WEBVTT 00:00:03.144 --> 00:00:09.733 God is good and all the time and, by the way, you're looking good. 00:00:09.733 --> 00:00:22.393 Better than yes, and tomorrow, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then. 00:00:22.393 --> 00:00:26.006 Like mine, hallelujah, let's give a big hand clap to Jesus. 00:00:26.006 --> 00:00:29.013 Amen, his worthy of our praise. 00:00:29.013 --> 00:00:33.706 And the Lord has brought us into another month. 00:00:33.706 --> 00:00:41.018 This is the ninth month of the year and the atmosphere is pregnant and something is about to deliver this month. 00:00:41.018 --> 00:00:52.039 In Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, and so let us unite our faith, bring our faith together and believe God for something special, something good is gonna do this month. 00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:54.451 Believe it for yourself, believe it for your family. 00:00:54.451 --> 00:00:56.981 That faith is critical this month. 00:00:56.981 --> 00:00:58.865 God is coming through. 00:00:58.865 --> 00:01:00.689 Is somebody connecting with what I'm saying? 00:01:00.689 --> 00:01:03.923 God is coming through. 00:01:04.887 --> 00:01:07.272 Our reading is from John, chapter 13. 00:01:07.272 --> 00:01:09.055 John, chapter 13. 00:01:09.055 --> 00:01:16.212 I am reading from verse 1 to verse 15, the NIV version of the Bible, john chapter 13. 00:01:16.212 --> 00:01:18.825 This is what the Bible says. 00:01:18.825 --> 00:01:22.055 It was just before Passover festival. 00:01:22.055 --> 00:01:28.852 Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. 00:01:28.852 --> 00:01:33.733 Having loved his own who are in the world, he loved them to the end. 00:01:34.537 --> 00:01:44.787 The evening meal was in progress and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon his carryout to betray Jesus. 00:01:44.787 --> 00:01:54.194 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God. 00:01:54.194 --> 00:02:01.700 So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist. 00:02:01.700 --> 00:02:11.748 That after that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with a towel that was wrapped around him. 00:02:11.748 --> 00:02:17.594 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him Lord, are you going to wash my feet? 00:02:17.594 --> 00:02:24.070 Jesus replied you do not realize now what I'm doing, but later you will understand. 00:02:24.070 --> 00:02:27.828 Nor said Peter you shall never wash my feet. 00:02:27.828 --> 00:02:33.364 Jesus answered unless I wash you, you have, you have no part. 00:02:33.364 --> 00:02:36.811 Unless I wash you, you have no part in me. 00:02:36.811 --> 00:02:39.062 Then in verse 9 he says then the Lord. 00:02:39.062 --> 00:02:45.040 Simon replied not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well. 00:02:45.040 --> 00:02:49.979 Jesus answered those who have had a birth need only to wash their feet. 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:52.344 Their whole body is clean. 00:02:52.344 --> 00:03:03.503 And you are clean, though not every one of you, for he knew who was going to betray him and that, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. 00:03:04.187 --> 00:03:08.522 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. 00:03:08.522 --> 00:03:11.330 Do you understand what I've done for you? 00:03:11.330 --> 00:03:12.122 He asked them. 00:03:12.122 --> 00:03:16.697 You call me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. 00:03:16.697 --> 00:03:23.562 Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 00:03:23.562 --> 00:03:31.408 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you, and this is the word of the Lord. 00:03:32.092 --> 00:03:33.296 Let's pray, father in heaven. 00:03:33.296 --> 00:03:36.329 We thank you again for bringing us together. 00:03:36.329 --> 00:03:44.872 Thank you for taking care of us since last Sunday when we met, and, lord, thank you for all you've done this past week. 00:03:44.872 --> 00:03:52.419 We thank you for the testimonies, but also thank you for the strength you have brought to those who are bereaved and those who've gone through a difficult time. 00:03:52.419 --> 00:03:58.480 And, Lord, as we go through the word today, we ask that you may speak to us In Jesus' name. 00:03:58.480 --> 00:03:59.804 We pray Amen. 00:03:59.804 --> 00:04:04.733 We may have our seats Just before I share the word. 00:04:04.733 --> 00:04:10.342 We have this book here available for the service the speaker who spoke to us last Sunday. 00:04:10.342 --> 00:04:14.430 The books are available at the table and also in the bookshop. 00:04:16.033 --> 00:04:21.031 Just to appreciate once again, dekon Hyohu, the birthdays for Dr Kaopa. 00:04:21.031 --> 00:04:27.192 He's going to be 68 years this coming Wednesday and we bless the Lord for that Hallelujah. 00:04:27.192 --> 00:04:37.194 We also have another of our members who has served very faithfully for very many years here in the church and her name is Josephine Kasungi. 00:04:37.194 --> 00:04:40.949 She's going to be 61 years, I think today. 00:04:40.949 --> 00:04:42.975 Pasarigan is it today, her birthday today. 00:04:42.975 --> 00:04:46.290 And of course, chebet, chebet Ahmed is up here. 00:04:46.290 --> 00:04:47.274 Stand up again. 00:04:47.274 --> 00:04:48.459 She's the one coming down there. 00:04:48.459 --> 00:04:49.983 Chebet, let's appreciate her. 00:04:49.983 --> 00:04:52.911 Today is her birthday. 