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let’s pray Lord Jesus Good Shepherd I pray that you would speak to your sheep now from your preached word draw the Sheep unto yourself to Salvation and to Greater Holiness in Jesus name amen amen well here’s a fun question to get us started this morning have you ever broken into your own house I see some of you are raising your hands you know what I’m talking about because you weren’t able to use the main entrances into your dwelling you have to climb in some other way perhaps through a window I confess I’ve done that too I remember one night when Emma and I were still living in Los Angeles while I was attending Seminary we came back to our apartment and confronted a locked door our apartment only had one door and we always locked it when we went out but usually that’s no problem because a locked door opens with a key and we’ been given two copies of the door key however that night we discovered that neither of us had that key and in that moment of sad realization my mind was transported back to a word of warning my apartment manager had given us when we first signed the rental contract for the apartment she told us that after a certain hour of night she would not be available to help residents get backed into locked Apartments so those residents would instead have to call a locksmith and pay for his is expensive Services feeling extremely foolish but really not wanting to call and pay for a locksmith em and I wondered if one of us could climb through a window this was a near hopeless possibility because the windows at the back of the apartment were too high to reach and the windows in the front were usually closed and unable to be open from the outside and it’s not like we were going to break a window but lo and behold we noticed that it just so happened that we had left one of the front windows ever so slightly open and just that little opening would be enough for us for one of us to pop the screen Slide the window open and climb inside and unlock the door of course climbing through an apartment Window in the middle of the night is not exactly a good look so though we didn’t see anyone around us we announced sheepishly to the dark don’t worry this is our apartment we live here then I opened the window hoisted myself inside and unlocked the apartment door so in the end even though we locked ourselves out of our apartment at night em and I were able to get back inside without too much trouble thank you Lord of course we learned a valuable lesson that night not that you should always make sure you have your keys with you for your one and only door but that you should always make sure you have another way in just in case you forget those keys now I see that some of you have had a similar experience but the reason I share this story with you now is because our passage today is all about getting through God’s one and only door and we might be tempted when we hear about this door or think about this door to believe that as is sometimes the case in our Earthly dwellings that there is also a backup entrance a window of sorts that could get us to God and into God’s kingdom after all you may not have lived perfectly but you’ve tried and that’s what counts right or you may not have lived as a Biblical Christian but you have been moral and sincere in your own religion or you may not have loved and believed in Jesus specifically but you believe in God and don’t all roads lead to God in the end I must tell you on the authority of God’s Bible that there is no wind window entrance into eternal life God has provided one and only door into his kingdom and without that door you will never enter in fact if someone teaches you that you can get to God without going through God’s only door you must flee from that teacher and even exit his religion lest you be caught in a soul damning lie what is God’s only door he is Jesus Christ the son of God and in our next passage of the Gospel of John Jesus is going to contrast himself as God’s only door with false teachers and false Shepherds who try to lead God’s sheep in another way which is really no way at all please take your Bibles and turn to John chap 10 our sermon titled today is Jesus is God’s only door Jesus is God’s only door we’re looking at John 10 1:10 today it’s Pew Bible page 172 if you’re using that this text is part of a larger section that goes all the way down to verse 21 so to give you the Fuller context let’s read the whole passage focusing on John 101-10 today but we’re going to read now John 10 1-21 follow along with me as I read God’s word truly truly I say to you he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep but climbs up some other way he is a thief and a robber but he who enters by the door is a Shepherd of the sheep to him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own Sheep by name and leads them out when he puts forth all his own he goes ahead of them and the Sheep follow him because they know his voice a stranger they simply will not follow but will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers this figure of speech Jesus spoke to them but they did not understand those things that or they didn’t understand what those things were which he had been saying to them so Jesus said to them again truly truly I say to you I am the door of the sheep all who came before me are thieves and robbers but the Sheep did not hear them I am the door if anyone enters through me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy I came that they may have life and have it abundantly I am the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the Sheep he who is