I Am The Gate For The Sheep

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Message Introduction/God Story:

Question: What does the fullness of life, or abundant life as some translations put it, look like at times like this?

Illustration: Cameron's Comfort

A HYPERLINK "https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/us-regions/midwest/minnesota" Minnesota mom's timely post about choosing HYPERLINK "https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values" faith over widespread fear surrounding the HYPERLINK "https://www.foxnews.com/category/health/infectious-disease/coronavirus" coronavirus outbreak is capturing the hearts of many.

Sheletta Brundidge, a comedian and mother of four, shared a video of her 6-year-old daughter teaching her brother a Bible verse to help ease his fear after seeing the hysteria on the news about COVID-19.

"My son Brandon has crippling anxiety because of his autism diagnosis," she told Fox News. "We watch the news every day and he was watching it and was taking in all the fear and panic...it just made him so scared."

His sister, Cameron, noticed him tensing up and quickly grabbed his hand. Facing one another, Brandon, 7, repeated after Cameron, phrase by phrase, as she said, "But God did not give me a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind."

Her mom says she prays for everybody and remembered the verse, 2 Timothy 1:7, after learning it at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

The siblings hugged as everyone exclaimed, "Amen!"

"While the world is stocking up on toilet paper and mayonnaise, jars of pickles and bottled water," Brundidge said with a laugh, "She realized -- at 6 years old -- that it was only his faith that was going to get him through this."

When Cameron told her brother she wanted to teach him something that will stop him from being afraid, the mother of three kids with autism said the moment changed something for her and her family.

"Just from the mouth of a child to another child, it transformed the way I looked at it," she said. "We don't have to be afraid of this. There's been worse. We just have to rely on our faith, take the precautions we need to take and continue to live our lives."

Inspired by her daughter, Brundidge wrote on Twitter: "Stop letting your fear of coronavirus be bigger than your faith in God. Plead the blood, pray and wash your hands. Amen!"

She told Fox News, "We are a family of faith. we just believe in faith and we believe in Jesus and we're not afraid to say it. She has autism, too, and for her to remember that -- that was just amazing and a blessing to me."

"I'm so proud of her," Brundidge said. "She didn't just tell him to believe in God, but she gave him a Scripture, and not only that but the right one."

While her kids are on Spring Break, and with other schools closing, she said her house has been full as she is helping her neighbors, single moms who have to go to work.

"We have to stand in the gap for one another."

Friends, this morning, while I do want to focus in on next I Am statement Jesus made.. the third one that is, found in John 10, let me state the obvious. This has not been an ordinary week... not even close. And so, I find myself feeling compelled by the Holy Spirit to speak to you this morning not just about John 10, but specifically about the present challenge we are all facing. As followers of Christ Jesus, how should we respond to the Coronavirus Crisis?

So let me connect for you the promise and hope found in John 10:9-10, with the desperate need we're all feeling uniquely conscious of this morning.

Ref. John 10:7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.

Now let's be honest, shall we. At first glance this doesn't seem like a very comforting statement. Disconnected from it's context, it seems rather cold and impersonal. But stop and think about it... what does this analogy really tell us about Jesus?

Message Point 1:

As the "gate for the sheep", Jesus is the only way in to a truly abundant life where there is freedom from fear.

As we think about the words of Jesus in John 10, let's notice that fear is not mentioned specifically. Yet, what is mentioned quite specifically is the reality of an adversary; a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Listen again to what Jesus says to explain his likeness to a gate.

Ref. John 10:8-10 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Who is this wretched thief? It's the enemy of God, the Devil, who holds real power and causes real pain. He is not simply a figment of our imaginations. Jesus knew he was real, and taught his disciples not just to be aware of his presence and power, but to stand against it. First he stood against it, then he taught them to stand against it as well.

So there's a comparison and contrast at play in Jesus' words that well worth our close attention:

The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. But, I have come that you might have life...

I've come, Jesus says, to give you the very thing that the enemy is aiming to take away from you.

Think about it: Jesus says "whoever enters through me will be saved. So what's inside the gate is salvation. Salvation is the place of safety. It's being fenced in and protected. It's the only place in the universe where we can live without fear.

I think of it this way: the gate is the boundary between heaven and earth. When we're saved we enter the kingdom of heaven. That's the place of protection. In the place of protection, sin and death no longer hold any power over us. For their sting has been lost to the hope and power of our promised resurrection in Christ.

But then notice what Jesus says next: He says of his flock in verse 9, "They will come in, and go out and find pasture." In other words, we don't live inside the fence, we travel back out into the world where we find pasture, out beyond the fence. We pass back and forth through the gate, from one side to the other. So the green pasture is not inside the fence, it's actually outside the fence. That's the place of daily provision, where we are led and fed by the Good Shepherd. With his guidance at work in our lives, we walk in trust from day to day, knowing he is with us and will lead us.

That brings me to a secondary insight from Jesus' statement:

Message Point 2:

To experience the quality of life Jesus offers, especially in the midst of a crisis, trust him for guidance and provision.

As we think about this analogy of being like a sheep who moves in and out of this place of safety and protection, the role of Jesus begins to shift from gate to shepherd. He is the Gate, that is the way in and out… or the point of connection between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdoms of Men. Yet we don’t simply live in this world apart from him.

The main idea in verses 1-6, and as we’ll see next week in verses 11ff, is that Jesus is also our Good Shepherd at the same time.

