ARE YOUR FEET BEAUTIFUL?

When did Jesus wash the feet of His disciples? 

• It was just before he walked out to the Garden of Gethsemane where He was arrested. 
• From there He walked to His trial and then to His execution where His feet were nailed to a cross.

After that Jesus died and was buried in a tomb. 

• After three days He returned walked along the dusty road to Emmaus with two disciples. 
• Later He walked into the room to visit His disciples. 
• He walked straight through the door as though it was not there. 

After that Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples, walking with them as He had done before the cross.

• But the day came when Jesus was taken up into Heaven. 

• Before He left them, Jesus gave them a command to go. They did not have horses or chariots but they had feet and they went.

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Mark 16:15 (NIV) 

• The King James Version says EVERY CREATURE.
• In Ancient Greek, the word for CREATION could also mean human cities built by men.

...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who WENT ABOUT doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NKJV) 

• If you drive to church, you do well but if you have new neighbours, do you walk to their front door with a cake or a bunch of flowers?
• If you see a beggar in the city, do you walk across the road to talk to him?
• When you see a lonely person at a party, you can walk across the room to start a conversation.

Abraham was the Father of our faith and our example. He heard the command of God to GO and he WENT.

He left Iraq and walked to Syria and from Syria he walked to Israel. Then he walked up and down the Holy Land when he was well over 70 years old. As he went, he prayed and worshipped God and people SAW his faith.

• If nobody sees your faith are you a follower of Jesus? 

• Jesus did not just say BELIEVE. He said FOLLOW ME. To follow Jesus in those days, you needed to WALK with Him and it is still so today.

The Apostle Paul walked from city to city to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to men and women who had never heard. As he went, he prayed. How did he pray?

What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:15 (NKJV) 

• I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 1 Corinthians 14:18 (NKJV)

Paul’s target for mission was cities and towns. He was a busy man, working as a tent maker and preaching and teaching. 

How could the busy apostle find time to pray in tongues more than any of the enthusiastic tongue speaking Pentecostals in Corinth? 

Part of the answer is this: PRAYER WALKING.

• As Paul walked to a meeting, he prayed in tongues.

• As Paul walked from one town to the next, he prayed in tongues.

For Paul, faith meant WALKING.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And WALK IN LOVE, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2 (NKJV) 

When the Jewish High Priest killed and burnt a lamb to atone for the sins of Israel, the burning flesh was a sweet smell to God because He delighted to have mercy.

• God’s justice demands the death penalty for all sin.

Jesus walked to His execution as the sacrificial Lamb of God. He paid the penalty for my sin and your sin. 

• Will you walk with Him and GO to your neighbours?

• Will you buy a ticket, fly to the nations and walk the streets of foreign cities?

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news... Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)