John 13: 1-17 // Serving Love

The Lord orchestrates things and you can't plan it, you can't write it. What Crawford just shared at communion, we were just sharing notes and I actually pivoted! and switched gears a bit with the sermon this week so we had no coordination but I'm! talking about an encounter between Jesus and Peter today as well. So it's kind of neat how that happens.

We're going through the Passion Week and it's the week before the crucifixion. And I'm hopping around different Gospels right now simply because there are just certain stories I feel the Lord is leading us towards. We really got to spend some time on this or that. So we're going to be in John today.

And John chapter 13 verses 1 to 17. You want to tap and swipe your way there. Open your Bibles. And if I were to kind of have three main things I hope are takeaways here.

It's submit your life to the Father, keep your lives clean, and serve one another. Truly serve one another. Okay? And we're going to get into that. We're going to start with verse 1.

Now before the feast of the Passover 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.

We have this beautiful picture, this scene that we can have. And it's just simply that the disciples are all stretched out around this table. It was about the size of a coffee table called the triclinium. And it's not the table you sit with a chair or a low chair. Some would probably sit up and sit cross-legged. But mostly you kind of recline and you just feed your psyche this. It's fairly luxurious. You wouldn't do it in a super formal setting. Okay? And we've done this in Israel.

It's this beautiful picturesque scene. You're in this tent and we're around this triclinium and we're eating food for the day. And it's the one and only time in my life I have or will ride a camel ever again. It is a horrible experience. You know, horses, like, what I understand from horses right now is that they're just this beautiful creature. They know you're coming up, you know, several feet away. You can breathe with them. There's a connection you can have with a horse that's a beautiful thing. You can even create a good friendship. I have not encountered this with camels.

They are a different beast altogether. They don't seem to like you. They don't seem to want you to ride them. It's just a different kind of thing. But it was funny part of the thing. But you know, this idea of relaxing and eating around this triclinium, it was an intimate meal. It really was. And so when we're looking at this Last Supper, it isn't the Da Vinci painting of they're all kind of lined up on one side and Jesus in the middle and the guys are all like this. And you know, it's not like that. It was actually around this triclinium in a very intimate setting with family and friends.

It's important that we have that in our mind as we go through here. Because there's this point where Jesus gets up. And it's like his last 24 hours before the cross. He knew what was coming.

He knows what's around the corner. And in his mind, I believe Jesus is thinking, there are certain things I really have to leave with you. There are certain instructions I really want you to carry with you beyond this. I need to prepare you for the storm that is coming.

And so the first thing, one of the things he looks at here in this evening is this idea of washing the disciples' feet. And he would get up and he would take off his outer garment. And the funny thing is, or not so funny if you look at it that way, the next time that would happen is when it's ripped from him to be crucified. But here he laid it down at his own accord, just like he lays down his life by his choice for us. Just 24 hours later from where we're reading today.

And he went and got the bowl. And this would be a bowl where you would wash hands, wash feet. I'm really grateful it's not the same as the salad bowl. You know how some people have multiple uses for those old Tupperware things? I won't even get into it. But you know, I'm really glad this had a singular purpose in the story. And he goes and he takes it and he goes up to his disciples and he does something beautiful.

They're horizontal. Their feet would be hanging out toward the back. Okay? So it would be very easy to walk around the back of everybody and wash their feet. It wasn't hard to get to them at this point.

He's ready to display the ultimate love for us on the cross. And anybody ever asks you, how does God show his love to us? Where can I see the proof of God's love?

You point them to the cross because it is the greatest love letter we can ever possibly have from our Father in Heaven. It's the story of the whole Bible. It's a story of a good, good Father bringing his children home and making a way through the Son.

And this is one of these moments where Jesus is wanting to reflect, I need to teach you some kingdom values here so that when things get really, really hard, you're going to know how to love. I've thought about it often.

