LOVE IN ACTION: Serving Like Jesus

Rich Bailey

Curry's Chapel Church

Discipled • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

John 13:1–17

1 John 3:18

Discipleship

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Main Idea: Jesus took on the role of a servant and washed his disciples feet. Serving others is a fundamental aspect of discipleship and it can have a profound impact on our families, communities, and the world. Serving others is a measure of Christian maturity and an important step in the process of becoming more like Christ.

Notes

Transcript

SLIDE: Today’s Scripture

Read 1 John 3:18

1 John 3:18 (NLT)

18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

SLIDE: Welcome

SLIDE: Title

Introduction

Welcome back church! We’re half way through our Discipled series and last week we ended with this thought;

SLIDE: Multi-Step Process (with 2 advances)

Learning from Jesus is a multi-step process;

>> 0 - First, we respond to the invitation

>> 1 - Second, we admit that we’re over-burdened and needy

>> 2 - Third, we accept His “yoke.” We hitch our lives to His, and we live in tandem with the savior of humanity.

I hope that many of you were able to “hitch” yourselves to Jesus in tangible ways last week. Things like praying, reading, and getting into worship are amazing ways to grow closer to Christ and the church. With that said, there is one specific thing that we can do to really ramp up the discipleship process.

As you may have already guessed, when we serve others and love one another as Jesus has modeled for us, we learn so much about our faith. Things like humility, compassion, grace, and mercy don’t necessarily come naturally to any of us. But for some reason, when we put ourselves in position to serve others, we grow exponentially in these specific areas. Jesus must’ve known something about this when he famously said in 1 John 3:18, “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

It’s one thing to say we love others and it’s another thing to show it through our Christ-centered service. As Helen Keller said, "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” Or the African proverb which says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.” And the last time I checked we’re headed all the way into eternity…So let’s get started.

Main Teaching

There are so many amazing examples and stories that we could point to in the New Testament of times that Jesus served others. One of them that sticks out is the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet as recorded in John 13:1-17.

Read John 13:1-17

John 13:1–17 (NLT)

1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” 10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

The Example of Jesus

This is by all accounts an incredible story with multiple facets of application and learning. What I want to focus on is the example that Jesus sets where He, the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Kings, stoops down to wash the feet of His disciples.

This act is not simply a display of humility, but it is also a powerful demonstration of service. In the culture of the time, foot washing was a task typically performed by the lowest of servants. Yet, here was Jesus, the Master and Teacher, performing this lowly task.

Not to mention, washing feet was not just about physical cleanliness; it was a symbolic act. Feet, which were exposed to the dirt and grime of the roads, represented the sin and filth of the world. By washing His disciples' feet, Jesus was showing His willingness to cleanse us from our sins. He was showing that no matter how dirty or sinful we may be, His love and grace are sufficient to make us clean.

SLIDE: Jesus was not selective

Jesus' act of service was not selective. He washed the feet of all His disciples, including Judas, who He knew was about to betray Him. This shows us that Jesus' love and service extend even to those who hurt and betray Him. His love is unconditional, and His service is not dependent on our worthiness or our response to Him. This one point is so important as many of us struggle to serve those we don’t like, don’t identify with, or simply don’t think they deserve the help.

Jesus' example challenges us to examine our attitudes towards service. Are we willing to serve others, even when it's inconvenient or uncomfortable? Are we willing to serve those who may not appreciate or reciprocate our service? Are we willing to serve without expecting anything in return?

SLIDE: Greatness

In God's kingdom, greatness is not measured by how many people serve us, but by how we serve and love others. The world may value power, wealth, and status, but God values humility, love, and sacrifice. This truth couldn’t be clearer than when Jesus gets down and, on His hands, and knees to wash the disciples feet. As Jesus said, “no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

Illustration-

Some of you know my story of how I ended up in prison, and that during that time I had a weekly Bible Study. During that time, I had the privilege to bring 12 other fellow inmates to the saving grace of Jesus. What you don’t know is that being able to minister to these folks brought healing into my own life. I felt so guilty for the harm I had done to my wife, my children and others, that I could not forgive myself.

I did this ministry more out of a penance than that serving Christ. Nonetheless, Jesus used me for His purposes. By Jesus using me in prison He began a healing in my own life. You see the hardest thing we humans have to face is to forgive ourselves. While Jesus was willing to die for my sins; and while through Jesus’ sacrifice I was made new and without sinful blemish before. God; I only saw the sinful me and in my own eyes the worthless me.

The healing that Jesus began in me, by my willingness to serve Him, saved my life. Before I started to serve Jesus in prison, I attempted suicide. Yes, I left that worthless. Fortunately, Jesus did not find me to be a lost cause.

By the time of my release, I wanted to go into full time ministry again. Jesus on the other hand knew I still had further healing to do. My unfinished healing revolved more around my forgiving myself more than anything else. It took over a decade for me to give up on hating myself and allowing God’s love for me to penetrate back into my spirit.

