Sermon Series: The Essential Expectations: Part Two 

The Lessons of Humility 

John 13:1-14 

PSBC 6/10/01 AM

In a nutshell: Jesus' act of washing his disciples feet demonstrated the power of a leader leading with humility. He demonstrated three things: to love no matter what, to have a love that is active, and show the attitude of Christ.

I. Introduction

A. Illustration:

Lee Iacocca once asked the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi what it took to make a winning team. And Iacocca records Lombardi's reply in his autobiography.

Lombardi said, "There are a lot of coaches with good ball clubs who know the fundamentals, and have plenty of discipline… but still don't win the game. Then you come to the third ingredient: if you're going to play together as a team, you've got to care for one another. You've got to love each other. Each player has to be thinking about the next guy and saying to himself "If I don't block that man, Paul is going to get his legs broken. I have to do my job well in order that he can do his."

"The difference between mediocrity and greatness," Lombardi said to Iacocca, "is the feeling these guys have for each other."

My friends, this morning we come to the third core value that I believe is necessary for our church to embrace, if we are going to win the war against the powers of Hell in this valley. Applying this core value will help us serve as a unit that loves each other, not function as individuals with our own agendas. This core value is stated in a way that singles out the leaders of our church, but in reality it must permeate throughout our entire church body. It can be simply stated like this… "Our leaders will lead with humility."

You see, when humility is valued by our leaders, and modeled in the way they lead, it will work its way into every life and every ministry of this church. And that's one of the key elements that will make us a winning team as we come like a FORCE against the powers of Satan that are holding captives of the Coachella Valley in their sin.

B. Humility and Serving Go Hand in Hand

The decision to value humility is really the decision to serve others. Serving others is a concept that is at the very heart of the Christian faith. If we are going to realize the incredible future God wants for our church, and the awesome power that God wants to give us to see spiritual and numerical growth even beyond what He's doing right now, the characteristic of being a servant to each other must be at the core of our being. It must be a core value that each one of us holds dear! C. The ultimate example of humility

There is no more profound example of leading with humility and being a servant than the story of Jesus washing His disciples' feet. And that is what I want to look at with you this morning. Turn in your Bibles to the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John...

John 13:1 1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

If you ever wondered why humility is so important to Jesus, it is stated very clearly in this first verse. The reason is… humility shows the full extent of Jesus' love to His followers. That is the single reason to value humility-nothing shows the love of Jesus Christ, better.

Humility, shows the full extent of Christ's love in a tangible, touchable and believable way to other human beings..

D. The Setting

Normally, there was a servant stationed at the door of the home of someone holding a large gathering. A servant in Jesus' day was considered property. This person was on the lowest scale of human beings. Socially, dogs and pets were valued more highly than servants--especially servants who were required to wash feet. But it was something that had to be done. The roads in that area of the world were dusty, dirty and filthy. People wore open sandals. So, anytime a person walked outside, his or her feet got dirty.

And since eastern people reclined when they ate, and their feet came in close proximity to the face of the person next to them. Dirty feet, if left dirty, could bring about a decided loss of appetite.

But at this gathering for the Passover meal, there was no servant. And no one from Jesus' group of 12 disciples was willing to perform this menial task. So, Jesus used this as a teachable moment for His disciples, and for us... He wanted to teach us about humility. I want to call your attention to three important things He taught in this act.

II. The Lesson of foot washing

A. Love no matter what.

John 13:2-3 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

The first lesson Jesus teaches us in this act of humility is that humility loves, no matter what.

If you look ahead in this chapter, verse 11 tells us that Jesus knew which of His disciples was going to betray Him to the Roman authorities, yet Jesus washed Judas Iscariot's feet.

Verse 38 of this same chapter tells us that Jesus knew Peter was all blow and no show. Even though Peter said publicly that he would die for Jesus..., Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times.

Yet despite this, Jesus demonstrated humility to these two guys even when He knew they would betray Him and deny Him. Jesus first lesson to leaders and all of us is that our humility must love no matter what.

Illustration: H. B. London, the pastor to pastors at Focus on the Family wrote an editorial a few years back in a newsletter I subscribe to. I saved it, because it said so much to me. Let me share it with you...

I received a letter this week from a pastor who was really hurting. He had been betrayed by people in his congregation in whom he trusted. He basically was saying, "What's the use if you can't trust the people you have given your life for?"

I can relate, can't you? We pour ourselves into our work, and then sometimes--usually at the wrong times--get the short end of the deal.

I thought about that pastor. I feel for him, but should we really be surprised? We deal each day with hurting human beings who are doing everything in their power to protect their turf, or to come out ahead, or to satisfy a selfish need. When you invest yourself in these kinds of folk, you take the chance of losing or being disappointed.

But let me ask you--don't you think it's worth the risk? When I am hurt by others, I am determined, like our loving Lord, to try it again. The alternative? To protect your feelings, your ego, your position so carefully that you never venture out or give another the benefit of the doubt.

Personally, in spite of the odds, I'm going to keep taking chances. Just think, what if Jesus had given up on you? Sometimes, you must lose a little to win. That's in the Bible. Stay the course. H. B.

Humility loves, no matter what.

B. Humility is active

The second lesson found in this act of humility when Jesus washed His disciples feet, is this… Humility is active. In other words, humility sees a need and does something about it. That means humility requires we give of ourselves. Look at verses 4 and 5...

John 13:4-5 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 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.

No one else was doing it, so Jesus got up, stripped down to his underwear, put a towel around his waist, got a bowl of water, and He washed the dirty feet of His disciples. He didn't talk about it. He didn't call attention to it. He didn't even announce the lesson He wanted to teach, He just did it. Humility is active.

