WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:10.080 I am so excited about this morning and excited you're here, and I'm incredibly excited about this passage we're looking at, this story in John chapter 13. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:16.719 And so I'm gonna read half of it, and then we're gonna talk some, and then about halfway through the sermon, we're gonna read the second half. 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:19.839 So John chapter 13, which is in your bulletin. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:23.679 Uh read the first eight verses, a little bit of reading, but but hang with me. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:25.120 You can follow along. 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:27.519 It was just before the Passover festival. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:33.039 Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:37.280 Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:43.840 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:49.840 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:50.719 Jesus knew all this. 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:51.920 Okay, so then verse 4. 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:57.039 So he got up from the meal, he took off his outer clothing, he wrapped a towel around his waist. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:04.879 After that he poured water into a basin and he began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around them. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:09.599 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, are you going to wash my feet? 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:14.719 Jesus replied, You do not realize now what I'm doing, but later you will understand. 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:21.280 So Jesus is sort of saying, like, there's more, there's even more going on here than what's going on right now. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:26.239 And Simon Peter says, No, you shall never wash my feet. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:31.040 And Jesus answered, Well, unless I wash you, you have no part with me. 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:34.319 So it's just be over, just before the Passover. 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:38.879 This was a time the Jewish people remembered coming out of slavery with Egypt. 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:41.200 We've been keep talking about this kind of each week. 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:42.480 We just sort of talk about it a little bit. 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:45.120 So this is a story in Exodus, second book of the Bible. 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:48.480 Great story to read and understanding what Christian faith is. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:53.519 And so these guys, twelve disciples, they're they're up in the upper room. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:02:00.319 So they're in the upper room of a home in Jerusalem, and they're having a meal before the Passover festival begins. 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:04.480 Now, when you entered somebody's home, a lot of people would have a servant. 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:13.039 And so when you enter people's home, you had all these dirty feet because people were wearing sandals, dirty streets, animals in the streets, filthy, dirty feet. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:17.199 And so you would come into somebody's home and the servant would come and wash your feet. 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:23.439 Now, if there's no servant there, then the person of the lowliest position in the group would assume the role. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:28.719 Now, what we have here is we have the disciples and Jesus have come into the home. 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:30.319 Obviously, there's no servant there. 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:35.680 They've gathered in the upper room, and everybody is still with their dirty feet. 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:38.240 Nobody has assumed the lowliest position. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:45.599 In fact, in Luke, we read that disciples are actually having an argument about who's the greatest among them. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:46.960 Don't you just love that? 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:51.280 I mean, so nobody's willing to take on that lowliest position. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:53.199 In fact, they're actually doing the opposite. 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:56.479 They're having an argument about who's the greatest. 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:59.120 And we kind of do this in our own way, in our own culture. 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:01.599 But in their culture, this had to do with the washing of feet. 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:14.879 So Jesus is there and he's watching this play out, and he decides he's going to not only foreshadow something he's about to do on the cross, but he's also going to teach them something about what greatness and importance really is. 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:21.919 And so he gets up from the table, takes his robe off, puts a towel around his waist, so he assumes the position of a servant. 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:23.759 He puts water in a basin. 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:31.439 And at this point, you you know the disciples are uh they're just, what what's going on? 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:34.719 Like, why is he doing this? 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:36.319 Because see, he's the master. 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:37.280 Masters don't do this. 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:39.840 This is something like a servant does or a pupil does. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:42.879 This is not something the master does. 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.560 And they're probably looking around, maybe they're whispering something. 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:48.560 Hope nobody sees this. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:04:04.639 I mean, I mean, they're not gonna think that our master is really important, that our rabbi is a really important, great rabbi, and Jesus is just over there getting everything together, putting his, getting the towel on, getting the water in the basin, and starting to wash feet. 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:15.840 And it is such a story about the fact that God is a servant king to us, that he's willing to do that for us. 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:18.959 Kings are served, right? 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:22.160 I mean, kings are served, but not this one. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:31.519 And because of this, we are set free of demanding others to serve us as to make ourselves feel important. 