This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

here everybody Welcome to Prairie Lakes Church this weekend. I'm delighted that you are here and whether you're one of our physical campuses all across Iowa or part of our online campus all across Iowa and Beyond welcome. We're so glad that you're here. We're one Church on many corners and all right. My friends Ready or Not There are 20 shopping days left until Christmas. It's crazy to think about it's December Christmas will be here in three weeks. It's not to think about so because of all the like supply chain issues shipping to ladies if you've not gotten started.

You better get after it right away. Okay now, let me clear something up right away. Okay. I know that I right now look like a cross between the brawny guy and Mr. Clean. Okay. I did not attempt that I've just been told already today that that's what I look like, so, you're welcome there. All right, Hey listen, I'm in this weekend in this series. We're in the second of four weeks and an advent series called Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and no I'm not gonna sing like Pastor John did last week because I know I don't have perfect pitch.

And nobody's ever told me I have perfect pitch because I'm awful at singing and I've got like a three note range. Okay, so I'm not even gonna attempt that for you this weekend. But hey in this series we're looking at four different gifts we have from God and others and then how we're supposed to reflect those gifts to people around us. So four how-to weekends and last week Pastor John kicked us off by this topic how to wonder and here's the big idea of what he described. He said wonder is the Lost Art of seeing more that's than what's in front of me and wonder stirs up. Hope I love those two phrases. And so if you've not been a part of you missed last weekend go hop online get caught up great message, but this weekend we're gonna talk about this topic.

how to help How to help how to receive help from God and others and how to extend help to others in this season, so I want to start by talking about help for a few minutes. We kick this topic off. Here's a question that I want to ask you about help. Are you more likely to want to receive help from others or give help to others? Are you more likely to want to receive help from others or give help two others if we're taking a poll right now? Which one are you going to choose?

Give or receive here's what I know to be true most of you in this moment. Like hey, I'd rather give help than receive help. Why is that right you go? The super spiritual route be like well Acts 20:35 says it's more blessed to give than to receive which is true. But I think the real reason why most of us would rather give than receive help is drum roll.

Pride right because we don't like to be in need and we don't like to admit our neediness and we don't want to be a burden to any anyone and so we'd rather be the giver of help and the recipient of somebody's help regardless of what form that might take because receiving help from others is difficult. Now I've lived in Iowa for about 13 years now.

And I've heard these three phrases from people over and over and over again about receiving help. And so maybe you've said these are heard these before like this. Hey pray for someone who really needs it or needs it more than me, or how about this phrase. I'm fine, or I'll be fine. You know, how am I doing? Well, I'm just fine right or how about this one? I can't accept this. There's someone who needs it more than me. Maybe you've said those things for sure. You've heard those things but it is tough for Iowans to ask for help.

We like to be self-sufficient hard working do it yourself kind of people. And I've been known to move couches up and down flights of stairs by myself. Not because I'm strong but because I just don't want to ask somebody for help. I don't want to be a burden and I just say I've got this and so I do it and I can do it in my lower back would disagree with me every single time.

And here's the strange thing about not wanting others to help us. We all know how good it feels to receive help. To be listened to or have it paid forward to us or have someone notice such a spend time with us when we need it the most we know how amazing that is and we all love the story of the Down and Out family that gets a free van or free home or they're medical debt paid for we are sometimes moved to tears when those things happen. We know what it's like to feel good when we receive something.

And I know what it's like personally. So the fall of 2000 Amy and I were seniors in college and young married couple were running cross-country. We were working two part-time jobs. We were broke. We were so poor. We couldn't pay attention Okay, we're really poor right and our card broken down. We had one car and so all fall we've been riding our bikes to and from college to and from classes, but it was getting cold. It's about this time of year. And we're like, it's gonna snow we need to get our car fixed. So I took it to the mechanic. He said hey 400 some box to fix your fuel pump because it's jacked up and my 1989 Pontiac Grand Am, right and I'm like, I've got 550 dollars in the bank total and this is gonna be 80% of the money that we have to our name. And so the next day he calls he says hey, it's ready come pick it up.

