The “Power” Series
#5
“OUT OF STEP WITH THE WORLD”
TEXTS: Ex.
3:1-6; Jn. 13:1-17; Deut. 29:5; 3:4; Eph.
6:15
INTRO: Your feet
are marvels of God's creation! They
each contain 26 bones, almost ¼ of the total bones in your body! (52 bones from both feet out of 206 total
ones in your body!) Each foot
has 19 muscles and 107 ligaments ... and the average person will put about
65,000 miles on these wonders of the body ... a little better than the best
radial tires!
Your
feet are important to the health of your body! We all know that walking is healthy for
you physically ... to say the least "walking with God" in the spiritual sense
does the same for your SOUL!
Those
who do not walk risk losing the use of their feet ... in the extreme one can
lose the ability to walk ... as well as damaging cardiac capabilities and
jeopardizing the rest of the body's
health!
Feet
represent the activity of the body, the actual mileage of life ... spiritually
speaking this means our contact with God and with the world. How are we
walking?
ILLUS: The Christian
walk is much like riding a bicycle; we are either moving forward or falling
off. -- Robert
Tuttle, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 3.
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches
us that it is important to not only be in contact with God ... but have our walk
be righteous in the world! The
spiritual health of a body of believers is directly connected with the exercise
of their walk!
I. CONTACT!
Ex. 3:1-6
A.
Extraordinary! Ex.
3:1-4
1.
Moses encounters an extraordinary sight one day going about a regular
day’s routine in the desert!
a.
Moses had been doing the same thing for the past 40 years ... day in, day
out!
b.
His routine was quite ordinary and boring ... so after 40 years, any
diversion out of the ordinary would likely catch his
attention!
ILLUS: If there are a
thousand steps between us and God, he will take all but one. He will leave the final one for us. The choice is ours. -- Max Lucado, Leadership, Vol. 17, no.
2.
2.
Moses notices a bush ... an
ordinary bush doing an extraordinary
thing!
a. This is ministry ... ordinary people
doing extraordinary things for
God!
b.
God took two common sights in the desert to catch Moses' attention by
adding a twist to them: A bush on fire was not strange in the
desert ... but one that was still green and not burning up in the flames was
certainly different!
3.
It is kind of interesting that we see
here another bush being used in Moses'
life...
a. As a baby his life was saved by being in the
bulrushes in a basket!
b. As
a man his call was given by being drawn
to a bush on fire ... but one that was not
consumed!
4.
The message here is simple: Jesus seemed to be an ordinary man to many
... He was a man in history, but He is also God, something that is unique in the
desert of humanity!
a.
God sent Christ to grab our attention ... to make us see that He was
different; even though He appeared to look the same physically as other
men!
b. CONTACT is
first made by God!
c.
Even as God makes contact with Moses by this extraordinary sight He is
trying today through Christ to make contact with
man!
B.
Expectation Ex.
3:5-6
1.
Moses' expectations were for the bush to burn ... until suddenly a
voice comes from a bush that is not consumed by the
fire!
a. This was not part of Moses
expectation!
b.
God now had Moses' attention … now that initial contact is made; God
clears the way for closer contact!
2.
At first God's request seems strange: "DON'T COME ANY
CLOSER...!"
a. If God made such an effort to get Moses'
attention then why this sudden request to keep his
distance?
b.
There was some barrier on Moses that needed removing
first!
3.
God continues: "TAKE OFF YOUR
SANDALS"...
a.
There must not be any manmade barriers in our relationship with
almighty God!
b. God desires direct contact with us as
people – Moses' sandals insulated him from direct contact with “Holy
ground” … God wanted direct contact with Moses, nothing between
them!
c.
God's expectations of Moses are that he comes as he is ... nothing to
insulate their relationship ... no man made
barriers!
4.
This is evident from the original Hebrew which could be
translated, "STOP COMING AS YOU ARE DOING"... meaning
with the sandals on his feet because he might have thought he was coming to an
ordinary bush - but God had made it
extraordinary!
5.
This was NOW “Holy
Ground” ... not because there was something special about the dirt or
territory, but because God was present there to speak to
Moses!
a.
The Midianites held that mountains were sacred places ... even bushes and
trees might be.
b.
But Moses clearly understands that this was unusual ... and holy for the
moment because God is there with Him!
(1.
Church buildings are not sacred in themselves; they are simply
"buildings" ... they become sacred when they are used as places for us to meet
with God and hear from Him.
(2.
In this sense "any place" can be "holy ground." We just need to be in His presence,
listening to Him!
c.
Another possible meaning: Slaves always appeared before their
masters barefoot ... which demonstrated a sign of respect, Moses therefore is
being asked to honor this tradition of submission to the greatest Master, God
Himself! Moses is the servant, God
is the master.
6.
The next statement rejects the Midianite connection ... God reveals
Himself to Moses as the same God of his fathers ... not some local god of the
Midianites!
7.
The ordinary shepherd was about to have an extraordinary change in his
life!
ILLUS: A folklore
surrounding
In our life we need to
understand that the MASTER is leaning over saying, "DON'T QUIT ... KEEP PLAYING!" ...
extraordinary things happen through ordinary people with the right master! EXPECT IT! – Source
Unknown
II. CLEANSING! Jn.
13:1-17
A.
Extraordinary Jn.
13:1-11
1. In
another example involving feet ... we find a similar pattern, Christ is trying
to show His disciples the servanthood
principle!
2.
