Alston Road Church of Christ Podcast

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: John Kilgore

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: John Kilgore

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Scott Kercheville

I have lived on the West Coast, East Cost, and the South and have travelled to China and India. Many of you have been to and lived in far more places. People in different places eat and dress differently, go to bed at different times, practice wide-ranging traditions, and often think about the world and their place in it completely different ways; yet, they all practice marriage. Even when Europeans landed on the shores of the Americas, they found that even the natives here practiced marriage. Why? We all agree that we gradually evolved from apes, right? So, how did marriage come to be in all these different times and places?

Our society actively seeks to erase sacred history from our cultural memories and treat them as superstitious myths, but we all practice marriage because we are sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. We are all the result of their holy matrimony. And their practice has endured to us today because marriage is God’s creation: two people with different interests, skills, goals, desires, ways of viewing the world, and even at times from different places and cultures — these two make permanent vows to become one flesh and form a new family with this very different person.

But many do try to topple down this ancient tradition, along with many others. Ray told some of  this fable: some explorers were traveling through forests when they suddenly came upon a large ancient wall. They didn’t understand. The wall seemed so pointless. Frustrated, they decided to topple down the wall. And, of course, they came to discover that they just unleashed their worst nightmare. But, of course, it was too late — the wall originally took a thousand years to build.

This is the way traditions appear to many of us in the West — especially after the enlightenment. Some ancient weirdos made this silly tradition, I don’t understand how it benefits me, so I’m not participating. For me, it’s Easter Eggs. I don’t get it. Celebrate the resurrection with a bunny hiding colorful eggs? But we have these traditions. And sometimes we decide to begrudgingly keep on with the family and cultural tradition. But, on occasion, we uncover an ancient story — patriarch so-and-so created this ritual so we’d be reminded about this important thing. And suddenly, we may be glad we didn’t toss it aside. We may even derive deep satisfaction from participating in something larger than us. And, for what it’s worth, do research Easter Eggs.

Marriage is like this. And this tradition makes our lives really complicated… but we all keep marrying. Some to do it begrudgingly, some do it to escape loneliness and, today, most marry to find personal happiness. Despite the different flawed reasons people marry for, God actually devised matrimony for specific reasons. There is absolutely more we could discuss, but for today, consider two of those reasons with me.

First, God wants us to marry to multiply: raise up godly offspring to fill and rule the earth with his image.

Gen. 1:26, 28 ESV, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ … And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

Mal. 2:15 ESV, “Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring.”

Marriage comes with an awesome responsibility. What an honor it is to given the power to be able to create life! And, even more, to be able to create life in God’s image. God has placed a tremendous responsibility in the hands of those of us who are married — to raise up godly offspring to fill the earth for his name. And, while I’m only 4 years into this, I see this is very hard work.

Yet, in the West, we marry for happiness. And we might be tempted mock those in the East or someone like Ruth who married for family and children. Yet God wants us to marry in part to fill the earth with those who bear God’s image. Is that why we married? Are our marriages serving this honorable purpose?

The technology of contraceptives has helped to fundamentally transform our culture’s imagination of marriage and sexuality. You may have heard the wise saying, “The medium is the message.” It’s true. The mediums — or the technologies — we use to get things done affect how we view what we just did. Take transportation as an example. I might simply think that how I get from A to B doesn’t have much significance and I should probably only think about time and cost. But, actually, walking, driving, boating, flying, or teleporting from one place to another all shift  our imagination of what A and B are and of what lies between them.

Time-telling works the same way. It says something about time to determine when we are by looking at the sun. And it says something else if I look at a watch which counts seconds.  In fact, Paul’s command to make the best use of the time takes on a different connotation with a stopwatch on my wrist. Food. If I invite you to my house and I set before you a bag of McDonalds, you will get a different sense of what it means for us to share table together than if I were to set before you homemade dishes with a plate and fork, or a common bowl with no utensils.

If I read the Scriptures on a screen, or sown together in one book, as a collection of individual scrolls, it affects what we imagine the Scriptures to be. My point is not that any of these things is always inherently right or wrong — even contraceptives; it’s that they impact us more than we may know. We have been given technology without the wisdom to know when and if we should use it (cf. 1 Cor. 6:12ff; 10:23-24).

