Humility Conquers Narcissism | Associate Pastor Chad Erickson

clap your hands thank God for this worship team thank God for our musici musicians our production staff that work so hard amen that we might be able to hear amen be able to see and be able just to have an atmosphere of worship in the house aren't we thankful tonight amen if you're not already standing stand to your feet and uh again as Pastor Hammond already has I welcome all of our guests that are here uh welcome to midweek Bible study and uh hope you brought your Bibles and I hope you have something uh to take notes with uh whether you are a paper and pen person or if you are a device like like myself I'm a device notetaker uh please get those out we're going to have a great time in the word tonight amen I do want to say pastor and sister Carpenter they are uh conducting business in one of our districts of our organization and of course you see that they are missing tonight and of course they always miss uh being here in the house with us and uh we bless we bless them tonight just pray that safe travel home uh to marriage Retreat and and as Pastor Hammond I'm I'm excited about what God's going to do in our marriages uh because as goes the family goes the church amen we got strong families and strong marriages we're going to automatically have a strong church amen we're going to raise strong children and doing so I just believe they're going to be in the faith amen all the way until the Lord returns amen I need to make a very important announcement listen very very carefully uh we'll be making this announcement again on Sunday morning and again uh Sunday night uh but this announcement says we will be having a business meeting uh Wednesday a week from tonight Wednesday February 14th after our evening service to discuss the purchase of a training center yeah yeah so we will have a church business meeting and uh I believe it's Robert's Rules of Order says we have to announce that three times so we will be announcing that tonight Sunday morning Sunday night and then on Wednesday after church is over uh we will conduct that Pastor will give instruction on exactly how we will do that on Sunday uh for again a week from tonight everyone say a week from tonight it's going to be awesome y'all uh can't wait to to share some really exciting information with you uh turn with me in your Bibles to John Chapter 13 and verse 5 and I want to uh read in your hearing just a few uh verses of scripture In this passage and then we will get to studying studying the word tonight Bible says in John 13 Verse 5 says after that he porth water into a basin speaking of Jesus and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded so after verse 12 says so after he had washed their feet and taken his garments and was set down again again he said unto them know ye what I have done to you Jesus said you call me master in Lord and you 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 y'all like we washed feet Last Week Tonight here's my here's my topic here is my title for tonight humility conquers narcissism humility conquers narcissism it's going to be a very interesting topic put your Bibles on let's pray before we seated father we love you and we're thankful to come out on a Wednesday night and to worship you in song and then Lord we need you to feed us Lord God we need you to speak into our hearts Lord I believe Lord I want to communicate Lord with this audience tonight Lord with your people tonight with the saints of God the guests that are in this place worshiping with us tonight Lord I just pray Lord God that what I say is not only heard but I believe it's going to be acted upon in jesus' name I pray and the church said amen amen turn around and Shake just two more people's hands just two two more people please just too I know brother Hammond got a fellowship rally started earlier just just just two people I looked out I saw the gills in the house I love brother sister Gil God bless you good to have you and your family with us sister Samantha Johnson's parents amen I saw some other guests so good thank you amen thank you for coming out on on a midweek service today amen and amen just just looking around boy it's good it's always good to be with the family it's always good to be the family of God uh let me uh read an article that I found on narcissism um such an an interesting topic but it kind of explains how narcissism is affecting our world today and not just our world but our nation our nation today and I don't know uh if I can get a little more monitors I know I just I waited and said that right after you left the monitor board I'm sorry brother ASA but here's what it says it says nism is a personality trait characterized by an excessive sense of self-importance a need for admiration and a lack of empathy towards others let me say that one more time it's characterized by an excessive sense of self-importance a need for admiration and a lack of empathy towards others M matter of fact and and I wish I would have wrote this down because I read this morning as I was studying narcissism um there was I believe thank you there was a Greek um I want to say a Greek god whose name was narcissism narc I believe it was narcissism narcissist thank you we got some we got some knowers of Greek mythology we got some learn people in the house thank you I appreciate it seriously I appreciate that what was it again Narcissus and and The Story Goes that that he let so many people down because pretty much his whole life he would just stare at himself in a reflective pool right and so that's where we get narcissism from is the idea that you're so enamored with yourself that everything else dies around you and it said here in this in this article it says here a few ways narcissism affects our society today number one