John #20

A Godly Servant
November 22, 2009
John 13:1-20, 34,35
Pastor Ben Fleming

Turn in your bibles to John chapter 13. Many years ago a humble pastor served a very small church in a country town. His ministry was quiet – over the years only a few people came to faith in Jesus Christ. Year in and year out, the work became more and more discouraging to him. It was only years later that the faithful pastor found great joy in knowing that one of those persons who came to Christ under his service was (PHOTO) Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a man whom God later used to bring multitudes to faith in Jesus Christ. (BLANK) Today we are going to study the call to servant hood or service. Service or servant hood is not a subject that a pastor wants to speak about. Most of the time when church people hear this topic – they think he is going to ask them to sign up to do something. I guarantee you I am not going to do that.

In our text today – Jesus is washing his disciples feet. He has raised Lazarus from the dead. It is 6 days before the Passover and Jesus has come into the town where Lazarus lived (Bethany) (MAP) and a dinner is given in his honor – perhaps to thank him for raising Lazarus--- Martha is serving him and Mary anoints his feet with oil and wipes his feet with her hair – to a Jew – washing another person’s feet would be only done by the most menial slaves (remember that when we look at what Jesus is asking his disciples to do) ---(BLANK) and then the next day Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem for the Passover and he enters into the city – the people cut date palm branches and lay them down in the road as Jesus rode into the city on a donkey – (this is what is know as Palm Sunday) – Picture this event – there could have been as many as a million people coming to the city from all over the known world at that time. Jesus continues using this opportunity to teach the crowds around him and even though God spoke from heaven in a audible voice back to Jesus in reply to his prayer in verse 28 – the people still did not believe…. We then come to chapter 13 it is most likely a Thursday and Jesus is sharing the Passover meal with his disciples while in Jerusalem. Up to now we have been studying 3 years of Jesus ministry and now from chapter 13 to 19 will cover one night. vs 1 – 20, 34-35. READ

Background: (PHOTO) Jesus is with his disciples having the Passover meal together in Jerusalem – we think of this meal as the last supper– John says that before the Feast of the Passover – Jesus knew that the hour had come to depart out of this world – he knew it was time to go back to His Heavenly Father and John says – he loved his own who were in the world and He loved them to the end. John writes that during the supper which had already began – the devil had put it into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus. (BLANK) Jesus knew what was happening – because he knew the scriptures and the prophecies. John records that Jesus rose from the supper – he most likely was sitting on the floor – he took off his outer garments – took a towel and tied it around his waist --- notice what John does not say --- tradition would demand that those at the dinner had their feet washed before they sat down to eat --- so someone had already brought the basin with water and the towel….. The dinner had already begun and no one had had their feet washed. No one around the table was going to do the menial task……….Jesus must have been waiting and watching and listening to his disciples – the first course had been served and still no feet washed. Jesus got up ---- took off his outer garments and wrapped a towel around himself and came to Peter to wash his feet and Peter says – “do you wash my feet?” And Jesus says to him “you do not understand what I am going to do but later you will” – and Peter says “no way will you wash my feet” and Jesus says to him “if I do not you have no part of me” --- and then loose at the mouth Peter says – “hey do not just wash my feet but my hands and my head.” Jesus shows us here what is perhaps his last attempt to provoke Judas to really believe, he says in verse 10 “the one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet – but is completely clean – and you are clean – but not every one of you.”

He was refereing to salvation – forgiveness brings cleansing – salvation is a one time event – when you believe – you are washed – God forgives all of your sin in the past --- all of your sin in the present and all of your sin in the future ---- but Judas had not believed even though he was a disciple – his faith was false. This is the way some of you are today. You have a false faith. You are just like Judas. You need to come to Christ. You need to be washed.
Look back to verse 12 – Jesus put his garments back on after washing 12 sets of feet and says “do you understand what I have done to you? You guys call me your teacher – if your teacher washed your feet then you ought to wash each other’s feet – I have given you an example – you should do just as I have done. A servant is no greater than his master – nor is the messenger greater than the one who sent him – “if you know these things – blessed are you if you do them.”

