[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by the preaching of God's Word. See, Jesus set the example of servanthood. He gave the explanation of servanthood. He says, if I, being your Lord and Master, have set this example and have washed your feet, He says, don't you think you ought to wash one another's feet?
[0:20] You say, well, Brother Tony, how do I know if I'm a servant? Well, symbolically, ask yourself this question. How long has it been since you did something for somebody else?
[0:31] How long has it been since you humbled yourself and you knelt at the feet of their life and you washed their feet? We want people to come to us. We want them to wash our feet.
[0:42] We want to take off our shoes. We want to sit there for our Holy Ghost pedicure. Can somebody say amen? You really can't say amen. Now, stick with me.
[0:53] We've got a point and place in the Christian life. We can't go to Walmart without ladies with their feet, even men. They've got their feet in the water and they're sitting down there on the stool. If you're with me, say amen.
[1:05] All right. We've sort of changed that. So now in the church, we want people to be there washing our feet. And scripturally, we want them massaging our feet and scrubbing our feet and taking care of our feet.
[1:16] And spiritually speaking, with the illustration, we want people doing for us. But can I humbly ask you a question? Think with me in your mind. What is the last thing that you did for somebody else?
[1:28] Well, he gives the explanation of servanthood. He gives the example of servanthood. Number three is he gives the exhortation to servanthood. Well, boy, we think we've arrived when? Fill in your blank.
[1:38] When we have this number, when we do, what is the criterion for the Christian to have arrived? And I hear things all the time about, boy, this person's arrived and this person's arrived and this person's arrived.
[1:52] And how come our definition of somebody arriving in the Christian life is the person gets as far away from servanthood as they possibly can? And so is servant's heart.
[2:04] Number one. Fill in your blanks. Are you ready? Let's go. Number one. Servanthood is not abandoned due to the circumstances of our life. I used to serve. Things were going good and I would serve.
[2:17] Things were easier and I will serve. Preacher, when things change, when this happens in my life, then I'll start to serve. I mean, we always need something to change for us to begin serving.
[2:29] Jesus is sitting down there. Jesus is the day before his death. He's going to go into the upper room discourse. He's going to walk down the Kidron Valley. He's going to go into the Mount of Olives. They're going to come and take him. They're going to put him through three Roman trials.
[2:40] They're going to put him through three Jewish trials. Before it's over, they're going to hang him between heaven and earth. And the Son of God is going to lay down his life. Before all that happens, we enter this discourse where Jesus is going to show them, before he teaches them, and he's going to show them about servanthood.
[2:54] And you say, well, I'll show people servanthood when things start going good in my life, when I have a little bit of pressure off my life. And my question is, I was studying this as I was reading this, Jesus is at the precipice of absolutely giving his life.
[3:06] But even at that point, he majored on servanthood. And people look at me all the time and they say, well, when this changes, I'll start teaching the Sunday school class. And when this changes, I'll start helping with visitation.
[3:19] And when this changes, I'll start tithing. And when this changes, I'll start serving. And when this changes, I'll start cooking. And I want you to look at me just for a second, and I want to ask you humbly this question. What's got to change for you to start serving?
[3:32] What's got to get better? What's got to get brighter? What's got to get, I mean, just a little bit more here, and we'll begin. We've got to get a little older. Get a little wiser.
[3:43] Get a little smarter. Get a little richer. get a little... Something's got to change and then we'll start serving. In servanthood we find servanthood is not based upon and is not abandoned due to the circumstances of our life.
[3:55] It's not we don't do it because circumstances are good and we don't stop being a servant because circumstances are bad. Number two, watch this now. Our blessings were never intended to be used merely for our own personal comfort but for others.
[4:08] You look at verse 3 and Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into His hands. Matthew chapter 28, 18 All power is given unto me. All authority is given unto me. The Son, all judgment has been given to the Son.
[4:20] Jesus had absolutely everything. He was at the pinnacle of power. There was none greater than Him. He is Jesus. He's God in the flesh. Emmanuel, God with us. Watch this.