It was not too long before I retired from my full-time job in technology that I was ready to go back into ministry. And not long after that I came to Curry’s where the love and warm welcome of this congregation allowed me to serve once again.

If you have by now, not figured out that I am just a fellow adventurer with you in the greatest adventure that God offers us: Then hear that now. We each have our own story, our own journey and own calling to serve the one and only true God, by accepting our personal invitations from Jesus and the free gift of healing He provides each and every one of us.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

Serving others is not just a duty; it's a privilege. In fact, there is a strong argument to be made that the one who serves is blessed even more than the one who is served. This principle of giving is highlighted in Acts 20:35 where Jesus is recorded as saying,

Acts 20:35 (NLT)

35 ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Again, it would seem that Jesus knows something we don’t about the deep truths of the universe and he’s trying to teach us.

SLIDE: The Greater Impact

The greater impact of serving others is profound. When we serve others, we are not only meeting their immediate needs, but we’re also demonstrating God's love in a tangible way. This can have a transformative effect on the people we serve, often softening hearts and opening minds to the message of the Gospel.

Not only that, but when we serve others, we are serving Christ Himself. As He said in Matthew 25:40,

Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

40 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Serving is literally a win-win-win for everyone involved.

SLIDE: The Focus

Serving others takes our focus off ourselves and our own needs and desires, helping us to develop a more Christlike attitude of selflessness and humility. It also helps us to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of God's grace, as we see His love and mercy at work in the lives of those we serve.

When we serve, we build connections with people, breaking down barriers and building bridges of understanding and compassion. This can lead to stronger, more meaningful relationships, both within the church and in the wider community.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "The Church is the Church only when it exists for others...not dominating but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what it means to live for Christ, to exist for others." Or said another way, it’s blessed to be a blessing and to show others the tangible love of Christ through service. At this point, the question shouldn’t be, “why should I serve?” But rather, “where can I sign up?”

Motivated by Love

SLIDE: Motivated by Love (with 1 advance)

>> 0 - The motivation for serving others, as seen in the life of Christ, is love.

This truth becomes even more clear in John 13:1 when Jesus says,

John 13:1 (NIV)

1 Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Jesus' love for His disciples was not a fleeting emotion but a steadfast commitment that led Him to serve them even in the humblest of ways. This love was not dependent on the disciples' actions or responses. Even knowing that Judas would betray Him, Jesus still washed his feet.

>> 1 - This shows us that our motivation to serve should not be based on what we can get in return or how others may respond to our service. Our motivation should be love.

And how do we know what it is to love? “We love because he first loved us…And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” 1 John 4:18-21.

God loved us, and gave His Son to us, even when we were still entrenched in sin and depravity. “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”(Colossians 1:13-14)

What better way to respond than to follow the example of Christ, humble ourselves, and serve the world around us. When we give our lives to Christ, we give up our old lives and become new creations through Him. As disciples, we learn and follow Christ, hoping to be more like Him. We identify with Christ, and Jesus understood His identity and mission.

He knew that He had come from God and was returning to God, and that the Father had put all things under His power. Yet, He chose to use His power to serve others.

SLIDE: Motivated by Who We are in Christ

This teaches us that: Our service should be motivated by our understanding of who we are in Christ and the mission He has given us. We are called to serve others not because we are inferior, but because we are secure in our identity as children of God and understand that serving others is part of our mission.

The motivation for serving others, as showed by Jesus, is love… and we know love because He gave us the greatest example the world has ever known when He willingly gave His life so that we could have eternal life.

Conclusion

Let's remember that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, chose to serve others, even in His final hours. He didn't just tell us to serve; He showed us how. He washed the feet of His disciples, a task reserved for the lowest of servants. He did this to show us that no act of service is too small or too humble. All service matters when it is Christ-centered service.

With that in mind, where can you serve others this coming week?

If you have been inspired by my witness and convicted by Jesus’ that you need to go deeper in this adventure and discipleship journey; then I encourage to attend the discipleship class today at 6:30 PM. If nothing else, you owe it to yourself to explore what deeper journey He has in mind for you. So, join us tonight: IF YOU DARE!

As Helen Keller put it:

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”

SLIDE: Jesus Wants You

Remember the poster stating that said “Uncle Sam Wants You”?

Well, guess what? Jesus Wants You!

Think of people like your neighbors, co-workers, delivery folks, baristas, bank tellers, school teachers, and so many others. We are always surrounded by others who need to experience the love of Jesus… So, find ways to show up for these people. Talk to them and try to find ways you can trade your time, talent, and treasure in order to serve them.

Expect nothing in return.

Freely give.

And remember, we know the secret; it’s more blessed to give than to receive.

Let’s pray together.

Prayer:

“Lord,

thank You for the perfect example of service You gave us through Your Son, Jesus. Open our hearts and minds to understand what it truly means to serve others as Christ did. Help us to practice this in our daily lives, that we may be a blessing to those around us and bring glory to Your name.”