You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
Amen.
Thank you, Nina and Newt.
Those have got to be up there in my top ten most beautiful hymn lyrics.
My sinful self, my only shame, my glory, all the cross.
Two wonders I confess, the wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.
I hope those words ring in your ears.
I do hope that you'll celebrate the glory of the cross, the empty tomb,
how Jesus covers our sinful shame and he gives us life.
Especially celebrate that with us this week with our special services.
But we celebrate that Savior all the time, don't we?
We don't wait for Easter to celebrate the cross or the empty tomb.
I need to see him afresh today.
Anybody else need to see Jesus?
Just need right where you are, in the hard places, in the uncertainties, in the struggles.
And Jesus is going to meet us again.
So we're going to open his word to John's gospel where we are encountering Jesus.
And recently, what we've seen Jesus doing is healing a blind man
and then seeking him out again to give him spiritual sight.
While the Pharisees, the religious experts, are exposed as blind guides.
Chapter 10 of John actually continues Jesus' conversation with some of these Pharisees
and others are listening in.
Let's read the first 10 verses of John chapter 10.
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.
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the gatekeeper opens.
The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him,
for they know his voice.
A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him,
for they do not know the voice of strangers.
This figure of speech Jesus used with them,
but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So Jesus again said to them,
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 listen to them.
I am the door.
If anyone enters by 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.
Thus far, God's holy, inerrant, infallible word.
Let's ask for his help.
Father, we do ask for you to speak to us this morning by your spirit.
Jesus, might we hear your voice
and know you and follow you
and worship you, delight in you.
Do that work in our hearts, we ask in your name.
Amen.
Jesus gives us here a wonderful picture of our relationship with God.
Sheep in a sheepfold and a shepherd.
And then he uses multiple metaphors through the rest of the chapter
to teach us about our relationship.
Probably the most familiar of those being that Jesus is the good shepherd.
What a deeply personal image for our relationship with him.
Hearing his voice, recognizing who he is,
following where he leads, trusting his provision.
There's so many good things in there,
but we're going to save most of them for next week.
It's going to be Easter.
It's going to be great.
But first, as he explains the picture that he has given here,
we get the third of his I am statements in John.
Jesus says, I am the door.
Or the gate, sometimes you've heard it translated.
The picture Jesus is using here would have been much more familiar
to his original audience than it probably is to you.
So I want to give you a little bit of a picture of what they might have had in mind.
These sheepfolds would have been all over the place near where Jesus is talking to them.
Probably six foot tall stone walls with a single door where the shepherd would stand
to keep the sheep in.
Or perhaps even at night lie down in front of the door to sleep
so that no sheep escape overnight.
Often sheep were owned by multiple families in the same village
and they would get together and share a sheepfold
so that one shepherd could watch over all of them.
So Jesus is giving us a picture like this of a sheepfold of God's family, right?
That's what he's talking about.
He will speak of himself as the shepherd.
But in these verses, his point is first that he is the door,
the way into relationship with God and with his people.
It is really important to Jesus here to answer the question,
how do I get in with God?
Maybe you've wondered that.
How do I get in with God?
Notice from the first verse, Jesus is talking about the possibility of other ways in.
Climbing in.
Pretty dangerous perhaps.
That would be done only by thieves and robbers.
People out to harm the sheep.
So the contrast here in this passage is most pointedly the unfaithful shepherds
like the Pharisees Jesus is just speaking to
who don't enter through Jesus at all, do they?
They're chasing him off.
They don't point others to Jesus either.
The contrast with them and the faithful shepherds,
which eventually includes Jesus himself.
But initially here it means those who enter through Jesus
and who point people to the true door, to him.
See, if Jesus is the true door,
he wants us to know the dangers of trying to climb in another way.
The thieves and robbers come to steal and kill and destroy.
Verse 10.
That's serious language.
That's a serious danger.
When they get in among God's people,
it causes harm to the sheep
because they continue to miss Jesus.
Often, even when they do interact with people,
their ministry is focused on themselves.
It's all about them.
Maybe such false shepherds say you get in with God
by being born into the family.
Remember they've said that recently?
Children of Abraham,
we have the right associations, Jesus.
We're in.
Or perhaps it's religious ritual.
You know, go through the right ceremonies.
Make sure you're baptized.
Check the right outward boxes
so you look the part of clean sheep.
That's how you get in with God.
He's looking for somebody.
He looks like he might want them in his family,
they might say.
I bet many of us have heard
that you can climb into relationship with God
through your morality,
your performance.
That's what makes you a Christian, right?
You've heard that.
It's how you talk.
It's how you vote.
It's how you teach your kids,
how you spend your money,
how you keep the rules,
how you love your neighbor.
A lot of that sounds good, doesn't it?
But Jesus says,
if it is pointing you anywhere but him,
watch out!
Danger!
Not just not as good, dangerous!
See, if Jesus is the door,
then it's not Muhammad or Buddha.
But equally,
you probably knew he meant that.
