Sabbath Appeal

Dear fellow students,

We have come to the end of two weeks of training. The devil has been
working, but God has been present and has given us the courage and
strength to finish this training strong. We thank Him for that! In this
training you have learned how to study the Bible and how to share it
with others. But you are still students, as am I, and will continue to
be for eternity, as will I. I hope we can learn some lessons more
quickly than Jesus' disciples did.
Since we are planning a foot-washing service and a communion service
this morning, let us reflect on the events surrounding the Last Supper.
Jesus had lived and worked on this earth for thirty years before
launching His public ministry. He had chosen His disciples early in His
public ministry. When He said "Follow me," they followed him. And they
were with Him for three and a half years as He led them and taught them
and showed them truth by example.
Even before Jesus called some of His disciples, He was teaching them
important lessons. The fishermen had searched for fish all night long
and had found none. Then when Jesus came in the morning and said, "Throw
your net on the other side," and they did this, they immediately found
more fish than their boat could hold! What was Jesus trying to teach His
disciples early on? "Without Me, you can do nothing." You can work as
hard as you can. You can use all of your strength. You can use the right
techniques. You can try your best to do everything right. But without
Jesus, all is nothing. Without Jesus, your work is in vain. Without
Jesus, you can do nothing.
The same Word that filled the disciples' net with fish commanded the
disciples to follow Him, and He would make them fishers of men. The same
Word that gave power to fill the net with fish would give them power to
harvest souls.
Most of the first men called were humble and were not very educated.
They belonged to a base class of people. But it was these men that would
more easily learn the lesson of trusting in God and not in self. The
same men that were humble, Jesus would train to become great workers.
The same men that were uneducated, Jesus would educate to be wise and
knowledgeable in His work. And later, after Jesus had gone back to
heaven, others noted that these men had been with Jesus. They had
changed. They had shown that in Jesus' school, the least person can
become the greatest, most powerful, and most effective in God's work.
But the disciples were in many ways like us. They were not quick to
learn the lessons Jesus was trying to teach them. By the time Jesus was
close to returning home to heaven, He had been with them for over three
years. But they still had not yet learned an important lesson that He
had tried to teach them. "Whoever desires to be first among you, let him
be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:27-28
Jesus had encouraged His disciples to think on eternal things, but they
wanted to think about temporal things. Jesus had lived a selfless life,
but they still were selfish. Jesus had lived his life serving others,
but they still wanted to serve themselves. Jesus taught them about true
greatness, but they hung on to their false ideas of greatness.
Jesus' thoughts were heavy. He knew His time on earth was nearly
finished and His disciples seemed to have learned very little. As He
looked into the future, He could see clearly the difficulties ahead. He
could see that he was going to be betrayed. He knew the disciples would
desert him. He knew He was about to be humiliated and tortured. He knew
that cruel men would put Him to death. And He knew that His ultimate
sacrifice would be rejected by the majority.
But His thoughts were not on Himself. He thought about His disciples and
the troubles and trials they would face when He was gone. This was the
last evening Jesus would have together with His disciples. Jesus had
much to say to them. But they were not ready. He wanted to give them
again a warning of what was coming. But He could see in their faces that
they were not ready to hear. Indeed, He had already told them plainly,
and they would not hear. He had given them warning after warning. But
the warnings had gone in one ear and out the other. He had informed them
of His sufferings. But they would not believe. By selfishly clinging to
their selfish opinions, they would remain ignorant of the plainest
truths. And so they sat—in awkward silence. Jesus waited.
Those were serious thoughts of Jesus during a time as this. But what
were the thoughts of the disciples? "Now there was a dispute among
them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest." Luke 22:24
While Jesus was thinking on eternal things, they were engrossed with
temporal thoughts. While Jesus was preparing for His greatest act of
unselfishness, they were selfishly scheming. While Jesus was ready to
serve them by washing their feet, they were unwilling to serve anybody
but themselves. Before them was the truly great One, but instead of
learning from Him, they were trying to scramble up the political ladder
of false greatness. Jesus was others-centered, and they were self-centered.
The disciples thought very highly of themselves and each thought himself
better than the other. Both John and Judas were at Jesus' side. They
both wanted to be with Jesus, and to be exalted to a high position.
But there was another problem that made the awkward silence even more
intense. Somebody needed to wash the dirty feet. But who? Certainly
Jesus could not do it, because a king cannot humble himself like that
(they thought). That would be disgraceful (they thought). And certainly
none of the disciples were willing to humble themselves. They wanted an
important job. They were too good to do such low-level, basic work as
washing feet. After all, they were educated now in Jesus' school. The
problem of the missing foot-washer was pretty serious in the minds of
the disciples. Nobody seemed to be able to think of a reasonable solution.
How Jesus' heart ached! How could He make His message more clear? How
could He show them the difference between saying they were disciples and
actually being disciples? A disciple is one who follows the leader and
does what he does. One who says "I am a disciple" and walks his own
path, is not really a disciple. How could Jesus show that true greatness