relationship Dynamics narcissistic individuals often prioritize their own needs and desires over those of others this can lead to unhealthy and toxic relationships as they tend to exploit and manipulate others for personal gain number two social media and self-image now I believe this is why right here this is why we're having more issues with narcissism more today than we ever have because of social media it says with the rise of social media narciss narcissistic Tendencies can become Amplified people may engage in self-promotion seeking validation through likes comments and followers this consist pursuit of external validation can contribute to a distorted self sense of self and comparison with others now how many know somebody that's that's that's a narcissist somebody that then it's all about self-promotion everything's about themsel and and and and with that we had this era that we're in of selfies right I'm gonna move on and then number three materialism and consumerism ISM narcissistic individuals often prioritize their own materialistic desires seeking status symbols and possessions as a means of enhancing their self-image this emphasis on material wealth can contribute to a culture of consumerism impacting our environment and our overall wellbeing it just simply says narcissism is the new leading mental health issue in America I believe it was Pastor Hammond not too long ago when he was preaching he was talking about how it used to be Depression was the mental health disorder oppression was the mental health disorder people were were so depressed they were coming to counselors but but now the new leading mental health issue in America is narcissism but let's let's let's look at scripture because I believe we can find some narcissism in the New Testament matter of fact look with me at Luke 22 and verse 21 because Jesus is is going to talk right here and he's going to start opening people's minds to narcissism in the New Testament not just the New Testament now we realize that there were some religious leaders and rulers that that were very narcistic right we understood that they were they were the ones there in the temple and they were standing before the people praying loudly so people could hear them they're the ones that were making sure that everyone heard their their offerings as they dropped into the coffers into the offering coffers they were the ones to make sure that everyone saw that they were some great thing but even the closest to Jesus had an issue with narcissism look at look at verse 21 Jesus said uh but behold the the hand of him that betrayed me is with me on the table and truly the son of man goeth as it was determined but woe unto the man whom he is betrayed and they speaking of the disciples began to inquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing oh but there's more discussion going on here at the table because look at verse 24 and there was also Strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest y'all see this right here we begin to discover in Scripture that that while the disciples are celebrating the Passover supper and uh there there they're they're talking with one another they're fellowshiping with one another but they're very brother am is they're very busy huh because not only are they trying to figure out who Jesus is referring to and they're trying to find out who is this who is the demon the devil among us but they're also trying to figure this out who is going to step up to the greatest position if if Jesus is is really going to enter into his kingdom like he's talking about who is going to step up and be the greatest Among Us us who who's going to be the next leader of the band who is going to take this thing over and I as I was as I was studying on this topic I I was kind of led into into a story because um if you spend any time with farm animals there's a lot of relation between Believe It or Not between farm animals and humans uh um some things are are are okay and other things are kind of sad such as the the chicken now I like chicken I like to eat chicken but chickens they're interesting animals they're interesting birds um for example they have a tendency the interesting tendency to to set up a social order now now now we as human beings now we we tend in our societies we tend to set up a social order but it's it's these birds in which the strong pick on the weak anybody that's ever farmed chickens you you know what I'm talking about I see you you know what I'm talking it's a social order or maybe I should say they peck on the week right the most dominant chicken pecks on the head of the chickens that he's dominant over they Peck their heads and then those chickens they don't mess with the ones that are dominant over them they start to be domineering over the chickens below them and they the heads of them all the way down until there's one chicken who's always looking over his shoulder and he's a chicken chicken that's missing all the feathers on his head he he he got the messed up he's got the one with the eyeball to kind one looking this way one looking this way y y'all seen that chicken he he's the lowest on the totem pole he is the lowest chicken he it's called a pecking order you've heard that term that we get that from chickens the pecking order because there is an order of Society in the chicken Coupe where you have the dominant all the way down to the one who's all the way on the bottom and his head gets ped the most so here we have this and with this we see that even oh even in the life of the disciples even and you would think to yourself oh surely not our our our disciples would have this these Tendencies of pecking order but all throughout and I can and I I'll read here in just a few minutes all throughout the New Testament we see where the disciples were