Mr. Verwer on John 13

Jesus Christ washed my feet. When Jesus Christ got a hold of my life at 17, at 18, he taught me how to accept myself. I believe the reason Peter was struggling with Jesus, watching his feet, was pride.

It was pride. And I believe some of you will never have that dynamic fellowship with Jesus until you deal with pride in your life, and are willing to humble yourself, and yes, take the towel, and allow others to take the towel, that you may be God's man, that you may be God's woman. God taught me His freedom.

God taught me about His grace. God taught me how to accept myself, and then gave me this fervent zeal to accept others, and love others, and wash feet. And as we look out across this world, six billion people, six thousand million people, I believe the people of the world, without realizing it, they're calling us to come and wash their feet.

And I'm looking for volunteers. We're looking for volunteers. Stuart will talk more about this tomorrow, who are willing to reach out and wash the feet of those with HIV and AIDS, and remember more die of HIV and AIDS on any one day, than died in the horrendous Twin Tower event on September 11th, where I stood just a few days later in front of the greatest graveyard I've ever seen, and I will never forget it.

Because 46 years ago, God saved me in Madison Square Garden, just down the street from that place. Will, would you, would you consider reaching out to people with HIV and AIDS, especially in Africa, but also in Europe? Americans didn't think they really had a problem with AIDS. 500,000 Americans are dead through AIDS and HIV.

India is being torn apart. Africa is beyond description. There are those who are refugees, who are wanting us to come and wash their feet.

Millions and millions of refugees, who have no place to stay, who are way below the poverty line, and have very, very little to eat. Somehow in God's providence, it's a bit of a mystery, and that's one of my favorite words in the English language. I hope it's one of your words.

God has prospered Europe. Not every place, not everybody, and I believe God wants to work through the European church to bless the world. I've already seen it happen.

We've already seen it happen for many decades, and praise God for every European missionary, whether they're tentmakers, or marketplace ministers, or traditional missionaries. God is working in different people in different ways, but I believe we must pay more attention to the problem of poverty. I believe we must pay more attention to the problem of the refugees.

I believe we must pay more attention to women, women in countries where they're abused, where even female circumcision is still going on, that should cause the women of Europe to rise up in a mighty march of protest and compassion. We don't have time to talk about these different peoples and the different needs, but I believe God is saying to you, let me wash your feet. Let me change your life.

Let me bring healing. Let me bring communion. Let me bring reality, and then you go and wash the feet of others.

It's a tremendous picture as we see Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, as we listen or read the dialogue. Several other words quickly pop into my mind. The word humility, and I believe even those of us who are serving Jesus longer term, we need greater humility.

The heart play of my book, Out of the Comfort Zone, is not actually firstly missions. It's humility. It's grace.

Another word that pops into my mind as I read this passage again and again in different translations is the word reality. I want to ask you, is God real? Is God real in your life? If not, would you take some steps of faith? Would you seek some counsel? Would you, would you move forward in entering into a greater reality in Jesus? Another word that comes to my mind is the word passion, and I think some of us, if we're honest, we've lost our passion. I know I offend some people because I'm too passionate, and my passion isn't all spiritual.

I had passion as a non-Christian, and I thank God He was so patient with my carnal passion, my offensive passion, my New Jersey loudmouth, son of a Dutch immigrant, kind of difficult personality that you'd prefer not to meet. And let me just say this, if God can use a character like me with a lot of struggles, a lot of failure, and I know He can use you, and I pray you'll not give up hope on yourself, on what God can do. Maybe you've failed Him.

Maybe you were aiming at some great plan in your life, plan A, a plan A wife, and a plan A marriage, or a plan A job, or a plan A degree at college, or plan A grades, or whatever, and somehow you failed, and then you're on plan B, and you were struggling. Hallelujah, plan B can be just as great as plan A when the Holy Ghost is active, because our God is sovereign. But some of you are more like me.

You've had a lot of failures. Plan B, ha ha ha, forget it. Plan D, E, some of you have been around a while.

You've made some, made some mistakes. You've sinned. You've made some wrong turns, maybe even immorality.

Maybe you're on plan H. Whoa! That's pretty bad. You know what I say? Praise God for a big alphabet. Press on in the power of Jesus Christ!