed to the elements, listen, it's not just 379 00:20:56,050 --> 00:20:59,170 dirt, but there were animals that would defecate on the 380 00:20:59,170 --> 00:21:00,850 ground. I mean, I'm not trying to be 381 00:21:01,250 --> 00:21:03,850 weird here, but I'm just saying that this was not. 382 00:21:03,890 --> 00:21:07,780 If you think this is a bad job now, when our feet are ensconced 383 00:21:08,060 --> 00:21:12,060 in $100 sneakers, well, not mine, but some of you might be. 384 00:21:15,140 --> 00:21:18,500 But back then, this was beyond being humble. 385 00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:22,260 This was just kind of dirty gross. 386 00:21:23,740 --> 00:21:27,960 But it was a need. So is it a need for us today? 387 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,000 Is it a need? You know, when we have the kids 388 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,280 outside today, we need to wash their feet before they come to 389 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:34,200 the table and eat hot dogs. Thank the Lord. 390 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:35,760 No, that's not going to be a need. 391 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:37,280 But you know what? There is going to be a need. 392 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:38,760 There's going to be a need to serve them hot dogs. 393 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,800 There's going to be a need to watch over them to make sure 394 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,040 that they don't all run into the wall at the same time and run 395 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,080 into each other and and hit each other with hot dogs and things 396 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:51,240 like that. You said, does that happen? 397 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,000 You've ever been to a children's activity before? 398 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:57,030 There's this need. There are needs. 399 00:21:57,030 --> 00:21:59,110 Today. They're not feet washing, but 400 00:21:59,110 --> 00:22:01,750 there are needs, some of them pretty humble. 401 00:22:02,630 --> 00:22:06,550 Some of them might be cleaning. Some of them might be handing 402 00:22:06,550 --> 00:22:11,840 someone to track, some of them might be changing light bulbs, 403 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,160 some of them might be doing landscaping, some of them might 404 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,120 be delivering groceries to someone's house. 405 00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:19,000 That they could be any number of things that are real needs here 406 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:20,960 today. And the question is this, who 407 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:22,320 are the ones that are going to do it? 408 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,200 Well, according to the disciples example, it's not the people who 409 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:29,200 are filled with self. If you are filled with self, you 410 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,160 will not be the humble servant that God has called you to be. 411 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,160 You see, selfish Saints are consumed with self, but selfless 412 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,520 servants are consumed with those whom they serve. 413 00:22:40,780 --> 00:22:43,060 You're going to be consumed with something, and if you're a 414 00:22:43,060 --> 00:22:45,780 selfish St. you are just consumed with yourself and your 415 00:22:45,780 --> 00:22:48,740 own needs. But a selfless servant is 416 00:22:48,740 --> 00:22:51,140 consumed with those whom they serve. 417 00:22:51,140 --> 00:22:52,580 You say who are those they serve? 418 00:22:52,940 --> 00:22:56,830 Those who are around them and their Lord and Savior, they're 419 00:22:56,830 --> 00:22:59,990 consumed with the fact that I want to serve someone else. 420 00:22:59,990 --> 00:23:00,510 Deal. Moody. 421 00:23:00,510 --> 00:23:02,870 Put it this way. I believe firmly that the moment 422 00:23:02,870 --> 00:23:06,990 our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and 423 00:23:06,990 --> 00:23:10,150 everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will 424 00:23:10,150 --> 00:23:13,790 fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and 425 00:23:13,790 --> 00:23:17,310 conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the 426 00:23:17,310 --> 00:23:20,910 Holy Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can 427 00:23:20,910 --> 00:23:23,250 be filled. We must be emptied of our self 428 00:23:23,250 --> 00:23:25,890 and our own ambitions and our own egos and what people think 429 00:23:25,890 --> 00:23:28,410 of me. And we must say as John did, He 430 00:23:28,410 --> 00:23:30,130 must increase and I must decrease. 