Worship and Communion Sunday | Summer 2022

Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast.

We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for tuning in.

Isn't it good to be in the house of God this morning?

Yeah.

Just something about um getting to just worship together.

That is powerful, isn't it?

And you know, as we're having a worship communion Sunday, the aim of this is just to pause.

Press pause on maybe all your summer activities and your summer trips, and those are fantastic, and work that you're trying to keep up with, or kids that are going crazy in your house.

Um, and just pause.

A moment, a moment to encounter the living God who loves us and pursues us.

You know, my prayer this morning as I was praying for you was that uh God would refresh you, that he'd pour out his refreshing on your heart.

That in this moment that we get to gather together, that you would be overwhelmed by his love.

And you encounter him and experience him, and we would go out as refreshed people in a land of people who work tirelessly from thing to thing, that we would be the refreshing.

And so to set up our communion time, I want to take you to a very familiar passage.

It's John chapter 13.

John 13 · chapter mention

If you got your Bibles, if you wouldn't mind opening up there.

And this is the Last Supper, if you will, although the disciples didn't really know it was the last one.

Shocker would have been a little different, probably, if they did.

In fact, the context is almost comical.

This is Jesus' last dinner before he's gonna be crucified the next day.

And do you know what the disciples are doing heading into this final dinner?

Anyone remember?

Yeah, they're arguing.

Good job.

They've prepared for this meal and they're in the middle of an argument.

And I mean, just think about Jesus.

He understands, he knows.

Like, this is my final dinner with these 12 that have invested three years in.

And and I I want to take this moment to instill what's most important, and I'm gonna entrust the ministry of reconciliation, like the message of salvation to these 12 and the others to radically change the entire world.

And I've spent three years developing them and training them and raising them up, and right before this mill, like they ruin it.

I mean, literally, have any of you had like a special moment, and then like you get in an argument with your spouse right before it and it ruins the moment, or your kids like get in a fight on the way to church and it ruined that moment?

Like, that's what happens here.

The disciples on the way get an argument about who's the greatest.

I mean, just imagine Jesus listening in on this.

Like, who's the greatest?

Are you kidding me?

Did you not hear anything that I've taught?

Like, seek first his kingdom, the first will be last, and the last will be first, and love God with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself.

Like, I mean, did you not hear any of it?

And the disciples still are arguing who's the greatest.

And then this moment, and I just love how Jesus responds because it reminds us how God responds to us.

You know, earlier in John, it says that Jesus is the explanation of the Father.

Like when you see Jesus and how he responds, it's how he responds to you.

That's how God responds to you.

That's how God, when you kind of ruin it, responds to you.

Would you pick it up with me in uh John chapter 13, verse 1?

John 13:1

It was just before the Passover festival, Jesus knew, circle that word knew.

There's a couple things Jesus knew.

First, he's gonna know that his time is short.

Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and to go to the Father.

He understands and recognizes this moment is precious, is fleeting, and I want to make the most of it.

Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

And that word end is the Greek word telios.

It literally means fullness or completion.

I like how another uh translation says it.

Uh, if he now showed them the full extent of his love.

Like, what a cool thought.

Think about this.

By the way, I think this is a pretty cool parenting move here as well.

The uh the disciples just got in an argument, and Jesus' response is now to show them the full extent of this love.

I don't know about you, but with my kids, if they're kind of getting in an argument or something, my first response is, let me show you the full extent of my love right now.

That's not that's not my response.

I wish it was.

It's like, hey, let me put you in your place, let me tell you why you're wrong, let's just bring this down.

And Jesus' response is, I'm gonna show you the full extent of my love.

Let me ask you.

You remember a moment when you felt most love?

Like, can you highlight just like a moment where you just like a time where you felt fully loved?

Maybe it was when someone was just listening to you, and they were just so attentive, and you just felt so seen and valued and heard.

Maybe, you know, like like you know the five love languages, maybe yours is uh acts of service.

And uh when your husband actually did the dishes, you're like, I feel so loved in this moment.

I had no idea he even knew where the soap was.

Um, you know, and or maybe maybe it's quality time.

And that person, maybe it's your spouse, and maybe it's a friend, maybe it's even your kids, they just spent time with you, you felt so loved.

Or words of affirmation, someone spoke into your life.

When was the time when you felt fully loved?

Right now, Jesus is gonna show to the disciples, and then later, yes, on the cross, he is going to reveal the full extent of his love for you and me.

Notice what it goes on to say.

The evening meal came and was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

Now, listen to this.

Jesus knew.

He knew again, he knew one time is short, which is really important because we act like we have all the time in the world.

And so we don't live with a sense of urgency about things of eternity.

And secondly, Jesus knew what?

