The Church of Eleven22 - Wk 20: You Will Be Blessed

Episode Date: August 22, 2021

Jesus leveraged all of His power to serve those that don’t deserve it. He said that we would be blessed and noticed when we do the same. Visit coe22.com/john to download the journal, find series resources and more.

Amen and amen. If you got your Bible, John chapter 13 is where we're going to be. John chapter 13, even if you're new to Bible study, you may have heard of this one before. And if you're not in a group, get in a group. Like when we get done here in just a minute, and a bunch of minutes, like 60,

go get in a group. All right, trust me. And what we're going to see here is Jesus is with his disciple group. Literally, a group of his disciples. And what they're going to do is they are going to do communion together this week in disciple group. You are going to share in holy communion. Ideally, when Jesus did it, it was like a whole meal.

So I would encourage you to have a whole meal together. You're not just going to get like a little chicklet and a little poop. And it's not one of those, okay? You're going to have like the full deal. So that was meant to be done in community. And so I hope that you do that. One other thing I just want to say before I dive in is last weekend was a one more weekend and you brought your one more's and 151 people surrendered their life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ last weekend.

Praise God. And if you were one of those 151, man, hey, welcome. Welcome to the family. We're so glad you're here. It's the first time you've ever showed up to church. That's a Christian. Think about that. This is the first time ever that's ever happened to you.

So praise God for that. And 14 of those happened in either in Baker and Union in our prison campuses. So brothers, welcome to the family. All right, John chapter 13, we've got to dive right in. Now before the feast of the Passover, before the feast of the Passover, for a couple of thousand years, the Jewish people every year celebrated the Passover. We talked about this last week. what they had been celebrating, not only were they looking back on the blood of the land being

shed and put it on the doorposts of the house so that the angel of death would pass over, but through the blood of the land being shed, they were celebrating the nation of Israel being freed from bondage and walking towards the promised land. And what they had been celebrating for 2,000 years is pointing to this very weekend that they're on right now. And when the boys show up and room with Jesus, they have no idea all that hangs in the balance. But before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father. Remember, all through the Gospel of John so far, he keeps saying, my hour is not yet come, my hour is not yet come, my hour is not yet come. Now he knows that his hour has come,

that he's going to go to the cross, that he is going to die. So let me ask you this, if you know you were dying this week, what would you do? Would you go skydiving, rocky mountain climbing, 2.7 seconds on a bull named Foo Manchu? That's what you do? Because that's what we think about, right? We think about bucket list. Here are all the things that I want to do before I die. Jesus, knowing it was his time to die, he did not think about himself and what he could do.

He thought about you and I and how he could serve. That's where his mind is. that he was going to, like Jesus' bucket list, was to glorify God by saving you and I. That's what's foremost on his mind. When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end, is how the ESV translates it. The NIV says it this way, that he showed them the full extent of his love. So Jesus, knowing that he's about to die, and he looks around the room with his 12 guys,

and he is going to show them the full extent of his love. Now, don't read ahead. You already know what we're talking about. But how is he going to do this? Another miracle? Is that what he's going to do? Hey, watch this, guys, and just, I don't know, do something, spell his name in the stars? No.

Is it another teaching? Is that how he shows his love? No. Does he hand out spiritual gifts? All right? And you can walk on water, and you can walk on water, and you get a car, and you get a go all open on us? No, he doesn't do any of that. the way that he is going to love them to the end is by serving them.

Now, we use the word love a lot in our culture, but we will say things like, I love the dogs and I love tacos and I love my wife, right? We love all those things we describe as love. And while love is sometimes and even often felt in the scripture, love is always shown and demonstrated. that love doesn't just merely feel, for sure there are feelings to love. And if you don't have feelings in regards to love, you're not doing it right. However, love is always demonstrated. Love does.

And my definition of love, I just made it up one time, but I like it. Love is your joy in the Lord expressed towards others at great expense to yourself. Love is your joy in the Lord, because the reason that we can love is because he first loved us. Because he is love. He is the source of love. So if your joy is not in him, then you don't have the ability to love. Okay? Like I've told you before, like your dog does not love you.

Your dog love bacon. You have the bacon. That's just how it goes. Hate to break your heart, but that's how it goes, I promise, okay? But as image bears of God, our, what it means when we love somebody is it's our joy in the Lord expressed towards others at great expense to yourself. And Jesus is going to show them the full extent of his love. Verse 2, enduring supper.

when the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Ascariot Simon's son to betray him. That's a scary verse. You see, here's what I need you to know. Is that the believer in Jesus cannot be possessed by the devil. Cannot. Do you know why? Because if you were a believer in Jesus, you are already possessed by Jesus. And Jesus doesn't give up his own.