a Hired Hand and not a Shepherd who is not the owner of the sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the Wolf snatches them and scatters them be pleas because he’s a Hired Hand and is not concerned about the Sheep I am the Good Shepherd and I know my own and my own know me even as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the Sheep I have other sheep which are not of this fold I must bring them also and they will hear my voice and they will become one flock with one Shepherd for this reason the father loves me because I lay down my life so that that I may take it again no one has taken it away from me but I lay it down on my own initiative I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again this commandment I received from my father a division occurred again among the Jews because of these words many of them were saying he has a demon and is insane why do you listen to him others were saying these are not the sayings of one demon possessed a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind can he John 10 1-21 is a beloved passage of the Bible for many here we see unfolded one of the most touching descriptions of our savior he is the Good Shepherd who so cares for his sheep that he even lays down his life to save them but something you may not have realized about this passage is its direct connection with what came before if you just glance at the beginning of chapter 10 and look over at the end of chapter 9 you will notice that there is no break between Jesus speaking in John 9:41 and Jesus continuing to speak in John 101 furthermore John 10:1 begins with a trademark phrase from Jesus truly truly I say to you this is a phrase that Jesus never uses to begin a conversation but only to resp respond in a conversation or to continue a conversation finally you notice that I read from verse 21 part of the ending discussion of the Jews is that they refer to Jesus healing blind eyes as a reason not to dismiss his words when did Jesus heal blind eyes the previous chapter all this shows us not only that Jesus speech here in John 101-2 1 that it is on the same occasion as the events of John 9 but also that what happened in John 9 particularly at the end of John 9 necessarily informs what Jesus says here now you’ll see more specifically what I mean as we go through the sermon today we can summarize the main idea of our new section all 21 verses in this way our author the Apostle John records Jesus words in John 10 1 to 21 so that you will recognize God’s Good Shepherd and go out through God’s only doorway away from false religion and into eternal life I’ve chosen those words carefully because we’re going to see each one of those ideas reinforced as we go through the passage I’ll repeat it to you again John records Jesus words in John 10: 1-21 so that you will recognize God’s Good Shepherd and go out through God’s only door away from false religion and into eternal life now John 10 1-21 divides into four parts and we’re just going to look at the first two parts today which comprise verses 1 to 10 now before we walk those verses again get the scene into your heads Jesus is somewhere in Jerusalem at the end of the Feast of booths approximately 6 months before his crucifixion he’s just revealed himself in a saving way to a man born blind but then healed by Jesus Jesus has just revealed himself in a saving way to this man and then warned some nearby Pharisees that their stubborn spiritual blindness will leave them condemned in sin forever Jesus then continues speaking addressing not just the healed man and the Pharisees but the entire crowd of nearby Jews with a declaration of versus 1-6 what is that declaration we’re going to see it’s an introductory point so here’s how I would put it on the sermon outline number one introduction how to recognize God’s Shepherd in these verses Jesus teaches the Jews how to recognize God’s true Shepherd and he explains that you could recognize God’s shepherd with two simple criteria that’s not just useful for the Jews but that’s useful for us too so what are those criteria I’ll give you to these give you these as sub points first in verses 1 to two Jesus says that 1 a God’s Shepherd uses God’s only door this is how you know this is God’s Shepherd because he uses God’s only door let’s hear verses 1 and two again Jesus says truly truly I say to you he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep but climbs up some other way he is a thief and a robber starting in these verses Jesus begins a series of contrasts all centered around the figure of a Shepherd now shepherding or sheep hering was a profession quite familiar to the Jews of Jesus day Israel was an agrarian society most people farmed and or raised animals and Israel’s Heritage prominently featured shepherding and livestock raising go all the way back to the Patriarchs they were shepherds in Egypt they were shepherds when they came into Canaan they brought their animals now while it’s true that over time the actual work of shepherding was relegated to the more socially insignificant persons people like young Sons slaves of the poor nevertheless shepherding was still considered respectable work in Jesus day but it was not easy work a Shepherd would have to spend all day with his sheep and many times all night The Shepherd braved all kinds of weather and temperatures as he brought his sheep out of the fold each day to find water or various pastures and then brought the Sheep back to the fold at night the shepherd had to Shear the sheep milk the Sheep clean the Sheep tend illnesses and injuries of the sheep find any lost sheep defend the sheep from predators and