"The Towel" Sunday Sermon by Pastor Dr Ng Kok Moi based on ohn 13:1-17

1. The Towel
John 13:1-17
2015
Year of Breakthrough
WHOLESOME
LIVING

3. “The Yoke” by Robin Liew
22 March 2015
“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:30
The call “Come to Me”
The call “Take My Yoke”
The call “Learn from Me”
2015
Year of Breakthrough
WHOLESOME
LIVING

4. The Towel
John 13:1-17

6. Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
John 13:1-17
The Towel

7. Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
John 13:1-17
3 “W”s:
1. When?
2. What?
3. Why?

8. WHEN?
• The Season: v1: … just before the
Passover Feast • Feast of Unleavened
Bread
• One of 3 great feasts
• 15th day of Nisan
(Babylonian) or Abib
(Hebrew)
• March or April

9. V1: It was just before the Passover Feast.
Jesus knew….
• His origin & destiny (v3)
• His betrayer (v11), His
deny-er, His reject-ers
• His unlimited power (v3)
• His eminent departure (v3)
OMNISCIENT – ALL KNOWING
Ps 139:1-4

10. He loved them to the end…
(KJV / NKJV / RSV / ASV / ESV)
He showed them the full extent of
His love. (NIV)
Length / breadth / depth / height
Romans 8:35, 38-39

11. He showed them the full extent of His love...
• Unlimited love
• He loves you no matter what
• Tough love
• Brings you from where you are
and leads you to where He wants
you to be

12. Unlimited Power & Unlimited Love:
• Love without Power  Sympathy
• Power without Love  Selfishness
• Power + Love  Service
He showed them the full extent of His love...
David Pawson

13. Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
• German Lutheran pastor,
theologian, writer (born: 1906)
• Anti-Nazi dissident
• 1930 – taught theology in NY
• 1931 – returned to Germany
• June 1939, left for Union
Theological Seminary in NY

14. "I have come to the conclusion that I
made a mistake in coming to America. I
must live through this difficult period in
our national history with the people of
Germany. I will have no right to participate in the
reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after
the war if I do not share the trials of this time with
my people... Christians in Germany will have to
face the terrible alternative of either willing the
defeat of their nation in order that Christian
civilization may survive or willing the victory of
their nation and thereby destroying civilization. I
know which of these alternatives I must choose
but I cannot make that choice from security."

15. Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
• German Lutheran pastor,
theologian, writer (born: 1906)
• Anti-Nazi dissident
• 1930 – taught theology in NY
• 1931 – returned to Germany
• June 1939, left for Union
Theological Seminary in NY
• Returned to Germany
• Arrested in April 1943, sent to
prison, then Concentration
Camp, executed by hanging
on 9 April 1945, 2 weeks
before liberation

16. Adam Adli
“I am willing to be sacked,
to be jailed, in order to
make Malaysia a better
place….” .. Fahmi Zainol(7th time in 3 years)

17. WHEN?
• The Moment: v2: … the evening
meal was being served
Passover Meal

18. WHAT?
V4-5 – Foot Washing
Jesus Fully Clothed…

19. … took off his outing clothing,
wrapped a towel around his waist…
WHAT?
V4-5 – Foot Washing

20. Foot Washing:
1. An ordinary sign of common
courtesy.
2. Dirty, smelly and
humiliating task, reserved
for slaves.
3. 2nd lowest slave take off
sandals, lowest slave to
wash the feet.
4. No free person would wash
the feet of another free
person.

21. Encounter with Simon Peter (v6-10)

22. Encounter with Simon Peter (v6-10)

23. Total Bath vs Daily Wash
•Salvation
•Justification
• One-off experience
•Daily Repentance
•Keep short account
•Sanctification
Encounter with Simon Peter (v6-10)

24. Total Bath vs Daily Wash
•Salvation
•Justification
• One-off experience
•Daily Repentance
•Keep short account
•Sanctification
Encounter with Simon Peter (v6-10)

25. WHY?
V12-17 – Example on SERVANTHOOD
V14: “Now that I, your Lord
and Teacher, have washed
your feet, you should also
wash one another’s feet.”

26. V16: “I tell you the truth, no
servant is greater than his
master, nor is a messenger
greater than the One who sent
him…”
How much more….??
Example on SERVANTHOOD

27. Foot-Washing – HOW?
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC)
• Largest Pentecostal Denomination in
the USA
• Membership: more than 6 million,
mainly African-American
• Congregations in 63 countries
Ordinance of COGIC
• Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion)
• Feet Washing
• Water baptism by immersion

28. Foot-Washing – HOW?
Part of Wedding Ceremony

29. Foot-Washing – HOW?
Public Foot-Washing in China
• May 6, 2011
• Mingde Elementary School
• Jiangxi Province, China
• 100 students
• Celebrate Mother’s Day
• Demonstrate filial piety

30. 3 Areas:
Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD

31. Physical Service
Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD
• Gal 6:9-10 – do good to all people...
• Gal 5:13 – serve one another in love
• Matt 25:40 – JC: “whatever you did to
one of the least of these brothers of
min… you did for Me”

32. Physical Service
Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD
Strategic Hospitality
1. Invite each other home
2. Greet and welcome people John Piper
Nov 20, 2011 – “Secret Recipe”
(PWHR: Post-Worship Hospitality Radar)

33. Emotional Service
Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD
• 1 Pet 4:8 – love each
other deeply
• Col 3:13 – bear with each
other

34. Spiritual Service
Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD
• Jude 23 – snatch others
from the fire
• James 5:19 – bring him
back

35. Spiritual Service
Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD
• Intentional
Discipleship
• Mentoring
Children
Youth

36. Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted
by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and
cancelling our plans by sending us people with claims
and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with
our more important tasks, as the priest passed by the
man who had fallen among thieves, perhaps -- reading
the Bible. . . . . it is part of the discipline of
humility that we must not spare our hand
where it can perform a service and we do
not assume that our schedule is our own
to manage, but allow it to be arranged by
God." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

37. Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD
Sagano Bamboo Forest

38. Foot Washing – SERVANTHOOD