So I hit you right out to the repair shop. I show up mechanic hands me the keys and he says this hey your bills been paid for by your grandpa. Have a nice day. I literally drove home smiling and crying at the same time. Because it was so helpful to receive that blessing from my grandpa and then a month later my aunt gave us a 1986 blue powder blue Toyota Camry that had a bajillion miles on it. So we didn't have one but two cars that winter it was super super helpful.

Now some of you like good music and you're familiar with the song by The Beatles that came out in 1965 written by the musical prophets John Lennon and Paul McCartney called help and they wrote this song. They wrote These lyrics in 1965 after their sudden rise to stardom and they realized that hey life is harder than we thought and we have all these things we want and all these things we need and we still need help. Here's what they said in this song. I love these lyrics says help.

I need somebody. Help not just anybody help. You know, I need someone help and here's verse 1 it says when I was younger so much younger than today. I never needed anybody's help in any way, but now these days are gone. I'm not so self-assured. Now. I find I've changed my mind. I've opened up the doors to help.

Help me if you can. I'm feeling down. I do appreciate you being around help me. Get my feet back on the ground won't you please please help me and here's verse 2. And now my life has changed and oh so many ways my Independence seems to vanish in the haze. But every now and then I feel so insecure. I know that I just need you like I've never done before as I hear these words and I know this song I'm known it for a long long time. It almost reads like a Psalm.

Almost like a cry to God for like hey, I need help and I'm maturing and understanding I need help more than I used to and here's why I wanted to show you those words help is a universal need we all need help in various forms to get through life. And we also intrinsically know that we're supposed to help others. That's a that's a good thing. And we also know that we're supposed to receive help even though it makes us uncomfortable at times whether we think we need it or not. And here's the reason why we feel those things ready.

God is a helper. It's the very nature of God to help we help others because he is a continual source of help to us. Listen the Bible describes God in a whole bunch of different ways. We have a trinitarian god father son. Holy Spirit one God three persons. God is love God is just he's a perfect father. He's a perfect friend. He's holy right all these things that the Bible describes God as but one of the things the Bible describes God as is.

A helper. I want you to see this verse in John 14:26. The Bible says this but the advocate the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name will teach you all the things and remind you of everything I have said to you this word advocate in the Greek literally means helper. It's the Greek word paracletas. It means helper or Aid that God the holy spirit is a helper. That's who God is that he's a constant source of help a constant source of Aid which means that God cares God knows and God helps.

and It means that all of us who are called. The imitate. God are called to be helpers in our own lives as well with the help of the holy spirit inside of us. So God is a helper the Holy Spirit to help her that dwells inside of us calling us to help the people in our world not in our own strength and power.

but in God's And because that's true, I'm going to give you two truths that are going to guide the rest of our time together this weekend that I want you to understand and the first one is this. Jesus came to us helplessly. So that he could solve our helplessness.

Jesus came to us helplessly so that he could solve our helplessness. Mark 10:45 says Jesus came to serve. Not to be served. And just when you think about how Jesus came to us, he came to us as as a human but more than that as an infant born in a manger.

Born into a human family and into a world of sin that God chose to help us and save us as an infant helplessly. To provide help to us as helpless people. And I want you to think about this this weekend. Jesus needed to receive the help of others.

and of God As a child he needed to be nurtured and fed and cared for as someone who was tempted by sin. He needed God's help to overcome as as someone who experienced anxiety and stress in the Garden of Gethsemane. And as someone who needed help carrying a Roman wooden cross.

