John 10:1-10 "I Am the Door"

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Our passion is to experience and express grace.

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Amen.

Thank you, Nina and Newt.

Those have got to be up there in my top ten most beautiful hymn lyrics.

My sinful self, my only shame, my glory, all the cross.

Two wonders I confess, the wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I hope those words ring in your ears.

I do hope that you'll celebrate the glory of the cross, the empty tomb,

how Jesus covers our sinful shame and he gives us life.

Especially celebrate that with us this week with our special services.

But we celebrate that Savior all the time, don't we?

We don't wait for Easter to celebrate the cross or the empty tomb.

I need to see him afresh today.

Anybody else need to see Jesus?

Just need right where you are, in the hard places, in the uncertainties, in the struggles.

And Jesus is going to meet us again.

So we're going to open his word to John's gospel where we are encountering Jesus.

And recently, what we've seen Jesus doing is healing a blind man

and then seeking him out again to give him spiritual sight.

While the Pharisees, the religious experts, are exposed as blind guides.

Chapter 10 of John actually continues Jesus' conversation with some of these Pharisees

and others are listening in.

Let's read the first 10 verses of John chapter 10.

John 10 · chapter mention

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.

This figure of speech Jesus used with them,

but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So Jesus again said to them,

Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers,

but the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the door.

If anyone enters by me, he will be saved

and will go in and out and find pasture.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Thus far, God's holy, inerrant, infallible word.

Let's ask for his help.

Father, we do ask for you to speak to us this morning by your spirit.

Jesus, might we hear your voice

and know you and follow you

and worship you, delight in you.

Do that work in our hearts, we ask in your name.

Amen.

Amen.

Jesus gives us here a wonderful picture of our relationship with God.

Sheep in a sheepfold and a shepherd.

And then he uses multiple metaphors through the rest of the chapter

to teach us about our relationship.

Probably the most familiar of those being that Jesus is the good shepherd.

What a deeply personal image for our relationship with him.

Hearing his voice, recognizing who he is,

following where he leads, trusting his provision.

There's so many good things in there,

but we're going to save most of them for next week.

It's going to be Easter.

It's going to be great.

But first, as he explains the picture that he has given here,

we get the third of his I am statements in John.

Jesus says, I am the door.

Or the gate, sometimes you've heard it translated.

The picture Jesus is using here would have been much more familiar

to his original audience than it probably is to you.

So I want to give you a little bit of a picture of what they might have had in mind.

These sheepfolds would have been all over the place near where Jesus is talking to them.

Probably six foot tall stone walls with a single door where the shepherd would stand

to keep the sheep in.

Or perhaps even at night lie down in front of the door to sleep

so that no sheep escape overnight.

Often sheep were owned by multiple families in the same village

and they would get together and share a sheepfold

so that one shepherd could watch over all of them.

So Jesus is giving us a picture like this of a sheepfold of God's family, right?

That's what he's talking about.

He will speak of himself as the shepherd.

But in these verses, his point is first that he is the door,

the way into relationship with God and with his people.

It is really important to Jesus here to answer the question,

how do I get in with God?

Maybe you've wondered that.

How do I get in with God?

Notice from the first verse, Jesus is talking about the possibility of other ways in.

Climbing in.

Pretty dangerous perhaps.

That would be done only by thieves and robbers.

People out to harm the sheep.

So the contrast here in this passage is most pointedly the unfaithful shepherds

like the Pharisees Jesus is just speaking to

who don't enter through Jesus at all, do they?

They're chasing him off.

They don't point others to Jesus either.

The contrast with them and the faithful shepherds,

which eventually includes Jesus himself.

But initially here it means those who enter through Jesus

and who point people to the true door, to him.

See, if Jesus is the true door,

he wants us to know the dangers of trying to climb in another way.

The thieves and robbers come to steal and kill and destroy.

Verse 10.

That's serious language.

That's a serious danger.

When they get in among God's people,

it causes harm to the sheep

because they continue to miss Jesus.

