I AM: The Door

Pastor Scott

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ME:

There was this TV show years ago that my in-laws would watch when we would visit them. It was called Hell’s Kitchen. It was a cooking competition show. It started out with several cooks and after each round some would be eliminated. The host would make some brutal comments about the cooking such as....

This Crab is so undercooked that it’s singing “Under the Sea”

This food is so frozen that it started singing “Let it go…Let it go...”

At the end of the show there would be two finalists behind

two doors. They would open there door at the same time but, only the winner would be able to open the door to an audience of applause and celebration for their victory.

WE:

We all have doors that close and open for us. It might not be literal doors as often as it is figurative doors.

Such as the open door of opportunity found in a new job or the closed door of not being hired for one

Such as the open door of opportunity found in a acceptance letter from a College or the closed door of a rejection letter from a College.

We have to be careful though. Because there are some doors that aren’t good for us that the world will leave wide open for us. Such as the door of pride, lust, greed, and envy.

The world provides us with a long list of possibilities but all those doors lead to is death. In the next I statement of Jesus He proclaims “I AM-THE DOOR. He is the only Door that leads to eternal Life

John 10:1–10 (ESV)

1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Background

A couple weeks ago we talked about how in John chapter 8 Jesus proclaimed “I AM: The light of the world and how being the light of the world isn’t something we do but, someone we are. Then we see in chapter 9 how Jesus restores the sight of a man born blind who is kicked out of the temple for testifying to the fact that Jesus is God.

This is what the whole Gospel of John is all about. It’s about believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. To open up the spiritual blindness of the people so they can see Jesus as the Great I AM.

We see two more pictures of Who Jesus is in the 10th Chapter of John. That He is the Good Shepherd and He is the Door to eternal life. The only Door to eternal life

There is a great history of Shepherds in Israel and was considered a very popular vocation. There were many shepherds and the size of their sheepfold varied.

At night the Shepherds would gather their sheep to enter the sheep-pen to protect them from the wild beasts and animals.

Much like we gather our children and keep them in after dark to protect from violent people, drugs, and crime.

The Middle Eastern sheepfold was very simple: a stone wall, perhaps ten feet high, surrounded it, and an opening served as the door.

The shepherds in the village would drive their sheep into the fold at nightfall and leave the porter to stand guard.

In the morning each shepherd would call his own sheep, which would recognize their shepherd’s voice and come out of the fold.

The porter (or one of the shepherds) would sleep at the opening of the fold and actually become “the door.” Nothing could enter or leave the fold without passing over the shepherd.

The seriousness of the statement v.1 and 7

Jesus addresses the religious leaders, the Pharisees by saying “Most assuredly”. In some translations it reads verily, verily. Every time Jesus begins a statement like this it means that this is important. That it is about to get real. So listen up!

Those who enter the Sheepfold illegally are thieves and Robbers v1.

Jesus addresses those who don’t enter the sheepfold by the door and likens them to thieves and robbers. This is an easy picture for us to understand today.

We know thieves and robbers almost never try to break in the front door. Usually they try to sneak in a side door, back door, or even a window.

They do so because it’s not out in the open to be seen. They are in the dark.

Jesus is saying the only legal way into the sheepfold is through the door. Is through Him. There is no other way.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the Door v2.

Jesus proceeds to say “He who enters by the door is the Shepherd of the Sheep”.

Now this can be hard to understand at first. If Jesus is the good shepherd and Jesus is the Door how can Jesus enter into himself?

This is what Jesus has been trying to communicate to the Jewish people all throughout the Gospel of John.

There is this oneness between Jesus and the father. Jesus repeatedly says that he does nothing on His own accord but by the will of the father.

John 12:49 (NLT)

49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.

John 5:30 (NLT)

30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

Compare this with what He says in John 10:16

John 10:16 (NLT)

16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

The other sheep Jesus is referring to are the Gentiles for he says “When the son of man is lifted up He will draw all men to Himself.

The Sheep will Recognize their Shepherd’s voice v.3-6

Jesus says the “Sheep will recognize His voice and come to Him”. There is no one here who couldn’t have their lives radically transformed by listening to the voice of God. The sheep will hear the shepherd’s voice.

Do you remember when you first got a pet. Maybe it was a dog or a cat. At first they would hesitate to come to you when you called them.

