Service | Luke 22:24-27

Hey, my name is Andrew. I am I get to serve as one of the pastors here. And I am really pretty pumped that y'all are here. Pretty pumped that I'm here, and that we get to have some fun here together this morning over the over the last several weeks, kind of throughout the summer, we have been going through a sermon series.

Oh, voice crack. Let's get these out, a sermon series on the spiritual disciplines. And the idea behind it is that there are different practices that we get to kind of engage in as followers of Jesus, that help us grow more into the likeness of Jesus, because God does something through them. And so this morning we're going to talk about the discipline of service.

And and I kind of have this, this like case that I want to make before you this morning. And that is this, that.

That is this, that service is not just something that, like nice Christians are supposed to do. It's not something that we do as a way of earning God's love. It's not something that we do as a way of like making ourselves look good. It is something that God, it's a place where God does like real transformative work within us, shaping us to become more and more like Jesus.

And so that's what we're going to be talking about today. But before we really get into all of that, would y'all you're like, already looking at the picture, aren't you? I see that. Would y'all let me confess some things to you? Is that okay? There are exactly three things in this world that freak me out. Stop! Don't she.

Don't she. Number one. Horses like horses are freaky, right? They're giant. They've got the face like they've got the tail. That's always, always like. Savannah. I'm sorry. I just don't like the horses. They freak me out there. So muscular. Like there's no way anyone's going to convince me that that one little piece of leather is actually controlling the horses, so.

No thank you. Number two.

Mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is guru's, right. Like it is disgusting. Why is it so, like, wobbly? Like, what is that texture? Like if you if you are the winning coach in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. This is my worst fear. This sounds awful, right? This is my worst fear. They dump a jug. A man is on your head like that's nasty.

Oh, and like, here's the deal. It's like mayonnaise. They say you can use mayonnaise to get rid of lice. And I'm like, hey, just give me lice. It's fine. I'll take it. The third thing. The third thing that freaks me out not horse is not mayonnaise, but feet, right? Anybody freaked out by feet? Yeah, feet are nasty. Like feet have this shape.

That is just like, what in the world is that about? They've got, like, the little, like, toe hairs. They stink. Like the, the idea of, like, y'all who get pedicures like that freaks me out. The idea of, like, my wife knows not to ever come in and be like, you know what? I've been out on my feet all day.

Like, would you give me a foot massage? Like, no, thank you. That's not a thing that's happened. And that's just clean feet. But think about dirty feet. Dirty feet are even grosser, right? Like, think about your sweaty kid running around in the dust for, like, three hours. Like that kind of dirty, you know, where the full bottom of it is black.

And then there's, like, around the little edge, there's like this caked on line of dirt that you're sitting there going, man, I'm going to have to like, I'm gonna have to get like a fire hose and like a wire brush, and I'm going to scrub and scrub and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to get rid of that.

Maybe it'll get sort of clean. And here's the deal. This is the scene that I want to set for us this morning. Because what we're going to be talking about this morning is a bunch of dudes with some nasty feet and one man who is humbly willing to serve. And so here's where we're at. We're at the final days of Jesus's life.

The disciples that go into the upper room for what we know of as the Last Supper. And these dudes, they've been walking around in the dirt wearing sandals all day. You know, those feet are nasty. And what would have been customary was that they would show up, they would come into the room, and someone would actually take a basin and wash their feet so they could sit down to eat dinner.

And they don't have like, nasty feet everywhere. And so the disciples that come in, they get there for the meal. There's no one there to do this job. And they're just like, they're just some guys. They're just in a guy's guest room. That's where they're at for this meal. And they're sitting there and they're going, you know what?

Oh, my feet are pretty gross. Peter's feet are pretty gross.

John's feet are pretty gross. Someone needs to do some cleaning. Right. And they're all sitting there. They've got this one simple, obvious, super unpleasant job sitting there before them. And they're like, that's not my job. They're kind of doing this move, right?

And that's the actual room that we're going to be jumping into this morning. That's the scene that we're setting. And as we go in, would you guys do me a favor? Let's all stand together and I want to read a passage from Luke chapter 22.

From this very meal. So I'll give you just a minute to turn to it in your Bible. It'll be on the screen, but we're going to read verse starting in verse 24.