[4:32] All we men were going around in our churches. We're going around in our life. We're trying to set up pecking orders. We're trying to set up prestige and status. We're setting up all of these things and Jesus says, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. It's not a matter that me trying to elevate myself and me getting to the point and place that I can take it easy.
[4:48] Jesus says, this is not about my comfort. This is about the souls of men, the purpose of God, the glory of God. Jesus says a little bit later on, He says, Father, glorify me so that I might glorify Your name.
[5:00] God, help me to be able to do what I need to do to glorify Your name. Our lives were not meant for ourselves. Our life was meant for the glory of the God of heaven.
[5:10] Maybe things have happened and I don't, listen, in the last 28 months, I've handled enough stuff to give you back problems, but I'm telling you this, just because you have circumstances, trials and troubles that come into your life doesn't mean we stop serving God.
[5:26] Since January of this year, I have buried one man that was my age, one man that's younger than me. I have buried two men that were in their 40s that were part of our church.
[5:38] And we look and we say, well, death's going to come and it comes to all the quote-unquote older people. Since January of this year, I and my church have buried two men. Last week, a man 41 years of age died taking a nap.
[5:53] And so, this has got to change in so circumstances. This has got to change and it's for my comfort. I wanted to make it easier. Number two, He says, our blessings were never intended to be used merely for our own personal comfort.
[6:04] God didn't bless you. God did not bless me so that life would be easier on us. We look and we say something like this and I've got to hurry so just listen fast. I deserve it now.
[6:15] I've paid my price. I've done this. I've done this. I've done this. I deserve what? What do we deserve? Do we not deserve hell? Do we not deserve to be eternally separated from God? Let's be honest tonight.
[6:26] Let's get off of our throne. Step away from ourself. Step into the spotlight of the Word of God and realize if it wasn't for the good grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, all that you and I would ever get would be an eternity of hell.
[6:37] Separate from the God of heaven. Amen. And so you've been blessed tonight. Be a blessing to somebody else. You say, well, it's little things. When we have handshaking song, when it comes time to...
[6:51] Does anybody know what handshaking time is for? It's to shake hands. It's not to stand around. It's not to see. We're waiting for everybody to come to us. We're waiting for everybody to notice us.
[7:03] I'm blind in my right eye. Do you know I've already had to deal with the situations of pastor didn't shake my hand and pastor didn't do this and I've literally had people say, well, the reason is his brother Tony didn't see you. He is blind on his right side.
[7:15] But you sit there, maybe you get your feelings hurt. Maybe you got offended a little bit. Maybe you got a little agitated because you feel like you've been blessed for everybody to come to you and it's going to be more and more about you and you don't realize that God blessed you with all that you have so that you can be a blessing to somebody else.
[7:32] You say, well, I've been preached with goods. Good. Buy a building. You'll get that tonight about nine o'clock. Buy a building. Now, you've already given my check so I'm running with it.
[7:46] Amen. But most of y'all know me. God's blessed you. Well, I think we're going to wait. Glory to God. Level that thing.
[7:57] Brother John, you've got some experience with bulldozers. If you don't, get me on one and I'll level everything in the neighborhood. But let's grade that thing. Let's get the site work. Let's get the building coming up.
[8:07] Let's get this thing moving and going. Let's keep it going for the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, well, well, what? God's blessed you. You be a blessing. You say, well, I have $50,000 shoved over this way.
[8:19] Well, let's unshove it somewhere. I'm not asking for myself. I'm not asking for my church. We're fixing to go into a building program. I'm not asking for us. I'm saying God has blessed you.
[8:29] Be a blessing with it. God has blessed you with gifts. Use your gifts. God has blessed you with abilities. Use your abilities. God did not bless you to be comfortable in yourself. God blessed you to serve other people. Number three. And y'all all for quiet on me.
