A Serving Spirit? John 13:12-17

Text:  “If I (Christ Jesus) then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

John 13:14-15.

Good morning, serving Christian!  It is not enough for you, nor for me, to have been graciously saved by our wonderful Lord God - if we are to find true soul-contentment, we must also serve the risen Christ Who has saved us.  Is this your heart’s desire today, dear friend?  It is, most certainly,  mine.

“Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your father’s served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt (the world); and serve ye the Lord.”  (Joshua 24:14)

Dictionary Definition:  Serve: (verb) to be a servant to; to be in the service of; to worship; to work for; to render service to; to perform service for or under; to perform the duties or do the work connected with;…to attend as assistant; to be of use to or for; to avail;…to satisfy; to further; to minister to; to attend to the requirements of; to supply; to provide with materials;…to help to food, etc; to present food in a specified manner…to behave towards;…to conform one’s conduct to…etc.  (Chambers Dictionary p.1511)

Wow! The power of a humble English Dictionary!  So much more meaning!  A wealth of sermon material here for the preacher/teacher!

In our text today, we find the Lord Jesus stating the obvious fact that He has, by His action in washing His disciples feet, left us a clear example to follow in our Christian lives of service to Him.  We are called to serve others in Christian love.

Christ’s Servants:  The first vital step in being a servant of Christ is to make sure that we are, in fact, His servants, and not merely some ‘religious do-gooders’.  Therefore, as the Scriptures clearly teach: “…Ye MUST be born again.” (John 3:3-8) (Titus 3:5-6)

Christian Servants:  There can be no service to Christ without first becoming a Spiritually regenerated Christian.  We must repent from sin, before we can seek to  “…follow peace with all men, and Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14) Personal sin separates us from service to our Holy Lord God.  We must be sanctified for service daily.

Christ Worshippers:  If we are not spending time in prayerful fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, worshipping Him in spirit and in truth constantly - we can never be in a right spirit of service to our fellow Christian believers and to others yet outside Christ’s Kingdom.  Christians should be in some manner ‘Christ like’.  We learn how to be like Jesus through being in close fellowship with Him. We study His Word and speak with Him in prayer.                   
(2 Timothy 2:15)

“As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.  Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud; and He shall hear my voice.”  (Psalm 55:16-17)

Christian Waiters:  Serving, as our dictionary definition reveals, entails a constant supplying of food; provision of materials;…helping to food, etc; presenting (Spiritual) food in a specified manner.

The ‘food’ we seek to supply as Christian waiters (I.e. waiting upon the Lord in service) is primarily Spiritual food from God’s great Word.  In this manner we provide ‘…the bread of life…’ to needy souls - saved and yet unsaved - all around us, and in every place to which we can reach out.  In this manner we ‘…cast our bread upon the waters…’  (Ecclesiastes 11:1)  The ‘Bread‘, is the Word of God.  The ‘waters’ are the nations of the world.

Christ’s Ministers:  Christ’s most faithful ministers, minister Christ to all who will receive Him as both Saviour, and as Lord.  In this manner we are often called to ‘minister’ to each other as God’s Word teaches us so to do. 

“Confess your faults one to another (another believer), and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man/woman (made righteous in Christ Jesus by faith) availeth much.”  (James 5:16)

Christ’s Serving Spirit:  While in Dallas, Texas, on a ministry trip some years ago, my dear friend and fellow-Pastor, Bill White, took me to the Baptist Seminary.  In various positions all around that great place of Bible study were wonderful sculptures of the Campus theme - the practically and Spiritually serving Christian.  Beautiful!

Christ’s Spirit was a serving Spirit, the Master was always seeking to serve people in a myriad of manners - all unselfish.  We too must therefore seek to be always available to serve the needs of others and to influence others with the Spirit of Christ Jesus.  His loving, living Spirit constantly inspires us to serve.

Thought:  “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” 

‘Big Tub - Little Tub’ Bathing John 13:2-11

Text:  “Jesus saith unto him (Peter), He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit; and ye are clean, but not all.”

John 13:10.

Good morning, double-bathed Christian!  Having been Spiritually washed in the Blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus; Redeemed by His Holy and all-cleansing Blood - we are - in our Standing before God - every whit Spiritually clean; hidden in Christ Jesus.  Praise God for His Salvation!

Yet, because you and I walk as pilgrims through this barren and sinful world, our feet, our hands, our minds, our very hearts (whole essence of being), get continually soiled by sin; therefore our daily Spiritual State needs attention.

In our present Spiritual State - we need to be continually washed afresh from sin, through confession of sin, and a daily ‘…washing of the water of the Word…’ 

This is what I refer to as ‘Big Tub - Little Tub’ Spiritual Bathing.

Anyone who has been privileged to have undertaken Missions to India and beyond has experienced what I call the ‘big tub - little tub’ washing procedure.

In any basic hotel room, or living quarters, one has a room designated as a toilet and bathing area - what we in the West recognize as a bathroom. 

However, in Asian countries, these bathrooms are quite different from our own.  Except in more affluent buildings, these bathrooms are completely devoid of a shower facility, or a bathtub!  There is usually a cold water tap.

Instead of a shower facility, one is brought a big plastic tub of hot water, it is carried into the bathroom area, and left for the occupant’s use.  There is always a little plastic tub with a handle attached with which to dip into the big tub of hot water.

Therefore, one strips down, stands in the bathing area and, using the little plastic tub to dip into the big tub, pours water over ones head and body; soaps down, and then rinses off, again using this ‘big tub - little tub’ method.

All Missionaries know the benefit of the ‘big tub - little tub’ bathing experience.  In those hot and often dusty lands, one needs to be, at all times, physically clean.