Often, even when they do interact with people,

their ministry is focused on themselves.

It's all about them.

Maybe such false shepherds say you get in with God

by being born into the family.

Remember they've said that recently?

Children of Abraham,

we have the right associations, Jesus.

We're in.

Or perhaps it's religious ritual.

You know, go through the right ceremonies.

Make sure you're baptized.

Check the right outward boxes

so you look the part of clean sheep.

That's how you get in with God.

He's looking for somebody.

He looks like he might want them in his family,

they might say.

I bet many of us have heard

that you can climb into relationship with God

through your morality,

your performance.

That's what makes you a Christian, right?

You've heard that.

It's how you talk.

It's how you vote.

It's how you teach your kids,

how you spend your money,

how you keep the rules,

how you love your neighbor.

A lot of that sounds good, doesn't it?

But Jesus says,

if it is pointing you anywhere but him,

watch out!

Danger!

Not just not as good, dangerous!

See, if Jesus is the door,

then it's not Muhammad or Buddha.

But equally,

you probably knew he meant that.

Equally, he's saying,

it's not you or me

or anything we do.

And that includes walking an aisle

or praying a prayer

or being a pretty good person,

being nice to other people.

It's really important for us to hear this

because so many people have lists for us

of how we get in with God,

don't they?

And if those lists don't point us to Jesus alone,

we might find ourselves trying to climb in

the wrong way.

And further,

Jesus is especially warning us here

that if we listen to people

who urge us to rely on anyone

or anything other than him,

we will find that we lose our lives,

not that we save them.

What voices do you listen to?

Sometimes you can even come to church

and leave thinking that

you need to carry a lot of things with you

to come to God.

Boy, I just walked to church

and I leave thinking

there's more things I've got to do or not do.

It's all the things I'm supposed to avoid.

It's all the ways I need to be better than others.

It's all the people that I need to love.

And you load up your arms

with all of these things

and then try to walk in through the door.

And what you should have in mind,

the picture I want you to have

is of that special piece of furniture

that was,

it seems like the house was built around it

and you're trying to pick it up

and no matter what angle you carry it at,

it is not going through that doorway.

It's staying in that house.

You can leave,

but the furniture's not coming.

You can't carry that furniture

and walk through the door.

You're gonna have to put it down.

Coming into the sheepfold of God

requires us

to lay down our pride,

whatever it might be in,

nothing in my hand I bring,

simply to thy cross I cling.

My sinful self,

my only shame,

my glory,

all the cross.

If you try to get in another way,

you will wreck yourself

trying to climb in.

You will.

But if you humble yourself

to crawl,

to crawl through the door,

through Jesus,

you can crawl safely in.

Verse nine,

I am the door.

If anyone enters by me,

he will be saved.

Listen, did you hear it?

Anyone.

If anyone enters by me,

it is the beautiful inclusivity

of Jesus.

His broad welcome

that matches up

with the clear exclusivity.

Yes, for sure.

He is the door.

He is the only way.

But anyone can come through him.

No matter your record.

No matter your pedigree,

your appearance,

your associations.

None of it matters.

It matters which door

you're coming through.

Through him.

He is the only way into God.

And if you come through him,

you will be saved.

That is the safety

of coming through Jesus.

Friend, listen.

He has done

all that you need.

All of that performing

you feel like you need to do.

All the things you think

you need to gather up

to come to God.

Think of Jesus'

beautiful,

obedient,

passionate,

zealous,

perfect life.

He's done it for you.

All of those,

all of those failures,

the debt you've accrued

because you didn't,

you didn't avoid

all the things

you were supposed to.

Jesus has done it

and then has paid

for your debt

on the cross

once and for all

as he suffered

the agonizing death

you deserved.

And then,

it didn't stop there,

did it?

Because Easter's coming

and Jesus rises

from the dead

to give you new life,

the life that you long for.

Jesus has secured

for you forever.

