Taking the Towel

I served for two years on the staff of Appalachian Bible College. The motto of ABC is because life is for service. And that is carried out in many different ways, visible ways across the campus and throughout the ministry of the school. But it is highlighted at every graduation exercise. As every graduate prepares to leave the auditorium, there is a special ceremony that takes place. The ceremony of the towel where a hand towel is placed over the arm of every graduate. Now that symbolic gesture comes straight out of John chapter 13 and the example of our Lord who took up the towel, the basin and the towel to wash his disciples feet. So I invite your attention to John 13 this morning. We last saw Jesus in John chapter 12 when it was Monday of Passion Week of the week when he would die on the cross. Jesus was in the temple when some Greeks asked to see him and that motivated him to talk about his impending death. Now in the record that John gives us the next event jumps forward to Thursday evening and the observance of the Passover meal by Christ and his disciples in the upper room. And with that change in scene, the whole pinner of the book changes. Through the first 12 chapters of this book, we have seen that the thrust is really evangelism. The thrust is John presenting Jesus as the Lamb of God, as the Messiah, as the Savior, and there is great debate among the religious leaders as to whether or not they will receive him and they don't. And so there are common appeals for people to come to no Christ, to believe in him and miracles are given to show that he is God's Son, the Messiah, and he came to be our Savior. That's the thrust of the first 12 chapters. But now the evening before his death, Jesus gathers in an upper room with 12 disciples and the focus changes. The focus changes from the crowds, from those who do not know Jesus and from the appeal for them to come to know him. The focus changes to instruction of his disciples, his followers, comfort and encouragement for his followers. John gives us more than any other gospel of what Jesus said in the upper room that night to comfort and instruct and encourage his disciples. That instruction begins with this gripping example that Jesus will act out before his disciples and then press home the instruction of what it means to be a servant. As Jesus rises from the meal and washes his disciples feet. Jesus example is full of lessons for us about servanthood. It is full of lessons about what it means to be a servant ourselves. Jesus himself models it. He gives us the example and then he instructs us as to what that example is intended to teach us. So as we look at the servant, the model, the example, Jesus, let us learn what we are to be as servants of our Lord as well and servants of one another. The first thing we need to see, in the first thing in the picture that John paints for us in this upper room scene, is the heart of the servant. In the first four verses we find the first three verses, we find the heart of the servant. And we notice at the very beginning that it is a peaceful heart. Notice verse one of John 13, it was just before the Passover festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Jesus knew what lay ahead. And what lay ahead, I remind you that what lay ahead for Jesus within twelve to fifteen hours, He will be experiencing the brutality of the Roman Empire in the worst form of execution, the most horrible form of torture, known to mankind in that day, the cross. Jesus knows that's coming. Jesus knows exactly what is ahead, His suffering that will lead up to His death and that horrible suffering of the cross. But He also knows that that is in the will of the Father. This is the hour appointed by the Father that He's talked about six times already in this gospel. Five times He has said, my hour is not yet come. Last week we saw the hour has come and now He's reminded again that the hour has come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. He knows that it is in the Father's purpose and plan and will. And so even though He is going to suffer incredible torture and pain on the cross and even more spiritual pain with separation from His Father, you don't see Jesus watching the clock nervously in the upper room. You don't see Jesus brow wrinkled with anxiety about what's going to happen. You don't see His eyes darting from side to side trying to find a way of escape. You find His heart purposefully and peacefully pursuing the Father's will, knowing the hour has come, knowing what God wants Him to do. His heart is fully at peace. Yes, in a few hours He will go through intense personal agony in the garden. But underneath that raging turmoil lie the calm waters of a strong faith and confidence in our God and His purpose and His plan. Jesus knows exactly why He has come. And I tell you my friend, we can have the same peace when there is turmoil all around us as well. If we know the same God, our Father, and if we know Jesus as our Savior, then we can have the same peace in the midst of turmoil, in the midst of terrible circumstances. We can call upon Him knowing that it is in the Father's plan and purpose and that we are in His hands. We can claim the same peaceful heart that Jesus had. The heart of the servant, the model servant of God is a peaceful heart, but it's also a loving heart. Notice the end of verse one. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. He has already shown them His love, having loved them. He has shown His love for them throughout His ministry, in His patience with them, His teaching of them, His giving to them. Jesus has loved His disciples up to this moment and He will not stop now to the very end. He will show the full extent of His love. His love will be demonstrated in this act of servanthood, in that evening in the upper room. And His love will then be extended and shown at the cross the next day, in that ultimate act of sacrifice and giving His life for the sins of the world. Jesus will demonstrate His love. Having loved up to that point, He will continue to demonstrate His love. He will show His love in that ultimate sacrifice on the cross. It is out of that relationship of love that Jesus gives sacrificially and goes to the cross because He loves us and the Father loves us. Story is told of Zar Nicholas, the first. Nicholas, the first was the Zar of Russia in from 1825 to 1855. He had a dear friend who had a son that Nicholas gave a job to in the government. If you're a Zar, you can do that. And he gave him a position in the military where he had him take a position of oversight financially of a particular fortress close to the capital, close to the palace, where Zar Nicholas lived. This young man proved himself to be very capable and did a wonderful job at first, but he had a weakness and that weakness was gambling. And before long, little by little, he had gambled away all that he had and he started dipping into treasury that he was entrusted with, that he was to be the steward of under Zar Nicholas the first. Rubel by Rubel, he began to gamble all of that away. Suddenly one day he heard that there would be an audit of the books the next day. He pulled out all the ledgers from the safe and spread them on a table and it was only then that it became apparent to him the amount that he had gambled away. He was in incredible debt to the Zar and to the government, to the military of Russia. And so he wrote a note as he looked at those books, such a great debt who can pay. And he decided before suffering the humiliation of letting down his family and the Zar who had given him this job, he would take his own life, pulled out his resolve revolver and set it beside him there on the table. He was going to wait until midnight when most everyone else in the fort would be asleep and then he was going to carry out that plan. But it was a hot, sultry evening. We found him his eyes growing heavy and before long he had fallen asleep there at that table. Now, Zar, Nicholas I, was in the habit of at times dressing up in uniform and surprising military folks, maybe a regiment of soldiers or a fort or maybe a group of officers that were meeting and he would just walk in so he could really ascertain really what is going on. This night he was going to come unannounced to this fortress and as he approached the gate, he noticed a light on, only one light on, in an upstairs room. He decided to check that out and see what it was about. He went to the door, knocked, no answer, tried to latch, it was open so he walked in and he immediately recognized the young man that was the son of his dear friend. He called his name but there was no response and then he realized he was asleep so he walked over to see what he was doing at the desk and he noticed all the ledgers spread out and then his eyes fell upon the note, such a great debt, who can pay? And he realized what had happened. He realized this young man must have been stealing money from the treasury. He noticed the revolver quickly ascertained what was going to happen. His immediate response was he wanted to wake the young man and arrest him but because all of us had in the deep love and remembrance of his connection with the family and his friend overwhelmed him. He decided not to do that. He picked up the pen that was still lying on the table and wrote one word by that question, such a great debt, who can pay and then he walked out of the room. A short time later the young man woke up, looked at his watch, realized it was past midnight and so he reached for his revolver and his eyes fell on the question of paper where he had written the questions, such a great debt, who can pay? And he noticed a word beside it, just one word, Nicholas. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Had Nicholas come while he was asleep? Did he know everything he had done? Was his plot discovered? Was his pilfering of the the treasury now knowledge? He rushed to the safe and pulled out other official documents and compared the signatures and sure enough, this was Nicholas' signature. No question. It was genuine. He had been forgiven of all of his debt. That young man would go on to serve admirably the Tsar who had put his life on the line to spare this young man, the consequences of his own sin. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. My friend Jesus loves you so much. It is out of that love and relationship that he came to give his life and was willing to love you to the very end where he would be willing to sacrifice his life on the cross so that your debt might be paid, your sin debt that you could not ever hope to pay God. Christ paid it for you. He loved you to the end and he loved in an act of sacrifice which took him to the cross. We see him that evening in the upper room just hours before torture and death and he shows a peaceful heart and a loving heart loving us to the point that he would go all the way to the cross to die for us. But this heart of the model servant is not only a peaceful heart and a loving heart. It is also a confident heart. We see it in verses two and three. The evening meal was in progress and the devil had already prompted Judas the son of Simon his chariot to betray Jesus. And notice this, Jesus knew. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God. There is a sense here of confidence. Jesus knows who he is. He is the son of the Father. He knows what his purpose is. He has been sent to this world to die for our sins. He knows that hour is approaching. He knows that it is all in his control. He will not be dragged to his death kicking and screaming. He will go willingly, voluntarily in the plan of God in complete control of all of the circumstances that are taking place. Jesus marches toward the cross in complete control of the events fulfilling the Father's plan of salvation. That's how Jesus approaches this great act of servanthood and great act of sacrifice. There is no contradiction between a servant humble spirit and a confident assurance of who God has made you to be, who you are and what he wants you to do in this world. We can move forward with confidence knowing God's purpose and plan even as we humbly serve one another. We can still mold in our own hearts and lives by God's grace, the confidence that will allow us to go forward and serve each other in the way he would want us to. A servant has a confident heart. Jesus demonstrates that here. The heart of the servant as he approaches his death is so apparent. But John continues with the story. What does Jesus do to demonstrate that servanthood? It's a familiar story. But I want us to pause for a few moments to consider the actions of the servant. What is it that Jesus did? And what does that mean to us? What does it teach us? I would remind you of the setting in verses 4 through 11. Jesus is in the upper room. This is a formal meal. It's the Passover meal. And so it is an official function of a formal meal and at formal meals it was Jewish custom as we've talked about before not to sit at a table in a chair but to recline at a low table which was just a few inches off the floor. And you would recline on your left side with your left elbow on the floor and your left hand holding your head up your feet extended away from the table and getting the food from the table with your right hand. That is the posture that we find Jesus and the disciples in in the upper room. But as the meal begins Jesus arises from that, walks over to the door where there is a basin and a towel and a water jar. Jesus empties the jar from the water into the basin, takes the towel, takes off his outer garments and wraps this long towel which would almost reach his feet around his waist, walks over with that basin of water to his disciples and begins to wash their feet and wipe their feet with that towel. What does that mean? What is he doing? What is he teaching us? Verses 4 and 5 indicate that this action of the servant was symbolic of his mission. Notice how the description is of what he does. So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. That very action of our Lord and washing his disciples feet was symbolic of his entire mission. He is in a sense symbolizing here with his own actions what he has come to do in dying for our sins. He rises from the table, fellowship with his disciples just as he had risen from fellowship with his father and the Holy Spirit in heaven. He lays aside his garment just as he would lay aside the outward expression of his glory and take that deep step from heaven's glory down to earth. He would robe himself with a towel just as he would robe himself with our human flesh, take on the form of a man and become a servant. He would pour water on this night into a basin just as he would pour out his blood for our sins. And with that water he would wash the disciples feet just as he washes and cleanses us with his blood. This action of the servant is symbolic of his entire mission. It's a beautiful picture of why he left heaven and came to this earth to take the form of a servant and die for us. It is beautifully described by Paul in that wonderful letter to the Philippians and Philippians chapter 2. Paul says in your relationships speaking to the Philippians with one another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus who being in very nature God there he is in glory the right hand of the father with the spirit of God enjoying complete perfect fellowship who being in the form of God in the nature in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage or something to be grasped and held on to at all costs. Rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant wrapping himself up in a human body it says being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself. He pours the water into the basin takes the servants tile he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross Jesus was symbolically acting out the whole drama of eternity and of this tree that Jesus would leave heaven's glory wrap himself with our human flesh and humble himself to pour out his blood for our sins and to become our savior this action of the servant was symbolic of his mission but as the story proceeds the action of the servant is also symbolic of our cleansing look at verse six he came to Simon Peter who said to him Lord are you going to wash my feet I think there was a mixture maybe of humility of shame and of boldness to instruct Jesus in those words if I understand the setting here correctly and I think this is the correct understanding from piecing together other passages of scripture Luke 22 tells us that on the way to the upper room and as they were starting the meal the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest so the meal begins with them debating over who will be secretary of state who will be secretary of defense who's going to be the the best the right and left in the cabinet who's going to have the most prominent position in the kingdom they're arguing about that as they sit down to eat and Jesus without uttering a word without saying what he's doing without telling them now wait to say I'm going to show you how humble I am or I'm going to show you what it means to serve because if you announce it it is not true humility without saying a word Jesus just gets up from where he is and walks to the door pours the water in the basin takes the towel comes back and begins to wash his disciples feet if I understand