Bible Study - Voice (5) - Does It Honor GOD? - John 17:1-9 - February 19, 2023

 

Bible Study – Voice (5) -Does It Honor GOD? – February 19, 2023

This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled, “How to Discern the Voice of GOD.”

Our focus scripture is John 17:1-9.

GOD’S voice always leads us to glorify HIM and accomplish HIS purposes.

Notice that John 17:1 – “Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come --.

What had JESUS referred to in John 16? Let’s read:

16 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. ² They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. ³ They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or me. ⁴ But I have told you these things so that when their time^[a] comes you will remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: ⁹ About sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

¹² “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.

Sorrow Turned to Joy

¹⁶ “In a little while, you will no longer see me; again in a little while, you will see me.”^[b]

¹⁷ Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this he’s telling us: ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They said, “What is this he is saying,^[c] ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.”

¹⁹ Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again, in a little while, you will see me’? ²⁰ Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. ²¹ When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. ²² So you also have sorrow^[d] now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.

²³ “In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Jesus the Victor

²⁵ “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ On that day you will ask in my name, and I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.^[e] 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

²⁹ His disciples said, “Look, now you’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. ³⁰ Now we know that you know everything and don’t need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”

³¹ Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? ³² Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. ³³ I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

JESUS was preparing HIS disciples for something they had not considered. They thought JESUS would live upon earth and rule as an earthly king. JESUS told them but they could not comprehend what HE was telling them and would not until they were filled by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

As humans we attempt to figure out salvation but it takes a step of faith before it becomes clear. Salvation is the point the Holy Spirit enters our human body and changes us from mortal to immortal through the miracle of Spiritual birth into GOD’S Family. Let’s explore our focus scripture.

Let’s read John 17:1-3:

Jesus Prays for Himself

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,^[a] 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. 

What did JESUS tell Nicodemus the Jewish leader in John 3:1-6:

3 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴ “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Who had GOD given to JESUS to receive salvation? Are they those the Apostle Paul writes about in Ephesians 1:4 - ⁴ For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.^[c] 

Is there other scripture that supports this? Let’s explore!

Proverbs 16:4 – The Lord has prepared everything for his purpose—
even the wicked for the day of disaster.

Jeremiah 1:5 – I chose you before I formed you in the womb;
I set you apart before you were born.
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Acts 13:48 – ⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 

Romans 8:29 – ²⁹ For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 

2 Timothy 1:9 - 9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 

Was salvation just for those living when JESUS walked upon earth or does salvation span until JESUS returns to earth to rapture the church? Salvation will be active and available to all until the end comes. What all people must keep in mind is that thousands of people go into eternity every day. Are you ready to go into eternity? If not? Why not? JESUS gave HIS sinless life just for you.

Accepting JESUS as your Savior takes a step of faith. LORD JESUS. I am a sinner and I ask YOU to forgive me for my sins and to come into my life now and confirm it by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If you are not already in a Bible believing and teaching church or fellowship, ask GOD to lead you to where you can be fed Spiritually and grow.

Let’s continue reading our focus scripture ----

Let’s read John 17:4-5:

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.

JESUS was 100% human and was tempted in all ways as humans are tempted, yet HE lived a sinless life upon earth. That is why salvation is only possible through faith in JESUS. JESUS was and is GOD’S only perfect, acceptable sinless sacrifice for the remission of sin. Faith in JESUS through HIS sinless shed blood is the only way to salvation and eternal life.

JESUS willingly came to earth to give HIS sinless life for all who will place their faith in HIM. What did HE leave to come to earth? Verse 5 reveals it to us, “Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed.” WOW! To me that is overwhelming. But that is the love JESUS had and has for all humans, otherwise all people would be doomed to eternal separation from GOD.

JESUS did, for those, who will place their faith in HIM, that which they could never do for themselves, which is Spiritual birth into GOD’S Family and receive eternal life. That is overwhelming love.

Let’s read John 17:6-9:

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

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.

GOD’S Word is more powerful than a two-edged sword. That is why we meditate, study it and hide it in our hearts.

⁹ “I pray^[b] for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours. 

JESUS Prayed for all who will accept HIM as their Savior and those who have been or will be called by GOD to fulfill and accomplish HIS redemptive plan.