Maybe, they wouldn’t come to you at all until they we’re more familiar with you. It can be the same way with our relationship with God.

We won’t recognize God’s voice if we aren’t familiar with Him and get to know Him. We definitely wont follow Him!

Even before we know God, he is drawing us to him in his prevenient grace, the grace that comes before.

Now how can we recognize God’s voice? Sadly most Christians are too busy to do so.

But, we can recognize it. If we slow down and be still before Him because he often speaks to us in a still small voice and not a loud thunderstorm.

A door provides a way of escape(v.7-8)

From false teachings

We find the 7 I AM STATEMENTS in the Gospel of John but in the Gospel of Matthew 23 we see the 7 Sorrows as Jesus grieves over Jerusalem and the corrupt religious leaders...

Not letting others enter the kingdom of God......23:13

Converting others away from God to be like them.....23:15

Leading God’s people to follow man made traditions instead of the Word of God....23:16-22

Following the letter of the law which kills instead of the Spirit of the Lord which gives life.....23:23-24

Having the appearance of outwardly clean but inwardly corrupt.....23:25-26

Acting Spiritual to cover up sin.....23:27-28

Not learning from the past.....23:29-36

A door provides a way to enter(v.9)

Jesus is the door to salvation, to eternal life, to a blessed assurance, to a place of rest and peace.

He is the door to where our sin is forgiven and tossed as far as the east is from the west.

He is that door that there is no more guilt or condemnation.

He is that door where we may go boldy in prayer and access that throne of grace.

He is that door where we can access the Holy of Holies as the father is pleased to hear from His beloved.

He is the door that when we read the word of truth we can hear from the Spirit of truth.

He is the door that we have access to when our souls are troubled, our portions are doubled and his grace is foretold because the gospel story isn’t untold!

It is by this door that we.are.saved! If we enter in. We need to go deeper and deeper.

When we don’t feel like pressing in we need to go deeper. We need to abide in Him as he abides in us.

If we want to know the bible we need to know the author.

If we want the healing we need to know the healer.

If we want to be Holy we need to know the God of Glory.

You came to Jesus for salvation but you need to continue to come to Him for your sanctification.

He is the door that unlocks the majesty of heaven.

He will take the rusty gates of hell and turn them into streets of Gold in paradise.

If we enter into his courts with thanksgiving he will turn our sorrows into praise.

A Door provides a way to Exit

Jesus as a door provides safety because he will give us abundant life.

So if we enter a door besides Jesus it will give us what? Yes, abundant death.

When we are in Christ we are safe from thieves and Robbers who want to take our life.

The word says that satan is a roaring lion seeking to see who he can devour.

In the book of exodus we hear about how Gods people put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts to protect them from the plague of death.

This foreshadow’s Christs death. The perfect spotless lamb of God, who is the door of salvation. Who also protects us from death as he was raised to life to defeat death.

We are covered by the blood of Christ from death as we enter into life with Christ!

There is no other way into heaven. There is no other way but Jesus.

YOU:

Who can you show the door of Jesus Christ too? Who does God want you to lead to Christ?

I remember a pastoral couple that just moved to a new church in a new community.

After only a few months the husband passed away. The wife continued to minister at their new church. Some months pass and she finds herself in the same hospital that her husband died in.

Actually she found herself in the same hospital bed and was assigned the same nurse as her husband. The nurse said to her “Your husband was brought back twice, but he did not want you to see him die.

He did not want you to live with that memory. He wanted you to go on living."

Shortly after that the nurse left so the wife could get some sleep.

Hours later their was a sudden knock on her door. That same nurse came in. Weeping and sobbing with tears.

The wife asked “What’s wrong?” She said, "Nothing. I am going home and wanted to say thank you for ministering into my life.

I did not believe in God, but I do now. I'm going home to tell my husband how much I appreciate him and how much I love him."

WE:

Jesus is the door that we need to continuely enter in. I know many in this room have said the sinner’s prayer and given their life to Jesus.

But Salvation isn’t a one and done deal but at the cross it was done and won.

We need to continuely seek God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Because Satan our enemy will continuely seek us out to destroy us.

Jesus is the door that leads to life, peace and joy and He invites all to enter in

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