[8:44] Servanthood does not wait for others to get involved to be involved. Well, if more of the teenagers would serve Jesus than I would serve Jesus. Can I say this just very succinctly because I've got to get through 14 of these things?
[8:57] Very lovingly. I mean this as a matter of expression. If the other teenagers do not want to get involved, you get involved and the other teenagers can absolutely, in just a loving way, they can drop dead. You get involved.
[9:09] Santi, stop waiting for everybody else. Jump slap dab all over this thing. Stop using excuses of why you can or cane or this or that or the other. Man, you get involved in this thing. You use the gifts and the abilities.
[9:19] You draw in four or five people. You have them sitting with you Sunday morning. You show them the joy of Jesus Christ and the fire of serving and loving the God of heaven. You realize that you're here to serve others and you bring in some folks and you serve them and love them and show them the Lord Jesus Christ.
[9:35] I'm not going to wait for somebody else to do it. You know, you know the worst enemy in our, and this person is a member of every church. You know what their name is?
[9:46] Somebody. I don't know how they got on the membership roll of every single church, but you know that dude is a part of my church?
[9:57] I'm about to vote him out because somebody is always going to do it, but he never gets the job done. He is the biggest slacker and the biggest liar that is involved in the house of God.
[10:09] I'm going to wait for somebody else to give. I'm going to wait for somebody else to visit. I'm going to wait for somebody else to teach. I do little things. It's wicked. I mean, I need to get over it. I realize that. I try to be sweet, but I still do these things.
[10:21] Have you ever sat at a Baptist social? Anybody ever been to a Baptist social? Okay. Baptist social. Next time, just sit down. It won't happen for a couple socials because I'm fixing to say something.
[10:32] You want to know the funniest thing in the world? Sit at the table and when you're like Brother Tony, I can see the whole room and nobody knows who I'm looking at, so I've got it under control. Amen. I'm just telling you, there are some blessings to this. Amen.
[10:44] You ever sat there and watched the trash can? You can't tell me Baptists are not skilled individuals. Have you ever seen them go to a trash can and stack paper plates 30 high against the wall?
[10:58] Because we're waiting for somebody to dump it. We're waiting for somebody to sweep off the front. We're waiting for somebody to cut the limbs.
[11:08] We're waiting for somebody to shrimp up the grass. We're waiting for somebody to edge it. We're waiting for somebody to put a park bench. We're waiting for somebody to clean up the toilet paper. We're waiting for somebody to unclog the toilet. We're waiting for somebody to set up the auditorium.
[11:19] We're waiting for somebody to get this thing going. Somebody say amen. The only problem is many times, somebody never shows up of church. Servanthood does not wait for somebody else. Servanthood says there's a job to get done. And by the grace of God, I'm going to get it done. Number five. Number four. Servanthood does not see the inconvenience, but the opportunity. Going through these things, verse four, it says Jesus is eating supper. They're reclining. You basically have them reclining on their left hand. Their legs are shooting behind them. They use the right hand. They would sob and they would eat. And so they're reclining. Their feet are behind them. Jesus has already eaten. Jesus is God. Jesus should have been the one to have his feet washed. The inconvenience of the whole thing. He's God. He's the one that has eaten. There should be a servant that had done this. And the servant was not prepared to do this. One of the disciples should have been washing the other disciples' feet. But Jesus did not see this thing as an inconvenience.
[12:25] Jesus saw it as an opportunity. Jesus rose up from supper. He had interruptions come into his life. I'm finding one thing about Christians. The longer I pastor again, there's something I am finding that's quite, quite worthy of dealing with. We don't want people messing with our schedule. We don't want people messing with our life. We'll allot an X amount of time for God in heaven to move and work. But once that frame is over with, we're ready to get on to what we want to do. Don't inconvenience us. Last night or this morning, 2.30 this morning, I've gotten back to the point in place, if there's any sound, I'm shooting straight up in bed, thinking somebody's calling, somebody's wanting me. I'm, you know, I'm fixing to start taking Brother Hugh Watson medication just to sleep at night. So, 2.30 this morning, I'm sitting there, my body, you know, you ever felt your body fall, feel like you're falling off a cliff, and it's just that feeling, you know, that good sleep's coming, and a little slobber right there, because somebody say amen. Are you with me, amen? Preacher was just about at that point in time, and all of a sudden, my phone goes, man, I shot straight up out of bed. I'm like, ah, 2.30 in the morning, somebody died, amen.