GOD calls all, but few will accept HIM as expressed by JESUS in a parable in Matthew 22:1-5 - And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, ³ and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. ⁴ Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ ⁵ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. --- It is sad that we make a religion out of Christianity.

Being a Spirit-born person, a true Christian, is all about having and being in the right relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS.

At the instant JESUS becomes a person’s Savior, the next step is for that person to make JESUS the LORD of his or her life. Sometimes that happens at the instant of salvation but often it is a Spiritual growth process. At the instant of salvation, the Holy Spirit unites with a person’s human spirit and that person is Spiritually born into GOD’S Family. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit WHO teaches, enlightens, guides, leads, confirms and gives understanding to Spiritual issues and direction. As the Spirit born person yields his or life to GOD, GOD calls him or her to serve HIM.

GOD has HIS plan to get the message of salvation to all the people that are HIS. Who are those who GOD knows belong to HIM? Do you?

GOD is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. Jeremiah 1:5 - GOD knits some together in their mother’s womb. GOD has a special plan for them in HIS Kingdom at the time of conception e.g., John the Baptist, Jeremiah, David, etc. Even though GOD has a special purpose for their lives, they still had to choose. GOD never overrides our right to choose but HE can sure put road blocks into our lives that direct and redirect our lives. Even JESUS had to choose. HE could have said I cannot finish but to GOD’S Glory and our salvation HE finished HIS calling.

All people are called to salvation but not all accept. GOD gives us the freedom to choose.

I am reminded of a person’s testimony I heard at CBMC. I have forgotten his profession but he was a Christian businessman in Atlanta, GA. The street was blocked off and he asked why the street was blocked. He was told there was a person on the ledge of the building about to jump. GOD told him to go up and talk to the jumper. The person tried several entrance doors and they were locked. He continued to search until he located an unlocked door on the side of the building. He went to the floor where the jumper was located. Police were present and they asked him why he was on that floor. He said, I need to talk to the man who is trying to jump. The police thinking, he was a professional let him go into the room and crawl out onto the ledge to talk to the jumper. He spoke to the jumper and convinced him not to jump but to come back into the room. When all was said and done, the Police learned that he was a business man and had no training in counseling people but he knew JESUS as his Savior.

This businessman gave this testimony in Atlanta and afterwards a man came up to him and told him that he was a police office and he recalled that day. GOD had urged him to go talk to the jumper but he fought the urge. He said, I could have shown my badge and gotten access into that building. I am so glad that you responded to GOD’S urging and talked the jumper into not jumping but to get help.

When GOD urges us to respond, we need to listen and trust HIM as HE leads us. Sometimes, we are called to give a cup of cold water but at other times it may be more.

Blessings!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

do not belong to HIM and never will? During the early days upon earth many things were happening – Adam and Eve sinned. Cain killed Abel. Eve became pregnant as we read in Genesis 4: ²⁵ Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], “God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” ²⁶ To Seth, also, a son was born, whom he named Enosh (mortal man, mankind). At that [same] time men began to call on the name of the Lord [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving].

Mortal man was introduced to the world through Enosh.

The dynamics upon earth did not please GOD as we read in Genesis 6:1-13: Now it happened, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, ² that the ^[a]sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and desirable; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose and desired. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive and remain with man forever, because he is indeed flesh [sinful, corrupt—given over to sensual appetites]; nevertheless his days shall yet be ^[b]a hundred and twenty years.” ⁴ There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (great reputation, fame).

⁵ The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. ⁶ The Lord ^[c]regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will destroy (annihilate) mankind whom I have created from the surface of the earth—not only man, but the animals and the crawling things and the birds of the air—because it [deeply] grieves Me [to see mankind’s sin] and I regret that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor and grace in the eyes of the Lord.

⁹ These are the records of the generations (family history) of Noah. Noah was a righteous man [one who was just and had right standing with God], blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked (lived) [in habitual fellowship] with God. ¹⁰ Now Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹¹ The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. ¹² God looked on the earth and saw how debased and degenerate it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way on the earth and lost their true direction.

¹³ God said to Noah, “I intend to make an end of all that lives, for through men the land is filled with violence; and behold, I am about to ^[d]destroy them together with the land.