That he had come, that the father had put all things under his power and that he'd come from God and was returning to God.

Jesus knew his identity, he knew who he was.

What's about to happen next is based on secure identity that he came from the Father, he has all authority, and he's returning to the Father.

See, here's what's so beautiful and amazing about Jesus: the one who the disciples should be bringing their all of their service to, he flips the script and Jesus leveraged his power, his authority to serve.

See, I think for many of us, we don't know who we are in Christ.

We don't know our identity.

And as a result, it doesn't make its way out into reality.

Imagine if you really recognized, think about this.

Like you fully embraced who you really are in Jesus, that right now in this moment, you're fully and completely loved.

There's nothing that you can do that will ever change his love.

He'll never love you more on a good day or less on a bad day.

Like you're worthy because he said you're worthy, you're valuable, you're fully forgiven, redeemed.

He has a purpose and a plan for your life.

I mean, just imagine, because we walk around insecure all the time, hoping somebody like us, hoping we'll measure up, hoping we'll kind of figure it out.

Jesus knew all authority had been given to him.

He is from the Father and going to the Father.

And so out of his identity, he then served.

He then loved fully.

Notice, so he got up from the mill, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped the town towel around his waist.

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

I mean, think about this.

Jesus, fully God, the disciples are sitting around a table, just mind-blowing.

This is crazy.

They're sitting around the table with God in flesh.

And think about what happened.

Like they walk into this upper room, and the disciples were, you know, charged with getting everything prepared, right?

And they see that there's no servant.

And by the way, the person who was the foot washer, that was the lowest level of service in their day.

And they see a towel, and they see a bowl, water, and no servant.

And maybe Peter walked in first, because that's the way Peter is.

No towel, uh, towel, water, no servant, not my job.

There's 11 other guys behind me.

It's got to be one of their jobs.

James and John, son to son, there's they're like, ain't my job either.

Tau, bowl, no servant.

They walk in one by one and see the empty space with the towel and the basin of water.

And they sit down.

Now we don't get this image and how nasty it is.

Think about walking around in sandals all day long and who knows what, and then sitting down to eat and having somebody's feet next to your head.

Yeah, it's nasty.

And they would rather do that than be the one who got up to serve.

Be the one.

And Jesus gets up, takes off his robe, takes on the posture of a slave, wraps a towel around his waist, and he comes maybe to Andrew and washes his feet.

And then maybe he goes to John next.

And then he gets to Peter.

And Peter says, No, no, no, not me.

Because he recognizes I should have got up, I should have been the one.

I I can't receive this.

This is too much.

The person I should be serving in this moment is serving me.

I can't receive that.

And I think that's where some of us are, is like his love is we just built up this.

I don't deserve it.

I shouldn't get it.

I can't receive it.

And Jesus says, unless you let me wash your feet, you have no part of me.

And then Peter, he's just extreme.

We've got to love him.

He goes, Well, then wash my head and my hands as well.

And she's like, Slow down.

You had a bath, you don't need a bath.

And then notice what the text goes on to say.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put his clothes on and returned to his place.

And then he says, This do you understand what I've done for you?

And I think that's the question that Jesus wants to ask you.

The question for us to sit with.

Do you understand what he's done for you?

Like, do you understand the depths of his great love?

The majesty of all of eternity.

Stoop down to take on humanity, becoming one of us.

Do you understand?

His love.

Then he goes on and says, You call me teacher and lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am.

Now that I am your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.

I've set for you an example that you should do as I have done.

Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than a master, no messenger greater than the one who sent me.

Now that you know these things, you'll be blessed if you what do them.

Blessed, flourished.

Like filled to the brim with joy.

The disciples are arguing about who's the greatest, right?

And Jesus says, you know what?

The greatest of these is those who serve.

And actually, we're all in a pursuit to find flourishing and looking for greatness or looking for success or looking for something else.

And Jesus says, When you flip the script and you follow me, when you understand your identity and out of that begin to love and serve other people, you'll flourish.

You'll flourish.

Now, here's what I a couple thoughts that I think is absolutely amazing.

Did you notice that Jesus did for the disciples what the disciples were unwilling to do for Jesus?

Like each one walked in.

I I understand, like, hey, I ain't gonna wash Thomas's feet.

Those things are nasty, right?

But at least Jesus, at least I'll do his feet and maybe mine.

And Jesus shows them the full extent of his love, saying, I'll bend low, I will take on the nature, I'll come towards your dirty feet.

There are no feet too dirty for me to bend low and lean in.

Like you do not, you do not repulse me, you do not push me away.

I don't know what you came in today with.

I don't know how you're feeling.