00:04:52.911 --> 00:05:00.067 God is indeed very good and very, very faithful, and life is a gift from God. 00:05:01.369 --> 00:05:14.211 Empowered relationships and the outline I have is empowered by love, empowered for service, empowered to empower Empowered relationships. 00:05:14.211 --> 00:05:22.057 This month is a month of empowered relationships and enabling ministry and this theme is a great, great theme. 00:05:22.057 --> 00:05:30.865 So, as you open the gates of this month, I'm sharing from John, chapter 13, verse 1 to verse 15, empowered relationships. 00:05:30.865 --> 00:05:32.608 The text I just read. 00:05:32.608 --> 00:05:48.432 We find Jesus investing in the relationship that he has with his disciples and he invests in three ways by showing love, by serving them and also by empowering them. 00:05:48.432 --> 00:06:12.295 And you will see that in the text and my prayer is that if you're a father, a mother, a child in a family, if you're in a work relationship situation in the marketplace, that you will determine to make relationships a priority, like Jesus does, and not just make them a priority but invest in the relationships that we have. 00:06:13.218 --> 00:06:26.913 I know all of us are connected to someone, either by biology, or either by location and neighborhood, either by work, either by school. 00:06:26.913 --> 00:06:44.588 We are connected to one person or another, and so, even as we look at how Jesus invests in this relationship that is investing in with the disciples, let this become a mirror for us in how we shall invest in our relationships. 00:06:44.588 --> 00:07:05.615 Relationships are very, very important, and so in this passage, we see how important relationships are to God to allow Jesus Christ, and how, especially to the church, relationships should be important, and we sang a song oh the overwhelming, reckless love of God. 00:07:05.615 --> 00:07:15.762 I celebrate God's love today, hallelujah, the overwhelming, reckless love of God, and worshiped him at the end. 00:07:15.762 --> 00:07:18.970 I'll try and finish earlier so that we can sing that song. 00:07:18.970 --> 00:07:24.810 That song, we finish with that song oh the overwhelming and reckless love. 00:07:24.810 --> 00:07:27.483 It comes searching, it comes looking for me. 00:07:27.483 --> 00:07:35.795 I stand here before because the love of God did find me one day in the journey of my life when I was about 17 years old. 00:07:36.577 --> 00:07:45.408 Empowered relationships, first of all, empowered by love, and this is the motivation, the motivation empowered by love. 00:07:45.408 --> 00:07:48.375 This one is unconditional love. 00:07:48.375 --> 00:07:51.125 In verse 1 to 3, listen to what it says. 00:07:51.125 --> 00:07:53.696 It was just before the Passover festival. 00:07:53.696 --> 00:07:58.910 Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. 00:07:58.910 --> 00:08:06.161 Having loved notice that, having loved his own who are in the world, he loved them to the end. 00:08:06.161 --> 00:08:15.067 The evening meal was in progress and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon, his career, to betray Jesus. 00:08:15.067 --> 00:08:26.267 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God Empowered by love. 00:08:26.267 --> 00:08:32.525 And this becomes the motivation for relationships love as a motivation for relationships. 00:08:33.167 --> 00:08:38.524 I want you to understand and be reminded today that God loves us unconditionally. 00:08:38.524 --> 00:08:42.994 In Romans 5, 8, the Bible says God shows his love for me. 00:08:42.994 --> 00:08:49.653 He shows his love for me that, while I was yet a sinner, christ died for me. 00:08:49.653 --> 00:08:52.943 God took the initiative not because I was good. 00:08:52.943 --> 00:08:56.234 No, he took the initiative because he is love. 00:08:56.234 --> 00:09:01.951 And the relationship we enjoy today with God is because God took the first step. 00:09:02.533 --> 00:09:03.976 And God took the initiative. 00:09:03.976 --> 00:09:14.188 And the relationships you are going to enjoy in life, you're going to have them because you take the first initiative, and I want to encourage us to be first initiative. 00:09:14.188 --> 00:09:17.701 Take us as far as love and loving is concerned. 00:09:17.701 --> 00:09:21.231 Don't wait until your neighbor makes the first move. 00:09:21.231 --> 00:09:30.974 Find a way, maybe when they are believed, when they are having a baby coming home from the maternity, maybe when there is a situation. 00:09:30.974 --> 00:09:35.928 Find their creative ways of taking initiatives, but make a move. 00:09:35.928 --> 00:09:38.883 That's what Jesus is doing in this passage. 00:09:38.883 --> 00:09:57.393 And so love, the unconditional love, motivates us and prompts us to be the first to get there, to become the first responder, to be the first person who occupies that space, whether it's a village, whether it's another country, to make a difference in that particular place. 00:09:57.393 --> 00:10:03.793 And so you find Jesus left the portals of glory and he became a human being. 00:10:03.793 --> 00:10:13.363 And then he dwelt among us, like the Bible says, full of grace and truth, and we have beheld his glory glorious of the only Son of God. 00:10:13.363 --> 00:10:20.243 And then, later on, he went to the cross, he died, he was buried and on the third day he rose. 00:10:20.243 --> 00:10:33.928 Today we enjoy this relationship with God because Jesus took the initiative, and this was an initiative of love, prompted by just love. 00:10:33.928 --> 00:10:43.115 And my prayer is that this month we shall reflect on our relationships and that we shall grow our networks. 