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are where Jesus is washing the disciples' feet. Beginning in verse 3, the Bible reads, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God, He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments, and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that, He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel, wherewith He was girded. Jump down to verse 12. It says, 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? Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye 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 is he that is sent greater than he that sent him. And here's the verse I want to emphasize in verse 17, the Bible reads, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Now He just finished explaining the concept of washing one another's feet, or being a servant, or being someone who takes care of other people. And He explained that the fact that He's washing their feet doesn't make them better than Him. He says, Actually, whosoever is greatest among you, let him be your servant. And He said, I'm your Lord and Master, you call me Lord, you call me Master, you're calling me the right thing because that's what I am. He said, If I can humble myself and wash your feet, then you should be able to humble yourself enough to wash one another's feet. But the interesting thing is what He says there at the end. After He's done explaining all this, He said, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Now this is a concept all throughout the Bible, that happiness comes from serving others and doing things for other people. You see, the people today that are unhappy more than others are those who are self-absorbed, self-centered people. Now if you're a self-absorbed, self-centered person, and things go bad for you, well guess what? You're going to be down, you're going to be depressed because things are going bad. It's all about you after all. And so when things aren't going well for you, you're going to be sad, you're going to be depressed, you're going to be upset. But if you're a selfish person and things go well for you, there's an empty feeling when you do things for yourself and when you receive great things for yourself. It's not ever what it's cracked up to be. And there's an empty, void, vain feeling when you are a person who lives for yourself. Case in point, King Solomon. He lived for himself, he withheld not from himself any pleasure or any joy, he had all the money, he had all the women, he had all the riches, he had all the power, he had all the entertainment, he had all the wisdom and knowledge and education, and he said, I hated life. It's vanity, it's worthless, it's a waste. Look, the Bible teaches that you will be happy if you learn to think of others, serve others, put other people first. He said, look, if you know these things, that's one thing, but happier if you do them. Now if you would, go to Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter number 2. In Acts 20, while you're turning to Philippians 2, let me read for you from Acts 20. It says in Acts 20 verse 35, I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said it is more blessed to give than to receive. Now, if you look up the word blessed in the Bible, a lot of times the word blessed is used, sometimes the word happy is used interchangeably with blessed. Like sometimes it'll say blessed is the man that's this and that, other times it'll say happy is the man. Okay? Because when you're blessed by God, that's going to make you happy when God's blessing you. And the Bible says here that it's more blessed to give than to receive. See, giving can make you happier than receiving. And the Bible says that we ought to labor or work hard so that we can support the weak. And if we do that, we'll be blessed. If we do that, we'll be happy. Look at Philippians 2 verse 3. The Bible reads, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Now, he says here that we should have a lowliness of mind. Now, Jesus Christ, you have to understand what he did when he washed the disciples' feet. That's kind of a degrading job if you think about it, if you don't understand the fact that there's great happiness in serving and helping other people. But if you just look at it on the surface, that's a pretty demeaning and a degrading job. You ever go to the airport and you see people shining shoes? And you'll see a guy, and he sits up in a chair really high up, and he's elevated, and it's usually a pretty well-to-do guy, because I don't know about you, but I've never pulled money out of my wallet and had my shoes signed in the airport. Usually it's people that are pretty well-heeled, and they're sitting up there, and they've got the Wall Street Journal open, and they've got their fancy outfit and their fancy shoes, and you see somebody shining their shoes. And you know, when you see somebody shining their shoes, you don't look at that and say, man, that's a prestigious job. Now, look, it's an honest living. I'm not down on the guy who's shining shoes, but it's a humble job when you see the guy on his knees, literally on his knees or on one knee, shining someone's shoes. But hold on a second. Shining shoes is not even close to washing someone's feet. I mean, washing someone's feet would be much more humbling, wouldn't it? It would take much more humility to not just get on your knees and shine somebody. I mean, if Jesus would have run around and shined their sandals, you know, that would be one thing. But I mean, he's actually washing their feet. And not only that, if you look at what Jesus did in John 13, it mentions the fact that he laid aside his garments. Now, we know that Jesus wore a pretty nice garment. And the reason why we know he wore a decent garment is because when he