Jesus The Gate - January 17

All right. Hey, good morning. Chapel next time Chaplin Cliff Edwards on the chaplain at 277 2nd Brigade. And the last time I got to be up here. I was doing the the children's message, which was awesome. My son been to just turn one yesterday as always great to hear from the kids in Chapel, you know was preaching at another chapel and actually got a letter from one of the kids in the service name Ralph. He was five and he said this she said your chaplain. I liked your sermon in Chapel, especially when it was finished. Call Ralph. So I'll take you some advice from Ralph. I'll try to keep this one as brief as possible. Okay, so that was my joke cross that off the list. Now, I got to do the story or the illustration to try to reel you in get your attention right before you get to the Bible in the meeting potatoes, right? Okay. So here we go. So the story is told of a mafia member who died and his brother went to the priest to raise for the funeral. And he said look here some money priest. I don't care what you say in the funeral. I just want you to refer to my brother as a saint. The priest said hey, I can't do that. You guys are criminals. He said look, you know what business were in if you know what's good for you to take the money and just do it. The day of the funeral comes and the priest gets up to give the eulogy. And he says this man before you was a murderer a thief a liar in all respects a horrible person, but compared to his brother. He was a thief.

So we like to make comparisons, don't we? moral comparison it's part of our human nature that we like to compare ourselves to others. At least I'm not in the mafia. Lisa not an Ax Murderer Yeah, even apart from the church or religion our secular culture thrives on moral comparisons. How many of you have heard the term virtue signaling?

Technique that businesses and celebrities and politicians use the signal. Is there just a little bit more Lee Superior than other people or other products. And businesses and celebrities will tell us on social media about all the good causes they donate to and even just walking down the grocery store while you can read these labels like fair trade or sustainably-sourced or you can read about how the company is committed to diversity and inclusion. I know it sounds great, right? So when you buy that product you can actually feel like you're doing a good deed Will Jesus lived in a culture that thrived on moral comparisons? You know, it was a much more religious Society than ours is today. But it was ruled by these religious professionals called the Pharisees. And so we really have to understand this situation that Jesus was in to understand his third. I am statement in the Gospel of John. Jesus said in John 10:7. I am the gate for the Sheep not understand what Jesus meant by that we have to back up and look at the last to run into Jesus had with the Pharisees. So let me summarize those for you briefly in chapter 8 Jesus makes them very astounding and very authoritative religious claims about himself. Jesus says that those who keep his words will have eternal life. Of course the human religious authorities of the day the Pharisees they did very upset because Jesus is putting himself above their Authority. And they asked Jesus. Are you greater than our Father Abraham? CC the moral comparisons going on here. To which Jesus responds even more provocatively. Before Abraham was I am? so he very clearly identifies himself with god of the Old Testament who appeared to Moses and the burning bush and called himself I am In the Pharisees, they get the message very very clearly because immediately they pick up stones to execute Jesus for blasphemy for claiming to be God himself. But we have to give the Pharisees a little benefit of the doubt here. I think. This must have seemed to them completely outrageous were Jesus a mere man to call himself. God. Remember how God presented himself in the Old Testament is completely holy completely other than human beings. How did they wrap their minds around us that a man could be God that's a big leap. Freddy's you to make but then right after this in chapter 9 Jesus encounters a man born blind and the disciples asked Jesus Rabbi who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind. Haha another opportunity for Mauro comparisons. And the reason that the disciples asked this question is that they have been victims of the Pharisees teachings the Pharisees had this theology based on the law based on good works and it was basically a real rewards and Punishment system. So if I send or my parents sin and bad things will happen to me if I do good things good things will happen to me. No course there's an important truth in those statements because when we do bad things we do face bad consequences both for ourselves and for our children. And this concept is taught throughout the Bible. It's called The Law of reaping and sowing reaping what we sow and this is similar to many other religions Jews and Muslims. They believe that not only do we face good or bad consequences in this life. But we also actually earn our way into heaven based on our good works or a good behavior. And so our actions become the Gateway so to speak to heaven. In the Eastern religions Hinduism and Buddhism is very similar concept of Karma. Your ultimate fate is determined by your goodness or Badness. You're good and bad Deeds. Karma is always the default for human religion and by human religion. I mean any religion that's based on human principles rather than on Jesus and his teachings and this is really the heart of the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. We see that in in John 9:4 the Pharisees. He's very religious. People are these religious professionals? Something bad happen to you. It must have been because you stand or because your parents did you were simply getting what you deserved? So with this man born blind, they assumed either he or his parents sinned and this was the cause of his blindness. You just weren't sure who is Sin but they knew somebody was to blame.