First Corinthians chapter 6 says, you are not your own. You were bought with a price. and the price that Jesus paid for his children is his own blood. So you belong to him, you cannot belong to some enemy or the devil or the demonic. So while the believer cannot be possessed, the believer can be oppressed. Also, first Corinthians, when Paul goes before the Lord and prays three times for the thorn to be removed from his flesh, God lets him know that that was the oppression of the enemy. And so what I would, the reason I bring this up, believer,

is pay attention to the whispers. Pay attention to the whispers. I mean, Judas walked with Jesus for three years, and yet the enemy got in his ear, and because he was not a believer in Jesus, he had not surrendered to Jesus, I'll show this in a little while, then he was overtaken by the enemy.

But oftentimes what can happen to the believer is we began to believe the whispers of the enemy. You've been around a while, you know what I mean by the whispers. If you knew here, the whispers, and when the enemy tries to get us to disbelieve the truth of God. The enemy comes to us like he always does. He always wants us to doubt the Word of God and the work of God

and the worthiness of God, the worship of God. He wants to get in there and start whispering, did God really say, does God really know what he's talking about? I know the Bible says this about money, but the way you're doing money is fine. I know this is what the Bible says about sex and sexuality, but it's okay if you. That's different.

This book's old and you're new. And God wants to, God wants you to know how valuable you are to him and the enemy wants you to come along. He wants to come along and get you to question the very work of God on the cross.

When Jesus says, it is finished, you can't believe that counted for you. Be careful. This is why the Bible says over and over and over, guard your heart, pay attention to the whispers. I've told you this before. What he whispers to me

are lies of condemnation. And what I always have to reply to him is, therefore now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. What the enemy wants to whisper to you is that you will be defined by your scars. And Jesus wants to tell you, no, no, no, no, no, you will be defined by his scars.

Pay attention to the whispers. And Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God. Look what Jesus knows. Jesus knows his power, he knows his position,

and he knows his purpose. You know, you can know those things too, because they're found in Jesus. He knows his power, he knows his position, and he knows his purpose. Verse four, and he rose from supper. So look at all that Jesus knows. He knows his hours come.

He's going to die this week. He's on limited time. He knows that all authority in heaven and earth has been given unto him. He knows that he is about to go to the, go to the cross, and in order to show the full extent of his love, this is what he's going to do. He rose up from the supper. Long time ago, I was at this conference. It's a very famous pastor named Andy Stanley asked this question, and it's a legit question. And he says stuff that like rhymes

and stuff a lot. I don't, but he does, and it's cool. And he says this. He says, what do you do when it dawns on you that you're the most powerful person in the room? Kind of like a Dr. Sue's sermon. Okay, what do you do when it dawns on you that you're the most powerful person in the room? Because what happens in this moment, according to the gospel of John, is that Jesus knows, I mean, he already knows this, but it says that he really knows this in John 13. He knows his power, he knows his position, he knows his purpose. He realizes all authority in heaven and earth has been given unto him. He's the most powerful person in the room. What do you do when you realize you're the boss?

Now, some of you are to legit the boss, like people answer to you. And some of you think nobody answers to me. All right, man, if you're a parent, sometimes you're the boss. It might mean that you're the CEO or you're in charge of the carpool line, but everybody at some point is in charge. And it may be like, you have the remote. Guess what? You're the boss. You have all the control in the room.

Okay? So how do you respond in that moment? do you find yourself saying things like because I said so? Do you find yourself like pointing to your positional authority? You see the name tag? All right, this is assistant to the general manager. You do what I say. All right, just confession time.

This is good for my own therapy, all right? I can just tell you how I respond. The majority of the meetings that I am in, I'm the boss, okay? That's it. And, you know, I don't think about it that way necessarily. and around here I get treated with such respect, such honor. I really do, man, I really do. Our staff, our elders, you, I really do.

I get treated with such respect. And when I am in the position of authority and everybody realizes it, I'm pretty awesome. I'm just going to say, I cannot describe to you the humility that I have in those moments. Probably the best thing about me is my humility in those moments. No, but honestly, I just kind of shut my mouth and I don't, I don't, even I don't let you say it's my church, I don't, you know, all those kinds of things. If I'm in team meetings and everybody's like, but you're the leader. I'm like, that's okay, but we're a team for sure, no problem as long as everybody knows.

But the moment, there's some disrespect. I mean the moment, who do you think you are? I'm about to tell you who I am, I'm your daddy. You understand what I'm saying, son? I'm your daddy. I brought you in this world. I'll take you out. I start quoting stuff like that. Anybody with me?

Jesus, knowing he is the almighty Son of God, second person of the Godhead, everything that has been created was spoken into existence by him and it was created for him by him, through him, and to him, and his very power holds it all together.

And when he is in that moment, I tend to flex. And he serves. What do you do? What do you do when you realize you are the most powerful person in the room? Okay? Here's what Jesus does. Jesus humbles himself and serves.

Humbles himself and serves. And this is important. Humility is not a feeling. And humility is not a personality type. Humility is a posture. Some of you just had the spiritual gifts of help. I had the spiritual gift of leadership, so I'm gifted in telling the helps people where to go and what to do. I'm really good at it, okay?

