Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet in John 13 illustrates the principle that true greatness in God's kingdom is found in humility and service, not worldly ambition. The sermon contrasts the disciples' disputes over who would be greatest with Jesus' act of kneeling to wash their feet, highlighting that the path to honor is through self-abasement, mirroring Christ's own humility in Philippians 2. This act serves as a model for believers to serve one another, emphasizing that genuine connection with Christ is maintained through humble service, not just positional standing. The message concludes by urging believers to embrace humility and service as the practical outworking of their faith, reflecting Christ's example in their interactions.
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Now this morning we're coming to John's Gospel. The Gospel of John chapter... Thirteen and the story of the feet washing by our Lord Jesus Christ. John thirteen verse one. Maybe before we read that verse I'm just thinking I've never done this before but I believe there's a little thought that we could tie in nicely with what we're going to say in relation to the opening of chapter thirteen. Would you look at verse thirty-six of chapter twelve for a moment? While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.
These things spake Jesus and departed, and as that expression did hide himself from them. Now the next time we see him is up in the upper room, chapter thirteen. Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that the Tsar 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 writhed from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself. After that he pours water into a basin, began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then come into Simon Peter, and Peter says unto him, Lord dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, 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 said 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. 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 to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you 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, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent, greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them. Maybe we should just look at verse ten. The word wash is used here quite a bit, and we might just notice verse ten. Jesus said unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet. And the word is bathed here. He that is bathed or bathed needeth not save to wash his feet. But it's clean every week. You're clean but not all. We'd like to say something about that later on.
Now, I read that little word with you in chapter twelve. because I want to suggest to you that in the gospel of John we have the what I call the tabernacle gospel and what I mean by that is as the tabernacle was divided into three parts the court the holy place and the holiest of all so I think we can find this in the gospel of John so that in chapters one to twelve I think you'll see that Jesus is in the court of the tabernacle as it were then I read he hides himself for you remember that there was in the court the other portion of the tabernacle called the holy place and once the priest stepped inside the veil they were hidden from the outside and so it seems that in chapter thirteen as the Lord climbs literally the steps of that little house or whatever it was into the upper room the public he's out of the sight of the public And except for the crucifixion, they're never again in association with them.
Jesus did hide himself. Now, in the holy place, we have the portion of the priests. And the ministry of John, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen is very definitely Christian ministry. It's ministry for the priestly family. Then when we come to the chapter seventeen, I suggest we have the holiest of all. Now, we have the holy place, but then beyond the holy, beyond the first veil, there's a second veil, and into that veil, only the high priest entered one day in the year. And that would bring us to John chapter seventeen. The Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter seventeen, we find these as it were, all alone with the Father in that high priestly prayer, and he says, I finished the work.
So that really then John's Gospel ends in chapter seventeen, because what follows in eighteen, nineteen and twenty are the details included in his prayer in John seventeen when he finished the work. And when we come to chapter twenty-one, we often express ourselves as it being the epilogue to the Gospel. Now, in washing the disciple's feet, isn't it a nice contrast? And I've never said this before, but I enjoyed it this morning. His feet were attended to. Notice I didn't say washed. His feet were attended to in chapter twelve. Now, their feet are being attended to in chapter thirteen.
But in chapter twelve, it's his feet are being anointed. In chapter thirteen, it's their feet being washed. and to make them clean? Well, would his feet not have been defiled? Literally, yes, but the silences of Scripture are so perfect. In other words, the suggestion, as I see it is, after living thirty-three years in this world of sin and sorrow, there was no defilement clung to our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, so that Mary does not wash her feet, but Mary does anoint her feet, But now here's the disciples. Even on the eve of their public manifestation among the people, they must need to be watched.
There's no suggestion of anointing for them. There's a background to this story. And I will ever be grateful that God showed me the background to this incident. Once I used to preach from it and enjoy preaching from it, but oh, it was a new story completely. When I saw there was a background to it. And what is the background? Well, some short time before the Lord left the public and went to the upper room, the mother of the two disciples, James and John, came to the Lord, and she had a request. And the request was that our two sons, James and John, should sit on his right hand and left hand in his kingdom.
And the upshot of that was that the Lord Jesus Christ explained that that was entirely in the Father's hand. Now, while this little conversation was going on between the mother and the disciples and the Lord Jesus, the disciples, the rest of the band, they were angry and they were expressing their anger at the mother and the other two disciples. As if to say, who do they think they are? Who does she think they are that she wants those places for them? And so the scripture says there's an argument as to which should be the greatest. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ answered and should have settled the argument, but it wasn't settled.
