Fruit That Remains | Now Unto Him | John 13:1-17 | Milton James

Serving unto Jesus begins with God moving on a heart that had been sitting in culture Christianity, running in and running out, just consuming. God beckons that kind of heart into service, not as a side thing, but as a holy thing. The simple work of putting out flags becomes worship when those flags are prayed over, when the wind catches them, when the hope is that the Holy Spirit would draw somebody in to hear the gospel and give life to Christ. Serving becomes pure when the heart is overjoyed just to have an opportunity to serve the risen King.

Mark 10 calls serving greatness because the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. James 4 calls the servant into utter humility because God exalts the one who bows low before him. Matthew 25 says serving the least is serving Christ himself, and Hebrews 6 says God is not unjust to overlook the work and love shown for his name. Serving unto Jesus means every act, flags, bathrooms, shuttles, worship, refresh, anything, becomes worship done for Jesus, not for people’s applause and not for personal desire.

Colossians 3 presses the heart beyond eye service and people pleasing. Paul calls bondservants to work heartily as for the Lord, knowing that the reward comes from the Lord Jesus. The bond servant image goes back to Exodus 21, where a servant who could go free chooses to stay because the master has been good. The ear at the doorpost says, “I chain myself to the master,” not out of legal obligation, but out of love, gratitude, and trust.

The tabernacle and temple show that service around the dwelling place of God is never common. The Levites handled lamps, bread, incense, blood, security, treasury, maintenance, teaching, and cleaning with holy reverence because the Spirit of the Lord dwelled there. The church is called to see serving the same way, not as a low thing or a ladder thing, but as holy labor unto him.

Philippians 2 shows the mind of Christ, who emptied himself, took the form of a servant, and humbled himself to death on a cross. John 13 shows God in the flesh, secure in all power, rising from supper to wash dirty feet. Jesus, Lord and Teacher, takes the lowest place, then says the servant is not greater than the Master. The blessing is not just in knowing these things, but in doing them.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Serving is worship unto Jesus Serving unto Jesus refuses to treat small tasks as throwaway work. Flags, toilets, shuttles, and unseen labor become holy when the heart offers them to Christ instead of using them to chase applause. God does not overlook what people miss, and that makes hidden service a place of deep fellowship with him. [10:30]
• 2. Bond servants choose the Master The bond servant is not chained by force, but by love. Exodus gives the picture of a servant who could walk free, yet stays because the master has been good. That image turns service from duty into devotion, where obedience flows from trust in the goodness of Christ. [17:34]
• 3. Holy places require holy reverence The tabernacle and temple were not casual spaces because the Spirit of the Lord dwelled there. The Levites served through physical, detailed, demanding labor, yet all of it belonged to worship. The church’s work becomes shallow when it is treated as common, but weighty and joyful when it is done before a holy God. [24:31]
• 4. Jesus served from total security John 13 shows Jesus washing feet after knowing the Father had given all things into his hands. His humility did not come from weakness, insecurity, or lack of identity. The lowest place became the clearest display of divine strength because God in the flesh had nothing to prove. [35:01]
• 5. Blessing belongs to obedient humility Jesus does not leave foot washing as something to admire from a distance. The Lord and Teacher says the servant is not greater than the Master, then attaches blessing to doing what he has shown. Humility becomes real when status is laid down and love takes the lowest available place.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:32] - Prayer and Holy Dependence
• [04:24] - From Consumer to Servant
• [07:44] - Four Principles of Serving
• [10:30] - Serving Unto Jesus
• [12:32] - What a Bond Servant Means
• [14:33] - Exodus and Voluntary Servitude
• [21:32] - Levites Serving a Holy Place
• [27:27] - Serving Is Holy, Not Common
• [31:18] - Christ Emptied Himself
• [34:10] - Jesus Washes Feet
• [41:06] - God and Teacher Takes Lowest Place
• [43:38] - Servant Leaders, Not Volunteers
• [45:29] - Christ Purifies for Service
• [47:21] - Call to Surrender

1. In John 13:3, what did Jesus know about his authority and origin before washing the disciples’ feet? How does this contrast with His actions?
2. According to Philippians 2:7, what specific form did Jesus take, and how does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on humility? [35:01]
3. What examples of “mundane” tasks (e.g., flags, bathrooms) were mentioned as acts of worship when done for Jesus? [10:30]
4. How does Exodus 21:5-6 describe the bond servant’s voluntary choice to stay with their master, and what physical sign marked this decision?

1. Why is it significant that Jesus washed feet after knowing “the Father had given all things into his hands” (John 13:3)? What does this reveal about the relationship between security and humility? [35:01]
2. The bond servant in Exodus 21 could leave after six years but chose to stay. How does this imagery shift service from obligation to devotion? [17:34]
3. The Levites handled practical tasks (lamps, cleaning) in the temple. Why does the sermon connect their work to how we should view serving in the church today? [24:31]

1. Reflect on a recent act of service (e.g., helping at church, work, or home). Was your motivation more aligned with “people’s applause” or offering it as worship to Jesus? What would change if you saw it only for Him?
2. The bond servant’s pierced ear symbolized lifelong devotion. What practical step could you take this week to “chain yourself” to Christ’s mission in a specific area of service? [17:34]
3. Jesus took the “lowest place” by washing feet. Where is the “lowest place” in your current sphere (home, church, workplace) that you’ve avoided serving? How could you step into that role?
4. The sermon mentions mundane tasks (like flags or cleaning) becoming holy when prayed over. What ordinary responsibility in your life could you intentionally dedicate to God through prayer this week? [10:30]
5. How does treating service as “holy labor” (e.g., setting up chairs, teaching kids) change your attitude compared to viewing it as a casual chore? What habit could help you maintain reverence in these moments? [24:31]
6. Jesus served from a place of security, not insecurity. Where do you struggle to serve humbly because of fear of being overlooked or undervalued? How could His example in John 13 reshape your perspective?