Some people, by nature, it's just a way God wired you. You have a very humble demeanor. But in the scriptures, humility, it's not a feeling, it's not a personality type. It is a posture. It's an attitude of, let me help you with that. It's a position of let me lower myself so that I can lift you up. You see, here's what humility isn't. Humility isn't when you go home after you hear this sermon today and you're all stirred up to do something.

And you decide for the first time since the Obama administration, you're going to finally clean out the dishwasher, all right? You're like, I'm about to apply this sermon and you do it all loud. You ever, ladies. You ever notice how loud your man gets the dishes? I mean, if ain't nobody paying attention, sometimes it's taking me 43 minutes to get the dishes out and to the places. And sometimes even though I know where they go,

I ask just to make sure everybody knows. You understand what I'm saying. I ain't nothing humble about that. You see, you don't take a selfie of yourself serving and just hashtag bless the serve. Hashtag, how humble am I? understand what I'm saying. You just humble yourself and you do it.

And what Jesus is going to do here is he takes the lowest role. He takes the lowest role. You see, it was customary in that day when you walked in, the house, that they would kiss you on the cheek, that would greet you with a holy kiss. They would anoint your head because you're kind of sweaty and you stink. You'd wash your hands and somebody, a servant, the lowest of low, would wash your feet. Because it was nasty. Have you seen the Jesus movies? There's all that beach, no ocean.

what I'm saying? They didn't have the kind of toiletry system we have. So there was all kind of of mess on the streets and then you show up to dinner. And the way they ate dinner, man, these little tiny low tables and everybody kind of lounge around. So people's feet would be all up there by your hummus. So you'd have to clean that stuff off. Go to Israel. That's all to eat there, I tell you. So somebody, and so here's the thing, man, here's the thing. Everybody's waiting. When they get, you know, they show up the last supper. They don't realize it's the last supper yet, right? And it's not like the picture. They didn't all sit on one side like they're judging the gymnastics.

That's not how it worked, waiting on the picture, you know? Nah, man, they're just all kind of lounging around feet. And everybody's waiting. I mean, at some point, we've got to wash our feet. When's this going to happen? And nobody steps up to do it. Nobody steps up to do it. It reminds me of when we first had a kid, husbands, you'll remember this?

You ever laying in your bed, you know, and you hear that, and you think, oh, no. Just don't move, don't move. She'll think I'm asleep. And then, it's just me? Bro, I was such a good fake sleeper. But then when she knows, you're going to get that? Oh, what?

Oh, I'm so happy to serve and you get up. Okay, it doesn't count anymore, all right? So here are all the disciples. Who's going to wash our feet? And then Jesus himself steps up, dresses himself as a servant and washes a fee. I don't know what the modern day equivalent is. I don't, okay? I don't. Changing a diaper, cleaning the toilet, I don't know, taking out the trash, I don't know what it is.

But in every household, at every job, in every little group of friends, there's always that job that nobody else wants to do. That's what this is. Following your dog around with a little bag, that's what it is. Something like this, okay? Here's what it is. It's like when your neighbor doesn't pick up after the dog and the dog comes by your yard and you don't pick it up and set it on their door as a gift. I'm just getting all the confessions out while we're here together, okay? And so, and listen, man, I know Christians are into washing feet today, but today it's only symbolic. Any foot washing you've ever been to as a Christian, people's feet did not need to be washed.

You're already washing clean feet, so it's just a symbol. And so I'm just going to say, if I do your wedding, don't do a foot washing, please. It's weird, man. I think it's weird. I hate it. It's so dumb. You're like, all right, Levi's going to wash a Rebecca. They always have Bible names.

Rebecca's feet. and then we're just all seeing there cleanest toes her toes ain't been as clean ever right there was like a NASCAR pit crew just yin-h-h-h-h-h-h-on every toe for six hours to get ready for this moment because she knows the photo nah this was like this was like a needed service and this is what he does all right you're with me so he rose from the supper and he laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel he tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into the basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. By the way, this is a picture of the gospel. Don't miss this. Jesus was in his seat with his outer garment on. He gets out of his seat. He takes out of his

outer garment. He puts on servants clothing. He gets down on his knees. He serves his people. And then he's going to put back on his outer garment and take his seat again. You see, the Meta-narrative of the gospel is that Jesus seated on the throne of heaven sees that we are in need. And he steps off of the throne of heaven, takes off his glory, dresses himself as a servant in the form of a man like you and I, lives a perfect life, serves us. He doesn't just pour water into a basin, he pours his blood out at the cross. He cleanses us, and then he ascends to the right hand of God the Father to put his glory back on and take his rightful seat at the right hand of God the Father. And he came to Simon Peter. And Simon Peter, now they're about to have communion.

This is the last supper. Simon Peter looks at the situation. He thinks, I should probably say stuff. And he says to him, Lord, he washed my feet. Captain Obvious here. And Jesus answered him, what I am doing. You do not understand now, but afterwards you will understand. Which is a clue to don't talk anymore.