00:10:43.657 --> 00:10:54.904 Somebody said your net worth is equal to your networks and when we gather like this on a Sunday, you have an opportunity of getting to know 10 new people like 10 new people. 00:10:54.904 --> 00:10:59.546 It's possible you have that capacity 10 new people on a Sunday like today. 00:10:59.546 --> 00:11:06.006 Can you imagine, if you do that, how many new people you're going to get to know, and not just know them by name? 00:11:06.006 --> 00:11:09.293 You can organize to visit their home. 00:11:09.293 --> 00:11:12.405 I hope they are open to a home visit. 00:11:12.405 --> 00:11:26.831 I remember for a long time I didn't want anyone to visit my home when we were in Ojijo and I was a young guy who used to sit at the back of the church and I slowly started moving to the front and sooner than later I was in the front there. 00:11:26.831 --> 00:11:37.489 But no one ever got to know where I live because I was shy and anybody who tried to get to know where I was I would kind of sky them and stay very far from them. 00:11:37.489 --> 00:11:48.009 Of course, my problem then is that I was staying in Korogosho in the slums, and you can imagine somebody saying can I come over to your place? 00:11:48.009 --> 00:11:52.243 I want to know where you live and that's where you live in the slums of Nairobi. 00:11:52.243 --> 00:12:01.606 It's not easy to invite somebody in a space such as that one, but let us be the ones to take that first initiative. 00:12:02.107 --> 00:12:06.580 And in this text we see Jesus taking a love initiative. 00:12:06.580 --> 00:12:12.674 This initiative that he's taking is he's doing it unconditionally. 00:12:12.674 --> 00:12:22.374 You will notice, of course, when he's washing the disciples feet, he's washing the feet of Judas, peter, who will deny him. 00:12:22.374 --> 00:12:30.464 In fact, in the same chapter, towards the end, you find, you know, vastati says. 00:12:30.464 --> 00:12:33.618 Then Jesus answered will you really lay down your life for me? 00:12:33.618 --> 00:12:38.008 Really, I tell you, before the cross, you will disown me three times. 00:12:38.008 --> 00:12:43.883 Peter disowned him, the rest of the disciples deserted him. 00:12:43.883 --> 00:12:58.883 But despite the fact that Jesus knows this, he shows love to these disciples, unconditional love, and I want us to know that what God is calling us to exercise is unconditional love. 00:12:59.825 --> 00:13:07.793 There is a church that had a problem with love and they had a love deficit 1 Corinthians 13, verse 1 to 8,. 00:13:07.793 --> 00:13:10.861 A particular church where the relationships were not very good. 00:13:10.861 --> 00:13:13.648 They had everything else except love. 00:13:13.648 --> 00:13:18.826 Listen to what Paul tells them as he reminds them about love From verse 1,. 00:13:18.826 --> 00:13:21.273 1 Corinthians 13, from verse 1,. 00:13:22.019 --> 00:13:25.427 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love. 00:13:25.427 --> 00:13:28.803 I'm only resounding gong or a clanging symbol. 00:13:28.803 --> 00:13:38.490 If I have the gift of prophecy and can further more mysteries in all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I'm nothing. 00:13:38.490 --> 00:13:47.226 If I give all I possess to the poor and I give over my body to hardship, that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 00:13:47.226 --> 00:13:48.571 Now listen to this. 00:13:50.195 --> 00:13:51.096 Love is patient. 00:13:51.096 --> 00:13:54.323 These are attributes of love, unconditional love. 00:13:54.323 --> 00:13:55.846 Love is patient. 00:13:55.846 --> 00:14:05.893 Love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. 00:14:05.893 --> 00:14:07.624 It keeps no record of wrongs. 00:14:07.624 --> 00:14:10.971 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 00:14:10.971 --> 00:14:15.352 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 00:14:15.352 --> 00:14:16.717 Love never fails. 00:14:16.717 --> 00:14:19.004 But where there are prophecies, they will cease. 00:14:19.004 --> 00:14:21.250 Where there are tongues, they will be sealed. 00:14:21.250 --> 00:14:23.922 Where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 00:14:24.106 --> 00:14:28.528 And so Paul is writing to a church that has many gifts. 00:14:28.528 --> 00:14:31.562 Actually, they had about 18 different gifts. 00:14:31.562 --> 00:14:45.666 This was a very charismatic church, very gifted, and when they met on a Sunday like today, they would sing the choruses and I mean it was very vibrant, very charismatic, but they were shot on love. 00:14:45.666 --> 00:14:57.013 And so Paul writes to them and he says you are endured with so many gifts, but there is one, there is a deficit and you are suffering a love deficit. 00:14:57.013 --> 00:15:09.236 In other words, in terms of the dipstick like you do with a car to check whether it has oil, and in terms of the love he was saying you are running very, very low on love. 00:15:09.236 --> 00:15:16.714 And he says you could have all these other gifts, but if you do not have love, you're just like a clanging symbol. 00:15:16.714 --> 00:15:22.561 It is like having a home where people don't take this love initiative and people don't love each other. 00:15:22.561 --> 00:15:31.289 They may have very nice buildings, many cars, a nice parking lot, but that home is a dead place and nobody wants to get into that place. 00:15:31.289 --> 00:15:33.096 You have a church without love. 00:15:33.096 --> 00:15:34.941 That church is a dead place. 