Sent To Serve: Pick Up Your Towel

Lord Jesus, help us to follow your example, Lord, today.

All of us, Lord, starting with me, Lord, just by humbling ourselves,

by serving others with your love,

Lord, even when it is inconvenient or even unseen, Lord, and I pray that you

just give us the courage and the grace today to act in faith.

And Lord, knowing that, Lord, that stooping low, that we actually reflect your

greatness, Lord, and we bear fruit for your kingdom in doing that.

And we just give you all the praise in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Amen.

Well, so far in this series, which is titled Sent, right?

Sent. So far, we've learned that Jesus calls ordinary people,

that's me and you, to an extraordinary mission, right?

Well, that was week one. And then he sends us out in his power,

not our own. That was week two.

And we've seen that the mission is urgent. sometimes risky, but it always is

empowered by his presence, authority, and his spirit.

And so here's the question that we're going to face this week.

Are you ready as we look at this first

slide today? What does that mission actually look like on the ground?

You might say, how are we supposed to live out this calling in the world?

The world actually says, if you want to make a difference, get power,

get status, be first, climb the ladder, grab the spotlight, assert yourself.

But Jesus says something completely different. Did you know that in John 13,

John 13:14

verse 14, he says that if you want to lead, take the lowest place.

If you want to influence, serve.

And in John 13, we'll see this clearly when Jesus actually washed his disciples'

feet. Y'all remember that, right?

He didn't just teach humility with words.

He actually modeled it in action. He demonstrated that true influence,

church, and authority in God's kingdom doesn't come from position or prestige, does it?

It comes from what? From serving others, from loving sacrificially,

and putting other people first.

In fact, this week, we're going to explore really what it means to be sent not

just to act, but to actually adopt the posture of a servant,

to let humility, to let love and service actually shape how we engage everybody

in our life all over the world, right?

Even when it's inconvenient, uncomfortable, and unseen. So I want you to ask

yourself as we begin this morning, if Jesus sent you into your home,

that's where it all starts, right?

Your home, your workplace, your school or community this week,

what would serving look like?

What would serving look like? How could you and I put others first and reflect

his love in really tangible ways?

Well, let's take a look at the passage for today. If you don't mind,

turn to John chapter 13, and we're going to read verses 12 through 17.

John 13 · chapter mention

John 13, 12 through 17.

It says, so when he had washed their feet and taken his garments and reclined

at the table again, he said to them, do you know what I've done to you?

You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.

If I avenge the Lord and the teacher washed your feet, you ought also to wash one another's feet.

For I gave you an example that also you should do as I did to you.

Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master,

nor is the one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

Verse 17, if you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Wow, what powerful words from the word of God there.

And that really leads us really, I think, to the first thing today,

and that is Jesus redefines greatness.

He redefines greatness. If you remember in the upper room, the disciples were

actually still jockeying for position.

Luke's gospel actually tells us that they argued about which of them was greatest

in God's kingdom, right?

Imagine the tension there in that room because you have friends,

partners in ministry, still thinking that influence and respect are earned by

what? Status, not service.

And in that moment, if you remember, Jesus does something completely shocking.

He kneels down, takes a towel, and he begins washing their dirty feet.

And y'all, feet in that culture was the lowest of the low job,

right? Covered in dust and grime, all that.

They didn't have these designer shoes like we do today, right?

To try to protect your feet and all that. I mean, it was filthy, feet were filthy.

And even more so, I think, than today. And usually cleaned by who?

The household servant. And yet, get this, don't lose this picture today of what Jesus did.

Here, their Lord, Jesus, their teacher, he actually humbled himself to do what

no one expected he would.

Jesus here is actually redefining y'all what it means to be great.

He's showing them, and by us, by the way, that in God's kingdom,

leadership is about service, not status.

Influence is about love, not position.

Mark 10, 43 through 45 makes it very clear.

Listen to this. He says, whoever wants to become great among you must be your

servant. and whoever wants to be first must 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.

And then Paul actually reinforces this y'all in Philippians 2 verses five through seven.

This will be familiar. Listen to it. He says, in your relationships with one

another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who made himself nothing by

taking the very nature of a servant. That's it, in a nutshell.

So here's the point. The greatness in God's kingdom isn't measured by titles,

achievements, or recognition.

It's measured by humility and love in action, amen?

And it's shown when we actually bend down to meet someone's need.

When we put someone else first, when we serve quietly and sacrificially without expecting applause.

You know, there was a story told of a school janitor who actually not only did

his job, but he learned every student's name in the school.

He actually asked about their lives, and he showed up early to help struggling kids.

And years later, dozens of successful adults credit that janitor,

not their teachers or principals, by the way, as the person who changed their trajectory in life.