always competing to be the best they're always trying to have the best image they're always trying to be closest to Jesus they always want to be the one that Jesus would choose and and would pick to do whatever it was that Jesus was doing whether it's miracles signs and wonders they were always looking for social dynamics and it took place between the Disciples of Jesus more than once we see them jocking for position and bickering over their prominence in the kingdom and and the question of position and Power appears to climax as they're in the upper room what we know as the Last Supper we call it the Last Supper it was they didn't know it was the last supper right they didn't realize it was their last time of Jesus uh but it was their last supper and they entered the room and and as they walk into the room and I I want you to kind of visualize this with me visualize the surroundings of this upper room as these 12 come in and sit down at the table with Jesus but what our culture really doesn't understand and I I do get this I do get this because I I've been to Third World Nations enough uh to see uh uh sandal feet people coming walking into a uh into a tent where we're having a conference and they've been walking they've been traveling for miles on Dusty roads where there's no there's no asphalt and and a lot of times not even gravel they're they're walking down roads whether it's in in the back area of the Philippines or if it's in Papo New Guinea or if it's in Africa been many the nations of Africa and you see and and they pristine their clothes and I don't understand how I've told you this but I don't understand how the children wear white clothes and there's not one single spot wrinkle or stain they live in this thir wheel Nation where there's no concrete there's no asphalt but there's no stain but their feet because they walk on these Dusty roads their feet are caked with mud their feet are caked with dust and in that culture that Jesus and the and even in Jerusalem when we're here at the upper room and we're having this this Passover meal uh as they come in I can just see them I visualize them looking around looking for the servant that ought to be washing their feet can you see this they're walking in and their feet are dirty and and the custom is is that that when you would walk into somebody's house they would have a servant there some some Maiden would be there and you would stick kind of we would we we had foot washing last week there would be a basin of water and you would step into the water and they would they would wash your feet and they would clean off your sandals and and then you would you would make your way to the table and sit down and everyone was clean and everyone was ready to receive the meal but but in the upper room and I believe it was on purpose there was no servant there there was no lowly the pecking order there was no lowly servant there to do the dirty working and so these 12 sit around the table and and I know that every every painting and picture we've ever seen of the Last Supper they're all sitting on the same side of the table y'all realize that just for the picture right that's just for the picture all right they they they probably sat all the way around the table but here they are and and they realize and they recognize that they have that they have soiled feet and their feet are dirty but they can't figure out whose job it is to clean the feet because with thoughts of glory and grander in their heads nothing n of the disciples oh it's not going to be me it's definitely not going to be me because if I begin to wash somebody else's feet I just believe that they're going to expect me to wash them next time too oh come on somebody y'all y'all act like you like to wash people's feet there's a reason why it's a it's not a pleasant experience but in John 13 let's just kind of exet through John 13 because I want to pull some stuff out of scripture John 13:1 says now before the Feast of the Passover over when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of the world unto the father having loved his own which were in the world he loved them I love this right here he loved them to the end Jesus understood that in roughly 12 hours or so he was going to be at a whipping post he was going to be led up Mount Calvary he was going to be put on a cross he understood that he was in the final hour of his life and and I often wonder to myself if I knew what Jesus knew what would my last what what would the last hours of my life entail Britney I tell you what it would entail it would entail being up in an upper room with a bunch of spoiled boys it wouldn't I'll be checking things off my bucket list I I don't know if they would be jumping out of an airplane and doing some skydiving I I don't know what the bucket list looks like for you I don't know what you want to do before you die but it's not going to be washing a bunch of grimy feet come on think through this think through this with me Jesus understands this is the end he's not planning out he's not making funeral plans and hey I want you to sing Amazing Grace at my funeral and read the 23rd psalm at my he's not going through all that he has brought these men together for one purpose it's not just to to celebrate past over he's brought them together because he wants to show them what humility really looks like and so here he is in his last hours his final hours he he chooses to be at supper but I love because it says that he loved them to the end even though we've already said it even though here they are talking about who's going to be the greatest and complaining about who's going to be in control he loves them all the way to the end and he asked them and this is interesting to me he asked them to remember something that hasn't taken place yet right he he starts