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:33.519 That's worth repeating. 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:35.120 That's sort of the sermon and a line. 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:37.279 You could probably just get up and leave and you got it. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:40.000 Kings are served, but not this one. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:47.519 And because of this, we are set free from demanding others to serve us as to feel more important. 00:04:48.639 --> 00:05:03.600 So the story in Mark chapter 10 is two brothers, uh, James and John, they come to Jesus and they say, Hey, Jesus, when when you get to glory, when you get to eternity, um, and we get there, uh, can we can we sit on your right and on your left? 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:08.319 Like, can we get, all right, we don't want to be as important as you. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:11.360 We get that, but we want to be really esteemed. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:18.959 We want everybody to know us, everybody to see us, when everybody, you know, you know, maybe when everybody's singing, maybe like they're singing toward us. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:25.600 It'll go to you, but we really want to be really close into that, and we want to get all the handshakes and the pats on the back. 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.319 And Jesus just says, you know, these places aren't for you. 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:30.240 Like what you're talking about, not good for you. 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:31.439 That's not good for you. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:34.480 And the other disciples actually find out about this conversation, they get mad. 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:35.360 You know why they get mad? 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:38.399 Because they want the same position, they're all jockeying. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:45.680 And then in Mark 10, verse 43, Jesus says this same thing is going on in this story in John 13. 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:48.959 Whoever wants to become great among you, you want to become great? 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:54.879 Here's what he says you must be a servant, and whoever wants to be first must be a slave to all. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:56.399 So, what is Jesus doing? 00:05:56.480 --> 00:06:05.040 Well, Jesus is, he's revolutionizing our thinking about importance and what it means to be important, and how do we find importance? 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:15.920 I mean, I spend vast amounts of energy, just like you, I spend vast amounts of energy trying to figure out how I can feel more important in this world. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:32.160 And there's this part of me that thinks if our church becomes successful enough, and whatever subjectivity I'm gonna create to say what that is, if it becomes successful enough, then all of a sudden I will feel important enough. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:44.800 So I so I'm building a life that I'm building a life that matters, but there's this part of ego that really needs that to define importance in me. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:54.560 And when this happens, that ego, so fragile, that ego, it just creates anxiety and fear. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:58.560 You you know what I'm talking about. 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:18.000 Like when your job or your career, your role in life, it ceases to be about providing for your family or providing for yourself, and ceases to be about helping society as a whole or helping uh create jobs, and it ceases to be about that, and it starts to be about sort of bolstering your ego every time. 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:25.759 Every time you think, oh, I'm creating more importance for me, it actually starts to create more anxiety and more fear. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:32.399 We do it with what we look like in our culture, not all cultures, our culture. 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:33.920 We do it with what we look like. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:42.879 You know, so like health in your body, it ceases to be about being healthy and being about how somebody else views you. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:47.759 So that that way of life that should just be about being healthy, it ceases to be about that. 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:49.600 And don't we know this? 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:50.480 Don't we know this? 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:51.759 What does it create? 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:54.959 More anxiety and more fear. 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:57.199 We do it with parenting. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:01.040 Like when you start to use children to define your importance. 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:05.600 Like if they do well enough, I'll start to feel important, and if they don't do well, then I don't feel as important. 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:08.000 And what does that create? 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:11.279 More anxiety and more fear. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:14.240 And maybe, maybe you're here, you're waiting to feel important. 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:18.399 Maybe you've been waiting your whole life to feel important. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:33.279 Under that, under the activity, and other work, and other maybe family or friends, under underneath all of that, it's just like this this heart that is just waiting for somebody to come to you and just and get that stamp of approval that that you are you're important. 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:39.679 And your heart's longing for this, and that's not a bad thing. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:45.039 It is actually your heart telling you that you were created for more than this world. 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.879 And what we do with that matters greatly. 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:54.240 It matters whether you're just increasing anxiety and fear or whether you you come into a rest. 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:59.039 And comparison is the worst way to go with this. 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:13.519 So last night we were at this party, and Christina was there, and Tiffany was there, and we were at this party in Atlanta, and we drive up, and it is maybe one of the most beautiful homes I've I've ever seen, including magazines. 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:16.399 I mean, it's just perfect, it was perfect. 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:19.200 We walk up, I opened the front door. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:23.120 I I could have stayed the rest of the night at the front door. 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:25.039 It was about five inches thick. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:28.240 I mean, it was it was a work of art front door. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:31.919 I mean, I literally I could have stayed there for an hour and just looked at this front. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:35.519 The front door is was probably the cost of my home. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.679 It was beautiful. 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:39.840 I mean, the whole home was like this. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:44.639 And these are great Christian people, so I'm not I'm not casting anything about them. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:46.799 This is about me processing this. 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:54.080 And a group of us at these parties that we always end up at these parties together, we always end up kind of sectioning ourselves off from everybody else. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:10:00.799 And so we end up literally in an upper room, kind of up above the garage, just sort of the the man cave, hate that term, but that's what it was. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:02.480 Um and it was it was great. 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:10.480 We were up there um and we're hanging out and we're having a good time, and and this room is so tastefully done, and you're looking around. 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:13.679 This is this is beautiful, this is unbelievable. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:25.200 And you're looking around, and and and the the gentleman that owns the home, he's had a successful career, and he has like photos of him with like kind of important people on the wall. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:26.559 I mean, that's not bad. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:28.159 It's probably his friends, really. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:33.840 And just I have pictures of me, my friends, just none of us are incredibly important in society and culture. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:42.960 And and he has all these pictures, and you look down all the golf courses he's played at, and you're oh, I've seen that one on TV, I've seen that one on TV, I've seen that one on TV, and you can kind of go around. 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:48.080 And and so I I I get home and um I start to Google stalk, right? 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:50.960 Like I'm gonna get the full story here of how this developed. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:53.440 How did we get, how did we get to that front door? 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:55.039 I want to know that story. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:11:01.679 And so I Google stalk for a while and I create a good bit of knowledge about him and his life, probably more than he would want me to know. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:07.200 And and so I Google stuff, and and it's just it's this feeling, right? 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:19.200 Um, it doesn't matter whose home you go to, um, and whether you have the nice home, you go to somebody else's, you you can come home and you can just feel really small, right? 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:27.600 And maybe it's not with a home, maybe it's just with like you go to somebody else's and they got these wonderful kids, and you're like, my kids are not wonderful. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:31.039 And you come home and you just feel small. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:32.799 Here's the interesting thing about it. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:39.759 So last week we were in Guatemala, and I I spent a week with this guy named Manuel, and he's the driver. 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:41.440 He's a bus driver in Guatemala. 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:42.159 Let me fill you in. 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:44.720 A bus driver in Guatemala doesn't make a lot of money. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:47.519 I mean, a pretty simple, simple guy. 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:54.320 I mean, his home is a concrete block home, maybe two rooms sectioned off by one concrete block wall. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:57.679 And and and I sit next to him all week as he drives us around. 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:06.799 He doesn't speak Spanish, and uh he doesn't speak English, I don't speak Spanish, and and we've known each other for 10 years, and we got this weird friendship where we don't speak each other's language, but we really have a good time together. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:19.120 And uh there's this self-righteous pride in in it um when I come home and I I'm I'm pretty important. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:28.399 Like I kind of have more money in my pocket than like he makes in a year. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:37.120 Here's what I'm saying. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:48.879 Either way of comparison comparing yourself to feel more important than somebody, or comparing yourself to feel less important than somebody, either way it's a trap. 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:50.559 It's a dead end. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:51.600 It's sin. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:53.200 It's sin. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:55.679 It is so unhealthy. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.799 It creates more anxiety and more fear. 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:02.799 And Jesus is coming to this story in John 13 saying, I have a different way. 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:05.759 A totally different way. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:09.679 A way that protects your heart and leads you to a great life. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:10.960 Here it is. 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:19.039 Serve other people, not to feel more important, but for their sake. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:28.879 So the question is how do we get to a place where we want to serve somebody else without wanting the position of being important? 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:31.759 So the the question to answer that, we have to answer this question. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:35.200 What gives me importance as a person? 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:37.039 What makes me important? 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:44.559 As a 16-year-old, as a as a seven-year-old, as a 50-year-old, as a mom, as a dad, as a student, what makes me important? 