And he says,

no one can snatch you

out of my hand.

Did you know

that's why he came?

That's why he lived

so that today he could say,

no one can snatch you

out of my hand.

He's holding you tight.

Not because of what you've done,

not because you've got

enough stuff in your arms,

but because he has done

that for you,

amen?

And he loves you

and he holds you

and he brings you in

to God's family.

That's our hope.

Whatever you think

might get you in with God.

Whoever is directing you

another way

to make sure you're in,

put it down.

Come weak

and wounded,

anxious,

tired,

crawl

to Jesus

and live.

That's,

that's what happens.

Take your stand

beneath the cross

of Jesus

right now.

You don't need anyone

to do it for you.

You don't have to wait

until you can balance out

your record a little bit.

No,

you can come straight

to Jesus

right now.

Just,

just ask him.

You can pray

just like this.

Jesus,

you say you're the door.

I am laying

everything else down

to come through you.

Save me.

Bring me into

the family of God.

I don't deserve it.

I have nothing to offer,

but you tell me

I just need you.

that's the good news

of Jesus.

You can come to God

just like that.

It's the glorious message

of grace.

Amazing grace.

Something you could

never earn.

And many of you

have heard it before.

Many of you

have come in

with God

through Jesus

and that delights you

and you,

you light up

when I talk about it

and you can't

forget how beautiful

it is

to come to Jesus

with nothing to offer.

And now I want to tell you

Jesus has yet

one more glorious message

for you

today.

Jesus is telling us

that his being the door

means that grace,

that,

that kind of amazing grace

is not a one-time thing.

It's,

it's not.

Imagine,

just imagine

if the shepherd

got all of the sheep

in through the door

and then disappeared.

What would happen?

What would happen

if he was gone

from that doorway

and the sheep?

How long do you have,

think he'd have to be gone

for those sheep

to wander off?

What do you think

would happen to them

wandering off

on their own?

I bet some would

wander sooner than others.

But all of them eventually.

Thankfully,

that's not the picture

that Jesus gives us.

Jesus says,

I am

the door

of the sheep.

Keep hearing

my voice.

Keep entering

through me.

And anyone who does

will not only be saved,

but what else?

Also will go in

and will go out

and will find pasture.

The secret

of God's grace

is that it

keeps drawing you

toward Jesus

in love,

doesn't it?

So many of you know that.

It keeps drawing you

toward Jesus

in love

rather than sending you

out from Jesus

in licentious living.

Rather than leaving you

on your own,

you are not

on your own,

brothers and sisters.

brothers,

what Jesus

wants you to know

is that he may be

the door

that you walked

through five years ago

or 75 years ago,

but he is the door

for you today.

Today he wants you

to know that

the same door

into relationship

with God

is Jesus.

How do I live

with God?

Okay,

so that's how to get in.

How do I live

with God?

Y'all,

so many Christians

today are like

the Christians

in Galatia

that Paul writes to.

They heard

the good news

of grace

that you get in

with God

through Jesus

alone

and then they figured

they better start

looking the part

or they would get

left behind.

Teachers were

telling them

that.

You ever felt

like that?

Get it together

where God's

going to leave

you behind.

You ever feel

like God's

probably ready

to drop you?

It's been one

too many times.

If I skip

another Sunday,

if I lose

my temper again,

if I don't love

my neighbor better,

something bad

might happen.

that's what the

Pharisees made

many feel like,

including the

blind man

whom Jesus

had just healed

that they ran

off and Jesus

had to run

after again

to bring him

back, right?

Thieves,

robbers,

strangers

pointing the

sheep away

from Jesus,

leaving them

alone in their

own strength

to fend for

themselves.

What a disaster!

Never so

with Jesus.

That's not what

he's like.

That's not the

kind of shepherd

he is.

Friends,

Jesus is not

merely the

way in once,

the way to

get in with

God and then

poof,

he's gone.

He is the

way to live

with God.

Let's try to

see this

practically through

the three verbs

in verse 9.

