Life Through the True Entrance: Trusting Jesus as the Door
Journey Through the Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction: Welcoming Jesus as Our True Door
Introduction: Welcoming Jesus as Our True Door
As we get into today’s message, we start a new chapter in our Journey Through the Gospel of John. However, we must lay some groundwork for this chapter. Here is what we need to know. This chapter comes right after the blind man’s encounter with Christ. Last week, we ended that story with Christ calling out the Pharisees for their spiritual blindness, which, as we noted, came about because of their pride. The blind man, in contrast, responded in faith to Christ and was changed entirely.
As we move into chapter 10, the Lord Jesus Christ opens with the following two verses.
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
There are a couple of things worth noting. There is the door and the sheepfold. We will discover that there are three “doors” mentioned in the first part of this chapter. There is the “door into the sheepfold” in verse one, the “door of the sheep” in verse 7, and the “door” of salvation in verse 9. We will deal with each of them as we come to them.
There is also the sheepfold. In Palestine, during the days of Christ, wild beasts roamed the countryside. In each village, a large sheepfold was maintained as common property among all the shepherds and farmers. This sheepfold was often protected by a wall about ten to twelve feet high. Several different shepherds would lead their flocks to the door of the fold at night. The sheep would pass through the door of the fold. Then, the shepherd would leave them in the care of a porter while they went home for the night. At the door, the porter would stay on guard through the night, ready to protect the sheep from thieves, robbers, and wild animals. In the morning, each of the shepherds would return. The porter would then allow each shepherd to enter through the door, calling by name the sheep which belonged to his flock. In the days of Christ, there was no other way to discern which sheep belonged to which shepherd. However, the fantastic thing was that each sheep knew its shepherd’s voice and would respond to his voice as he called out. They would then follow the shepherd out of the sheepfold as he led them to pasture.
What a beautiful and vivid analogy our Lord uses. By the way, when He used this analogy during His ministry, the people of His day fully understood His example.
So, what does all this mean concerning chapter nine?
Chapter ten's first part is about Christ offering Himself as the true Shepherd to Israel. You cannot mistake the imagery here. The sheepfold, in this verse, was all about Israel.
Christ came as the true shepherd offering Himself to Israel as salvation from their sins.
Christ lawfully presented Himself. In other words, He came just as Scripture prophesied. He submitted Himself to all the conditions established by God. He was born of a virgin. He was an Israelite. He was of the tribe of Judah. He was born in the royal city of Bethlehem. He was circumcised according to the law on the eighth day. He met every credential and criterion. Additionally, “to him the porter” opened the sheepfold gate. The porter signifies the door-keeper. John the Baptist was the porter. He “prepared the way of the Lord.” Later, John declared to all Israel, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” Thus, Christ came as the true shepherd. He entered through the door. He did not climb over the walls as thieves and robbers do.
He entered the proper way as the porter opened the door for Him.
He then proved himself, as many sheep recognized and responded to His voice. All evidence points to Christ as the true Shepherd.
In contrast, the Pharisees were thieves and robbers. They constantly resisted the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and attacked Him and His sheep. The blind man, however, was one of the flock. He refused to listen to the voice of the strangers, for he knew the voice of the Shepherd and found salvation, security, and sustenance in Christ.
What does all this have to do with us?
One of the most significant issues that all people deal with spiritually today is the growing and overpowering voices of the thieves and robbers. I contend from Scripture that these voices are so loud that they rob people of hearing the voice of the true Shepherd. Like the day of Christ’s earthly ministry, the world is filled with diverse ideologies and spiritual claims. All of them are coming from so-called influential voices.
The challenge presented to us is how to discern and follow the voice of Jesus, the true Shepherd, who leads to salvation and safety.
That truly is the heart of today’s message.
How can we trust Jesus as our door to abundant life? Note John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Let me begin with this thought.
Following Our Shepherd’s Voice
Following Our Shepherd’s Voice
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
In following our shepherd’s voice, note that His sheep “hear his voice” as He calls them by name. Two things stand out to me when I consider this thought.
First,
Christ is always seeking His sheep. He calls them by name, and he desires to lead them out.
