John 13 contains the account of Jesus washing His disciples' feet at the Last Supper. This past Sunday (June 28) I preached from this passage. We talked about six key aspects of God-honoring service. Toward the close of the message, I encouraged everyone to focus on one aspect each day for six days. Following are the key aspects we discussed from John 13:1-17 and some questions for personal evaluation.
Day 1 -- The motivation for service is love. (vs. 1) Ask: Is love really the motivation for my service (as opposed to guilt, selfish gain, sense of duty, pride, etc.)?
Day 2 -- Our model for service is Jesus. (vs. 3-5) Ask: Do I serve as Jesus did -- selflessly; humbly? Is any type of service beneath me?
Day 3 -- A prerequisite for service is humility. (vs. 5) Ask: Do I possess genuine, Christ-like humility? Do I truly put others ahead of myself?
Day 5 -- Jesus' command to serve is clear. (vs. 14-15) Ask: Do I understand and accept that service is not optional if I am to be obedient to Christ?
Day 6 -- The reward for service is blessing. (vs. 17) Ask: Does serving really make me happy? (It should.) Am I rejoicing in the blessings of service?
We are often tempted to make excuses for our lack of service. We need to remember that in reality we are offering our excuses to the Lord. When we imagine standing before Him and offering our excuses, we quickly realize how lame all those excuses are.
Where will you serve through the Lord's church this coming year? Jesus said, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:17 ESV).
Day 1 -- The motivation for service is love. (vs. 1) Ask: Is love really the motivation for my service (as opposed to guilt, selfish gain, sense of duty, pride, etc.)?
Day 2 -- Our model for service is Jesus. (vs. 3-5) Ask: Do I serve as Jesus did -- selflessly; humbly? Is any type of service beneath me?
Day 3 -- A prerequisite for service is humility. (vs. 5) Ask: Do I possess genuine, Christ-like humility? Do I truly put others ahead of myself?
Day 4 -- The scope of service includes every person. (vs. 2a, 11a) Ask: Is there anyone I refuse to serve for any reason? If so, what do I need to do to correct that?
Day 5 -- Jesus' command to serve is clear. (vs. 14-15) Ask: Do I understand and accept that service is not optional if I am to be obedient to Christ?
Day 6 -- The reward for service is blessing. (vs. 17) Ask: Does serving really make me happy? (It should.) Am I rejoicing in the blessings of service?
We are often tempted to make excuses for our lack of service. We need to remember that in reality we are offering our excuses to the Lord. When we imagine standing before Him and offering our excuses, we quickly realize how lame all those excuses are.
Where will you serve through the Lord's church this coming year? Jesus said, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:17 ESV).
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