So let's take your Bibles, turn to John chapter 13. Part of my message today was I'll be cautioning about making public declarations and then being so fixed to them that you can't change them in spite of God, but I'm gonna make a public declaration. I am protesting the Olympics. Now, for you that don't know, the opening ceremonies, this is probably defiling to say from the pulpit, depicted a bunch of drag queens reenacting the Last Supper. Now, make me ask some questions. Number one, why would we think anything different of this world? Number two, why would you put all that on if it's only a myth? Just a myth! Well, I'm not sure you'd do that with little Bo Peep in the opening ceremonies. Number three, after cooling off a little bit, could God use that? Could God use neutral people to say, this is the line I'm drawing, this is too far. And there are, there's big sponsors that are coming out. They're pulling out their sponsorship. But here's the big question. Would I be so bold? What am I doing to spiritually retaliate in kind with the boldness that the sinner has? I think it's time we stand up. And I don't mean stand up and take arms and all that, because he that, you live by the sword, you're gonna die by the sword, and then you got bigger guns than us, so you're not gonna win anyways. But we got a God that is worth standing up for. I wish I could be over there to preach on those streets and polyvufonce. All right, let's go to John 13. I'm all fired up. I figure preaching out one verse a week by the time I retire we should probably be to John 15 maybe. We'll roll over and pull a couple more potatoes out of this harvest here. John chapter 13, verse three, Jesus knowing that his 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. to wipe them with a towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter," and we preached on this last week, and Peter saith unto him, "'Lord, dost thou wash my feet?' And like I said last week, if the Lord was Italian, he would have said, "'No, I'm sizing you up for a pair of shoes. "'I just did everybody down the line. "'It's your turn here, okay?' Peter, Peter, Peter." We're gonna talk about Peter here. Today, 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 saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every wit. And ye are clean, but not all, for he knew who should betray him. Therefore he said, ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done unto you? He called 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 an example. that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither is he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. And I don't know about you, but I like being happy. Let's pray. Father, thank you again for your word. Thank you for the good songs. Thank you for the good spirit, the good family school. Lord, help us not to be ashamed of your identity. Identity politics, God help us to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ uncompromisingly and just as bold as this wicked, present, evil world does. Bless your word here, we'll thank you in Jesus' name, amen. So this text is loaded with how to live in relation to God and man and those around us. And you understand much of our relating to God and man has to do with what we say. And the Bible has, of course, positive and negative examples of how to relate to people. Peter is a great example, in this instance, of how not to relate to God. So buckle up and we'll see if we can't get some help here. Chapter 13, verse 8, the first part, and this is, Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt, say the next word with me. So I'm gonna give you the oxymoronic title, because that's my first point. Never say never. Now, if you think about that, that's what you call an oxymoron. Never say never, then why'd you just say never say never? Never say never when discussing your plans for the future with God. Or in any decision making, never say never. Peter was the best. You'll never wash my feet. So here is Peter, and here's the scary part, with all good intentions, kind of spells God backwards, and is telling God what God, of course you realize Jesus was God manifest in the flesh, he's telling God what God can't do and can do with him, when really, it ought to be the other way around. Say amen right there. And here's what's ironic, it's all in the name of humility and sincerity. In one breath, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. In the next breath, and I'm just a lowly fisherman, this doesn't make sense up here in my understanding, you'll never wash my feet, never? Sincerely, but sincerely wrong or misguided is still wrong and misguided. Regardless of motivation, I think we can learn from Peter when we're making decisions and plans, and you know what? We got a whole lot of young people here that are making life decisions, and really, if you take life seriously and you walk with God, and I don't care if you're saved, unsaved, we're always