00:15:34.941 --> 00:15:38.888 Nobody wants to go there empowered by love. 00:15:39.109 --> 00:15:46.250 This is unconditional love, and so Jesus is demonstrating that his love is so powerful. 00:15:46.250 --> 00:15:58.302 It is able to minister, even to people who will betray him, people who are going to deny him, people who are going to reject him and leave him alone as he goes to the cross. 00:15:58.302 --> 00:16:02.171 And Jesus is showing that no one is beyond the reach of love. 00:16:02.171 --> 00:16:03.681 No one, no one. 00:16:03.681 --> 00:16:04.062 No one. 00:16:04.062 --> 00:16:06.951 If you are here, you're a criminal, a drug addict. 00:16:06.951 --> 00:16:09.539 You come from a difficult background. 00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:15.413 This pastor says I love you and God says I love you, and I love you the way you are. 00:16:15.413 --> 00:16:19.874 And I want to remind you that God takes the first step in your direction. 00:16:19.874 --> 00:16:24.754 I want you to know that God loves you and he has already taken a first step in your direction. 00:16:24.754 --> 00:16:30.068 What is needed is for you to respond and say God, I will receive your love. 00:16:30.068 --> 00:16:34.219 World changes, love, world changes. 00:16:34.219 --> 00:16:37.205 John chapter 13, verse 34 and verse 35,. 00:16:37.205 --> 00:16:43.380 Jesus said a new commandment I give to you that you do what you love one another. 00:16:43.380 --> 00:16:49.394 By this, all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. 00:16:49.394 --> 00:16:54.692 And so a world changer is somebody who truly loves, and that kind of love is unconditional love. 00:16:55.301 --> 00:17:01.422 However, this love is impossible without the Holy Spirit In your own strength, you can't love unconditionally. 00:17:01.422 --> 00:17:03.601 Love is a fruit of the Spirit. 00:17:03.601 --> 00:17:06.403 John Galatians, chapter 5, verse 22,. 00:17:06.403 --> 00:17:08.561 The fruit of the Spirit is love. 00:17:08.561 --> 00:17:10.003 In fact, they get away to. 00:17:10.003 --> 00:17:10.826 The fruit is love. 00:17:10.826 --> 00:17:23.222 Is love joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and the Bible says again as such things there is no law. 00:17:23.844 --> 00:17:34.805 When I preach in weddings, I tell them this marriage and its longevity is as good as your submission to the Holy Spirit. 00:17:34.805 --> 00:17:39.532 Allow the Holy Spirit to come upon you. 00:17:39.532 --> 00:17:50.509 And when I conduct weddings, I say I am raising an altar of anointing by the Holy Spirit, because without the power of the Holy Spirit you cannot go the long hole. 00:17:50.509 --> 00:17:58.137 Those things that the attributes of love you have just seen from the text I just read, are not found in our supermarkets. 00:17:58.137 --> 00:18:00.463 You go to the finest shops, you won't find them there. 00:18:00.463 --> 00:18:15.798 It's when you look up and you look up to God and you say Holy Spirit, fill me, give me unconditional love that I may be able to change my world through the power of love. 00:18:15.798 --> 00:18:18.583 You know the power of love. 00:18:19.109 --> 00:18:22.304 Reaching that very difficult person requires unconditional love. 00:18:22.304 --> 00:18:27.179 Jesus is reaching very difficult people, but he does it anyway. 00:18:27.179 --> 00:18:33.796 But secondly, empowered for service, empowered relationships, empowered for service. 00:18:33.796 --> 00:18:39.672 Love must go beyond a motivation, it must go beyond a nice feeling. 00:18:39.672 --> 00:18:42.358 Love must begin to do something. 00:18:42.358 --> 00:18:44.644 Love is a verb. 00:18:44.644 --> 00:18:56.941 Those of you who have heard me preach from Fasco, indians 13 and I've done it several times I say love is a greatest gift, but I also say love is a verb, love is an action. 00:18:56.941 --> 00:18:58.505 Love is something you do. 00:18:58.505 --> 00:19:00.009 Love is not passive. 00:19:00.009 --> 00:19:02.213 Love cannot remain indifferent. 00:19:02.213 --> 00:19:06.605 No wonder the Apostle Paul said the love of Christ compels me. 00:19:07.969 --> 00:19:17.333 I have this week I have been preaching in a crusade For those who live in Gontown, a place called Emble Ball. 00:19:17.333 --> 00:19:25.595 In the evening probably you're driving past there and you heard loud speakers and music in a preacher preaching there. 00:19:25.595 --> 00:19:26.676 That was me. 00:19:26.676 --> 00:19:34.375 Hallelujah by the roadside and I thank God for God's love. 00:19:34.375 --> 00:19:40.126 I get so moved and the Apostle Paul said the love of Christ compels me. 00:19:40.126 --> 00:19:43.795 The love of Christ made me go there. 00:19:43.795 --> 00:19:54.163 The love of Christ made me look for young people who can play instruments and sing songs, look for people who can be ashes and work on security. 00:19:54.163 --> 00:20:05.230 The love of Christ compelled me to be in that place called Emble Ball you know the gateway to Gontown and preach the gospel. 00:20:06.071 --> 00:20:18.423 I have seen the love of Christ compelling people to go to slums and begin to enter small rooms and sit with people in those small rooms and share the love of Christ. 00:20:18.423 --> 00:20:24.277 This love is very, very compelling and it causes us to do something. 