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just a couple of announcements this morning our evening service tonight we're going to be celebrating the Lord's supper at 5:00 P PM as usual so come prepared for that Wednesday night bible study will take place again at 7:30 and then this Thursday the following day there's going to be be a presentation here in the church in the fellowship hall uh regarding the voice of Hope Mrs coopman is going to be presenting that's at 7:30 on Thursday that's it for announcements if you turn your Bibles to Psalm 6 68 for our call to worship Psalm 68 we're going to read from verses 28 to the end of the chapter Psalm 68 beginning in verse 28 your God has commanded your strength strengthen oh God what you have done for us because of your temple at Jerusalem Kings will bring presents to you rebuke the beasts of the reeds the herds of bulls with the calves of the peoples till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver scatter the peoples who Delight in war envoys will come out of Egypt Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God sing to God you kingdoms of the earth ohing praises to the Lord say la to him who rides on the heaven of Heavens which were which were of old indeed he sends out his voice a mighty voice a scribe strength to God his Excellence is over Israel and his strength is in the clouds oh God you are more awesome than your holy places the god of Israel is he who gives strength and power to his people blessed be God Amen for our first hymn we're going to turn to Psalm 889b 889b as in bravo and we will sing stanas 1-5 89 be as in bravo please stand with [Music] me The Tender Mercies of the lord your faithfulness will I Proclaim and every shall know your name I sing of mercies that end forever will live and Fai that EST in the and for has and he [Music] has for in my Mercy shall my his thr and Grace I will maintain forever while all God your has his cor and shining bright your Tru and love andless let's turn to the Lord in prayer our gracious Heavenly Father we thank you for this day thank you for the mercies that we have experienced throughout this week and thank you that we have this privilege of coming together today to gather before you and to hear your word proclaimed we pray oh God for the proclamation of the truth all over the face of this Earth that today as the gospel Goes Forth in a special way you would bless the preaching of the word and cause your spirit to work in the hearts of people both those who are yet yet unsaved and your people draw them closer to yourself oh God we pray that there would be a great ingathering of souls this day Lord we pray that you would work here in our midst we pray that you would continue to build your church we thank you for the good work that you are doing here in chilak not only in our church but in other churches in this city and throughout this uh province of ours we pray oh God that you would continue to do good and through the church we pray that you would Preserve serve our country and our land we thank you for for the freedoms that we have we pray oh God that you would help us to to make full use of them and to be grateful uh for the the Privileges that we experience here in this nation of ours Lord we pray for our sister churches and church plants that you would cause them to continue in Grace continue to abound in love towards each other and in a love for the truth Lord we pray that you'd bless the the Brethren that meet out in Ren Ontario on a regular basis we pray oh God that you'd continue to bless that congregation and cause them to grow cause them to be grounded and founded in the truth Lord we pray that they would be able to formerly constitute as a church and would continue in Grace there in Ontario cause them to be a light oh God in that entire large Province Lord we pray for the church here in the north Okanagan bless our Brethren and Armstrong as they meet this morning encourage them bless Pastor malar as he preaches we pray that you'd also do a good work in Siri this morning bless Pastor Kurt Patrick as he preaches the word to your people there we pray that that congregation too would continue to abound and continue to be blessed with with unity and and increasing strength Lord we pray for those who are not able to be with us this morning for one reason or another those who are shut in who have health issues perhaps in the hospital or else where we pray oh God that you'd be merciful and gracious to them encourage your people this day encourage those here amongst us that are having struggles physically or spiritually Lord we pray that you would meet the needs of your people and cause us all to rejoice in the good things that you have done and are doing for us oh God bless Pastor Butler as he comes to the pulpit in a little while to preach to us I pray that you'd give him unction from on high and open our hearts to receive the word we pray oh God and Lord we pray that you would continue to give us freedom in this nation we pray for the magistrates the leaders of our Province and of our country God we know that there is a great wave of wickedness as there has always been since the Fall In the Garden of Eden but we pray oh God that you would preserve our our country and cause the gospel to have an impact Lord I pray that many more churches would be planted many more pastors raised up and trained for the ministry to do good to this nation of ours and to our neighbors to the South oh God we pray for those places that do not have the same freedoms we have but where the church is also going forward under great persecution in some cases I pray God that you'd be merciful to your church in various lands where the magistrates or the the people of false religions are persecuting your people God I pray that you would encourage and uphold your Saints and especially those that languish in prison this day for the cause of the gospel and and Truth we pray Lord that you'd be merciful to them and cause your grace and your your mercy to abound in their hearts encourage them this day we pray continue with us now as we worship Lord I pray that you would be pleased with our worship cleanse us now from all sin and guilt we pray in Jesus name amen please turn with me again in your Himel to Psalm 146 Psalm 146 and stand with me as we sing [Music] pra him I will praise him all my I will sing while I have I will sing to God my prise God all their will come to nothing when perish in the gra oh bless the to be oh bless the the GL is he the Earth and Heaven and Mer SE with all their he his word forever he is faithful willice for the sake of of to Sis their reles all the to the the and from their thees all the right and the will Judgment on the wi the Lord will forever God for gener hallelujah [Music] praise [Music] you may be seated please turn with me in your Bibles to the gospel of Matthew we'll continue where we left off reading in chapter 18 last week the second half of the chapter and we'll begin reading in verse 21 of Matthew chapter 18 then Peter came to him and said Lord how often shall my brother s sin against me and I forgive him up to seven times Jesus said to him I do not say to you up to seven times but up to 70 * 7 therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain King who wanted to settle accounts with his servants and when he had begun to settle accounts he one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents but as he was not able to pay his master commanded that he be sold with his wife and and children and all that he had and that payment be made the servant therefore fell down before him saying Master have patience with me and I will pay you all then the master of that servant was moved with compassion released him and forgave him the debt but that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a 100 deneri