God designed sexuality in part as a way for us to take down all our walls to enact, celebrate, and enjoy oneness with our spouse. And, at the same time, sexuality is also how we multiply and fill the earth with God’s image. And, if the command to multiply weren’t enough, Malachi repeats that God expects godly offspring from marriage and sexuality. Paul later goes on to instruct younger widows to marry and bear children (1 Tim. 5:14). This may sound strange to us, but maybe we’re the strange ones. The widespread use of contraceptives in our culture has put a magnifying glass on the moment of intercourse so that sexuality is about pleasure not oneness, no strings attached not intimacy, children are optional, and, if it pleases me, I can pursue sexuality with the same sex.

— By the way, homosexual marriage, pornography, and contraceptives may not pick our pockets or break our legs, but, as a widespread phenomenon they have all separated sexuality from procreation and fundamentally transformed part of the end for which marriage and sexuality were made. —

But marriage and sexuality is no longer about intimate oneness, nor godly offspring. And then if and when we do have children according to our perfectly planned timing, have you ever wondered if maybe our motivations for having children get mixed up too? If I will only receive children in my time in my way, is it still selfless love?

— I remember one evening five years into marriage when Ashley and I were griping and pouting at each other about our different opinions about how we should spend our Friday night — and I suddenly came to and told Ashley: our decision to militantly prevent children has made us more individualistic and selfish.—

But my point isn’t simply about what may happen with one couple here or there. My point is to show how far our culture is from the biblical norm lest we think this is normal or okay. As a culture, we have separated something that ought not be separated — like separating works from faith, the assembly from the Lord’s Supper, Sunday from embodied assembly, or Jesus from the gospel. I am not saying contraceptives are 100% always wrong or unwise; I am saying I have been a fool to think our powerful technologies are simply indifferent tools; they change us.

Now, God may not always give us the ability to conceive — whether because we are single, elderly, or struggling with the pain of infertility. More should be said, and I don’t at all intend to heal your wounds lightly, but take heart. Jesus and Paul never had children; yet, they have many offspring. In Acts, Luke said the church multiplied. The Ethiopian Eunuch wouldn’t ever have children, yet he still went on his way rejoicing. He would soon go on in his Isaiah scroll to read: “Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from his people’; and let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.’” (Isaiah 56:3–5 ESV) We marry in part to raise up godly offspring, but God can give us a purpose, place, and name even without the biological ability to have children.

But, let’s also not miss the point: let’s orient our marriages to serve God’s ends and let’s teach our children to marry for God’s ends.

Second, we marry because God began history with a wedding and he will end all history with a wedding. Marriage is the metanarrative of history and reality. All things began with the uniting of Adam and Eve, and all things will end with the uniting of Christ and the church, heaven and earth.

After God formed Adam and breathed life into him, he put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. But God quickly announced “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Gen. 2:18) So, God put Adam into a deep sleep, took a portion of his side, formed it into a woman, and brought her to him. He awoke in the Garden of Eden to his beautiful bride, praised and named her. The Scriptures conclude the story like this: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh,” (Gen. 2:24).

But, later, Paul says this practice is a profound mystery that refers to Christ and the church (Eph. 5:32). The Son left the Father and gave his body to form the church. After he died they pierced his side; but God raised him up in a garden and where a woman, Mary Magdalene, met him — the firstfruits of his bride to be. And now as the church we are betrothed as a pure virgin to Christ our future husband (2 Cor. 11:2). And now we are readying ourselves for that great wedding and feast.

But that’s not all. when Paul talks about two becoming one in Ephesians 5 — husbands and wives, Christ and the church — this is at the end of a letter that has focused on two becoming one. Jews and Gentiles are hostile towards one another, but in the cross Christ breaks down the dividing wall of hostility “that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross,” (Eph. 2:15-16). And, even earlier, Paul says that God’s plan is to ultimately “unite all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth.”

Do we  see the honor God has given us in our marriages to participate in something much bigger than ourselves? Our Father taught us to marry so we might image and enact the end for which we were all made: oneness, unity — with God and each other.