That Simon of Cyrene helps him carry. Jesus needed to receive help often. So do we but Jesus coming to us as he did as an infant that we celebrate at Christmas becoming one of us allowed him to eventually save us.

by substituting himself for us on the cross Jesus came to his helplessly so that he helplessly so he could save us in our helplessness. And here's the second truth. I want you to hold on to this weekend. Learning how to receive help from God and others unlocks our ability to give help to others.

Don't miss this learning how to receive help from God and others unlocks our ability to give help to others. Gospel is a word. That means good news. And the good news is that we're in very great need that. We're helpless in our sin apart from Divine rescue that we need help and then we will continue to need love support and Community as we walk with Jesus and the other side of the good news. Is that because Jesus came to us we can be saved and helped because of him and that's good news. It's really good news. So here's what I want you to hear this weekend.

the more that you accept your need and neediness the more you'll be able to receive help. And receiving help well unlocks your ability to help others. If you're unable to receive help from God and others and you deny your own needs. You won't truly be connected to the needs of others.

And how you're being invited to help them from God see the more in touch you are with your need and your neediness the more honest you are about your times of helplessness the more you can connect with that need and that ability for help in other people's lives. And so I want to dig into a story together from the Bible that illustrates these two truths in a really really powerful way. So if you got a Bible or phone, I want you to grab it right now open it up to John chapter 13 verses 1 through 17.

John 13 verses 1 through 7 team I'm not gonna put the words on the screen this week and because it's a really long passage and I know it's familiar to most of you and so I want you to hear these words and I'm gonna dissect this passage because it's a really really powerful way that Jesus serves and helps his 12 and it really does set the standard in the model for how we should help the people in our lives.

Okay. So John 13 New Testament goes Matthew Mark Luke and then John here's the setting this is at the Last Supper likely so it's the end of Jesus's life. It's the end of his ministry and Jesus knows he's only got a few days left to live. So he's got precious few moments with this disciples left. And so what Jesus decides to do here is so powerful knowing that he could do anything in this moment. Here's what he chose us to do. He gives them help in a practical way and then he modeled to them how to help the people around him. So here's how this story starts verse one. It says it was just before the Passover festival and Jesus knew the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the father and having loved his own were in the world. He loved them to the end some versions of the Bible in verse one. They're saying he showed the greatest extent of his love meaning what Jesus is about to do for his disciples is the greatest act of love. He could have done in that moment, which is really really powerful.

Verse 2 it says this here's what Jesus does it says the evening meal was in progress and the devil had already prompted Judas the son of Simon Iscariot to betray Jesus and Jesus knew the father had put all things under his power that he had come from God and was returning to God. I just want to pause there because here's what that just said.

That Jesus Christ in this moment has all authority and all power. He literally could do anything in this moment. He could have done anything to demonstrate his power. He could have done anything to demonstrate love and sacrifice and service. But here's what he decides to do verse 4. So he got up from the meal.

Took off his outer clothing and he wrapped a towel around his waist and after that he poured water into a basin and he began to wash his disciples feet drying them with a towel that was wrapped. around him My friends this is what Jesus chose to do the power to do anything. He could have done anything at all in that moment. This is what Jesus chooses to do. He washes the disciples feet.

He performs the work of a Slave. This is not the job for a rabbi or a king. Certainly not a lord yet. This is what Jesus does he grabbed a towel in one by one he washes the feet of 12 teenage dudes. one by one This is a dirty disgusting job.

Taking Middle Eastern mud and dirt off of the feet of 12 young men. Now some of you have raised teenagers and you know how bad teenage boy shoes smell? Okay, like it's gross. I've been one and I've raised one. Okay. This is not a job for the faint of heart. But this is what Jesus is doing in this moment one by one he's doing this incredible Act of service. He's demonstrating practically what love and help looks like and then in verse 6, I love what it says here. It says he came to Simon Peter who said to him Lord. Are you gonna wash my feet?

Like somehow in Peter's brain, he was watching Jesus watch all the other disciples feet, but he's thinking I'm the oldest. I'm the leader. I surely I don't need my feet Washed by Jesus surely. He's not gonna wash my feet. We see the pride of this moment how difficult it was for Peter to receive God's help.