and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying pay me what you owe so his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him saying have patience with me and I will pay you all and he would not but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt so when his fellow servants saw what had been done they were very grieved and came and told their master all that had been done then his master after he had called him said to him you Wicked servant I forgave you all that debt because you begged me should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you and and his master was very angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him so my heavenly father also will do to you if each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses amen let us pray gracious Father in Heaven I pray oh father that you would continually remind us of what you have forgiven us of and Lord the petty grievances that we sometimes hold against our brother are so insignificant compared to what you have done on our behalf we owe you a debt that we could never pay and Lord I pray you'd cause us to be quick to forgive the debts of our brethren we ask this in Jesus name amen for our final hymn we'll turn to number 243 in the Himel number 243 and please stand with me as we sing together of the is for your in his exellent word what more can he s you you he to you for Jesus not I am with you be not this for I am your and will still give you all streng you help you and you to stand through the deep I call you to go the of shall overflow for will be with you your to bless sany to you your de through your shall all shall be your the flame shall you to conse and your to people shall my eternal unchange love and when ha their temp my shall in my [Music] be J for will will to his all hell should to sh no no [Music] for we turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of John as we work our way through John's gospel we're in John Chapter 13 this morning we introduced The Upper Room discourse last week The Upper Room discourse is chapters 13 to 16 followed by Jesus High Priestly prayer in chapter 17 and then the events of the passion from chapters 18 to 20 and then the book ends with an epilogue so I want to read beginning in Chapter 13 at verse one we'll read to verse 17 now before the Feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the father having loved his own who were in the world he loved them to the end and supper being ended the devil having already put it into the heart of judas's scariot Simon uh Simon's son to betray him Jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God Rose from supper and laid aside his garments took a towel and girded himself after that he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded then he came to Simon Peter and Peter said to him Lord are you washing my feet Jesus answered and said to him what I am doing you do not understand now but you will know after this Peter said to him you shall never wash my feet Jesus answered him if I do not wash you you have no part with me Simon Peter said to him Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head Jesus said to him he who is bathed needs only to wash his feet but is completely clean and you are clean but not all of you for he knew who would betray him therefore he said you are not all clean so when he had washed their feet taken his garments and and sat down again he said to them do you know what I have done to you you call me teacher and Lord and you say well for so I am if I then your lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you most assuredly I say to you a servant is not greater than his master nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him if you know these things things blessed are you if you do them amen well let us pray gracious God and Holy Father we thank you for the Lord's day we thank you for the the privilege to gather in the house of God with your people and we pray that in all of this you would be glorified and honored we thank you Father Son and Holy Spirit for your great salvation we thank you for what we find in the Gospel of John concerning the the the word that became flesh and dwelt among us we thank you for the Lord Jesus and the fact that he assumed our Humanity that he lived for us that he died for us that he was raised again for us and God I pray that as we consider these things our hearts would be drawn out in worship and praise and adoration and as well we pray that the Holy Spirit would be at work in the hearts of any here that are still dead in their trespasses and sins may they see in Christ a a a a blessed savior one who saves to the uttermost all who draw near to God through him and we pray this for our meting meting together here for other churches in our city and throughout this country and to the uttermost parts of the earth we know that your purpose and plan is to save a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe and tongue and people and Nation so God bless that word as it goes forth today and may it not return unto you void forgive us now for all of our sins and cleanse Us in the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ give us ears to hear by the power of your spirit and we pray in jesus' name amen well as I said as we come to this particular section of scripture it's kind of the Lord's 11th hour it's stuff that he wants to encourage the disciples with to fit and prepare them for gospel Ministry remember that he's going to die he's going to be raised again and then he's going to ascend on high he's going to be seated at the right hand of the father where he rules and Reigns over all things he is active and present in the church by his spirit and so he wants to exhort the disciples on how they're to conduct themselves when he goes back to Heaven they're supposed to live in a manner that is consistent with the pattern that he has set forth they're supposed to be diligent with preaching the word of Truth and remember that as he approaches them we saw last week in chapter 13 verses 1 to3 uh 1 to3 that we see that it's his love it's his authority and it's his mission that sort of motivates the words that he speaks to them in this Upper Room discourse so he sets forth truth he wants to commend his love to them but flowing from that love is that desire to prepare them for the task at hand once he ascends back on high it's not going to be him just sort of snapping his fingers adding to the church it's going to be these men filled with the spirit filled with the knowledge of the Bible and theology given that task to go therefore and Make Disciples of all the nations to baptize those disciples to teach those disciples and to be conscious of the fact that Christ is always with them even to the end of the age he is that way by the presence and the power of the holy spirit so he fits his disciples for service now when he comes to ver or when we come to verses 4-1 17 I want to try and show how this foot washing points to that the foot washing is quite interesting it's a custom that obtained at that particular time in the world if you were weary traveling and you came to a neighbor's house it would not be uncommon for that neighbor to wash your feet or perhaps have a servant in the home that would wash her feet remember we're not dealing with our modern situation these fellows with their dirty feet hadn't had a shower that morning they didn't leave their shoes by the front door they didn't take off their socks so that Jesus could then wash their feet these are filthy feet these are dirty feet these are feet that perhaps smelled bad these were feet that perhaps looked bad some of us have an aversion to even looking at feet let alone touching them and washing them but it is important that what this foot washing points to is the greater Act of service that's going to happen at the end of the week the son of