Luke 22, verse 24. A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he being. Jesus said to them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors, but not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest in the leader, as one who serves for who is greater, one who reclines at table, or one who serves?

Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves y'all. This is the Word of God. You can have a seat.

So we're going to we're going to get we're going to get started here with verse 24. But before we do, let's just pop back in. Meal to be had. Dirty feet everywhere. Nobody moves. Until who? Until Jesus. The one that call teacher and Lord moves. He gets up. He takes off his outer garments. He grabs a towel. He pours water in a basin.

And he goes around the room and he washes their feet. And the picture is incredible for us. It teaches us something incredible. And so, so what's wild is when you have that thing happen, and then later on in that meal, that same meal, you get a dispute. Like these guys start arguing. And the word that is used in the New Testament for that word dispute is the Greek word.

It's Philo, Nakia. And it's not just like it only appears once in the New Testament. And it's not just this idea that, like, hey, we're having like a difference of opinion.

But it's more of the idea that they are engaging in rivalry. They are trying to assert, to assert their own superiority in mind of the others. This is this dispute is not like them comparing notes. These guys are actually competing. And what are they competing over? Back to verse 24. A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest right after Jesus washed their feet, right after Jesus held up the bread and said, this is my body given for you, right after Jesus had said to them, hey, one of you, Judas, is going to betray me.

The disciples had experience like the grace of Jesus from his own hands, and they're still sitting in the room arguing about which one of them is the best. Completely, completely missing the point.

But that's not the only time that this exact problem arises. This idea of like, hey, I want to be the greatest. It's not the only time in in Mark, I'm sorry. In Matthew 20, the mother of James and John goes to Jesus and she's like, Jesus, my baby boys make them the greatest in your kingdom. There's a story that happens in Mark nine where the disciples are following Jesus down the road, and they start arguing about this like, who's the greatest?

I'm the greatest, right? Who's the greatest? They start arguing about it and they get to where they're going. And Jesus turns to them and he's like, hey guys, what were you all talking about back there? And it's a lot of this.

They won't admit it. They're embarrassed by it. They won't admit it.

And I think that that same yearning in that same heart is actually within us. And if we're not careful, we too will miss the point.

Like, I don't know about y'all.

But one of the deepest things within me, like my deepest desires, is I want to be significant.

I want my life to mean something. I want people to think well of me. I want to be impressive to people.

And you might be like me in your way of trying to, like, get that done is you do things like try to earn it through how big your house is, what kind of car you drive, what sports your kids play.

What your title is at work.

How people look at you, what your grades are like.

Like we're doing all of these things, all of these things. So people might think one way about us because we think that's what's going to give us significant. And I don't know about for y'all, but for me, it's not working.

I get to the end of the day and I still feel empty. I still, still, still feel.

Like I don't measure up.

And fortunately for us, that's not the place that Jesus wants to leave us.

Verse 25 says this. And he said to them, Jesus said to them, the kings of the Gentiles exercised lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. And I want to pause real quickly at this word, benefactors. And I have to look up my pronunciation. It's the Greek word your gets you. Or get this right here.

It's not just a vague compliment. This word right here, this word right here, is something that kings would give themselves. They would say, hey, I am Andrew the benefactor. And it was their way of saying, hey, listen, look, I am the guy who does the good things. And it was about image management that their subjects might think highly of them, that their subjects might honor them, that their subjects might show loyalty to them.

And so they would give themselves this title as a way of becoming impressive, of trying to say to the world, hey, I am the greatest. And as I'm looking through this and this happens in most of the things in my life, as I'm looking through this and studying this, I think, you know what? This sounds a lot like an episode of The Office.

And so I want you to watch this clip. Good morning everybody who would like an authentic New York bagel, Stanley. No, no, no, no, I got a pump for Nicole. Just for you. Wow. H and h, you went all the way to New York City to get us bagels. Oh, why is there a place closer that solves them?

This is really nice, Dwight. Thanks, thanks. Oh, don't mention it. You owe me one. You all owe me one. Good morning. Michael warden. Dwight. Hungry? No, I had a fish sick sandwich. Actually, I had two fish stick sandwiches. My girlfriend didn't want hers. Regardless, that was over two hours ago. And it is now a scientific fact that you are hungry.