thieves and keep the peace between the Sheep yet this constant labor and attention naturally led the shepherd to knowing his sheep intimately and even caring for them sincerely Shepherds would call each of their own Sheep by name as for the Sheep they naturally learned to trust their Shepherd and would loyally follow his voice unsurprisingly considering the nature of Shepherd work and the Hebrew familiarity with shepherding the Old Testament frequently L uses the shepherd as a figure or symbol for leaders even for Kings priests and other leaders in Israel most famously the shepherd youth David was raised up to become king and as God says Shepherd the people of Israel this is not too surprising but what is surprising in the Old Testament is that God also is described as The Shepherd of his people for example Psalm 23 famous Psalm how does it begin the Lord or Yahweh is my shepherd I shall not want that is I shall not be in need this is not a role that God is displeased to have in fact God’s role as the ultimate Shepherd of his people it causes God in the Old Testament to zealously take issue with other Shepherds even the ones that God set over his people Israel not properly caring for God’s flock you see this especially in the latter prophets for example Jeremiah 23 1-2 in Jeremiah 23 1:2 God says through his Prophet woe to the Shepherds who are destroying and scattering the Sheep of my pasture declares the Lord that is Yahweh therefore thus says Yahweh god of Israel concerning the Shepherds who are attending my people you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not attended to them behold I’m about to attend to you for the evil of your Deeds declares Yahweh you can see other examples in Zechariah 10 2:3 and Ezekiel 34 1:4 among others now in the prophets along with messages of reproof and judgment to these false and Unfaithful Shepherds God also promises that he will come himself as a Shepherd to save and to satisfy his beleaguered people even through the davidic Messiah that God will send we read early in our service Ezekiel 34 listen again to two parts from that chapter Ezekiel 34: 11-2 Ezekiel 3412 for thus says the Lord God behold I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out as a Shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep so I will care for my sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day God himself says that he will come but then notice what he says later in the passage Ezekiel 34: 23 and 24 Ezekiel 3423 to 24 then I will set over them one Shepherd my servant David and he will feed them and he will feed them himself and be their Shepherd and I the Lord will be their God and my servant David will be a prince among them I the Lord have spoken and again this is not the only place we could also look at Isaiah 40: 10 to1 or Micah 5 4:5 other examples of God promising to come as a Shepherd even through his davidic Messiah so then when Jesus starts talking about Shepherds in John 10:1 this is not spoken in a vacuum this is not some random turn in the conversation no Jesus is purposefully drawing on the cultural and Theological background of the Jews to reveal something important about himself and the leaders of Israel look back again at John 10:1 notice that Jesus begins with his favorite attention grabbing phrase truly truly I say to you we’ve seen this many times already in the Gospel of John this is Jesus way of saying listen up what I’m about to tell you will seem incredible to you but it’s true and you must believe it what is Jesus incredible declaration in verses 1 to two it’s that the true Shepherd comes through the Sheep fold’s only door and that if someone tries to get into the Sheepfold without going through that door such a person could only be a thief and a violent Bandit now if you think about that for a second you might ask wait is that is that really an amazing declaration I mean isn’t that kind of obvious certainly would have been for the Jews I mean after all they knew that a Sheepfold and for that just think a walled enclosure a Sheepfold only had one door thus the one who had legitimate access to the Sheep the shepherd He would use that door while the ones who did not have legitimate access to the Sheep like robbers they would not use that door but if they were trying to get to the Sheep they would try to climb over the wall in some other place to get to the sheep that is common knowledge what’s so surprising Jesus about this declaration Well the description itself is not amazing but what’s amazing is what Jesus means by using it considering the context of John 9 who has demonstrated himself to have legitimate ACC access to God’s sheep meanwhile who have demonstrated themselves not to be true Shepherds but in fact thieves and robbers who neglect and prey on the sheep if you’re not so sure of the answer well just hang on because Jesus second Criterion will make it even clearer so Jesus first says you can recognize God’s Shepherd as the one who uses God’s only door but then Jesus says in verses 3 to five here’s our second Criterion 1B God’s Shepherd has a recognizable voice God’s Shepherd has a recognizable voice look at verses 3 to 5 again to him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own Sheep by name and leads them out when he puts forth all his own he goes ahead of them and the Sheep follow him because they know his voice a stranger they simply will not follow but will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers now here again Jesus seems to be stating the obvious again at least what would have been obvious to the Jews Jesus says that when the true Shepherd arrives to pick up his sheep