man was willing to take out off his outer garments to G himself with a towel to pour water into a Bas head and to stoop to the level of washing the feet the dirty feet of sinful men if you think that's something wait till the end of the week when that selfsame savior goes to the Cross not simply to wash dirty feet of dirty Sinners but to wash dirty hearts of dirty Sinners so the one is symptomatic or emblematic of the other if the Son of God is willing to wash dirty feet the Son of God is willing to wash dirty hearts and that's very encouraging that's very much the the essence of the Christian Gospel so let's look at this particular passage we've already seen the introduction to the discourse in verses 1 to3 we'll look next at the demonstration of humble service in Verses 4 to1 and then the exhortation to the disciples in verses 12-1 17 so when it comes to the demonstration of his h of humble service two things here note first the demonstration of his service in Verses 4 to 8A and then the explanation of his service in verses 8 B to 11 but again washing feet notice in Verses 4 and 5 so it says he rose from supper and laid aside his garments took a towel and girded himself after that he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded I think this particular activity points in two directions first it's a pattern given for the disciples if you drop down to verses 12 to 17 he commends that pattern to to the disciples as a methodology or strategy for Christian Ministry they need to know Doctrine they need to understand the scripture they need to understand Genesis to Revelation they need to know good theology they need to be men committed to the word and Doctrine all that is certainly the case but they need to me be men that are loving men that are gracious men that are humble men that are self-sacrificing men that look out for the needs of others so the foot washing that he engages in in Verses 4 to 5 serve as a a pattern or a paradigm for the disciples when they launch out into Christian Ministry they're not to advance the cause by guns and bullets they're not to advance the cause by by helicopters and by tanks they're to advance the cause by loving service rendered both within the context of the church and outside of the church and again always insisting upon the truth of the Christian Gospel so the the the the foot washing points to a pattern for them to observe but I think the foot washing also symbolizes a couple of things in the life and Ministry of Our Lord I think it symbolizes his Incarnation the fact that he has this willingness to serve Humanity the fact that he has this willingness to put Humanity's needs a a a at a premium and we see that in John 1: 1 uh uh and 14 so the word became flesh verse 14 specifically and dwelt Among Us the Assumption of Humanity on the part of the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrates his willingness to serve it demonstrates his willingness to go to the uttermost again foot washing not a pleasant thing I I don't know that any of you want to go home and wash feet dirty stinky feet it's not something that is pleasing to us it's certainly not calculated to build up our ego oh I washed 15 feet today aren't I great that's not the way it's supposed to come across so what we see in this footwash is something emblematic of the Incarnation itself the willingness of the Son of God to assume our Humanity to as it were in the language of Philippians chapter 2 to empty himself not divest himself of deity but rather to take on the form of a bond servant to identify with us in such extremities that he was willing to go to the cross for us men and for our salvation and that's the second thing it points to it's not just the Incarnation but it's the passion it's the reality that the one who is willing to serve at the level of washing dirty nasty feet is the one that's going to go to the cross in order to wash our dirty nasty Hearts if we look at this and we say I wouldn't want to touch those stinky feet he's touching our stinky hearts the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked according to Jeremiah 17:9 we are at enmity with God most high our hearts are arranged from God we walk according to the of the power who works in the in in the in the sons of Disobedience we are given to depravity and inability and all sorts of transgression and wickedness the fact that the Son of God would live for us and would die for us and be raised again for us is truly amazing it is truly wondrous that he does that in order to wash our hearts in order to give us life eternal in order to give us that blessedness and I think it's similar to what he says in Matthew 20 at verse 28 he says just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many this idea of servanthood on the part of the Savior was prophesied by Isaiah there's what we call Four servant songs of the Lord in the prophet Isaiah you see them in chapter 42 chapter 49 chapter 50 and chapters 52 and 53 essentially what you get are facets of the Messiah and their spefic specifically he's identified as the servant of the Lord so when we see the Lord himself washing the feet of these disciples it's a good thing in and of itself he's washing the filth off their feet but it points to the Incarnation the fact that he assumes our Humanity to save us from our sins and it points to the passion that if he's able to clean these feet in terms of humble servanthood then he's going to clean the hearts in terms of humble servanthood as well in fact as you look at this if you're not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ today see the willingness of the Savior I know at times there are persons that preach the gospel and they make it very difficult they make it very hard they make it sound as if God's really not about saving Sinners if you happen to get saved well you know praise be to God but that's that's not really what it's about Brethren that's precisely what it's about that's absolutely positive ly exactly what it's about from the moment that God comes to Adam and Eve in the garden from the moment that God kills the ad the animals and clothes Adam and Eve the moment that God comes to Abram of of er the caldan and and and and says in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed the fact of the prophets the fact of the Suter the fact of the the anticipation of the coming Christ the fact that in the fullness of the time God sent forth his son born of a woman born of the do you you think he does that because he's not about saving Sinners do you think he orchestrates the entirety of the universe because he's not really in it he's just a miser when it comes to the level of Salvation do you think he's a liar when we get to Revelation 7 and it says there's a great multitude there that that no man can number learn from the foot washing the willingness of the servant of Yahweh to carry out his task in the salvation of Sinners if he's going to wash feet then he's certainly good to wash Hearts if he's going to go over these stinky feet he's going to go to your stinky heart this blessed savior is the one in whom there is salvation and you should listen you should hear and you should observe what he does in this particular account so the glory involved is that the one described notice in verse uh one when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the father so the one sent by the father the one now returning to the father nevertheless takes this time to wash the feet of his disciples so that's the washing of the feet notice as well the refusal by Peter in verses 6 to 8A verse 6 then he came to Simon Peter the idea is is that he at least had done all of the disciples or or at least some of the disciples Peter wasn't the first so it says or we see of Simon Peter Lord Lord are you washing my feet and now that question is not out of order oh how dare you Peter