Bagel. You know, I don't mind if I do. Hey, I brought cheese too. I'm taking one from a lady friend. Excellent brain food. Thank you very much. Okay. You owe me. Can a guy just buy some bagels for his friends so they'll owe him a favor, which he can use to get someone fired. Who stole a co-manager position from him anymore?

Jeez, when did everyone get so cynical? And if you were to go and watch the rest of that episode, the whole idea is that Dwight has tried to earn this favor so that he can get Jim fired. A little bit later, Dwight and Andy get in like a favor off. It's a great episode, but here's the deal. Is that this whole thing of trying to prove yourself, of trying to, like, get something in return for the things that you do.

It's not like an ancient power play. It's something that haunts each of us even now in Jesus. What he does is we get to verse 26, still in Luke 22, verse 26, where we'll start. 25 he says, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. And then Jesus looks at them and he says, but not so with you.

Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest and the leader, as one who serves. Jesus straight up rejects this notion that you serve so that you can get something.

The way of the world, the benefactors, is, hey, I go and I do something. So people think this one thing, the way of Jesus, the opposite way is, hey, I pour out love because Jesus has loved me. There's a guy named Richard Foster. He wrote one of the most like well-known modern books on the spiritual disciplines called Celebration of Discipline.

He says this joyous, hidden service to others is an active prayer of thanksgiving.

The way of the world. Do it to get something, the way of Jesus. I am thankful for what you have done for me, and now I pour myself out for another.

That's what we're after.

And this is what it means. There's a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer from the mid 1900s. He says this nobody is too good for the meanest service, one who worries about the loss of time that such petty outward acts of helpfulness entail is usually taking the importance of his own career to solemnly. Y'all, this is the pivot that we need.

Not a better way to be a benefactor, but an entirely different way of pursuing greatness in the Kingdom of God. Real service was never supposed to benefit most the one doing the serving. It has an entirely different motive. If we go back into the room.

Back into the room where Jesus and his disciples are, nobody moves. They get there. Nobody moves. Feet are dirty. Nobody moves. Jesus gets up. And our question is why? And so let's look at that passage. We're going to John 13. So do some jumping with me.

John 13. This starts in verse three. Jesus, knowing that the father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper before Jesus ever got up. He knew that his identity was secure in the father. The father had given him all things, that he had come from God and was going back to God.

There was not a single thing for Jesus that was in question about where he stood before the father. And so when he stands up to serve, he already knows that he is loved. There's this ritual that would happen in the Passover meal. It was called the Earth shots. What would happen is, is throughout the meal you would like, you would take these different cups and, and at one point, a woman in the house would come around and actually actually bring a basin and wash your hands.

And so what Jesus does is Jesus is taking over this ritual, and he's turning it into a lesson. And what he does is he then goes to wash the feet of the disciples. And this is what's crazy, is he's taking over a task that would have been considered too low for even the slaves. Like this is something you would have the Gentiles do because it was so far beneath them, but it was also something that a son or a father could take on willingly, voluntarily that they could do to honor a teacher, a son or a student.

I'm sorry, a son or a student that they could do to honor a teacher or a father. And so Jesus, in this moment, he's not doing this thing where he's just like stooping down to do this work. He is doing this as an act of honor towards the disciples, lifting them to a higher place. That's the way of Jesus.

And then you go to verse 12. They're still in John 13, verse 12, where it says, when he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, do you understand what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. Hey, don't forget who I am, Jesus.

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 just as I have done to you. Here's the thing that I hope you'll carry from today. It's this idea that you don't serve to become loved.

You serve because you already are. Jesus was secure in the father.

And here's the thing. This is what's wild that like for Jesus. That doesn't stop that night. Jessica read this verse earlier. She quoted this verse earlier from Mark ten where it says, for even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. The service of Jesus goes so much farther than a basin and a towel.

It went all the way to the cross. And that is the attitude of Christ that we are invited into. Paul writes this in Philippians chapter two. He says this chapter two, verse three, do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interest of others.

And then this is the invitation have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. But he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.

Evan. Death on a cross. You don't serve to become loved. You serve because you already are.