And you just got to ask the question, who had the real influence in that school?

Out of his servant's heart, the janitor. And this week, I want us to ask ourselves,

where could we step into this kind of greatness?

Maybe it's listening fully to somebody who feels overlooked.

Maybe it's serving someone in your family or community without having to be

asked to do it. or putting aside our own agenda or your own agenda to lift somebody else up.

You see, as we see here, true influence flows from service.

And every act of love done in obedience to Jesus makes you great in his eyes.

Wow. It's like upside down world, right? That we live in. Well,

that leads us to point number two today.

Y'all servants don't just hear, they do. Come on. They don't just hear, they do.

Notice what Jesus said in John 13, 17. Y'all remember this. It was the last

verse that we read in the passage.

It says, now that you know these things, you will be blessed.

Was it just by knowing them? No, what did he say? If you do them.

That's when you're going to be blessed, y'all. If you do them.

He's making a critical distinction here. It's not enough to admire his humility

or to actually even nod in agreement, right, with his teaching.

You see, as we see here on this slide, the blessing actually comes from action,

from putting what we know into practice.

Because, y'all, true discipleship is practical. It's tangible,

and sometimes it's messy, isn't it? It's messy.

In fact, James 1.22 actually reminds us that do not merely listen to the word

and so deceive yourselves.

Do what it says. Do what it says.

Paul reinforces that same truth, y'all, in Galatians 5.13. He says,

serve one another humbly in love.

Being sent to serve, Eastwood, means more than good intentions. Can I get an amen?

It means showing up, showing up.

It means rolling up your sleeves, meeting needs, especially the needs no one else wants to meet.

It might be helping somebody, like I said earlier, who's been overlooked.

Maybe it's in a work situation. Maybe it's stepping into a family responsibility

that feels inconvenient or extending grace where it's going to cost you something.

Just think about it this week. Who is God placing in your path that needs you to act?

Maybe it's doing the task, like I said, nobody else wants to do.

Maybe it's listening to someone's hurt without offering advice or judgment.

Maybe it's forgiving somebody when it feels risky or even undeserved.

There are moments, y'all, where love becomes actions.

These moments where it becomes action, humility becomes influence,

and service becomes kingdom work in God's kingdom. Amen?

I mean, one of my pet peeves, and I know everybody has their own set,

right, is to see shopping carts in the parking lot.

Y'all know what I'm talking about. Is it just me? Like you see these carts all

over the place, and there's the cart corral over there, and it's just like, huh?

What do you mean? You couldn't put it back up, right? You know,

it's just like that's a pet peeve. But the reason I bring that out,

it's like a character test.

Is something you do when no one is watching and there's no reward.

You put the cart where it belongs, right? You take that extra step to not be

lazy, to do what you know is right, and you don't get a reward for it, do you?

There's no reward. You know, it's the same way with serving.

As we'll see on this slide, it's not about recognition.

It's about doing what's right because you know it matters.

And Jesus doesn't just call us, in other words, y'all get this today,

Eastwood. Jesus doesn't just call us to watch him serve.

He calls us to what? To follow in his footsteps and do likewise.

And the blessing comes not again from admiration, but it comes from obedience

of saying, yes, Lord, I'll follow you in this, right?

And that really leads us to this last point today, that serving unlocks true influence.

The world actually tells us, y'all, that influence comes from being above people,

having authority titles recognition

or prestige of some sort but jesus flips that thinking on its head does he not

in fact as we see here on this slide true influence comes from being beneath

people lifting them up putting their needs above your own and serving them sacrificially.

See, it's an upside-down kingdom. Y'all get it, right? When the 72,

you remember from the other week in Luke 10, when they rejoiced over what they

were able to do, they celebrated their success and their power.

But in John 13 here, Jesus is teaching a deeper truth, right?

And as we see here, he says, the greatest power you can exercise is love and action.

Influence in his kingdom, Eastwood, isn't about climbing ladders.

It's about actually what? it's about bending down. It's about bending down to meet needs, right?

Matthew 23, 11, and 12 reminds us of this. Listen closely.

It says, the greatest among you will be your servant, for those who exalt themselves

will be humbled, and to those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Jesus puts it really even more personally in John 15, verses 12 through 13.

John 15:12–13

Listen, My command is this, Jesus said, love each other as I have loved you.

Greater love hath no one than this to lay down one's life for one's friends. Wow.

Here's the practical reality, y'all. If you want to leave a lasting legacy,

don't chase status, start serving.

Come on. If you want to leave a lasting legacy, don't chase status, start serving.

The people who change lives most

deeply aren't always the ones that are on stages in front of crowds or in positions

of visible authority of some kind you know what they're often the ones with

towels as we see in this next slide in their hands quietly meeting needs giving

time energy and love without fanfare.