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:51.120 So back to John 13, Jesus is on his knees in front of his friends and he is washing their feet. 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:55.519 He gets to Peter in verse 6, and Peter says, Are you gonna wash my feet? 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.639 Like, this is not the way to importance, Jesus. 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:08.159 And we thought you were important because we've seen you in front of like political powers, standing up to them, we've seen you heal people, we've seen you preach, thousands of people, and you are looking really important. 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:10.879 This is this is not it, Jesus. 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:12.720 I don't want, I don't want you to wash my feet. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:18.639 And Jesus says, Well, newsbreak, unless I wash your feet, you have no part with me. 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:26.399 And here's what Jesus is saying unless you let me come into your mess of insecurity and sin. 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:41.200 And the way that you try to go look for identity in other places, and the way you try to build your own righteousness instead of relying on me for that, unless I come into you, unless unless I wash your feet, you have no part with me. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:48.480 And this is sort of point one in the sermon is we must receive the criticism of our uncleanliness. 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:52.720 And so when you realize Jesus is not for you, you can receive that. 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:56.159 And you're not going to fall apart as a person. 00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:00.399 Because you can receive it and at the same time realize Jesus is not for God, loves me anyway. 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:01.600 So that goes back to that statement, right? 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:05.600 We're more flawed than we imagined, we're more loved by God than we ever dared to dream. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:08.080 And because of that, we can receive our uncleaness. 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:13.919 See, this is the water in the towel that Jesus is wrapped in, he's washing. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:16.720 It's a foreshadowing of the cross. 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:23.759 And the cleansing we can have when we allow Jesus to be our servant, this is what sets us free. 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:24.960 This is what relieves our guilt. 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:30.879 This is what we don't have to keep in the toil of forming our own identity or trying to build our own importance. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.639 He takes our sin upon himself. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:39.519 He gives us the righteous, perfect life we can't live, gives that to us. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:41.279 This is called the exchange life. 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.200 Theologically is called imputation. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:48.399 Our sin is put upon him, his righteousness is put upon us. 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:51.200 Second part of the story, starting in verse 9. 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:55.519 Then Lord Simon Peter replied, Not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well. 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:56.320 So he gets excited. 00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:57.360 I'm in Jesus. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:15:59.759 Wash everything. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:05.600 And Jesus answered, Those who have had a bath, and you only need to wash their feet, their whole body is clean. 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:09.039 And you are clean, though not every one of you. 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:10.320 So he's talking about Judas. 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:11.679 Judas is the traitor later on. 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.240 We'll get to that part of the story in coming weeks. 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:19.919 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that is why he said, Not everyone was clean. 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:23.600 What's interesting is he washed Judas' feet too. 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:28.559 This is the guy who stabs him in the back, washes his feet too. 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:33.279 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:35.120 Do you understand what I've done for you? 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:35.840 He asked them. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:39.919 You call me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for this is what I am. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:48.320 Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:52.639 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:54.159 Very truly I tell you. 00:16:55.360 --> 00:17:01.360 No servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:04.480 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:09.440 So Peter is hesitant, but Jesus washes his feet. 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:15.200 And then Jesus says, I've washed your feet, you go do the same thing. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:16.480 Here's point number two. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:20.000 Point number one, we've got to receive the criticism of our uncleanniness. 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:24.079 Point number two, uh, verse 15, I have set you an example. 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:25.440 So here's the point. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:28.880 Jesus is our example, but he's not just our example. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:34.160 He's our substitute and our example. 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:47.039 So to make it theological, the imperative, the thing Jesus is asking us, wash one another's feet, the imperative comes after the indicative, what's been indicated to us, what's given to us. 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:47.359 Okay? 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:48.000 It's very important. 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:50.960 First half of the story, Jesus giving us something. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:52.400 He's washing our feet. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:18:04.000 The things we should do, wash one another's feet, comes after the fact that we have received from him in full our righteousness, our importance, our cleansing. 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:06.559 So we don't turn this into some moralistic lesson. 