I am the

door.

If anyone

enters by me,

he will be

saved and

will go in,

will go out,

and will

find pasture.

First,

going in

through Jesus,

going into the

sheepfold,

the company of

God's people,

relationship with

God over and

over,

deeper and

deeper,

not looking for

another way to

life,

not looking for

a better way

back in tonight

at the end of

the day.

British preacher

Charles Spurgeon

said it beautifully

of this phrase,

so I'm going to

quote his sermon

for a longer

stretch than I

usually do because

it's too pretty

to cut out.

If you know

what this means,

he says,

go in.

Go in farther.

Go in more

constantly.

Do not stop

where you are,

but go in until

you have a little

more.

If you love

Christ,

come nearer to

him and nearer

and nearer still.

But if you want

to get into

anything that is

divine,

you must get

it through

Christ.

Oh, you who

open your Bibles

and want to

understand a text,

the way to get

into the meaning

of the text is

through the door,

Christ.

Oh, you who

want to get

more holiness,

come through

the door.

The way to

holiness is not

through Moses,

but through

Christ.

Oh, you who

would have

closer communion

with your

heavenly Father,

the way to

come in is not

through your own

efforts, but

through Christ.

You came to

Christ at first

to get salvation,

you must come

to Christ still

to get

sanctification,

to grow,

to know him

more.

Never look

for another

door,

for there is

but one.

And that

one door

will let

you into

life,

love,

peace,

knowledge,

sanctification.

Christ is

the master

key of all

the rooms

in the

palace of

mercy.

And if

you get

Christ,

you shall

go in.

Nothing

shall keep

you out

of the

secret

chambers.

You shall

go in

in God's

name

through

Christ

the door.

Isn't

that

beautiful?

every

spiritual

blessing

where?

In

Christ,

right?

Ephesians

1.

All the

treasures

of wisdom

and knowledge

where?

In

Christ,

Colossians

2.

Are you

daily

coming

to God

through

Jesus?

Are you?

Time with

him must

be a

priority

for us.

True

life is

found

nowhere

else.

Peace,

hope,

purpose,

wisdom,

growth,

love.

Friends,

in case

you're not

familiar,

that's why

many Christians

read the

Bible every

day.

It's not

to compete

for points

with God.

He doesn't

have a

top 25.

But because

we know

that it

will point

us to

Jesus and

that we

can't make

it without

him.

Not one

day.

We know

he will

fill us

again,

bless us

again,

guide us

again.

So every

day read

and then

reflect.

How should

I treasure

Jesus?

How does

this show

me his

beauty,

my need

for him?

If you

need help

with when

and how

and how

to see

Jesus,

please ask.

Love to

help.

Next,

going out.

we'll

go in,

we'll

go out.

Best

understood

in this

picture as

leaving the

church,

going out

into the

world each

day through

Jesus.

Isn't that

wonderful?

I don't know

if you think

about every

day going

out into the

world that

way,

but in

this picture

there is no

separate part

of your

life.

the sheep

cannot leave

the fold

without going

through the

same doorway

they came

in,

right?

They're not

getting over

the wall.

They will

go out

through

Jesus,

and this

is really

important

because I

just told

you why

so many

Christians

spend time

talking with

Jesus every

day,

and you

need to

know Jesus

is with

you not

only in

your quiet

time.

Did you

know that?

Jesus cares

about you

more than

your regular

devotional

life.

He is a

personal

shepherd

helping you

to live

with God

everywhere,

everywhere,

in every

situation.

What that

means is

that the

only safe

way to

make it

through a

day in

this world

is with

Jesus.

The only

safe way

to make

it through

a day in

this world

is with

Jesus.

Do you

live like

that?

I didn't

say,

did you

nod your

head when

I said

it?

Do you

live like

that?

How do

you practice

the presence

of God

that he

is with

you at

work?

When you

want to

share of

him with

your neighbor,

when you

go to

school,

Jesus,

give me

strength,

I'm about

to slap

my co-worker.