If you talk and Jesus literally says, hey man, hold on, hold on. You don't know what you're talking about. Cool, I should keep saying stuff, okay? Now, we like to laugh at Simon Peter, but it's also true for us. There's a whole bunch of, there's things going on in our world right now, and you say, I don't understand what's going on.

And Jesus leads in and goes, you're right, you don't understand what's going on. But there will come a day where you can understand how I was at work in this for your joy and my glory. And sometimes it's down on an individual level. I mean, I sat with a family this week, and there was a tragedy, and it's a tragedy, man.

And this girl's asking why. And I can say what Jesus says right now, none of us can fully understand all that's going on here. But what I can promise you, because of the empty tomb, that God is at work in all things for the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose. And one day we will see clearly, and you will be able to understand all that he is doing.

Here's what he's saying to Peter. I know you don't understand everything. That's why I call you to try. trust me and live by faith. So he says, what I'm doing, you don't understand, but afterwards, you will understand. So again, after Jesus tells him, he doesn't understand, Peter's like, okay, cool, so let me keep talking.

He's going to keep going. Now, by the way, we can see, if you just allow the Bible to be commentary unto itself, by the time you get to first and second Peter, Peter understands. By the time you get to first and second Peter, Peter is going to say things like, when you go through trials, hang in there by faith because your father loves you enough to allow you to walk through the refiner's fire to burn away all the junk so the pure gold can be there.

See, right now when he doesn't understand, he just keeps running off at the mouth. But after the crucifixion and the resurrection, then he truly understands that he's a good, good dad, and he loves to give good gifts to his kids. And so, Peter said to him, you shall never wash my feet. And Jesus answered him, if I do not wash you, you have no sure. share with me. In other words, I can wash your feet or you go to hell. It's your choice. And so Simon Peter says to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head, my whole body. And Jesus is like, stop, man, stop. Seriously, man, you ruin in communion. You ruin everything. Running off at the mouth. You don't have to take a whole bath, man. Stop it. And you see what Jesus is

saying here is that he's going to explain it. Jesus says to him, the one who has bathed does not need to wash except for his feet, but it's completely clean, and you are clean, but not every one of you, for he knew who was going to betray him. That was why he said, not all of you are clean. Here's what Jesus is saying, okay? What Jesus is saying is, you have been made clean by believing in me. So once and for all, your sins are forgiven, all of them, past, present, and future. So once I have cleaned you, you are clean, but you still get some dirt on you.

And so you need you to continuously just wash your. your feet as a reminder that I am the one who cleansed you. Here's what this means for us. If you've put your faith in Jesus Christ, you have been justified once and for all. It's from God's perspective through the blood of Jesus. It's just if I have never sinned before because he paid the full price. And yet the life of the believer is daily, take up your cross and follow him. Why?

Because the sanctification process is over and over and over, God using his word and the power of His Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus and the love of the Father to chisel out of us. everything that does not look like Jesus. And the way that gets chiseled out of us is when we get dirt on us, we come to him and not only do we confess our sins, but most importantly when you confess your sin, you confess that you already have been forgiven

of your sin through the blood of Jesus. And this is this constant daily repentance. This is what he's talking about here. That it's not by works of man that you would be declared righteous, but by the finished work of the cross. and when we confess our sins, it is this daily reminder of the fact that we are clean.

That's what he's saying here. But he says, not all of you are clean. And then Jesus washes Peter's feet. And then he keeps washing. And he keeps washing. And when he had washed their feet, he put on his outer garments and he returned to his place. Now, do you know,

us what's missing here? Whose feet don't get washed? Jesus. Nobody washes Jesus' feet. Nobody is clued in to, oh, I got an idea. If this is what the rabbi is doing, and our job is to do the things that he did, maybe one of us should do these things. You see, the reality is, is that everybody, especially nowadays, man, everybody wants to be a servant until you get treated. you'd like one. And in fact, in our world, in our world, servant is just an adjective to the kind of leader that we are. Have you noticed that? The only place I see the word servant is in seminars on how to be a servant leader. Although Jesus says, you want to be great, be a servant. You'd be like, okay, I'll be a servant leader. He's like, no, no, no, I didn't say be a leader. I said, be a servant.

No, I don't want to be a servant. I just want that to describe the kind of leader that I am. That's how we twist the Word of God to try to make it work for us in our leadership style. See, Jesus didn't just serve. Jesus was a servant. Being a servant is not just what we do when it's convenient or to like win over your team. Being a servant is supposed to be who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. You see, the reality is this. If you lead anything, I'll just tell you.

If serving is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you, according to the way Jesus defines leadership. And so when you wash your feet, he put on his outer garment, and he resumed his place, and he said to them, do you understand what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

Now this is important to understand what first century discipleship was. When you were a disciple of a rabbi, there was this phrase. And if you followed, if you were a follower of a rabbi, your goal in life was to become covered in the dust of your rabbi. And what that meant was, wherever your rabbi went, you went. And you followed him so closely, not just in your footsteps, with all of your life, that you would be covered in his dust. to the point where people would not be able to recognize the difference between him and you. To be a follower did not mean you simply believed the things that he taught. It meant that you would do the things that he did and even become the person that he is.

