Asking For A Friend Week 5- How Do I Know I’m Going To Heaven?
Read
Read
John 17:1-26
17 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent —Jesus Christ. 4 I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 because I have given them the words you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me. 9 “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours. 10 Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture may be fulfilled. 13 Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. 14 I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”
Summary
Welcome back to Community Group, this week we tackled one of the question I get asked the most.
How do I know I’m going to heaven?
On the surface, this seems like a very difficult question to answer, but in reality, it is a simple question. Whenever, I hear this question, I know I have an attentive listener. Most of the time, the people asking the question are confused, simply because they heard someone say something that they had not heard. Let’s look at the scripture. As we read, lets answer the who, what where, when and why. We will also answer the how.
Who: The who is Jesus, God the Father, speaking about humanity now and about future believers.
When: before His betrayal, trial, he is praying about what is about to happen, at the hour, the now, it is the passion timeframe. He is saying the hour has come.
Where: He is in the garden, it is between upper room and mount of olives, and he is no longer with His disciples.
How: He is vocally praying to the Father, we see that sanctification solidifies security. In v15-17, sanctification through the Word, believers have been given to Christ, given by the Father, believers are in Christ and Christ is in the Father, we see that in John 10 & 14. Philippians 1 tells us, He who began a good work in you, who is that, the high priest.
What: all who follow Him, are also the Father’s, now and future. In v20-21 we see, this is what eternal security is, protecting from fear = unity for His followers. He and the Father have unity, what the Father gives the Son, what the Son gives believers, and what the Son asks of the Father for the believers.
Why: His intercession on our behalf. Jesus shows His humanity as He cries out to the Father. Why, so the world may know the glory of God, eternal security is not about the believer, it’s about God, completed work of Christ.
Target: eternal security is for the glory of God, that blesses the people of God, and is fulfilled through the person of God.
Eternal security is also a promise of God, for the glory of God, that blesses the people of God, forever.
Many doubt their salvation, because there focus is on a place not the person. The joy of salvation is not heaven, it is an earthly relationship with Jesus that extends into eternity.
When you understand that what Jesus did for you, to have a relationship with you, through the cross. And that what He did cannot be undone. You understand that it is a forever relationship, on earth as it will be in heaven.
Discussion
Questions
Are you an example of Christ to you friends?
Have other in the group answer and give examples
Are you one who supports his friends in hard times? Have others answer
Do you make time for your friends? Have others answer
Are you the type of friend that expects something in return? Have others answer
What do you need to change in your life to be a better friend? Share
Announcements
If you are a CG leader, please make sure you are a part of the WhatsApp group! Also, if you don’t hear from your assigned shepherd in the next few weeks, please let us know.
Also we are in need of Volunteers for our Operation Christmas Child Collection Week
Please sign up on our Events Page or contact Meichelle Vasquez
Shepherd Couples:
Herb and Maggie Cuellar
Ismael & Ashley Ledezma
Ozie and Maritza Hernandez
Randy & Yvette Pena
Will and Elizabeth Stewart
Jon and Libby White
You will be hearing from them in the near future!
Pastor Isauro Medina
Cell: (956) 984-9380
Meichelle Vasques
Cell: (956) 566-4762
