And can I thank Matthew for his kind words of welcome. It is a joy to be here with you and Martyrs for your youth rally. And I am conscious that this is probably your third meeting you've had today, or maybe for some of you it's been your fourth. And I'm also conscious that I also have some of my young people here from our diary. This is the third time they've heard of me this day. So I will keep the words short this evening, but I want to draw your attention to John chapter 13. John chapter 13 and the first 11 verses. It is in this passage of Scripture we now come to the few hours before the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is in the upper room. He's here now to meet for the feast of Passover with the disciples. And here in John chapter 13 and verse 1 we read, Now, before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. and supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God and went to God, he riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter. And Peter said unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do now, thou knowest not, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter said 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 unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not, save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. And ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him. Therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. Let us bow our heads together for a word of prayer as we seek the Lord's blessing here tonight. Our Father in heaven, as we come into thy presence, we are conscious, the man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And we thank thee, Lord, for the rich nourishment of thy word this day. We thank thee, Lord, for this day that thou hast set aside out of seven, where we can hear the word of God so freely and so readily at our local places of worship. But, Lord, we thank thee that this evening that we have a people who are hungry, not only for the fellowship of young people, but, Lord, also to hear thy precious truth. So, Lord, fill us afresh. We recognize that we come to an evening hour when the body and the mind can tire, but we pray that, Lord, not only would you refresh us in our body, but, Lord, you would refresh us in our soul, that, Lord, you would reinvigorate our soul and our love for thee, that, Lord, we may go out and serve thee and give our all to thee. So, Lord, come, fill us afresh with thy spirit, For we ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. It has once been said that actions speak louder than words, and certainly that axiom is true, because it doesn't matter how many words or how many arguments a man may use to seek to convince you to go some certain way in life. It's not until you see that man following his words and following his speech that you will believe his argument and follow his course. Indeed, I could tell you tonight that I am the best cook in Ulster, but you'll not believe my words. Even if I can come with you with facts and with figures and tell you about how great a cook I am, you'll not believe my words until you've seen the proof in the pudding, until you see me cooking and I've put the food into your mouth to taste it. Why? because actions speak louder than words. And therefore, some of the greatest sermons that have ever been preached in this world have not been preached by words, but they've been preached by actions. And ever the Lord Jesus Christ came here to the end of His ministry, here in John chapter 13, and sought to convince His disciples of certain truths. He didn't use words to convince them. but he used actions to convince them. Knowing that actions speak more than words, Christ humbled himself. He took the position of a servant. He washed the disciples' feet to prove to them that he loved them with an everlasting love. Someone rightly said, talk is cheap, but actions are priceless. And so it is, because you can tell your girlfriend that you love her and you love her and you love her, but it's not until Valentine's Day had passed that when you had sacrificed the money in your pocket to buy her a great meal and a present, that she will believe your words. And so it is in life. Talk is cheap. It's actions that we see the proof in the pudding. And ever Christ, knowing this, he reserved this greatest action to prove his love to his disciples in washing the disciples' feet. And ever tonight, to help you to understand this action of the Lord Jesus Christ, I want us to consider three things that this action speaks to us of. First of all, notice it was an illustration. It was an illustration, because Christ washing His disciples' feet by water. Notice in verse 3 that Christ knew who He was. And in verse 3 we read, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and He was come from God and went to God. In other words, John makes it abundantly clear to us that Jesus Christ knew that He was God. I did a few chapters earlier in John chapter 11, when Lazarus had died and he was confronted by Martha. He reminded Martha. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he was dead, yet shall he live." And Christ, using those words, I am, he was identifying to Martha that he was the Jehovah God of the Old Testament. And there was John bringing this to our attention here just before Christ humbled himself to wash the disciples' feet. He was highlighting to us the great condescension of God That Christ knew that he was from God and was going to God. That Christ knew that God had given all things into his hands. And yet he humbled himself to wash the disciples' feet. And there what we have here before us in this action of Christ washing the disciples' feet is a wonderful illustration of Philippians chapter 2, that being in the form of God, thought not Robert to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, took himself upon the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself. and became obedient on the death, even the death off the cross. Christ was using this action of washing the disciples' feet to illustrate to us that he had humbled himself by going all the way to Calvary to die for our sins. And you can see that quite clearly in this passage. It's a wonderful illustration Because there was Christ, who was the King of heaven, and laying aside his kingly robes, and taking the servant's position, and girding himself with a towel. We find that he even humbled himself even further. He went beneath the disciples. He came to their dirty feet, and he washed their feet, illustrating that Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. This action of washing the disciples' feet It was an illustration of how Christ condescended to wash the souls of men. No wonder the disciples cried out here. When they saw Christ washing the disciples' feet, and when Christ came to Peter, no wonder Peter cried out, Lord, if, Lord, you shall never wash my feet. In other words, he was saying, Lord, what are you doing? You're Messiah. You're the chosen one of God. You're the King of kings. How dare you? God, you shouldn't be in the servant's position. You're the Lord of lords." But here was Christ saying, yes, Peter, you're right, but I am in this servant's position to illustrate to you a greater truth, that in the next few hours I will go to Calvary, that I will take there the substitutionary realms position. I will bear the judgment of God. so that I could save your soul." In fact, you can just imagine the shock and the horror across the nation. It is, we're celebrating this year the 70th anniversary of the Queen's succession to the throne. And when we consider that, you can imagine the shock. If there was a great big royal wedding at Westminster Abbey, and if somebody spilled something on the floor, imagine the shock. The Queen removed her crown, and she set aside her kingly garments and got on the floor beside Boris Johnson and began to wash the dirt on the floor. There'd be shocks and waves across the world. Look at the Queen, how she humbled herself to wash the floor. And yet here was the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the one who was God, and he humbled himself to wash the disciples' feet. And he says this was only an illustration. If that shocks you, that I wash these disciples' feet, you should be shocked a thousand times more. that I went all the way to Calvary to cleanse you from your sin." You see, in this picture, where Christ illustrates his condescension, he seeks to show us the love of God. A young person never forget the humiliation and the condescension of God, never forget his submission, that he submitted himself to God the Father and became obedient and made himself under the law, because there in his submission, there in his humiliation, you get a glimpse of God's love. Because there, when Christ died at Calvary, and this was manifested, the love of God toward us, that God sent his only begotten Son to be the propitiation of our sins. And even I think of it, and even I'm sure you can imagine yourselves, when you're in the workplace or in school and you hear bad language and you hear bad chat, how it sends shivers down your spine. It makes you so uncomfortable. Well, here was Christ. one he was the Lord of heaven, the one he had more sensitive conscience than we could ever experience, and yet his love constraining him to die and to save us He left heaven's glory. He came down to the sin-cursed world, where he heard the cursing and the woes of men. And child of God, as we consider God's love toward us in that great condescension, can we not say with the hymn writer, Oh, t'was love, t'was wondrous love, the love of God to me. It brought my Savior from above. to die on Calvary. And there is no argument here tonight that when you gaze at Calvary, you cannot deny God's love. You cannot deny his great compassion to your soul. Yes, you may be a great sinner. Yes, you may have many sins which send shivers down people's spine here. They knew what you had done in secret. But God so loved you that he sent his only begotten Son to die at Calvary, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." You see, in this washing the disciples' feet, it was an illustration of God's love toward us. But it was also here in this action of washing the disciples' feet, not only was it an illustration, but it was also an example, because Christ washing the disciples' feet, He said in verses 13 and 15, "'Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye 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 example that ye should do as I have done to you." In other words, he is saying to them that he did this. He washed the disciples' feet to give us an example of how we are to treat one another. Indeed, his argument goes like this. If I, the master and the Lord, the one who is the God of heaven, is willing to come down and humble myself and serve the brethren within God's church, then how much more as my disciples, those who are my servants, how much more should you not humble yourself to pray