Sermon in Seattle 19.10.2008

Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, let us quieten this morning in opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before Thee this morning wishing to give thanks unto Thee. We thank Thee, dear Father, that as Thy children this morning, we can yet dwell in Thy kingdom as believers. Can own Thee, Lord Jesus, our Savior, through faith, through that merit work which He alone has done on our behalf and on behalf of the entire world where He died for the sins of all. We cannot thank Thee as we should, dear Father, but hear our thanks this morning.

And we also this morning would remember, dear Father, to thank Thee for all of the temporal blessings also. We have to acknowledge that, and readily acknowledge that, everything we have comes from Thee: our homes and our families and our friends and neighbors and everything, our food that we eat. And we wish to give thanks this morning.

And even as we think of our current economy, even here, we would wish to pray, dear Father, for Thy protection and continued blessings. For even in these matters, they are in Thy hands, dear Father, Thou, who allows nations to rise and nations to fall. Give us as Thy children that strength to trust in Thee and guide our nation and our leaders.

And we also this morning remember all those on the outside of Thy kingdom, those who do not own this precious gift of faith. If it would be Thy will, dear Father, show them the way to that door, the Lord Jesus, into Thy kingdom that they could come unto repentance and travel on that way which leads one day towards heaven.

And we would ask yet even this morning for Thy service blessing that Thou would feed us with that food which Thou seest fit and give unto each one of us the listeners ears to hear and hearts to believe.

And we ask it all in the name of Thy Son Jesus and yet would pray this morning as He has taught that our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

For our study of God's Word this morning I will read from the 13th chapter of the Gospel of John the first 17 verses and these words are in Jesus' name as follows:

Now before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simon's son to betray him, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He was come from God and went to God, He riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him, Lord dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit and ye are clean but not all. For he knew who should betray him and therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

So after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments and was set down again he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me master and lord and ye say well for so I am. If I then your lord and master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Amen.

This portion of God's word I'm sure is familiar to all of us. We've heard this text at some point and are familiar with this today. In our church calendar the theme for this Sunday is to forgive one another and the actual text for today was a different one from one of the other gospels where Jesus taught about what is often referred to as the church law of Christ or that law of love where if one's brother offends thee that we would go and talk to him and how then if he doesn't hear we would take two or three and if he still wouldn't hear we would go before the congregation with that hope that that one would see their condition and be able to care for matters.

But here also this text also speaks of this same matter about forgiveness. Here we see that it was that time of the year in the dawn of the New Testament where they would gather each year for that feast of the Passover. Passover and it was that yearly services that they held and Jesus here was with his disciples and this particular feast was probably no in its own was no more significant but there was a difference and this was the last feast of the Passover that Jesus would partake of here as a person on earth.

He was with his disciples and they had had that last supper where they had bread and Jesus held that last supper there and how now as believers today we yet partake of that supper the Lord's holy supper holy communion.

And Jesus here was with his disciples and it says how supper was ended and the devil had been put into the heart of Judas Iscariot. He knew that he was going to be betraying Jesus and we know that Jesus being God and the second person he knew this also and he got up from supper here and laid aside his garment took this towel and we can picture this. It's easy for all of us to relate even you young children I know when we've been out camping or not even necessarily camping just playing there in the summertime when you kids are running around bare feet you look down at your feet and we see that they get filthy dirty.

And here in this Old Testament time it was common for them they wore sandals in this area where Jesus lived there in Israel it's warm and hot and also dusty so they would have had dirty feet often and this example we might think that why didn't they do it before the meal but that's not the significance here of what Jesus was teaching.

He got this towel this basin of water and he began to wash their feet and we see that Peter had these questions well you know Lord dost thou wash my feet and Jesus had to tell him that what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter.

And Jesus knew that he would soon be leaving for it was shortly after this that those events of the last week of Jesus life took place. This was here was actually part of that week Maundy Thursday was when they had that last supper and it would be the very next day on Good Friday where Jesus would go to be crucified but his disciples didn't comprehend this or fully understand but Jesus told them they would know afterwards.

