Text: Revelation 2:1-7

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Text: John 13:3-5,12-17 Title: “Cross-Shaped Community … Where Serving Happens” Our mission is to KNOW, FOLLOW AND SHARE JESUS CHRIST. This Spring we’re focusing on the second part of our mission statement to follow Jesus Christ … specifically following Christ in community with other believers. This is what the NT calls fellowship and it’s very important. Our vision is that every member of Travis Avenue will follow Jesus in community with other believers. So we want you to move from the pew to the family room of church life. Small groups like Sunday Bible Study classes that meet on Sunday or small groups that meet during the week are where the church becomes small where we experience what we are calling “Cross-Shaped Community.” Here’s what that means (jot it down in your notes again): The love of God displayed in the death of Jesus created a new Cross-shaped community called the Church where believers mature into passionate followers of Jesus. INTERVIEW - Glenn and Shannon Cunningham are following Christ in community with other believers. They have four precious children. I’d like for you to hear their story: 1. Glenn, how long have you, Shannon and your family been attending our church? 2. Shannon, how would you describe your SBS class? What happens on a typical Sunday? 3. Glenn, what does it mean for you to be in a class where there's a high level of sharing and vulnerability? 4. Glenn or Shannon, is there anything you would say to people here today who might be afraid of this kind of experience? Glenn and Shannon, thank you for sharing with us today. Let’s open our Bibles to John 13. We’re less than a month away from Easter. This part of the Gospel of John captures what happened on the last evening that Jesus spent with His disciples before He was arrested that night and crucified on the next day. We’re camping out here in these verses because they show us how Jesus, with His death on the Cross looming before them, shaped their relationships together into what we are calling a Cross-shaped community. As they gathered to share in a special meal Jesus shocked them by something He did and said. Read John 13:1-2.

THE DESCRIPTION OF JESUS’ ACTIONS (vv.3-5) Read John 13:3-5. Jesus and His disciples came into the house off of dirt roads. Wearing open sandals their feet were covered in dirt and grime. Remember as a kid playing outside barefooted, and when you came in your mom sent you straight to the bathroom to wash your filthy feet. Typically the host of the home would have a slave stationed at the door to wash the feet of the guests as they came into the house. However, in some instances, when this kind of slave was not available usually one of those who gathered would take it on themselves to wash the feet of the other guests. In this instance none of the disciples even thought about doing this. Maybe they sheepishly looked around waiting for someone else to do the dirty work. Imagine their surprise when Jesus got up from the meal, wrapped a towel around His waist and began to move around the room washing the filthy feet of His disciples. That’s the description of Jesus’ actions. Now notice… THE EXPLANATION OF JESUS’ ACTIONS (vv.12-17) Read John 13:12-17. We saw last week that Cross-shaped community is energized by the love of Jesus Christ. I call this “Cross-shaped community” because it is shaped by the redeeming love of Jesus Christ which He displayed on the Cross. Later in John 13 Jesus said… John 13:34-35 - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Again, the way we facilitate this kind of community in our church is to provide you with opportunities to be involved in small groups like our SBS classes that meet on Sunday mornings, or in other kinds of small groups that meet at times and places other than Sunday morning at the church. Jesus intends for you to grow as His followers, not in isolation, but in community with other believers. If you are serious about growing closer to Christ as His disciple it will happen as you are connected with other believers in Christ-centered relationships. I’m praying that if you aren’t already involved in a small group that God will put in your heart a hunger to connect with this kind of community, and that every small group in our

church will truly be a Cross-shaped community where believers love and serve one another. That night in that upstairs room where Jesus shared the Passover meal with His followers He showed them what Cross-shaped community looked like. By His example Jesus showed them that the love that pulsates in the group will inevitably be expressed in serving one another. Here’s what we learn about serving from the example of Jesus: 1. SERVING IS THE OUTPOURING OF CHRIST’S LOVE. John 13:1b - Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The “full extent of his love” would be ultimately displayed the following day when Jesus would die on the Cross for their sins (and ours). But on this night as they are gathered Jesus showed His love by serving them in one of the most practical of ways … by washing their feet. When Christ’s love energizes our life through the Holy Spirit it will manifest itself in serving others. You cannot separate love from serving. Love is not complete until it serves. Matthew 20:28 - The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus loved us and served us by dying on the Cross to forgive our sins and give the gift of eternal life. And if you will put your trust in Him today, that’s what He will do for you. So Jesus gave His all in serving us in this way. Most of the time, however, our love is shown in the simple, everyday things we do to serve others in the name of Jesus. ILLUSTRATION – I heard about a husband who said to his wife, “Honey, I love you. I love you so much I will die for you.” The wife said, “Sweetheart, thank you, but I don’t need you to die for me. I just need you to love me enough to take the trash out sometimes.” Love is shown in service. The NT shows us what this looks like, practically speaking, in the church. Read 1 John 3:16-18.