Bringing this concept into the Spiritual realm, and in the context of our Bible reading for today - ALL Christians should know the benefit of the Spiritual ’big tub - little tub’ experience.  We should all be ’double-bathed’ in our Christian faith.  Let us learn the power of being ’double-bathed’ Christians.

“But as He which hath called you is Holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (entire lifestyle); because it is written, Be ye holy for I am Holy.”  (1 Peter 1:15-16)

Key Verse: “Jesus saith to him (Simon Peter), He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit; and ye are clean, but not all.”  (John 13:10)

‘Big Tub’ Wash:  'Little Tub' Washing:  However, Spiritually speaking, we born again believers receive our ‘Big Tub Wash’ the moment we submit ourselves in obedience to God; in repentance from sin; and cry out for God’s Salvation in Christ alone.  We are Redeemed, washed in the precious Blood of Christ the Lamb, shed for our vile sins at Calvary’s Cross.  We are made ‘…white as snow…as wool…‘ for Eternity.  Hallelujah!  Jesus paid it ALL!  (Isaiah 1:18)  (1 John 1:7)

 In our Standing: The entire sin question for us is nailed to Christ’s Cross.  ‘…the Blood of Christ Jesus…cleanses us from all sin.’ forever!

'Little Tub' Washing:  However in our daily walk, our State in this world, we get increasingly dirty, Spiritually speaking.  That is why we need the ’little tub’ wash daily.  It is what we theologians call Progressive Sanctification.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us (‘little tub’) from all unrighteousness.”                      (1 John 1:8-9)

“Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.  Abide in Me (Christ Jesus), and I in you…”  (John 15:3-4)  (Ephesians 5:26)

Sin separates us from our Holy Lord God - flee from it, NOW!      (Isaiah 59:1-2)

The two words in our key verse, ‘washed’ and ‘wash’, are interpreted in this manner - the big bath and the little tidy-up bath.  (John 13:10)

The 'Big Tub - Little Tub' concept, is Standing & State Theology. 

In our Standing, we are Eternally cleansed by Christ’s Blood when saved.  In our State, we need to be progressively cleansed by prayer and the Word of God.   We are, therefore, doubly washed, Absolutely and Progressively Sanctified.  Praise God for what Christ has done for us at the Cross on Calvary's Hill.  Hallelujah!

Thought: Washed by Christ’s Blood, let’s keep ourselves clean from sin.

Omniscient, Ever-Loving, Jesus! John 13:1

Text:  “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus KNEW that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.”

John 13:1.

Good morning Eternally loved Christian!  There is no other person who is so utterly, and Eternally blessed, as the Spiritually regenerate Christian believer.  We are totally loved with a Divine and everlasting love.  Hallelujah!

“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.”     (Jeremiah 31:3)

“Beloved (Christian believers) let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God (intimately).  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  In this was manifested (clearly proven) the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  (1 John 4:7-10)

Our one-verse-Bible-reading for today is small, yet it clearly reveals a number of profound aspects of the Divine nature of our Sovereign and our Saviour - the Living Christ Jesus.  There is power in one verse of Scripture.

Christ had prior knowledge, or foreknowledge of events to come.  He had Divine foreknowledge of the time of His Crucifixion.  He had Divine foreknowledge of the death of His human nature.  Supernaturally, He knew exactly where He was going after being put to death in human form.  Yet, praise God, He was also Divinely certain that ‘…having loved His own (the Divinely elected souls that would be saved) which were in the world, He (would) love them unto the end (Eternally)!  Hallelujah!  What a Divine Saviour we have in Christ Jesus!  We who are saved, are Eternally loved.

Christ’s Prior Knowledge: The Lord Jesus Christ did not originate at Bethlehem, only the human nature of Jesus was born there in an act of incarnation (I.e. God being born in bodily form) (Hebrews 10:5)

In other words, while the fully human Jesus was indeed born in that stable at Bethlehem - the Christ, the Son of God, God the Son, has always existed in the Eternal realm; therefore, had and continues to have prior knowledge of all future events.

“Then said Jesus unto them (the Jews), Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”  (John 8:58)

Christ’s Crucifixion:  The Lord Jesus knew the exact hour of His Crucifixion: “Jesus knew that His hour was come…”  He would be ‘…Lifted up…’ on that cruel Cross, to suffer as our Substitute and the Redeeming Lamb of God which ’…taketh away the sin of the world…’  (John 8:28)

“...and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men (the ‘…whosoevers…’) unto Me. This He said, signifying what death He should die.”  (John 12:32-33) (John 3:16)

Christ’s Predetermined Death:  Christ Jesus, being God of very God, had come to fulfill the predetermined counsel of God His Father.  The only purpose for His coming to us in human form was to die on the Cross to make the way of Salvation; for all who would be granted faith to believe the Gospel and be saved.  Jesus already knew the reason for His suffering and death!

As Peter cried on the Day of Pentecost: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know; Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have Crucified and slain; Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that He should be holden of it." (Acts 2:22-24)

Christ’s Everlasting Love:  The Lord Jesus Christ loves His people with an Eternal love that can never die or be quenched - not even by ourselves!

“Who (or what?) shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Or deadly Corona Virus!)… nor death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come…height…depth…nor any other creature (including ourselves!), shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:35-39)  

Wow!  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour we love and seek to serve!  Glory to the Worthy Lamb!  

Today, in April 2020, amid an international and deadly plague, when many are dying all around us, and many more of us will die - we who know Christ Jesus as personal Saviour and Lord, are Eternally loved.  'Even so, Come Lord Jesus!  We are born again and ready for Your coming, or for death, that will only escort us into Thy Holy Presence forever, hallelujah!'  Amen.

Thought:  All hail, the omniscient, ever-loving, Lord Jesus Christ !