And I know for some, you're walking in in such a way of like, I don't even know why I showed up because of what I did last night or last week or what's going on or the habits that I've had in my life.

And if there is a God, he couldn't love me, and Jesus says, No, I bend low, and I'm not repulsed by you, I come nearer.

And your filth doesn't push me away, it draws me to you.

In fact, I mean, think about this: Jesus even washed Judas' feet.

He knew that Judas was going to betray him in just a few short hours later.

And in that moment, he took on the nature of a servant and washed his betrayer's feet.

Because there's no lengths that you can go, that his love will not still pursue you.

Let me ask you.

When was the last time or a time when you felt fully loved?

You know, when my kids were little, I'd come home and um I'd open the door from work, and you know how they would respond, Dad! And not like yelling like they're mad at me, you know, but so excited, and they'd sprint and give me a hug.

Here's what's pretty cool.

They're 17, 15, and 12 now, and they still kind of do it.

It's amazing.

I love it.

I feel so loved in that moment, and it's just this incredible time where I like open the door, I've been missing, and it's like, I missed you, I wanted you, I need, I want to be with you, and I just love you.

And isn't there something amazing about a kid and how like kids respond?

Like it's it's unrestrained, it's not trying to be proper, there's there's no filter, it's just like me.

I'm like, I love you, you know?

It's like, oh me, I love you.

And my wife, a number of years ago, when they were little, got me this mug for Father's Day.

Um, and it had pictures of them.

They were like five, three, and one.

And back then, I just like, oh, that's nice, you know, it's like the typical, it's either, you know, a tie for Father's Day or a mug, you know, and I got the mug.

It did say world's best dad.

So I'm sorry, other guys, you lost.

I won.

Um, but you know what that mug became for me over the years?

I mean, I wore it out.

I was gonna try to bring it, but I literally washed it so many times the images could totally faded from it over the years.

It just constantly reminded me of the moment every time I'd come home and my kids would yell, Dad.

See, we we stop and we pause to take communion, to remind ourselves of the full extent of his love for us.

That you're fully loved, that he stoops low and comes near.

And the elements, they're this incredible um symbol.

Just like that mug was for me, that it just, I mean, I loved it in the mornings.

I sit and just look at it and see the pictures of my kids, and it just fills my heart, reminding me of that moment.

And we gather together to remind ourselves of that moment.

The moment you gave your life to Jesus, the moment you first said yes, the moment when his grace actually finally clicked, the moment when you realize I don't have to try harder, I get to embrace his finished work.

When you realize, wow, I've been overwhelmed with his love.

And the elements, they just act as this constant reminder for us to take us back to that moment when we experience the full extent of his love for us.

You know, Jesus around that table would later on and go and say this that this is my body, if I can open the broken for you.

Like you want to know the full extent of my love.

There's no length to which I would go for you to be with me.

No matter how dirty your feet are, no matter how bad you feel, no matter what you've done, where you've been, there's no length to which I would go.

Like I long for you to be with me for all eternity.

I long to be in a relationship, I long for you to experience my love.

This is my body broken for you.

That you do this in remembrance of me.

Then you take the cup and you say, This is the cup and the new covenant.

And they knew what that meant.

Talking about Ezekiel and Jeremiah, where they said that there's a new covenant.

And the new covenant is no longer what you can do in earning your way to God, it's God working his way to you and what he's done.

And it's on the finished work of the cross.

And he says, Do this in remembrance of me.

Remind yourself of my love for you.

I like how Tim Keller says it.

He says, the gospel is this we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time, we're more loved and accepted than we ever dared hope.

I mean, think about this.

You do not have a God withholding from you with crossed arms, tapping his foot, holding out, saying, you know what, do better.

Fix your life up, then maybe I'll love you.

You have the God who stoops low.

Right into the mess of your life, right into the places that you've hidden from other people, into the things that you haven't shared with another human because you're too ashamed of that.

You think if anybody else knew them, they wouldn't they would never love you or talk to you or like you.

And Jesus sees all of it and he stoops low to you and he says, I love you.

Let me wash your feet.

Let me wash your feet.

Let me meet you in the places of your deep hurt and brokenness, of your sin and your shame.

In just a moment, we're gonna take the elements together.

And before we do, I want you to just take a moment.

And the things that you brought in, maybe it's the dirty feet, the dirty thoughts, the habits, or whatever it is that you're going like, I've been carrying this around.

Would you bring it to Jesus?

Would you say, Jesus, your love stoops low?

Your love forgives me.

Bring it to Him.

Allow Him to meet you right there where you're at.

Just gonna give you a moment.

We're just gonna be silent for a little bit.

You can listen to the playing of this guitar.

And those things you've been carrying.

Just bring it to him.

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