What are the questions that will be asked when we get to Heaven? I wonder about that. As I get older, it starts to kind of become a little bit more, less on the horizon, a little more in front of me. What's going to be asked of me?

And I don't think God is going to say, have you been a good pastor? Have you been a good teacher? I don't even think he's going to say, have you been a good father, a good husband?

I think he's just going to simply ask us, have you learned how to love yet? Have you learned how to lay down your life as I did for you? Because that encompasses all of those other things.

Verses 2 to 4. So we have to kind of stop here for a second because there's one of these all important, all moments. Remember, I've said this before.

You can go into the, you know, the entomology of the word all, all you want. And it's going to boil down to meaning all. There's no half measure there. It's not partial.

It's all. So when we read this, God has given Jesus all power, all authority, all rights, everything.

Jesus has power, authority, and rights over all to say, let there be light and there would be light. This is what Jesus has been given. And if it were us, if we were in the flesh, sometimes power goes to people's heads and they wouldn't necessarily want to go and wash the stinky, dirty feet of his friends.

Yet this is exactly what he did to show us the value of God's kingdom as opposed to our own. Jesus knew who he was, where he came from, what he had, and where he is going.

And he knew that he was complete master of this situation. He was in charge of what was to happen, even 24 hours to come. He laid his life down willingly. You and I as believers, we know that we've been born of God.

One day we're going to him. And that in Christ, we have all things. That should give us a great measure of freedom. With all authority, he used to lay down his life for the benefit of others.

And one of the things I constantly see in the gospel account, in fact, the entire Bible, is that Jesus has no insecurity of who he is and what he is doing.

None. He didn't water down the message. He didn't try and kind of do something that was like, well, we got to seeker sensitive it up. And he just simply told the truth. That he was the way, the truth, and the life.

And no one comes to the Father but through him. It is a narrow path. And yet a loving, gracious one as well. We desperately need this lesson in humility today.

Regardless of where we are, who we think we are, the position we may hold, that we are to take this example that Jesus has given us and wash the feet of those around us.

To love those who may be unlovable. To like those who may be unlikable. And here's the kicker. To wash the feet of people who may think you and I are unlovable and unlikable.

That's the real kicker. It's easy to wash the feet of friends and brothers. I pointed this out to Derek earlier. Not that Derek needs his feet washed. But I would happily wash Derek's feet. He's a brother. I would do that with such gladness.

It would be great. But can I do it to someone who doesn't like me? Right? That's the real test. Can we wash the feet of those who do not like us?

We sometimes grow in knowledge. But we do not grow in grace. Andrew Murray, who wrote this book called Humility. And I'll just say this. This is not. I'm not pointing out at this church.

Okay? I've been in ministry for 26, 27 years. This is now going on my 17th as a senior pastor.

It is the least borrowed book from my library. I can put it out anywhere. I can put a dozen copies out and a dozen copies will remain. It's a hard thing to swallow.

But it is a brilliant, beautiful book. There's one in our new church library that's building over there back there. You know, I dare you to pick it up. It's a really good read. It's a very small book. But here's a quote from it.

Humility is the only soil the grace's root. The lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure. Humility.

Verse 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. So first he gets up from the triclinium, the low table.

He sets aside his outer garments. And the next time, as I said, he would lose these, it would be when they were snatched from him to be crucified. He took an Abram. And I'm pretty sure he washed the disciples' feet really well.

Corey earlier made a really good point. This is probably a pretty gross job. And I agree. It was probably pretty bad. You have to imagine for a moment what you're walking through the dirt and dung and everything in sandals, in the heat.

And these guys are reclining around and those would be dirty feet to wash. I don't think Jesus just did a sprinkle and said, yeah, good enough, good enough. I think he washed with love and care.

I truly do. Jesus walked around the group and began washing their feet. And this was a job that a servant would do. Now, I'm willing to bet most people in this room know exactly what the jobs for the new person are.