from the Sheepfold he is first recognized by the doorkeeper let me ask who’s the doorkeeper well in understanding the figure understand that back in those days if a Village’s flocks of sheep were small enough the Shepherds could simply keep the sheep in the courtyards of their own homes or perhaps in a small enclosure in the countryside so when the Shepherds did this they didn’t need to have a doorkeeper they could just keep the door of their own homes closed or they could sleep in the doorway of the fold their small fold in the countryside however if a village had several large flocks of sheep the Shepherds would band together they would build a giant sheep full to contain all the flocks and then hire a doorkeeper to be the one guard of the door of the sheep the doorkeeper was only to open the door for the Shepherds who hired him so then as Jesus says a true Shepherd would be recognized by that doorkeeper Shepherd hired him they’re his sheep the doorkeeper should recognize him but it’s not just the doorkeeper who recognizes the true Shepherd Jesus says the true Shepherd is also recognized by his sheep and they don’t do that by sight they do that by hearing they listen for the shepherd’s voice this is actually why Shepherds can combine their flocks in one large fold at night but still easily separate the sheep in the morning no matter how mixed up the Sheep get no matter how many there are as Jesus says the shepherd merely needs to call his own Sheep by name and they will recognize his voice and come out to him and then as verse four says and this is still still true of Middle Eastern shepherds today that Shepherd goes ahead of his sheep to discover the route that they should go for the day and to prepare the way for them and the Sheep they follow they don’t need to be driven they follow because they know his voice according to verse 5 none of this is possible except with The Shepherd of the sheep if somebody else tries to say all right come on Blackie Betty whatever the Sheep’s names are time to come out let’s go find pasture if someone else tries to do that it’s not going to work why because sheep don’t follow the voice of strangers they will flee instead now again we might ask the Jews already know all this so what’s so profound about this declaration before I explain let me point you a to a significant detail that we also see in these verses a curious verb phrase at the beginning of verse 4 Jesus says when he the shepherd puts forth all his his own the Greek verb translated puts forth is ebalo which means most literally to throw out if you were with us in John N that might remind you of something because in John 9 and verses 9 or verses 34 to35 that same verb is used to describe how the to describe what the Jews did to the man born blind remember what they were trying to do they said give glory to God this man Jesus is a sinner and he didn’t he didn’t go with that he didn’t tow that line so what did they do to him they put the man forth they threw him out they expelled him it’s only after Jesus finds this thrown out man that Jesus says what he does here so do you see what Jesus is saying fig L with these observations about shepherding if a true Shepherd comes through the only door while robbers try to get in another way and if the true Shepherd is recognized by both doorkeeper and sheep so that the shepherd can call his own out of the common fold so that they are put forth to follow him then what is Jesus saying really happened in John chapter 9 it’s this that Jesus as God’s Good Shepherd who has legitimate access to the Sheep while the Pharisees and the false leaders and teachers do not have legitimate access to the Sheep but are in fact thieves and bandits this Good Shepherd was actually calling out putting forth his own through the expulsion of the Pharisees and religious leaders of this believing man in Jesus what may have looked like to onlookers that the faithful spiritual leaders of Israel were Faithfully removing a danger to the flock this guy who wants to hang on to Jesus let’s get him out of our midst Jesus is saying no that was God’s true Shepherd calling out his own sheep from the common flock of Israel to follow him after all how else do you explain the behavior of the healed man in John N he refuses to cow to his religious leaders intimidation is this not a sheep refusing to follow the voice of strangers and he demonstrates ready belief and worship in Jesus even though he had never seen him before because he only had blinded eyes when they first met and when you look at the conversation at the end of John 9 that Jesus has with him Jesus just says to him do you believe in the son of man he says who is he that I May believe in him and Jesus says it’s me and boom belief Falls Down and Worship one conversation couple words how do you explain that well how do you explain that if that is not a sheep recognizing and following the voice of his Shepherd you see by clarifying these simple criteria for how to recognize God’s Shepherd in these first five verses Jesus is implicit ly identifying himself as that Shepherd and identifying the self-righteous Pharisees as mere thieves but does the crowd get this do they understand what Jesus is talking about look at verse six this figure of speech Jesus spoke to them but they did not understand what those things were which he had been saying to them ah we’ve seen this happen many times in John’s gospel we see it here again the crowd does not understand Jesus meaning even through this Shepherd figure so what’s Jesus going to do he could move on he has the perogative to do that and maybe just explain to his disciples that that’s