The Door of the Sheep
Notes
Transcript
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart, that I might not sin against God. Amen!
Biblical Reference: John 10:7-10
I want to say that I am thankful for all of you who have served in our military. It is because of you, and many others like you, that we get to experience a more abundant life. For that, I am thankful.
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear 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 does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Last week, we discussed the depth of this statement, “I AM”. Even though we see it as a general statement, to the religious of Jesus’ day, it bore great meaning and depth. To make the statement that He was the “I AM” was to say that He Himself was indeed God incarnate, or God in the flesh.
As we journey through this series and look at theses “I AM” statements, we are going to see that each one expands on that thought. We will also see how each one refers back to some type of revelation that God gave of Himself in the Old Testament, which only further clarifies His claim of deity.
Context
Context
Today, we are going to explore this “I AM” statement of Christ. “I am the door of the sheep” He said.
To add clarity, this “I AM” statement is closely intertwined with another “I AM” statement of Christ, which is, “I am the good shepherd.”
We will speak more on that statement later on in the series, but for today we want to focus on Jesus being the door.
Content
Content
This Door Is An Individual
This Door Is An Individual
John 10:9a - “I am the door.”
Jesus very boldly claims to be the door of the sheep.
Because lambs were used for many different things, there were lots of shepherds in Jesus’ day. many of the cities had a communal sheepfold. When you came into the city, you would take your sheep into the fold and they would be kept there for you over night. You did not have to worry about the sheep being mixed with other herds, because as Jesus illustrates in v. 5, sheep will only follow the voice of their shepherd.
These sheepfolds were made usually of stone and they had only one door. The walls were tall enough the sheep could not get out and other animals could not get in. The doorkeeper made sure that none escaped.
Many times though, a shepherd was nowhere near a city with a communal, preformed fold. In these times, he would have to use mother nature for help. These shepherds grew up in the industry so they knew where natural folds could be utilized. They would find a ravine in a valley with only one entrance. They would lead the sheep into that place and then lie down across the entrance so that trying to get in or out of that ravine would have to go through them first.
Jesus makes the claim, “I am the door of the sheep.” If anything wants into the fold, it will have to come through Me. If any of the sheep want out, they will have to go through Me. I will keep the sheep in and predators out.
The world has many claims today:
Some say that there is no God at all. They say that a door does not exist because God does not exist.
Psalm 53:1 (NKJV)
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”....
Others say that different gods exist and that you can worship whichever one you want to, as long as you worship something.
Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
Some say that if you simply live a good life, then you will make it.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Jesus Christ is the only way to God.
John 14:6 (NKJV)
.....No one comes to the Father except through Me.
The door into the family of God is an individual and His name is Jesus. Have you come through that door?
This Door Is An Invitation
This Door Is An Invitation
John 10:9b - “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.”
Not only is this door an individual, it is also an invitation.
The Sermon Notebook: New Testament Knocking on Heaven’s Door (John 10:9–10)
In this statement from the lips of Jesus, we find a tremendous offer given to sinners. In these words, Jesus offers hope to everyone who is wandering in a life of sin. While Jesus wants to save you, He will never force Himself upon you! However, He gives you opportunities to come to Him. Notices what He proposes to fallen men this morning.
The Scope of This Invitation
“anyone”
Salvation is not reserved for an elite religious group. Growing up in church does not give you a pass. No one is outside the reach of God. Anyone can be saved. If you are not a believer in Christ, but want to be one, that’s good news. You can be saved. Furthermore, God wants you to be saved. He loves you, cares for you, sent Jesus to die for you, and even aligned the stars so that you could be right here this morning listening to me tell you that God wants to save you. He wants to pardon you.
God loves all men and offers salvation to all men. You can be saved today if you are lost in your sin.
The Scheme of This Invitation
“If anyone enters by Me,”
The Sermon Notebook: New Testament Knocking on Heaven’s Door (John 10:9–10)
A door serves one of two purposes. It can be a barrier designed to keep people out, or it can be a means of access allowing people in.) (Ill. Salvation is God’s gift to a fallen race! However, before this gift can be realized, it must be received! No one will ever be saved unless they personally and consciously come to Jesus and receive Him into their heart and life. What I am saying is this, God offers you salvation and He means it, but you will not be saved until you come to Him by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Supply of This Invitation
“he will be saved.”
