Humble Service

This past weekend at Eastbrook Church, I concluded our “Conversations” series with a message entitled “Humble Service.” I was looking at Jesus’ interactions with His disciples in the Upper Room from John 13:1-17, where He washes His disciples’ feet.

You can listen to my message online at the Eastbrook web-site here. You can also subscribe to the Eastbrook podcast here or follow Eastbrook Church on Twitter.

While I hope to offer up some further reflections on this story later this week, here is the basic outline of my message.

Jesus’ Way of Humble Service: Know, Love, Serve

Jesus’ Knew His Purpose and Identity

• His purpose – ‘the hour had come’ (13:1)
• His identity – ‘all things under His power…He had come from God and was returning to God’ (13:3)

Jesus’ Loved People Fully

• ‘having loved His own’ (13:1)
• ‘He loved them to the end’ (13:1)

Jesus’ Served His Followers and the World

• One another (13:13-14)
• The world (13:19; cf. 12:23)

The Way of Humble Service: Following Jesus’ Example

Knowing Our Purpose and Identity

• Our purpose from Jesus: following Jesus’ example (13:15; cf. 20:21)
• Our identity because of Jesus: We are ‘clean’ servants of the Servant-King (13:16)

Loving Others Because of God’s Love for Us

• Experience the love of God for ourselves (13:1, 6-10)
• Live the love of God for others (13:14; cf. 13:34-35; 15:17)

Serving One Another and the World

• One another – ‘you should also wash one another’s feet’ (13:14)
• The world – ‘nor are messengers [apostoloi] greater than the one who sent them’ (13:16)