But two becoming one is challenging, isn’t it? We have “irreconcilable differences,” so divorce seems inevitable. Large differences make unity seem impossible. A few years ago someone told me they thought it was a bad idea for people from different cultures to marry — they’re just making it harder on themselves. I rebuked them, but it left me disturbed — maybe deep down we may all feel this sense that unity can never result in the midst of diversity.

This is what can frustrate us so much about our spouse. They do things so differently. This is what can frustrate us so much about each other. This is actually what frustrates me about God — I usually realize God’s ways are higher, but sometimes I just wish he’d do things my way. On our worst days it seems impossible: Jews, Gentiles, and various cultures are too different to be united, heaven and earth could never come together, Christ and the messy church will never be one, and I will never be one with this spouse of mine.

How is any of this possible? 1 Cor. 13:4–8 ESV, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

In Jesus — Son of God from heaven and Son of Man from earth — God will unite all seen and unseen creation to share in the eternal love of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The prophets saw a day when people would be at peace and one with each other, and God at peace and one with his people. It’s all possible by love. Because, love never ends. So, it’s high time to learn this love of Jesus that will unite all things.

Marrieds: don’t stop sacrificing for one another and pressing into one another. Only in this love will you display with the rest of the church the mystery of the ages: how two become one, how enemies lay down their swords, how God wins back his children, how Jesus draws the church to himself — love. Not the love of the world, but the love of God revealed in the cross of Jesus and embodied in us.

And while marriage is certainly unique, we are all to pursue this unity by loving each other — sharing gifts and services, time and affection, the word and prayer, work and rest, food and fasting — all together for the glory and dominion of God in Christ.

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: John Kilgore

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Scott Kercheville

Reading ancient mythology can be surprising as a Christian — the gods of Greece, Rome, and various cultures are often quite selfish and evil. They sleep around, scheme, break rules, and get revenge. But it really shouldn’t be that surprising, because Paul says the gods in idols temples aren’t gods at all, but demons. The gods of pagan mythology appear to often really be empowered by what we call demons. These pagan gods exist because rebellious sons of God don’t stay in their place: they want to hijack and replace us and God. So they deceive us and make us in their image: they want more now, and they allure us into the desire of more now. Demons hold out the promise of fame, fortune, knowledge, power, and sex, but when we reach to take these through the impatience and selfishness they teach us, we become as dark, irrational, and bestial as demons. And we become as powerless as idols. The gods of our age are disguised as angels of light — they appear impressive and flashy and innocent — but behind them are powers of darkness that want to commandeer the most honored creatures in all God’s creation: the sons and daughters of God.

How can we be set free from the demonic spirit of this age that makes us so selfish, so powerless, pitiful, impure? As others have put it, the Son of God became man that we might become sons and daughters of God. When we see the Son, we see the Father. When we worship the Son we become like him and the Father. Jesus is lifting us up to overcome demons and to share in the divine nature. And the humble self-sacrifice of the cross is one shocking difference between the divine nature and the satanic one — and it is how Jesus conquered Satan. When Jesus is lifted up on the cross, the Satanic ruler of this world is cast out. Franklin has read Philippians 2 which takes this look at the selflessness of the cross. But I want us to look at John 13, because here Jesus gives us an image of what it looks like to make a fool of Satan in the mundane, everyday, cross-like humility and service of foot-washing.

Setting Up Jesus’ Service (John 13:1-4a)

John sets up the scene in verses 1-3.

Verse 1. Despite the fact that Jesus will soon depart from the world, despite the fact that he has already loved his own, John says Jesus “loved them to the end.” Jesus’ love for them was already enough that he set aside his heavenly glory, assumed human form, was tempted and tired, and he taught and healed, but his love did not stop short. Jesus’ rises from supper when he has already loved to the point of frustration and exhaustion.

Verse 2. Jesus rises from supper when the devil had already put it in Judas’ heart to betray Jesus. Note how John clearly calls out the dark spiritual behind Judas’ greed and betrayal. I reminded our daughters this week that when they scream at one another it is because they have let Satan’s spirit in them and that they are grieving the Holy Spirit. But Jesus washes feet when the betrayer is at the table. Have you been betrayed before? This is someone who takes your love, trust, and vulnerability toward them and selfishly uses it for their own benefit. He rose to serve even the soon to be Satanic enemy who sat at his table.