But however, the Lord gave the perfect explanation. And the explanation is simply this, that in the prayers of men, whether it's in the industry or whether it's in royal circles. The point is, he makes, and I'm not quoting the script or I'm explaining it to you, you become great. Well, then when you become great, you trample down those who are lesser than you. But then there are those who are greater than you and they trample you down. So it is in the world. The higher you rise, the more you trample down, the more you look down in those below you. Not in my kingdom, he said. It's just the reverse. For in my kingdom, the least will be the greatest.
In other words, what he's saying in effect is the pathway to the throne is humility. Now, that's the pathway I'm taking. And my humility will bow my head in the cross of shame. But for that cross, that cross will be exchanged. and I'll sit in the throne. And in the measure in which you follow my steps, in the measure in which you walk in the path of humility, will be the path that will lead to honor for the proverb is right before honor is humility. Now we come to the upper room. Sometimes I think that some of those disciples were thunderheads.
And then I say, well, you're no better than me, and I suppose that's right. Now I would have thought that after having learned that, that that would be the set of matters settled, but it wasn't. And when they reach the upper room, there's a dispute. What's the dispute there? Same old thing. Who's going to be the greatest? Who's going to... And they're arguing among themselves. And in the midst of their arguing, the Lord Jesus Christ leaves his seat. And towards the water in the basin, he washes them drives into the towel and he says, Stand. You know what I've done to you? The greatest became the least in the upper room.
And the least in the upper room that night will be the greatest in the kingdom. Brethren, it's a lesson I've to learn. It's a lesson every one of you have to learn. That the greater you aspire to be down here, the lesser will you be in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now you read Philippians II if you like. I'll refer to that in a moment. And I think you'll agree that is the letter of Philippians II. Down, down, down, down, down, up, up, up, up. So before honor there must be humility.
Now the Lord Jesus Christ, he's going to wield a center. In Hebrews that's right. When we see that scepter in his hand, whether you think of it literally, otherwise it's not the point, it's the hand that's worthy to hold the scepter. The scepter held in that hand the day. That day is the hand that this night held the tower. Now having said that, let me say something. Isn't it true that that nature of those idols is in you and in me? In other words, that there's a greatness is a human aspiration. Go back to the Garden of Eden. Satan's talking to Eve.
And he says, does God say you can't eat of all the trees? Oh yes, he said, we can eat of all the trees, but that tree. Well, he said, do you know something? If you were to take of that tree that he has said you shouldn't eat of, I want to tell you, you'll be as a God. You'll be as God. You're just human now. See, I lost me. You're right. You'll be as God. Knowing God is evil. And so she told Adam, and Adam put forth his hand. That's in you. That's in me.
Put forth my hand and grab that which is greater. This comes all comes out in the sea. So we have the two Adam's, the Adam of Genesis two, and the Adam of Philippians two. The first Adam, the last Adam. And the first Adam is grasping to right either. The last Adam is grasping to get down the door, for being in the form of God. God is not robbery for a thing to be grasped at, to be equal with God. Ye shall be his gods. That's robbery! belong to you.
He thought it not as simple as he grasped it, to be evil as God, made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and became found impassioned as a manly comely, became obedient unto death, even when death was gone. So when he reached the last rung of the ladder of humiliation, God inverted it, and, thank God, he takes the highest station. Oh, with joy the sight of old, crowned him, crowned him, Lord of all, he takes the highest station. Now, beloved saints, another thing I want you to notice, this was the chance of a lifetime and missed by all.
Chance for the light, missed by all. Have you ever studied the eye story of the upper room? Many a time I raise questions and I'll never get them answered. Until I get to heaven, I don't know whether God won't answer questions of their request. But if they're going to be answered, I don't expect to get the answer down here. Whose upper room was it? How was it all planned? How was it all arranged? I don't know. Where was the man that was the host or the man that had arranged the upper room? Where did he go? Did he not say, no, apparently not. What can you make of it? Well, all I'm really interested in at this time is that Scripture, oh my, talks about a towel, talks about a basin, and talks about water.
In the Gospel of John, the Gospel that plunges us into the depths of the knowledge of the deity, talking about a towel and a basin and water and feet that may wash, Oh, brother and sister, let me say, you've got a book in your hand that's a treasure for God. Only God's mind could conceive such a book. Now I think I understand maybe the teaching. When they reach the upper room, where's the servant? Nobody else here, Lord. Where's the servant who can't sit down to eat till we wash? Who's going to wash her feet?
