Jesus Cleanse
Peter • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 6 viewsNotes
Transcript
I hope this morning that all here are clean. That you either took a shower last night or this morning. Not only did you get in the shower and let the water run, but that you also, used soap.
God is calling us this morning that we not only be physically clean but be clean from within. That we live our lives as clean as we can spiritually.
Most of us understand this morning when I say spiritually clean I mean a life free from sin.
It is because of sin that lives can become a mess.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we call on God to clean us from that sin. He will. And He calls His people to live a holy and upright live.
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
Although God calls us to live a life free from sin we know that we will never be perfect. But we should strive to live as close to God as we can so when we do fall we will be convicted quickly and get right before God. I think of David when it comes to this. He lived so close to God that he quickly confessed his sin after the action of it.
When we live always seeing the almighty God and His holiness we see how unperfect we are.
Our God is a holy God, and as we catch a glimpse of His purity, we must acknowledge our sinfulness. Isaiah did this very thing:
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Jesus knew His time with His disciples was growing short. It was vital that they learn how to carry on after His departure. By example, He thought them a lesson in both humility and cleaning.
In this lesson from 13th chapter of John, we’ll discuss the events in life of Peter which demonstrated his need to be cleaned spiritually.
The Ministration
The Ministration
(vv.1-5) From our passage, we see a number of tremendous lessons that are applicable to believers today. While the thrust of this lesson is on cleaning and being cleaned, we first see the Lord setting the stage for this lesson by demonstrating the heart of a servant.
In the first five verse, serves as a temple for the servant. As always, our greatest example is Jesus.
Christ’s heart
Christ’s heart
(vv.1-3)
In Christ’s actions, we see His heart for His people. The Bible says, “…having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”
Spurgeon said of John 13:1 having loved his own’- his by election, his by redemption, for he regarded that as already done which was about to be accomplished, - having loved his own which were in the world,- not yet in heaven, but still in the midst of trial, still imperfect, even as you and I are,- he loved them unto the end, or unto the perfection, as it might be rendered.
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
In this was manifested 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.
It had been said that “love is a verb.” This means that it is far more than feeling. it is an act. The love Jacob had for Rachel is a prime example of this love. He loved her so much that he was willing to undergo seven years of toil for her.
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
And as we’ve pointed out before, the love of God was expressed in His gift.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Over and over again, we see that love leads to action. Out of the love He had for the men He had chosen, in out text, Jesus humbled Himself and performed for them the task of
the lowliest servant.
Much of the Middle East is a hot and arid desert. During the time of Christ, the primary mode of transportation for all but the richest was to walk. With the dusty roads and the sandals that everyone wore, feet would often become filthy over the course of a day. It was considered proper etiquette to wash both your hands and feet before entering the house of another. Most would do this task themselves, but in the homes of the more well-to-do, a slave or low end servant would be tasked to do this job. In our text we see Jesus humbling himself. He was living out the works that were later described by Paul in Philippians 2:7.
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Christ’s Humility
Christ’s Humility
It is almost incomprehensible to realize that the Son of God, the Lord of the universe, was willing to lay aside His garment and clothe Himself in a towel so that He could kneel before the disciples and wash their feet. Imagine the Creator serving the created.
O Lord our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength Because of thine enemies, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
If the Lord Himself was willing to do such a lowly and seemingly demeaning task, how much more should we be willing to humble ourselves to serve the saved and lost alike? if we choose to do this, we are truly walking in His steps.
But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
The Motivation
The Motivation
(vv. 12-17)
After performing the task of a servant, the Lord took time to give His disciples another important piece of their education. The lesson He wanted them (and all of us) to understand was that we are to be like Him, having a heart to serve others. “for I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” when the believer grasps the importance of serving, he not only honors the Lord, but he also impacts the recipients.
The Word of God states in
For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
it is not natural to desire to serve; what is natural is for each man to seek to fulfill his own desires. If we seek the things that pertain to Christ, then we will seek to be a servant.
In this passage we learn four main things.
1. Serve
1. Serve
“If I then, your master, have washed your fee; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. The Christian should always be looking for ways to serve others.
2. Follow the Example of Christ
2. Follow the Example of Christ
As the hymn writer William O. Cushing stated in “Follow On,” it ought to be the goal of every believer to truly follow Jesus “anywhere, everything I will follow on.” If we do as He did, we will be blessed, and we will be a blessing as well.
3. Do His Will
3. Do His Will
Christ say that if we know these things, we will be happy if we do them. Happiness truly comes from finding God’s will and doing it. It is God’s will that we serve others. It is God’s will that we humble ourselves.. It is also God’s will for us to be happy, and Jesus states that if we serve as He did, we will have joy.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
4. Get clean
4. Get clean
Christ wants us to understand out need of cleansing. And from this passage and the example of Peter, we learn that we cannot be cleansed in and of ourselves; we need to choose to allow Christ to cleanse us, first in salvation and then in our day-by-day walk with God. When we do this, having “tasted and seen that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8), we will desire to be and agent of change in the lives of others.
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Media
Related Sermons