[13:35] I gotta, you know, Preacher's gotta put on his red cape and get on it. I look at my blooming phone, and it's Stephen Underwood in South Africa, and I'm sitting there, and I'm thinking, it's 2.30, no, in a few hours, I am getting up, and an hour and a half, John Pearson's drank four cups of coffee. Coming down the road, I wanted to study and prepare, and, you know, Lord, I want to preach tonight good, and I want to encourage those people, so, you know, I'm in my Baptist meditative, hallelujah. My phone goes beep, beep, beep. I looked down at FaceTime with Stephen Underwood. I went through a season, literally, where's Stacy at? Literally, we marked it. I, within 20 minutes of every time I'd sit down for supper, beep, beep, beep, beep, 20 minutes. Several times, I went to bed early, 9-ish. Forgive me, I was wore out.
[14:48] Within 30 minutes, beep, beep, beep, I told Stacy, I was like, the devil is the one that created cell phones. And then I started thinking, inconveniences are opportunities. Last year, we did either doing or went to 41 funerals. This will be the third or fourth week, fourth week, five funerals.
[15:19] One yesterday, somebody passed away. One today, somebody passed away. Man, inconveniences, right? You know how many people have been saved through those funerals? That have come to the church, that have gotten involved in the church, that have joined the church, inconveniences, or opportunities. And a servant has to control his thoughts, mind, and heart and look at these things and say, this is not a matter that is trying to inconvenience my life or ruin my life or mess up my life. This is my life because I'm a servant. People, people are taking my time all the time. People always want my time. People always want to call me. People always want, I mean, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time. Inconveniences are opportunities. And tonight, you're looking and you say, man, God's trying to inconvenience my wallet. God's trying to inconvenience my family. God's trying to inconvenience my time. God's trying to inconvenience my life. God's trying to inconvenience. And maybe it's not a matter that God's trying to inconvenience you at all. Maybe God's trying to give you the opportunity of a lifetime because you get to serve and minister to somebody else.
[16:27] Number five. Number five, servanthood is not about how people view us, but how we view people. If we're not careful, if y'all with me say amen, y'all scared me.
[16:44] Anybody with me? Okay, y'all scared me, be honest with you. Brother Zach, I know you're with me, so I'll talk with you. Well, I'm going to share my heart with you.
[16:58] I care about what people think about me. I battle that. I don't try to be pompous or prideful or arrogant. I know that I care about that because I have a mirror in my office.
[17:10] And every time I pass it, I'll go by and go, yeah, baby. I got over to the guys in the class a couple weeks ago. And it's like, glory to God, can y'all please put a mirror in the men's bathroom?
[17:26] I say it. There's a mirror in the men's bathroom, by the way. I don't know who put it up, but I thank you. My tie thanks you. I'm in there tying going, yep. Alrighty. Why do we care about how our hair looks?
[17:37] Why do we care about how our tie looks? Is our jacket straight? Y'all know it's a little hanky? I would like to say it's just because I want to represent the Lord well.
[17:50] Amen. And the truth of the matter is, I do want to represent the Lord well. But I'll also be honest with you because I think we're family. I do battle with, what do people think?
[18:02] What do people, when they visit the church, what do they think about the preaching? That's the reason when the sound guys mess up or something happens with the sound, because there's usually demons back there. I'm not talking about here at this church.
[18:14] I'm just saying usually in Baptist churches, in the sound room, there's a little demonic oppression. And I'm looking at all the visitors. I'm looking at the people. I'm looking at the crowd. I'm looking at what's going on.