what's happening in the upper room accurately I believe everyone was stunned into silence the disciples don't know what to say I think they are immediately shamed here they are in the middle of a discussion about who's going to be the greatest and Jesus walks over to do something that none of them thought to do there was not the provision in this arrangement in the upper room for a household servant to wash their feet when they came in and obviously none of them are going to do that job that lowly menial task after all if I do that I'm a ruin my resume for being secretary of defense we're debating who's the greatest not who's the least and as they watch Jesus do the task that in Jewish tradition not even a Jewish servant was allowed to do in a household as they watch him do that they are stunned into silence shamed into silence except for one Peter rarely has trouble saying something and so it is Peter who speaks when Jesus comes toward him in a mixture I think of that shame and maybe even the boldness to tell Jesus what he will and will not do Lord are you going to wash my feet and I'm sure he's looking at those big 13 D's you're going to wash my feet Jesus replied verse 7 you do not realize now what I am doing but later you will understand it's obvious from what Peter says next he doesn't understand what Jesus is doing because Peter says no verse 8 no said Peter you shall never wash my feet it is in the strongest terminology that they're going to possibly be here Peter is actually saying Lord you will never wash my feet never in any eternity will you wash my feet Jesus answered unless I wash you you have no part with me there's something about that that fellowship with Christ that being a partner with him that Jesus says is at jeopardy here if you do not allow me to wash you and Peter jumps on that now he sticks his 13 D in his mouth and he says verse 9 then Lord Peter replied not just my feet but my hands and my head as well if washing my feet means that I have some part with you then let's go all in let's do the the head the feet the hands everything let's just wash me all over and Jesus makes his point with what he's doing verse 10 Jesus answered those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet their whole body is clean and you are clean though not every one of you which indicates Jesus is talking symbolically here he's talking about spiritual cleansing not just washing feet and bathing the body he's talking about a spiritual application to that because as he looks around the room he knows that one of them has not had that bath of regeneration one of them is not saved verse 11 tells us for he knew who was going to betray him and that was why he said not everyone is clean so let's back up a moment what is Jesus' point what is he teaching us what is it that he's saying to Peter you don't understand yet but you will understand what is that he will instruct his disciples in it's more than just servanthood here he is he is giving us a symbolic picture of our cleansing and the difference between a bath and the washing of the feet there is a great difference here even different terms used for it and the lesson the distinction that is drawn is supposed to teach us a lesson now go back to the actual scene when people went to an official banquet or a meal like that at another location they would always bathe before they went that was when you took a bath people didn't bathe this frequently then as we do now or as maybe some of us wish you did now people people didn't bathe this frequently then but on special occasions they would bathe and they would put on oils that would serve as perfumes and refresh them and so on occasion like this they would have taken a bath they would have bathed before they come but as you walk to the location where this meal is going to be most of the streets being dusty and dirty wearing sandals you would get dirt on your feet so when you would arrive there would be this provision at the door for a servant to take that basin and towel and wash the dirt off your feet you don't need another bath you've just had a bath you're fully cleaned that way all you need is the dirt off your feet and Jesus obviously speaking symbolically is driving home a spiritual lesson there's a difference between getting a bath and washing your feet when they get dirty and the differences this when you get saved when you trust Christ as your Savior you get a spiritual bath it's called the washing of regeneration by Paul in the book of Titus look at these verses and how he describes it so beautifully Titus 3 at one time he says we too were foolish disobedient deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures we live in malice and envy being hated and hating one another that's a description of an unsaved lifestyle okay life before Christ notice the next state but here's where it turns but when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared he saved us not because of righteous things we had done but because of his mercy he saved us through here it is the washing of rebirth of regeneration the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit which are one and the same the Holy Spirit regenerates us gives us new life saves us at the moment we trust Christ so he says whom he poured out the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior so that having been justified by his grace that's at the moment of salvation we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life so there's that that bath that complete washing of rebirth of salvation regeneration when you trust Christ is your Savior you get that cleansing that takes away all of your sin we are washed from our sin by the blood of Christ Revelation one five tells us but we all know that as we walk through this world we have a tendency to pick