When a person comes to Jesus for salvation, they find themselves completely transformed and eternally saved. They are instantly liberated and made new in Jesus.
This word saved is a very descriptive word and was used to describe a person who had recovered from a serious illness, one who had survived a war, one who had come safely through a bad storm. What it means for us is that we have, in a spiritual sense, done all of the above and now, we are rescued from all harm and danger. This one little word is a glorious declaration of the security we enjoy in the Lord Jesus Christ!
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
One might ask, “What are we saved from?” That is a great question!
We are saved from:
The Penalty of Sin
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because of our sin, death is our reward. Not just physical death, eternal death, an everlasting death. It is an eternity separated from God.
In Jesus, the curse of death is removed and we are set free from the awful wrath of God.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
The Sermon Notebook: New Testament Knocking on Heaven’s Door (John 10:9–10)
(Ill. The Prodigal Son—When he returned home, the Father ran out to meet him and fell upon him, Luke 15:20. There are probably several reasons why the father did this. However, there is one Biblical reason that we can be absolutely certain of, Deut. 21:18–21. In these verses, the townspeople were instructed to stone a child who had disobeyed and dishonored his parents. When this father ran and fell upon his son’s neck, he was placing himself between his son and anyone who would want to kill him.
This is exactly what Jesus did for us when he died on the cross. He placed Himself between us and the wrath of God. We deserved to die for our sins, but Jesus absorbed God’s wrath and paid the price for us. Now, we are all free from the penalty of our sins! No saints of God need ever fear going to Hell!)
The Power of Sin
According to Romans 6.14, Jesus breaks sins power in the life of the saint of God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
After we come to Christ, we are no longer slaves to the whims of the flesh and the devil.
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
We are made free in Jesus and are given the liberty to withstand temptation and to live for God!
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
One of the greatest wonders of salvation is the great change that comes into the Christian’s life:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
It seems we just don’t want many of the things we used to think we couldn’t live without!!!
The Presence of Sin
One day, when we leave this world, we will forever be free from sin’s presence. In heaven, it will not be allowed.
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Not only that, but we will receive new flesh and we will no longer have any desire toward sin:
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Praise God!!! Don’t you want to walk through that door? Don’t you want to join those inside the fold who are enjoying a complete peace in their lives, knowing they are secure in the Father’s hand?
Not only is this door an individual. Not only is this door an invitation. This door is an improvement!
This Door Is An Improvement
This Door Is An Improvement
Notice He says, “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and....” He doesn’t stop at salvation. He goes on to explain that those who come into the fold of God will continue beyond salvation. Once saved, they must be sanctified.
“They will go in and out and find pasture.”
One of the greatest challenges a shepherd faced was finding enough grazing land for the sheep. Remember, they are in the Middle East, not Tennessee. They are not on rolling hills with trees and grass covering the majority of the land, they are in the middle of the desert.
Jesus says, “When you come into my fold you will experience two things consistently:
I will lead you to green fields throughout the day.
Rest
No longer are we searching for what we need. We have found what our heart was longing for and His name is Jesus. Now, we are permitted to rest in His grace and anticipate our heavenly homecoming!
I’m not trying to be saved! Are you? I’m just resting in His grace. It was grace that sought me; It was grace that bought; It is grace that will lead me home!!!
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Refreshment
In Jesus the saint of God finds all that his or her heart needs for absolute and perfect contentment.
For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
When we taste and see that the Lord is good, we loose our appetite for other things!
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Rejoicing
In Jesus, we find that fullness of joy that was lacking when we wandered out in sin. He has promised us “fullness of joy”.
whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
The child of God has ample reason to rejoice this morning!
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
I will protect you in the darkness of night.
Being a Christian does not mean that you will never face hard times. Matter of fact, it means the opposite. Being a Christian puts a target on your back and Satan loves target practice. He will throw darts at you day in and day out.
But....it also means that you will not go through these hard times alone any longer. Christ will walk with you through them. You will be under the protection of God Almighty Himself. Hard times will still come and difficult situations will still have to be walked through, but you will be under the protection of God.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
“They will have life....a more abundant life!”
You will not just get by, you will have plenty. It is an abundant life. It is a life overflowing with blessings.
The thief just wants to kill, steal, and destroy, but the true shepherd wants to give life, give in abundance, and create a peace that goes beyond understanding.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Commitment
Commitment