00:20:24.277 --> 00:20:34.667 John 3.16 says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that who so ever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 00:20:34.667 --> 00:20:51.593 I am praying that these relationships will be driven by this powerful, compelling love that leads us to service, to the extent that even those people who are not lovable, you will go out there and begin to do something for them. 00:20:51.593 --> 00:21:03.240 Hospital visitation, for example you go into hospitals and you find people in all kinds of situations and conditions and you stay there. 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:10.550 I don't like going to surgical words, but the other day I decided to go to Kenyatta Hospital and I went to the surgical section. 00:21:10.550 --> 00:21:23.933 It's usually the most difficult thing for me to do, but I went there and I took time, you know, visiting the various patients who had just come from theater, and you can actually see the pain on their faces. 00:21:24.816 --> 00:21:32.874 The love of God compels us and causes us to begin to do something, and this is what you call the mission. 00:21:32.874 --> 00:21:34.076 The mission. 00:21:34.076 --> 00:21:40.425 Love is the mission of love, and where there is love, then there will be service. 00:21:40.425 --> 00:21:48.204 The person sitting next to you and I'm not saying you do it now one way you can serve them is getting to know their name. 00:21:48.204 --> 00:21:53.657 You're not just beginning somewhere and then you say please, can I get to know your name? 00:21:53.657 --> 00:21:55.561 That's one way you can do it. 00:21:55.561 --> 00:21:56.992 You can do it after this service. 00:21:56.992 --> 00:22:03.472 The other way is to go a little further, like I said, and get to know how they spend their week. 00:22:03.472 --> 00:22:07.950 You know the other way you can go further and arrange to have a meeting. 00:22:07.950 --> 00:22:15.569 And the other way you can go further and do something for them Service During the week. 00:22:15.891 --> 00:22:22.172 A family called me very early and they were very down and they told me Pasi, you have to come to the funeral home. 00:22:22.172 --> 00:22:25.218 I also don't like going to mortuaries. 00:22:25.218 --> 00:22:46.680 I don't have that grace and many of you know that and I got there very early in the morning and you know when you're in mortuary and you have to minister and serve a family in that very difficult moment and sometimes get into those spaces where you are to deal with the dead bodies, it's very, very difficult. 00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:51.296 But you know the love of God gets me there. 00:22:51.296 --> 00:23:01.365 It's so powerful, it's so compelling, it's so moving and you find yourself in a space and you are doing something, serving a family, serving a village. 00:23:01.365 --> 00:23:12.332 We have many children here without school fees and they haven't gone to school up to now and the love of Christ compiling somebody. 00:23:12.332 --> 00:23:25.183 Find out something about that young person and you could change their life forever just by standing with them, paying school fees only once to take them through one term, or maybe two times, it makes all the difference. 00:23:25.183 --> 00:23:34.442 The other day, the PO of Mbakasi Babu, or you know his wife, they came to see me and told me Pasi, I've seen your passion for young people. 00:23:34.442 --> 00:23:37.214 I want to give you 50 scholarships. 00:23:37.214 --> 00:23:42.210 Brother, jj and I got the scholarships, hallelujah. 00:23:42.210 --> 00:23:55.468 And we've been sitting with JJ, pastor Edith, pastor Maxi, the youth pastor, and the house group pastor trying to identify the cases that would benefit from these scholarships high school and university. 00:23:56.451 --> 00:23:59.038 The love of God leads us to do something. 00:23:59.038 --> 00:24:02.358 The Father's love led him to send his son. 00:24:02.358 --> 00:24:04.517 He gave his best and he gave his all. 00:24:04.517 --> 00:24:06.776 This is the mission of love. 00:24:06.776 --> 00:24:16.715 From verse 4 to 11, it says the following so he got up that means he did something from the meal, took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist. 00:24:16.715 --> 00:24:24.419 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with a towel that was wrapped around him. 00:24:25.230 --> 00:24:29.218 He came to Simon Peter who said to him Lord, are you going to wash my feet? 00:24:29.218 --> 00:24:34.255 Jesus replied you do not realize now what I'm doing, but later you will understand. 00:24:34.255 --> 00:24:37.719 No, said Peter, you shall never wash my feet. 00:24:37.719 --> 00:24:41.835 Jesus answered unless I wash you, you have no part with me. 00:24:41.835 --> 00:24:48.596 Then, lord Simon Peter replied not just my feet, but my hands, and my head as well. 00:24:48.596 --> 00:24:53.295 Jesus answered those who have had a birth need only to wash their feet. 00:24:53.295 --> 00:24:55.020 Their whole body is clean. 00:24:55.020 --> 00:25:06.148 And you are clean, though not everyone of you, for he who knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. 00:25:06.833 --> 00:25:10.269 Jesus does something and he serves. 00:25:10.269 --> 00:25:13.289 He serves, doesn't discriminate. 00:25:13.289 --> 00:25:23.727 We are called to reach the whole world and when you're praying and if you're going to serve the nations through prayer, if you come to my office, you'll find there's a globe. 00:25:23.727 --> 00:25:32.529 I've always had it there and I always hold it like this, with both hands close to my heart, and I pray. 00:25:32.529 --> 00:25:41.529 I pray for the nations and sometimes, when we are praying for the nations, there are some countries we don't like and you want to jump that? 00:25:41.529 --> 00:25:44.987 Jesus is saying pray for every nation. 