to talked about they're about to what we do is taking communion what we did last Wednesday they're about to take communion and he's telling them to remember something they haven't even seen they have not seen his Bloodshed yet but he's showing them and he's explaining to them what's about to happen and what they've got to put in remembrance for the future two over 2,000 years later in marville Tennessee there's going to be people that are still taking of the bread and taking of the cup and he's asking them to remember this even though they haven't seen it yet he's already he's starting to talk about what's going to happen my body the blood is broken for you and I thank God that we we had Pastor talked about it last week and he covered that and I'm going to cover now I'm going to kind of go into the humility of foot washing he covered communion I want to cover a foot wash and even though we've already done it I want us to understand why we did what we did last week Final hours here he is he understood this is what Jesus understood he understood that if his disciples didn't get the point of humility before he was taken away from them they would never stick together listen listen right here if he did not get some kind of of a spirit of humility to to to somehow grow within those men oh brother Tommy Akens let me tell you something it would went from 12 to 9 to five before long there would be no more Disciples of Jesus they would have went all back to fishing and going back to whatever they did before they started following Jesus and the gospel never would have been preached throughout the whole world but he understood if I could get them to love one another and see one another as brothers and see one not as a competition to see who's the greatest among us but to see each other with humility because humility produces Unity come on think about people that are humble people that have the spirit of humility they're they're Pleasant to be around and it conquers narcissism oh yes it does when you start listen humility a lot of people they just don't really understand what humility is they say well I don't want humility CU I don't want to be the guy with my head down and looking like I'm all like I'm all depressed and for laor that's not what humility is humility is not thinking less of yourself it's thinking of your self less it's not that we think less of ourselves it's not that not that we think we're a horrible person or we're undeserving of course we're undeserving but the mercy and grace of God he puts us in his presence but oh I just don't want to think of myself as much I'm sick of having the selfie the social media I'm sick of looking at myself and admiring myself I don't want to think of myself my needs my wants my desires I want to think about you in Jesus he understood I've got to get this through to them they've got to become selfless John 13:2 ver2 and supper being ended the devil having now put into the heart of Judas a scariot Simon's son to betray him and here I think it's noteworthy right here listen Church oh my God I began to read this and and something struck my heart that the lamb was willing to wash the wolf's feet he washed every one of their feet that were sitting there while they're all saying is it me is it me Lord is a devil inside of me Jesus went from person to person and washed feet among the church uh there's going to be those that allow the devil to put things into their heart there's be those that allow themselves to stumble and fall but I don't want to judge people because Jesus didn't come to judge Jesus came to save he said I didn't come to the world to judge I wanted to bring light into the world I wanted to heal I wanted to save people from their sins I want to deliver them deliver the captive and set them free he didn't come to judge Jesus came to say I will bring life and life Everlasting to you far be it from me to look around the church and attempt to decide who ought to receive humility from me and who doesn't deserve it oh I wish you would help me because let me tell you something tonight uh if we don't get this in our hearts uh if we don't have a spirit of humility in our heart uh narcissism begins to take over Jesus washed every one of their feet verse three Jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God and this verse is simply saying that Jesus was confident in his identity he understand who he was he understood why he was where he was he didn't come to Earth for any other reason that he knew that it had to end in death he had to be the Spotless lamb that was going to take away the sins of the world he had to become the Messi he or the Messiah he had he understood that he was God in flesh Son of God and son of man he understood he was king of kings and Lord of lords which tells me what he was about to do this is the beautiful thing right here I believe he was telling his disciples I know my identity and I'm still going to do in the next 15 minutes I'm still going to do what I've set out to do even though I know who I am I know that I'm God in flesh I'm Son of God and son of man I still choose to prefer you over me I still choose to have the spirit of humility that shows you how it is to live as a child of God verse four he riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and and took a towel and GED himself and and he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded that sounds kind of familiar doesn't it see I want I want to make sure that everyone's clear of the why of what happened last week because it's more than just a ceremony it's more than just remembering that Jesus washed his disciples feet that's not why we wash one another's feet the there's a reason why last week we took time out and and let me tell you something I I know it could be an uncomfortable setting I I get it