not what he chooses to do here he decides to expand on this introductory point with further speech presenting to plain main points and that’s what we see in the rest of the passage now as I say we’re only going to do the next part the first main point today which is in verses 7 7 to 10 we’ll get the other one next time what’s the next thing that Jesus says this is point number two main point Jesus is God’s only door Jesus is God’s only door now before you ask wait a second I thought we were talking about Shepherds and Jesus did say something about doors before but now you’re saying that Jesus is the door how can Jesus be both the door and the shepherd who leads his sheep through the door well an answer realize that Jesus is changing his earlier figure a little bit but he’s also explaining what makes him marvelously unique as the Son of God see what I mean in just a moment now this part too can be broken down into two sub points because when Jesus proclaims himself to be God’s only door he is the door in two senses and in the first we see in verses 7 to 8 2 a Jesus is the only way to God’s sheep Jesus is God’s only door but in one sense in which that is true is Jesus is the only way to God’s sheep look at verses s and8 again so Jesus said to them again truly truly I say to you I am the door of the sheep all who came before me are thieves and robbers but the Sheep did not hear them notice again here we see Jesus using that specially affirming and attention grabbing phrase truly truly I say to you which is followed up then with an emphatic I am declaration now we see a number of these declarations in the Gospel of John they’re Majestic they would seem to refer back to God’s self-revelation even in Exodus 3 God loves to declare fundamental truths about himself with I am statements Jesus does the same and here Jesus says I myself it’s more emphatic in the Greek I myself am the door of the sheep but door of the sheep in what sense notice in verse eight that Jesus again mentions the thieves and robbers he had talked about previously they were and they are here trying to get to the Sheep but are unsuccessful the Sheep do not hear them Jesus says this detail suggests that Jesus is still speaking of a door that functions the same way he was describing in verses to two that is a door of access the only door of access to the Sheep if you’re outside the fold and you want to go to the Sheep Jesus says I am that door of access to say it another way Jesus is revealing here no one can properly get to minister to be with God’s sheep unless they do so through Jesus I’ll say it a third way if your teacher or a leader says to you that he can lead you to God he can lead you to Salvation or he can lead you to Holiness but without Jesus Christ Jesus reveals here that person is no Shepherd he’s only a thief and a robber because to get to the Sheep to get to God’s true sheep you have to go through the door and Jesus says I am that door I am the door to the Sheep now consider how striking Jesus words are at the beginning of verse 8 he says all who came before me are thieves and robbers wait a second all who came before you like every single other leader and teacher oh that seems to condemn a lot of people other even other ones that we thought would be faithful I mean what about Moses what about David what about John the Baptist weren’t they Shepherds of a Kind surely you’re not saying that they are thieves and robbers are you of course that could not be and I would say the reason that is not the case is because ultimately theologically speaking these men ministered to God’s sheep through the door of Jesus what I mean by that is as far as the revelation of God was given to each of these men these men believed in God’s Messiah their teaching pointed to and a confirmed messiah’s coming and they proclaimed the same message of Salvation that Jesus the Messiah himself declares so they were not really trying to come at the Sheep through another door it was the same door as Jesus so when Jesus says in verse 8 that all who came before him were thieves and robbers he does not literally mean every single leader who came before him but there is a reason that Jesus uses a statement that’s not let’s not underappreciate the inclusivity of what Jesus Says by using such a phrase Jesus is indicating that the vast majority of so-called Shepherds the vast majority of leaders whether political or religious up to this point in time in in the days of Jesus they were thieves and robbers they were and are thieves and robbers I mean just think about Old Testament history if you know it at all think about the Kings and religious leaders that Israel had as reported in the Bible were those leaders good or bad mostly bad you have a couple highlights of good leaders they stand out like stars but the rest is just all darkness and is Jesus time any better he comes but how many leaders and teachers in his day are actually preaching the gospel of of Salvation by repentance and faith in God’s Messiah maybe just one John the Baptist I mean we saw in John 3 that one of the most celebrated rabbis of the time the teacher of Israel Jesus says Nicodemus he couldn’t accept or even teach the basics of God’s salvation that’s not a good referendum on the leadership of Israel meanwhile what are the Pharisees what are the popular leaders been doing ever since John 3 opposing Jesus rejecting Jesus even trying to kill Jesus for good reason then Jesus doesn’t say here you may even notice the specific wording of verse 8 not all who came before me were thieves and robbers but they are thieves and robbers this is the present condition of Israel you look