So if I’m infused with the love of Jesus Christ I never hear of a need of a brother or sister in the church without asking, “Father, what do you want me to do about this?” He may tell you to pray … or He may tell you that you are to serve them by being the one to meet that need or to organize others to meet that need. And again those needs are usually known and met in the context of a small group that pulsates with the love of Christ. Serving is the outpouring of Christ’s love. Jesus also shows us that… 2. SERVING IS THE OUTGROWTH OF OUR SELFLESSNESS. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION – In school did you learn the story from Greek mythology about Narcissus? Narcissus was an extremely handsome young man. All the girls adored and worshipped him, but Narcissus paid no attention to them. He was so wrapped up in himself that he could only think about himself. One of the girls that Narcissus ignored complained to the Greek goddess Nemesis and she decreed “May he who loves no other love himself only.” One day Narcissus bent over a pool to get a drink of water and he saw there his own reflection in the pool. He was already stuck on himself, but now he knew why … he was really handsome. He thought, “Now I know what all of those girls see in me; no wonder they are in love with me … I’m in love with me!” And Narcissus couldn’t stop looking at his own reflection in the water. His whole world dwindled away as he became more and more obsessed with himself. As one commentator said, “He starved to death on a diet of himself.” Narcissus became the basis for people whom today we call “narcissistic” because of their extreme self-centeredness. You’ll never serve others so long as you’re stuck on yourself. Selfish people don’t serve others. But Jesus shows us a better way. His selfless act of serving others by washing their feet came at a time when He had every reason to be focused on Himself. Just look at it again: John 13:2 - The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot … to betray Jesus. Interestingly, it was the One who was hurting the most that took the lead in serving that night. Just put yourself in Jesus’ sandals for a moment. If anyone had the right to be absorbed in Himself it was Jesus; but He wasn’t. Why? The next verses tell us: Read John 13:3-4.

ILLUSTRATION – Have you watched the TV series “Who Do You Think You Are?” Each episode has a different celebrity who goes on a journey to trace their family tree. Sometimes they’re surprised at what they find out about themselves and their ancestors. Well Jesus knew exactly who He was, where He came from and where He was going. He was the Son of Almighty God, completely loved by His Father in heaven. The Father had given Him all authority. Jesus knew that after His resurrection He would return to the Father to the place of all supremacy. His name was above every name and at that name every knee would bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. Jesus legitimately could have said, “Wash your feet? No way! Don’t you realize who I am? You should be washing my feet.” But He didn’t do that. Jesus had nothing to prove and so He could give Himself away in serving others. And for community to work there has to be this kind of attitude. Just being in a small group of people who meet together doesn’t mean that community is happening. A Cross-shaped community is a community that is marked by selflessness. We follow the example of Jesus and we don’t have to act like the most important person in the room. If anyone had the right to be self-absorbed it was Jesus. He knew exactly the kind of suffering that awaited Him the next day. And it wasn’t just the horrendous physical pain that comes from Roman crucifixion. Jesus would endure great emotional and spiritual agony as your sins and my sins and the sins of the whole world were heaped on Him. And the righteous wrath of God against our sin was poured out on Jesus. And Jesus knew this was just hours away for Him. But He was constantly thinking of how He could serve others. Some of you are thinking well I’m just too old, or I’m just too weak to be much good to anybody. No! Last Wednesday night at our fellowship supper I walked up to a table were two ninety-year old women were mentoring some of teenage girls. If anyone had the right to be self-absorbed it was Jesus. Just think about it. He was about to be betrayed by one of followers … Judas. Judas was sitting right there at the table, and Jesus knew exactly what was in the heart of Judas. Jesus could have come to Judas and said, “Judas, you’ve been planning my death; you’re going to carry it out in a short time. There’s no way I will serve you and wash your feet.” But no, Jesus washed Judas’ feet too. Some of you won’t serve because you’ve been hurt by someone. Don’t let the hurts and disappointments that have come into your life keep you from serving. Most of

us have problems; and some of us have some big problems. We can become so self-absorbed with our problems that we have no time for others. I learn from Jesus that serving is an out-growth of my selflessness. But I also learn from Jesus that… 3. SERVING IS THE OUTCOME OF OUR OBEDIENCE. Now Jesus was always teaching and always coaching. He washed the feet of the disciples because they needed to have their feet washed. But Jesus had something else in mind. He wanted them to understand something about the life of serving that He was saving them for. Look again at the explanation after He washed the disciples’ feet. Read John 13:13-15. Again, this is all part of the command of Jesus to love one another as He has loved us. As disciples we obey everything He has commanded us to do. And to not be engaged in this kind of community and to not be serving others in this way is disobedience to Christ. But there is something in it for us. Jesus wraps it all up in this way: John 13:17 - Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. Now hopefully when we serve good things happen for others. They are blessed. But here Jesus promised that we will be blessed when we obey Jesus in serving … not just in knowing these things but doing them. It really is more blessed to give than to receive. There are at least three ways you’ll be blessed: First, it feels good to serve. You feel blessed. Just ask anyone who regularly serves. Second, you’re blessed because serving develops Christ-likeness in us. You’re never more like Jesus than when you are serving. And, third, there are eternal rewards. The real benefits for serving are “out of this world.” Jesus promised that if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of His disciples, that person will certainly not lose their reward. You have the word of Jesus on it. It is more blessed to give than to receive … to serve than to be served. ANNOUNCE JOE WARD, E.P.P. AND “I AM A DISCIPLE TABLE FOR SBS AND SMALL GROUPS.