Sermon Archives
The Ministry of the Towel
John 13:1-17March Madness: The Road to Calvary
Richard Taylor
March 11, 2018
Description:
Your greatness will be determined by your willingness to serve others. When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet in the upper room, he redefined true greatness. No longer should His disciples evaluate greatness based upon title, influence, or rank but rather upon their faithfulness in serving others.
How do we cultivate this type of servant mindset within ourselves?
Know who you are: John 13:3 shows us that Jesus knew His authority, origin, and destiny and therefore proceeded to wash the disciples’ feet. It was this understanding of His own identity that led Him to serve others.
Likewise, we cannot fully serve others until we understand and embrace who we are in Christ. In Christ you are approved, accepted, a child of God, and an heir of the kingdom. Those who are in Christ no longer have to fight for power, rank, or approval in this world because they have been given all spiritual blessings in Christ. Free from needing to build themselves up, those who are in Christ are then empowered to pour themselves out for others. Knowing your identity frees you up to serve others. If you want to be a servant, you must know who you are.
Allow Jesus to serve you: Jesus made it clear to Peter in verse 8 that following Jesus begins with humbly allowing Him to serve us. This begins with receiving His atoning sacrifice as sufficient to wash us from all sin. However, we must continually allow Jesus to minister to us by His Holy Spirit through His inspired word if we intend to serve others. We cannot give what we have not received. Time in the presence of God empowers us to serve others. You will not be able to serve others until you allow Jesus to serve you.
Who are we to serve? As a church family, we must be careful not to become insulated and isolated from the community where God has placed us. Yes, we must be faithful in serving one another but we must also be zealous to serve our community. Our ultimate service to the community is leading them to trust and follow Christ through Gospel proclamation, but serving them in practical ways tears down barriers and builds bridges so that Gospel ministry can occur.
So, don’t settle for the world’s definition of greatness. Be great in the kingdom by living a life of service. Know who you are. Allow Jesus to serve you daily, and then follow Jesus by serving others.
Keywords:
Humility, Passover, Servanthood