And we see here Peter's reaction we see how our carnal mind works and we can relate to Peter here in this way that we see that he was using his mind or he was thinking and feeling his own unworthiness that here was his lord and master Jesus and thou shalt never wash my feet that how could he have his lord and master wash his dirty feet he certainly would probably did not feel worthy.

Then we see how it continues how Jesus had to tell him that if I wash thee not thou hast no part of me then the others then Peter thought well then if he has to wash me he needs to wash all of me my hands and my head and everything and Jesus here again had to tell him that he only needed to have his feet washed.

And this is this washing of his feet is a picture in a spiritual sense of forgiveness when we wash one another's feet it is the same as forgiving one another.

And Jesus then here was teaching or explaining that this work that he would do this merit work on the middle cross of Golgotha fulfilled all and there was no need for more and there was no worse or anything that we could do but it was complete and in this way we there's no other worse even in forgiveness when we share with one another that gospel it's not our own works our own doing but through the Holy Spirit each of us as God's children have this power.

We know the Pharisees those on the outsides in places in the gospel they couldn't comprehend this and they even murmured against Jesus or questioned and muttered we could say that who can forgive sins but God alone and it is only that work of Jesus but he has given the believers that power through the Holy Spirit.

And we can even find that portion in Corinthians Paul speaks how I don't know if I'll be able to find it here I'm thinking of that portion where Paul speaks how we are ambassadors for Christ and that it's not of our own work or anything that we have done but that work of the Lord Jesus and I'm not actually recalling here where that was but he speaks about us being given that power to forgive sins through his work.

And this is this example that Jesus gave then to his disciples and not only to his disciples but to each one of us and he asked them here after he finished washing them know ye what I have done to you?

Ye call me master and lord and ye say well for so I am. If I then your lord and master have washed your feet ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

And isn't this a good reminder for us this morning that we would remember and take this instruction to heart.

Jesus further in his in this same chapter this gospel of John speaks about one of the commandments that he gives and Jesus speaks in this way that a new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another.

And here he's not talking about temporal love that we have also one for another we have in our families we love our brothers and sisters and our families and parents spouses have that love that special love for each other but and as grandparents grandmothers and our friends we have friends we dearly love but this love here is this love of Christ this love for the undying soul where we would care for one another.

And what does it mean caring for one another when we see a fellow traveler struggling battling and falling in sin would we turn a blind eye and just figure that well perhaps someone else will talk to him but I'm not going to say anything someone else maybe will say something I'm sure we've all heard that voice from the enemy of souls but no we wouldn't want to turn a blind eye but we would go and speak to that one in love be our brother's keeper.

But the enemy of souls he would wish that we would keep quiet that we would not care for one another for Jesus even continues here also in this gospel of John again he was speaking about this love by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.

In this love that we have the spiritual love it is a fruit of faith we do not have this love first and then faith but it follows as a fruit of faith those on the outside can see it the enemy of souls he knows about this love also and he would wish that this love would be broken that it would break down and there wouldn't be this bond between us as God's children.

But each of us also even though it's sometimes even hard to put into words can have experienced this love even in this simple way when we think of brothers and sisters in faith that we may not have ever met before when someone from even a completely different country if we were to meet at services perhaps or another example when probably just because it's happened more often when those brothers and sisters from Finland or Sweden come here and we're able to visit when we can greet them with God's teeth there is that bond of love and we connect in this way through that bond of the spirit and it is different than this connection through the spirit is the blessing that we experience and can comprehend through faith.

And this is also we see that this bond doesn't exist between light and darkness and between faith and unbelief we don't have this same bond with those on the outside it is different and it is not that we are better in some way this is not the case at all but it is different in that we as fellow travelers in God's kingdom have our sins forgiven and travel as pardoned sinners and we have then this mutual love of Christ which we share one with another.