And maybe this is why when Peter is in the boat and Jesus comes walking on water and Peter says, remember what he says? He says, if that's really you, then call me to walk on the water with you. Why? because he believed as a follower of Jesus. Not only do I believe you are who you say you are, but you have called me to do the things that you do. So if you can raise the dead, then can I raise the dead? If you walk on water, can I walk on water?

And so Jesus says, so come on. And he gets out of the boat. Jesus goes on and says, for I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you. All right. Get out your phone right now. Get out your phone, okay? go to your calendar right now come on get it out and I want you to figure out what is a way what is a thing

this week before you come back to church next week or six weeks however long you take okay before now next week what is a thing that you can do to serve some people I mean what is that job that nobody else wants to do and I want you to schedule it not just feel it because you feel it right now. I'm telling you, if you've got, if you've got blood in your veins, if you don't believe in all Jesus stuff, you're thinking, yeah, you're right, I should probably change the baby, take out the, whatever the thing is, okay? But I want you to make an appointment, to dress yourself as a servant and serve, okay, in the office, at school, your roommate, whatever it is, whatever it is, all right? Like, if you're in school, man, you got a messy

roommate. It means, like, clean up after them. I dare you. I dare you. I'm. I dare you. I I dare you. Because it doesn't come natural. It doesn't to me. I remember one time I used to live in the attorney house. It's close to the hell I've ever been in my life. And so, and I had one, this, I was efficient when I was in my 20s. I had one plate, one fork, one knife, one spoon, one. That's it. So that's all I used every time. I had the, that's it, had one. And the dishes got so bad in the sink that I couldn't even get my one dish under the water to wash my one dish off. So I got door by door in my fraternity house and be like, hey, you need to clean up you, you got some dishes, you need to clean up your dishes. And he goes, that ain't, none of those

are mine. Are you positive? Every room gave the same testimony. So I took all the dishes to them in trash. Based on the test, unless they're liars, okay, so which one are they? All right. So don't do that. That's not what I'm talking about. Okay, so through the opposite of that, find that thing and put an appointment in your calendar. I mean, right now, man, right now. And if you're, if you have a phone and have a calendar, and you should probably get one. All right, so, 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.

In other words, you are not above this. If Jesus, the king of kings, can humble himself and serve, then who do we think we are to think anything like this is beneath us? Then he says it's verse 17. I love this. If you know these things, blessed are you,

if you, what does that say? your enthusiasm often matches the activity of the church after the sermon dozing oh you wanted us to do something we I mean we hear and we kind of sang we did you sang a new song so I didn't really sing that one yet give me about six months I might sing it with you but I just kind of and I feel things no no no man intentions in the kingdom worthless intentions in the kingdom of worthless. Aren't you glad we serve a God to get things done? Aren't you glad Jesus doesn't push up on his nail pierce feet and go, hope this works? Uh-uh. It is finished. This has been done. For God so

loved the world. He didn't like pray about it. He did something. He gave his only begotten son. Intentions are worthless. You know this to be true. You know, anybody got some unused gym equipment at the house? Huh? How's that working out for you? All this is drying your clothes. That's the best it's doing for you right now. Anybody got an unused gym membership? How's that working out? Let me tell you what's never happened in the history of church.

Nobody's ever showed up and somebody would be like, girl, look at you looking good, what you doing? He'd be like, I got a gym membership. Where you go to the gym? I don't go. I got the membership on that, boom.

That key chain right there. That's all I do. I put that onto my key chain and slim, no, man. I don't care how much you pray about it. You got to do. This is what he says. Do.

something. Blessed are you if you do them. Now notice what he says. He says that you're blessed. How are you blessed if you serve? Here's what he does not say, because here's what we think, man. We think God's got this combination. So if I show up to church and if I tip them a little bit and if I pray and if I serve a little bit, then he will see those things and then the blessing comes because he saw the things and then he blesses me. That's what it says. It says, blessed are you if you do them. In other words, the blessing is in the serving. Why? Because you'll be obedient to Jesus. And obedience is the blessing. When you align your life and you align your heart with the character and nature of God, that's where the blessing is. And I'm going to tell you, here's where another

blessing is. It is, when you realize that you're the most powerful person in the room, when you care about what people think of you or you know they hold you in high, when you were at work fighting it out to try to climb the corporate ladder and all of those things it is an exhausting thing to try to maintain power it is exhausting to make sure you're on time and you know what you know where there is freedom is when you willingly and willfully lower yourself and just decide you know what i'm just going to serve i'm going to tell you a little trick i do here's a little trick there are oftentimes where I get to go out to these large-ish dinners with semi-famous Christian people.

No Christians are actually famous except like Billy Graham, but he's in heaven. So in Christian world, you know, these people are kind of famous. And so I'll be at a thing and a bunch of us go out to dinner. And I can already feel all the people, all these grown men, it's like an eighth-grade dance. They're like, no, I want to sit with him. I want to sit with him. You know what I mean? And they're trying to get next to the guy, whoever like the main guy and the thing is.