Jesus the master does the extraordinary ... He becomes the servant and washes His
disciples’ feet!
3.
This unusual sight initially confused the disciples ... they
didn't understand what in the world Jesus was
doing!
a. It
was not the Master's place to wash the servant's feet ... after all they were
His disciples!
b. If
anyone should be washing feet it would be them, or some ordinary servant of the
home!
4. Jesus realized
they wouldn't understand at the moment this extraordinary event ... but He
planned on them understanding it
later!
a. In
fact, by it being recorded it indicates that Jesus hoped WE would also
understand its message!
b.
The message isn't just servanthood ... it is SERVICE
ITSELF!
c. JESUS EVEN WASHED JUDAS' feet ...
His enemy and betrayer! There is no
discernable distinction from their perspective between the service rendered them
and the service given Judas!
5.
The point: We ARE HERE TO
SERVE ... NOT TO BE SERVED; TO EVEN GIVE THE LOWLIEST SERVICE IS A
MUST!
ILLUS: Most of us are
good at ministering during a crisis ... like the pastor of First Christian
Church in
6.
What are we here for? ... TO HAVE A BIG PLATE OF GOODIES SERVED TO US ALL
THE TIME ... OR TO BE FED FOR MINISTRY TO
OTHERS?
B.
Expectations Jn.
13:12-17
1.
When Jesus finished washing their feet and returned to HIS PLACE He gave
them His expectations!
a.
They were simple: "Go and do
likewise" ... in other words, “SERVE!”
b.
Jesus however adds a comment of importance: "NO ONE IS ABOVE
HIS MASTER ... IT IS ENOUGH IF HE IS LIKE
HIM!"
c.
What's the point: Jesus served Judas the betrayer as well as the other
eleven disciples; therefore, we are to serve all we come into contact
with ... not just the ones who respond positively to us, or the ones we
like!
2.
The point is obvious: To be
willing to serve some but not others puts us in a class ABOVE THE MASTER ... we
are saying in essence: WE ARE BETTER!
3.
Therefore Christ's expectations are clear: WE ARE TO SERVE
ALL!
a. This separates us from the business
world: If someone is not
producing, the business world says, "IF IT IS NOT PROFITABLE … LEAVE THEM
ALONE."
b.
In business we put our money where we get the best return ... in God's
Kingdom we sometimes do crazy things that don't make much business
sense!
c.
Our investment is not money ... it is us ... for
all!
4.
Jesus adds however a note of incentive: "YOU WILL BE
BLESSED (HAPPY) IF YOU DO
THIS!"
ILLUS: Most people
think giving our all is like laying on a table a $1,000 bill saying, "HERE'S MY
LIFE LORD ... I'M GIVING IT ALL."
But in reality it is more like taking that $1,000 bill and changing it
into dimes and quarters and putting it here and there, bit by bit over a great
deal of time. Many people want to
give their life for Christ ... BUT ASK FOR SOMEONE TO VISIT A SHUT-IN, or SPEND
SOME
TIME WITH A KID IN TROUBLE, etc. and see what happens! USUALLY, giving our life to Christ isn't all
that glorious ... it's done in the dimes and quarters experiences ... instead of
a flash of glory in a moment; it is the fullness of God's love over a
lifetime! --
Source Unknown
5. We
are called to "WASH" other people’s feet ... to minister to them in their walk
in life no matter how they respond!
III. COVERED! Deut. 29:5; 8:4 Eph.
6:15
A.
Extraordinary Deut. 29:5; Eph.
6:15
1. God promised and fulfilled an
extraordinary thing for
2. Yet, this
extraordinary promise of God would only happen if they followed through on an
ordinary thing: 40 YEARS OF WALKING ... AND IN RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD!
a. We all want
the EXTRAORDINARY EVENT … what about the ordinary walk?
ILLUS: Most Hindus
have a desire to visit the city of
b. The miracles didn't seem to faze
c.
Yet the profound nature of these miracles was in its ordinary
context! God was providing "basics"
each day, but supernaturally!
3.
This is the call to ministry ... to minister in all the ordinary ways,
one day at a time, and trust that God will do extraordinary things that we will
recognize when we look back on all that
time!
4.
God promised to keep their walk covered; their shoes will never wear out ... as
long as they walked!
a.
The sandals would prevent the earth from hurting and soiling their
feet.
b.
Christ's salvation will keep our walk from being soiled by this world
also!
c.
But we need to slip on God's covering for our feet as we walk through
this life toward the promise land!
5.
Even Paul talked about "standing our ground" by putting on the armor of
God, which included protecting our feet! ... "and with your
feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."
(Eph.
6:15)
B.
Expectation Deut.
8:4
1.
Notice that their feet did not swell during the trip! "Your clothes did
not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years."
Deut.
8:4
2.
The promise then was better than just "SHOES" that didn't wear out ...
they were even comfortable and God protected their walk and journey from
damaging their feet!
a.
So often we are afraid ministry might hurt us ... the truth is just
the opposite!
b.
God knows how to keep our feet from swelling from the journey
too!
ILLUS: God's Word
often refers to the Christian experience as a walk, seldom as a run, and never
as a mad dash.
-- Steven J. Cole, Leadership, Vol. 8, no.
4.
3.
The miraculous quality of the shoes is attested to at this point ... not
just the longevity of them!
4.
Dr. SCHOLL's and Florsheim can't come close ... the Gospel is still the
best fit in town - and the universe!
CONCLUSION: To get from