[18:24] And all of a sudden, you know, you've got to sit up there going. And nobody can hear them. I'm going, ah! And I want to say it's because I want everything for the Lord to be first class.
[18:36] Can somebody say that? I don't know how much it's got to do with doing it for the Lord being first class. I know that I battle with sitting up there as a pastor of the church thinking, I guess they think we're losers.
[18:51] And that's the reason we battle servanthood, isn't it? We don't mind sitting in the seat here. We don't mind being the guest speaker. Yes, praise the Lord. It's so good to be with you tonight. Take your Bibles and turn to John 3.
[19:05] But sometimes we do matter. We do get bothered with it. And it does matter, brother Zach, to us. When God says, why don't you just lose that?
[19:19] Why don't you just lose this? Why don't you just take your sleeves with the shirt that you like getting from the dry cleaners.
[19:32] Why don't you take it right here and just do this? Is anybody with me? Is anybody with me? No, no, you're not with me yet. Why don't you just come down from there?
[19:47] Why don't you come down and see what's going on in this young man's life? And instead of trying to lord over him and be over him, why don't you just ask him?
[19:58] Can I serve you? Can I love on you? Can I touch the part of your life and your walk that nobody else wants to mess with?
[20:11] Can I handle in your life that which is not going to give me any glory? It's not going to give me any recognition. It's not going to give me any fame. It's not going to help me at all. Can I do in your life that which is going to give me absolutely nothing in my life?
[20:25] Can I do something that's not for me, but it is totally and entirely for you? Is it okay? Is it okay that I do all the work and all the serving and all the grunt work and all the dirty work and all the digging and all the planting?
[20:39] And somebody else gets all the credit. Is it okay? We fight servanthood. Because we care what they think about us.
[20:54] Brother Ty, what are they going to say about us? What are they going to mention about us? Is there going to be good things? Is there going to be bad things? If we're not careful, we train our children and present our children.
[21:11] It has nothing to do with how it represents God. It's got everything to do with how it represents us. And all of a sudden, if we're not very careful, even well-meaning things, we present it in such a way because we know in the end it's totally and entirely going to reflect on who?
[21:27] God knows us. Servanthood is not about how people view us, but it's how do we view people. Can I use you tonight?
[21:38] Can I get my expected end tonight? Can I just love you tonight? Jesus did for these disciples what they were not willing to even do for Him?
[21:52] Well, if I become a servant, there's going to be a lower view of me. Can I ask you a humble question? Where does your significance come from? Where does your identity come from?
[22:04] Josh, where does your identity come from? Is your identity in your red shirt and your striped ties, your identity in the mission field that you're going on? Where does your identity come from?
[22:16] And if you're sweeping the patio, does it lessen you? If you're vacuuming the floor, does it lessen you? If you clean out a toilet, does it lessen you? And we look at life and how people view us based upon what we're doing and the job that we have.
[22:34] And I'm telling you this, as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, as a son of the living God, it doesn't matter if I'm preaching or if I'm cleaning out a stuck toilet, this jammed up in our back room where a bunch of kids went after the gym and they stuffed.
[22:48] How in the world they can stuff so much toilet paper and so many paper towels in one toilet? It is a spiritual gift. Can somebody say amen? Would you mind cleaning it up?
[23:02] Would you mind cleaning it up? Or do you feel like if somebody sees you doing that, they will think less of you? So I got caught on this and my time is gone. But servanthood is not about how people view us, but how we view people.
[23:14] Number six, servanthood is not about talking about things, but making sure they get done. Well, we're going to have a six-month seminar on how to be a servant.
[23:26] Well, I'm just going to make it real easy. Somebody go grab a vacuum cleaner. Grab a paintbrush. Grab something.
[23:39] Stop looking around and waiting for somebody else to do it. I wish they would. Have you walked around this place and said something in your... No, we won't admit this, but said something along the line, Boy, I wish they'd take care of that.