The Pharisees taught that good deeds always lead to health wealth and prosperity in this life while bad Deeds always lead to sickness and suffering and this is very often true. It's not always true. Just think about Jobe. Cuz people who live very good lives, they often experience tragedy and suffering and in people who sent off and prospered because of their sin. Put the Pharisees in their minds that are still very much with us today. They're alive and well in the form of many popular religious teachers to turn on your TV. You were here. What is called the Prosperity Gospel? In the Prosperity Gospel says go to church and give money and in return God will be obligated to give you Prosperity, especially money and good health. Now this is a very convenient way to think if you're already at the top of the social and religious hierarchy like the Pharisees of Jesus day. Because you can always say to yourself into others whether reason that I'm on top and you are not is obviously then I'm good. God is blessing me for my righteousness. And obviously since you're below me. God is judging you for your sinfulness. And so you best do whatever I say. I'm the moral Authority here. Not you and that's how the Pharisees kept control of people and even the Nazis. They use this line of thinking they tried to justify their rule true religion and they persuaded many clergymen to publicly endorse Hitler and it still happens today. This happens in churches and mosques synagogues temples. They happens in our larger culture and what many have called the high Church of progressivism. So the Elites in our in our government and our media and our universities in Hollywood, those are at the top of our society we get to look down on all of us. ordinary middle-class Folk and they get to tell us that we're not very smart or virtuous. and we really ought to change our beliefs to match their more enlightened beliefs and then we should adopt their social agendas or if we don't Then face their scorn and rejection.

And it's kind of what the Pharisees did to the man who was healed from blindness the man testifies that this man who healed me. Jesus is a prophet and they respond to him. You were steeped in sin at Birth. How dare you lecture us?

And it's interesting to me that the more secular America Trump becomes the more religious if he comes in this negative sense of the word religion in terms of the kind of moral comparisons that the Pharisees love to make because secular America often has a weird religious fervor for its social causes and you if you don't support those causes you can kind of get excommunicated from respectable Society you can get canceled. And that's exactly what the Pharisees threatened Jesus followers with. They said you will be cast out of the synagogue if you follow this freak call Jesus. So when Jesus heals the man born blind parents are actually too afraid of the Pharisees to say anything about it. You're afraid of being stigmatized by the moral of Ortiz Ave. Dead. Show based on the teaching of the Pharisees in the way that they use morality to gain power and control over people at the end of chapter 9 Jesus kind of sums it up because the Pharisee spiritually blind.

Like so many episodes Jesus turns conventional thinking on its head. It is the blind people see and those who see you will be blinded. It's all I wanted to build his contacts for you or Bad Religion. Didn't we finally get to chapter 10 where Jesus is responding to the Pharisees? And he gives us with interesting parable about sheep. Begin to describing the Pharisees as Chief thieves. He described them as those who steal sheep meaning people. They steal people's hearts. Where did religion impact the enslaved peoples farts using sphere using manipulation, they maintain religious and even political control over and it's in response to this toxic religiosity of the Pharisees that Jesus makes the statement. I am the gate for the Sheep. Now the thieves they don't enter through the gate. They sneak in some other way. They the climb over the fence like like Byron did in other words. They don't accept that Jesus is who he says he is but Jesus people his followers once he calls they enter the kingdom of God only to the person of Jesus. Through his death on the cross as payment for our sins as death pay the penalty that we owe God for us in your pays it on our behalf. And because of his death we can enter the presence of God without being condemned for our sins, which is what we actually deserve. This in this alone. It's the gateway to God Jesus himself. Is that Gateway? Jesus body that was broken on the cross and rose from the dead is itself the Gateway and that's why we feed on Jesus body through faith has Chapman's Ice. Priest a couple weeks ago. So, what about our good works will Jesus was asking John 6:28? What must we do to do the works that god require? Did you just answered the work of God is this to believe in the one he has sent. In other words put all your Faith and Hope in Jesus. Because God has sent him to rescue us from sin and death. That's the only thing that we can do to be safe. So when we answered the kingdom of God through Jesus to the gate. In this way that I've described we don't become enslaved by false religion. In fact, you find true freedom. And Jesus said I am the gate whoever enters through me will be safe. We will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. Through Jesus through his death on the cross for our sins. You find forgiveness. It takes away our feelings of Shame and fear. You don't have to live under a cloud of religious guilt and fear and obligation on the country. We find true freedom and look to the pool. We don't find Freedom in life before through religion apart from Christ. The Apostle Paul put it this way. The book of Colossians see to it that no one takes you captive through Hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition in the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or with regard to religious festival or New Moon celebration or Sabbath day? These are a shadow of the things that were to come the reality. However is found in Christ. In other words Beware of the sheep thieves dressed in religious clothes. It was Jesus who taught this theology to the Apostle Paul? Take the law of Karma and those in power wanting to stay in power. They steal people's hearts with their false religion Cassidy and they try to steal our joy in our freedom through religious guilt and regulations really matter what name is on the the church building? In fact, it could be us to do this. No matter what name they go by still the Pharisees the Sheep Steve's alive and well in 2021 as much as they were in Jesus day.