for one another? to love one another, to carry each other's burdens. If Christ was willing to humble himself to such service, so should we as God's servants. In fact, so often you hear in the workplace when the boss comes and says, go and do that job. Mop the floor. So often people say, that's beneath me. I'm not doing that job. That's not in my contract. No way am I going to humble myself to wash the floor. But aren't you embarrassed and ashamed that when the boss comes in, when he rolls up his sleeves, saying you're not willing to do it, he begins to wash the floor? There's the boss, willing to humble himself. And so Christ comes down to shame us here this evening. He comes to embarrass us. He saves you who are not willing to serve your brethren in Christ. Look at me. I washed the disciples' feet. I came here to earth to minister to your needs." You see, the disciples thought it was beneath their dignity. In fact, it was this job of washing feet was reserved for the lowest servant within the household. Because as they left their house to come to some supper, men would bathe themselves. But at the time they got to the house, because the roads were dusty, because they were wearing Roman sandals that were open, their feet would be dirty. And nobody wanted to wash feet. there it was reserved for the lowest servant. But the disciples meeting in the upper room in secret, there were no servants. And the disciples being filled with pride, though they saw their master's feet dirty, they would not stoop to wash his feet. But here Christ, removing his kingly robes and girding himself with a towel, he washed their feet to embarrass them about their wrong attitude. And while the gospel saves us and makes us the children of God, it also makes us the servants of God. We are called to serve one another. Indeed, Paul expounded the gospel of Jesus Christ to the churches in Galatia. He said in Galatians 5 and 13, brethren, You have been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." And Paul reminds us that when we're saved, God has liberated us. But we're not liberated to serve ourselves. We're liberated to serve one another. In fact, in the next verse, he says, for all the law is fulfilled in one word. Even this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. And if you want to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, if you want to serve your Master, You must serve your brothers and sisters in Christ. You must pray for one another. You must care for one another. You must seek to carry each other's burden. But notice, Christ just didn't love his brethren. He also served his enemy. Because what did Christ say in verse 2? He said that the devil, having now put in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. Christ knew that there was a betrayer in the upper room, and yet Christ, having such a love, he went to the very one who would betray him, and he began to wash his feet. Now, you just think about it. How often, when you know somebody thinks ill of you and speaks bad behind your back, when you're in the room with them, you feel so uncomfortable, you can't enjoy your night when that person's in that room. You just know he's there, and you just know that his eyes are burning through you. You know that he looks at you with contempt and has no love towards you. And so it was for Christ. He was in the upper room. He knew Judas' resentment towards him. And yet that didn't stop him. Christ having such a love, he loved us to the end, and he went and washed. Judas's feet. And child of God, here tonight, we're not only to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, that person who speaks ill of you in the workplace, that person who speaks behind your back in school and university, though you may feel deeply uncomfortable in his presence, you're to show love. You are to show kindness towards them. So often we react like the man who was diagnosed with rabies. And when the doctor saw him writing down frantically on a piece of paper all these names, he said, are you writing down your will? And he says, no, I'm just writing down all the names that I want to bite and to spread my rabies among. And so often we react like that, don't we? We want to get even. But, my friend, that is not divine love. That is only human love. Human love only returns good to good, but divine love returns good to evil. In fact, in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 44, Christ says, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. In fact, when I think of George Wishart, When he was being brought out to die at the stake and be burned, when he saw the executioner who knew that he was going to kill such a godly man, he felt deeply uncomfortable. He began to resist in taking the life of George Wishart, Wishart going towards him. He kissed him on the side of the cheek. They say, sir, may that be a token that I have forgiven you. In fact, back in 1567, when the Counter-Reformation spread across Europe, when the King of Spain sent the Duke of Alibi, who'd killed thousands of Protestants in Spain, across to the Netherlands states to quash the Reformation, he arrested a man by the name of Dirk Willesum, and arresting him and putting him up into a castle to be executed in a week's time. To Dirk's amazement, one night, All the guards were fast asleep. And going out past the guards and walking out and going across the frozen lake, he heard a crack behind him. And turning around, there was one of the prisoners. He was seeking to come and apprehend