Ref. John 10:2-5. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

For a moment, just suspend your rational objection to the fact that Jesus is mixing his metaphors here, and focus on what kind of life he is describing for those who are the sheep of His flock. Nevermind the idea that he can’t be both the gate and the shepherd at the same time. Instead, notice what these words are calling us to do. They’re calling us to be led out of the pen back into the world. “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out,” Jesus says… and it’s apparent that he’s really talking about himself here. In other words, this earlier portion of Jesus’ analogy is all about being led out into the world through the practice of following the shepherd’s voice.

As King David, the former shepherd boy put it,

Ref. Psalm 23:2-4 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley [that is, the valley of the shadow of death], I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

This isn't a statement about our future, in heaven. It's a statement about our experience of daily life here and now. It's David's poetic way of saying that abundant life is all about allowing the good shepherd to lead you. Now, we'll talk some more about that next week, because that's actually the next I Am statement Jesus makes. But for now, consider that the idea behind Jesus being the gate is that we are in the world yet not of it. The gate separates two places, and makes passage between them possible. So it's as if we pass back and forth from the kingdom of heaven to the kingdom of this earth by way of Jesus. He is the point of connection for us between these two realities.

Illustration: Seeking and Listening re: Future Steps.

What should we do? The first thing we should do is inquire of the Lord.

Here's another thought worth considering: When Jesus gives us his abundant and eternal life, that means he has also given us his authority over the enemy, and his ministry to the world. It means he's called us to stand with him and for him against all that is not of him.

I love the way this concept plays out for the disciples in other stories.

Example: Matthew 16:18 - while standing before the gates of Hell.

"I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it."

This means that we are meant to take the offensive against the gates of Hell wherever we see their power at work in our world. We are to go on the attack with the promise in mind that we will prevail.

As we live out our lives in the world, we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet we fear no evil because we're bringing heaven back to earth.

So abundant life isn't just reserved for the sweet bye and bye... it's meant to begin here and now, even while we still live in the tension between the now and the not yet of God's Kingdom reign. As we live in the world, but not of it, the life of heaven is manifested through us into the world around us.

Life to the full, by Jesus' definition and example, is not a life of fearing evil. It's a life of overcoming evil. It's a life of confronting evil and standing against it. It's a life that manifests and righteousness and justice, and seeks them for others as well.

What this means is that bad things still happen around us, and sometimes they may even happen to us, because we live in a fallen and broken world still under the effect of sin. Yet, those things should never rob us of our love, joy, hope and peace.

Look. Whenever you find yourself losing your sense of love, joy, hope or peace, look for the fingerprints of the thief. The LORD is not in the business of taking those things, but giving them.

Illustration: Feeling Violated... Finding Fingerprints.

My comfortable little world was shattered by this experience, and it felt very strange to me.

Message Point 3:

The storm that is upon us will be a great opportunity for our life and peace to touch many others.

Illustration: A Cart Full of Toilet Paper

I wanted to ask her: How many kids do you have in your family?... cause I've got 8 and I don't need nearly that much TP!?

Or this: Dear, don't you think you should buy some food too, so that you'll have something to use all that paper for?

What kind of mindset causes a person to think and act like that?

Do you remember the severe Ice Storm a few years ago, when power was out for almost a week.

That's the closest thing I can think of to what's happening right now. But this time the storm is invisible. It's a storm upon the human body and the human psyche.

In fact, it reminds me of another storm story, from the Gospels.

Ref. Luke 8:22-25 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

When the storm arose around the disciples, they instantly felt threatened and afraid. This was natural under the circumstances, even though several of them were seasoned fishermen. This story draws our attention to the contrast between their mindset and the mindset of Jesus. Jesus wasn't worried or afraid. In fact, he was in such perfect peace that took a little nap.

Why and How could he act like that? Jesus knew who he was, and fully understand the authority that he carried.

Friends let me be blunt: There is a storm upon us and around us right now, unlike any we've seen over the last 50 years. It’s not just a medical storm… it’s economic, it’s political, it’s communal, and it’s also spiritual. It’s an assault on our sense of comfort and normality. But Jesus can calm this storm too.

Now that the storm is upon us, the real question is ‘How will we respond?’ Will we trust him or not?

Essentially there are two choices: We can engage the challenge before us, or we can disengage. We can position ourselves to serve others or we can serve ourselves. Mandated “social distancing” may limit our interaction with others to smaller gatherings, but most of us will still have some opportunity to relate with others from day to day. Will be a voice of peace to them, or a voice of fear? Will we demonstrate faith, hope, and love to others, or will we withdraw and isolate ourselves completely?

Illustration: Lou Engle’s Call to Fast & Pray

Friends, I believe with all my heart this challenging season is to be seen and approached as an opportunity. First and foremost it’s an opportunity to draw near to God, and to our families in a new and deeper way. But at the same time, it’s also an opportunity to draw near to our neighbors and our co-workers… to those around us who have no peace in the midst of what they are experiencing.

Let’s choose to engage. Let’s engage heaven with prayer and fasting. Let’s cry out to God for his kingdom to come, and for his will to be done. But let’s also engage our families with quality time together. And finally, let’s engage our neighbors with a new sensitivity to how they’re struggling. Let’s be peacemakers who sow in peace, and expect to see a harvest of righteousness come from it.

Let me close with these words from Philippians 4, with which I began our worship gathering this morning.

Ref. Philippians 4:4-9. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

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