If you ever have somebody that comes on staff and you give them the new person job, it's usually something nobody else wants to do. This was the new person job right here, washing the feet.

That was the lowest of the low servant. And Jesus, king of all kings, who has all power, all authority, all things given to him by God, took the lowest of the low job, the new guy job, and washed the feet.

Humble service in action, loving his own people, even to death on a cross. But we're going to get to that in another week. This is God's servant heart revealed to you and me.

And it's such an important thing for us to grasp and wrap our mind around. Because like I said before, it is so easy to serve likable, lovable people. It's so easy to serve friends and family that you just have the good feelings about.

Jamie could ask me to go catch a baseball cap off the roof and I would climb it. Because it's easy to serve people you love. You know what's something I do? And I wasn't actually going to share this, but I think I'm going to anyways.

Because sometimes you've got to poke the bear. I know, I know, there are a couple of people that are not super happy with me being here. I know that.

And you know what I do as an exercise every week? I turn the lights on for the room. I make sure it's comfortable. I pray over every single chair.

That they would hear from God. And he would be loving to them in every possible way. I don't do that because it's easy. I do that because it's right. Serve those people even if they don't like you.

Serve them if they think you are unlovable. Serve them. Not because it's going to gain you anything. I've been doing that for the better part of 18 months, by the way. And this is the first time I've said it out loud.

Other than something earlier. And I'm saying that simply because this is the example Jesus has given for us. To do things for the people that are hard to do it for.

It's not just the easy ones. It's for the hard ones too. I received a really horrible text this week. Like one of those ones where you read it twice and you're like, oh Lord.

And I stopped everything. I prayed for this person. Because sometimes that's your response. To wash their feet. To pick up the towel. And to love them. Even when it's hateful. And this is the challenge we have with this verse.

It's really hard. Because it goes against every fiber of our being. If we're honest with ourselves. But this is what Lord is calling us on.

Is to serve. Not when it's only easy. And there's a difference between servanthood and servitude. And I wanted to take some moments on this.

Okay? Servitude is what happens when we serve because we have to. Well, man. I signed up for Fiesta Days. Now I got to go. Right?

I'm looking forward to it. Don't get me wrong. I signed up for Fiesta Days. I'm not exactly sure what I'm volunteering for yet. But I signed up for an hour. We'll see what I get. There'll be a roulette. Right? But that idea.

If I didn't have a joy to it. There would be this sense of servitude. Like I have to go serve my time. And that's not the right heart to do it. Servanthood is what happens when we serve because we choose to.

I want to serve. I don't know how. I don't know in what way. I don't know what they want me to do. It doesn't matter. I just want to serve the town. Servitude is out of obligation or position or fear.

Well I have to do this now. I have to. I mean people will hate me if I don't. That's a measure of servitude. Servanthood flows from love.

I want to love people. I'm not saying it's me. I'm saying we. We want to love people. And we don't always know how. We're not always particularly good at saying love me this way.

We're not always very good at opening that up. But you can find ways sometimes in the invisible. And we can love anyways. Servitude asks what do I have to do?

Servanthood asks how can I love? Jesus wasn't demonstrating how to wash feet. He was showing his disciples what kingdom greatness looks like.

You see the world does not prize humility. It thinks it's nice. It's a good quality to be humble. But don't be afraid to step on people. To get ahead. To get away. Right? God's right side up kingdom looks at humility in a different way.

The king of all kings. All power. All authority. Will get down. Take off his outer garments. And wash feet. To love. Servitude can resent the person being served.

Have you ever been caught in that? I have. So I mean don't be afraid to be honest with this. I mean you agree to do something. Like help somebody move or whatever. And you're like. Not feeling it today. Right? And you get there.

And you're moving and stuff. And you're going like. Okay is this over? Last load. Oh wait another truck. Okay. That happened not that long ago. Actually years ago. Sorry. Sorry. Not long before I left Vancouver. To be more accurate.