was crucified, they were basically wanting that garment. They desired it. I mean, if Jesus would have been clothed in rags, they wouldn't have been sitting there saying, hey, we need to cast lots to see who gets to have this garment that was all sewn of one piece of cloth and stuff. I'm not saying he was wearing a fancy outfit. I'm not saying that he was dressed like a wealthy man. We know that he was not a wealthy man. He did not even have a place to lay his head. But we know that he wore a decent garment. You know, he wore a garment that was, you know, a basic quality piece of clothing. But notice, he lays that aside. Now, I don't know if the Bible is telling us that he's just completely without clothing here or whether he had maybe, you know, some undergarments, you know, maybe the equivalent of today. You know, like basically, you know, a white T-shirt that you wear under your clothes or, you know, a pair of underwear. I don't know exactly to what level Jesus disrobed. But we know that he laid aside his garments, plural. Okay, and I think what's pictured there is that Jesus made himself of no reputation. Because look down at your Bible in Philippians 2 where you are. It says in verse 5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. And remember, when Christ Jesus got on his knees and watched the disciples beam, he said, I'm giving you an example right now of how you should be. And he said, if I can do this, when I'm your Lord and Master, you can be humble enough to watch another's beam. And he said, if you know these things happier if you do them, that's why the Bible is telling us Philippians 2.5. Let this mind be in you, the mind of serving others, putting other people first. A lowly mindset that basically is humble in your heart that says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Here's God in the flesh, equal with God. But he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The Bible goes on to talk about him being highly exalted and every knee bowing and every mouth confessing that he's the Lord to the glory of God the Father. But see, just to complete the picture of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, he laid aside his garments from him. So it's not like he's even wearing nice clothes and, you know, he's just going through this gesture. I mean, laid aside his garments, total humility. He's on his knees, he's on the ground at the feet of his disciples. I mean, just that image when you're in the airport of just one person kneeling before another person just to shine their shoes, this goes way beyond that because, look, your feet are not exactly, you know, a part of the body that I would want to clean, okay? Because if you think about it, you know, your feet get pretty dirty. And the Bible teaches that the disciples wore sandals. That's what the Bible tells us that they wore. And if you're wearing sandals, your feet are getting dirty. I mean, it's that simple. That's why the Bible talks a lot about people, you know, washing their hands and feet and so forth, because they get dirty because, you know, even if you wear socks and shoes, your feet still get dirty. They're still not going to smell the best, you know, at the end of the day. And not only that, you're wearing sandals or you're barefoot. Now, I know I go barefoot a lot, man. My feet get so dirty. I mean, they're really dirty when you go barefoot. And I mean, you can just imagine that Jesus going around to all these different men at the table, adult men, washing their feet. I mean, that's not a prestigious job. I mean, that's a very humbling experience. And yet God did that to show us that we need to be humble and that we need to want to help and serve other people. And then He explains, look, you will be happier when you have this attitude. You will be happier when you're humble. You'll be happier when you serve and help other people. Go to Romans 15. You see, people today think that doing good things for themselves is going to make them happy, and it's just not true. And you see people today that are more depressed than ever. I mean, look at all the people today that are saying that they have clinical depression. Look at all the people today getting the antidepressants. Look at all the people today that are going to doctors and psychiatrists. And I mean, I don't have the statistics in front of me, but I'm sure it's millions of people today that have been diagnosed by some quackery with, you have depression. You know, I like what my friend Paul said. He said, I'm too busy working to even figure out whether I'm depressed or not. You know, I don't even have time to stop and sit around. But you know what, it's when people are idle and they're sitting around not doing anything and they start to just be self-absorbed and feeling sorry for themselves and, oh, poor me, and they get depressed. You know what, one of the best things to do to get yourself out of depression, because there are times when all of us get a little down, get a little depressed. You know the best thing you can do is to do something nice for someone else, do something good for someone else, or make some sacrifice on behalf of someone else and have an attitude like John the Baptist who said, he must increase, I must decrease. You know, that should be our attitude toward our brothers and sisters in Christ also, and not just the selfish attitude of what's best for me. You know, what's going to make me the happiest? Because you know what, it's all vanity and it's never going to make you happy, but the Bible guarantees happiness to the one who humbles himself and serves others and put others first. Romans 15 verse 1 says, we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification, for even Christ pleased not himself. But as it is written, but as it is written, there