It was no different then as it is today. Many did not believe or follow Jesus. The Pharisees were some who constantly questioned Jesus and rejected His voice. Yet, some heard and responded. One of my favorites is Matthew. Matthew, as we know, was a tax collector. The people hated him. However, there was a day when Christ called his name and Matthew responded. He left his tax collecting and followed Christ. I could give many, many examples. The blind man was one. Peter, James, and John were others. Saul, who became Paul, heard his name called on the road to Damascus. The important thing for you to know is that He knows your name and is seeking you. He still calls out for His sheep.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Second, those who hear His call are to respond in faith. Again, Christ said He calls them by name and leads them out. Then, in verse 4, the “sheep follow him: for they know his voice.”
Following Jesus is an act of faith.
We see a wonderful picture of Ephesians 2:8-9 in our text.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Grace is unmerited favor. Christ did not have to come and save us in the purest sense. We were the ones who rebelled and rejected Him. He could have just spoken one word, and the entire world with its population could have been wiped out. He could have started anew. But He didn’t because He is a good and gracious God. Thus, in His grace, He came to earth instead and offered Himself as the true Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. Now, He is seeking His sheep. He is looking for those who will hear His voice and, by faith, answer His call to believe. For each person, this call is personal. It is a call by name. There was a day when He called my name. In that moment, I had a decision to make. Would I respond to His call with faith, trusting Him as the true Shepherd, or would I reject the call, allowing the false voices of the thieves and robbers to influence me away from His call? This is the very same call that Christ offers to you this morning. What will be your choice?
As the true Shepherd, I remind you that Christ is the door to abundant life. Remember the words of John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Christ did not come as a thief. He has no desire to steal, kill, or destroy. Instead, He came offering abundant and eternal life.
Let me encourage all of us to trust Him.
If you are here this morning and have yet to respond to His voice, I would encourage you to do so today. All it requires is faith and obedience.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Faith is believing in your heart that He died for your sin, paying sin’s price, and then resurrecting from the dead. All you need to do is admit your sinfulness and receive Christ’s death as atonement for your sin. It is a simple step of faith. Obedience is then opening your mouth and confessing it all to God. It is with your heart that you believe. It is with your mouth that you obey. Faith produces obedience. Will you hear the voice of the Shepherd this morning? He is calling your name. Will you respond with faith and obedience?
Believers, even though we are His sheep, we must follow Him as He leads. One of the characteristics of sheep is their uncanny ability to wander off on their own. There are times when we stop listening to the Shepherd's voice. We let the voice of our flesh, or the world, or even Satan lead us away from the Shepherd. All of these are thieves and robbers. How then do we find our way back to the true Shepherd? We stop and listen, seeking to hear His voice once again. We confess our sin. We again take up the mantle of faith and obedience, allowing the Shepherd to lead us.
There still remains, though, the challenge of outside voices—the challenge of those who are the robbers and thieves. They are the ones who constantly seek to divert our attention away from the true Shepherd. What do we do with them? That is our next point this morning. Once we commit following Jesus’ voice, we must also guard against the false voices that seek to drown Him out.
Rejecting Strangers’ Voices
Rejecting Strangers’ Voices
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
The answer is quite simple.
However, before we note the answer, please understand the number of voices vying for our attention. There are religious, political, and social voices constantly screaming in our ears. They are loud and, to be honest, quite obnoxious. Nevertheless, they are there. From Hollywood to Washington to the Glass Cathedral, thieves and robbers, strangers, are seeking to stop us from hearing the voice of the true Shepherd. Consider the religious voices of Christ’s day. This is significant with our text, for it was the voice of the spiritual leaders of Christ’s day that were the strangers then. In today’s social media culture, our attention has shifted from reading books to watching online videos. With the rise of social platforms such as YouTube, the noise of strangers has risen exponentially. There are thousands of pastors, evangelists, and religious teachers on YouTube. They all come from many different religious backgrounds screaming that they have the truth. Yet, do they? How do we know? What is the criteria for making sure the people we are listening to are speaking the truth?
The answer, as I already stated, is in our text.
Christ’s sheep do not follow strangers. They flee from them.
What makes them flee? They do not know the voice of strangers. You see Christ is the key. He is the true Shepherd and His sheep hear only His voice and follow Him. Thus, if you are truly one of His sheep, you will refuse follow the voice of strangers. You will discern whether or not they are speaking truth. Remember Christ said...
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Christ is not only the truth, but His Word is the truth.