Who's going to wash her feet? There was a dispute among them. After who would be the greatest? What led to that? What gave rise to the question? I believe it simply was, who's going to wash her feet? I understand that in the, after Oriental fashion of the Middle East, there were servants. Some of them were honored servants to written tables. Some were menial, and part of their work was to wash the feet of the guests. So I suppose I hear Peter saying, You don't expect me to wash your feet. Don't forget the Lord said, I'm number one. I'm getting the keys.
Well, says John, if you're not going to wash them, Peter, I don't have to wash them later. Please remember, I rest on his bosom. Well, says James to John, I suppose if that's the case, John, you're no better than I am for I'm your twin. We understand that's the meaning of the word, twin brothers. After all, since Simon the Peter, Peter, don't forget, I brought you to the Lord. You remember? And so I don't know what the others might say, but the other seven, I don't know what about Judas could say. Well, if you want to, none of us is going to tell. Then the Lord rose. Lay beside the outer garment.
That beautiful robe. So much so that the soldiers said, oh, I say, fellas, don't let me tear it up. I'm willing to gamble for it. I'll take the chance on it. Good. Someone should get it. Not destroy it. Beautiful robe. Lay it aside. Philippians do again. Pour of water in a basin. And then wash the surface. Now again, I'm drawing on my imagination. He washes one, two, three, down the lap. And I love Peter for him. He blundered each time he opened his mouth. He did. He blundered, but I love him just to say. And so when it comes to Peter's turn, the Lord says, Don't ask.
He says to the Lord, Dost thou? Did you notice the emphasis we've placed in the pronouns? Dost thou? Wash my feet? No, you'll never wash my feet. I like Peter for that. Dear Peter just couldn't bear the thought that the Lord would stoop down at his feet and watch them. But they missed the chance, and Brad and Wilson, but forget it, forget it if you like. I wasn't there, so I didn't miss any chance. But you know, I'm afraid I've missed a lot of chances in my lifetime, too. Have you? I've missed a lot of chances.
And they never occurred, truly. Don't seem to come back. Oh, dear Saints of God, I don't know how long we'll have. But may the Lord write this little word in our hearts at this time. That is possible. I watch it. When a chance occurs, it may never be mine again. And I'll embrace the opportunity, the chance of a lifetime loss. Well, now, if Peter had washed John's feet or vice versa, I don't think there would have been too much, too. That'd be nice. And I say for Peter to do or for John to have done it, it would be nice for the Lord to do it. You see, there are three things stated here in the opening of the story.
And I think they are a background, if you like, to bring the Lord into view. And one is his sovereignty. He knew that all things were given into his hand. universal sovereignty the other day Trudeau don't know what you folks down here think of Trudeau you likely think what I think of not too much well anyway Trudeau he was going to he was in London, Ontario and there was a girl there had an autograph with a book and she was trying to get him to sign it as the procession was going down and somebody tripped her or she tripped in some way and failed Truda stopped to pick her up and give her a little peck on the cheek.
And the reporter told the story. And I suppose that girl will be able to tell her friends with some pride, I would imagine, the Prime Minister kissed me, who is the after all, just a piece of fleshy blood like you and me. And his breathless nostril And that goes for our president. That goes for our queen. That goes for everyone in highest state whose breath is in their nostrils. But he who put the breath within the nostrils is the one who bows the feet of these eleven or twelve disciples.
This universal Sabbath day. And not only that, notice he says, it says, knowing that he came from God, where did you come from? We came from our mother's womb. And where did she come from? Down the line she came from the dust of the ground. He came from God. And as he takes the feet in his hand and washes those feet, he can very clearly see the day when the feet will no longer walk, but wrapped in the shroud and laid in the grave and crumbled in dust. He came from God.
He was going to God that he laid aside his garments and he was. There's a very important lesson to learn, and I was strange that our brother Willie referred to it in speaking. I must be of the Lord. He was talking about the breaking of bread meeting and about making sure you're... He didn't use the word. I'm using it. Making sure you're clean. before you come. Cleansing must precede communion. If I wash thee not, now listen to me, I'm going to say something that's wrong and I want you to detect it. If I wash thee not, thou hast no part in me.