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.359 If we're good enough Christians, then we're gonna wash those feet. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:15.440 If we're good enough Christians and we're involved enough in certain service things, that that's not at all what the story is. 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:20.160 What this story is is I am your substitute, I will wash your feet, and I'm your example. 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:21.759 But I'm your substitute first. 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:22.480 Get that. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:25.920 Get the first part of the story, and then we get the second part of the story. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:31.359 Grace in us asks for grace to flow through us. 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:42.000 So in Guatemala this week, we built a home for this lady, and what I mean home is like a concrete block shed, tin roof. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:45.359 This what this was like winning the lottery for her. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:56.400 You know, the local church there in that village, they picked her, and then we helped provide the money, and there's some builders there, and we come and we help lay block and did the mortar, and and and this lady is a single mom. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:59.119 She uh has a daughter and a son. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.279 She's probably in her 30s, I would guess. 00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:06.240 And daughter and son, her husband was a drunk, eventually just left. 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:12.720 So she moved back, she's with her parents and another pretty much single-room house. 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:17.599 And we're able to come and build her this palace. 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:24.640 And one day, the last day, we're gonna dedicate the house and pray for her. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:28.319 And we go on a shopping spree, we went to the little market and we just went through. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:29.359 It was a lot of fun. 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:33.680 We just went, Charles carried the box, and we just sort of like threw stuff in the box, just anything. 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:36.160 We go, oh, she would like that, she would like that, she would like that. 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:41.119 And you know, be able to give her this box of you know, of housewarming for her new home. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:45.920 And and we finish, we pour the concrete floor, and we did all that, and we're kind of done. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.160 It's it's over, and it's time to dedicate. 00:19:48.240 --> 00:20:03.200 And so um she gets brought over translators and people are gathered in her family, and so she she says, uh, she said, I can never, this is a blessing I can never repay God for. 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:10.640 And we're thinking, yes, that's what blessings are. 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:14.880 Please don't try to go and repay God for it. 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:17.119 Because you don't have to. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:20.480 I mean, you know, we're standing there and we're hearing that, we're going, that's right. 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:22.480 Don't try, don't get into that cycle. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:24.319 He's not asking for repayment. 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:26.799 Here's here's what this has to do with this story in John 13. 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:32.880 The gift of cleansing, the the gift of grace to you is not to guilt you into serving somebody else. 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:34.240 It's not the storyline here. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:43.440 The storyline here is the gift of cleansing frees you from demanding other people to serve you as to make you feel important. 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:45.839 Because you're already important. 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.799 You're already important. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:54.960 Grace in us as to have grace flow through us. 00:20:55.119 --> 00:21:04.559 So around this table in this upper room, none of the disciples had the eyes to see or the willingness to humble themselves to serve somebody else. 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:11.359 They're too caught up in this stupid argument about who was the most important. 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:15.920 And Jesus comes along and says, I've got a lesson for you. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:18.160 And here's the lesson is the truth. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:19.839 You're already important. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:26.960 Like that that's not something you earn, or that that's something that's given to you. 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:38.000 And if we don't receive our importance from God, we will continue to use people to feel more important. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:44.160 We'll use employees, we'll use employees, we'll use friends, we'll use our children. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.680 It'll be a a unreasonable burden upon other people. 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:58.559 Listen, I I know I know you probably don't have the job that you love. 00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:01.759 Or The marriage, don't nod. 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:06.000 Uh the f the family. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:07.279 It's not as perfect. 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:15.359 It's not the it's not as everything's not as perfect as you know exactly how you wanted because there's some conflict because of you, there's conflict. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:18.079 Um because of me, there's conflict. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.759 You you probably don't have the body you love. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:22.880 Don't nod. 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:25.519 Please don't nod for your spouse. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:31.599 You you probably don't have a Maybach in the garage and a yacht and a harbor somewhere. 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:34.720 You probably don't have everything you want. 00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:39.359 But listen, listen, you're already important. 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:47.759 You don't have to use those things to serve you so that you can feel important. 