at the leadership all I see are thieves and robbers that’s a pretty tragic situation does this mean that God’s true sheep those chosen by God those who will be saved by God doesn’t mean that they won’t be saved after all they’re going to follow false Shepherds to ruin well no because we already saw Jesus says at the end of verse eight the Sheep did not hear them sheep know their Shepherd’s voice and so though in jesus’ time these sheep many of them hadn’t found their Shepherd yet they knew that the Pharisees they knew the chief priests they knew that the pretend Messiah is that were popping up now and then they knew that that’s not my shepherd I don’t hear my shepherd’s voice but then Jesus comes on the scene and what do the Sheep recognize this is God Shepherd this is even the only ordained door of ministry to the sheep and is this man Jesus he is the Christ so what does that mean not only does it mean that Jesus has the right to minister to call out to gather his sheep but it also means that anyone else who should seek to serve as a faithful Shepherd of God to God’s sheep he must do it through the door of Jesus Christ but here’s where we come back to that question of well how can Jesus be the shepherd and the door at the same time well actually it’s not as contradictory as you might think because if any other person must must Minister through the door of Jesus to be a faithful Shepherd how much more so Jesus himself if God has ordained that Jesus is the way Jesus is the door that God’s sheep are going to be saved and served then for Jesus to come to the sheep and in any other way or person than himself would be unfaithful it’d be false it would be to make Jesus out to be a thief and a robber if you say I don’t know if I’m quite tracking with you Pastor Dave we’ll consider a parallel later in John’s gospel in John 14: 4 and 5 Jesus tells his disciples that he is going a certain way to the father to prepare a place for his disciples Thomas and ask him for clarification what is this way do you remember Jesus reply John 14:6 I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father but through me isn’t that just like what Jesus says in our present passage if no one gets to God except through Jesus then how could Jesus get to God in any way except through himself you see God has ordained that all of Salvation is to be accomplished in and through Jesus he is the Locust in which everything happens or to use a metaphor another metaphor from John John 1 151 Jesus himself is the staircase Between Heaven and Earth upon which the angels of God are continually ascending and descending so really it’s not strange that Jesus should figuratively enter himself as the door to his sheep a Good Shepherd entering the door for really it couldn’t be any other way since Jesus is the true Christ and the Son of God he accomplishes everything through himself to the glory of God now what’s some practic application of of this point I’ll just give you two briefly positively speaking Jesus must be the center of all Christian Ministry to God’s sheep for example if you meet someone who’s caught up in a homosexual lifestyle that person doesn’t merely need to hear Biblical teaching about sexual immorality that person needs the person and Gospel of Jesus Christ truly Christian Ministry without Christ will prove just as ineffective as trying to feed and wash a flock of sheep without ever opening the door to the fold you’ve got no access you’ve got no way in all Christian Ministry must have Jesus at the center that’s positive application but a negative application here we must realize that every religion or form of Christianity that rejects ignores or supplements the biblical Jesus is completely illegitimate these religions or forms of of Christianity their teachers should be regarded as dangerous thieves and robbers and God’s sheep should immediately exit their folds and follow the voice of the true Shepherd to give you an example such should be the response of God sheep to Roman Catholicism and Greek Orthodoxy these while confessing Jesus as Lord and holding to a former Christianity they nevertheless teach salvation by works and not repentance and Faith as Jesus himself proclaimed these hold to man’s religious tradition alongside and even over Jesus own word and these rely on other doors and mediators before God like Mary like the Saints like Angels instead of the one door so we see that when Jesus proclaims himself to be God’s only door he is the only way to the Sheep but there’s another sense in which Jesus is God’s only door and this is what we see presented in the final part of our passage today verses 9 to 10 this is where we see 2 be our final Point subo Jesus is the only way for God’s sheep Jesus is the only way to God’s sheep Jesus is the only way for God’s sheep verses 9 and 10 I am the door if anyone enters through me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy I came that they may have life and have it abundantly notice in verse 9 Jesus repeats his emphatic I am declaration in slightly shortened form he says I myself am the door whereas before he said I am myself in the door of the sheep notice now though in verses 9 to 10 that Jesus describes himself not as the door with which one might enter to reach God’s sheep but rather the door through which the Sheep themselves might enter and find life and notice how inclusive the proclamation is in verse 9 he says if anyone enters through me any sheep any person doesn’t matter your background doesn’t matter your previous sins what’s guaranteed to happen if anyone enters Through Me Jesus says he will be saved saved from what oh the things that are