Jesus then closes this particular section with the words found in (Vs. 34 -35) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this will all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

A lot of people serve other people. We have an industry called the service industry. This is not what Jesus is talking about. He is talking about his followers – believers serving other believers. “By this will all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” You can say that you have love for other believers but if you are not engaged in serving them you are fooling yourself. You really do not have love for them. In the context of what just happened – Jesus is talking about serving those that you know by name and are close to – and if you want to spilt hairs – serving someone who is not your blood. There are many reasons why believers have to learn to serve one another. Serving others does not come easy. Serving others is something you have to learn and I have to learn. Jesus knew that it would increase our love for each other. He knew that it is one of the best ways to encourage another believer.

What does it require to serve like Jesus?

1. To be a servant requires humility – not gifting or position. Vs 4. “he rose from supper, He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.” Can you imagine what John saw Jesus doing? Jesus was doing something that only the lowest servants in the house would do – he was washing the feet of someone who had walked through the streets – stepped in the mud puddles and the camel dung --- Jesus was washing off his men’s feet --- I imagine that he did not do the job half way – he got the camel dung out between their toes. The way John wrote this you know that the dinner had begun --- no one was going to do the job – perhaps the 12 guys were waiting for someone else to do it -- this is most likely what was going on because Jesus had already taken the opportunity before to speak to them before about humility and being a servant. On your outline:

Mark 9:33 – 35 (ESV) “And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “what were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and a servant of all.” ---- humility was not a big strength with the disciples at this point. Humility is not a big strength with many believers. The church needs humble believers. The church needs believers who will wash other believers feet without being asked. The church needs believers who will pick up after other believers without being asked. The church needs believers who will be faithful – available and teachable. The church needs humble believers. When the church has humble believers you know that the people in that church are loved and they are loved like Jesus loved. Remember his command --

“love one another just as I have loved you – by this (the way you humbly serve each other) all men will know that you are my disciples.” Do you think people in Carson City know that you are a disciple by the way you serve others in your church family???? Are you humble? The minute you say you are – that is a prideful statement or thought and humility goes out the window. John Calvin wrote, “It is evident that man never attains to true self knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.” If we talk about humility we have to start with God – do we not?

Pastor C.J. Maheny wrote the book Humility – True Greatness – you ought to read it or listen to his message on humility…. he gives us a definition:

Humility = is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness. If you do that as a believer it will produce humility in you.
A humble believer is a servant. A servant is a lover of God’s people. You cannot be a lover of God’s people and not be one who sees the holiness of God and your own sinfulness. TO BE A SERVANT REQUIRES HUMILITY

2. To be a servant requires action or initiative. Vs. 5 “Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with a towel that was wrapped around him.” Jesus did not wait to be asked to wash their feet – he could have asked or told someone else to do it – but no he does it. He saw the need and he responded to the need. Why is it that many believers do nothing unless they are asked? Why is it that many believers will not even serve when they are asked and say – “I am not gifted in that area” - I am already doing something else? I have thought about this for 15 years as a pastor. My best answer is to look at the word of God.

Matthew 23:11-12 (ESV) “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” So great believers take action. Great believers get involved in serving other believers – they do not wait to be asked. Great believers are humble and they will serve others and many times NO ONE ELSE ever knows it…… Pastor D.L. Moody once said, “the measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves.” To be a servant requires action --- do not wait to be asked.

3. To be a servant requires obedience. (Vs. 16 -17) “Truly, truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” Obedience does not come naturally. Obedience is not convenient. Obedience is a choice that you have to make and a decisive action that you are going do something. Think about it: Did Jesus enjoy cleaning the camel dung out of Peter’s toes? There are people in a church family that God wants to you to serve that you would not enjoy serving. There are believers who are not grateful --- they are whinners and they keep asking and asking and asking. It is not our position as a servant to determine who is worthy to be served. We are called to obey and to obey is going to cost you. Paul puts it this way to the believers at Ephesus…

Ephesians 6:7- 8 “rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does he will receive back from the Lord…” TO BE A SERVANT REQUIRES OBEDIENCE

