I am the Door

Welcome to Celebration. We are so glad that you are here. My name is Keith and my wife Maegan and I serve as the Lead Pastors here and we want to thank you for joining us today. If there is anything we can do to serve you and your family, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Today, I am excited to continue in our series, I am where we will explore the 7 I am statements from Jesus in the book of John. These statements I am statements were significant because we have Jesus directly connecting Himself with the God of the OT. Yaweh, the self existent God, creator of the universe.

Exodus 3:14 ESV

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

ESV58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

John 8:58 ESV

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

ESV58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Last week we looked and explored the idea of Jesus being the Good Shepherd. The important thing about the benefits that come from the shepherd, is we have to be sheep. We have to follow. We keep in mind that facts inform our strategy but they can’t inform our faith. When facts are not ran through the filter of our faith, it fuels fear. Faith is not ignoring problems, it is believing God in spite of them. Today, I want to look at the same passage from last week through a slightly different lens.

John 10:1–11 ESV

1 “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. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:1–10 ESV

1 “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. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jesus is painting a picture that is encouraging those around Him, that if we go through Him, we will experience wholeness.

John 10

John 10:10 ESV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jesus is painting a picture that is encouraging those around Him, that if we go through Him, we will experience wholeness.

Lord, we are thankful even in moments of high stress, hysteria, panic and fear, we can have peace in you. Shalom, wholeness. I pray that you encourage us and strengthen us. Give us open eyes, open ears, and open hearts. In the name of Jesus; Amen!

Several years ago, my family and I moved to a new home. What was interesting is it was the new home was less than a mile from our previous one. In fact, each day coming home from work, I would ride past our old home. There was this one day, long day, I came home and parked in the driveway walked up to the front door, walked in and discovered that I was not in my new house, I was standing in the living room of my old one. You can’t imagine my embarrassment. In my exhaustion, in the darkness, my muscle memory lead me to a familiar door, but that door was not a door the lead to my future, it actually was a door that led to my past. The door determines the destination.

I am the Door Page 3 of 8

When we step inside an open door, it will either lead us to our future or reintroduce us to our past. Every open door doesn’t led to the kingdom; and every closed door doesn’t mean that you don’t have access. We have to use discernment. In other words, ask ourselves, where is Jesus in all of this?

This was a common question in the days of Jesus. The environment that Jesus finds himself in. He steps into a broken world that hasn’t seen or heard from God in 400 years. In that time, the Pharisees were established, Sadducees, Zealots, and Scribes. They each were guardians of their corner of the fabric of culture. Jesus starts ministry with His disciples and everyone is trying to figure where does Jesus line up. They wanted to claim Him for themselves, but He would not be boxed in to their formulas. Jesus performs a miracle on the Sabbath in chapter 9 and everyone had an opinion on it.

Where does Jesus fit? Marriage, money, mind, work. Where does Jesus fit in with all of media coverage, in the midsts of division, crisis, pandemics, etc. Where is Jesus in all of this? It reminds me of a season when Maegan and I was furniture shopping. We agreed on this really nice recliner for our family room. Well, when it was delivered, I was disappointed to see that it didn’t fit. We tried everything, but it took up too much space. I loved this couch, so I felt like we were in a bit of a standoff. My wife said we had to let go of some of the extra parts. I didn’t want to. She said, Keith, we aren’t building a new house. Let it go. It occurs to me that we can view Jesus like a piece of furniture. We wonder where does He fit. Jesus isn’t furniture that you make fit in your house, He is the foundation that your house is built on.

My wife said we had to let go of some of the extra parts. I didn’t want to. She said, Keith, we aren’t building a new house. Let it go. It occurs to me that we can view Jesus like a piece of furniture. We wonder where does He fit. Jesus isn’t furniture that you make fit in

Where does Jesus fit?

your house, He is the foundation that your house is

and being so excited for it to be delivered. When it arrived, I

Matthew 7:24–25 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Marriage, money, mind, work. and being so excited for it to be delivered. When it arrived, I

was out of town but I am being very critical of where I wanted it placed. Through FaceTime I played quarterback. What

built on.