Because in this moment Peter's thinking this is not proper. You shouldn't be doing this. You're the Lord your king your Rabbi your savior. You should not be washing my feet or touching my feet. This is not something you should be doing. He does not want to receive help. Just like we often do when pride gets in the way. We don't want to be helped. We don't want people to serve us it made him really uncomfortable. But look what Jesus says in verse 7.

But Jesus replied you don't realize now what I'm doing, but later you're going to understand. No said Peter in verse 8. You shall never wash my feet. Peter is so resistive to being helped. He's so resistant resisted being served because he's like, this is not something that you should be doing. I don't need this I can do this on my own. Don't help me in this way, and he tells Jesus the blesser to stop.

Imagine telling God what to do. But this is how Pride often interrupts our ability to receive help and then give help to others. But Jesus answers back. He says unless I wash you you don't have any part with me. Unless you let me wash you Peter you're not going to have fellowship with me. You're not gonna belong to me. You have to let me do this thing for you.

In verse 9. It says then Lord something Peter replied not just my feet but my hands and my head as well Peter is like, all right, Jesus if you got to wash me dump the whole thing on me. Just clean my whole stinking body and there's two ways to hear this as Peter says that phrase one. Is that he was so excited for Jesus to bless him. He just said dump the thing on me or here's what I think Peter's saying. He's still trying to control the way that he's being helped.

Because pride is so great that he's still trying to tell Jesus how to clean him how to take care of him how to help him because he's so again knocked off course by this powerful Act of service that he still trying to tell Jesus what is and isn't okay. Like we often do when people try to help us right help somebody that needs it more than me, right. That's the spot that Peters in.

But Jesus says this those who've had a bath need only wash their feet and their whole body is clean and you are all clean though. Not every one of you is clean for Jesus knew who's gonna betray him and that's why he said not everyone of you is clean see 2000 years ago, if you're gonna go to a festival or if you're gonna go to a feast you take a bath before you showed up so that when you got there all the host and the host servant would have to do is wash your feet and you're clean ceremonial clean like that. That was all you needed and Jesus saying I just need to wash your feet because everything else is taken care of but what I want you to catch in what Jesus just said is this He washed the feet of Judas.

The man who had done Ministry of Jesus for three and a half years the man who had seen every Miracle heard every teaching the man who just hours from this point is going to go and betray Jesus and sell them out. And Jesus helps that guy. By washing his feet.

See a lot of times friends. We want to help those closest to us. We want help those that like us we want to help those that are like a bull but Jesus. Jesus serves and helps his enemy. My friend sometimes God calls us to help the people. We don't like the people that don't like us.

Because that's what we're called to do. That's who we're called to be. He serves even. His enemy and here's how Jesus summarizes this incredible Act of service and help. It's just when he'd finished washing their feet he put on his clothes and he returned to his place. Do you understand? What I've done for you? He asked them you call me teacher and Lord and rightly so because that's who I am. He says remember these are my identities. I Am Lord. I am teacher I am savior.

He says now that I your lord and teacher have lost your feet. You should go wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you for very truly. I tell you no servant is greater than his master nor is the messenger greater than the one who sent him now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do these things.

Jesus says Hey Nobody's above serving or helping. Those in power should bless those. They serve. Those who have the opportunity should bless other people that you need to serve each other and the world true blessing is not found in the abundance of your stuff or your wealth true. Blessing is found and grabbing a towel.

and serving others helping others the pathway to Greatness is through helping others by grabbing a towel and getting busy. My friends I love this story. Because I love the intimacy of the moment between Jesus and his disciples.