were approaches, and then there were approaches, thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded, one toward another, according to Christ Jesus. Look, it's an example that we should follow. It's how we should live our lives. It should be our mentality. It's going to give you hope. It's going to give you happiness. It's going to give you blessing when you don't go through life trying to just do things for yourself and worry about yourself all the time. But you get involved in other people's lives and want to help them and do good things for them. Go if you would to 1 Timothy 5. Here's a scripture in 1 Timothy 5 that actually brings up washing the feet also, just like we saw in John 13 about washing the feet. Here's where the washing of the feet comes up again in a similar discussion about what's going to make you happy. What is going to bring you the blessings of God? What does God expect of us in regard to how we live our life? He wants us to be Christ-like, and one of the best ways we can be Christ-like is to be humble. One of the best ways we can be Christ-like is to serve others. One of the best ways we can be Christ-like is to make ourselves of no reputation and to think more about the needs of others than about pleasing ourselves. Look if you would at 1 Timothy 5. This is talking about widows. And it says in verse 5, Now she that is a widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications of prayers night and day. Look at verse 6. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. Look, does this woman sound like she's living a happy life? No, it says she's dead while she liveth. You know, one that just lives to please themself, that's not living a life worth living, the Bible says. That's a waste of your life. You're dead while you live. That's not happier if you do it. But look at the next verse. And these things given charge, they may be blameless, meaning that the widow should be charged with commandments to be blameless, to pray, to do good things. But it says this, But if any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith as worse than an infidel. Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man. Well reported of for good works. Now look, earlier we had the widow who just lives for pleasure, right? Just lives to please herself. The Bible says she's dead while she liveth. Now we have the opposite of that, the good example of what a widow should be like. And it says in verse 10, first of all, verse 9 says she's been the wife of one man. Then in verse 10 it says she's well reported of for good works, right? Then it says, if she hath brought up children, if she hath lodged strangers, if she hath lost the saints feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she hath diligently followed every good work. These good works that he's talking about, notice it's all doing things for other people. Do you see that? Bringing up children, that's doing something for others. Lodging strangers, that's doing something for others. Watching the saints feet, that's doing something for others. Relieving the afflicted, that's helping others. Look, that is the life that God says we should be living as God's people, whether male or female. A life that revolves around others, not ourselves. Look at Proverbs 14. Proverbs chapter 14. And while you're turning to Proverbs 14, I'll read for you the famous passage from Psalm 127. And Psalm 127 is one that talks about children being a blessing, because we saw that with the widows that they brought up children and outlawed strangers and watched the saints beat. It says in Psalm 127 verse 3, low children are in heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath this quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. So the Bible says a person who has this quiver full of them, the person who has children in his youth and that has a multitude of children, the Bible says happy is that man. Now look, having children is not something that makes you a person that gratifies yourself more. See, when you have children, you're doing things for them. They don't just come out of the womb as a newborn and start cleaning the house. They don't go get a job and start paying the bills. They don't just come out of the womb and cook dinner and say, oh, you just gave birth. You sit down, I'll cook, okay? See, children are people that need a lot of attention, especially when they're first born. I mean, they need attention. It costs money. That means you're going to have to sacrifice other things that you would have spent your money on to please yourself, stuff that you like, stuff that you want to do. No, you can't do that now because you have to spend the money on those children, right? Time that you'd want to have to go, you know, pursue hobbies or have fun. No, sleep that you might like to participate in. You know, some of that stuff is going to get sacrificed because you have to take care of the children. You're going to have to spend a bunch of money on the children. You're going to have to spend a bunch of time on the children. You're going to have to make sacrifices in other areas. You might have to take on a second job, you know, just to pay for all these children. But why does the Bible say you're going to be happy? Because you know what? Because you're living for others. Because you're working and you're living your life, not to just gratify self, but now you've got others that you're taking care of. You know, there are people who are single and there are people who are married, people that are single, it's a lot easier for them probably to just kind of do things the way that they want to do things. You know, they don't really necessarily have accountability of someone else. They're kind of doing their own thing. They can do what they want. I mean, they