Your life is only as stable as the foundation you build it on.

My wife said we had to let go of some of the extra parts. I didn’t want to. She said, Keith, we aren’t building a new house. Let it go. It occurs to me that we can view Jesus like a piece of furniture. We wonder where does He fit. Jesus isn’t furniture that you make fit in

Jesus is talking openly with his disciples and the pharisees and is creating a compare and contrast between Himself and the others. He talks about the entering the sheepfold by the door. The shepherd moved from house to house, and because he was known to the doorkeepers they opened their courtyard doors to allow him to call out the sheep. The sheep knew his voice and eagerly followed him into the open country to feed. The walls of the courtyards could be up to six and a half feet high. One who was not the shepherd, who had ulterior motives, would have to climb over the walls because the doorkeeper would not admit him, and, of course, the sheep would not recognize his call and would flee from him. He is saying, He is the shepherd and they are the thieves and robbers. He is ultimately creating distinctions between a good shepherd and bad shepherd. True shepherd and false shepherd. Remember, this entire passage is defined by what has happened in chapter 9. The false shepherds are being critical, negative and even kicks the healed man out of the community. False shepherds are exposed when the kingdom is revealed. False shepherds steal joy, kill purpose, destroy wholeness. They rob us of peace. Who are you allowing to shepherd you? Media? Friends? Social Media? Politics? Are you being shepherding by culture or by the kingdom? (Guide, provide, protect vs mislead, take, and attack)

Romans 14:17 ESV

17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says, He is the door; but also says He is the shepherd. He is both. He combines it by saying, the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. In wilderness seasons, the shepherd would literally lay down at the entrance. Anyone making an effort to get to the sheep, HAVE to go through Him. We should be encouraged in knowing that we have a shepherd who says, if you want to get to them, you have to go through me.

Anyone making an effort to get to the sheep, HAVE to go through Him. We should be encouraged in knowing that we have a shepherd who says, if you want to get to them, you have to go through me.

He is saying, He is the shepherd and they are the thieves and robbers. Anyone making an effort to get to the sheep, HAVE to go through Him. We should be encouraged in knowing that we have a shepherd who says, if you want to get to them, you have to go through me.

became, where does Jesus fit?

Romans 8:31 ESV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Jesus being the door, means that He is the filter. Filters keep the right things in and the wrong things out. Jesus is the door. Jesus is the filter. He’s the door. It’s here we have righteousness, peace, joy and the Holy Spirit. The cross is the welcome mat to the kingdom of God.

He’s the door . It’s here we have righteousness,

peace, joy and the Holy Spirit. The cross is the welcome

Which side of door are you on?

, the Passover is introduced. There were some specific instructions given. Get a lamb for the family, take the blood and apply it to the door posts. They had bread, herbs and other ingredients that we will unpack on Good Friday. The key is, there was family, the lamb, the door, the blood and as long as they were on the proper side of the door, they were covered. There is a door that leads to the kingdom and there is a door that leads to despair. Jesus didn’t say He was “A” door; He said He is “THE” door. We live a life of multiple choice, but the Kingdom is fill in the blank…the answer is Jesus. When you are on the other side of Jesus, you are covered; when you are not, you are exposed.

I recall buying a couch for our new house

The door determines the destination.

Jesus is the shepherd, the door, and the lamb…only He could be all of that and all of that can only be found in Jesus. As we take communion together, I want you to get bread and juice and join us.

I didn’t anticipate was the couch taking up so

much space

I am the Door Page 5 of 8

your house, He is the foundation that your house is

built on.

I am the Door

Welcome

Season/Series

Prayer

Illustration

Transition

Context/Background

Where does Jesus fit?

Observations

You have to go through me

Which side of door are you on?