431 00:23:30,210 --> 00:23:33,450 It's about him and not about me. More about Jesus. 432 00:23:33,450 --> 00:23:36,290 More and more about Jesus. That's what the old him says. 433 00:23:36,410 --> 00:23:38,850 And it's still true today that it's more about Jesus. 434 00:23:38,850 --> 00:23:41,050 And we ain't much of Jesus and lift high the cross. 435 00:23:41,170 --> 00:23:44,250 It must be some servants who are below that are lifting him up, 436 00:23:44,250 --> 00:23:45,650 because that's what he's called us to do. 437 00:23:46,450 --> 00:23:49,650 What we see here is men who thought too much of themselves 438 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,560 and too little of others, refusing to do a job that was 439 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,640 beneath their vaunted self-proclaimed stature. 440 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:01,400 In opposition to this is Christ who thought much of others and 441 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,720 little of self doing a job that others refused to do. 442 00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:11,680 If anyone ever had an excuse or reason not to serve, it was 443 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:16,760 Jesus Christ and he served. If there was ever anyone who 444 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:22,210 should have served Jesus Christ, it was the disciples and they 445 00:24:22,210 --> 00:24:24,850 were Mia. Why? 446 00:24:25,490 --> 00:24:28,010 They all thought they were the greatest. 447 00:24:29,170 --> 00:24:32,570 So some observations that I can make from this text and a few 448 00:24:32,570 --> 00:24:34,370 conclusions I can make here this morning. 449 00:24:34,370 --> 00:24:38,210 And the first is this. A selfless servant seeks out 450 00:24:38,210 --> 00:24:43,130 opportunities to serve. A selfless servant seeks out 451 00:24:43,370 --> 00:24:46,690 opportunities to serve. There's an old saying that says 452 00:24:46,690 --> 00:24:51,770 see the need, take the lead. To see the need is to take the 453 00:24:51,770 --> 00:24:53,690 lead. Instead of waiting for someone 454 00:24:53,690 --> 00:24:58,450 else to do the job, do the job. You ever had something in your 455 00:24:58,450 --> 00:25:01,570 house, Maybe it was a bag of trash or maybe something need to 456 00:25:01,570 --> 00:25:03,890 get put away. And maybe there's, like in our 457 00:25:03,890 --> 00:25:05,450 house, several people that are in the house. 458 00:25:05,450 --> 00:25:08,410 We have six people in our home, Diane and I and the four 459 00:25:08,410 --> 00:25:10,970 children. And that thing is out, and it's 460 00:25:10,970 --> 00:25:16,290 out for a few hours and then it's out for a few days and then 461 00:25:16,290 --> 00:25:18,940 it's been out for a week. Why? 462 00:25:19,060 --> 00:25:21,740 Because everybody's hoping somebody else will move it. 463 00:25:23,100 --> 00:25:27,660 And finally you get to the point and say, hey child, I won't name 464 00:25:27,660 --> 00:25:32,020 one like Kaylee, Kaylee, will you move it? 465 00:25:32,380 --> 00:25:34,700 I just saw her. So that was why will you move 466 00:25:34,700 --> 00:25:35,820 it? And Kaylee's why I thought 467 00:25:35,820 --> 00:25:37,420 Bethany was going to move it. And Bethany said, well, I 468 00:25:37,420 --> 00:25:38,380 thought Dad was going to move it. 469 00:25:38,380 --> 00:25:40,260 And Dad says, well, I thought Mom was going to move it because 470 00:25:40,260 --> 00:25:41,100 right. What would dad say? 471 00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:44,420 But and we all look at one another and what ends up 472 00:25:44,420 --> 00:25:46,020 happening? Nobody does it. 473 00:25:47,370 --> 00:25:49,050 You know, I've often found in the service of the Lord It can 474 00:25:49,050 --> 00:25:51,970 be that way. Everybody just assumes someone 475 00:25:51,970 --> 00:25:55,410 else is going to do the job. But a selfless servant says 476 00:25:55,410 --> 00:25:59,010 this, where is the job? I want to find it. 477 00:26:00,810 --> 00:26:04,450 Pastor Turner, the pastor that I worked for for five years when I 478 00:26:04,450 --> 00:26:07,530 was in Florida, would purposely leave things on the ground every 479 00:26:07,530 --> 00:26:10,490 once in a while around the church building. 480 00:26:11,610 --> 00:26:13,650 And he would watch to see how many people walked by before 481 00:26:13,650 --> 00:26:16,560 someone would pick it up. You know, when I see trash out 482 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,720 in the parking lot, I still pick it up and put it in my pocket. 