True sheep of the true Shepherd will have a love for Him and His Word.
They will spend time in His Word, knowing His voice. Then, when the thieves and robbers try breaking in, they will flee from them, knowing they are not the true Shepherd.
By the way, knowing the Shepherd’s voice and fleeing from the strangers has an additional benefit. It helps us guard our faith. Note something interesting about the people who surrounded Jesus as He spoke these words.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
They did not understand what He was saying. Why did they not understand? They had not responded to the Shepherd’s voice with faith and obedience. Instead, the voices of the strangers, the Pharisees and Sadducees, were influencing them not to listen and follow the Shepherd. These voices caused spiritual blindness instead of spiritual faith.
Undoubtedly, we must be careful about who we allow to speak to us. There is an abundant need for caution here. We need to be cautious about two things.
First, we must be cautious not to misuse God’s Word.
There is no doubt that the Pharisees knew the Old Testament. However, they chose to misuse God’s Word for their gain. In doing so, they became thieves and robbers. Consequently, when Christ, who spoke the truth, came on the scene, these men did everything they could to dissuade the people from following. God. How does this apply to us? Truly, we must become students of God’s Word to know the voice of the Shepherd and reject the voices of strangers. However, we must be careful not to misuse God’s Word for our gain. Our job as sheep is to follow the Shepherd. We are to hear His voice and follow Him. We must be humble and carefully obey without inserting the sinful desires of self and pride.
Second, we need to be cautious when hearing the voice of the Shepherd.
Here is what I mean. Everything must be done God’s way.
Christ gave us His Word, the Scriptures, so we might read and study them for ourselves.
Additionally, Christ gave us His Spirit. When we obey Christ’s teachings (aka His Voice), His Spirit fills us so we might understand and follow. In doing so, we can discern who is teaching the truth and who is not. However, there is one other thing that Christ gave us. He gave us the local church. The more I read and study the New Testament, the more I am convinced of how important the local church is to believers. A local church is another means by which we can discern the Shepherd’s voice and know the sound of strangers. Admittedly, only a local church that makes the teaching and preaching of God’s Word is a local church that effectively does this. However, we cannot overlook that Christ established the local church and commissioned it as the filter for false teachers.
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Here is the application. As believers, sheep, we must always keep our focus and attention on Christ. He is the truth. He is the Good Shepherd. We focus on Him by faithfully reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing His Word. In doing so, we will live out John 8:32
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Additionally, we must not only hear the words of the Shepherd, but we must obey His words. We must follow Him and Him alone. This means submitting to the Holy Spirit and belonging to a good local church that teaches and preaches the Bible. As we do, it will become obvious who the strangers seek to rob and steal our attention from the true Shepherd. When we hear the voice of the stranger, we are to flee.
Let me encourage you to spend as much time as possible in God’s Word this morning. Learn to know the voice of the Shepherd. Additionally, focus your attention each day on being obedient and following Him. Be part of a good local church, such as ours, where you know His Word is being taught. And, may I caution you about the many outside voices? Be careful about who you listen to and follow. They are strangers if they are not following Christ and are not committed to faithfully teaching His Word. Run away!
Conclusion: Living Through Our True Entrance
Conclusion: Living Through Our True Entrance
Conclusion: Stepping Through the True Door
As we stand at the threshold of John 10,
Jesus invites us to hear His voice—the voice of the true Shepherd who calls us by name.
This world is crowded with the clamor of thieves and robbers, voices that seek to steal, kill, and destroy. Yet, in the midst of this noise, Jesus stands at the door, offering not just safety, but abundant life—a life of purpose, security, and eternal hope.
Today, let us commit to tuning our hearts to His voice. For those who have not yet stepped through the Door, hear Him calling your name. Respond in faith, confessing Him as Lord, and trust Him as the only way to salvation. For those of us who are His sheep, let us guard against wandering by staying rooted in His Word, guided by His Spirit, and anchored in a faithful local church.
Reject the strangers’ voices—flee from them—and follow the Shepherd who leads us to green pastures.
Challenge: This week, take one intentional step to know His voice better. Spend time in His Word, pray for discernment, or connect with your church community to hear Him more clearly. Let us overcome spiritual blindness by trusting Jesus, our true Door, and walk boldly into the abundant life He promises.