I love that the most powerful person in the history of the world that God man, Jesus Christ. Chose to serve his 12 friends this way. And I love the help that Jesus provides practical help to clean their feet. But also the model of helping them understand what love and service and sacrifice is all about and I love that Peter responds like we often do when we're being helped in Pride and he resists because that's what I'm like and I find in Peter's example just a refreshing example of how to get over that Pride how to overcome that Pride because eventually Peter allowed Jesus to wash his feet. He was humbled by that.

Now listen 2,000 years on the other side of the story of these events. Foot washing probably isn't the most helpful thing we can do for others today though. It is beautiful and it is a humbling experience. I have washed people's feet. I've had my feet Washed by others and is a beautiful humbling experience. But for most people today helping them looks very different than that grabbing a towel and humbly helping those around us today more often looks like these four things and I'm gonna walk through one at a time. So here's the question that we have to answer. How can we help others have a Merry Little Christmas.

How can we do that? Well, here's what we can do. We can help others by first meeting their practical needs. Meeting the Practical needs of others. Listen, there are so many ways that you can help me to tangible needs of those around you. All you got to do is open your eyes open your heart to see for example, the snow is coming at some point. We're going to get dumped on.

And there's probably people in your neighborhood and your little Iowa that could really benefit from you either shoveling or snow blowing their driveway and their walkway. You may have an elderly coupler individual in your neighborhood. You may have somebody who's injured or had surgery recently. You may have somebody who has like a dozen kids and the best thing you could do for them while you're out there taking care of your driveway is to just march on over there and take care. There's it could be a huge blessing. Maybe it's time for you to help somebody move one of the great and just listen moving into December is brutal. I've done it before it's awful and when you're in those moments of stress when there's other hands that show up to help you. It's one of the greatest things in the world.

Or maybe it's time to watch somebody's kids for free so they can go out on a date night or go shopping, right? Or maybe it's financially blessing others rather than just giving more stuff to your family members or your friends this holiday. Why not instead give the individuals or nonprofits that actually need the help. What if listen what if What if this holiday season you gave more to the needs of others instead of the wants of others?

What if what if you give more this year to the the needs of the people around rather than just people that want new stuff? We can help others in this season by meeting practical needs. That's the first way. Here's here's the second way. You can help others this holiday season by sharing words of encouragement.

Friends, sometimes there is nothing better and nothing more helpful than receiving a compliment or a well-timed word or text or phone call or note from someone else. This season is stressful and it's crazy and one of the best ways you can help somebody in your little eye with this season.

Is to just be a person of encouragement to encourage other people around you we all need encouragement and a great way to do this. Here's what I want to encourage you to do this all day season is encourage those that are working in retail or service Industries because here's the deal December's brutal for them. They're stressed out. They're working long hours. They're dealing with difficult people every single day and on top of that they've got their own lives. So I just want to encourage you find ways to encourage to support to say a kind word to complement the people that are serving you or working in retail. It is a huge deal. And here's the best ways you can encourage somebody pray for them.

And pray with them. Often the most encouraging words, you can share with somebody are the words that you share with God In Prayer on their behalf. And occurs somebody this season by praying for him and praying with them.

So my friends who can you build up and who can you encourage with your words and your little Iowa in this season if you were the chief encourager in your little Iowa, how how would that bring help to people today? Just by being an encourager words of encouragement. Here's the the third way you can help those in your little Iowa this season spending time with those who are lonely.

This is such an important deal. So who and your little Iowa right now is alone. Or who might be struggling with loneliness in this holiday season. My friends is a pastor. One of the things that I know is that there are far more people that are lonely or feel alone in the season than we can imagine.

Grief is really strong during the holidays. This may be the first holiday season that your friend or your neighbor. Your coworker has without a loved one. It may be a time of Despair and difficulty for someone close to you. That's walking through divorce and they're putting on a brave face and they're smiling but underneath it their lonely.