00:25:44.987 --> 00:25:48.167 Ask of me the nations and I'll give them to you as an inheritance. 00:25:48.167 --> 00:25:50.186 Don't jump any more. 00:25:50.186 --> 00:25:56.815 Don't jump any nation, and some people feel like if I pray for this one, that's where God will take me, and I don't like this country. 00:25:56.815 --> 00:26:08.317 I'm saying God is taking you to places where he wants you to express love, and conditional love, and therefore he might take you to some very unlikely places that you probably have not loved before. 00:26:08.609 --> 00:26:14.529 Can you imagine Jesus getting to Judas and he has his towel? 00:26:14.529 --> 00:26:18.509 He's removed the cloak, he has a towel and he's doing the work of a slave. 00:26:18.509 --> 00:26:21.098 Actually, what he's doing, in Greek, is duolo. 00:26:21.098 --> 00:26:32.529 He forfeits his rights as the king of kings, the Lord of lords, somebody who ought to have been sitting on a big chair like a bishop, a chair called a cathedra. 00:26:32.529 --> 00:26:35.509 And you know, sometimes we like sitting, like us. 00:26:35.509 --> 00:26:38.449 You see the way we sit on these chairs, brother Irago, and they look different from there. 00:26:38.449 --> 00:26:40.215 Is that okay? 00:26:40.215 --> 00:26:42.432 Is that right Now? 00:26:42.553 --> 00:26:47.994 Sometimes, you know, sometimes you preach, then the message comes back to you. 00:26:47.994 --> 00:26:56.835 But you know the cathedras, the bishop to be served. 00:26:56.835 --> 00:26:58.653 But look at Jesus. 00:26:58.653 --> 00:27:12.851 He removes his cloak, all the regalia of position and power, he sets him aside and then he takes on the towel of a slave and takes the water and he goes and begins to wash the disciples feet. 00:27:12.851 --> 00:27:13.653 He gets to Judas. 00:27:13.653 --> 00:27:17.077 Now that must have been pretty difficult, but Jesus does it. 00:27:17.077 --> 00:27:21.835 Then he gets to Peter, who will deny him three times and he still does it. 00:27:21.835 --> 00:27:25.976 And he goes to the next disciple and the next disciple who are going to desert him. 00:27:25.976 --> 00:27:32.877 In fact, eventually they will be saying all of them release Barabbas, crucify this one. 00:27:32.877 --> 00:27:35.323 Where were all the people Jesus healed? 00:27:35.323 --> 00:27:37.268 Where were the disciples? 00:27:37.268 --> 00:27:42.984 They were all in that chorus saying crucify Jesus, release Barabbas. 00:27:42.984 --> 00:27:44.788 And you know this. 00:27:44.788 --> 00:27:53.449 We are empowered to rise above the petty issues that sometimes we succumb to and we fail to serve. 00:27:53.449 --> 00:27:58.484 Love is very powerful and love leads us to a place where we serve all. 00:27:58.484 --> 00:28:02.621 It doesn't matter their race, their color, their background, their history. 00:28:02.621 --> 00:28:05.567 You open a door to somebody to come. 00:28:05.626 --> 00:28:16.782 I remember getting a young man called Juma and I got him into my house and he didn't even know how to use a toilet and occasionally, oftentimes, I would find in the toilet. 00:28:16.782 --> 00:28:25.691 Instead of doing whatever inside there, he would do up here and I would be the one to go there and wash and took time. 00:28:25.691 --> 00:28:33.770 For some reason, juma could not do toilet properly and I had to keep washing this thing. 00:28:33.770 --> 00:28:43.086 And then I took him to school and today, as we are talking, he has his master's degree and Juma is married. 00:28:43.086 --> 00:28:49.481 The wife is a pastor, hallelujah, and he's a great disciple maker. 00:28:49.481 --> 00:28:58.526 He reaches out to people, he goes to extremities to get the person who is the last one there on the mile and begin to wash their feet. 00:28:58.526 --> 00:29:04.568 Let me say whoever washes the feet of others, their feet shall be washed, hallelujah. 00:29:04.568 --> 00:29:14.376 And so Jesus is deploying his resources to be able to wash the feet of these disciples, and he's doing so with all the grace. 00:29:14.838 --> 00:29:16.163 So love is more than a feeling. 00:29:16.163 --> 00:29:18.151 It's more than just a nice feeling. 00:29:18.151 --> 00:29:20.136 It is something that we got to do. 00:29:20.136 --> 00:29:24.912 And you know, the calling to serve is a very big calling. 00:29:24.912 --> 00:29:29.682 If you look at the great commission, it encompasses the whole world. 00:29:29.682 --> 00:29:35.840 A church like this one, parklands Baptist Church, we are of the DNA of the five talents. 00:29:35.840 --> 00:29:41.278 You remember, somebody was given five talents, another one too, another one won. 00:29:41.278 --> 00:29:47.640 Parklands Baptist Church is of the DNA of the five talents, and so much will be expected of us. 00:29:48.141 --> 00:29:50.707 Jesus said I was hungry, you gave me something to eat. 00:29:50.707 --> 00:29:53.760 I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. 00:29:53.760 --> 00:29:56.145 I was naked and you clothed me. 00:29:56.145 --> 00:29:58.582 I was in prison and you visited me. 00:29:58.582 --> 00:30:01.576 I was in a hospital and you came over to visit. 00:30:01.576 --> 00:30:03.279 That's found in Matthew, chapter 25. 00:30:03.721 --> 00:30:06.244 And then they asked when did we do all this? 00:30:06.244 --> 00:30:12.241 That means they did it with humility and they did not want their position to be recognized. 