men’s greatest dangers saved from sin saved from death and saved from the holy wrath of God I find it so poignant that most religions of the world do not actually promise salvation they only promise a chance at Salvation this is because in these religions well inevitably it comes down to your own works and you never know if you’ve done enough works to satisfy God or whatever power it is that you’re trying to satisfy therefore Roman Catholics Muslims Buddhists Hindus Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons they all hope that they’re going to heaven or Paradise or Nirvana but they don’t really know how different is the confidence of any sheep who goes through God’s true and only door Jesus says that anyone who does will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture now what’s that latter description about go in and out find pasture well this is an image of perfect security and perfect provision the sheep goes out of the door to find all the food and drink that he needs and the sheep goes in the door to find safe rest in the shepherd Sheepfold the picture here is not of an anxious sheep wondering if he’s going to be okay this is of a happy sheep this is of a contented sheep who knows that he already has everything he needs and his Shepherd even through this door so you probably noticed this but verse 9 is not simply at the description it’s an invitation all of you listening today you could be this sheep hopefully you already are such sheep but you could be it if if you’re not if you will by faith go through God’s only door for the Sheep you also will go in and out you also will have perfect security and provision you also will be saved and this is God’s desire for you this is Jesus desire for you he’s not apathetic about you coming to God and finding life going through him as the only door he desires your Eternal well-being he wants you to turn to him and be blessed for isn’t this precisely what Jesus Expresses in our final verse verse 10 and by way of a dramatic contrast Jesus says the thief or we could again identify that as the false Shepherd or the false door the thief comes to the Sheep only to steal and kill and destroy and by the way again just exploring the figure that was literally true for sheep in those days apparently because sheep were raised and trained to only follow their Shepherd’s voice a thief could never hope to lead a sheep away the Sheep wouldn’t follow it would just continually flee from the thief so the skillful or dedicated Thief had only one option to steal a sheep he had to climb over the wall of the sheep fold slit the Sheep’s throat and then throw the Sheep’s body back over the wall so that the thief could eat it later Jesus says this is what false teachers this is what false Shepherds this is what false doors really are this is what they’re really about some of these teachers know it these teachers plainly are in it for the money are they’re in it for the power are they’re in it for the honor or they’re in it for the sexual exploitation the phes were many of those things in jesus’ day but others are more unwitting tools of Satan they deceive themselves into thinking they are honoring God and doing good to others when really they are guiding people away from God’s only door and down the steep slope to Hell either way Jesus Is Right false Shepherds they seek their own benefit they are not seeking the true good of the Sheep they are not true Shepherds they are brigant they are violent thieves they are only looking to steal and kill and destroy but what about Jesus Oh the contrast couldn’t be Starker Jesus hasn’t come to take the lives of the sheep but to give life to the sheep and not just any old life but full life life abundant life eternal life a cup of Life overflowing and what does this life of what does this life fundamentally consist not health wealth and freedom from Earthly problems that’s a misunderstanding of the abundance that Jesus Pro promises though Jesus Will perfectly provide for his sheep’s needs during this life rather the Abundant Life that Jesus Jus gives his sheep is along the lines of what Jesus will say later in John 17:3 John 173 this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent God himself is life he is the source of all life and satisfaction and security for his own so if you as a sheep go through the door of Jesus what do you get you get God you get the god of Abundant Life and when you dwell with God you can’t help but have his life just pour over into you now in light of all this we should ask this sounds pretty great but how does one go through as a sheep God’s only door how does one go through Jesus the answer is simple and it’s what Jesus has been proclaiming throughout this gospel what is the answer you must believe what did Jesus say to the blind man in John N do you believe in the son of man what did Jesus tell Nicodemus in John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life if you believe you go through the door faith is entering the door faith is Faith in Jesus Christ what is it that you would have faith and what is it that you are to believe well we call this the gospel it’s the message of Salvation you must believe that what Jesus says about you is true that you are God’s creation you ought to have lived in worship and obedience to him perfectly your whole life but you haven’t done this therefore you are a condemned sinner under the wrath of God and your good works no matter how many you try and pile up they will never save you because they are all corrupted by sin and selfishness you have to confess this to be true about yourself but you also must believe what Jesus