Example: I am thrilled when I learn how some of you call people in our church family who are sick or that you haven't seen for a while. Some of you write wonderful cards and letters and e-mails to people who are confined to their homes for a period of time. Others of you use correspondence to simply encourage and say thank you to someone. These are examples of many of you being active in your humility.

Still others of you are right there whenever someone needs some physical assistance to move furniture or fix something in their house. Others of you keep a watchful eye for burned out light bulbs or broken sprinkler heads around the church property. Others of you sweep leaves or debris from our sidewalks on Sunday mornings. Those are all examples of humility that's active

Still others of you, when you know of a financial need of someone in our church, or that our church has, you dig deeper into your resources and you give more. That also is active humility.

You see, the bottom line to Jesus washing His disciples feet is that it wasn't theory. It wasn't merely a command. Jesus actually did something in His humility, and it serves as an example for us-to make sure we do something about needs we see in our church family. This is especially true for our leaders, but it is also true for all of us, regardless of our position.

Our humility must be active. So, friends, if you're doing things with active humility, don't stop. If you're not, try it and get started. This isn't my example. This is the example of Jesus, and true followers of Him will do what He did!

C. Humility checks our attitude

Then there is a third lesson about humility that's found in this foot washing scenario. It's found in what Jesus said when he got to Peter.

Peter said, "No way, you're not going to wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash your feet, you have no part with me." Then old impetuous Peter says, "Well, if that's the case, then give me a bath--don't just wash my feet." But in Jesus answer, we see a third lesson about humility...

John 13:10 10 "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."

The lesson is this. Humility checks our attitude.

The bath Jesus is talking about is the total forgiveness of sin that is ours because of the cleansing work He would do on the cross. We don't need anything more done for us in order to be clean before a Holy God. Jesus death washed us as white as snow.

But the point Jesus makes to Peter is the fact that we still get dirty on a regular basis. We all come into contact with the uncleanness of sin every day. We walk in it. We work in it. We live in it. And it soils us. It affects us in different areas of our lives. It's that influence plus our own sin nature that causes us to… -look lustfully at a woman or a man. -covet what someone else has. -tell lies. -take what doesn't belong to us. -gossip. -cheat. The list could go on and on. Every one of us is influenced by our sin natures, the sinful society we live in, and the evil circumstances that surround us. And left unchecked, that will lead to a dirty condition of self-sufficiency and self-centeredness. Both attitudes which God hates!

So, how do we get clean from that? How do we counteract the negative influence the world has on us? One of the ways is by having humility shown to us by another brother or sister in the Lord. You see, a humble act reminds us of our need for God's mercy and the extent of God's love for us.

Philippians 2:5-8 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!

Humble acts remind us that the God of all Creation humbled Himself and took on the form of a servant in order to free us from the human delusion of self-sufficiency and a self-centered existence.

Example: Since my background is in Christian Education and children's ministries, I have a special affinity toward Sunday School teachers, Children's Church leaders, and AWANA leaders who teach or lead our kids.

Realize it or not, they are washing the filth of the world off of our kids, every week. If they don't, someone else is standing ready to wash them in mud. This is an article that I got from a Christian magazine several years ago. It illustrates what I mean...

Illustration: Once upon a time, the leadership of the children's ministries were looking for teachers for children.

And some adults said, "I don't want to leave the sweet fellowship and study in my adult class." (But the drug pusher on the street said, "Not even the threat of jail will keep me from working with your children.")

And some adults said, "I could never give the time required to plan and go to teachers' meetings." (But the pusher, and the porno book dealer, said, "We'll stay open whatever hours are necessary everyday to win the minds of the kids.")

And some adults said, "I'm unsuited, untrained, unable to work with children. (But the movie producer said, "I'll study, survey, spend millions to produce whatever turns kids on.")

So, the adults stayed in their classes and enjoyed the sweet fellowship and absorbed the good Bible Study, and went out of town often on the weekends and were available to do whatever was good to do on Sundays instead of teaching.

And when Sunday came, the children came to their classes and no one was there except the church staff going from one room to another trying to assure them that someone would surely come to teach them, some Sunday, soon. But no one ever came, and the children soon quit coming because they had gone to listen to others who did care about the things they did and what went into their minds....

Friends, I don't want you to miss this. Once you are a Christian, the dirt of sin will not keep you from your final reward of heaven…, but the dirt of sin will rob you of the abundance God wants to give you in this life right now.

But our humble acts toward each other will help cleanse that filth of sin away from us, by reminding us of the most humble act ever shown. When God took the form of a man…, lived among His creation and was tempted like we are, but remained without sin. Then gave His perfectly righteous life as the just sacrifice for our sin.

Being on the receiving end of humble acts really checks our attitude! Being on the receiving end of humble acts brings us closer to the reality that we are not self-sufficient, but we need to stay close in our relationship with God, and depend on Him for our sufficiency.

Friends, listen, I know some of you are thinking right now that because of your background, or how you perceive yourself when you compare yourself to someone else, or because of your lack of finances, or your lack of a spouse, or your lack of this or that… there isn't much you can contribute to the church family here at Palm Springs Baptist Church. And if that's what you're thinking, let me tell you, you're wrong! (front of WIGS)

Dwight Moody said, "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And that which I can do, by the grace of God, I will do." With that simple commitment, God used him to bring revival to England and America.

You see, the application of this story from the life of Jesus, and the importance of this core value to our church is that… whether you're a leader or follower, this team of people called Palm Springs Baptist Church, needs you. We need you to commit to doing acts of humility within this church body, to help us check our attitudes, leave self-sufficiency, and follow God more closely.

Sure, you're only one. But you are one! Whatever humble acts you can do by the grace of God, will you do them? Are you willing?

III. Conclusion

John 13:12-14 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. Then he says... "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."

Wash people's feet.

DO AS I HAVE DONE FOR YOU!