483 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,600 You know what I'm afraid Pastor Turner, somewhere watching me, 484 00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:25,320 he's going to call me down if I don't pick it up. 485 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:27,360 Do you know why? Because he's just saying, 486 00:26:27,360 --> 00:26:30,160 listen, if you're going to serve and do something humble, like 487 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:33,800 pick up a gum wrapper. If you're going to serve, pick 488 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:34,680 up a straw. Why? 489 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,400 Because it's God's house. We want to keep it looking good. 490 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,960 A servant seeks opportunities or someone needs something. 491 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:42,200 I'm going to try to help if I can. 492 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,240 Now can you help everybody? You can't. 493 00:26:45,330 --> 00:26:49,290 So you can help a few, and you do that by seeking opportunities 494 00:26:49,530 --> 00:26:51,650 to be a servant. And by the way, that's not just 495 00:26:51,650 --> 00:26:52,850 the pastor. That's everybody. 496 00:26:53,130 --> 00:26:55,490 As a church gets larger, and as the church grows, which we've 497 00:26:55,490 --> 00:26:57,930 seen with our church, what happens, we need more people to 498 00:26:57,930 --> 00:27:00,730 be able to help one another. Because I can only answer so 499 00:27:00,730 --> 00:27:02,930 many calls and I can only answer so many texts, and I can only 500 00:27:03,090 --> 00:27:05,810 counsel so many people, but we can all help one another, find 501 00:27:05,810 --> 00:27:07,330 ways to be an encouragement and to help. 502 00:27:07,450 --> 00:27:11,050 That's what servants do. But I also see this from our 503 00:27:11,050 --> 00:27:14,010 text. A selfless servant puts the 504 00:27:14,010 --> 00:27:18,250 needs of others ahead of self. A selfless servant puts the 505 00:27:18,250 --> 00:27:21,610 needs of others ahead of self. Who is the most needy at the 506 00:27:21,610 --> 00:27:23,650 table? If I could put it that way that 507 00:27:23,650 --> 00:27:28,890 night Christ are the disciples. It's Christ now, understand? 508 00:27:29,570 --> 00:27:31,730 Connecting the term needy with Christ. 509 00:27:32,450 --> 00:27:34,490 I even hesitate to do so. But you understand what I'm 510 00:27:34,490 --> 00:27:36,050 saying. The one who had the most needs 511 00:27:36,050 --> 00:27:38,570 of the hour, It would have been Jesus Christ. 512 00:27:39,170 --> 00:27:40,810 We know he was about to go to the Garden. 513 00:27:41,370 --> 00:27:42,810 We know he was about to be betrayed. 514 00:27:43,130 --> 00:27:45,610 We know that he was about to be part of two different puppet 515 00:27:45,610 --> 00:27:47,570 trials. We know that he was going to be 516 00:27:47,570 --> 00:27:50,010 mocked by his own creation. We know that he was going to be 517 00:27:50,010 --> 00:27:55,090 beat beyond humanity and die on the cross for our sins. 518 00:27:55,810 --> 00:27:58,690 And the disciples? Well, the hardest thing they 519 00:27:58,690 --> 00:28:02,450 were going to deal with was to watch all of that, which many of 520 00:28:02,450 --> 00:28:04,170 them would not even do because they ran. 521 00:28:05,930 --> 00:28:07,930 But yet who was the one who saw the need? 522 00:28:08,770 --> 00:28:14,910 The one who had the needs. And So what does that teach us? 523 00:28:14,910 --> 00:28:17,750 That a selfless servant always puts the needs of others ahead 524 00:28:17,750 --> 00:28:20,550 of self. You having some difficulty in 525 00:28:20,550 --> 00:28:23,110 your life? You having some trouble, some 526 00:28:23,110 --> 00:28:25,710 trials. Could I encourage you serve? 527 00:28:27,750 --> 00:28:30,350 Say, pastor, I need about 5 people to serve me if I'm about 528 00:28:30,350 --> 00:28:32,910 to get my head above water. Serve. 529 00:28:34,390 --> 00:28:36,510 No, you serve. You know why? 530 00:28:37,110 --> 00:28:40,870 Because God does something wonderful in your heart. 531 00:28:41,710 --> 00:28:44,510 When you have a great need and you serve. 532 00:28:45,070 --> 00:28:47,070 You know why? He reminds you that there are 533 00:28:47,070 --> 00:28:49,750 other people that have needs. One of Satan's greatest tricks 534 00:28:49,750 --> 00:28:52,350 is to tell people that you are the only one having trouble. 535 00:28:53,590 --> 00:28:55,030 You're the only one with financial trouble. 536 00:28:55,750 --> 00:28:57,110 You're the only one with family trouble. 