Jesus,

help,

I need

words to

speak about

you.

Those are

equally

legitimate

prayers.

Jesus,

I feel

it.

I'm

treasuring

the things

of this

world.

It's

happening

again.

I see

it in

what I'm

doing

right now.

Show me

again,

Jesus,

you are

the true

treasure.

Right

now,

right here,

not tomorrow

morning when I

have another

quiet time.

Show me

now,

Jesus,

I need

your help.

He's

with you,

giving you

all that you

need to

live in

his world

on his

mission.

He gives

you forgiveness

that enables

you to

repent,

even to

that

co-worker.

He gives

you eternal

security that

frees you to

risk temporal

discomfort in

relationships to

share his

love.

He gives

you peace

that allows

you to

enter chaos

and hurt

and busyness

around you

as a calm

presence.

Do you

live like

that?

Are you

going out

on your

own,

in your

own strength,

for your

own goals,

thinking you'll

be just

fine?

Friends,

you won't.

You're a

sheep.

He's the

door.

Don't leave

home without

him,

ever.

Talk with

your grace

group about

how you

can go out

every day

wherever you

go with

Jesus.

Where you

go,

you need to

talk about

your life.

you'll go

in and

you'll go

out and

every single

time you'll

find pasture

through Jesus.

Find pasture

sounds like

Psalm 23,

doesn't it?

The Lord is

my shepherd,

I shall

not

want.

Perfectly

provided for

at all times.

The cherished

object of

divine

diligence,

green

pastures

to lie

down in,

his provision

rest,

still

waters,

a restored

soul,

peace,

hope.

You'll

have life

and in

fact have

it abundantly,

he says.

We're going

to talk more

about that

abundant life

next week.

It is so

good and

it's Easter

and so

don't miss

that but

it's not

all the

comfort and

ease that

we could

ever hope

for.

That's not

what abundant

life means.

No.

Jesus is

saying that

living through

him we

have true

life no

matter what

discomfort or

dis-ease

we face.

Pasture is a

place of

rest,

not rush.

church.

I've sat

with several

of you

in a lot

of pain

this week.

Deep

loss

and grief,

painful

injustice,

hurt

from other

people's

sin.

and in

every one

of those

painful

situations

if you

are trying

to live

with God

on your

own,

come to

him on

your own,

you'll be

in those

situations

merely angry

with him

and hopeless

and bitter

because you

can't fix

him.

Nothing

seems good.

That's the

reality of

where many

of us

will go

this week.

But if

Jesus is

the door

in your

relationship

with God,

if he is

there with

you in

those moments,

the one who

stays with

you, the

one who

makes sure

that no

matter what

happens,

you're going

to find

pasture,

then you

can grieve

the loss

of someone

young or

old.

You can

even yell

it God

and have

hope in

the God

who gave

up his

only son

for you.

If Jesus

is actively

with you,

you can be

confident that

the wrong

you've

experienced

will one

day be

made right

and that

it's not

without purpose

right now

because he's

here at work

with you.

If you are

finding pasture

through Jesus,

you can call

sin,

sin.

You can

forgive without

limit and

you can

love others

because someone

loves and

is caring

for you.

Is your

life too

full for

that?

You're always

searching,

you're frantically

busy,

slow down.

You can

because he's

got it

and he's

got you.

Pasture

is a place

of rest,

not rush

because

Jesus is

there.

Do you

see why we

can't go a

day without

Jesus?

Without

contemplating

his glory

and his

grace,

without

depending on

him for

life,

for life

eternal,

for life

abundant,

for life

today we

need him.

The story

is told of a

wealthy old

widower and

his only son

who got

together and

began to

collect an

amazing art

portfolio.

Rembrandts,

Van Gogh's,

Monet's,

they had a

collection anyone

would envy but

the joy of the

father really was

that he shared

this activity with

the son that he

loved.

One day,

however,

the son went

off to war

and never

returned home.