This family has to help. Help us. Asked us to help move. Brought my kids out. We all went out. And they hadn't packed a thing. And I'm thinking. Okay. It's going to be one of these. It's all right. Okay.

So we can do this. All day goes by. And we're packing this one truck. I'm realizing. This is a multiple truck. You know venture. And it was one of those. I felt servitude.

I really did. And the thing is. I liked these people. So we can get trapped in that. We have to have a heart of love. For folks. And it's not always easy. We need Jesus example of this. The other thing is that.

Servanthood can resent the person being served. Servanthood chooses to love. Even when the love isn't returned. One of the kickers of all of this. Is that this means. With what Jesus did. He washed the feet of Judas.

24 hours before the cross. Right before. Jesus. In fact. Shortly after. This particular moment here. Jesus would be arrested. Because of the efforts of Judas.

And Jesus still washed his feet. If there's ever a lesson in there. To wash the feet. Of those we know. Who will betray us. Or may not like us. Here it is.

Jesus washed Judas' feet. Knowing full well. What he had done. What he was about to do. He showed love. To something that would be. A very challenging situation.

If it were you or me. If you knew someone was going to betray you. And hand you over to authorities. And ultimately that you'd be killed. Would you be so quick to wash their feet? I might not be.

I confess in my flesh. That's a challenging question. I want to think that the Holy Spirit would take over in the moment. And I would do it. I really do. But there's a part of me that's like. Lord I'm not you.

Make me more like you. But we naturally serve people who appreciate. Jesus calls us to something deeper. Because Christian love isn't merely affection for the good people.

It's choosing what is good toward people who may not return it. Sometimes these are in invisible acts. And we have to choose them anyways. Verses 6 to 8.

He came to Simon Peter who said to him. Lord do you wash my feet? Jesus answered him. What I am doing you do not understand now. But after you will understand. And Peter said to him. You shall never wash my feet.

And Jesus answered him. If I do not wash you. You have no share in me. I think Peter might have put on a bit of display here. And please take that with a grain of salt. I could be way off on that. But you know I'm the spiritual one.

No you Lord you shouldn't wash my feet. I'll say something about it to stop this. Whatever this is. I wonder if that wasn't a bit. What it was like. I don't know. But Jesus is saying.

Peter if you don't let me wash you. There's the door. That's a hard thing to hear. Isn't it? If you don't let me wash you.

You have no part of me. And I think we know that Jesus isn't just speaking about feet here. Right? We all get that. This isn't just about the physical washing of feet. This is something deeper.

He's using a powerful picture. Peter had to accept this from Jesus. And it's a pattern for us. If we don't accept Jesus' humble service to cleanse us.

We have no part in him. If we do not accept the humble death that he died for our behalf on the cross. We have no part of him. We can know the stories.

We can go to church. We can do all the right things. Volunteer. But if we don't know the cleansing power that we just said did in communion. Of the cross where Jesus died for you and me.

We're missing something. We lost the plot. Because connecting with Jesus begins with accepting that humble service. If we don't do that we have no part in him.

Think about it with Peter for just a moment here. This guy had been through three years of ministry with Jesus. He saw the transfiguration. Moses and Elijah and Jesus. He saw something that should look otherworldly crazy.

He walked on water. Not for very long. Okay? But not many people. Not many of us. I can't say that we've ever walked on water. I've water skied and that's close and I did it regrettably.

But the point is. Is that Peter walked on water. Okay? And Jesus is still saying. I need to cleanse you brother. All of those spiritual experiences.

All of those beautiful things that Peter went through. Things that would solidify faith for a lifetime and beyond. Jesus is saying if you don't let me cleanse you. You have no part in me. I'm so grateful.

That Jesus didn't not say. If you're not a Bible expert. You have no part in me. I'm grateful he didn't say. If you're not super holy. You have no part in me.