I got a challenge for y'all today. Are you ready? I've asked four different

people across this congregation, if they would, to help me in this.

And I want to give y'all a gift today, but it's also a challenge.

I want to give everybody in here a small towel, okay?

And they're going to, each where you're at, I want you to just take your half,

the quadrant of the auditorium, and just give everyone this towel.

And as they do that, I want you to just look here.

When Jesus has his towel and he's washing his disciples' feet, okay?

And as you take that towel today, and if you don't have one,

raise your hand, we'll get you, okay?

We want you to all have one. I want you to keep this small towel.

I want you to keep it somewhere visible, all right? Think about your car.

It could stay in your car.

It could be on your desk, maybe in your kitchen.

I don't know, wherever the visibility is, keep it visible to you because I want

it to be a reminder this week and in the weeks ahead to look for opportunities

to serve this week and into the future.

And you know what? I would love to hear some stories over the next couple of

weeks or sooner about how you picked up your towel and what God did through that.

You could even call it your towel ministry, right?

I mean, so that's the challenge, man. Pick up your towel.

Let that be a reminder to you of what Jesus did for his disciples,

but also the example he set for all of us.

This week, actually ask yourself, where can I serve in a way that lifts others,

even when nobody else is watching?

Who's God putting in my path this week that needs me to actually bend down and love sacrificially?

And just remember, influence in God's kingdom doesn't come from being first, does it?

It actually comes from serving well, serving humbly and consistently.

Y'all, because the whole line is we are sent to serve.

And as we wrap this up this morning, let's go to this last slide.

Well, one of the last slides here. Let's pull it all together.

First off, Jesus here redefines greatness, doesn't he?

He shows us that in his kingdom, again, it's not about status.

It's not about recognition or being first.

True greatness, y'all, is found in service, in humility, and in putting ourselves

below other people, right?

Putting them above us. And number two, Jesus calls us actually to do.

He calls us to do, not just to know. It's not enough, again,

to admire that wonderful example he set for us or agree with his teaching.

It was his teaching, right?

But you know what? We have to put our faith into action. That's what counts, each wood.

Rolling up our sleeves, stepping into the messy places, right?

And meeting needs, even when it's inconvenient or costly.

And then as we see on this slide, the next slide, that third,

Jesus actually shows us that serving unlocks true influence.

The greatest power we have, again, y'all, is love in action.

And he reminds us, John 13, 17, don't forget this verse. I hope it's drilled into us today.

Now that you know these things, Eastwood, now that you know these things,

you'll be blessed if you do them.

Now, you can walk out of here. I can walk out of here today and know all these

things and say, hallelujah, thank you, Jesus.

But I'm not going to be blessed. You're not going to be blessed unless you do them.

Unless you do them. The blessing, y'all, isn't in climbing higher, is it?

Accumulating status of some sort or being served. Again, I want y'all to get

this. It's an actually stooping lower.

Not in being first, but in being last, if you will.

Not in receiving honor, but in giving honor. Not in power for ourselves,

but in power that flows through love and service. us.

I remember reading a leadership book one time that says, leaders eat last, right?

I mean, that's the attitude of the servant. And that's how they do it in the

military by rank, by the way, right?

You know, the higher up, so to speak, they don't go first. The others go first.

It's an example of leadership.

And that's what Jesus did all the way. It's like, what do you want to be remembered

by? Do you want to have a lasting legacy?

And here's the challenge, y'all.

As we see on this slide, where is God calling you, here you go,

to pick up the towel this week?

Hold up your towel real quick, if you will. Think about this.

Where's God calling you this week to pick up your towel?

You hang on to that. Put it somewhere where it's visible. And you think about

that through this week. I'm doing it with you.

Where is God calling you to pick up your towel?

Who needs your humility, your help, your presence, your love?

How can you serve? How can I serve in a way that reflects the heart of Jesus?

Now, I've got a little morbid thought here for a moment for many of us.

We don't all like to think about dying, do we?

But just for a brief moment, I want you to imagine your funeral,

okay? Will people remember you for your titles and achievements or for how you

made them feel loved and served?

And I challenge all of us to live in a way that the answer to that is clear.

I don't know about you, but I pray that people will remember me for how I loved and served them.

And here's what's exciting, y'all. Next week, we're going to actually wrap up this series.

And we're going to talk about, as the Father sent me, we'll discover really

what it means to live that sent life every single day, going beyond action,

actually to embody the mission, the very mission of Jesus.

Us, carrying that message of peace, forgiveness, y'all, and hope into the world.

And man, what a time that we live in that God has placed us here to do just that. Amen.

So I want y'all to step into this week, all of us ready to serve,

ready to love, and ready to follow the example of the one who came not to be served, but to serve.