[23:50] I wish somebody would do that. I wish somebody would take care of that. I'm tired of seeing that. I wish somebody would take... You know, instead of wishing somebody else would take care of something, why don't you handle it? No, I see...
[24:02] I am not your pastor. Brother Austin Gardner is. You love him. Come back Sunday. Somebody say amen. I'm going to tell you what's needed in the church of the living God. Servants.
[24:16] Servants who will hold open the door for a pregnant woman coming in. Servants who will take frightened children that have never been here and walk them upstairs. Servants that will sit in there and make sure that there's enough ratio from adults to children.
[24:27] Servants that will get on a van and bring them to the house of God. Servants who will make a cup of Sprite and a cookie, whatever, and make sure that they're loved on and cared for. They got a little snack. Making sure that the babies get changed.
[24:39] Making sure their mothers can sit in church without worrying about, Is my child being taken care of? What we need in the house of God is servants. Oh, brother Tony, how do I determine how I feel about servanthood?
[24:55] I'll give you the answer. Are you ready? You can tell how you really feel about servanthood based upon your reaction when somebody treats you like one.
[25:06] You want my confession? Y'all all got very quiet. Transitioning to a new place.
[25:22] Taking over various responsibilities. Visitors coming in. I had a lady look at me one day and say, You don't look like a preacher.
[25:35] I want to look back and say, Well, you don't look like a lady. Ryan, I refrain. I ask God to fill my mouth with grace. So I don't look like a preacher.
[25:47] I'm a little weird, a little short. I don't have all the Billy Graham attributes. Okay, I don't look like a preacher. But all of a sudden, people coming in started treating me like the rest of the people.
[26:02] And I know you don't have this problem. God bless all of y'all very much. But I'm sitting there after about three weeks going, Do I need to put a sign right here?
[26:12] Don't you know who I am? I am the pastor. My name is Pastor. You can have anything you want after the word pastor. But I am the... Are you with me? I know you don't have that problem.
[26:25] God bless all of y'all. You ever felt like you didn't get the respect that you deserved? And so we fight servanthood. We're not going to talk about things getting done.
[26:37] We're going to make sure they get done. Jesus poured the water in a basin. The disciples should have been doing this. Servants should have been doing this. But Christ was the one that did it. And with a towel that He was girded with, He washed and He dried the feet of these disciples.
[26:54] Number seven, and we'll close. Jesus was willing to be a servant to everyone. Even the hard-hearted and the hateful. It comes to Simon Peter and Simon says, Oh, you're not watching...
[27:07] I mean, I love Simon Peter. I mean, really? I don't know if Hefe's got one, but I enjoy your character sketches of these men. If you ever do one on Simon Peter, if you'd send it to my church, I'd like to preach it first. I'm just saying.
[27:20] I love his character sketches. But Simon Peter was the one like, Lord, you're not going to wash my feet. Jesus says, wait a minute. You don't understand what's going on here. If I don't wash your feet, I have no part with you.
[27:32] Well, Lord, wash my head and my body. I mean, Lord, do it all. He says, no, no, no. You've been redeemed. You've been cleansed. Your daily walk needs to be tuned up every now and again. That's what He's dealing with.
[27:44] Simon Peter was one that was very hasty with His words. Very hard-headed. Very, very... Now, I know that this church... Brother John Pearson, I know this church wasn't dealing with His next word, but I'm just going to throw it out there.
[27:55] Are you ready? Are you ready? Opinionated. Is anybody here opinionated? Would you raise your hand? I have two honest people.
[28:06] There's one in the back. Jessica, I know you're opinionated. But isn't it amazing how opinionated we are? Brother... Are you with me? We're opinionated. Simon Peter was always giving his opinion.
[28:17] And he gets to the point in place that Jesus looks at him and says, would you... And I'm going to paraphrase. Would you shut your mouth? Get behind me, Satan. The one that really gets me is this.
[28:33] Sergio, you ready? You're okay. See, now, stay with me. I've got three minutes. I'm done. Lena, I'm done. I'm really... Watch this. Now, see, I want you to get this.