matter of fact uh last night we we did a um communion in foot washing in the severville campus and brother Dakota we probably had eight or nine visitors in the house and having eight or nine visitors in a sanctuary of this size we can absorb the fact that we're about to go into foot washing but in the several campus when you have eight or nine visitors I'm trying to explain to people who have no brother alter have never heard of foot washing and would think that it was something just where did you find this idea communion now they all came down for commun they were all about communion but then we got into foot washing and and I want and I guess I caught wind last week of people that that said I don't know I've never done that before and I didn't know if if I was supposed to do it or if it was for me or or if if just certain people were supposed to do it I'm trying to explain th this is what I'm trying to explain today there's a purpose that goes beyond a ceremony why we wash one another's feet because remember the disciples they're bickering over privacy in the kingdom of God who's going to be the greatest who's going to become the alpha male listen all you ladies you know what I'm talking about it was 12 12 men trying to decide who was going to be the greatest can you imagine this what did what did that look like what kind of jealousy and suspicion that was going on and and I I guess I I thought back to to brother Raymond Woodward Bishop Raymond Woodward I feel he he's got a revelation if you were at movement conference and he preached about this again because of the times this year but he began to preach about leadership transition and when he got the topic of the disciples I really didn't know where he was going with this but he was talking about transition and while studying the transition of leadership from Jesus to his disciples brother Woodward discovered a revelation about these disciples and it goes against every pre and past assumption that I've ever had about the 12 and in case you didn't hear the session let let me tell you about his Revelation see Mark chapter 9 this is this this whole Last Supper thing this is nothing new with it in in Mark chapter 9 the Bible says they had disputed among themselves who should be greatest in Luke Chapter n then there arose a reasoning among them which of them should be the greatest in Luke chapter 22 again there was also Strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest and so brother Woodward he begins to tell story after St story that reveals how immature Jesus's disciples really were Simon Simon we know he was married because Jesus healed his mother-in-law we're going to talk about that in marriage retreat but I believe I believe he's the only one we have record of that was married and it wasn't because he was the only one good-looking enough to get married it was because he was the only one of age to be married as brother Woodward has as he began to talk into being begin to tell these stories he said here it is he said let's talk about Temple tax Temple tax was for those that were over the age of 20 you would be taxed by the temple and Jesus sends Peter to go fishing he says the very first fish that you catch he said take a hook the very first fish you catch pull him out of the water and open up his mouth and there's going to be a coin in his mouth and Jesus says take it to the temple and pay your in my taxes he didn't say pay all of the taxes for the disciples he said take care of your taxes and take care of my taxes and brother Woodward said it's it's pretty simple it's because there wasn't another disciple that was over the age of 20 and of course we all were kind of scratching our heads like really because I thought they're all like in their mid-30s and 40s like when I when I think of the disciples when I think of James and John I I think of brother Carpenter walking around listen he was not Jesus was not only a small group leader he was a youth pastor he was a student Pastor when when Jesus called his disciples they were all busy working as apprentices most of them were working for their fathers they they were learning a trade Jesus refers to his disciples as multiple times as little children do you know how awkward that would be if they were in their 30s my little children that would be awkward what about John laying his head at supper upon the chest of Jesus if you think of a 35y old that's awkward but if you realize that John was probably the youngest disciple in the group it kind of makes sense Jesus was like a father figure to him it goes on and on and on and he keeps on saying over and over again these boys are a whole lot younger than we think and and I'll give you one more example and you got the mother of James and John that goes up to Jesus and says Jesus you're about to come into your kingdom Jesus can James sit on one side of you and John sit on the other side I mean if you're 35 you're like Mom come on but if you're like 7 you're like yeah Mom what Mom said and I wish I would have caught that but but brother Woodward started teaching about that it just made sense that Jesus is Raising young people he's raising people that he's going to transition Ministry to and and of course Peter being the oldest one it just makes sense that he's the first pastor of the first church it just makes sense that they stood right Peter standing up the 11 standing with Peter it just makes sense that that Jesus you know he had the Revelation maybe had the Revelation because he was a little bit older and mature and probably caught things that the youngsters didn't catch and so here we are so when I come back to our text it now makes sense why there is so much rivalry among these teenagers trying to see who's going to be the greatest who's going to be the best who's going to be the next