I shown by humble service?
Finally, Jesus saw that the disciples were stuck on their thoughts. What
He did next shook them out of their selfish musings. It disturbed them
deeply. "He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples'
feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." John
13:5 Jesus didn't argue with them. He did not start a grand discussion
on humility. He didn't accuse them of sinful thoughts. He simply showed
them quietly by example the lesson He was trying to teach them.
Peter was offended. "Are you washing my feet, Jesus?" Jesus replied,
"You do not understand now, but you will later." Peter objected. He felt
too good to be washed by Jesus. Jesus humble example rebuked him. Peter
then accepted Jesus' act of humility. Peter surrendered his pride and
allowed Jesus to change his heart.
Judas was also offended. Like Peter, he could not comprehend how Jesus,
soon to be King Jesus, could humble Himself like that. But unlike Peter,
when Judas realized that he was not going to gain what he wanted by
following Jesus, he hardened his heart and went out with the purpose to
betray his humble Teacher. Judas, by cherishing his selfish ideas, was
blinded to the lesson of humility that Jesus was teaching. He concluded
that since a king of true greatness could not wash feet, Jesus must not
be a true king.
How could Judas come to such a false conclusion? How could he, a
disciple of Jesus, hold a belief so opposite to the truth? How could he
be in Jesus' school, learning from Him, following Him, being with Him,
and yet still not understanding his lessons? Jesus had washed
everybody's feet. In fact, He had washed Judas' feet first. But Jesus,
Who knew Judas' heart had said, "You are not all clean." John 13:11 He
knew Judas' heart, and this grieved Jesus deeply.
What did Judas fail to learn in his three and a half years with Jesus?
He failed to put his confidence and trust completely in Jesus. He
preferred to try to manage his own life rather than surrendering 100% to
Jesus and trusting Him. By insisting on protecting and cultivating self
and selfish motives, he remained unclean, even while in the presence of
Jesus' cleansing power.
He was a disciple by profession only. He called himself a disciple. He
spent time with Jesus. He enjoyed Jesus' teaching. But the fruit of his
life showed that he was not a true disciple. The other disciples were
willing to allow their hearts to be changed; Judas resisted the work of
heart-change until it was too late for him.
We have finished a brief, but intense two-week Bible training here in
Bongor. We have spent time with Jesus. We have been studying the Word of
God. We have learned many things, and God has been working on our
hearts. But how will we respond? Will we be like Peter who surrendered
his pride and allowed Jesus to wash his feet and his heart, or will we
be like Judas who allowed Jesus to wash his feet but not his heart?
Jesus has given each of us a call to work for Him. His command is clear.
It is obligatory. It is authoritative. It is universal. But Jesus did
not just say, "Go" and then leave us. No, no! He said, "Go... and I am
with you." He has always wanted to be with us. He walked with Adam in
the garden. He walked with Enoch. He walked with Noah. He walked with
Abraham. He lived among His people in the wilderness tabernacle.
Finally, He came as Immanuel, God with us, and at the same time as a
Human Who understands our struggles and trials. He understands
persecutions, and He said that if they persecuted Him, they would
persecute us also. But in persecution, He promised blessing. And when He
left earth for His heaven home, He left to prepare us a place so that we
can be with Him forever.
Why then do we doubt His word by ignoring the work He has given us? Can
Jesus do any more to show His eager desire to be reunited with His
people again? Could He have sacrificed any more than His own life for
us? Why do most of us sit idly, professing to be Christians with our
mouths but doing very little with our actions to show the verity of our
profession? Jesus is waiting. He suffers intensely as He watches the
world groan onward in sin. But this will not continue forever. This
gospel will be preached in all the world, and then the end will come. It
is a sure thing. And judging by the signs that are all around us, Jesus'
coming is indeed very soon.
It is time now to become faithful servants of God. It is time now to
commit your life 100% to Him. It is time now to stop living for yourself
and to start living for God. It is time now to become a true disciple of
Jesus—not by profession alone, but by surrendering your heart 100% to
Him and by following His example of humble service.
What Judas failed to learn in his three and a half years with Jesus, we
must learn.
We must put our confidence and trust completely in Jesus. We cannot
manage our lives on our own. We cannot do the work of evangelism, no
matter how meticulously and energetically we try, without Jesus. We must
allow Jesus to purge from our hearts all corruption, all pride, and all sin.
We must stop being disciples by profession only. We must be disciples
who not only spend time with Jesus and enjoy His teaching, but whose
lives bear fruit as a testimony that we are His true disciples and that
we truly walk with Him.

Are you a disciple by profession only, or a true disciple?
Have you been following Jesus outwardly, but reserving a part of you for
yourself?
Is there somebody here who has been ignoring the promptings of the Holy
Spirit but wants to respond now?
Are you following Jesus 50%? Today is your opportunity to give the other
50% to Him.
Are you following Jesus 80%? Today is your opportunity to give the other
20% to Him.
Are you a really good Christian following Jesus 99% but holding back in
one small area? Today is your opportunity to give the remaining 1% to Him.

If you are a true disciple of Jesus, you will walk in His steps. You
will follow His example. You will follow His command. You will do your
part to spread the good news of the gospel to the ends of the earth. And
you will recognize God as the Giver of strength and wisdom and success.
I invite you to make a decision today to give yourself 100% to God and
to His humble service. Will you be found faithful when He comes?