Well, by way of introduction, would you turn in your Bibles with me to John chapter 13, to the gospel of John, and that's a chapter 13. And we'll be reading verses one through five, and then skipping to verses 12 through 15. John chapter 13, beginning in verse one. Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it 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 had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Now jump with me to verse 12. When he had washed their feet put on his outer garments and resumed his place. He said to them, do you understand what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you're right for so I am. If I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you. Well, when John chapter 13 begins, a dramatic shift has occurred within this gospel narrative. And that because the gospel of John can be divided really into two parts. The first part comes in chapters one through 12, which largely focuses on Jesus's open ministry. In these chapters, Jesus will perform a miracle or a sign, and typically he'll provide an exposition or a meaning of that sign or miracle. And much of this was manifested before a public audience. And so John tells us, for example, that a large crowd had followed Jesus when he fed the 5,000, or that many Jews had witnessed Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead. But the second part of the gospel of John comes in chapter 13, as Jesus's open ministry to the public comes to an end and Jesus's passion begins. At the start of chapter 13, we are about 24 hours before the crucifixion. And what we find is that Jesus is privately sharing his heart and that to his disciples. It's one of the most sweet and intimate scenes within the gospel story. And John details it for us like no other writer. In John Calvin's commentary to the gospel of John, he summarizes this introduction or in his introduction, that while the first three gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, show us the body of Christ, It's the last gospel, John, that shows us the very soul of Christ. And this is evidently true of John chapter 13. We're told in verse one here that Jesus knew His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, but not without telling us that despite His departure, He had loved His own and that He had loved them to the end. And you see, this is all a sort of setup that what's about to take place in the ensuing moments is a manifestation of love. Jesus will reveal here with great intensity His true heart and His true soul. And so on the night He was betrayed, Jesus and His disciples They made their way from Bethany to Jerusalem and to a place called, and you might be familiar with this, to the upper room. And it was here together that they would celebrate the last Passover meal, but also the first communion meal. The road they traveled was long and dusty. And when they arrived to the place where they would eat, it would have been customary for the host to provide a servant. And you know this story. This is a very familiar story. A servant to go about in the menial and practical task of washing the guest's feet. But when they arrived, there's no servant there. So you can imagine the disciples now looking at each other somewhat nervously. They knew they were going to eat. They knew their feet needed to be washed. But the question is, who is going to do it? Is Matthew going to do it? Is Peter going to do it? Is John going to do it? Look at verses 2-5. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, that he had come from God and was going back to God. Notice this, he rose from supper, laid aside his outer garments, taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin, began to wash the disciples' feet to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. You know what I can't help but notice here from verse four, and I want you to see this, is the manner in which John retells this episode. He narrates it in a way so as to make time slow down. Throughout the gospel of John, Jesus is going from one town to the next, one city to another, and to sort of move the story along. And this is what gospel writers do. They'll say stuff like this, the next day this happened, and the next day that happened, and you're moving along. John chapter one, verse 43. The next day, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. John 6, 22. The next day, the crowd saw that Jesus had not entered the boat. John 12, 12. The next day, the large crowd came to the feast. You see, days are passing very quickly throughout Jesus' public ministry. But here, the story slows down. And that on a particular day, rather a particular evening, time is decelerated. And John wants to capture every second of what took place. Well, why? It's because he understood its significance. It's because he would never forget it. Well, the question is, what did John observe? That Jesus rose from suffering. He laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel. He tied it around his waist. He poured water into a basin, washed the disciples' feet, dried them with the towel that was wrapped around his waist. John could have just said Jesus washed his disciples' feet. It's as if John had been watching Jesus frame by frame, and that rightly. Here is Jesus Christ, the Lord of highest glory, down on hands and knees, washing the soiled feet of his disciples. But as Jesus had done throughout the ministry, his ministry, the exposition of the lesson notice follows. Look at verse 12. When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, do you understand what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right for so I am. If I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you. Well, what is Jesus saying here? What is it that Jesus is calling his disciples to do? To do what he has done for them? Well, it's not literally to take a towel in a basin and start washing feet. That's not what he's saying. We must move beyond the towel to see that Jesus' act of washing his disciples' feet there in the upper room was but a symbol of what he would do for them the next day. in the greatest act of service ever performed. And by laying down his life for them on the cross, for even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. And how will this Son of Man serve? By giving his life as a ransom for many. It was not only the greatest act of service ever performed, but to say it another way, the greatest act of love ever expressed. And so what does Jesus want his disciples to do? Follow the narrative and look in your Bibles with me to John chapter 13, verse 34, verse 34. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. You also are to love one another. Jesus wants his disciples to follow in his example, to follow in his service by loving one another. And here is the clarion call for every Christian. So that the church would be filled with people who love one another. So that the people of God would be servants of one another. And you see, Christian, this is the mandate all of us have from Christ. This is what he means by washing one another's feet. This is what he so desires, that we serve one another. This is how we ought to tangibly love one another. And so again, this morning, the question that we ought to be asking ourselves is, how have I been loving towards others? In what tangible ways have I been serving others? Now for the rest of our time together, I want us to take a look at another passage that I think will help us inform us as to how we ought to be serving and loving one another. And these instructions come to us from the book of Hebrews. So turn with me to Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 10. verse 24 Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24 Hebrews chapter 10 beginning in verse 24 I believe that the author is Paul himself but if you disagree that's fine Hebrews 24, and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Well, there are four things here that demand our attention. And the first is this, the writer to the Hebrews, he says this, he says, let us consider. He doesn't say, pastors, I want you to think about how you can encourage the church to love and good works. He doesn't say that. He doesn't say, let the pastors or let the elders or let the deacons or let the church leaders, but he says, let us consider, well, who is us? Who bears the responsibility? To whom does the writer of Hebrews give the solemn charge of actively loving or mindfully serving the church? Look up to Hebrews chapter 10 verse 19. He says, therefore brothers, or therefore brethren, or better said, if you have an NIV translation, therefore brothers and sisters, to be more accurate. The writer of Hebrews is directing his words, not to a certain subset of people here, but to every person in the church. Let us, let you and me, This is the biblical mandate, a Christian requirement for every single one of us, whether you've been a part of this church for several years or whether you've been a part of this church for several months. There are no exceptions. Whether you're an outgoing socialite, like maybe Pastor Sam, or very quiet and to yourself, you have a ministry from Christ. Well, what is that ministry? a ministry of love and good works within the body of Christ. Every single Christian has that ministry. You are all bound by God and his word in ministering to one another towards the goal of love and good works. Now, let me be clear about something here. What qualifies you for this ministry? And the reason why I ask that is because you can look like a Christian and you can act like a Christian. You can talk like a Christian and you can serve like a Christian and not be a Christian. You can look the part of a Christian and do it pretty well and not be a Christian. This ministry then is not for you. This ministry to stir up one another to love and good works cannot be for you unless something has taken place in your soul. It's because this ministry comes only to those who have been given access to the holy and living God through Jesus the Son. Look at Hebrews 10 verse 19. It says there, Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain that is through his flesh, since we have a great high priest over the house of God, And then you'll notice he says, verse 22, let us draw near. In other words, this ministry is for those who have been brought from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's son. The responsibility of love and good works is for those who have been reconciled to God through Christ the son. And so, before you think or consider about any kind of loving or serving, the question is, have you been loved and served by Christ? You see, in order to serve your fellow neighbor, you need to understand that you need to be served first. Before we can think about what I can do for the Lord and for his people, we need to know what the Lord has done for me. Again, the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. You must be served before anything else. You must be served by the Son of Man. You must receive that ransomed life on your behalf. And so before you start considering how to do anything, have you come to a saving faith in Christ? Are you trusting in Him for salvation? Again, I press this issue hard because I can't tell you just how many people I've seen look the part of a Christian at church, never to be a Christian at all. You remember I told you, I think it was last week, I said, if you can, start reading the Puritans. Well, there's a Puritan by the name of Matthew Mead. And he wrote a book called The Almost Christian, The Almost Christian. And he wrote that book for all those who are in the church who look the part, but who are not, not it. Again, this ministry is not for those who simply made a profession of faith back in high school or college. It's for those who are trusting Christ right now. You know, there's something very interesting that Paul says in 1 Timothy 1. He says this, and you might recognize this verse. He says, Now Paul says something there that we as Christians often forget. that he was a sinner needing the grace of God every day, every hour, every minute in his life. And there in 1 Timothy 1, he says this, that he was a former blasphemer, a former persecutor, a former insolent opponent