leader who's Jesus going to leave this with and Jesus understands I've got to show these guys humility or this thing ain't going forward a narcissistic Spirit can settle so easily a characteristic by excessive sense of self-importance and and a need for admiration and a lack of empathy towards others does this not sound like the disciples Jesus send the children away Jesus said you woo he said you better let those babies come to me right no empathy the the the woman that was crying out and following Jesus and the disciples and and saying son th son of David have mercy on me and kept on cry all the teenagers was like leave us Al no empathy Jesus tell her to leave us alone and Jesus heals her right Jesus cast the spirit out but here we have again once again if we're not careful this Spirit could come over us and so Jesus begins to wash the feet of each of the disciples and starts to show them there's no pecking order here the greatest shall be the least and the least shall be the greatest the first shall be last and the last shall be first and everyone would expect him oh you can't wash our feet surely you're not going to wash my feet uh but Jesus did it Jesus showed them I will humble myself the king of kings will stoop down and will do the job that none of you all will do every dirty foot every foot that has the aroma that you've been walking through the waist of the animals as you walked into Jerusalem I will get down oh I will get down on my knees and I will humble myself and wash your feet verse 6 says then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter said unto him and again I go back to brother Woodward's Revelation I believe Peter was probably okay with Jesus washing the the the 16 year old's feet and the 17 and 18 and 19 year old's feet but then Peter's now like now listen I'm a grown adult I I got a wife back home you're not going to wash my feet you can wash the boy's feet but you're not going to wash my feet and 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 said un the Lord okay Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head he was saying just just pour the Basin of water over me I if I've got to have a relationship with you in order if I've got to let you wash my feet in order to have a relationship he said wash my hands wash my head whatever it takes I don't want you to reject me verse 9 Simon Peter saith unto him Lord not my feet only so here we go he says he says Jesus sayith unto he that is washed needeth not saved to wash his feet but is clean ever Wilt every Wilt and ye are clean but not all for he knew who should betray him therefore said he ye are not all clean and what he was simply saying was was your feet might be clean Judas but you're going to walk out of here with an impure heart you might have clean feet but you do not not have a clean heart verse 12 says so after he had washed their feet and taken his garments and was sat down again he said unto them know ye what I have done for you you see right here when he finished washing their feet he put back on his outer clothing he returned to his place H and he says do you even understand what just happened but then I want to compare this to Philippians chapter 2 verse 5 because it says let this mind be in you which also is in Christ Jesus watch how how these parallel who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation watch this right here and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of of the Cross can you envision what's going on right here here in the upper room at the Last Supper Jesus gets up from his seat he takes off his outer robe he GDs himself with a towel he kneels down and becomes the lowest of servants he serves the people he washes his disciples feet when he is done drying their feet with the towel he takes the towel back off he puts His Garment back on and he goes back and sits at the table just like wo I get excited when I start thinking about this right here just like the god of Glory the creator of the universe thought it not robbery to be equal here it is right here he puts on he takes off Divinity and he puts on humanity and becomes Son of God and son of man he robes himself in flesh just like he GED the tower around him he robes himself in flesh and he becomes a ser he becomes the lowest of the low the Bible clearly states that he was not comely to look upon which means this he was not a goodlooking prince coming in on a stallion he was not some great thing to look upon where women would see him riding by and say look at that goodlook man that comely man that's not who he desired to be he wanted to be the lowest of the low he wanted to feel our infirmities he wanted to feel our pain he wanted to know suffering felt like the god the creator of the universe wanted to become the creation so he could say over 2,000 years later when you get cancer in your body or when your kidney goes bad he could say I felt those same infirmities I know what it feels like to have kidney pain H I know what it feels to have a cat of nine tails and whipping me 39 times and ripping flesh out of my body I know what it feels like to be beat upon and kicked and have my my beard ripped out of my face and a crown of thorns put upon my head oh brother Weatherly but that's not where it ended because he rose again and he took that towel he took that off and the Bible says he ascended into heaven and now he is seated where he deserves to be seated there is only one throne and Jesus Christ sits on the throne of Heaven the Throne of Glory I'm so thankful that he gave a typ in Shadow to his disciples and he said I will serve you but let me tell you that's not where it ends there's going to be glory there's going to be an eternity of a heaven uh a new Heaven and a new Earth that you can celebrate don't worry about being great down here worry