I Am the Door

Introduction

Read John 10:1-10

John 10:1–10 CSB

“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

I. Christ is the Only Door

First, we see when Christ says He is the door, He is proclaiming there is an entrance into life in the presence of God, to become a part of the people of God.

This also means that we are not automatically part of God’s people.

We are in the process of buying a house. The only way into the house, properly, is through the door. However, the door is locked to us right now until the house becomes ours. Right now, because we are locked out, the house does not belong to us, nor we to the house. The house is off limits.

Now, we could try to find another way into the house, such as breaking through a window or picking the lock. But that act does not make us the owners of that house. That act, actually makes our relationship with the house even worse. It makes us a thief trying to break in and only proves we do not belong in the house.

We are looking forward to the time we will get to call that house home. But until the door is opened to us and we have received the key to it, we do not belong there.

Jesus is telling us that unless we enter into the sheep fold through the door, we have no place in the fold. We do not belong to the fold and the fold does not belong to us. Now here’s the thing, unlike the house we are trying to purchase, Jesus tells us we can enter into the door because He Himself is the door.

He’s giving the picture of what a shepherd would do to protect the sheep. The sheep fold would be surrounded by a small fence or wall with one opening. However, that opening would not have a gate or a door to it. It was a wide open door. However, the shepherd would lay down in the opening and would himself be the door to the sheep. He would ensure that all his sheep would be able to make it inside while at the same time keep out thieves and robbers and wolves from being able to enter in. The shepherd as the door would serve as protection to the sheep. And He is saying, whoever would come to me will find entrance. But whoever tries to get in any other way will not find entrance because they will be treated as a thief or a wolf. So knowing that Christ is the door, He is granting us access to the sheep fold. It is like receiving the keys to our house when we finally get to purchase it. We will have access.

There is only one right way to enter into the door

However, even when we do purchase the house and get to call it home, unless we use the right key, we still will not be able to make our way into it. There will be one key that will enable access to it.

The other day, when we got back to the house, which is owned by the Stanleys, we are currently staying at, Liam wanted to unlock and open the door for the family. However, he got upset when we tried to show him which key would unlock the door. He wanted to figure it out by himself, and he unfortunately guessed the wrong key. Now, we had the key and we were willing to show him which key was the correct one, so he had free access to open up the door, but because he was insistent on doing it himself instead of listening to us, he was still rejected from entering the house.

Jesus has given us free access into the sheep fold and the family of God. But He has told us there is only one way to get in. However, many of us can be as stubborn as a three year old trying to figure it out for himself, with no hope of ever getting it right. Unless we enter through the door in the way He has called us to, we will never enter into the presence of God.

The Pharisees in chapter 9 thought they knew the way of becoming the people of God. But because they refused to listen to Jesus and the Scriptures, they were rejected from entering in. The offer was there, but they refused to enter in through the One way God demanded of them and they missed out. There is only one door, which is Christ, and one key, which is faith and trust in Him.

II. The Users of the Door

A. The Door Must Be Entered

The next thing we need to notice is that the door must be entered. It can be standing wide open, but it does no good for us if we just stand there looking at it.

We can look at and examine the door and notice how beautiful it might be or what color it is, but unless we step through the open door we are still left on the outside.

Again, Liam is a perfect example of this because sometimes, when we get home from running errands, and after we get him out of the car, he wants to stay outside and play. The door is wide open for all of us to go in, but there are times in which he just refuses to go in because there are things on the outside he would rather have than going into the house.

There are things in this world that can be tempting us not to go through the door ourselves. We think greater pleasure, fulfillment and joy can be found outside of Christ than there is inside of Him.

I’ve heard some individuals say, I can see how Christ is important, but I’ll come to Him later because there’s still some things I want to do.

My in-laws told me a story of a couple they tried for a long time to witness to and share the gospel with. They continued to put off the message because they weren’t ready to accept and there were still things they valued above following Christ. Sadly they waited so long, the husband ended up in a car accident and in a coma. He never came out of the coma and died before ever making a decision to follow Christ at least to the knowledge of my in-laws. Then when they tried to talk with the man’s wife, she said she did not want to spend eternity separated from her husband. With all their pleading, she never accepted their invitation to trust and follow Christ.

While the door was open, they never chose to enter into it. And Christ promises that when we enter into it, we will have a life far greater than the life we are giving up by going in.

John 10:10 CSB

A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

We can try to cling onto this world for the pleasures it offers, but what it offers is a cheap counterfeit to what Christ alone can offer. Please don’t believe the lie that the joy the world offers is greater than the joy Jesus offers.

B. The Door Can Be Used By Anyone

Notice what Christ says in verse 9. If “anyone” enters by me. There is no qualification here. It’s not, only for the rich and powerful. It’s not only for those who are beautiful or popular enough. It’s also not for those who are good enough or clean enough.

Too many times, people will say, I will go to Christ once I can get my act together. Here’s the thing, Christ is inviting you to come to Him right now, just as you are. He doesn’t want you to clean yourself up before you come to Him because He knows you can’t ever clean yourself up enough. But Christ Himself will clean you when you come. He will give you His righteousness. This was the point of the cross, that He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB

He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The door is not for the righteous. It is for anyone who will trust and submit to Christ Himself as their only hope for entering into God’s presence.

III. The Results of Entering the Door

A. Salvation

The first privelege afforded to those who enter in is salvation.

First, there’s salvation from the penalty of sin.

We know Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 CSB

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because we are sinners, we deserve death. This is not just a physical death. We all, unless Jesus should come first, will experience a physical death. This death that we deserve because of sin is a spiritual death.