If you want to begin your relationship with Jesus. Let him cleanse you. That's a question I want to ask right now. And bookmark to the end when we pray. If you don't know Jesus in your heart today.

What are you waiting for? It's as simple. As believing in your heart. And confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. He is Lord over all.

If you know that in your heart. And you can speak that. You'll be saved. I can't ask. I can't add religion. I can't add a whole list of things to do. Romans 10.9 says that. It is simple as that.

So bookmark that in your mind right now. Because I'm going to pick that up at the end. Are you letting Jesus do the simple cleansing of your heart today?

Because I don't know about you. But I got to do it all the time. And I'll talk about that in a moment. But there's the washing that is being saved. And then there's the day-to-day cleansing.

It's like, Father, I've got dust on my feet. I have intrusive thoughts. I have things that are difficult to have to go through. I'm not approaching with the right attitude. Lord, I need your cleansing for this. Give me a time refreshing with your Holy Spirit.

That has to happen all the time. And that's the washing that we talk about. So, verses 9 to 11. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

And Jesus said to him, The one who is bathed does not need to wash except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you. For he knew who was to betray him.

And that's why he said, Not all of you are clean. Peter is just all in all the time. You notice this when you're reading the Gospels? He's just one of these guys. He's like boots first, in on the ground, just ready to go, impulsivity to the max.

This is Peter sometimes. And he's like this here. Lord, you're not going to wash me. Don't do it at all. Okay, fine. If you're doing it, do everything. Right? He's just all in, 100%. Peter didn't fully understand what was going on.

And instead of asking questions, instead of trying to get clarification, what is happening right now? He started telling Jesus what to do. This was a pattern for Peter. And I wonder sometimes if Jesus just wasn't standing there saying, Peter, stop telling me what to do.

What God has planned for you is enough. And it's going to be great. Can you just let it unfold? And as I was praying about this, I wonder if that's not for one or two or more of us today.

Let's stop telling God what to do. He's enough. He's got a plan. And it's a great one. Let's wait on him and not tell him how things should unfold.

God knows what he's doing. But Peter had a hard time accepting Jesus' ministry to him because he wasn't yet ready to minister to the other disciples. It's like he couldn't quite hear what Jesus was saying because he wasn't quite ready to take off his own utter garment and wash the feet of Judas.

Right? It takes humility and grace to serve others. But it also takes humility and grace to allow others to serve us. I know some people that are amazing servants in God.

And you ask them to help or if they can help. No, no, I'm fine. Good. I'm speaking to myself that way. I love to help. If you told me you needed help, I would go and help you.

But if you ask me if I need help, I'm always hesitant. I struggle with that. Of releasing and letting go. If you come and ask me what you can pray for, I'll tell you how you can pray for me.

The question is, do you have time to listen to the long list or not? But we have to be good at giving and receiving this humble service that Jesus is calling on towards. Because sometimes we show a servant's heart by receiving from someone else.

My daughter challenged, my daughter Beth, challenged us recently with this whole idea. Like she was babysitting and she was refusing something. And the kid said to her, like, are you refusing the blessing?

And then Beth and I are talking and stuff. And I'm like, no, no, no, I'm doing this stubborn thing. And she's able to kind of see through me like I'm transparent. And she said, are you refusing the blessing? And I'm like, man, I don't like it that that's now in our family vocabulary because it's really convicting.

Don't refuse the blessing. Listen, if someone wants to give something to you, and I'm not talking about financially, I'm talking about a humble service towards you. If someone comes up to you today at the end of church with a bowl and a towel and water and says, I want to wash your feet, you know, it's okay to book a time if you want to do that.

You don't have to do it here. I'm not trying to pressure. I've seen pastors do that where they actually have a bowl up and they say, okay, one by one, everybody come up. It is one of the most uncomfortable things, but it can also be an incredibly beautiful thing.

We did this for a youth group once. We washed the feet of the youth, the youth pastor and myself. Like we went through online and it was like, it was a beautiful thing. There were tears. The idea of just humbly serving people can be a challenge though because those are people we liked.