can go out and make money and all that money. I mean, it's their money. They can do what they want with it. They don't really need to spend it on anyone else. But you know, when you get married, now you're taking care of somebody else. You know, as a man, you're providing for somebody else. You know, a single woman, right, doesn't have the responsibility that a married woman has. Because a married woman, now she's got somebody that she needs to cook for and take care of and do things for. But you see, that relationship of marriage brings happiness. Having children brings happiness. Even though it's not necessarily always giving you more of what you want, but it's an opportunity to serve someone else and to invest in someone else. And so it makes you happy. Even though, yes, having children is a big sacrifice, but yet it brings happiness to make that sacrifice. It's a labor of love. I don't look at my wife and children as a burden to me. You know what I mean? And I mean, to sit there and say, oh man, you have a wife and children and you have to cover up. That's such a burden to you, but it's not. Because what if I didn't have a wife and children, right? What would I do with my time and money? You know what I mean? What would I do with it? I'd serve God with it. But you know what? Honestly, it's a joy and a pleasure to do things for my wife and children. And you know what? My children are going to grow up and God willing, they're going to serve Him. And I'm basically multiplying my efforts by producing children that can grow up and serve God. By the way, if God's people would have been doing that all along, like the Muslims and the Mormons, are multiplying. God's people are having 1.5 children. What was that? It went down to zero. Yeah, now it's like they're not even having enough to replace themselves. It's like the birth rate's going backwards. But did I have you turn to Proverbs 14? Look at Proverbs 14, because we're talking about the fact that we should serve others and then we should think of others and be humble enough to take care of other people instead of just worrying about ourselves all the time. But not only that, but the fact that that's where happiness lies. Jesus said, if you know these things, happier you can do them. Well, look at the flip side of that. Proverbs 14, 12 says, there's a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. And look at verse 13, interesting verse. Even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness. So we see the image of a person who looks like they're having a pretty good time. They're laughing, they're having fun. It's all about me. No responsibilities, not doing anything for anybody else. It's me, me, me. And you know what? There are people who live their life that way. There are people who are out laughing and having a good time and just doing what they want to do. They don't care about serving God. They don't care about what's right for their family. They don't care about helping the poor and the afflicted or people that are in need. No, it's just all about eating, drinking and being married and having a good time. But the Bible says, even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful. And the end of that mirth is heaviness. You know what heaviness means? Depression. Because heaviness, heaviness is a pressing down, like depression. I mean, the Bible had used the word depression, but heaviness is when you're down and sorrowful and it just goes on and on. And what I'm saying is that the Bible teaches that people who live that way are eventually going to become depressed. And look at the next verse. Verse 14 says, the backslider in heart shall be filled with others. Is that what it says? No. It says, the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. And so the Bible here says that the backslider, it's all about him. It's selfish is what it is. When you backslide, when you move backward in your Christian life, when you turn back from serving the Lord with all your heart, you become self-absorbed. And even when you're laughing and having a good time, inside you're sad. Inside it's empty. Inside you're sorrowful. And I bet there are people here that can testify about a time in their life when they were living for self, living a life of pleasure, living a life of partying and doing what's right for the blessing. And they can tell you that inside they're sad. And then even if they enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, the end of that mirth, mirth means joy, the end of that mirth is happiness. Look, people are depressed today because they're selfish, because they're filled with their own ways. They're serving themselves. They're lifted up in pride. They're not putting others first. They're not caring about other people. They're not relieving the afflicted. They're not washing the saints' feet. They're not trying to do something for somebody else. They're trying to do something for themselves today. Are you in chapter 14? Look at verse 21 of the same chapter. He that despiseth his neighbor sineth, but he that hath mercy on the poor, happiest he. See how the Bible says that you'll be happy when you help somebody out that's in need, right? Serving others, helping the poor. And then, of course, I'll close with it. Go to Psalm 84. While you're turning to Psalm 84, it's interesting. I was just looking up happiness in the Bible, and I noticed this scripture in 1 Kings 10, 8 where the Bible reads, Happy are thy men. Happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee and adhere thy wisdom. I believe that's where the Queen of Sheba, the Queen of the South, comes to see Solomon, and she sees Solomon, and she most marvels at his wisdom. I mean, she marvels at his riches, his wealth, his lavish luxury, but she really marvels at his wisdom, and