And they're struggling. So here's my encouragement. As you see people like that in your little Iowa spend time with them this holiday season. Invite them over to spend time with you or your family meet him for coffee bring something over to their house or their apartment or their dorm room and connect with them. And listen. If you can't be with them in person, here's my encouragement hop on a zoom call hop on a FaceTime pick up the phone call them do whatever you need to do to connect with someone who's struggling emotionally in this season.

My friends in our membership class we have this phrase now and it goes like this and alone person at Prairie Lakes church is an emergency. It's an emergency. and I believe that that's true this time of year and alone person or a lonely person is an emergency when you see those people in your little Iowa reach out and if it's you in your little, Iowa Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help.

Just here. I'm struggling. I'm lonely I need connection, right because we all get there at different points of Our Lives. There's there's no shame in doing that. Okay, but that's one of the best ways you can up spend time with those who are lonely. And here's the last way you can help others in this season ready not by not by giving but joyfully receiving help from God and others. Joyfully receiving help from God and others. Listen, those who give the best help to others have often received the most help from God and others the people I know in my life that bless people the most have learned in humility to receive help from God and others regularly and why is that? Well, they know the power of receiving and then they pass it on to those they've received from they pass it on to others.

When someone helps you this holiday season or tries to help you whether it's meeting a practical need or sharing a word of encouragement or a compliment or or whether they're just spending time with you when you're lonely. Joyfully receive it. Okay, don't start to feel guilty or ashamed don't give them the line. Hey, somebody needs it more than me receive it.

Joyfully and be thankful. Rest in God's care and help to you through another person because here's the thing when you reject the kindness and help of God through other people you Short Circuit the pathway of God's blessing to you and their step of obedience. I'm say that again when you reject the help and kindness of God from others you Short Circuit the pathway of God's blessing to you and their step of obedience because listen when someone's helping you Chances are it's a step of obedience for them that God has told them or LED them to do that thing they're doing for you. So don't be like Peter and John 13.

Allow God to help you through the help of others some of you listen some of you right now. You are incredible givers you're incredible helpers, but you're terrible about receiving help from others. And in this season the thing that God wants you to grow in it's just this it's your ability to joyfully receive help from God and others. That's your step in this holiday season.

Now for instance, we close. I'm going to come full circle. Okay, so we're gonna hit these two big Ideas. Again. This is what we've been talking about. Jesus came to us helplessly so that he could solve our helplessness. And learning how to receive help from God and others unlocks our ability to give help to others.

My friends as we close. I'm going to give you a challenge. this Advent season every time you grab a towel. Just like Jesus did 2000 years ago. Whether it's hopping out of the the bath the shower whether it's in the kitchen, whether you're cleaning up a spill in the shop or the garage whether you're at school or you're at work or you're at home every time you grab a towel, here's what I want you to do for the next few weeks.

I want you to say a simple prayer. He got opened my eyes opened my heart to the needs of people around me. How do you want me to help? and God help me to joyfully receive help from others in this season. Every time you grab a towel, let this be a visual reminder.

Of what Jesus did 2000 years ago to help and to serve the model he set for us. And just to open your heart up to hey God. Give me ice to see give me a heart that's open. Help me see God what you want me to do to help the people you put around me my little Iowa and God help me receive other people's help with joy.

I'm telling you if you do that regularly, if you're reminded regularly, God's gonna move in powerful ways. You're gonna be helpful to people around you're gonna love people well. And God's gonna move in some really neat ways that you're gonna have some stories at the end of the holiday season. Okay. So let's do this together as God's people.

Hey friends, let's close together with the prayer right now. Hey Jesus. Thank you for coming to us as you did. God helplessly so that you could receive help and ultimately so that you could solve our helplessness. God thanks for loving us and serving us and meeting our needs. Thank you for the humble way that you lead and teach all of us that no Act of help or service is ever beneath us.

God give us open eyes and hearts this season to to help those in our little Iowa help us to grab a towel and get busy loving and helping those around us in the season. And God help us to be people who joyfully receive help from you and help from others. It's in Jesus name we pray.

amen