4. To be a servant requires love for others. vs. 35 “by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” How is your love for Jesus demonstrated? How do you love other believers in Christ – you love them if you humbly serve them. Ok – is Jesus saying that service produces love for other believers or does love for other believers produce service? THINK: There are people who serve people and they are natural at it but that does not mean that they love with the love of Jesus Christ……. When you become a believer in Christ – the love of Christ is poured out into your heart and you were never meant to be a vessel without a funnel. Every believer is to be a funnel of the love of Christ. The more you love Christ – the more you will love other people. The more you love Christ - the greater will be your ability to love people who are hard to love and let me tell you that there a lot of people like that in the church today.
Why does it seem that women serve more than men? Is it because women have a greater grasp on love? Is it because women tend to be humble and men are proud? In God’s economy – the same Holy Spirit lives in women and men --- it does not matter --- the love of Christ has been poured out into a believer and therefore – believers are to love and that love shows itself in serving other believers and Jesus says by this all men will know that you are my disciples because you have love for one another. Do you think people see us as a church that loves each other????????

Look what Paul says Galatians 5:13-15 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” -- so Paul says as a believer you are free and you can use that freedom to indulge your sinful nature or you can use that freedom to serve another believer.
So – if I am not serving others then I obviously am serving myself and indulging myself.

A woman came to me after a service one Sunday sometime ago when I spoke on servant hood and said – “I really do not bother serving anyone in this church I serve others at my workplace” She was missing completely what Jesus was teaching and very few if any people in this church thought she loved them.

For some believers – the desire for approval motivates their service. Their efforts only go as far as the amount of positive feedback they receive. They have to be thanked and identified or they get offended. Now --- I try to be a pastor who does thank those who serve……. but for Jesus – service expressed who he was and his service did not depend upon the response of others to him.

Comment: Some people serve naturally. For Jesus’s friend Martha, serving others came easily and graciously to her. For others, serving is an ordeal. Some of you feel that way…… If you do not feel confident at your effort – the service exhausts you or you become angry when your service goes unappreciated or noticed. On the flip side -- Some find it difficult to accept service from others. Being helped by others makes them feel inadequate or vulnerable. They are the kind of a person who is unable to be gracious when they are not in control. Some of you are like that….. I know I am. We need to remember that the true point of serving is to obey and imitate Jesus Christ.
When you allow someone else to serve you are giving that person the chance to obey God. Think about that.

Illustration: A student in a small bible school became disturbed over the condition of the men’s restrooms – they always seemed to be neglected. When nothing seemed to be done to eliminate the stinking problem, he took matters into his own hands and complained to the principal of the school. A little while later the student noticed that the problem was being corrected, but he saw to his amazement that the man with the mop and pail was the principle himself. The student said, I thought he would call the janitor, it was a major lesson to me and I asked myself why I had not taken care of the problem myself. Which one are you? The student or the principle?

Application:
*Do you know someone who needs a visit or a word of encouragement? COMMENT

*Do you have a possession you no longer use that would help someone else?

*Is there a menial task in our church that regularly goes unfilled?

*Are you depressed and totally focused on yourself? --- Find or search out something to do to help another believer or the church in someway --- I guarantee you that if you do so – you will find some measure of joy out of it.
*Find a person or opportunity that disgusts you – camel dung – it costs you your time – your convience and your common sense – do something tangible to or for that person – give them no money – serve them.
Submit yourself to another person in your church family and work alongside them as they ask you for help.

*Find a place to serve faithfully and regularly in your church family – learn to be fat – I know of someone who was gifted in an area but they were not humble --- few people thought that person loved them.

Closing: There’s a clever young guy named Somebody else – there’s nothing this guy can’t do. He is busy morning till way late at night, just substituting for you…. You’re asked to do this or you’re asked to do that – and what is your ready reply? Get somebody else to do that job, he’ll do it better than I. So much to do in this weary old world – so much and workers so few, and somebody else, all weary and worn, is still substituting for you. The next time you’re asked to do something worthwhile, just give this ready reply: If somebody else can give time and support, my goodness, so can I.

Worship Song: Make me a servant