And the moment I feel any of that in me, but no, you don't get to sue. I invited him, you know, that kind of thing. So here's what I do. We get to the table, and before everybody starts jockey him for position, I just decide, hey, get me in water. I'll be right back, and I go to the bathroom. Why? Because when I come back, guess what, my seat has been decided.

Do you know how much freedom there is? And so I sit way down here, away from the guy, I think, cool, no problem, all right? Or sometimes I go, no, no, no, no, you all move over, and I'm sitting way up here, and they put me up there. Either way, either way it works out. You're blessed. You're blessed. you're blessed. When you don't spend all of your time telling everybody how appreciative they all to be

because all the things that you do all the time, no, no, no, no, you just humble yourself and serve. There is blessing in the obedience because when we serve, we are so much like Jesus. And the goal of discipleship is to be like Jesus. Verse 18, but I'm not speaking of all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but the scriptures will be fulfilled. He who ate my bread. has lifted his heel against me. That's Psalm 41. I'm telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place, you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I sin receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

And after saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit and testified. Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. So imagine this at dinner. You're sitting at the table. Everybody's feet are kind of dried off a little bit. You're enjoying the Passover meal with Jesus. And then he says it loud enough for the whole table to hear. Truly, truly, that means like, hey, listen, one of you will betray me.

And the disciples start thinking, who is it? Who is it? That's probably Peter. He screws up everything, right? Don't y'all think it's Peter? And so Peter's like, ah, it might be me. How do I know? So here's what he does.

The disciples look to one another. uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, that's John, only called that in the book of John, written by John. We'll get to that later, though. Whom Jesus loved was reclining at the table at Jesus' side, so he didn't do my bathroom chair. He always made sure he was right there next to him.

And so Simon Peter motioned him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, says, Lord, who is it? And Jesus answered, it is he whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it. So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Ascarian. Now here's what's crazy. In six weeks, I'm going to spend a whole bunch of time on this. But I've got to talk about it for a second.

So Judas, we know. If you've been around church at all, Judas is the one who betrays Jesus. Judas was the treasurer. Judas has access to the money bag. In other words, Judas was on staff. nowhere in the scriptures do we see Judas running off at the mouth saying dumb stuff like Peter does all the time.

I think if we were voting, we would think Judas least likely to fail. And yet he is the one that is going to betray Jesus as the lead pastor of the church of 1122. Let me tell you why this freaks me out. Because Judas went to church. Judas didn't miss a week for three years. Every Bible study Judas went to

was led by Jesus. Judas was disciples by Jesus. When Judas was like, I got a question, Jesus answered his question. Judas heard all the sermons, not by a dude like me, from Jesus. Judas is on the sermon. He hears the sermon of the Mount from Jesus.

Judas participated in the miracles. Matthew tells us that at the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus handed the fish in the loaves to the disciples. Judas himself had to have a little bit of fish and a little bit of bread in his hand. And the miracle happens in the hands of Judas. And he's got to be going, I can't believe this is going on. Judas is standing outside of the tomb when Lazarus comes forth. You understand what I'm saying?

And Judas never surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. How do you know that? If you go to Matthew Chapter 26, I'll cover this a lot in about six weeks or so. But in Matthew chapter 26, here's Matthew's version of what's. happening. He says this. When it was evening, he reclined at the table with the 12, and as they were eating, he said, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, and they were very sorrowful, and they began to say to him one after another, is it I, what's that next word? Lord. I'm sure Peter went first. One of you are going to betray me. Peter, is it I, Lord, Curios is the word.

Is that I, Lord, goes around the table. Is it I, Lord? That's what it says. Each one of them said, is it I, Lord? When you get down to verse 25 of that same passage, Judas who would betray him answered, is it I, rabbi, not Lord. I got some real scary news for you.

You can go to church your whole life. You can follow the teachings of Jesus your whole life. You could choose to be as moral as you. you could possibly be, participate in every church activity that is possible. Go to every service, listen to the podcast, sponsor kids, go to disciple group, quote Bible verses, be a participant in the miraculous and not know Jesus as your Lord. He just knew him as teacher. He just knew him as leader. He just knew him as a potential political figure that maybe would take over and it would make his life better. But he never,

surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Somebody asked me one time, did Judas lose his salvation? And the answer is, nope, he faked it. That's it, man. He faked it. And I'm telling you, I'm not saying this, I'm not saying this to beat you up. I'm saying this to warn you, to warn you, to warn you. Going to church does not make you a Christian.

Your parents' relationship with the Lord does not get passed down to you. your good deeds based on Bible verses do not earn for you a right standing before God but it simply comes down to this have you been cleaned by the blood of Jesus have you been washed by the blood of a lamb have you surrendered your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ because if that thing is true and he is your Lord there is no bad thing that can take that away you can't lose your salvation because it's not yours to lose God save you and he doesn't lose anything but you You can fake it. And a whole bunch of people do.