Didn't say that. If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. You see, there are two washings suggested in the story. Peter wants the washing again and the Lord explains it to him. He's going to be no bathing. It's just going to be washing of the feet. So he doesn't say in me, brethren and sisters, we were cleansed through his blood, the blood of the cross. And that cleansing puts us in Christ. I may be a good living Christian. Sorry to say I might be a bad living Christian. But my part in him is never, never, never caged. But my part with him comes and goes, good, bad, and indifferent.
And if I watch thee not, thou hast no part with me. What does it mean? Well, let's get back to the Lord's Supper. They were going to take the Lord's Supper. They had partaken of the Passover. Peter was, Judas identified. pute a sleeve, then the Lord suffered, and Pete Paul wasn't there, but he said, the Lord told me this, that a man examine himself, and so let him eat. So let him eat. You know, dear saints, it's sad in our assembly, I think some of your friends may be strangers to that expression, but the assembly is represented here by those who have inaugurated the Park of the Palms Assembly, and through the country, everywhere I go, breaking the bread usually at nine thirty, But no matter what hours some folks will come in.
Ten and fifteen minutes late. And I must say, I get angry. I get righteously angry at them. And if you're one of them, dear friend, well, I can't hide it. I'm angry at you. What an insult you're paying to our blessed Lord Jesus. And direct insult. If President Nixon wants you at the White House at a certain hour, you'll be there and you don't. Well, our Lord is there in the midst. Do you appreciate it? Then, beloved saints of God, in God's name, let us be in time.
But what am I driving on? Very likely, if you will rush like that to get to the meeting, there's been no preparation before the church. Then the bed may be one, two in the morning, out of bed, scrabble into her clothes, I wash and shave, and scrub a bit of breakfast, and then jump in the car and down to the chapel. Oh, beloved, still gone. What kind of an age are we living in? What disrespect are we showing to our blessed Lord Jesus Christ? If I wash, they not. There was no part with me. And I would suggest in many cases that those I've thought that I've suggested, we go through it mechanically, the breaking of the bread, and there's nothing to it, and tell them to the tear, peel down your teeth, as you take a look, and could say to yourself that, Lord, speaking down through the corridor, I, in my body, broken through.
So not only in the breaking of bread, but maybe you read your Bible and your clothes, and I say to you, what did you read? I don't remember. No, you don't remember. Why was they not? Thou was no part with me. Maybe you try to lift your heart and pray to the Lord, and... Now, if you give up, why was they not? Thou was no part with me. Maybe you try to do a little service for the Lord. Maybe some of you pray and give a little word, or perhaps speak in the gospel. It's like throwing rock peas at the rottinger browser. You see, whether it's in my Bible reading, whether it's in my prayer life, whether it's in my service, whether it's in my worship, the ruler is inflexible.
If I want to say not, if I want to say not, thou hast no part with me. Dear saints of God, don't think I'm cruel, or don't think I'm uncouth. Believe me to be sincere. I never will be a regarded person As a preacher who at night flowery sermons, I'll never be called a sermonizer. I think I'll always be called a preacher. One who reaches consciences. One, thank God, can also, in God's help, reach the hearts. Now, he is a day needed not saved to watch us.
Peter wanted to be all white, and the Lord teaches us a very important lesson. Now, David understands Maybe what he said, more so than you, I would understand it. But we too can read our Bible and appreciate it. You see, when the priests were inducted, when the priests were inducted, this is what we read. They were taken to the brazen altar, and they had the blood applied to the person of the offering. And then Moses watched them, his brother and his nephews, or his sons, He washed them. It was another one that did it. But then after that, Moses never touched them.
They took care of it themselves. So don't you see there are the pure washing. There's the bathing that took place in conversion. And that never will be repeated. And that was done by him. But then there's the daily washing. And beloved saints, that's done by me. And by you. In the first one, it's the guilt of sin, but in this one, it is the defilement. And there's an Oriental picture in the background. They didn't have the baths that we have today. They didn't live in the luxury that we live in. And so an Oriental would go to the bathing place, and there he would bath.
Bath all over. putting his sandals on his feet, he'd returned to his home. But when he'd returned to his home, he wouldn't bat bath again. Oh, no. But he would have been defiled in his feet, and he could wash his feet, but not bat in the day. And remember, it's in our baptism, and isn't this precious? In the two ordinances, we have the two teachings. How many times should a saint be baptized? And of course, need I say, and yet, dear friends, perhaps we preachers take a lot for granted. Don't think it may we is a surprise, but I'll say it anyway. It might be. There's no such thing as baptism for anyone but a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. And there's no such thing as baptism by sprinkling or pouring water on the head.
