Message - Washing Dishes - Randall Nelsen
Washing Dishes
I remember when I was in Victory Outreaches Men's Home. I also remember when I was the official dishwasher morning, afternoon and evening.You know I really used to hate washing dishes.
I don't mind it so much now though. I guess you can do something so much that you begin to like it after awhile. I couldn't stand it when we would come back to the home after working all day to find stacks of dishes with food stuck to it, like gum to the plates.You almost needed a Jackhammer to get some of that hardened weather resistant food of the plates, either that or soak them in boiling hot water for an hour with plenty of dish soap. You know if you think about it, those dishes are kind of like us when we first come to Christ. We are just like those dirty dishes. We are like dirty dishes with the hardened layer of many years lived in the world stuck to us.
The Bible says this
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
John 13:7-8 NKJV
Peter did not want Jesus to wash him. I think that all of us have a little bit of Peter in them at different times of our lives, we just don;t want to be washed.Jesus told Peter that unless he washed him that he would have no part with him. The same thing that Jesus told Peter applies to all of us we all need to be washed by the Lord.
Dirty Dishes (People)
The washing begins as soon as we accept the lord and the Holy Spirit enters our Heart. Christians symbolize their death in Christ and rebirth in the Spirit when they are baptized in water. Baptism has its roots in the Old Testament Laws it had to do with washing vessels or dishes and cups. Today baptism applies to all who become Christians we must be washed by Jesus. Baptism begins the moment we accept Christ as Lord and Savior when his Holy Spirit enters our hearts, the physical baptism should come next as it is a command of the Lord. Baptism is an ongoing process. God daily baptizes us spiritually with his word. His Word washes and transforms us into the image of his Son when we read his Word. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward change; it is a command of Christ that outwardly expresses the inward regeneration and cleansing of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It is a spiritual sign of our reception of his work in our Hearts but it is not the means or justification of our salvation which was accomplished when Jesus shed his blood on the cross. God really begins to scrub and wash us as we begin to get into his Word, as we study and learn the Word of God he scrubs and washes us inwardly. Whenever we pick up a bible and read it God washes our hearts and minds, here is another great scripture,2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
The sincere receptive heart will be washed and the God will begin to implant a new hearty and mind in that person who seeks him. Washing our hearts like dish washing is a process.
Hot Water (Trials)
Sometimes the process is very unpleasant,because some dishes are very hard to clean. The food has been stuck to the dish for awhile and it has become hardened. In order to wash us of our past and the many years of accumulated sin sometimes God must stick us in the Hot water of a Trial. Trials have a way of washing us by causing turn to Jesus.Trials are like boiling hot water, and sometimes God will allow you to soak in that Hot water for a season or two.Dish Soap (The Bible)
I t is also important to recognize that you cant change yourself and just because you attend church does not mean that you are growing or becoming closer to the Lord. Study the bible and become hungry to read and learn Gods Word . Gods word is like the soap that washes and sterilizes us. You need hot water but you also need the spiritual soap of Gods Word to cleanse you.I want to make one final point that is extremely important to grab a hold of and take to heart. It is no use washing only the outside or exterior of a cup and leaving the inside dirt. Nobody in their right mind would drink out of that kind of cup.
The Outside of the cup (Religion, and External change)
Jesus said these words to the Religious leaders and Pharisees
It is so important that we do not become deceived into having a religious mindset like the Pharisees did, they appeared to be righteous and in right standing with God but Jesus knew their wicked hearts and he rebuked them to their face. Just because you attend church once a week or even all the time that does not mean that you are right in Gods eyes. You must first have a genuine relationship with him and also turn from sin with a sincere heart, this does not mean we become perfect by any means all sin all fall short yet we must desire for him to wash us and change us not externally but internally
The Inside of the Cup (The Human Heart)
Wow! This was amazing!!!! I love how you paralleled this to washing ourselves and every aspect!!! Goodness love when things get broken down like this to understand and bring it to life!!
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