up some of the stain and dirt of sin on our feet we don't always do what we're supposed to do we don't always say and think and have the right attitudes and we sin Jesus likens that to the dirt that accumulates on our feet as we walk through this world and when that happens when you as a believer a bloodbought washed child of God get dirt on your feet you don't need another bath you don't need to get saved again and again and again what you need is simply to have your feet washed from the stain and the dirt you've picked up along the way and that's done through confession first John chapter one and verse nine if we confess our sins notice he's talking to believers if we John will address him as little children if we believers confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness so what do you need when you sin as a believer you need another bath no you just need to have your feet cleansed you just need to have the specific area that's gotten dirty addressed and it's addressed by confession of your sin confession means literally to say the same thing you agree with God about your sin you recognize that what the Bible has said about you is true it is right you've sinned you've said done something that was wrong you confess it to him and he cleanses you and maybe that's what you need today maybe my friend you've come to church you know you're saved you know you've trusted Christ you've been regenerated you've been born again you've had that bath but you've picked up some dirt along the way and you know that right now you're not living for the Lord there are attitudes there are sinful actions in your life there are directions of your life that you know are not pleasing to him and you've picked up some dirt on your feet friend you need to come back to the Lord simply confess to him what you've done said thought wrong and he will forgive you he will wash your feet and you will be back in close fellowship with him so this act of the servant is symbolic of our cleansing but then Jesus goes beyond just the action to the instruction now he's going to instruct his disciples about what he just did so now we see the challenge of the servant Jesus challenges his disciples and us as well as he applies what they have just seen to their own lives first there's a challenge to our pride first 12 when he had finished washing their feet he put on his clothes and returned to his place do you understand what I have done for you he asked them you call me teacher and Lord and rightly so for that is what I am now that I your Lord and teacher have washed your feet you also should wash one another's feet first of all this is a challenge a blow to their pride and to ours Jesus asks them this probing question do you understand what I've done for you by now they're getting it at least they know this much all their debate about who is the greatest is seen to be a shameful prideful arrogant sin if I Jesus says your Lord and teacher that's what you call me right and rightly so because I am your teacher and I am your Lord if I have done this for you then you should do it for each other what a blow to their pride what he's saying is rather than competing with each other about who's the greatest start serving one another start washing one another's feet if if the one who is unquestionably the greatest among you has done that for you has taken the place of a servant then you should do that for others and the challenges first of all to our pride to stop competing to stop thinking we have so much to offer to stop thinking that I'm the greatest I'm the best I should be on the right I should be on the left of our Lord right next to him just barely under him let's stop thinking of ourselves as lords and masters and start thinking of ourselves as servants that is a blow to our pride but it is a blow we need when William Booth started the Salvation Army in 1878 there were many who were attracted to that effort to really serve the practical needs of people and one of those was a Methodist pastor in the United States by the name of Samuel Logan Bringle he left a large Methodist church in the States to go over and help in the work of the Salvation Army he had always dreamed of rising to the top of his denomination maybe being a bishop or a high church official but he decided he would go check this out and when he got there Booth recognized a spirit of pride in this man's life and he said to him you've been your boss for too long you've been your own boss for way too long he said here's what I want you to do is you go through the training I want you every night to clean the shoes of your fellow trainees and Bringle said at first he resisted that did I come all the way across the Atlantic to offer the services I have and the abilities I have to wash people shoes at night black their boots at night and then as he sat in his room that evening he remembered this story in John 13 and he fell on his knees before God and said oh God if your son and my Savior can wash their feet surely I can wash their boots it changed his life changed his whole demeanor and perspective some of us need a real shot to the pride that exists in our heart in our minds Jesus gives a challenge to our pride but he also gives a challenge to our practice notice it verse 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you very truly I tell you no servant is greater than his master nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do them notice the emphasis on doing Jesus did not say you will be blessed if you learn this so just just learn the lesson I'm teaching you you didn't say that certainly it's a lesson that's worth learning but if that's where we stop we haven't done what Jesus wanted us to do Jesus did not say this is something I want you to go home and think about meditate on this no he said