says is true about himself and what he demonstrates to be true that he is 100% God and 100% man he is the Eternal Son of God who came into the world as a sinless man to save Sinners Like You he lived the perfect life that you ought to have lived both inside and out and he died to death that you ought to have died on the cross where he suffered the full penalty of sin the penalty of Hell in himself once and for all but he didn’t stay dead he rose from the dead three days later to prove that he has power over death and that God has accepted his sacrifice on behalf of his own there is no more condemnation for them instead Jesus righteousness is available for them so you must believe what Jesus says about you you must believe what Jesus says about himself and demonstrates about himself and then you must believe jesus’ promise and take up his invitation what is that invitation that if you will turn from your sin the Bible uses the term repent to describe this if you will turn from your sin if you will turn from your own way your own control of your life if you will turn from your own self-righteous efforts to make you on your own acceptable to God and if you will instead trust in Jesus us and in his work his life death and Resurrection accomplished on your behalf then you’ll be saved that’s it that’s the promise if you believe those things you take Jesus at his word you believe that promise Jesus says you will be saved nothing to add to that that’s it you believe you’re through the door you’re you’re safe you’ll be forever satisfied as his sheep this is wonderful news but now I have to ask you do you believe it have you gone through the door or you’re like that’s nice for you I’ve got my own thing friend I say again what I say said at the beginning there is no other door this has been plainly declared from the passage he is the door to the sheep and he’s the door for the Sheep there’s no other door if you go through the door you will be saved you will have Abundant Life but if you don’t go through the door what is the result you prove that you are not one of God’s sheep and you put yourself at the mercy of Thieves and robbers and you know what they’re going to do to you they’re going to steal from you they’re going to kill you and they’re going to destroy you spiritually speaking but they certainly we Havoc even on your physical life why do they do this because these false Shepherds these thieves and robbers are like their father the devil and what did Jesus already tell us in John 8 the devil was a murderer from the beginning and when he speaks a lie he speaks his own language because he is the father of Lies false teachers cannot help but be like him because they are his spiritual children you want to follow them and ignore the Abundant Life that has been offered to you surely not therefore listen to The Shepherd’s voice from this text this is not some mere message from some mere Pastor that you just happen to hear this Sunday this is Jesus speaking to you he’s calling out to you if you’re his sheep will you respond recognize God’s Good Shepherd go through God’s only door get out of your false religion turn away from that which is just thievery and murder under these false Shepherds and come to life come to Abundant Life turn from your sins trust in Jesus you will be saved that can happen for you today that can happen for you right now will you repent and believe well we must conclude our time at this point we’ve heard Jesus clarify his figur of speech as to how he is God’s only door next time next time we’re together in the Gospel of John Jesus will clarify how he is God’s Good Shepherd and how he does what no other Shepherd is able to do be back for that at this time the baptismal candidates are dismissed to get ready let me close in prayer Lord Jesus it is all about you of course you were the only door of course you are the Good Shepherd of course you are the only way of course you are the only perfect high priest of course you are the only perfect sacrifice you are all these things because father it was your good pleasure to glorify the son and make all of Salvation accomplished in him Lord Jesus thank you for being our God our door Our Shepherd because God if you had left us to just the mercy of Thieves and robbers we would be doomed our lives would be wrecked here we’d be in for a rude awakening when we see you but Jesus you were merciful Jesus you were so merciful to us you called us out you brought us to the door and you in fact caused us to go through the door we heard your voice we couldn’t help but respond you gave us the faith God I pray that you would do that this morning for any who have not yet believed in you that you would grant them faith and repentance that they’ be obedient to this command Lord even this invitation to come through the only Door L I pray that they would do that and they would experience Abundant Life Lord for those who are your sheep who have already come through the door but have strayed Lord you know how easy it is for us to stray help us to come back to Abundant Life to repent to believe again the goodness of Our Shepherd the truth of his gospel turn away from sin turn away from our own plans for our lives turn away from the idols and sins that so easily entangle help us just to walk with you follow Shepherd let him lead us to the Green Pastures The Still Waters let his let him bring us in and out we have Security in the Sheepfold Lord be pleased to do this for your glory It’s All About You Lord we praise you for how you’ve done this for our brother and sister even in the baptisms that we’re going to celebrate momentarily in Jesus name amen