Verse 3. Jesus rose from supper when he knew the Father had already given all things into his hands and when he knew was going back to God. Jesus will soon be sitting with the Father on his throne. But that did not cause him to be selfishly important. It did not rob him of humility or the opportunity to love on and honor his own.

And remember, as we read on, that Jesus has said that when we see him, we are seeing the Father. Sometimes we might be tempted to pit their character against one another — good cop, bad cop. Now, notice verses 4-12.

Taking the Form of a Servant

After walking on the dusty roads, people commonly washed their own feet when they entered a home. But when Jesus stoops down to wash Peter’s feet, he refuses Jesus outright. We must understand what a humble service this was for Jesus to perform. Except on rare occasions, not even peers washed one another’s feet. In fact, I read about a Jewish document that said not even Jewish slaves should wash another Jews’ feet. This was a task reserved for the lowest of servants.

Notice again what Jesus does when he rises from the table in verse 4. He takes off his garment so that he is now only wearing a tunic. Then he wraps a towel around his waste and fills up a water basin. Do you see what Jesus looks like? He has just taken on the form of a servant. Jesus doesn’t have to change to wash their feet and John doesn’t have to tell us about this, but John appears to be at pains to show us something. Notice how John concludes the account in verse 12. Do we see what Jesus has just done? Jesus told Peter that later they would understand, and I wonder if this is one of those things they wouldn’t fully grasp until the months and years after the resurrection when they pondered it all.

Go back to verses 1 and 3 and note the three-fold picture of Jesus here:

• He came from the Father into the world;
• He loved those in the world to the end;
• The Father put all things into his hands and he returned to the Father.

Knowing these things:

• Jesus rose, laid aside his garment, tied a towel around his waist;
• Poured water in a basin and washed his disciples’ feet;
• Put on his garment and resumed his place.

This three-fold picture can be seen elsewhere in Scripture. Consider Philippians 2:

• He was in the form of God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant;
• He humbled himself, obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross;
• God has highly exalted him with the highest name that all might bow before him.

In fact, we can even see this in John 17:4-5. ESV: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

• He had glory with the Father before the world existed;
• He glorified the Father on earth, did the Father’s work;
• The Father would restore the glory he had before.

Jesus laid aside his garments and took the form of a servant just as left the Father’s throne, emptied himself, and took on humanity. He washed their feet as a servant just as he served throughout his life and especially in his death. Then put his garments back on and resumed his place just as the Father would soon exalt him to his throne, now as a divine human. Now consider his explanation in verses 13-17. The Lord washed their feet to give us all an example to follow, that we would do just as he has done. This is what Philippians teaches us — have the mind of Christ. Jesus is sparking a revolution of humble service. He’s leading many sons to his glory by the shocking path of humble servitude.

Washing Feet As Jesus Did

Demons have taught us only to take for ourselves and they have made us like shameful, ignorant, and powerless. But Jesus is trailblazing the path to perfect power and goodness. Let’s consider what Jesus calls us to in light of what he did.

He didn’t hold on for his own advantage. Jesus had a nice robe and a nice supper in front of him. He could have asked someone else to wash feet. He could have kept his robe on while washing feet. But Jesus adopted both the clothing and work of a servant. He was in the form of God, but he did not count his equality with God as a thing to be held onto for his own advantage, but he emptied himself and took the form of a servant (Philippians 2).

We all have something. God gives us abilities, gifts, positions, power, privileges, possessions, money. What has God given you? Even if we think we have little, we have time, strength, mouths, hands, and feet. If we will wash feet as Jesus did, it requires we consider not holding onto our gifts, power, position, time, routines — our hands and feet — for our own advantage, but rather empty ourselves for the good of others.