no how dare you Peter that you refuse obstinately but but this question really isn't out of order it was usually the case that the inferior would wash the feet of the superior right makes sense you didn't come home at night and hang your coat on the H on the coat rack and call your servants into the living room and say you know what I'm I'm going to wash your feet no it's just the other way around when you hung your hat on the hat rack and your servant you know called you up and you sat in your living room it was the servant who washed your feet so so the question or the refusal or the observation by Peter isn't it isn't without Merit are you washing My Feet Again Peter's operating in the realm of normal ordinary Affairs it's not the case that superiors bend down and wash the feet of inferiors it it just doesn't happen but again notice the link it's not usually the case that superiors go to the cross and die for the inferiors either but what we have in the gospel is something absolutely mindblowing and glorious so Peter's refusal at this point is not without warrant it's not without ma uh Merit but then notice in verse 7 and here's why I argue that the foot washing at least to a degree points to the Cross so verse 7 Jesus answered and said to him what I am doing you do not understand now but you will we'll know after this after what after the foot washing well probably not after his death and after his resurrection John Chapter 2 when Jesus says destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up what do they say well it took us 46 years to build this Temple and do you say you're going to build it up in three days what does John tell us he was talking about the Temple of his body well John could only say that post Resurrection after having seen the truth of Christ crucified and raised again from the dead and look over at John 16 specifically at verses 12 and 13 Jesus acknowledges that they will learn more after these things 16:12 I still have many things to say to you but you cannot bear them now however when he the spirit of Truth has come he will guide you into all Truth for he will not speak on his own authority but whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come so back in 137 at Peter's objection or Peter's refusal in verse 6 Lord are are you washing my feet Jesus answered and said to him what I am doing you do not understand now but you will know after this it it points beyond the simple Act of foot washing it it points beyond the you've got dirty feet I've got a clean Basin of water let's go ahead and get those things clean it it's not just that the foot washing is emblematic it's physical it's real it happened but there's other things going on that our Lord wants to remind them of and specifically his passion specifically his death on the cross specifically his willingness to wash guilty Sinners the the the fact that the prophets have spoken concerning the washing in the the fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness in Zechariah 13 the fact that Yahweh says to Israel behold your sins are are like Crimson but I will wash them whiter than snow the fact that there is in the Old Testament that expectation of a coming Messiah that will function as the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world you see the foot washing points forward to that blessed reality and that's what Jesus is saying now notice there's this stubborn refusal with Peter verse 8 after Jesus says uh uh uh uh uh after Jesus says if I do not wash you you have no part with me now comes the stubborn refusal in verse n or I'm sorry verse 8 you shall never wash my feet now this is where he's stepping it up a bit but this is not out of character for what we know of Peter he's a bit of an impetuous guy he's a ready fire aimed guy he makes you know bold assertions and then kind of doesn't follow up if you know I I'm willing to die with you Lord what does Jesus say to him he says you're going to deny me it's very night and he does deny him and not before the emperor not before the secret police but before a servant girl so Peter has an impetuousness about him and now he doubles down you're not going to wash my feet it's just not going to happen we're just not going to go there Lord that's not something I can endorse that's not something I can I can sign off on and again it's born out of decent motives he knows his own unworthiness and he knows Christ worthiness he knows his own insignificance and he knows Christ's significance but when you refuse the Son of God after he's already washed the feet of the others and after he has already said to him you may not get it now but you're going to get it later you don't double down you don't refuse the way that Peter does now look at our Lord's response to him when he answers the question in terms of the explanation of his service so notice in 8B Jesus answered answered him if I do not wash you you have no part with me that's again pointing not just to this physical act of washing the filth off their feet if you don't get your feet washed you can't play with us in this Upper Room discourse no he now penetrates below the surface of the foot washing to teach spiritual lessons to teach something true of the The Human Condition so again look at B he says if I do not wash you you have no part with me the emphasis is on spiritual cleansing which the foot washing points to not making this up Jesus is telling us in this very way the necessity of cleansing through the blood of Christ and regeneration by the spirit for communion with Christ that's what's highlighted here that's the emphasis he takes the simple Act of washing feet at this time of supper to teach them something about what is true concerning their own State before a holy God but as well what is true of mankind and their state before a holy God he's enforcing upon them lessons that have already come out in John's gospel NE uh uh the necessity of regeneration in John 3 we need to be cleansed we need to be washed we need to be born again these things aren't new these things are being reminded of so that these disciples will be fit for gospel Ministry in his absence John Gil says God's elect have a part and interest in Christ through Eternal electing and Covenant Grace and in consequence of this are washed by Christ both with his blood and with the washing of regeneration and this is done in order that they may have a part with Christ spiritual fellowship with him now and possess with him the undefiled inheritance when time shall be no more look at verse 8B again again if I do not wash you you have no part with me that's the emphasis do you want part with Christ communion with Christ Union with Christ blessedness in Christ or not well in order to have it you must be born again you must be washed you must be cleansed not just the dirt on your feet but the heart you need to be born by the presence and the power power of the Holy Spirit you need The Graces of faith and repentance to see Jesus as altogether lovely you need that for a part with him now notice Peter's response in light of that he is impetuous he is a ready fire aim guy he's got a few sort of loose ends in his life there's a few eyes that aren't dotted and a few tees that aren't crossed but this one thing is true Peter he wants his part with Jesus he wants wants his part with Jesus Remember John 668 Jesus says do you also want to stop following me what is Peter's response Lord to whom shall we go you have the words of eternal life see even when Peter denies Jesus and and Jesus looks at Peter and Peter goes out and he weeps bitterly he doesn't leave he's not done he's not gone where else or to whom else shall I go you have the words of eternal life so notice Peter's response in verse 9 to our savior's statement in 8B Simon Peter said to him Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head he gets it