Nothing like that in the Bible. And it's absolutely sheer ignorance or studied insult to say anything else. I say that, advise it later. Paptism is immersion, submersion and emergence. I die immersion. I'm buried submersion. I'm resurrected in Christ, emergent. Beautiful picture. Now how often? What? Never again. But what have we got in the Lord's Supper? In the Lord's Supper we have the memory of that, and that we do not re-baptize it every day of our life, but every week that rolls around, and don't forget it's the first day of the week.
Now, I may say something that's not too acceptable to some of you dear friends, but remember, are you going to pick sides with your own ideas, or are you going to pick sides with the Word of God? That's the question to ask. How often did the disciples do? Sometime ago in Pennsylvania, A young brother was at the meeting when I mentioned it was the first day of the week. Which first day of the week? Which first day of the week? Was it the first Lord's day? Was it the last Lord's day? Which one do you think it was? We're just told it's the first day of the week. Well, how many first days of the month do we have? Four, sometimes five.
Well, then it's the first day of the week. And he went to his father and told him, and of course the father argued from that, Unfortunately, the boy didn't do much. I wish he had. I said, go and ask the father this question. What first day of the week do we take the collection? So Christendom all over the world accepts First Corinthians, the first day of the week, as the day for the collection. Well, beloved saints of God, we accept the first day of the week as the day for the Lord's Supper. In my country, there's a little town called Van Bridge. Years ago there was a preacher there called John Knox McEwen. His nephews are living in this country.
And he preached there and there was a little church in that town and there were girls in that church who belonged to it and were daughters of the old preacher and the girls were not saved. They attended the meetings of our old preacher McEwen and God saved. They were baptized and received into fellowship in the local assembly there, and the father never raised a question until one day. I think he was pleased to see the change in the lives of his girls. So he said to the girls one day, listen, why is it you never go to any questionable places of amusement now? She said, spokesman for the others, Father, you gave us good advice, and you said to us, that when Communion Sunday rolls around, make sure you don't go to any question of place three days before, or three days after.
And she said, it's Communion Sunday, every Sunday in the Gospel hallway. Beautiful, isn't it? Three days before and three days after, and the Lord's Day is always the first day, and thank God there's a lesson to be learned, so that baptism is once for all, and the breaking of bread is as often. Now, what I have done to you, you should do to one another, wash one another's feet. Now, there's not much of this done. And I stand guilty before you. I do my best in my ministry. God knows that. I do. I think I try to fulfill as sincerely as I can my responsibility.
But I'm thinking of the individual aspect of feet, And I feel although I'm over fifty years in the root of heaven, I don't think yet I've really learned. I can minister it possibly, but experimentally I wish I knew it more. Now here's the example. The Lord Jesus Christ, he says, do as I, not just what I've done, do it the way I did it. Well, what way did he do it? First of all, he kneels. That's nice, isn't it? Second thing is, he uses water of room temperature. Isn't that nice? Not too hot, not too cold.
And then thirdly, notice, when he washes their feet, he dries them, kneels his humility, the right temperature of his wisdom, and when he dries them, discomforts. Oh, good God, I could be with you. You see, when he was kneeling, they were looking down at him. I think they were reclining, Newbury says. And if that's so them, and he had to wash their feet, he had to get down to them, and they would look down and head and kneel. No, that's not the way I would do it. I would ordinarily, oh, when I remember this, I would try. But I would say, say, what's this I hear about you? Now I'm looking down at you. There's an assembly in New Jersey, and some of the folks here belong to the park, and the palms know it, but they used to be there.
And when I tell this incident, some of them may remember it. In that assembly there was a young man, and he had a French background, I don't know whether that had any to do it or not, but one day in a traffic jam he lost his temper, and he verbally assaulted, insulted, it would be the better word, one of the men that were involved in the jam, blaming him for the jam. And the gentleman in question didn't say a word back, Just took a little pencil and made a note of his license. It so happened he was a retired army colonel, but the boy didn't know of this young brother in the meeting.
And so in a few days he got a summons. And I was there at the time when he went to court and paid a fine, fifteen dollars plus cost for the abuse that he gave the army colonel. appeared in the paper and we all knew that. Somebody came around. He didn't come to the breaking of bread meeting that morning. And after the meeting I spoke to his father-in-law and I said, calling him by his name, he didn't come this morning. Oh, he's really terrible. It's just a moment of temper. He never stopped his thinking. He doesn't feel he ever want to come back.