of God in his church. This is what he was in the past, but that he is no longer those things. But after he says those things, he says, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am foremost. Now, this is what's very odd about that passage there. Shouldn't Paul have said of whom I was foremost? of what I used to be? He said, I was formerly a blasphemer. I was formerly a persecutor. I was formerly an insolent opponent of God in his church. But yet he says, of all sinners, I am foremost. He stated his sinnerhood, not in the past tense, but in the present tense. Well, yes, he was forgiven of all of us in his past, present, future. Yes, he was justified in the sight of God, but he was still a sinner in need of his grace. And Paul never forgot that. The ministry of love and good works is not for those who think themselves to be sinners in the past, no longer needing the gospel of his grace, but for those in the present, for those who are trusting in Christ right now. for those who are continuing to look to Christ with the eyes of faith in the now. And so if you have done so, if you are in the now, you have a responsibility then towards one another of mutual love and mutual edification. Notice secondly in Hebrews chapter 10. that this ministry requires intentionality. It necessitates our thinking. Hebrews 10, 24 says, let us consider, let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. And if you've been in the church long enough, you know that this does not happen automatically. We are not naturally prone and inherently built to consider other people. We're just not. We are very self-focused. We are very self-absorbed. We are very self-seeking, constantly asking, what about my problems? What about my needs? What about my wants? And this is no way to live, Christian. This is not a happy life under the sign of God. And I say that because, I say happy because self-centered people, I have found that self-centered people are often the most discontented people, right? Discontent with their lives, discontent with their jobs, discontent with the church. But let me ask you a hard question. I see young folks in here. Are you discontent with your singleness? And let me say something really profound to you. There are a lot of married people I know that are still discontented too. Finding a husband, finding a wife, finding a spouse is not the antidote to discontentment, it is not. The idols of our hearts will not satisfy brothers and sisters. They will not fill the vacuum of our hearts. It's only when we look away from ourselves and to Christ who is far greater, far more worthy, far more beautiful, that we will find joy. when we look to Christ as we love Christ. You see, when we stop getting so wrapped up with ourselves and in ourselves, will we then begin to consider others? And this is what God wants from us. And so let me ask you, church, how are you considering others within this body? I'm going to be honest, it's not easy. It's going to take time. It's going to take effort. It's going to take some dying to self. If this is your home, if this is your place of worship, I encourage you, after the worship service, not to be like, amen, cool, I'm out. You go right through the doors. You know, if I chose five random brothers and sisters in this church, would you know how to pray for them? Would you know how to pray for them? And if not, well, why do you not know how to pray for them? It means then there ought to be some considering, a considering of the believers here in this room and in this church, of how you can encourage and edify and build up and embolden and minister and meet the needs of those who are around you. You know, one of the questions I ask our church or my church is, if a new person were to come in through the doors of the church, would that person go unnoticed for like three weeks? And I told them that if so, we have a severe problem. Because we would never want someone coming and leaving without any interaction, even for a week. And I know that there are various life stages, and I think each life stage has its challenges. You know, if we were to go from older to younger, I would say that the challenge for those who have grown children who leave for college or move out of the house, and we do have some older folks here, is that you deal with the void. You deal with the void left by your children, which is why we call that empty nesters. Your whole life was so focused on your kids that once they leave, you don't know what to do anymore. Well, some of you are like, I do know what to do. I go on vacation a lot. But we see the challenge for parents, not only with grown children, but little children. I've been teaching a class on parenting at our church. This is the one question every parent asks with little ones. How do you deal with discipline? How do you deal with discipline? Again, there's challenges in every stage. And again, we can become very self-absorbed and very self-focused. I also think the challenge for young adults and young singles, it has to do with community. It has to do with finding community. You know, if you're a part, if you're a young person, recent college grad, you're very used to maybe where you're in college, your college campus ministry, you're living with other college students, you're always surrounded by them 24 hours a day, and then you graduate, you move back home to San Ramon, where there's kind of nothing out here, and what do you do? You transition really hard to young adult life. And I think a lot of young people struggle with community. They're always finding, wanting to find community, not superficial community, not artificial community, but a genuine and deep community. And do you wanna know where that's found? It's found within the church, with the people of God, with the family of God. If you are a Christian believer, you are in relationship with others, there is community. but it's a matter of cultivating it and embracing it and seeing the bonds that you share within it. And so church, let us consider, let us consider and notice verse 24, consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. It's not