And this is what Jesus here giving this example was reminding that we wash one another's feet and here the Lord Jesus the Lord of lords he was the master and is our master and it was probably something for these disciples to see that okay here's Jesus our Lord and master we should be washing his feet but here he's washing ours and teaching them this lesson and reminding them.

And Jesus went on to say he did remind them verily verily I say unto you the servant is not greater than his Lord neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him and he was speaking of himself Jesus was soon to go to fulfill that work of the heavenly father to go there to die for all of the sins of all of mankind that we could have this hope of heaven.

And he says that if ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them.

So it is this morning dear brother and sister that even we can be thankful and be joyful that we yet dwell in God's kingdom where is found this grace and this forgiveness that in spite of all of our many many sins our many weaknesses our many doubts there yet belongs this grace this unlimited grace that yet this morning even wishes the Lord Jesus yet wishes to assure you that in spite of your sins in spite of your many doubts and weaknesses you can yet be uplifted to believe these sins all sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood and believe them forgiven unto peace freedom and joy.

And this grace is unlimited we know even in another place in the scriptures where the disciples came to Jesus and they had asked him that if my brother sin against me how often shall I forgive him until seven times seventy or until seven times and that's where Jesus answered that not until seven times but until seventy times seven or in other words unlimited that there is no limit to this gospel that as often as one has need those grace fountains are open that we can again and again be assured and be comforted that sins are forgiven in the name and the blood of Jesus.

And isn't it so often that we need to hear this gospel that need to be reminded for so often we feel the heat of the battle we feel the pull of our flesh the corruption of our flesh the tendency to do those things which wound our conscience which are contrary to God's word our flesh pulls and battles and teams up with the world and with the enemy to try to pull us into sin and temptation and would wish that we would travel letting sin build on our heart and build on our conscience so that we would become weary and become tired and give up this gift of faith that we would give heed to that voice of the enemy which comes to visit all of us I'm sure at least he certainly comes to me many times to whisper that you're such a wretched sinner that why don't it's too hard to believe why don't it would be so much easier just to give up and quit.

But here even dear brothers and sisters we can pray for that strength to continue to battle to continue to not give up not listen to that voice for even when Jesus even questioned those disciples he had been asking them who do you say that I am and through faith they were able to acknowledge that he was their Lord and Savior.

And another time when others had left him Jesus asked him won't you go also and they answered that where would we go for thou has the words of eternal life.

Does continue heaven word it pays to believe in spite of the many onslaughts of the enemy the good shepherd our Lord Jesus has promised to be with his own unto the very end and lo I will be with thee always even unto the end.

These are comforting words of our Lord and Savior even as we think of our current times how there is much uncertainty even with our economy and so forth but we can be comforted in this that Jesus will be with his own unto the end and we have this morning each one of you each one of us as God's children this gift of faith that no person no man no one can take away.

We can lose everything but if we have this gift of faith we have all we have this hope of heaven the only thing that can take this gift away is unforgiven sin allowed to build on the conscience where we would lose faith fall into unbelief.

But be encouraged dear brothers and sisters as we remember these words of our Lord Jesus that we would remember to wash one another's feet we have each other fellow travelers as escorts on the journey who we can turn to in time of need and speak about matters on our heart and conscience and be reassured again and again the simple message sins are forgiven in Jesus name and blood.

So yet this morning as we close yet be uplifted assured that sins are forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood and I too need to hear this same gospel for my own many sins and doubts can I also have my sins forgiven I desire to believe along with you brothers and sisters in Jesus name amen.

Let us then close our services this morning in closing prayer and in closing benediction.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

And also as we are soon to have another wedding this upcoming weekend we would even yet this morning wish to remember in prayer the believing couple. Let us even remember this morning remember them in prayer that dear heavenly Father give unto them a grant them a believing home wherein the Lord Jesus may dwell and bless their marriage their upcoming marriage in Jesus name amen.