about being great up there we talk about you can't take Earth and treasure with you up there the only thing we can take up there is when we have empathy for others and see a lost and dying world and we want to step in as a servant and say how can I serve you how can I bring Salvation to you uh how can I teach you how to be saved uh how can I give you a Bible study how can I deciple you that's what Jesus was trying to explain to his disciples this thing is so much more about sitting in Thrones on either side of the king this is about loving people and serving people and be the lowest of the oh my God God I believe we have a church filled in marville Tennessee of people that understand what their role is in the Kingdom uh it's not to be great it's not to have a title it's not to be promoted but it's to be the servant among us we are servant leaders God help me to lead with the spirit of a servant somebody shout yes oh I'm so thankful I'm so thankful that the Lord Of Glory loved us enough the Bible says that God shed his own blood for us the work of redemption the Garment of divinity it's taken on but it's put back I love how Matthew Henry his commentary I love what he writes it says he was God and all things were his and yet he rose from his table in glory laid aside his robe of light gted himself with our nature took upon him the form of a servant came not to be ministered to but to minister poured out his blood poured out his soul unto death and thereby prepared a labor to wash us from our sins I don't know if that excites you like it excites me but there would be no baptistry filled with water ready to receive some to be baptized and covered in the blood of Jesus and have their sins removed if they had not been for the shed blood of Jesus for a God who cared enough about his creation to say I will become one of them and I will be the lonliest servant among them all Revelations 1 and5 I'm almost finished Revelations 1 and5 says and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood I think it would be an order for us just to lift our hands and just thank him come on for the spirit of humility that our savior was a representative and an example to each one of us come on somebody why don't we just give him glory and honor we serve a king who is not afraid to Humble himself uh we serve a Lord that's not afraid to Humble himself uh we serve a God who loves us I feel the Holy Ghost in This Place I feel a spirit of humility that's just falling in this house tonight oh not me God but I want you to be glorified in everything that happens in my life stand to your feet I'm almost done verse 13 you call me master in Lord and you say well for so I am verse 14 watch this 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 you should do as I have done to you Jesus said you call me did you see this right here he said you call me master and Lord but then show us let him see verse 14 look how he turns that around if I then your Lord and Master y'all see that they start calling him Master Lord he calls himself Lord and Master because they didn't understand they thought Master means teacher they thought their teacher was watching their feet but Jesus said oh no Messiah Jesus turned it around verse 14 he said you're Lord that's a capital l that's not just the lowercase L which means you're my servants that's the capital L that means he's saying Messiah is who washed your feet not just your teacher not just your trainer not not not just not just the one that you're trying to be a disciple of he said your Messiah washed your feet if you then Lord and Master have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet for I've given you an example that you should do as I have done to you which brings me to the rest of my story last night in severville I preached on this this the same topic very similar uh we had communion I said I said men I said we have basins of water under the front pews here I said the men are going to stay here the ladies are going to go into the prayer room the ladies are going to wash feet in the prayer room the men are going to wash feet here I said if you're a guest tonight we we totally understand thank you for being here with us if if I you know if you'll wait in the lobby we'll we'll meet you we want to meet you get to know you so finally took a little while but finally all of our guests and finally went into the lobby and we felt kind of comfortable and I said I said dad you know kind of follow what Pastor did the other night I said Dad I said Dad I want to wash your feet my dad represents the Elder Generation The Generation that brought me the gospel he's my first Pastor he was my pastor when I got he baptized me got the Holy Ghost under his ministry I said said Dad I want to wash your feet and he's taking off his shoes and socks and I'm just about to kneel down y'all and walking up the aisle comes one of the guests but brother we are not just any guest just a precious man but he's homeless he and his mother his elderly mother has brought him he's probably in his probably I don't know I say elderly he's probably in his mid to late 20s early 30s and I'm about to kneel down before dad cuz that's safe and I looked and I saw Landry pressing and I was like I'm going to get Landry to wash this guy's feet because his mother brother Hammond has already told me they haven't had a shower in about 5 days been living in their truck but then something smoked my heart wait a minute I just I just T about humility and about a god of the universe coming and washing the feet of his disciples brother white I told my wife in the car when we left church I said I have never washed anybody's feet before you wouldn't believe what that looked like when he took his socks off his feet every germaphobia fear hit me when I saw his feet go into that tub listen