making decisions. And God has a little formula that will help us with that. Now, I don't think there's anything wrong with desires and goals and aspirations. Here's what God said, delight thyself in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Now, here's sometimes how we think that equates. Well, God's purpose is to please me. and grant me all my, so if I'm just kinda happy about Jesus, and of course I delight myself in Jesus, I'm gonna get everything I want. Let's go to the text and look at Psalm chapter 37. You glad you got a Bible? Truth this morning? World's all messed up. Psalm 37. Let's look at the pretext and the text and the context. of delight thyself in the Lord and he shall give thee desire of thine heart. Verse three, Psalm 37. Trust, well there's a big word that might envelop delight, in the Lord and do good. so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires that are in thy heart. Notice he says also there, so it must tie up to trusting. Look at verse five. Commit thy way unto the Lord, Trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light of righteousness what? And the judgment is a new day rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thyself verse 8 cease from anger and forsake wrath Boy, it sounds like it's more than just yeah, of course. I delight in Jesus. I When making decisions and plans, be careful with the word, never. And let me interject something in human relations. Be careful about never and always. Mom, you never? You little brat, you always? Pastor, you never? It's rarely the truth. And a wounded spirit, who can bear? Never say never when discussing your plans with God. You don't tell God what he's going to do with you, he tells us what we're going to do with him. Now, let's look at a life application of this. James chapter 4, you all know the verse, James chapter 4, towards the end of your Old Testament. If you can find Hebrews, then James. James 4 verse 13, go to now, ye that, notice the next word, say, today or tomorrow, we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain. That is a noble declaration. It's a goal, it's an aspiration. In fact, it's called work, which, the new generation could use a good dose of, that they wanna start a business, they wanna do some commerce, they wanna get a vision to make some provision. And notice that God didn't say, don't do that, don't you go into that city and buy and sell and do commerce and start a business, just go on welfare and do church. He didn't say that. He said, but what you ought to, but before you say what you're going to do, let's read it now. Verse 14, whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life is even a vapor that appears for a little time, then vanishes away, for that ye ought to, say the next word. Say, if the Lord will, we shall do this. or that somebody is checking in with somebody before they make a decision. Our Savior was a great example of this. When he, I'll paraphrase bad, Lord, if you could let this cup pass. This is the way I'd like it. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine. There's nothing wrong with letting your requests, letting your aspirations, letting God know your goals, but it always must be accompanied with, if it is your will. And for Peter, this isn't the last time that he messes up. He says, though all men shall be offended, I will never be offended. Okay, Peter. Though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. Be careful. With your help, I will not deny you. I've never, all the way into the book of Acts, man, God shows up again. I've never eaten anything common or unclean, and I'll add to what he was thinking, and I don't plan on starting now. God isn't looking for much. He's looking for saying and meaning, if the Lord will. We will do this or that we can even condense it down Lord willing we need a little more Lord willing in our vocabulary Starting out in this thing sister. I Said I Could never be a missionary I Mean my mother was shook up when I moved from Gates to Greece. I What are you going way out there for? Ma, it's 12 miles on the expressway. Me, we got to take a ride to get all the way over there. So me, in Tanzania, never. But I knew I couldn't get to the next level until I surrendered my will to His. Now, this guy over here, the next guy, oh, man, I'd like to go to Iraq and get killed for the Lord. Okay. Surrender back in them days was a thing, a Bible thing. Are you surrendered? And brother, when you talk about your plans and your aspirations and your goals and what you want and what you're gonna do, versus God, a lot of times that's exactly what it is, surrender. And I was... I knew I couldn't get to the next level until I said, I'm all yours. And so, little by little, I read and I prayed, but most of all, I sat under good, hard, challenging, uncompromising preaching. And I'd tell him, I'd crawl to the altar every time I remember, God, I didn't know the word skirt back then because I had never been