537 00:28:57,550 --> 00:29:00,270 You're the only one with bad health, and we get into our own 538 00:29:00,270 --> 00:29:02,230 mind that that's the case. But when you start to serve 539 00:29:02,230 --> 00:29:04,990 other people and put your needs behind, you start to see there 540 00:29:04,990 --> 00:29:07,510 are other people who have needs. Then you are blessed by being 541 00:29:07,510 --> 00:29:09,390 able to help them. And before you know it, God just 542 00:29:09,390 --> 00:29:11,510 somehow finds a way to have your needs met, too. 543 00:29:12,510 --> 00:29:15,350 That's why one of the best ways to get out of financial trouble 544 00:29:15,350 --> 00:29:16,830 is to give your way out of financial trouble. 545 00:29:18,110 --> 00:29:19,750 You say, pastor. That doesn't make sense. 546 00:29:20,350 --> 00:29:21,670 It doesn't. But Malachi says. 547 00:29:21,670 --> 00:29:24,510 He says, you give and I'll open the windows of heaven and pour 548 00:29:24,510 --> 00:29:27,460 out a blessing as you attend to the need of others. 549 00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:28,900 I'll make sure that you're taking care of. 550 00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:30,340 I'll make sure you have your daily bread. 551 00:29:30,460 --> 00:29:32,620 I'll make sure that you have the clothes, the arraignment that 552 00:29:32,620 --> 00:29:33,860 you need. I will do so. 553 00:29:33,860 --> 00:29:36,460 Don't you trust me for this? This is what he says, not me. 554 00:29:37,300 --> 00:29:39,580 We put the needs of others ahead of ourself. 555 00:29:40,380 --> 00:29:43,020 But I also see this. A selfless servant actively 556 00:29:43,020 --> 00:29:47,020 surges for jobs nobody else wants to do, that nobody else 557 00:29:47,020 --> 00:29:49,900 wants to do. I was reading a story just a few 558 00:29:49,900 --> 00:29:52,580 days ago about Alex Trebek. And of course, you know, Alex 559 00:29:52,580 --> 00:29:55,380 Trebek is the host of Jeopardy for almost 35 years. 560 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,400 And the announcer with that amazing voice, Johnny Gilbert, 561 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,800 the voice of Jeopardy. The story goes, a few years ago, 562 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,800 while Alex Trebek was alive, he was in his dressing room and the 563 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:08,840 toilet started to overflow in his dressing room. 564 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:10,560 We didn't know what happened, but all of a sudden he sees 565 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:13,560 water coming out into his dressing room and he goes out 566 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,800 into the hallway and he sees Alex Trebek. 567 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,640 And he says, Alex, do you know where the stage manager is? 568 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:20,880 He says, I don't. What's the matter? 569 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,000 He says, well, there's something wrong with my toilet. 570 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,020 There's water coming on. He goes, well, hold on a second 571 00:30:26,020 --> 00:30:30,540 and he goes in and he gets on the ground and fixes the toilet. 572 00:30:30,540 --> 00:30:33,980 I don't know about you, but I would love to see Alex Trebek, 573 00:30:34,660 --> 00:30:40,180 full suit, mustache and all, on the idea of him on the ground 574 00:30:40,180 --> 00:30:44,740 doing a job that someone much lower than him should have been 575 00:30:44,740 --> 00:30:47,300 doing. It's a pretty interesting 576 00:30:47,300 --> 00:30:50,180 thought, isn't it? Here's a man who probably made 577 00:30:50,540 --> 00:30:54,060 10s of millions of dollars a year, but he said this job's not 578 00:30:54,060 --> 00:30:55,730 beneath me. I'll fix the toilet. 579 00:30:56,690 --> 00:31:00,170 It's pretty humble. How much more so should we as 580 00:31:00,170 --> 00:31:02,490 believers? Who you say, Well, I don't have 581 00:31:02,490 --> 00:31:04,570 10s of $1,000,000. You don't. 582 00:31:05,210 --> 00:31:07,730 I mean, I don't want to assume. Sorry, but I'm going to guess 583 00:31:07,730 --> 00:31:10,850 you don't. But you have something greater. 584 00:31:11,690 --> 00:31:15,010 The riches of heaven been placed in your account in your life. 585 00:31:15,490 --> 00:31:19,010 How much more should we look for ways to be servants, even ones 586 00:31:19,010 --> 00:31:20,930 that other people don't want to do? 587 00:31:21,210 --> 00:31:23,210 No one wanted to deal with the feet. 588 00:31:23,770 --> 00:31:26,330 I get it. We get it. 589 00:31:27,130 --> 00:31:28,970 But there are other jobs that people don't want to do. 590 00:31:28,970 --> 00:31:30,530 Do you know there are homeless people that need to be 591 00:31:30,530 --> 00:31:32,970 ministered to? You know, there are people in 592 00:31:32,970 --> 00:31:34,250 our prisons that need to be ministered to. 593 00:31:34,250 --> 00:31:35,970 We have an opportunity to be in a prison ministry. 594 00:31:36,090 --> 00:31:37,890 Right now we haven't. You know why? 595 00:31:37,890 --> 00:31:40,450 Not enough people to help. I'm afraid to start. 