Many have a very superficial trust in Jesus. It is way easier to keep things superficial because it doesnt demand too much from us. But the danger is great, that we would miss the kingdom of heaven. If we are going to have any assurance that we will go to heaven, we must be sure we know Jesus truly, and not just superficially. How can we discern if our relationship with Jesus is genuine?

When He came, Jesus brought something new to the world - the gospel of God's grace. As Jesus closes out His Sermon, He charges His disciples to look at what He brings and how it is better than everything He is replacing (2 Timothy 4:3-4). What we need is a Shepherd (John 10:1015) and Jesus challenges us to compare the results of His work (John 13:3435) to the results of the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 7:15). We must believe it. How do we identify a message that leads to life?

2 Samuel 9 (ESV)

David's Kindness to Mephibosheth

9And David said, Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I mayshow him kindness for Jonathan's sake?2Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name wasZiba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, Are you Ziba? And he said, I am your servant.3And the king said, Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may showthe kindness of God to him? Ziba said to the king, There is still a son ofJonathan; he is crippled in his feet.4The king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, He is in the house ofMachir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.5Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.6AndMephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold, I am your servant.7And David said to him, Do not fear,for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, andyou shall eat at my table always.8And he paid homage and said, What is your servant, that you should show regard fora dead dog such as I?

9Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson.10And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandsonshall always eat at my table. Now Ziba hadfifteen sons and twenty servants.11Then Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do. So Mephiboshethate at David'stable, like one of the king's sons.12And Mephibosheth had a young son,whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants.13So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, forhe ate always at the king's table. Nowhe was lame in both his feet.

Matthew 7:12 (ESV)

The Golden Rule

12Sowhatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this isthe Law and the Prophets."

2 Samuel (ESV)

TheLord'sCovenant with David

7Now when the king lived in his house and theLordhad given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,2the king said toNathan the prophet, See now, I dwellin a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwellsin a tent.3And Nathan said to the king,Go, do all that is in your heart, for theLordis with you.

4But that same night the word of theLordcame to Nathan,5Go and tell my servant David, Thus says theLord:Would you build me a house to dwell in?6I have not lived in a housesince the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving aboutin a tent for my dwelling.7In all places whereI have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word withany of the judges of Israel, whom I commandedto shepherd my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar?8Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, Thus says theLordof hosts,I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be princeover my people Israel.9And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.10And I will appoint a place for my people Israeland will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own placeand be disturbed no more.And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. AndI will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, theLorddeclares to you thattheLordwill make you a house.12When your days are fulfilled andyou lie down with your fathers,I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.13He shall build a house for my name, andI will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity,I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,15but my steadfast love will not depart from him,as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.16And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.[c]Your throne shall be established forever.17In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David's Prayer of Gratitude

18Then King David went in and sat before theLordand said,Who am I, O LordGod, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?19And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O LordGod.You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O LordGod!20And what more can David say to you?For you know your servant, O LordGod!21Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.22Therefore you are great, OLordGod.For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.23And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a nameand doing for themgreat and awesome things by driving out before your people,whomyou redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods?24And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, OLord, became their God.25And now, OLordGod, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken.26And your name will be magnified forever, saying, TheLordof hosts is God over Israel, and the house of your servant David will be established before you.27For you, OLordof hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, I will build you a house. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.28And now, O LordGod, you are God, andyour words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.29Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O LordGod, have spoken,and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.