to the south, but I would say, God, I'm scared. I want your will for my life. I want to please you, but I can't do Tanzania. And really, that's the, I don't even know where it is. I still don't. I thought that's where the Tasmanian devil is from, but I think that's Tasmania. I don't know. but can you help me to be willing?" And about the time I surrendered, okay, whatever. That's when he opened doors to grant me the desires of my heart. I won't ask for a raise of hands of how many people, at first glance or first inquiry, or first hearing of the spouse that you're married to, you thought, never. Who's laughing? Man, some of y'all like that. I didn't think that. No way! There's a lot of people got, oh, the pastor and his wife are laughing? No, no. I know you've got to have that loving feeling. I didn't always believe that. John Marshall used to say, but by the way, pray for Brother John Sr. He's having some serious health issues. And you know, back then, we had all the answers because our kids were under five years old. As long as it's good on paper, that's what matters. And he'd say, don't you think there's got to be a little animal magnetism? Where's that in the Bible? Yeah, there's gotta be a little animal magnetism. Sometime, man, when the going gets tough and things are down and the chickens ain't laying eggs, all you got left is animal magnetism. In fact, one of mine, I was convinced this was the person for them! And I'm not saying to do this, I'm just saying this is what happens. It's kind of funny. Pray about it! No. One of my children? Number one, saying no. Number two, to prayer. Why? Because what if God says yes? And I learned, that was the early days, and I learned as I went on, you know what? They may have a little more sense than you have. And I'll tell you, over the years, a lot of bullets were dodged. but never say never. Jesus' example is this, this is my will, nevertheless not my will but thine, would you show me and make it clear, because I will mess it up. Now, especially if you're type A, I don't wait for God. This needs fixing, I'm fixing. This needs planning, I'm going to plan it. This needs building, I'm going to build it. You say, how do I know if I'm type A? If you like to talk, you're probably type A. If you're OCD, you're probably type A. If you always got to give an opinion, you're probably type A. Now stop looking at me like that, right? This is who I'm gonna marry. This is how many children I'm gonna have. I will go to school here. I will go to church here. That's more I wills than Satan had. My will is this, Lord. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. Would you show me and make it clear lest I mess it up? And here's the shame of Peter. He had all good intentions. not realizing that he was taking the steering wheel of the will of God in his own life. Simply by saying, this is what I'm gonna do, you ought to say, if the Lord will, I'll do it. Go to John 13 again. Never. While you're going there, I remember, I was saved in a large church. Oh, man, remember them days, Paul? 700 people in a room, 1,000 in a Bible conference, hooting and hollering, running around, invitations, people getting saved, called to the mission field, crawling down the invitation altar on their hands and knees. It was unbelievable! I led a guy to Christ at Kodak, and he went to a little teeny weeny, Baptist church where the preacher couldn't preach the fuzz off a ginger snap, you know, and it's like, how could you go to a small church when this church is right up the road from you? I don't like a big church! I'd never go to a small church. What does God do? Call me to start a church. Us, them, a few others in here, five families. You know what I found? Man, this small church kinda nice. I'd never go to a big church. John 13, verse eight. Peter saith him, thou shalt never wash my feet. Watch now. Jesus answered him, if I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Now in the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount, You wanna do your alms before men so that they'll say, oh, that's great, you're something else. You have your reward, I'm not gonna get in that. You wanna pray loud on the street corner, go ahead, but if you pray secret and acknowledge my, I'll give my father which seeth in secret will reward you openly. This is so simple this morning, that's why some of your eyes are getting heavy, but don't take a job without first acknowledging God. Don't go talk to a father without first acknowledging God. Man, I know I've told this before, but one of them came, and they knew. I didn't like the fact that the guy came in and kind of told what was going on first, and without me knowing. Anyways, and they, what'd you say? I said, I don't know. Why'd you say I don't know? I said, I don't know. But I wanna keep acknowledging God. Go to Proverbs 3. You know this passage, too, if you've been saved any time, but... I'm gonna break it down a little bit. Proverbs 3, 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Obviously, there must be a little contrast coming. And lean not unto thine own understanding. The way Peter did, this doesn't make sense. You're a king, I'm a fisherman, you're not gonna wash my feet. Now, look at the next verse. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will come with a voice from heaven and then tell you exactly what to do. Is that what it says? No, it says he'll direct your paths. When you do it God's way, you may not hear a voice from heaven. In fact, you probably won't. You might not even hear a voice within, and if you do, it'll probably sound a lot like yours. and you may seek God's will, listen now, and it's still cloudy, and it's not clear cut, but listen, that's a promise that if you just acknowledge, okay, this is what makes sense to me, but I can't lean on my own understanding. Lord, I'm putting this before you. He promises he will direct your paths. You might not even get the answer, but he's behind the scenes working that way. One of my mentors, one of my main mentors, not Pastor Folk, he told us, he said, if you have two options, and you have prayed, and you have fasted, and you have sought godly counsel, and it's crickets from God, and you know there's no sin in either. Should I be a missionary in Alaska or a pastor in Podunk? Crickets. Seek counsel. Crickets. He said this. Doesn't sound real spiritual. Do the one you want based on that, because he promises to order. You can't sit and, well, I'm just waiting on God. When you get clear direction, and you're right, do the one you want. Now, Peter wasn't the first one to make this blunder. Joshua, remember the story with the Midianites? These guys talk about change their identity, Jason, and they come up and make their point. This is their first test, and it just said that they took vittles and asked not counsel of the Lord. and they're suffering the ramifications to this day. That was the beginning of the end of the mixing and the defiling and the fall. These group of people, and all they wanted to say is, Lord, what do you think? Parents, I've been talking a lot about being an in-law. and a grandparent because the roles change, and it's, for a Type A like me, it's very difficult. But we are available for counsel. Randy King handed his church over when he was 63. He's 70. I think he's 13 years now. He said, you know how many times the pastor's asked my counsel? He said, four times. That doesn't seem like much, but... What I'm getting at, Dad, what do you think about this? Mom, what do you think about this? You appreciate that, and I think when you got wisdom, maybe learning the hard way, you have something to give. That's all God's looking for. I'm going to U of R, I'm going to MCC, I'm going to Alabama. Lord willing. If the Lord will. 1 Chronicles 10, Saul doesn't ask counsel of the Lord, he asks the familiar spirit. Maybe he Googled it. Maybe he asked his buddies. Asa was sick in 2 Chronicles 16, and he sought not the Lord, but the physicians. Now right away, oh, see? Can't trust the, there's nothing wrong with physicians. Jesus said, if you're sick, you need a physician. Paul traveled with a physician. The Holy Spirit used a physician to write two books of the Bible. The issue is not the doctor. The issue is, does God have part in the doctor thing? As far as me saying, hey, what should I do here? and I may get crickets, but he promises, just acknowledge me and I'll get you to the right way. I want God to have a part in my life and decisions, don't you? who I marry, where I live, where I work, where I learn, where I worship, especially today. Lord, this is what I'm looking at. I've got an open door. I've got an option. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. What would thou have me to do? And you're immersed in the Bible. Would you show me and make it clear because I will mess it up. This is my big prayer over the years, close the door if it's not your will, because I'm too dumb and I'll just be tramps and through it and something will fall off and hit me on the head. Back to John 13. Never say never, acknowledge the Lord Verse nine, Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Let the word change your mind. Now you, you, you, you, right wing, hard core, God said it, I believe it, we've always done it this way. Let God change your mind in spite of past declarations. So the good intended but misdirected Peter said, never! And God said, well, if that's the case, then you don't have a part. And Peter didn't say, well, too bad, never! He went to the other extreme, that's Peter. As his manner was. Let me give a sub-point. There's nothing wrong with extreme. God is extreme. But I think all too often, number one, our extreme doesn't line up with God's extreme, and our kids are well aware of that. Extreme isn't, not now, extreme is relative. God is extreme compared to this world, but really, the world is extreme compared to God. But after salvation, listen, in