00:30:12.241 --> 00:30:18.162 They were like this our Lord Jesus Christ, who is a humble servant, washing the disciples feet. 00:30:18.162 --> 00:30:23.017 But let me say this for everything we do, the Lord sees it. 00:30:23.017 --> 00:30:35.854 I shared the other Sunday 1 Corinthians, 15, 58, bested, fast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing your labor in the Lord is never in vain. 00:30:35.854 --> 00:30:43.275 If it's a pair of shoes this week, do that connect, make a relationship in that particular way. 00:30:43.275 --> 00:30:45.097 Take to somebody a pair of shoes. 00:30:45.097 --> 00:30:48.443 If it's a suit, get somebody a suit. 00:30:48.443 --> 00:30:54.882 The ground is there and the harvest is plenty and God is just waiting for laborers. 00:30:54.882 --> 00:31:06.800 But finally, empowered to empower, empowered to empower, empowered relationships, produce other empowered relationships, and this is what you call influence, influence. 00:31:06.800 --> 00:31:08.586 Verse 12 to verse 13,. 00:31:08.586 --> 00:31:09.949 Verse 17,. 00:31:11.051 --> 00:31:14.787 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. 00:31:14.787 --> 00:31:16.954 Do you understand what I have done for you? 00:31:16.954 --> 00:31:17.556 He asked them. 00:31:17.556 --> 00:31:22.806 You call me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. 00:31:22.806 --> 00:31:29.010 Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 00:31:29.010 --> 00:31:33.243 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 00:31:33.243 --> 00:31:42.010 Very truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 00:31:42.010 --> 00:31:46.583 Now that you know these things, you'll be blessed if you do them. 00:31:47.685 --> 00:32:04.875 The apostle Paul invested his life in Timothy and in second Timothy 2, he said, and the things you have learned from me before many witnesses you know in the presence of witness, many witnesses and trust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 00:32:04.875 --> 00:32:13.710 And you know what we do for others and we show them by example lasts forever. 00:32:13.710 --> 00:32:20.634 I still can remember the impacts that have come my way by people who reached out to me by love. 00:32:20.634 --> 00:32:33.694 You know that story through love, that story of how difficult I was and then I locked myself in a room and then the guy who was trying to help me through life comes through a keyhole and is looking. 00:32:33.694 --> 00:32:39.828 I thought he had gone and then I also am there looking and the two eyes meet through the keyhole. 00:32:39.828 --> 00:32:47.653 This guy worked so hard, but I was trying to run away, but somehow he did it. 00:32:47.653 --> 00:32:50.400 For that reason, I am doing it today. 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:55.295 I will not give up on someone Hallelujah, because somebody never gave up on me. 00:32:58.121 --> 00:33:07.061 And so when influence is when you invest in a person's life to the extent they're able to invest in another. 00:33:07.061 --> 00:33:11.030 You know we have the Elijah Elisha example. 00:33:11.030 --> 00:33:12.575 Elijah spent time with Elisha. 00:33:12.575 --> 00:33:19.134 Eventually, elijah takes off, elijah takes up the mantle and he continues with that ministry. 00:33:19.134 --> 00:33:30.888 Jesus knows that these guys are the ones who are going to live with the ministry and therefore he must give them an object lesson, a lesson they will never, ever forget. 00:33:31.576 --> 00:33:33.140 All of you have grown up in homes. 00:33:33.140 --> 00:33:38.277 You know how those relationships have been within your home settings. 00:33:38.277 --> 00:33:53.545 You can remember the things that were done for you, that were life changing, that have shaped who you actually are today, but you can also remember the things that have really, you know, incapacitated you and cost you a lot of pain over time. 00:33:53.545 --> 00:34:05.357 So Jesus does an object lesson and he teaches, he does wash their disciples feet and he says even you, I want you to do the same for other people. 00:34:05.357 --> 00:34:14.864 God is talking to somebody here and he's saying you have reached where you have reached in life because somebody laid down their life for you. 00:34:14.864 --> 00:34:18.360 That's why you're here, that's why you have the job you have. 00:34:18.360 --> 00:34:23.780 That's why you have succeeded and reached the levels that you have actually reached. 00:34:24.163 --> 00:34:41.938 Today we can take time to thank God for those mentors and coaches and people who came alongside us, destiny builders and destiny makers, but we can also commit ourselves to doing something for somebody else and causing them to reach where we are and even go past where we are. 00:34:41.938 --> 00:34:45.985 Jesus is giving us an example and God holds back nothing. 00:34:45.985 --> 00:34:48.429 We need to hold back nothing. 00:34:48.429 --> 00:34:59.878 You know families that impact others are amazing Abraham and Sarah in Genesis, chapter 5, 12, verse 1 to 5,. 00:34:59.878 --> 00:35:11.875 You know the story of God's visitation, of the call, the Lord blessing them, and then the Lord saying I have blessed you that you may become a blessing to the nations. 00:35:11.875 --> 00:35:33.498 Today I am trusting God that we shall refresh our relationships within the perspective of this text unconditional love in discriminated service, service that does not discriminate, but also empowering for legacy and also empowering for eternity. 00:35:33.498 --> 00:35:40.639 Jesus wants us to bear fruit that lasts, and I know no better way than building relationships. 