596 00:31:40,450 --> 00:31:42,530 I'm afraid if we start, we won't be able to continue. 597 00:31:42,770 --> 00:31:45,050 But you know, there are people in the prisons, men and women, 598 00:31:45,210 --> 00:31:46,850 that need someone to go give them the gospel. 599 00:31:46,850 --> 00:31:48,370 He said, well, that's not going to build our church. 600 00:31:48,810 --> 00:31:52,930 Who said anything about that? We want to build the Kingdom. 601 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:56,280 You know what that'll take? Some people that might say, 602 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:57,680 well, I'm uncomfortable with that. 603 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:01,520 Well, maybe you are. But if everyone's uncomfortable 604 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:05,520 with it, who will do it? Someone needs to do it. 605 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,200 There are jobs that need to be done, whether it's helping it 606 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,320 with the children's ministry or working in the nursery. 607 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,280 And we have our ladies work in the nursery. 608 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:16,400 I'm thankful for the ladies that helped, but but you realize how 609 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,640 helpful and needful that is, and someone needs to do it well. 610 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:21,600 It'll be easier if someone else does it. 611 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:23,960 Well, when everyone does that, what happens? 612 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:29,960 It doesn't get done. We look for jobs that need to be 613 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,800 done. Who is the example of selfless 614 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,560 servants of selfless service? It's Jesus Christ. 615 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:37,680 But we also have one other example in the word of God. 616 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:39,040 And we're going to turn here. We're going to be done. 617 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,120 And I, and I mean that First Corinthians chapter 16. 618 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:44,720 You've listened very well this morning. 619 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:46,720 Thank you so much. First Corinthians chapter #16. 620 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:49,640 I look at a lot of people in this room and I see a lot of 621 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:51,040 people going through a lot of things. 622 00:32:51,850 --> 00:32:53,250 A lot of people going through a lot of things. 623 00:32:53,250 --> 00:32:55,970 Some of them you share with me privately, some you shared with 624 00:32:55,970 --> 00:32:58,450 our family. Some I just know because of 625 00:32:59,970 --> 00:33:02,050 understanding a group of this size, there's a lot of people 626 00:33:02,050 --> 00:33:06,570 going through a lot of things. But could I encourage you to 627 00:33:06,570 --> 00:33:10,370 look beyond yourself, to look beyond your need, and to look at 628 00:33:10,370 --> 00:33:13,570 the needs of others? And God will meet your needs as 629 00:33:13,570 --> 00:33:16,730 you selflessly try and endeavor to meet the needs of others. 630 00:33:16,850 --> 00:33:18,490 Selfish Saints are consumed with self. 631 00:33:19,010 --> 00:33:21,330 Selfish servants are consumed with those who they serve. 632 00:33:21,490 --> 00:33:23,770 We're always going to be consumed with something. 1st 633 00:33:23,770 --> 00:33:27,210 Corinthians 1615 says this. And I actually wrote this in the 634 00:33:27,210 --> 00:33:29,530 bulletin a few weeks ago and it says this. 635 00:33:29,530 --> 00:33:32,970 I beseech you, brethren. You know the House of Stefanus, 636 00:33:33,250 --> 00:33:36,210 that it is the first fruits of akaya and that they have 637 00:33:36,210 --> 00:33:40,530 addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints. 638 00:33:41,690 --> 00:33:44,530 There's a man named Stefanus. I believe Paul led him to 639 00:33:44,530 --> 00:33:46,010 Christ. There was very instrumental in 640 00:33:46,010 --> 00:33:48,330 his leading to Christ because First Corinthians chapter one 641 00:33:48,330 --> 00:33:51,750 says that Paul actually baptized the House of Stefanis and he 642 00:33:51,750 --> 00:33:55,390 normally did not baptize anyone himself, but he did because of a 643 00:33:55,390 --> 00:33:58,510 special relationship, baptized Stefanis and his household. 