marriage, in family, in relationships, in ministry, one extreme to another will grieve God and man. Be careful about that. Never, not me, not us. And then God shows you something different, and I've seen it over the years, one extreme all the way to the other. I've seen over the years people that were so convinced that God wanted them to be so separated, subcultures in their own church, I don't know what happened, I don't know if God showed them something, but they went literally from one extreme to the other. And before it's over, they're not in church, they're divorced, they're doping, they're smoking. How you gonna have stable children with that? But with that said, when God gives you some light in spite of past declarations, have enough humility to roll with the punches and maybe have to humble down, say, you know what, I might have been wrong on that. I saw men 40 years ago so busy with ministry, they had no time with their family and their obligation to bring up children and nurture and admonition the Lord, so we made an early declaration earlier, we will never have a Bible institute to take those fathers out of the home. And then as time went on, I'm seeing that the men that were wanting to serve God and learn the Bible, they were lacking camaraderie in the church. There's just something about getting light together. There's just something about the school of the prophets and getting tested together and crossing the finish line together. And you know what we had to say? Every good soldier knows you got to make some adjustments in the field sometime. Well, you said never. Yeah, and I was wrong. You ever been wrong? But don't go to the other extreme. Oh, I had to apologize to my kid. I was too much. So bring your bag of dope over and let's have a party. No! Then, so many of the... glory day generations, I'll call it. Of course, say not the former days, for you're not wise concerning this, but a whole bunch of them graduated. The younger generation were more sports, jobs, and that, and I'm looking out, and I got these guys that are working 40, 50 hours a week, and then come and teaching the Bible at night, and I'm looking out at three girls and a guy. No, I know we started, now we're gonna stop. but you need to be flexible enough without going from one extreme to another that if God might show you something, you are willing to move. And it's not only in the left direction. 30 years ago, we experienced firsthand the freedom of not owning property. Man, we had a building maybe half the size of this one. Pay the man first of the month, not very much. Let him do the repairs. Let him pay the heat bill, even though the heat most of the time didn't work. Let him plow the park. We'll never build a building. God had different plans. Never say never, say the Lord will and mean it. Don't be afraid to reconsider past declarations and then when God does show you something, be careful about extremes. After we commit to what he wants, even not knowing necessarily what that is, Later he usually reveals why. Now look at back in John 13, and he tells you in 11 through 17, look at verse 14. If I then, Lord Master, have washed your feet, You also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example. A servant is not greater than his Lord. If you know these things and do them, you're happy. Remember last week we talked about not now. You don't understand it now. You know in this text where it says, but thou shalt understand hereafter, you know when that hereafter was? Five minutes later. And Peter's getting all cuckoo for cocoa puffs about, no, you're not gonna do this. If I don't do it, do everything. Peter, if you just sit before the Lord, wait on the Lord, be of good courage, he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say on the Lord, listen a little more than you talk. I'm gonna show you in five minutes, this is why I'm doing this. And you're over here saying never, never, never. I wonder if you're facing decisions in your life. In fact, I don't wonder, you are. Could you come to the place where you say, God, I don't want you to be the dog in this thing. I want you to be God. Lord, I have some desires, I have some intentions, but if that needs changing, can you help me to line up with you? Lord, make it easy for me. Help me to just acknowledge you every step of the way. Now, I have not mastered this. Man, I know people that'll say, God told me to take a left instead of a right, and I hit a garage sale and got an amazing deal. I'm not there yet. But if we're gonna err, we ought to err on the side of not, I'll never do that, I'll never go there, I'll never be this, this is what I'm gonna do, Lord. not my will, but thine be done. And you know what a lot of times you'll find? He'll grant you the desires. All he wants you to do is acknowledge him. Let's stand, Jason, come. He promises, if you acknowledge, I'll direct. Help us, Lord. We're gonna sing one and then we'll have Sister Beth come, amen?