just a considering, it's not just a thinking, but a stirring up and inciting to love and good works. In other words, How are you stirring and inciting others within your midst, the brothers and sisters next to you, to be more faithful Christians? Yes, you have a ministry to love and to serve others, but how is that ministry encouraging others to do the same? How are you promoting and encouraging growth amongst the believers here in this room? One question I commonly ask to People in my churches, how do you use your words? Because words are very powerful. James says, this is the danger for Christians with their tongues. They use it to bless our Lord and Father. We use it to curse people who are made in the likeness of God. And so no wonder James says that our words are like a fire. And so how do you use your words in the church? Are they used to build up or to tear down? Is exclusivity a problem in the body here at this church? Now, it doesn't mean that you can't have close friends within the body. No, people do. Or else we would accuse Paul of being too exclusive with Timothy and Silas and Luke and Jesus as well with his disciples. It's okay to have close or closer friendships within the church. I think it's healthy. But the question is, do you use those friendships to yield greater ministry? more efficient ministry, more powerful ministry. Is the result of your close friendships within the church helpful to the body or is it harmful to the body? It could be two close sisters hosting a game night and fellowship together, inviting other sisters or brothers and getting more acclimated into the fellowship. It could be a few sisters ministering to someone who's in need, maybe for counseling, maybe as a sounding board, maybe for just someone to listen to. There are a lot of ways you have to just consider. You have to just be intentional. You have to be proactive and mindful to go about loving others in the church. In the early parts of the war in Ukraine, I was fortunate to get sort of a grounds-eye view of what was happening to a group of churches in western Ukraine, in the city of Rivne. There, I remember the beginning parts of the war. I believe the war started like 2022 in the beginning. This is around the area of March. Churches were getting bombed. And this is the area in Kiev. And there were two brothers who were taking a 16 person bus and they were driving into Kiev and evacuating other believers and those in the neighborhood out. And it was, at the end of the day, it was a 200 mile round trip journey. And at the end of their little thing, they were able to get about a hundred people out. And they had to stop at certain times. Their bus had bullet holes all over it. We had got in contact with these churches and we ended up paying for some of the cost to fix the bus and to maintain the bus and to pay for gas for the bus. I asked, well, why were they doing this? It's because they found that it was worth their lives and to lose it for the sake of others. They were considering not themselves, but they're considering how to stir up others to love and good works. Well, notice thirdly here in this passage, the writer of Hebrews says, let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some. Notice, none of this happens when the body is not meeting together. One of the great realities and mysteries of the incarnation of God was that God came to us in the flesh His ministry to us was to come to us in our humanity to meet with us. He didn't stay apart and distance from us, but He came to us. His ministry was incarnational. And so God intends for His people to meet together. He desires an incarnational ministry, that they are to be together so that they might minister to one another. And that's why it's so critical for the church to continue to gather together, to worship together, not only because we have a divine order from God, but also because when we meet together, ministry happens. Ministry happens. When we are together, we're able to stir up one another to love and good works. And so the corporate gathering of God is so vital and so important for you and for your neighbor, so that you can encourage. so that you can be encouraged, so that you can stir up others to love and for good works. It is essential. And let me say this, again, this ministry is not for Pastor Sam, and it's not for the elders of this church. This ministry belongs to every single member of this church. That's how the church will grow. The church grows not just by adding more people into the membership of this church. The church grows when they minister to one another. You know, as I close, in the beginning of that war in Ukraine, on a certain Sunday, there was a grandmother in the city of Rivne, and she was making her regular 30-minute walk to church in the city of Irpin, which is a suburb of Kiev. And on her way, this grandmother was stopped by Russian soldiers. And they asked her where she was going. And she said, I'm going to church. I'm going to church. And this was the beginning of the war. She said, I'm going to church because my God calls me to worship him. And these soldiers, they left her, and they allowed her to go on her way to church. No one, nothing, was going to stop this grandmother from meeting with the people of God, from going to church. And so church, would we relish in the corporate gathering of his people that we might incite each other to love in good works? Let's pray together. Father in heaven, we thank you. We thank you that you came down to us in our flesh and in our humanity, that you might minister to us We thank you that you gave yourself, that Lord, you served us before we could do anything else. And Lord, we pray that we would be able to know, as those who have been served, that we would serve others. Oh Lord, I pray that you would transform our mindset when it comes to the church. Lord, as we sang just moments earlier, that we would love thy kingdom, oh Lord, that we would love your church. as you love your church. Lord, I pray that you would give us an increased desire for your people, ultimately for Christ, and we pray these things in Christ's name, amen.