[28:44] Ready? Servanthood. See, there's some tests to servanthood. John the Beloved. Sweet, tender John. Fiery, fiery personality.
[28:54] He was one of the sons of thunder. Amen? He wasn't just no pushover. But all the one that would lean upon the bosom of Jesus and hear the heartbeat of the Son of God. Man after man.
[29:08] Person after person. Foot after foot. And I would do pretty good with all of them. Really? I mean, I'd probably do pretty good with all of them. Except for one.
[29:20] And I've always wondered what it would be like to be Christ as He bows at the very feet of the one that the next place He goes is to betray me.
[29:36] And I've always wondered what was it like when Jesus' hands touched the feet of Judas Iscariot. I don't mind loving the ones that love me.
[29:47] I don't mind caring for the ones that care for me. I don't mind serving the ones that serve me. But oh, is there not something that is raised up in our hearts and in our lives to the ones that do us wrong?
[30:00] And yet this is the thing. Was it Brandon? Just stick with me. Just chew on this. Just chew on it. Jesus didn't wash Judas' feet any differently than John's.
[30:18] He washed both of them. And one of the servanthood challenges is do we treat everybody the same? Do we have tiers of preference?
[30:33] We'll treat this group this way and this group this way and this group this way and this one deserves our help but this one doesn't. And maybe tonight you're somebody like, well, I'd serve certain people but preacher, you don't know certain people have hurt me.
[30:52] And with a thousand lives, I would apologize to you of people hurting you. If you know me, you know that I am very sincere when I would say I am so sorry that people have hurt you.
[31:06] I wish it never happened. But it did. And tonight you've got a decision to make. Will you allow the Judases that maybe have crept into your life and betrayed you and hurt you, will you allow them to stop you?
[31:24] From serving others. There's something in your life maybe that as you progressed alone, you served and you served and you served and maybe something happened in your life that made you detour and stop serving.
[31:38] And all I'm asking you tonight is this. Ryan, let's go forward. Amen? Let's pick the towel back up. Let's take the robes of our righteousness and our reputation and ourselves.
[31:53] Let's lay aside those things that would hinder us. Let's guard ourselves with servanthood. Let's pick the basin up. Let's feel the weight of the water again.
[32:05] And let's stop off with person after person and life after life and family after family and teen after teen and child after child. Let's stop off at every one of them.
[32:17] and ask this question by our actions. Welcome to Vision Baptist Church.
[32:29] A place that's not about what you can do for us. A place that is about what we can do for you.
[32:41] Thank you for the opportunity to serve you today. And as you continue with that spirit, God will continue to bring in those that you can serve.
[32:59] Because God is looking for a place that He can trust with the most valuable commodity of all and that is the lives of people.
[33:10] He's looking for a place that when He bumps them in, He knows that they're waiting with towels and basins are a group of people that all they want to do is find out how they can serve.
[33:28] Father, we love You so much. Help us, God, to serve others. Help us to put others first. Help us to look into lives and see how we might minister them, care for them, encourage them, uphold them.
[33:42] I am just humbled with the thought of how Christ washed the feet of all those men, especially, I guess, the feet of Judas. And isn't it amazing, God, even as I pray, I'm convicted that I think I'm better than Judas.
[33:53] Thank You for how You have served me and thank You for the opportunity that we have to serve others. I pray tonight this church, God, You have done such miraculous, wonderful, great, mighty things through Vision Baptist Church.
[34:05] And God, I humbly ask that You would just a hundredfold continue to bring people in to entrust in this place the lives of others that You want people just to serve and minister to.
[34:17] Stir, Father, this good church. Stir the hearts of us as individuals that we would take off the robes of our righteousness and reputation and we find a towel and a basin and an opportunity just to show somebody else the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[34:32] Bless pastors who come and these dear people for we ask it in Jesus' name. This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfredo, Georgia. For more information, log on to www.visionbaptist.com where you can find our service times, location, contact information and more audio and video recordings.