So it's interesting when I hear this statement, the thief comes to kill and destroy. You need someone will say what that refers to statement and I thought about that. I don't I don't see no one completely poo poo that interpretation because scripture can have multiple layers of meaning but I don't see staying anywhere in this context few chapters here except in chapter 8 verse 444 where Jesus says to the Pharisees. You belong to your father the devil and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning not holding to the truth for there's no truth in him when he lies. He speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of Lies. So what I see is several chapters of the Pharisees killing their religious lies and then doing and teaching bad things. So my conclusion that it is that if the thief who comes to kill and destroy is Satan and Satan Works marvelously well through religion and religious people and he's The Insider threat that we learn about in the Army in our online start training, you know, where you put through all the slides. So by the end of chapter 10, wouldn't you know it? The Pharisees are accusing Jesus of being demon possessed. And it's a familiar Playbook, isn't it? If someone threatens your power structure your grip on power tell lies about them discredit them as soon as possible makes false allegations in Creative juicy Scandal. So there is this connection between the sheets Steve's and Satan and here's another connection with the Pharisees the theme of entering or not entering the kingdom of God. It also comes up in the gospel of Matthew where Jesus said they the Pharisees they tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger removing oil to use the teachers of the law and Pharisees you Hypocrites. You shut the Kingdom of Heaven in men's faces. You yourselves. Do not enter. Nor will you let those who are trying to?

So John tells us we enter the kingdom of God not through the Pharisees regulations not through their heavy religious burdens that they can't even lift themselves. But through Jesus is the gate for the sheets. Here's the gates of freedom and life to the full as opposed to being burdened with these heavy religious loads. Paul says it in Galatians 5:1 says it is for Freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by yoke of slavery. Or in Jesus parable. Don't let your hearts get stolen by the Sheep thieves.

Now when you read the gospels, you can't help but notice the Jesus always had he saved his harshest criticism for religious people. Not for your conventional centers. Not for the the drunkards and the prostitutes in the murderers. Did those are the people he actually went out of his way to associate with and to reach their hearts to follow him? And John show decision. If you look at chapter 4 where Jesus reaches out to the the woman at the well. She was a conventional center. It wasn't a person trying to pretend to be holy and righteous, right? And this is something that should really. cause us to stop and think because those of us who are here today on Sunday mornings. Where were the religious people right? Would Jesus have parsed things to say to us? Because we get blinded by our religiosity. We're because we take pride in ourselves while looking down their noses at others to we see us as bigger Sinners than we are. Or because we put some kind of religious obstacle in the way of people who are encountering Jesus and trying to enter the kingdom of God. Are we unintentionally shutting the gate in their faces somehow? And these are questions that we must ask ourselves if we want to be in right relationship with Jesus. Because Jesus loved genuine Sinners who didn't pretend to be otherwise. Now you didn't have much patience for the Sinners who pretended to be holy and righteous. Jesus says to the religious people because you claim that you can see your guilt remains.

So Jesus is the gate for the Sheep who are the true followers of God, and we enter the kingdom of God only through Jesus. Not through your your good religious beliefs or in virtues or intentions. Those things done in Prescott. Rather we do those things out of gratitude for what God has already done for us. And eternal life that he is already freely given us think about it for a minute. If you do good things hoping to get something from God. You're really acting in self-interest. You're doing those things for yourself. Not forgot what if you act out of gratitude? For what price is already done for you? Then you can truly do things for God not expecting anything in return.

Paul says this when you were dead in your sins and then the uncircumcision of your sinful nature God Made You Alive with Christ. He forgave us all are having cancel the written code with its regulations that was against us and it still opposed to us. He took it away nailing it to the cross.

So is there anything that you've learned picked up from the Sheep thieves? I mean, even the disciples they were influenced by their teaching. Is there anything that you picked up from? False religion that you'd like to nail to the Cross right now and let Jesus take it away. Is there any kind of? false humility were posing and posturing or false condemnation of the body any super spirituality if you'd like to get rid of right now. Just Let Jesus nail it to the cross Along with his broken body which which is the Gateway. And let him cover it with his blood and make you free.

So this is the invitation. Find rest for your souls. Jesus said come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden light.

Find forgiveness for your sin through Jesus death for you. Find Freedom. from Dad religion through Christ enter the kingdom of God through the only gate. Which is Christ? If you haven't done that before do it now, let's pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you for your love your forgiveness. Do you send your son Jesus? To die for us and our sins. Do we can come? Father in the presence of a holy God only because of what Jesus has done for us. What if there's anything to be added to that if there's anything that we've put in the way of that but if you get rid of it? torque lenses purify us and lead us to you or to your son. Who is the only Gateway?