And Judas was one of those folks. This is why, by the way, we're going to find out in a little while that the enemy, Satan himself, could move into him because he was not possessed by Jesus. Verse 27 then, after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. He entered into him. And Jesus said to him, what you were going to do, do quickly. Now, no one at the table knew why he said this to him. some thought that because Judas had the money bag,

Jesus was telling him, buy what we need for the feast, or that he should give something to the poor. And so after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out, and it was night. And John is not just recording time. That Judas leaves the presence of Jesus, and he walks into the darkness.

Now, a part of what John wants us to know is that Jesus is sovereign. He is not surprised. that Jesus is sovereign, he is not surprised. And while Judas thinks that he is scheming up this plan for 30 pieces of silver, little does he know that he is doing exactly what God had intended and ordained from before the beginning of time. And that God would use even this, the betrayal with a kiss we're going to find out, that God could use even this for the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose.

So, now I'm just thinking about this. If you were sitting at the table and you know what we know, maybe you didn't know the end, but you knew that Judas was going to betray him, then, and you were Jesus' leadership coach. In this moment, wouldn't you stop him? Wouldn't you be like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, don't wash his feet.

Whoa, Jesus, what are you doing? What do you do? Have you come, have you lost your mind? Have you lost control? He is plotting against. you, what are you doing? And Jesus could rightly say, I'll tell you what I'm doing. I'm saving the world. I'm saving the world. This is why, as believers in Jesus, when our circumstances don't make any sense, we need to fix our eyes on our sovereign Savior at the cross and empty tomb, not on our current

circumstances. When we look at nations right now, when we go, I don't get it. I understand, but he's still got the whole world in his hands. And because he came out of the grave two thousand years, ago, we can trust him when he said, I'm going to come back and one day make all things new. And right now, it doesn't make sense. Right now we see through a glass dimly, one day will stand at his throne and will give him glory because he used all of these things, all of these things for his glory. That's what's happening here. And when he had gone out, Jesus said, now is the son of man glorified. And God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him at once.

Now, we know that Jesus is talking about the cross. That Jesus is saying that God will be glorified through Christ's crucifixion on the cross, which, by the way, tells us that the cross is ultimately about the glory of God. It is not ultimately about you and me. Now, God is for you. He demonstrated his love for us in that while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.

So God is for us. It's just not all about us. And God has decided that he would be most glorified by Christ dying on the cross so that we would be drawn unto him, saved, and that we would spend our days glorifying him. Now here's the thing. When we think glory, when we think the word glory,

we think showing off what we can do. Any Georgia fans? in the house? Praise God. All right. All the Christians. So, listen, think about it. All right.

So when we get together, we worship. It's an idol, but we worship. All right, when Georgia scores, we sing glory, glory, glory to old Georgia. We don't sing that after a fumble. We don't sing that after a loss. We sing it after a win. All you Jacksonville people should know this. We sing in a bunch here in Jacksonville lately.

You understand what I'm saying, all right? Glory, glory to old Georgia. And what we are glorying in is when it goes right. So when we think glory, we think we're going to show you what we can do. But for God, what glory is is showing up to do for us what we can't do. That's how he's glorified. So not only is Jesus humbling himself and washing feet, he's also going to humble himself to obedience to death on a cross for the glory of God,

and it is through that humility that God is most glorified because that's how you and I get to know him. This is a really big deal. He says, little children, yet a little while I am with you. you, you will seek me. And just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, where I am going, you cannot come. He's talking to heaven.

He's talking about heaven. And then he says this, a new commandment I give you. Think about it, man. The disciples are here. It's getting real serious. And he goes, all right, a new commandment. 613 commandments in the Old Testament.

And he goes, all right, I got one more. It's a new one. I can imagine. John's like, oh, I'll write this down. Okay, Matthew, come on. Let's go. Mark, let's go. Everybody.

Write this down. Mark went there, but you know what I'm saying. Okay. And he says that you love one another to his disciples will be like, that's not new. It's all over the Bible. Vaviticus 1918 says we're supposed to love one another. Then he says, just as I have loved you, you were to love one another. Well, that's new.

The new commandment is not that we love one another. The new commandment is the motivation for our love. The new commandment is also the ability for us to love. And the new commandment is the way that we're supposed to love. love. How? Just as Jesus says love you. Think about how Jesus loves you. He goes first. He goes first. Does Jesus wait until you're lovable to love you? Uh-uh. He goes first. He relentlessly pursues us. Anybody got any frustrating people in their life, huh? Anybody testify? Right. All right. How many of you rode with them? Don't raise your hand. Okay. So just aggravate you to death, people?

You know? Can you imagine how frustrating you to speak to the Lord? What aggravates you about the aggravating people? They don't do what they say? Break promises. See what I mean? You ever have to tell you kids the same things over and over and over. And you say, how in the world do I, why do I have to tell you over and over and over? And then we show up to church and sing songs.