you will receive God's blessing if you do this if you're willing to do the dirty work of a servant then you will have the blessing of God on your life you see it's one thing to understand it learn it think about it meditate it pray about it it's another whole thing to do it getting involved in people's lives is dirty work people get messed up we all do and so to really get involved in people's lives is more than just praying it's more than just learning it's more than just understanding it is getting your hands dirty to do what needs to be done to serve people and to help people washing their feet it is considering that no one is lower than me and I am not above anyone else so that the most menial task of a servant I should be willing to do not just think about talk about pray about discuss but do I'm going to show you this morning on the screen our new logo I trust that you've gotten familiar with it by now and I left my pointer down there but you can see it upper left hand corner Johnson Chapel Baptist Church exists to upper right hand corner develop followers of Christ who love him symbolized by the heart lower right hand corner going clockwise who grow in him symbolized by the tree and then in the last quadrant who serve him symbolized with this gripping biblical symbol of servanthood the most accurate the most visible symbol of servanthood in the Bible the basin and the towel Jesus takes up the basin and the towel and serves does the job of a menial servant but this is the serving side of things this is the going and doing side of things there is a place for the heart to be cultivated and developed and challenged in services like this there is a place for worshipping our Lord with all of our hearts it's an important part of our purpose at Johnson Chapel and there's a place for gathering together with other believers in an ABF or a small group or in some Bible study where you're growing in the study of the word and in relationship and the one and others with each other but if we stop there we've missed it we've missed what Jesus told us to do and we are to serve one another we're to get our hands dirty and meeting each other's needs we're to go build what our neighbor needs built we're to go clean what our neighbor needs cleaned we are to go help counsel them through the darkest days of their lives and situations of despair we're to get in with folks get our hands dirty and do the work of serving the needs of others and so I ask you have you completed the strategy or are you stuck in church service mode or even in Bible study mode and you've never moved to the serving mode this is where we go to Papua New Guinea this is where we go to France this is where we go across the street this is where we go to our neighbor to our fellow believer in Christ and we take a meal and we serve and we hurt with them and we literally help them that's what Jesus said to do not just think about pray about agree with do it do it he said you will only be blessed in your life if you do it so I want to ask you this morning very practically are you serving anybody are you serving your spouse are you serving your parents are you serving your children are you serving your neighbor are you serving that fellow believer in the body of Christ are you serving an unbeliever maybe even one who has harmed you who would betray you Judas is still in the room when this happens Jesus washed his feet too who are you serving what are you doing don't just sit and listen and hope you'll grow and be blessed you will only be blessed Jesus says if you carry it all the way to the end put what you hear what you learn what you pray about into shoe leather and do something to serve our Lord so let me ask you this morning three questions first of all have you let Jesus cleanse you fully have you ever come to him for the the bath for the for the washing of salvation where your sins are forgiven and you are justified in the sight of God declared righteous in the courtroom of heaven you're saved your sins are forgiven and you're going to have it have you ever trusted Christ for your salvation in other words have you ever let him bathe you cleanse you fully if you haven't I hope you'll do that today but maybe you've made that step of faith in Christ but as you seriously examine your life you realize you got some dirt on your feet you're not where you should be as a believer you're not living like you should be you know that you need to come back to Jesus for the cleansing of the feet to get the dirt and stain off to walk with him once again will you let him wash your feet will you do that today but then take it a step further Jesus has handed us the towel and the basin and so will you take the towel from him and serve others let's pray Father I pray that your spirit would search our hearts today help us to see first of all whether or not we've ever trusted Jesus as our Savior and had the bath of rebirth of salvation of regeneration if not Lord I pray that this would be the day when that would be done by our someone who's never come to Christ in faith in Lord I pray that for those of us who have come to Christ in faith and we know Jesus as our Savior that will take a good hard look at our lives and see where the stains and the dirt spots are and allow you to wash us with the water of the word confessing our sin and being restored to fellowship with you and then Father help us to take it a step further help us to take up the basin the towel to go serve someone else to go minister to someone's need help us to be on the lookout rather than thinking about what our standing is in the church or in your kingdom or how other people see us or how we rate Lord deliver us from those kind of debates and arrogant presumptions and help us just to get busy serving each other we ask in Jesus name amen