I AM the Door

I AM the Door

I AM: Jesus in the Present Tense

John 10:1-5

Advance Slide 1

Introduction

There is a church in Palestine the doorway of which is so low that one must stoop to enter it. 

• The reason was to prevent medieval raiders from riding their horses into the church and disrupting the worship. 
• The door is called “Humility Gate.”
• • This morning we are going to study a few verses in John 10 where Jesus refers to Himself as a Door/Gate
  • His gate is also one that must be entered with humility.

Prayer

The message of the shepherd and the door are both found and mixed in chapter 10.

Advance Slide 2

• Both of these metaphors refer to Jesus.
• • He is the door to the field…
  • He leads the fold out and in…

Some have found this to be confusing, but the blending of images is not unusual:

• Jesus gives the bread of life and He IS the "bread of life"
• Jesus give the truth and He IS the "truth"
• Jesus brings the light and He IS the "light of life"

Advance Slide 3

Text

“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. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:1-5

Advance Slide 4

Jesus begins with a familiar illustration…"the sheepfold"

• They would have been enclosed by a wall, high enough so that the sheep would not jump over.
• • Shepherds might even put thorns along the top to keep thieves out and their sheep in.
• In this enclosure there would be an opening in the wall.
• • At night after returning the sheep, the shepherd would lay across the opening.
  • Now, at this point no thieve would be able to get in 

This sermon grew out of our Lord’s confrontation with Jewish leaders, following the excommunication of the beggar (John 9). 

• He had briefly spoken to them about light and darkness, but now He changed the image to that of the shepherd and the sheep. 
• • Why? Because to the Jewish mind, a “shepherd” was any kind of leader, spiritual or political. 
  • • People looked on the king and prophets as shepherds. 
    • Israel was privileged to be “the flock of the Lord” 

Advance Slide 5

In the explanation that follows, twice Jesu said, “I am the Door.” 

• He is the Door of the sheepfold and makes it possible for the sheep to leavethe fold (the religion of Judaism) and to enter His flock. 
• Consider the blind beggar:
• • The Pharisees threw the beggar out of the synagogue, but Jesus ledhim out of Judaism and into the flock of God!
• The Shepherd does not stop with leading the sheep out; He also leads themin. 
• • They become a part of the “one flock” (not “fold”) which is His church. 
  • He is the Door of salvation (John 10:9). 
  • Those who trust Him enter into the Lord’s flock and fold, and they have the wonderful privilege of going “in and out” and finding pasture. 

When you keep in mind that the shepherd actually was the “door” of the fold, this image becomes very real.

• With this in mind lets spend some time thinking about Jesus as that door and what it means.

Lesson

I am going to share with you three things that Door represents to us:

Advance Slide 6

Separation - a door creates division (i.e. the doors of a jail cell/prison)

• There are people who are outside and then there are those who are in.
• When Jesus taught and ministered it caused division:
• • Jn. 9:16 - "Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them."
  • This is not the only instance…3 times in John (I found) Jesus, because of words caused division.

Those that follow Christ do not belong to this world, nor will they live like the world.

• Guess what the result of this is?

Advance Slide 7

• Jesus said in they will hate you (Jn. 15:18-25)
• The great blessing in this:
• • “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." vs. 18-19

If you think the the separation is not a bad thing.

• It should be an honor, if not a compliment, when we are treated as Jesus was!

Advance Slide 8

Decision - the world promotes tolerance at the cost of truth.

• There are at least 3 areas of life where we do not all tolerance like this: money, measurements, and medicine.
• EX - If someone owed you $100; you would want them to just pay you $1…wouldn't tolerate it!
• • Suppose you ordered a bookcase to be made and instead of being 8 ft tall it was only 6…wouldn't tolerate it!
  • Suppose the pharmacist gave you poison instead of your pills…wouldn't tolerate it!
  • • If we do not allow such tolerance in things such as this why do we allow it in things that pertain to faith and morality?

Plastic words and ideas are DANGEROUS…why?

• Because they can be molded and twisted into anything!
• People might use a Christian vocabulary, but they aren't using a Christian dictionary!

Advance Slide 9

So we MUST make a decision to hear HIs words, and His words alone!

• We have to make a decision to enter into His fold through His Door.
• To stand before Jesus Christ, the Door, and make no decision at all is to stay on the outside of salvation!
• • At the door you are in a place of decision, and to make no decision is to make a decision—the wrong one.

Advance Slide 10

Salvation - "whoever enter through men WILL BE SAVED" - Jn. 10:9

• Not saved because we simply admire Jesus
• • Rather we WILL BE saved because entering into His fold, though His door mean repentance, and baptism!
  • Saved means we are rescued...FORGIVEN!

Salvation also means liberty - 

• Sailors, soldiers, marines and airman get liberty…what does that mean?
• • They are free from the their confines…they get to let their guard down. 

Advance Slide 11

• Liberty for a Christian is freedom form the confines of sin.
• • The ability to be yourself before others, and God.
  • • Entering through His door means that we have the privilege of enjoying that liberty

Salvation is not a human right…it is a gift of God's grace to us.

Conclusion

Advance Slide 12

When you go through “the Door,” you receive life and you are saved. 

• As you go “in and out,” you enjoy abundant life in the rich pastures of the Lord. 
• His sheep enjoy fullness and freedom. 
• Jesus not only gave His life for us, but He gives His life to us right now!

The security of the flock is the shepherd’s number one responsibility (we'll discuss that when I return from El. Sal.)

• Jesus assures us that His sheep shall never perish (John 10:27–30).