he's a sinner he needs salvation he needs that washing he needs that purification it's similar to Luke 5 remember when Jesus tells the disciples the fishermen disciples cast out on that side of the net remember the other instance of that Peter says you know Lord I don't want to tell you your business but we've been out here all night we're seasoned we're experienced this is in our DNA we we know about fishing okay so you know just kind of stick to your own wisdom kind of how Peter comes across well the same sort of thing happens here in Luke 5'8 and once they pull up this big Hall of fish it says when Simon Peter saw it he fell down and at jesus' knees saying depart from me for I am a sinful Man O Lord in other words he's come face to face with someone other he's come to face with face to face with the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us it was something different about Jesus something unique about Jesus something that differentiated Jesus the prologue makes it clear the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us the same sort of thing happens here unless you're washed unless you're cleansed unless you're born again again you have no part with me so Peter says not just my feet but my hands and my head in other words Lord I'm a filthy man I'm a dirty man I'm a sinful man I have transgressed the law of God I need cleansing I need washing why because I want my part with you see that's it you can live this life and be estranged from God most high and at times never think much about it but you're going to think about it on that day of judgment when you stand before the Lord Christ when you give an account of Deeds Done in the body whether good or ill I would encourage you now friend to have your part with Jesus now don't wait till then because it'll be too late the way of a part in Jesus is by looking to Jesus in faith believe on him and you will be saved and again he's not a miserly god he's not just barely doing it out he's using foot washing to describe the willingness behind the saving of his people it is a glorious illustration of the lengths to which he'll go in order to save his people from their sins so this idea that you know God's not really in the business of saving I mean there's like five 10 maybe hundred tops but beyond that you know just stay in your Pew don't ever think about these things in fact throw off the thought of God altogether if he's going to save you he's going to snap his finger and you're going to be saved that's how it's going to go no everything in the Bible converges upon this blessed reality that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners and so much so that the Apostle Paul says of whom I am chief so that you can't ever conclude that I'm too sinful to be saved my feet are too dirty to be washed my heart is too wretched to be cleansed no it isn't the Lord Jesus Christ is in that particular business so now Peter sees what's at stake and now Peter says if uh uh Lord not my my feet only but but also my hands and my head now Jesus continues to teach spiritual truth notice in verses 10 and 11 so Jesus said to him he was bathed needs only to wash his feet but is completely clean and you are clean but not all of you for he knew who would betray him therefore he said you are not all clean the physical bathing here again points to spiritual regeneration and justification so John 3 Nicodemus came to Jesus by night Jesus gets right to it in John 3:3 if unless a man is born again he shall not see the kingdom of God they dialogue a little bit Jesus chides Nicodemus are you the teacher in Israel and you don't know these things why does Jesus do that is he mean is he vicious is he unkind he's reigning on Nicodemus is parade Nicodemus should have known this because it was promised in the prophet Ezekiel when God promises to take out the old Stony heart to put in a new fles fleshly heart to sprinkle it with clean water what's it pointing forward to Regeneration by the presence and the power of the holy spirit so Jesus says that in verse 10 he says he who is bathed needs only to wash his feet I think that reference is to sanctification we're washed cleansed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we're regenerated by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit We Believe on Jesus well what happens our hearts are clean our our heads and our our hands are clean we are Justified freely by his grace so why do the feet need daily washing well I think that's first John 1:9 if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness it points to that that sanctification each and every day not that it's going to keep us out of the Kingdom but to maintain that friendly presence of God most high we confess our sins we seek by grace to forsake those sins we seek by grace to walk in the spirit according to God's holy law so the idea here is that you've been regenerated you've been cleansed you've been washed in the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus you're you're you're daily uh uh you need your feet washed daily or or cleanse daily listen to John Gil he says the feet of his life and conversation which are continually Gathering dirt and need daily washing in the blood of Christ and therefore recourse must be constantly had to that that Fountain to wash in for sin and for uncleanness I think that's a good reading of the text he who is bathed needs only to wash his feet but is completely clean and you are clean but not all of you we can all affirm that theologically justification what happens we're forgiven of all of our sins all of our sins are cleansed Away by the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ it's it's wonderful and in justification we receive his righteousness it's imputed to us it's received by faith alone and and then we live the life of sanctification are we perfect no do our feet get dirty day in and day out yeah is there an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous for that day in and day out dirty feet yes there is so Jesus is highlighting spiritually uh the spiritual significance behind the foot washing this is what's going to obtain this is what's going to happen when he goes to the Cross when he's raised from the dead this is what happens to these disciples proleptically looking to the Cross they've already believed they they've already been washed they've already been bathed he says but you need that daily foot washing in terms of sanctification the first John 1:9 seek the father's friendly face and don't live in light of his his count uh the darkness of his countenance in other words dissipate the gloomy clouds by maintaining short accounts with God and then he says he or John tells us or Jesus says and then John interprets for us he says but is is completely clean and you are clean but not all of you for he knew who would betray him therefore he said you are not all clean he knew the betrayer notice that Jesus isn't a Universalist he knows and affirms the doctrine of reprobation he knows and affirms that not everybody's going to go to heaven he knows and affirms that Judas the betrayer is on his way to hell and he says as much he says but you're not all clean in fact there's a traitor in the midst of us it's announced by the Evangelist in verse two and spirit is fortified by our teach uh by our savior when he affirms this see I know not all of you are clean I know there's a traitor in our midst I know there is a betrayer in our midst and John tells us as much now that brings us then to the exhortation to the disciples in verses 12- 17 see a lot of spiritual things going on in the actual Act of foot washing points to the Incarnation points to the passion points to the reality of of regeneration justification points to sanctification points to a lot of things in terms of what we do in theology explaining the gospel of our Salvation so