When I was in eighth grade, my family, my mom, my dad and my brother, we went on a mission trip to to Peru. And we we stayed in this this city called Iquitos. It's a it's like a port city in Peru, right on the Amazon. And every day we would we would load up on a boat and we would like I'm an eighth grade, so it seemed like a four hour boat ride down the Amazon.

It's probably like 30 minutes, but this long one to a village where we were building a church. Fun fact I also held an anaconda at that village, so give it that. But here's the deal is throughout the week, throughout the week we we became friends with a local guy. His name was Marco, and he would be like hanging out at our hotel all the time, right?

He would be there to help us find rides. He would help us figure out where to go eat. We would come back in from a long day of working and he would have drinks just ready for us. Never, never wanting anything for it, just there to love and care for us. Throughout the week we began to notice that we noticed Marco's shoes and they were dirty and tattered and holes in them.

And like I just in my memory now, you know, this was 25 years ago. My memory now is that they were, like, cartoonish, where the toes just pop out, like his shoes were just totally tattered. And I remember my dad asking him like, like, hey, man, do you need some shoes? And and Marco was like, no, please get the job done.

And, and so we get to the end of the week and we're kind of packing up, loading up, getting ready to head back to the airport. And, and it's like a common occurrence in my family. We can't find my dad anywhere. Right?

He's probably talking to someone. This is party Marty for you. Like, he's he's probably talking to someone. And my mom, like, my mom's kind of high strung. So she's doing this thing where she's like, if Marty doesn't hurry up back here, we're gonna have to leave him in Peru. And, like, that was a whole sorry, mom, but, like, that was the whole thing.

And he's still not showing up. There's, like, maybe he went into the market to, like, try to buy something. I don't know, but then we're about to roll and my dad just comes, like, joyfully walking across the street as if no one, no one ever was missing him. And he comes over and he goes and finds Marco Marcos there.

And they kind of go off to the side and they sit down on a curb, and my dad opens this bag that he had with him, and he hands Marco this brand new pair of shoes. They're off to the side for no one to notice. And it wasn't like, I know my dad. It wasn't my dad trying to, like, do anything for himself, right?

It was a man who was grateful for love that had been shown to him, and wanted to take the opportunity to do the same. And so here this morning, like, this is my question for you. Is there something that you are already doing that looks a lot like service?

But you're sitting there thinking about it and you're like.

Love to get some credit for that.

Man. I wish someone would notice it.

Or are you in the other place where maybe there's something there's a simple, obvious thing that needs to be done to love another person. And you're sitting there going.

I don't think so. Like, what's in it for me?

And I ask those questions not as a point of bringing about shame, but it's it's a way that we are able to maybe check our hearts and check our motives. Like, you don't serve to become loved. You serve because you already are.

My friend Tim Logan taught me this. I want to invite you to take in a deep breath and hold it with me.

Now, I want you to take another one on top of that. Now take one more. Don't. Okay. Let it. Let it out.

That's what happens when our mindset is give me, give me, give me, give me. It becomes excruciating. It becomes unbearable. The rhythm that God has created within us is this idea that we receive from the father. And then we in turn, turn around and we pour that out.

Not so we can get something, but because that's the way that God has designed us.

Like that's where thriving happens. Here's what I can tell you. If you will engage in those small, meaningless acts of service behind the scenes, is it will not be easy and you will not get credit for it, and it'll be uncomfortable, and it will mean putting aside some of your own stuff. But this is what God will do in you.

This is the formation that will happen is humility will grow within you. He will strip away pride. He will strip away envy. He will strip away arrogance as he forms you more and more and more and more into the likeness of Jesus.

Can I invite you to close your eyes?

And we're just going to breathe for a minute.

And as you draw in a long, slow breath and you hold it and you know that you are already loved, that you are already secure, that there is nothing left to prove. And as you breathe that breath back out, I want you to picture one person who you could serve this week in a way that no one will ever know about.

A family member, a friend, a neighbor who you've been meaning to check on, a coworker who you cannot stand like Jesus washed Judas feet to.

But my challenge to you is take that small act of service and lean into it. And so we breathe in together that you are loved by the father, and we breathe out that you are sent to serve and breathe in. You are loved by the father and breathe out your sent to serve.

Take a moment to continue to breathe this morning.

To say that prayer as you do. I am loved by God. I am sent to serve.