The people you don't like may not be too thrilled with you coming up with a bowl and a towel saying, I'm going to wash your feet. I'm going to do it. You're going to like it. Right? Anyway, sorry. I just, I go off on rabbit trails sometimes, but that's it.

Verse 10, Jesus said to him, 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. There's the initial bathing that's distinct from an ongoing washing.

The initial bathing happens when we first put our trust in Jesus and he forgives us. Lord, I've tried with this life. I've done everything I can. I just can't seem to figure this out for the rest of the way.

I need you. I want to be closer. I want to understand God, but I don't know how to. Father, I've done all of this religious stuff and it's still left me feeling vacant and empty and I don't know how to get connect with you.

All of these questions. And they all come down to the answer of Jesus. I've said it before and I'll say it again. And a thousand other people have said it before. Or just simply this.

We were together with God in the beginning. And it was sweet and right and good. And pride and sin came into this and divided us. Okay?

And we tried everything we could do. We thought, hey, all right, we're going to start a religion and it's going to be a good one. Best coffee in town. Right? We're going to do everything right. We're going to have this here.

And this is going to be our religion. The problem is, is all of these rules that people have to obey in order to be religious, to try and build a bridge back to God, not everybody can follow them.

I mean, I think we would struggle to go through 20 rules, let alone the many rules that you'll find in Levitical law and the Old Testament, the ceremonial, the civic law, right?

All of this stuff. It's hard to obey all of it. It is. So that didn't work. And then we thought, all right, I'll be a more moral person.

I'm just simply going to stop lying. I'm going to start, you know, being a nice person. I'm not going to swear. I'm not going to, like, you know, think bad thoughts or anything. And the problem with that is, is that Jesus said some simple things on this matter.

If you hate someone's character, if you gossip, if you hate them that way, that is like murder. And I don't know about your past, but as a child, yeah, I stole a candy bar from a store before.

I've never been marched so angrily into a shop before by my parents to hand that back. But I'll tell you, that makes me a thief, right? And that whole hatred thing, I have hated someone before.

I don't anymore. It's not in my heart. But there was a time where I did. And I wish them did. Which is a horrible curse. That makes me a murderer.

By Jesus' law. Okay? Which means, you know what? Simply being a moral person doesn't cut it. So I think, okay, well, maybe this is what we're going to do.

That didn't work. Religion didn't work. Being a nice person is going to work. Maybe I'll just do good things. Well, the problem is here is there's no even measure. There's no measure of like what's right or wrong or how, you know, and I use this a lot, but it's the idea of like, look, if I have to help someone across the street with their groceries 10 times, and that will get me into heaven.

Okay. I'm going to be waiting on that corner and I'll do it. But what if Brenda here only has to walk someone across two times? How's that fair? There's no fairness to that, which means that's not just and true and right.

All of our efforts since the very beginning have failed. And God saw this and in his love and in his mercy, he sent Jesus to come die on the cross for us to be that bridge.

That all you need to do is believe in him in your heart. And it's it. The father has made it so easy for us to go home, but our head gets in the way.

So again, I'm going to bookmark this at the end of this. I'm going to ask if there's anybody who wants to know Jesus right now and cross that bridge. Okay.

What he's done on the cross, the guilt and the shame and the judgment he took on himself that we deserve, we are clean. But every day as we make ourselves through the world, we pick up dust, just like the disciples' feet and the sandals.

We pick up the gunk. We pick it all up and we need to be bathed. We need to be washed. That part is not one and done. You and I need that all the time. I'm not talking about salvation.

I'm just talking about dust in the world. Letting your intrusive thoughts win. Things like that. It needs to be cleansed. Verses 12 to 14. When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, 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. Jesus says, you call me teacher and Lord.

That should be the position of our hearts. Father, you're teacher and you're Lord. And in a way, the way that I look at it, in my weirdo little way sometimes, is that I am my master's servant.