00:22:48.880 --> 00:23:07.200 This is an unbelievable freedom that our union with Jesus sets us free from needing to be more important than somebody else and demand them to serve us, and it sets us free so that grace can be in us and flow through us. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:08.960 It's Mother's Day. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:11.279 This is a day that affects all of us. 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.240 All of us, all of us have a mother. 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:20.480 Now, I was sitting on a lady on the plane on the way home, and I got her life story. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:21.119 Don't worry about it. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:22.799 I didn't ask for it, but I got it. 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:25.440 I thought I was gonna watch Spider-Man work some. 00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:29.119 Apparently, I was gonna watch Spider-Man work some and get the life story. 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:31.359 And it was it was fantastic. 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:39.599 I mean, when she was 10 years old, her priest slept with her mother, and her mother left. 00:23:42.079 --> 00:23:43.920 We talked about that for a while. 00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:46.799 She disengaged from God. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:49.119 I get that. 00:23:50.160 --> 00:24:00.720 Later in life, she marries, she has a son, her second son is born with deformities and disabilities, and he's just not going to live. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:07.759 And the son stays in the hospital, the baby stays in the hospital for three months, and eventually the baby dies. 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:15.759 That suffering is what God used to draw her back to himself, not back to the church. 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:18.720 She's not there yet, but back to himself. 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:33.920 And what it was is that she, in that suffering, she had to let go of her son and realize that children are God's and that her child will never be alone. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:37.279 That her child will be with the Lord. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:50.480 I mentioned that because you can't come to Mother's Day and realize that some of us have lost mothers because they've died, or we've lost mothers to bad decisions. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:25:00.319 And we remember that, uh, we remember those ashes knowing God can turn all things to beauty. 00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:08.000 And perhaps you're here and you're a mother who has made a bad decision. 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:10.160 I just want to say, you know what? 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:12.960 Your feet have been washed. 00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:14.960 Oh, isn't that great? 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:16.799 That bad decision. 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:21.119 Whatever that was, your feet have been washed. 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:26.240 Maybe you're here and you're a mother and you've lost a baby. 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:27.759 Remember this morning? 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:30.319 That child's with the Lord. 00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:33.440 Maybe here you've always wanted to be a mother and you're not. 00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:34.960 You know what? 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:37.119 Your values in the Lord. 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:42.079 Maybe you're like this lady, you're a single mother. 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:44.400 This is difficult. 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.880 I grew up with a single mother. 00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:52.319 I'm somewhat normal because of my single mother. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:55.359 And it's just sacrifice. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:57.440 It is sacrificial love. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:25:59.599 This is what mothers know. 00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:02.240 Mothers know sacrificial love. 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:05.039 Here's the good news. 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:07.680 Mothers, here's good news this morning. 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:11.839 You don't even have to use your children to feel important. 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:17.359 That perfect behavior, perfect grade, perfect career. 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:19.039 It's not going to happen. 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:24.559 You don't have to use your children for your value and your importance. 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:28.160 Be served by the servant king. 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:31.039 Our value is in him. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:35.680 Grace in us as for grace to flow through us. 00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:38.400 We're going to end by praying for mothers. 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:39.519 And I want to do it this way. 00:26:39.599 --> 00:26:43.440 I just say if you're mother, please stand up and we're going to pray for you. 00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:54.559 So let's pray together. 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:58.960 God, we come with grateful hearts for moms. 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:02.799 Some of us remembering a mother that's already passed on to glory. 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:04.400 We're so grateful for them. 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:07.119 Some of us remembering mothers that maybe weren't that great. 00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:09.920 We know you are the redeemer of all things. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:14.240 And we pray right now for these mothers that are in front of us. 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:18.559 We are so grateful for their sacrificial love to us. 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:20.640 We pray for them. 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:23.279 We pray that you relieve them. 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:33.279 Relieve them of using even their sacrificial love as to feel important, would they always find their value and in you? 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:42.160 God, grace in us as for grace to flow through us. 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:44.400 We thank you for these women. 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:47.599 Continue to open their hearts wide to your grace. 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:48.960 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:49.599 Amen.