I have never seen anything like that but I thought God if you were willing to wash a bunch of dirty Mucky muddy teenager's feet surely to God I can wash this man's feet right here I can lower myself I thought Landry don't need to wash his feet I need to wash his feet I need a l myself and I began to weep as I began to wash this man's feet I began to weep as as I thought oh my God and I could feel him Shake I can feel him shudder under the power of the Holy Ghost and I thought he's feeling something right now what I just preached I'm getting to live out right now he thanked me oh over and over after we dismissed service he kept our company and said he said thank you so much for washing my feet thank you so much and listen this is not I'm not it's nothing about me it's just about the fact that I got a real life example of what God woo of what the god of Glory who did not deserve to come to Earth and to be the lowest Among Us did not deserve to come to Earth and be mocked and ridiculed and despised and cheated I felt a Spirit come over me I thought my God I want empathy for this man right here not just to make sure that he's not sleeping in his truck tonight but to make sure he understands there's a gospel there's a way of Salvation there's a way that he doesn't have to live this life that he's living uh he doesn't have to stay here any longer he doesn't have to live in the world and be addicted to the stuff he's addicted to but I'm the only one that can bring it to him because we carry the gospel of Jesus Christ because humility was in the hand house because the spirit of humility just fell in their place I believe the Lord is going to do Great and Mighty things in his life and in his mother's life and in the life of anybody here if you will just lift up your hands at the very end and conclusion of this service and just begin to say God I don't want to be a narcissist I don't want to think of myself I want humility to conquer the narcissist lifestyle that I might be living I might not even realize it but there might be pride in my life there might be something inside of me that's getting in the way of being a witness and being a disciplemaker there might be something inside of me that's causing people to reject me and to push me away come on somebody I'm praying this prayer for myself I'm here not my brother not my sister but it's me oh God I'm standing in the need of prayer because I need you to help me God to Cast Away the things that only give me pleasure the things that only I love the things that only I desire and Lord I want your desires become my desires I want your thoughts to become my thoughts I want your ways to become my ways God I want you to be the very first and foremost thought of my life come on and love him in this place I feel the Holy Ghost in his place come on the Messiah the Son of God was willing to get down upon his knees uh and wash feet God uh help us to love one another unconditionally Let There Be AG goe love oh God love that has no conditions that we would love our brothers our sisters I give myself to you people I give myself to you holy everything about myself I want to serve you ah come on come on just for a few more minutes can we lift our voices just for a few more minutes H we don't have to pray for one another we're going to pray for ourselves we we need prayer tonight every person in this house uh come on this is the society we live in we're living in a society that tells you uh you have every right to be happy you have every right to please yourself you have every oh sh up I don't want to be that kind of man I want to be a servant I want to be a servant yes yes yes yes yes come on I feel your passion tonight I feel you've received what I've communicated tonight I feel the passionate prayers of the saints of God oh God Not Me Oh Lord not my will less of me and more of you is what I desire yes yes yes yes sh come on I want to serve my wife like I've never served her before I want to serve my children like I've never served my children before God help me Lord I put them first in everything that I do God let every thought that I have Lord God begin with them oh God come on it's my job as a as a priest of my home it's my job to make sure my family makes it to Heaven God I want to serve them as priest of the people in my home Lord God I want to make sure that I serve them you're my brother you're my sister so take me by the hand together we will work until he comes there's no F that can defeat us as a standing side by side oh as long as there is love we will stand you're my brother you're my sister so take me by the hand together we will work until he comes oh there's no fall that can defeat us as we're walking side by side as long as there is love we will stand you're my brother you're my sister so take me by the head oh together we will work until he come come on let me hear three Harmony choir there's no f as we're walking as long as there is love come a little bit louder we will stay a little bit louder saying you're my brother you're so take me together we will will work until he comes until he comes there's no f as we're walking as long as there is one more time we will stand one more time you're my brother you're my sister so take me by the together going to love one another with humility oh there's no F that can defeat us as we're walk inside as long as there is a we will stay why you find four or five people and hug their necks on the way out tonight God bless you love you all come on marriage Retreat Friday night if you're going to marriage Retreat starts at 8:00 however the buffet the food opens at 7:30 you might want to get a bit early Friday night it's a 70s theme you best be dressing like 70s going to have a good time God bless you in Jesus name the rest of you will see us Sunday morning at 10:00