He is my master of all things. He says, go here, I'll go there. He says, do this, I will do this. I won't always understand. I won't always agree as if God needs my agreement at all.

But he is my master. And if he tells me to love someone that doesn't love me, I'll love them. As much as I am able to, maybe invisibly, because he is our master.

He is our teacher and Lord. And that takes some laying down on a consistent basis. Father, your will be done and not mine. God is looking for men and women right now who will stand and say, Jesus Christ is Lord.

You don't have to do that right now. Standing, when I say something like that, it can be easy. You know where it's hard? It's Monday morning at work. Or at school. You stand and you say, Jesus is Lord and I'm going to live for this.

That's where the rubber hits the road. Jesus is Lord. Let him be that in your heart today. Nothing else is Lord of my life. No one else is Lord of my life but you, Father.

The culture around us is not going to be our Lord. Our government is not going to be our Lord. Only Jesus. Only him. Verse 14.

If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. This means giving up your life. I'm going to humbly serve my brothers and sisters in Jesus' name and honor the way that he did it.

This is one of the very precious few places where Jesus will do something and say, imitate me. Do this. One of the precious few places. There's a great argument to be made that his whole entire life and being is an example for us.

We can ask ourselves, well, what would Jesus do? And that is a good question. And we can imitate everything that he does. And it's a good thing to do. This is one of the places where he says, do as I'm doing.

Wash the feet. Serve others. Verses 15 to 17. I'll close in a couple minutes here. For I've given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you.

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.

So the question is, how do we be happy? Because, see, the word blessed in the original languages means, oh, how happy.

And some will just bottom line it to happy. But it's the same thing. Oh, how happy. So I want to read that just a little again. Oh, how happy are you if you do them.

If we imitate Jesus in his humility and wash the feet of others and serve the people who are unlikable and unlovable or who think you and I are unlikable and unlovable.

If we do that, happy are you. Happy. I don't know about you, but I love having recipes out of the Bible for happiness. Psalm 1 is another one if you want to get into it, but that will be another day.

For now, let's look at this one. Oh, how happy. Let Jesus wash you today. Give up arguing about how God should be moving in our lives.

And just surrender and say, your will, your way, our master. Live with the attitude and actions of a humble servant. Those two go together.

You may think of all kinds of volunteer opportunities to get involved with, and that is good. Those are wonderful, good things. Beautiful. But do this at work and school as well.

Do this with family and friends. Do this with your Judas. Do this with people you might consider an enemy. Do it to all people.

And try and keep these priorities. Humility, holiness, and happiness. In other words, submit to the Father. Keep your life clean. And serve others as he has served us.

So as I get into this prayer. You might be sitting here and you've known Jesus. And you're just feeling a little dusty from the road and you need a time of refreshing.

This is a good time. You may not have committed to Jesus yet. There is a commitment to make. You know what it is? Saying yes. It's that simple.

Yes. To you, Lord. We're going to figure it out together as we go on. Jesus will show you. You have friends and family here. Whether you're connected with them or not.

There are people here that are beautiful disciples. Men and women who will help you from go to A to B to C and on. But you start with the word yes in your heart. And then there may be some of us.

We don't know where we are. But we just want all of Jesus. All that he has to offer. Maybe it's a gift. Maybe it's something just to be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life.

To know how to serve others. Say this prayer with me now. I'm just simply going to pray this out loud. And in your heart, just say yes.

There's no pressure to say it either. You don't have to. But I've got to ask again. What are you waiting for? The Lord wants to wash you clean. Get you running in the race.

And run with you. And when we fall. Not if. But when we fall. He's going to pick us up and say. You ready to go back? You ready to come back into this with me? I'm here with you.

The Lord loves us. So much he died on a cross for us. And just 24 hours after this message, he did. Let's pray. Let's pray. Let's pray. Thank you.