Months after

the father

learned of his

son's death,

a soldier

knocked

on his

door and

gave him a

package,

was a

portrait of

the father's

son painted

just a few

days before

he died.

It wasn't

beautifully

painted,

but the

father hung

it over his

fireplace as

the centerpiece

of his

collection.

When the

man died,

art collectors

from around

the world

came to an

auction for

this fantastic,

famous collection.

Here they are

gathered and as

the room fills,

the auctioneer

says,

we're going to

begin with the

portrait of the

son.

Will anyone

give $100 for

the portrait of

the son?

And he hears

nothing.

He said,

how about $50?

Anyone?

Come on,

$50 for the

portrait of the

son.

And finally,

one of their

neighbors says,

you know,

I knew them.

He really loved

his son.

I'll give you

$50 for it.

Now,

now we can get

started.

Everyone's getting

keyed up for the

masterpieces.

Here they come,

but the auctioneer

says,

the auction is

over.

What?

Why?

How can that

be?

This is what we

came for.

It's very simple,

he says.

According to the

father's will,

whoever takes

the son gets

it all.

Whoever takes

the son,

gets it all.

When you enter

into relationship

with God the

father,

through Jesus

his son,

you don't

merely get

life one day,

someday,

although that's

wonderful.

You get

life every

day with

all the

glorious

riches of

the goodness

and grace

of God

himself.

It's

yours

now,

today.

and

every

day.

And that's

not a secret.

It's not

meant to be a

surprise.

Jesus,

the son,

tells us

that he

is the

good shepherd

who lays

down his

life for

the sheep.

The father

tells us

if God

did not

spare his

own son,

but gave

him up for

us all,

how will

he not

also along

with him

graciously

give us

all things,

all things

in Jesus?

Jesus.

So on

the night

he was

betrayed,

Jesus

took bread

and he

broke it

as I

gave it

to his

disciples.

Just in

the same

way that I,

ministering in

his name,

give this

bread to

you,

he said,

take and

eat.

This is

my body

broken for

you.

Do this

in remembrance

of me.

And in the

same way,

after supper,

he took the

cup and

said,

this cup

is the

new

covenant

in my

blood.

Shed for

many for

the forgiveness

of sins,

drink from

it,

all of you.

For as

often as

you eat

this bread

and drink

this cup,

you proclaim

the Lord's

death

until he

comes.

This is

the Lord's

table.

It's

another

picture

of our

relationship

with him,

just like

the sheep

fold is.

You don't

get the

invite to

this table

by being

Presbyterian,

by being

moral,

by being

pretty good.

You come

to the

table and

the God

who sets

it through

the door,

through his

son,

and if that

is your

hope,

then you

come and

you eat

with these

other sheep

who would

be hopelessly

lost without

him.

That's all

of our

story.

And who

have come

in only

through

Jesus.

If that's

not your

hope,

if you

don't place

your trust

in Jesus

alone for

coming into

relationship

with God,

then I

invite you

not to

come and

partake of

this table.

Don't take

the elements

this morning.

It pictures

that relationship

with God

is through

Jesus alone.

And if that's

not something

that you

believe personally,

I would warn

you not to

come and

say something

that you

don't really

believe.

Plus,

God warns

against it

also.

God also

warns not

having

relationship

with him

any other

way than

Jesus.

So,

he has

given you

Jesus.

He has

sent his

son for

you that

you might

know life,

life eternal

and life

abundant.

He has

given you

the only

door that

works,

the only

door you

need.

You need

to do

nothing else.

Won't you

come in

through

Jesus?

Let's

pray.

Father,

thank you

for giving

the son.

We come

to say we

don't need

anything else.

You've

given us

in him

all that

we need,

all we

could imagine,

the riches

of your

glory,

through his

body and

blood given

for us.

Would you

now strengthen

us through

that,

that we

might live

with him

even today.

We ask

in his

name.

Amen.

For more

information,

visit us

online at

southwood.org.