 Good afternoon, Pastor David. Hey, John. Welcome everybody to a random moment with Pastor David unfiltered and thank you guys for tuning in with us Pastor today. I want to talk about something that I wanted to ask you about to see is this something that has been progressing over the years as you've been ministering leading the church for I mean Bible studies and everything close to 50 years right all together in and and something that even being a part of ministry is I see is division in the church and wanted to get your feedback on on On division that there's gossip there the list is long But you know I'm reading in John chapter 13 when Jesus is gonna wash his disciples feet What he does it says he removes his garment and then he gets the he guards himself and with the talent He begins to wash his disciples feet. I'm thinking about the disciples I'm thinking there's a zealot there a tax collector One that's going to betray one that openly speaks out at different personalities different things going on but yet Jesus loved them so much that he did this act of service for them and I've seen that instead of washing people's feet within the church not on a physical thing because I don't know if I wash anybody's feet But we do a good job of cutting off people's feet and I wanted to ask you is this something within the church that has Progressed or has it always been there? Well, it obviously has been there from the beginning because you see it in John 13. I mean So it's been there from the beginning Jesus needed to teach the Apostles what it means to be his follower and Within the confines of those who profess to know Christ to love him and all of that There will always be people of the sorts that are mentioned amongst the apostles a variety of men including a betrayer Because within the confines of those who profess to be followers of Christ There have always been those who are more like Judas than anybody else you know when Jesus wants to teach them the lesson of Servanthood and of unity that which is going to bring them together He doesn't speak to them about that which is the greatest thing in terms of like Sitting on his right hand or on his left as James and John so vociferously requested through their mom But he says that the greatest image of the one who is his follower will be the one Who is? The servant the one who washes feet so many of the commentators from the ancient days on have Considered the removal of his outer garment as the scripture says and then gritting himself with that towel as a picture of his Humiliation and his incarnation. That's what he's doing. He's divesting the appearance and demonstrating a new one He's divesting the appearance of the teacher the master the leader and In the putting on of the the towel around his waist. He's demonstrating servanthood and then he illustrates that But excuse me in his teaching by saying you call me master and lord and you say well for that is what I am But he goes on to say but if I then being your lord and master have washed your feet You need to wash the feet of one another once again addressing That constant argument that the disciples even unto that night Had continued in because in the other Gospels we see that Jesus once again addresses their argument as to who is the greatest And so within the confines of their argument. There's that picture of what servanthood actually is So how many churches have you ever heard ever heard? That had a division because people were fighting amongst themselves as to who is the best servant you never hear that What you hear in church divisions and problems is who is the better? It's the I am a greater even even the attitude of I'm more important in the church than you That's why Jesus would would teach us so often and so clearly The greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all, you know, and so I believe that the heart of division very often is Going to center on things like who is the best who's the most important whose opinion matters most whose Influences greatest is going to be things like that rather than concentrating on just caring for those who are in need and ministering to those who we need to have a well-placed word at that moment to encourage their lives and so yeah when Jesus was washing their feet he said That this is an example unto you what I have done You're to do also and the scriptures there are only two verses that I am familiar with That speak concerning Christ being used as an example and one of those is the example of being a servant I've done this as an example unto you the other one is he's an example of the one who suffered for us So suffering and serving are the two Scriptures one by the Apostle Peter and one of his letters first Peter I believe in the second one being in John 13 Where he speaks concerning the fact that he had done this as an example He said you know you call me master and lord That's good, but you need to do as I have done and you don't see any competitive spirit within that not trying to be better than the other simply he laid his garment aside and You know I take that consideration because I read a book a while back called the Accidental Pharisee and in and in and Trying to Live a righteous life. Sometimes we can become self-righteous and instead of washing the other people's feet sometimes we can cut them off even within ministry within circles of friends within and it's really not the message Jesus gave and And so that was something I was going through my devotions this morning I wanted your feedback on that and and you're right It's been going on since here But I didn't remember that the arguments that were leading up to that evening was about who's going to be the greatest That was a constant argument and continued on we begin seeing it reported first in Matthew 16 after Jesus had had pronounced a blessing of Simon on Simon at Caesarea Philippi and then it seems to have escalated from there You know later on you're seeing James and John and salami coming and requesting positions of honor And then you continue to see that even to the day that Jesus Had been betrayed at that and then bringing it up there at the last upper So that's a constant thing. Here's the thing that I can close with with an encouragement to those who are listening It would be very simply put it would be Jesus said if you know these things Blessed are you if you do them see the problem? I've had in my own life as well as as a minister to those who are struggling has always been It's not that I don't know. It's that I don't do and so I have You know had pastoral counseling Where I'm speaking to somebody and I'm pointing something in scripture and I can't tell you Especially in the early days how often I would hear someone say how would you know that I already know that? So it's so often and so common. I finally said, you know, well like Jesus said if you know these things blessed Are you if you do them? It's not enough that you know or you can quote or you have these ideas of but are you doing those things and That's the difference between again the Greek way of thinking which is an accumulation of information Gives you knowledge versus the Jewish way of thinking which is Knowledge is actually putting into practice the things that you've accumulated informationally and so there's the difference You know know these things blessed are you if you do them and Christian if you know these things blessed are you if you do them? Well, thank you pastor David for sharing that, you know, you would think as these men were spending and got closer to Jesus that they would become More like him but instead You know the self-righteousness that can it requires the Holy Spirit, right? They had yet to be baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit and that is where a lot of Christians seem to be lacking John it's that they're not walking in the power of the Holy Spirit if you walk in the spirit You don't fulfill the desires of the flesh and so it is that constant filling that constant walking It's that seeking of the power of the Holy Spirit and then combining the power God gives you with the information In his word the words of life that he gives to you that gives you The ability to live a life that is pleasing to him and filled with the joy of the Spirit So the church today is forgetting that's why we're trying to do so many things in our own power by our marches And our votes and our loud voices and our anger and we're forgetting the spiritual qualities that Christ has called us to Not to say that we shouldn't do those kinds of things But the motivation power behind that the reasons for all those things is because of the word of God and and the desire to do that Which pleases him which is Part of what the Holy Spirit encourages us to amen Well, thank you pastor David for sharing with us and and that we may keep our eyes on Jesus and be constantly filled by this power The Holy Spirit and we do want to invite you guys to come out and join us on Sunday morning at 8 30 and 10 45 A.m. Invite your friends and family to come out Friday night We have our men's barbecue and then if you didn't get a ticket to eat you can come at 7 30 for a Devotion worship we have Holland Davis coming up doing worship and then we're gonna have a devotion and a testimony a brother's gonna share a Testimony and then we're gonna have some more worship. So guys come on out We look forward to having you guys join us and pastor again. Thank you so much for your time Thank you guys for tuning in and God bless you