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:53.239 Reach out to someone, build them up through service, commission them through the illustrated lesson of your life and trust them to be able to continue the work that you have started inside them. 00:35:53.239 --> 00:35:57.835 You know, jesus started the church and the church is here today. 00:35:57.835 --> 00:36:00.079 He died for the church. 00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:06.471 He left the work of the church in the hands of a small group, but that has grown to be what it is today. 00:36:07.172 --> 00:36:11.661 I want to say that this month, we are thinking about ministry. 00:36:11.661 --> 00:36:13.690 Ministry is about people. 00:36:13.690 --> 00:36:16.956 Ministry is about relationships and connections. 00:36:16.956 --> 00:36:20.023 Ministry is about serving someone. 00:36:20.023 --> 00:36:23.115 It's about making a difference in somebody's life. 00:36:23.115 --> 00:36:26.690 Is it possible for you to invite somebody for lunch? 00:36:26.690 --> 00:36:49.663 You realize that Jesus was having dinner in some place here, and this may have been a Thursday evening and by morning Peter would have denied him, he would have been betrayed and then the next day, friday, he faces the cross and then he dies and he buried. 00:36:49.663 --> 00:36:58.416 It is more or less like the last supper that is happening in this place and in this particular place a relational dinner table. 00:36:58.416 --> 00:37:12.242 He gives several chapters 13, 14, 15, 16 and then in 2017, he prays in that relational context in one night 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17,. 00:37:12.242 --> 00:37:18.541 You know, around that dinner table and let me tell you when you invite somebody for lunch or dinner. 00:37:18.541 --> 00:37:21.574 Those are very nice places to grow relationships. 00:37:21.574 --> 00:37:25.141 I like doing it, especially with my children. 00:37:25.849 --> 00:37:26.572 Sunday afternoons. 00:37:26.572 --> 00:37:29.965 We must find a place we like for you. 00:37:29.965 --> 00:37:49.902 By the way, if you check me for you, chinese place Sunday afternoon, big table, 11 people most of the time, and that is my family and grandchildren and we invest in the relationship and we talk with one another and occasionally we invite other young people to come and join us. 00:37:49.902 --> 00:37:55.360 The other day I had invited the young people to join us there, the same place, and so it was a big. 00:37:55.360 --> 00:38:07.527 They made a big, big circle and you know somebody who was sitting on the other side with the wife afterwards came over to me and he said you may not know me very well, but I follow you online. 00:38:07.527 --> 00:38:10.295 I see you have a big table here. 00:38:10.295 --> 00:38:13.362 I am taking charge of the bill. 00:38:13.362 --> 00:38:16.510 It was amazing, I'm taking charge of the bill. 00:38:16.510 --> 00:38:19.737 So him and his wife, they took charge of the bill. 00:38:20.119 --> 00:38:29.871 So don't be afraid of treating somebody for a lunch or a dinner, because heaven will provide and you can even do it by faith. 00:38:29.871 --> 00:38:31.994 Do it by faith. 00:38:31.994 --> 00:38:35.322 Grow your networks, reach out. 00:38:35.322 --> 00:38:37.887 Ministry is growing networks. 00:38:37.887 --> 00:38:40.052 Networks is about people. 00:38:40.052 --> 00:38:42.858 People are beautiful, people are wonderful. 00:38:42.858 --> 00:38:46.273 It doesn't matter their status, it doesn't matter their background. 00:38:46.273 --> 00:38:49.420 Reach out, greet them, get to know them by name. 00:38:49.420 --> 00:38:58.157 If it is possible, hug them, invite them to some space where you can just be together and do something for that individual. 00:38:58.458 --> 00:39:10.601 The best investment you can ever make is to invest in another person's life, and that is what Jesus did, and that's why I want us to sing the reckless love story, because he's doing it in this passage. 00:39:10.601 --> 00:39:14.775 He did all he could for me and we need to do it for somebody else. 00:39:14.775 --> 00:39:21.657 As we sing this song, let's reflect on the message and then, after that, I'll be leading us in a short prayer. 00:39:21.657 --> 00:39:24.523 Let's have the song as this team leads us. 00:39:24.523 --> 00:39:26.956 Let's all stand up as we sing this song together. 00:39:26.956 --> 00:39:50.784 Let's celebrate this, guys. 00:39:50.784 --> 00:39:54.146 Let's just give our hands to the Lord. 00:39:54.146 --> 00:39:55.148 Thank you very much. 00:40:05.092 --> 00:40:17.159 Hmm, oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God. 00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:22.152 Oh, it chases me down fights. 00:40:22.152 --> 00:40:27.099 Still I'm found leaves the nine to nine. 00:40:27.099 --> 00:40:32.253 I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it. 00:40:32.253 --> 00:40:36.860 Still you give yourself away. 00:40:36.860 --> 00:40:46.045 Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God. 00:40:46.045 --> 00:40:55.905 Sing, oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God. 00:40:55.905 --> 00:41:01.733 Oh, it chases me down fights. 00:41:01.733 --> 00:41:05.920 Still I'm found leaves the nine to nine. 00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:11.835 I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it. 00:41:11.835 --> 00:41:15.704 Still you give yourself away. 00:41:15.704 --> 00:41:22.458 Oh the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God. 00:41:22.458 --> 00:41:30.172