644 00:33:58,670 --> 00:34:01,110 And here at the end of First Corinthians he says this. 645 00:34:01,270 --> 00:34:03,550 He says the House of Stefanis has addicted themselves. 646 00:34:03,550 --> 00:34:05,870 The Ministry of the Saints, and I don't know about you, but when 647 00:34:05,870 --> 00:34:08,310 I hear the word addiction, it doesn't usually sound good. 648 00:34:09,270 --> 00:34:10,949 We look at it in a very negative connotation. 649 00:34:10,949 --> 00:34:13,909 Today, many of us understand the devastating effects of 650 00:34:13,909 --> 00:34:16,070 addictions, particularly in substance abuse. 651 00:34:16,230 --> 00:34:20,710 We understand addictions can be a absolutely devastating thing. 652 00:34:20,989 --> 00:34:23,350 But I want you to take the negative connotation of that and 653 00:34:23,350 --> 00:34:27,110 understand that when someone is addicted, they apply themselves 654 00:34:27,110 --> 00:34:30,429 habitually. They devote time and attention. 655 00:34:30,670 --> 00:34:35,110 They devote a constant practice to a certain thing, almost 656 00:34:35,110 --> 00:34:37,830 nonstop. But yet the House of Stefanis 657 00:34:37,830 --> 00:34:39,560 took that. But we would take negative 658 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,120 connotation and they put it positively. 659 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,600 They addicted themselves. The ministry of the Saints 660 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,920 meaning this. I am going to devote my time. 661 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:49,400 I'm going to vote my effort. I'm going to devote my energy 662 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:52,480 whenever I can, wherever I can however I can. 663 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:54,679 Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to be a minister. 664 00:34:54,679 --> 00:34:57,240 And the reason why is because Jesus Christ came not to be 665 00:34:57,240 --> 00:34:59,120 ministered unto, but to be a minister. 666 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:01,680 And if Jesus Christ could selflessly minister as the 667 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:06,120 Creator and the Savior and the Redeemer and the King, if Jesus 668 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,280 Christ could be it, I'm not greater than my master and I'm 669 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,560 going to be a servant. And the reason why, as he said 670 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:15,400 at the end of our text in John Chapter 13, that this is the key 671 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:18,400 to joy and to happiness, to look outside of yourself and see 672 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:20,120 there are other people who have needs. 673 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:25,560 We have a church that has needs. You know, people who have needs, 674 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:28,520 who are outside of this church, who maybe only you can minister 675 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:30,000 to because we can't minister to them. 676 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:32,960 You have people within your households who have needs. 677 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:38,410 You have people at your school that have needs in your 678 00:35:38,410 --> 00:35:40,650 workplace. What do we do? 679 00:35:41,850 --> 00:35:43,090 Well, I'm at work. I'm busy. 680 00:35:44,130 --> 00:35:45,770 Oh, we're never too busy for service. 681 00:35:47,490 --> 00:35:50,370 Well, I come to church so I can. I can receive something. 682 00:35:50,970 --> 00:35:54,010 Well, the only way you can receive something is by other 683 00:35:54,010 --> 00:35:57,410 people giving to you. And the only way for that to 684 00:35:57,410 --> 00:36:02,130 work is by you giving into the work as well, so that you can 685 00:36:02,130 --> 00:36:08,660 receive and other people can receive selfless service or 686 00:36:08,660 --> 00:36:11,940 selfish Saints. One of the two, Stefanis, is a 687 00:36:11,940 --> 00:36:13,660 selfish servant. He addicted himself to the 688 00:36:13,660 --> 00:36:16,380 ministry of the Saints. The question is, what will we 689 00:36:16,380 --> 00:36:18,660 do? Thank you for listening to the 690 00:36:18,660 --> 00:36:21,300 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 691 00:36:21,620 --> 00:36:24,900 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 692 00:36:24,900 --> 00:36:28,020 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 693 00:36:28,180 --> 00:36:32,940 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 694 00:36:33,100 --> 00:36:36,820 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 695 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,880 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His word.