now what Jesus does in 12- 17 is he brings it home real practically for the disciples as they are being prepared to go out and to make disciples of all the nations see Brethren getting angry at somebody on Facebook or Twitter isn't really the way that Jesus commends us to win souls calling people idiots and fools and you know defriending them or blocking them because they have a you know a bit of a different variation on something that really isn't absolutely crucial for salvation doesn't Advance the cause screaming at people on the road now there might be a chance or a time I you think through this there might be a time Raise Your Voice a little bit Prophet was told cry aloud spare not lift up your voice like a trumpet I'm not suggesting we all be you know passive limp wristed little you know pushovers as we go out upon the task but Jesus does mandate the means by which or the methodology by which his disciples are to represent him to advance his cause and so he does that here in verses 12 to 17 what what do you think is important well love self-sacrifice and serving the needs of other people a lot of times we can make a way for ourselves to preach the gospel to another Sinner by just love self-sacrifice and trying to serve their needs well there's got to be a formula well if you want a formula there it is love them self-sacrifice for them and and you know tell them the truth as it is in Jesus sure I've shared with you before the the old movie I think it was done in the 60s it was based on a book called The Gospel blimp the gospel blimp and it starts off with a group of people sitting in in their backyard Christians how how are you going to win Sinners to Jesus and they look over the fence and and there's Herm The unconverted Neighbor how do we how do we get Herm to Jesus well we'll we'll get a blimp and from that blimp we'll you know send out gospel tracks all over the all over the neighborhood and Herm will get one of those tracks he'll read that track and he'll get saved it there's steps before the blimp I think that's sort of the Pinnacle of their attempts to to to win her and so as you might expect as these gospel tracks are showering down upon the neighborhood people cutting their grass aren't too thrilled with this you know they're doing this and the guy in the blimp is waving sort of like that and H how do we how do we reach him well at the end of the movie one of the guys takes Herm bowling I'm not saying you know bowling is the key to successful evangelism the the the point or the morale or the moral of the story was be friendly toward B people you don't need blimps you don't need movies you you you just need to be friendly you just need to be kind you just need to be like the master you don't need a blimp you need a basin with water you need a a towel to gge yourself and you need the humility to get at their feet and wash them that's the the point of verses 12 to 17 notice his argument in verses 12- 14 so when he had washed with their feet taken his garments and sat down again he said to them do you know what I've have done to you you call me teacher and Lord and you say well for so I am if I then your lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet he completes the task and now he interprets it for them not at the spiritual level which he already did we already know it goes beyond just washing dirt off feet but practically there's a lesson here for disciples that are going to be in the the the the task with discipl making so he says do do you know what I've done you call me teacher and Lord and you say well for so I am he affirms his dignity he affirms his royalty he affirms his majesty and he argues from the greater to lesser if your Superior has washed your inferior feet certainly inferior to inferior ought to be legit certainly inferior to inferior within the context of the disciple group but as well inferior to inferior outside of the disciple group with the possibility or potential to weave your way in so that you can speak the truth and love concerning the master so he says this in order that they will understand Doctrine theology Bible knowledge is absolutely crucial but it must be in the orbit and in the context of Christian love and kindness and gentleness and friendliness and happiness and joy you see Brethren we're not supposed to go out as if we're Muslims we're going to see for you into the Kingdom of Heaven no that's not what we're supposed to do we tell them the good news as it is in Jesus we take them to this passage and say look at our Master washes the feet of dirty Sinners but that's nothing compared to the fact that later on in the book he washes the hearts of dirty Sinners he really is that good he's really that wonderful he's really that gracious so Jesus says you've seen what I am you know what I've done therefore you ought to do the same thing also I am the teacher one man says because of the wisdom I teach by my words I am the Lord because of the power I show in my Miracles and as I said it's an argument from the greater to the Lesser look at that verse 14 if I then your lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet well that really highlights something that we find in the New Testament Epistles it's the one anothers in the New Testament Epistles how are we supposed to conduct ourselves in the context of the local church toward one another Pride arrogance we're too good for you we're too Mighty for you we too special for you no humility self-sacrifice love finding out the needs of others and seeking to minister to them look over at the book of Philippians where we see a similar argument based on glorious christology Philippians chapter 2 you know the passage we often refer to it in terms of the Incarnation of Our Lord but it comes in a passage wherein the Apostle is encouraging the people of God to function in a particular manner toward the other people of god notice verse 5 let this mind be be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation good translation or gloss on what it means to be emptied he doesn't empty himself of divinity but rather He makes himself of no reputation by the Assumption of our Humanity he's in the form of God he's in the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of man verse 8 being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the Cross therefore God has or also has highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name now just back up to verse five again let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus well what mind well that exemplified by our Lord in verses 6 to8 the form of God taking the form of a bonder servant but the specific exhortations in verses 1 to 4 look look at what he says therefore if there is any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any Fellowship of the spirit if any affection and mercy fulfill my Joy by being what by being like-minded having the same love being of one Accord of one mind let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in loneliness of Mind Let each esteem others as better than himself let each of you look out not only for his own interest but also for the interest of others see that's the means by which or the strategy by which the Savior says to the to the disciples you to go out and win the world to Jesus not with military might not with the biggest guns but with the most love the kindness the self-sacrifice turn to First Peter chapter 5 specifically at verse 5 in the language of clothing here is reminiscent of the upper room and Jesus taking off his outer garment and putting that towel around himself to G himself than to wash the feet of the disciples notice in 1 Peter 55 likewise you younger people submit yourselves to your elders yes all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble so back to our text he says in verse 14 if I then your lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet and then he says very specifically that they now have an obligation according to verse 15 for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you you don't just say wow that was great Lord my feet are squeaky clean that's great Lord my heart is squeaky clean now I can just go lay on my couch with a clean heart and clean feet no you're supposed to go out and do that kind of stuff to others as well you can't clean their hearts you don't have the power to regenerate people you can't make them a new you can't make them born again you certainly have the capacity through your own humility self- sacrifice to care for and to look out for the needs of others that's certainly in your wheelhouse and that's certainly your obligation based on the fact that the servant of yahe took this outer garment off girded himself with a towel poured water into a basin and then went to the feet of these dirty disciples and wash them but even more Transcendent of that he goes to the cross in order to shed his Precious Blood so that he can wash us from our sins why does he do that so we can enjoy the salvation of God what's another me by which we enjoy the salvation of God by serving other people within the context of the church the one and others be kindly affectionate to one another be hospitable to one another love one another care for one another all these one anothers in the scripture have as their backdrop the fact that the Son of God did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many so he shows them the spiritual truth behind the foot washing and then gives them the practice iCal exhortation this isn't a Sacrament in the church it's not supposed to be done every Christmas that we wash each other's feet it is a paradigm of service much akin to what he does in Matthew 20 at vers 20 uh 26 to 28 but Jesus called them to himself and said you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them and those who are great exercise authority over them yet it shall not be so among you but whoever desires to be become great among you let him be your servant whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many he's preparing the disciples for service in his name to advance his cause through the preaching of the gospel and the power of the holy spirit so he tells them their obligation he encourages them with a pattern that he uses in persecution he'll do it in John 15 he does it in Matthew 10 notice in verse 16 most assuredly I say to you a servant is not greater than his master nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him other words when it comes to persecution Matthew 10 uh John 15 know that if they they persecute the master they're gonna persecute the servant are we surprised at the increasing oppression or persecution that happens in the world I we don't like it I don't like it I'd like them to just leave me alone you probably have heard me say that adnasium but I'm not surprised why do the Nations rage and the people plot a vain thing why do they take their their counsel against Yahweh and against his Christ why do they why do they say we will not have this one to rule over us so if they're opposed to to Yahweh and his Christ they're going to be opposed to to Christ's people so he says that in Matthew 10 he says that in John 15 we see that pattern throughout the Book of Acts but it's also not just for persecution and oppression by the Civil state or false religion but it's also with reference to service amongst ourselves and service to others that's the point of verse 16 most assuredly I say you a servant is not greater than his master nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him and then he pronounces a beatitude upon them in verse 17 blessed are you if you hear this and you do it blessed are you if you hear what I say and you put it into practice you ever thought about that do do you ever get spiritually low or depressed well not me brother I'm just always you know at the top e and flow always firing on you know all Pistons we all have struggles don't we we all are down in the dumps from time to time we all understand when the psalmist says yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death yeah there's the particular application of that our 11th Hour when we're laying on our deathbed but there's something foreshadowing in our lives of that episode we find ourselves in the valleys in the Christian Life do you know it's a good way to deal with that by brooding by whining and by complaining CU that get you right out of the valley immediately I mean it just exalts you right from it you know whining and brooding and complaining try try it you probably don't have to because you have in the past and you realize I'm being cheeky it doesn't get you out of the valley you know what does from time to time when you minister to the needs of others there was an instance episode that happened in one of our churches many many years ago and I remember on the heels of it there was quite a just a blow to the congregation and a brother of mine a ministerial friend of mine said you know what they ought to do they had to set up a barbecue in their parking lot start cooking up burgers and hamburgers feeding each other and inviting all the neighbors Advance the cause through burgers and hot dogs no but don't just dwell in the doldrums don't just be content in the bottom of the hole Brethren if you're like me you know by this point in your Christian Life you got to sometimes claw your way out of that hole it it doesn't Lord deliver me from the hole Boop right there you're standing on the side of it you you have good counselors that come along and they say you know you really shouldn't live in that hole you should get up out of that hole worst counsel we give to each other you you need to get out of that hole really I I didn't know that I I'm quite at peace in the bottom of this hole Brethren they know they need to get out of the hole that that's not the argue or the issue it's how to get out of the hole again whining brooding and complaining that's one method sometimes that digs the hole a bit deeper but getting outside of yourselves and helping somebody else maybe the Master's right maybe the Lord Jesus is right maybe he knows that there's a blessing a beatitude to be had when we look outside ourselves and we serve one another that's the beatitude pronounced now I just want to summarize all that we have learned in the space of about 30 seconds to a minute first the exhortation for Christian service we're going to walk our way backwards actually I do not intend to do it in 30 seconds to a minute but I don't intend to do it for too long this isn't wwjd I remember some of you now are too young to remember the wwjd campaign you wore a bracelet and it set on it wwjd well that hearkens back to a book what would Jesus do so you know you're at the fork on the road you're going to choose sin or you're going to choose Jesus and you go what would Jesus do and it just kind of exemplary type of a mindset and I'm not suggesting you choose what Jesus wouldn't do but the gospel isn't just example it's not just moral behavior and modification and all that sort of thing that's not what Jesus is doing here Jesus isn't preaching law to Sinners okay just do what I do wash feet and then you'll go to heaven he's talking to the 12 well the 11 that are going to be specifically tasked with being foundational to him the Cornerstone in building the church how are they going to build that church through faithful loving service to others they're going to do it through sound doctrine that is not even an argument not saying it's either or it must be both and sound Doctrine and loves of loving Deeds of service so there is an exemplary element to this specifically communicated in verses 12 to 17 and the specific emphasis is on humility humility as I said earlier hey I