him, to bring him back into the cell again. But now the ice had broken. He was drowning in the waters. And those words of Christ came thundering back to his heart. Love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you. and pray for them which despitefully use you." And Dirk turned. He went and he lifted the prisoner officer out of the chilly waters, and he followed the prisoner officer back to his cell, where he lost his life the next morning when he executed him for his faith. That's the extent of the love of God. God says, love your enemy even at your own peril, even at risks to your own life. You're to show goodness. You're to show kindness. This is the call of God. You see, the love of God is not only striking, it's convicting. We all fall at that point. There's people it makes us deeply uncomfortable. But God says, show good to them, love them, because that is the love of God. But when he was here in the action of washing the disciples' feet, he gave us an illustration, an example. But notice, lastly, it was an instruction, because there in verse 8, Peter said unto Jesus, Thou shalt never wash my feet. And it was such an absolute statement. Peter was saying, in no circumstance, Lord, Will I ever let you wash my feet? And Christ saying to him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Peter, you can't have fellowship. In other words, he's beginning to spiritualize the action of washing here. Christ begins to paint a spiritual lesson. He says, Peter, if you don't let me wash you, you can have no fellowship with me. In other words, Peter, if you don't know salvation, if you don't know the washings or the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, You can have no fellowship with God." And what did Peter respond? He said, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. He wanted God to wash him. He wanted to know his fellowship. And what did Jesus say? He that is washed needeth not, save to wash his feet, but as clean every wit. He says, Peter, I know that you bathed before you came out here, and I know it's just your feet is dirty, and so it is in the spiritual life. God doesn't need to save you again when you've let the Lord down. God just needs to wash your feet. Those feet that have been soiled with the sins of the world, God just needs to clean your feet, not your whole body. In fact, I remember a story being told about this woman. Her husband kept falling asleep, and it really distressed her. So she came to the pastor and asked him, what should I do about my husband continually falling asleep? And the pastor says, well, why don't you bring a block of cheese and put it under his nose when he falls asleep? So during one of the services, when the husband fell asleep, she took the block of cheese out and put it under his nose. And he cried out, Ethel, get your feet out of my face again. A child of God, our feet get often dirty. We let the Lord down often and daily in our lives. But thank God the blood has cleansed us afresh. The blood has declared us righteous forevermore. And because of the blood of the Lamb, He that confesseth the sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin. In other words, because God's justice has been satisfied at Calvary, God has to cleanse us afresh and give us the renewal of the Spirit of God in our hearts. See, this is a wonderful truth. Yes, we can fall in our Christian life. but there's no other false. The everlasting arms of God sustains us. In fact, the argument goes like this. If God loved you so much that he loved you to the end of his humiliation to save you, to cleanse you from your sin, and going to Calvary, how much would God not seek to cleanse you fresh today, when now you're joined heirs with him, when now you're the friends of God, the very children of heaven? See, there's confidence for us. Whatever that sin is, bring it to the throne of grace, ask God to cleanse you fresh, and then seek to serve him. You see, we would never accept such a love, but God showed us an action. Getting down and washing the disciples' feet, John, after John chapter 13, began to repeatedly say that he was the disciple whom the Lord loved, realizing that God loved him so much that he would wash his feet and wash his soul. He realized he was the disciple in whom the Lord loved. And child of God, you're the disciple in whom God loves. God left heaven's glory. He went to Calvary for you. And at Calvary, he's cleansed your soul. And there's fresh cleansing. There's fresh power in the blood every single day. Let's just bow our heads together for a word of prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for the love of God. We thank Thee, Lord, for its warmth, its comfort, Lord, its encouragement toward us. But Lord, we also feel its striking power. Lord, we recognize that we so feel to live up to the love of God and to show God's love within us to those around us. But Lord, we pray that we would always keep Calvary before us, that when someone begins to speak evil of us and treat us unkindly, instead of seeking to take revenge, Lord, help us to look to Jesus. Help us to remember that he served Judas, the man who betrayed him. And then, Lord, help us then to go out and to show that love. We thank Thee, Lord, that the love of Christ constraineth us. There is no other motivation in the Christian life to carry our cross and to serve one another but for Calvary. So, Lord, keep us near the cross. May its shadow ever be before us. For we ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.