Tim Keller | April 26, 1998
On the night before Jesus is about to die, Jesus says to his disciples, “You have listened to many of the things I’ve said, and you’ve somewhat learned them, but you haven’t really changed.” Jesus doesn’t want his followers to simply start obeying rules, but he wants them to have changed hearts.
Today’s sermon comes from a series on how God brings about deep, permanent, transformative change in our lives. This happens when God changes your heart. There are four things this passage teaches us about a changed heart: the importance of the fruit of the Spirit (love); the unity of the fruit; the nature of the fruit; and how this fruit is cultivated.
When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he was teaching them about real love and service. It’s a lesson for us to follow. This story tells us that we need to change and grow on the inside, as shown by Judas being there. Love isn’t just about liking someone or being nice to them. It’s about truly helping others, making us think about our actions and the deep meaning of the Spirit’s gifts.
April Book Offer
Tim Keller’s How to Find God set of three short books on birth, death, and marriage addresses these key milestones in your life and shows you how the Scripture teaches us to face each one with God’s help. They are books of pastoral care, designed for specific life situations you or someone you know will go through.