wash 15 feet today boy I should get a prize no riy says we are all naturally self-righteous it is the family disease of all the children of Adam from the highest to the lowest we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to do we secretly flatter ourselves that we are not so bad as some and that we have something to recommend us to the favor of God I think he's right I think he probably understates it tremendously Thomas says and since he who had come from God and was going to God is now washing the feet of others he is treading underfoot the universal tendency to Pride yeah that's what he's doing he's treading underfoot the universal tendency to Pride remember this this isn't a spa come on in put your shoes there take your socks off we'll send them first with a you know a few drops just to make sure our our our masseuse doesn't wretch and and then we're going to lull you to sleep with this wonder he's washing dirty feet of dirty working men that hadn't had a shower recently that could possibly not have had a shower even less than recently had possibly been in the water what whatever how Pi take your shoes off for a day bring them to your wife at the end of the day and say honey let's go ahead and enact this John 13 scene get them away from me go wash them first this is humility Brethren the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many as well so sacrifice the superior takes the outer garment off GS himself with a towel pours the water into the Basin and takes the position of a slave having the form of God he assumed the form of a servant that's not hyperbole that's not just made up that's not just some literary flash on the part of the Apostle that's the Incarnation of the Son of God he takes on our Humanity he makes himself of no reputation by assuming our nature and this is an an emblem of that and then the emphasis on ministering to the needs of the others you need your feet washed you you need this sort of help and Jesus gives this so the exemplary function of the passage mustn't be minimized again I'm not recommending it as a sacrament of the church I think that's over reading into the text some Churches or some communions practice that every year we have a foot washing we do this an imitation of Our Lord that's not the point the go thou do likewise isn't wash your friends nasty feet the go thou do likewise is love him be self-sacrificing for him and engage in uh Deeds of service for him whether it's foot washing whether it's picking him up on the freeway because his car broke down whether it's bringing her a meal because she she had some issues in the day whatever it may be loving Deeds of kindness not just foot washing but then secondly I want to look at Peter I want to look at Peter the recognition of his insignificance in christor worthiness good excellent but then the demonstration of his stubbornness not so good not so excellent but again something we've come to appreciate not in the hey I want to be like Peter way but yeah I get it he kind of symptomes or is symptomatic of of some of us in the Christian life but that Peter wanted his part in Jesus that he wanted his part in Jesus th this is the message I want to leave with you today Jesus Is Everything Jesus is Worthy Jesus is significant Jesus is glorious Jesus is God's son who took on our flesh to live for us to die for us and to rise again that's what I want you to hear today whether you got all the foot washing the emblematic the symbol the whatever just get this Jesus is the best in the universe Jesus is the best to have Jesus is the best and I dare say it possess we possess him by faith he possesses Us by his grace he's the best so when Peter is presented with this opportunity to double down yet again and refuse he says no wash my feet wash my hands wash my head wash everything I have Lord why because I want my part with Jesus and then Jesus does this see that's what's absolutely mindblowing is that Jesus doesn't just talk like this Jesus actually washed their feet Jesus actually goes to the Cross Jesus actually washes a great multitude that no man can number and the washing isn't as I said earlier a spa where you have a pre-treatment with one of the the inferiors and then send him to the masseuse who's got the mask on and is ready to actually get at the it's not that listen to the Apostle in the book of First Corinthians do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God do not be deceived neither fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor homosexuals nor sodomites nor thieves nor Covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God we know that right in a moral Universe it makes perfect sense for God to take guilty and send them to Everlasting fire that's not a hard concept if you think for a moment you see pedophiles today you see criminals today and what Rises up in you they should be convicted they should be put to to death or they should be put in prison they should be dealt with accordingly this does not surprise anyone do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God don't be deceived neither fornicators idolators adulterers homosexuals sodomites thieves Covetous or drunkards or revilers or extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God what's surprising is what Paul says next because of what Jesus does not just here in the foot washing but in the heart washing he says and such were some of you but you were washed you were Sanctified you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Jesus is everything believe on Jesus and you will have everything your part in Jesus includes every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ not just a little bit when he saves you he saves to the uttermost he's in the business not just of washing dirty feet but washing dirty Hearts believe in him and you will be saved well let us pray Our God and Father we thank you for our blessed savior we thank you for his willingness to go to that cross for us men and for our salvation and we thank you that that willingness is demonstrated so beautifully here in John 134 to17 when he takes off the outer garment when he puts that that that towel around him when he uh puts that water in the Basin and he washes the feet of these dirty men we thank you for that emblem of the Gospel of our Salvation we know that we are sinners we know that we have transgressed we know that we are justly liable to your wrath and to your curse both in this life and that which is to come but we by Grace have been washed and we rejoice in that and God help us to go thou and do likewise knowing that we can't atone for the sins of our fellows but we can certainly sacrificially serve them in a way that pleases and glorifies you and we ask through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well why don't we stand and we'll sing number 566 as we or I'm sorry 564 as we close out our worship this morning 564 we'll stand as we sing [Music] together God God of is who only do with work [Music] Glory [Music] [Laughter] [Music] Glory blessed be his glor to all eternity the Earth his glory the Earth his glory so [Music] and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the firstborn from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us Kings and Priests to his God and Father to him be glory and Dominion forever and ever amen Our Father we thank you for the gracious and wonderful provision of your son the son of your love the only begotten son who saved us from our sins may you indeed encourage our hearts build us up in our Most Holy Faith and cause us to bring glory and honor and praise to you and bless that preaching of your word throughout the Earth and may Sinners see Jesus as the altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 and may they believe on him and we pray through Christ Our Lord amen we may be seated for a brief time of meditation