I can imagine if God loved like we would love, the ceiling would crack open. He'd be like, why? Do I have to tell you the same thing? You understand what I'm saying? Okay. He relentlessly pursued. Think about the table he's at.

Think about this. In the context of the Last Supper, in the context of washing feet, think about this. He serves, not the deserving. There's a man at the table who's going to doubt him after the resurrection. And you know what he does to the doubter? He washes his feet.

And there's a man at the table that night that's going to deny him. And you know what he does to the denier? He washes his feet. And there's a man at the table. He just left the table. And he's going to betray him. And you know what he does with that man? He loves him and washes his feet.

All right, go back to your calendar invite. Because I'm sure what you did, this is what I would do too, is you decided, oh, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to do this for somebody that I really like, like my wife. wife or my kids or or I'm going to do this for somebody that can serve me back like my boss. Now, how about do that for your enemy? How about do that for the person that would betray you? How about do that for the person that has been the worst to you?

That's how Jesus loves. He gives his life as a ransom for many. Verse 35, and then he says this. By this, all people will know that you're a reason. are my disciples. By what? The way you vote? By your t-shirt with your weird Christian saying on it. Buy your fish on the back of your swagger wagon. Big old fish for dad, real slim, fit fish for mom, some guppies and then some little ones for your compassion kids. People are like, that's it. Nah man. Jesus says, you want to put the gospel on display? How about this? Love one another is I have

loved you. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have loved. If you have love, for one another. Not ooey-gooey feelings for one another, but if we dress ourselves like servants, lay down our lives, lay down our rights, lay down our preferences, and treat people the way Jesus treated us. 11-22, you don't want to change the world? You want to change the world? The way we're going to do that is through love. Simon Peter, he's like, I hadn't spoken in several minutes. I should probably say more things. Lord, where are you going? Jesus said, where I'm going, you can't follow me now, follow afterwards. Like, just give it a minute. And Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. He's fired up at like the end of saturated. That's what he's doing.

And Jesus answered him, will you? That's what he says. Will you lay down your life for me? Really? Truly, truly, truly. I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times. And even then, Jesus loves him. Here's what I want you to see. Jesus leveraged all of his power to serve those who don't deserve it. And he said that we would be blessed, not that he would see us and bless us, but in that, in serving one another, we would be blessed and noticed when we do the same. Not noticed for us, but in the way that we love one another, the world would know that we are followers of Jesus. So how about this? Okay. This week, if you're a follower of Jesus, instead of trying to be right

because that's what we do every comment on social media is Christians just being right they're wrong I'm gonna be right instead of being right this week next week do whatever you want this week instead of trying to be right and instead of trying to be in control because I said so

and you know how appreciative of you know and I drive you everywhere and I'm saying okay instead of powering up how about this week we'd be like Jesus and love one another like he first loved us. I dare you. I dare you. That the next time you look around and you realize

that you have some, some level of authority, some level of strength, some ability, whatever it may be, may we step out of that position of authority, may we dress ourselves as a servant. May we be willing to do the smallest things because Jesus did the greatest thing and step off of his throne, come to earth, die on a cross for the glory of God and for our salvation.

May we love one another just as he has loved us. Would you please stand? Let me pray for you. Our good and gracious Heavenly Father, Lord, I thank you, I thank you, that Jesus not only set for us an example, but he sent for us a gift, the spirit of God, in us. and the way that we are going to be able to love one another is with the power of the spirit in us.

And Lord, as week after week after week, we glorify you in song and week after week after week as we declare the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Lord, we acknowledge that you said that the thing that was going to echo starting in this city and to the very ends of the earth, the thing that was going to echo was the way we treat one another, the way we serve one another, the way we love one another.

So, Lord, may this week, may you give us the spirit of Christ to not be so caught up in being right and being in control, but that we would be like Jesus and that we would do whatever it takes, that we would humble ourselves in light of who Christ is to love one another and love this world. It needs it more than ever. We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen. Now, church, if you're actually going to do it, you're going to need the spirit of God's help. Amen? Again, it's easy to think right now you're going to leave this place and go serve your kids until you actually talk to them. Okay? You're going to need to come down here and pray. Dear God, I need you help. Okay? Or do you walk in the office tomorrow?

You're going to need the help of God. That's a big part of what prayer is. Prayer is coming and kneeling before the Lord and saying, God, I need your help to walk in the obedience that you've called me to. that's why I invite you to come and pray. He wants to hear those prayers. And we're going to respond by bringing our first and our best, our ties and our offerings, and say, God, we trust you. We trust you.

Even though you may not understand why you're so blessed or why you're in need, we bring it to the Lord and say, God, I trust you before I trust anything of this world. And we join our voices together and we sing. And what we're going to sing about is the way that we love one another. May it echo, like Jesus said, the thing that's going to take. change the world. Ain't my preach it. It's going to be the way we love this world. May it echo to the very ends of the earth because we have decided because Christ loved us, we would love one another. So let's pray, let's bring, let's sing. Let's respond.