This is what we know as Hell. The place of punishment for all those who reject Christ. Now, we often think of the torment and pain that accompanies Hell, and right we should. But there’s a pain we will experience that is greater than all the pain we could ever imagine, and that is the pain and torment of being separated from the loving presence and light of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what our sin deserves. We are not called to simply be afraid of the punishment and the pain of Hell. We are called to be fearful of never getting to experience the joy of being in the presence and glory of Christ. We were created for that joy and glory.

This is what we are saved from, for when we place our faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus upon the cross, when we enter into the door that is Christ Himself, He saves us from the penalty of sin and granted entrance into the eternal presence of God Himself, where He meant for us to be from the very beginning of Creation. Do you ever wonder why we keep looking for joy and happiness in this life? Why we move from one new phone to the next or the next best car or house? From one relationship to another and one job to another and that no matter how many new things we get, nothing seems to satisfy? Because the thing are hearts are longing for is to be in the presence of Christ Himself and that is exactly what we are missing and we are trying to fill with lesser things.

Because of our sin, we are forever separated from Christ, but as the door He is inviting us to come in and be with Him. If you want to find lasting joy and peace, it can only be found in Christ!

Second, there’s the Power of Sin.

Not only does Christ save us from the penalty of sin, He also saves us from the Power of Sin. Before we come to Christ, we are slaves to sin and can only obey its power over our lives. We cannot choose not to sin outside of Christ. We are powerless to overcome sin because of its power over us.

However, when we enter into Christ, we are saved from this power. Christian, if you have already entered into Christ, you are given this salvation. We call this the salvation of sanctification. You are given the power to overcome sin because of the power of the One living in you! You do not have to keep obeying the natural desires and impulses within you, but you have the ability to run to Christ and find strength in Him to say no to the temptations and desires that are within you.

As you enter into the door, you find in Christ the power to make you more like Him. He doesn’t just declare you righteous, He actually gives you His righteousness so when people see how you live, they see Christ living in you! This doesn’t mean we will always get it right, but we can examine ourselves and say, if there’s no desire within me to fight against my sin and to live like Christ, the question we have to ask ourselves is, have we truly entered in the door?

B. Freedom

Next, Jesus says that those who enter by Him will go in and out. Again, this is a picture of a shepherd who is Himself the door for the sheep. He guides them in and out of the pen so they can have freedom to go where they need under His care and protection.

What does this mean for us? It means that we always have the freedom to worship and obey God no matter where we are or the circumstances we find ourselves in because we know our Lord is watching over us.

This does not mean we will always have freedom from the world around us, free of their consequences. But our freedom to follow and worship Christ is not dependent upon the freedom our world allows us. When Daniel faced the law that prohibited prayer to anyone but the king, he still found freedom to obey His God because He knew the king could not do anything to take Him out of the care and protection of His God. He may have faced consequences for disobeying his king, but he never lost the freedom to worship regardless of what law was in place.

Spurgeon would say it this way, “There is no such liberty as you who believe in Jesus have—liberty to go to your bed at night and to feel that it does not matter whether you wake up here or not! Liberty to go out into the world and feel that losses and crosses cannot happen to you without your Father’s permission and that you will have Grace to bear them! Liberty to go wherever you please on the errands of God, always protected by His almighty power!”

LeVos, Ernest. Portraits of the Great “I Am”: Charles Spurgeon on Christ’S Seven “I Am” Sayings (p. 76). iUniverse. Kindle Edition.

So this means we have freedom to go in and out. We have freedom to go to God in prayer and communicate directly with Him. We have freedom of access to God because of Christ. Believers, we need to use this access more than we currently do. We are free to go to God.

We also have the freedom to go out to our world to share with them the good news of Christ, to proclaim the love of God poured out to us through the sacrifice of Christ and how He has provided a way of escape from what each of us deserves. Again, we have freedom to do so, regardless of what anyone else says or thinks. We do not have to fear what the world around us says. They cannot take away the freedom the Lord has granted to us!

Believers in persecution taught us another important truth. The freedom to believe and witness has nothing to do with the government or political system. The freedom to believe and witness has nothing to do with the civil and political rights that might or might not be present. This is one of the most important lessons that we learned from believers in persecution: They (and you and I) are just as free to share Jesus today in Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Communist countries as you and I are in America. It isn’t a matter of political freedom. It is a simply matter of obedience. The price for obedience might be different in different places—but it is always possible to obey Christ’s call to make disciples. Every believer—in every place—is always free to make that choice.

Ripken, Nik; Lewis, Gregg. The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected (p. 307). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

C. Nourishment

Last, Jesus promises that those who enter by Him will find pasture. This means we will receive the greatest needs of our souls.

We have already looked at Jesus’ words about Him being the bread of life. He alone is what can give our souls life and strength. He along can give us what we need to live for Him and to honor Him. This message is one of an invitation for unbelievers to come to Him and find life. But it is also a message for believers to find their nourishment in Him alone. Too often we think, I need the Gospel to be saved, but then I need something else to help me grow. No, it is only by coming to Jesus that we as believers can find all that our hearts need.

Do not forsake going to Jesus each day. The Scriptures are clear that when we are saved, we are secure in the hands of God. But do not forsake the daily entering in by Jesus for it is through Him alone that we find our daily needs of growing in faith and grace. It is only by Jesus that we become more like Him and can fulfill the mission that He has given to us to make disciples of all nations.

Have you ever wondered why there are people who hop from church to church, always complaining that they’re never being spiritually fed? It might be because the churches they have gone to are not preaching Christ. But more than likely, if we are not going to Jesus daily ourselves, we will never find the nourishment that our souls truly need. And no church can replace what only Christ can provide. If you want to find nourishment for your soul, go to Jesus daily. Yes, be sure the church you’re going to is preaching Jesus. But don’t let that keep you from entering into Jesus daily yourself.

Conclusion