she says, You know what? Your servants are happy. Now, let me ask you this. Was he that happy? No. If we were in Ecclesiastes? No. His servants were happier than he is. I mean, think about that. I mean, happier are these thy servants that get to hear your wisdom and they get to serve you. Because, look, King Solomon was a great king. He was a very powerful king. He was a very splendid king, and he was a man of great wisdom and knowledge, and he ruled the people well. He ruled the nation well. He was a good king, and his servants were just happy to serve him. They were just happy to be of service to him, but he, on the other hand, was unhappy because he didn't care about others at this time in his life when he's writing Ecclesiastes. He was living life for self. Look at Psalm 84, verse 10. The Bible reads, For a day in thy courts, talking about the courts of God, for a day in thy courts is better than a thousand, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. What is he saying there? I'd rather serve in God's house than to be served in the house of the wicked. Because the doorkeeper, I mean, that's a job. That's a servant. That's not a prestigious job. That's a job of humility and service. I'm not saying it's a bad job because you know what? If Jesus did it, it must not be a bad job. If Jesus washed the saints' feet, then we dead sure should never look down on the shoeshine boy at the airport because he's doing something that's less humble than what Jesus did. And by the way, don't ever get this attitude where you look down your nose at the garbage man or the shoe shiner or somebody who does, that guy, you know, oh man, yeah, what a derelict. No, you know what? You know who's the derelict? The one who's not working. The one who doesn't work is a derelict. But you know what? The one who's flipping burgers, the one who's picking up trash, the one who's doing whatever job that maybe is a dirty job or a difficult job or a humbling job, the one who carries the luggage, shines the shoes, you know what? God bless him. He's working hard. He's doing what he's supposed to do. And you know what? You should never look down on a person like that because to do so is to even reproach Jesus Christ. When you look down on the poor, the Bible says, he that despiseth the poor reproacheth his Maker. Yep. Amen. And you know, you look down on the shoeshine, boy, what are you saying? You're saying that Jesus, you know, is down because he's the one, he did even more. He washed the feet. Even more humiliating, even more humbling. We should look at people that have jobs that are not prestigious jobs, that are hardworking jobs or maybe, you know, low-income jobs. And we shouldn't look at those people who would disdain or look down on them. You know what? If you want to disdain somebody, disdain the guy who's lazy and sitting around doing nothing or disdain the guy who makes a dishonest living. Yep. You know, some banker, some usurer, right? Which the Bible says that's not a legitimate way to make a living, being a usurer. Yep. You know, the guy who's running some quickened loan till payday, 25% interest, but, you know, he might drive a nice car and wear a nice suit and you think, oh, wow, sir, come on in. You know, and treat him with respect and then say to the poor, stand thou there or sit here under my footstool, when the Bible says that the poor are whom God has chosen this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he had promised them to love. He said, do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seat? Do not they blaspheme thy worthy name by the which ye are called? Amen. But you've despised the poor. God is saying in the book of James, why are you despising the poor? You ought to get upset at these rich people who are making money off everybody's back and stealing and, you know, ripping everybody. And again, we shouldn't be down on rich people that actually work for a living. But people who steal, people who are usurers, people who are abusive, you know, obviously people who make their money on harming others, dealing drugs, for example. You know, we shouldn't respect that. We should respect humility. We should respect hard work. But you know what? Jesus set us an example and he's telling us, look, don't be too proud to stoop to helping your brother and sister in Christ. Amen. And if you want to be happy tonight, if you don't want to be depressed and go down to some quack to give you a bunch of drugs that are going to make you even worse and suicidal, you better not just know these things. You better do them. Amen. Happy are ye if you do them. Let's borrow this network. Thank you, Lord, for the example that you gave us. Thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and that the reproaches of them that reproached us were laid on you, dear God, all our sins were laid upon you and you paid for them. Thank you for salvation. Thank you for humbling yourself and being obedient unto the cross. And Lord, help us to follow your example and to just have humility and to serve others and to love other people. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's go ahead and sing one more song before we go. You know, while I was preaching a song in my mind, but the thing has gone from me. I need somebody to tell me the dream and the interpretation. What do you think of the song that ties in with the sermon? Oh, say but I'm glad. What's that? Say but I'm glad. Yeah. Oh, say but I'm glad? Dare to be a Daniel? Just because I'm talking about dreams. Alright, let's sing Oh, say but I'm glad. Or the day, come lead it since you're though and enthusiastic about it. 206. Oh, say but I'm glad. 206. Let's sing it out. Alright, 206. Oh, say but I'm glad. 206. Oh, say but I'm glad. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206. 206.