I said, now look, brother, Will you give him a special message from me? I've talked to the brethren about this, and we'll all agree there'll be nothing said that he'd come back. The Father came to the prayer meeting that night, and he said he's coming to the gospel meeting. So in the prayer room that night, it's in our brethren. Don't let say we're just as though nothing had happened, shaken by the hand. The very fact he comes back as he is, will prove he wants to be back, and he's sorry for what happened. And that's what happened. He came back. We all different ones shook hands in the mouth of the meeting. And everybody I saw was nice until he went to the cloakroom. The brother is in heaven. That's responsible for what happened.
But I was there at the same time, just coming in as this young brother was coming out of the cloakroom. And the young brother extended his hand to the older mat that you wouldn't take. Instead, he put his hand in his pocket and he pulled out the newspaper. What says he's hand? and then he berated him soundly in that cloakroom. Now man left at meeting, and let me tell you, beloved saints, he never again came back into that gospel chapel. He's in fellowship now, in another assembly in New Jersey, but he never again went back there. That brother was going to wash his feet, but he washed them standing up and throwing, yes, shall I say, hot water on his feet.
Now that won't do, dear sir. The next thing is it was the right temperature, and when I think of the right temperature, I can't do better again than draw from my memory of incidents. This time it's Robert Chapman. Robert Cleaver Chapman. Ninety-nine plus years he lived, called the Saints of Barnstable, which is a little city or town in England, Devonshire. I wish I had known Mr. Chapman. There was a fragrance about him. I told you the other night, Darby said to him they weren't in the same camp, sorry to say, but Darby wouldn't let a friend criticize him.
And he said, let dear Chapman alone be practiced is what I preach. One Lord's Day morning, Brother Chapman had the sad responsibility of reading a brother out of fellowship. And at the close of the gospel meeting that night, he spoke to his wife. And he said, isn't he free on Saturday afternoon? She said, he is. She said, don't tell him, but I'll come up to the house and see him. And they arrived on Saturday afternoon, and she opened the door when she did. She said, come, lady. He's in the kitchen. But sitting in the kitchen, some of the Britishers will appreciate the story maybe a little more clearly than you.
But anyway, here, you'll get the gist of it. He followed her into the kitchen, and when he got into the kitchen, he wasn't there, her husband. He heard the voice out of the front door, and he dodged it out through the kitchen. In fact, still as we call it, out into the laneway, the back the way we was. The dear sister was mortified. But Mr. Chapman said, don't worry, Ray. Don't tell him, but I'll come back next time in the afternoon. This time I'll come in the back door. Don't you tell? So the following Saturday he returned, and he came up the lane, and then the back door. But there was a window in the kitchen, and it so happened that he was in front of it, and he started out in front of it.
There it was. Then he said to the dearest sister, more mortified than there, don't worry. Now, doesn't he go down town sometimes on Saturday? Every Sunday, he likes to walk around the stores. Don't tell me. I'll get him. so that it wasn't a big pit town, see, so Mr. Chapman the next time didn't run stores. And sure enough, he didn't. He barged into him, really. He'd Mr. Chapman's going in the store to look for him, and he was coming out. He grabbed him, like, now. That didn't say, I've got you, but he grabbed him. You know what he did? He kissed him. He kissed him.
Isn't that something? He kissed him. And he said, dear, that's not nice. The saints are listening. And God is grooving. Won't you come back? Won't you come back? Just in again. I was off. The big tears are all down his cheeks. And next morning he was there, sitting in the back seat. Gropenly said, brethren, I'd like to take my place again. That's what I mean. He was at your feet. He kneeled, water of the right temperature, and he dried.
What does that mean? One day I think the Lord revealed that to me. He knew it didn't mean this. It doesn't mean this that he went with a telephone and called up and told everybody what had happened. That's a tinge. That's a tinge. Every vestige of the water is wiped away with the towel. And unfortunately, sometimes, dear saint, we wash our feet the right way, but we forget to use the power, letting it be a close chapter for the rest of life. May the Lord bless you. Shall we pray? O God, our Father, we reverently, humbly, and sincerely lift our hearts to thee again.
Thank you for the privilege of bringing before thy beloved saint thy precious word. We thank you for the Holy Spirit that dwells in us, dwelling in them. So that he teaches us to say something, he teaches them to receive it. And we believe there's been help to speak it this morning, and we believe there's been help to receive it. We pray thy blessing upon it now in all our lives. We commend this food before the day, and pray thy blessing to the end of the conference, living thanks again in the Lord Jesus' precious name. Amen.