This is not what critical race proponents tells us to do — to renounce our privileges. It is rather recognizing that there is not a thing we have that we were not given (1 Cor. 4:7) and following Jesus by using what we have been given to serve others. If I am king, I shouldn’t wield that power for myself. If I am in control of the budget, I shouldn’t selfishly benefit from that. If we have disposable time or income, we shouldn’t go searching for some fruitless thing to waste it on. And I should be willing to use them or let them all go for the good of others. We loosen our grip — don’t hold on for personal advantage.

He became a servant. Jesus went from reclining at the table and being honorably clothed to kneeling before stinky feet as a lowly servant. He was surrounded by the praises of heaven, but he became lower than the angels. The Almighty, tireless God took on risk: he was enfleshed, he became weak, tired, sick, and killable. He didn’t send a text, picture, or video. He didn’t come as a virtual reality hologram. And he died the death of a criminal. In his love and humility, he served until it killed him.

When God’s death on the cross is our example, our humility can know no limits. Humility doesn’t mean we denigrate ourselves, but it means we have a modest view of ourselves and that we are willing to lower ourselves. If the Son of God became a servant, if the Son of God was killed as a criminal for us, nothing is beneath any of us. Not for elders or evangelists to sit with the sick or to become sick; not for deacons or any of us to weep with those who weep. Not for any of us to reorient our schedules to be there for one another. Not for fathers and mothers to wipe poopy diapers and clean dishes — or to attend to the concerns of a child. Not for those who are healthy to wear a mask to serve those who are at risk — or to set aside any liberty. None of us is too important to do something that appears menial. It is a glory for those who are first to become as the last.

This doesn’t mean we abandon our post. In Acts 6, the Greek-speaking widows were being overlooked. The apostles said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” (Acts 6:2 ESV) They were not arrogantly saying that serving tables was beneath them; rather, serving at tables would force them to leave behind prayer and preaching. But we have to ask ourselves with each opportunity — am I concerned I will fail at my God-given responsibility? Or is that I simply refuse to accept any risk, any loss, any tiredness, any change?

God has highly exalted him. When Jesus was done serving, he put on his garment and resumed his place at the table. After Jesus became human, served and died, God raised him from the dead. Later, he ascended to the right hand of God. He is still the Son of man, but mysteriously now with the glory he had with the Father before the world was created.

James 4:10 ESV, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” Paul says in Rom. 2:6–8 ESV, “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.” We ought to seek exaltation. glory, honor, and immortality, but not directly and not now. The path to that is patience, humility, and good-doing.

What keeps us from humbly “washing feet?” Maybe there was something else we wanted to do with that time, energy, money. Maybe we fear that in selflessness we will end up alone and naked. But did God leave Jesus in the tomb? We will be restored and strengthened. Those who humble themselves will be exalted. Those who endure with Christ will reign with him.

Self-servers are Satanic fools. Remember who is sitting at the table when Jesus does this? Satan’s betrayer. Notice John 13:17-19. Judas’ betrayal was likely a shock to the disciples until they remembered Jesus’ words. But as they looked back, as we look back, do we see any glory in his selfishness? The glorious God removed his garments, took on the form of a servant, and washed Judas’ feet. He gave Judas bread and a seat at his table. Then, Judas served himself and betrayed Jesus for silver. What fool he looks like now. Doesn’t that suck all the power out of Satan’s selfish silver? No one wants to be like that. When Jesus is lifted up on the cross, the ruler of this world really is cast out. The Lord moved heaven and earth to serve us, wash our feet — may God forbid that we, like Judas, walk away no different for it — still self-important. If we do, we’ll miss out on honor, glory, and exaltation with Jesus. We’ll miss out on the opportunity share in the glory of the path of the cross.

Conclusion

“Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12 ESV) The past 2,000 years are full of people who have sacrificed much for others — most we will never know until the books are opened in the last day, and Satan’s side looks foolish all over again. The Son of God became man that men and women might, by the path of humility, become sons and daughter of God.

Discussion Questions for Group Meetings:

1. Take a second look at your life and your various circles - moment by moment, day by day - where do you see any new opportunities to serve people in more humble, servant-like capacities?

2. If you haven’t consistently served in these ways before, why not? What all keeps you from serving in these ways?

Series: N/A

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: John Kilgore