Equally, he's saying,
it's not you or me
or anything we do.
And that includes walking an aisle
or praying a prayer
or being a pretty good person,
being nice to other people.
It's really important for us to hear this
because so many people have lists for us
of how we get in with God,
don't they?
And if those lists don't point us to Jesus alone,
we might find ourselves trying to climb in
the wrong way.
And further,
Jesus is especially warning us here
that if we listen to people
who urge us to rely on anyone
or anything other than him,
we will find that we lose our lives,
not that we save them.
What voices do you listen to?
Sometimes you can even come to church
and leave thinking that
you need to carry a lot of things with you
to come to God.
Boy, I just walked to church
and I leave thinking
there's more things I've got to do or not do.
It's all the things I'm supposed to avoid.
It's all the ways I need to be better than others.
It's all the people that I need to love.
And you load up your arms
with all of these things
and then try to walk in through the door.
And what you should have in mind,
the picture I want you to have
is of that special piece of furniture
that was,
it seems like the house was built around it
and you're trying to pick it up
and no matter what angle you carry it at,
it is not going through that doorway.
It's staying in that house.
You can leave,
but the furniture's not coming.
You can't carry that furniture
and walk through the door.
You're gonna have to put it down.
Coming into the sheepfold of God
requires us
to lay down our pride,
whatever it might be in,
nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling.
My sinful self,
my only shame,
my glory,
all the cross.
If you try to get in another way,
you will wreck yourself
trying to climb in.
You will.
But if you humble yourself
to crawl,
to crawl through the door,
through Jesus,
you can crawl safely in.
Verse nine,
I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved.
Listen, did you hear it?
Anyone.
If anyone enters by me,
it is the beautiful inclusivity
of Jesus.
His broad welcome
that matches up
with the clear exclusivity.
Yes, for sure.
He is the door.
He is the only way.
But anyone can come through him.
No matter your record.
No matter your pedigree,
your appearance,
your associations.
None of it matters.
It matters which door
you're coming through.
Through him.
He is the only way into God.
And if you come through him,
you will be saved.
That is the safety
of coming through Jesus.
Friend, listen.
He has done
all that you need.
All of that performing
you feel like you need to do.
All the things you think
you need to gather up
to come to God.
Think of Jesus'
beautiful,
obedient,
passionate,
zealous,
perfect life.
He's done it for you.
All of those,
all of those failures,
the debt you've accrued
because you didn't,
you didn't avoid
all the things
you were supposed to.
Jesus has done it
and then has paid
for your debt
on the cross
once and for all
as he suffered
the agonizing death
you deserved.
And then,
it didn't stop there,
did it?
Because Easter's coming
and Jesus rises
from the dead
to give you new life,
the life that you long for.
Jesus has secured
for you forever.
And he says,
no one can snatch you
out of my hand.
Did you know
that's why he came?
That's why he lived
so that today he could say,
no one can snatch you
out of my hand.
He's holding you tight.
Not because of what you've done,
not because you've got
enough stuff in your arms,
but because he has done
that for you,
amen?
And he loves you
and he holds you
and he brings you in
to God's family.
That's our hope.
Whatever you think
might get you in with God.
Whoever is directing you
another way
to make sure you're in,
put it down.
Come weak
and wounded,
anxious,
tired,
crawl
to Jesus
and live.
That's,
that's what happens.
Take your stand
beneath the cross
of Jesus
right now.
You don't need anyone
to do it for you.
You don't have to wait
until you can balance out
your record a little bit.
No,
you can come straight
to Jesus
right now.
Just,
just ask him.
You can pray
just like this.
Jesus,
you say you're the door.
I am laying
everything else down
to come through you.
Save me.
Bring me into
the family of God.
I don't deserve it.
I have nothing to offer,
but you tell me
I just need you.
that's the good news
of Jesus.
You can come to God
just like that.
It's the glorious message
of grace.
Amazing grace.
Something you could
never earn.
And many of you
have heard it before.
Many of you
have come in
with God
through Jesus
and that delights you
and you,
you light up
when I talk about it
and you can't
forget how beautiful
it is
to come to Jesus
with nothing to offer.
And now I want to tell you
Jesus has yet
one more glorious message
for you
today.
Jesus is telling us
that his being the door
means that grace,
that,
that kind of amazing grace
is not a one-time thing.
It's,
it's not.
Imagine,
just imagine
if the shepherd
got all of the sheep
in through the door
and then disappeared.
What would happen?
What would happen
if he was gone
from that doorway
and the sheep?
How long do you have,
think he'd have to be gone
for those sheep
to wander off?
What do you think
would happen to them
wandering off
on their own?
I bet some would
wander sooner than others.
But all of them eventually.
Thankfully,
that's not the picture
that Jesus gives us.
Jesus says,
I am
the door
of the sheep.
Keep hearing
my voice.
Keep entering
through me.
And anyone who does
will not only be saved,
but what else?
Also will go in
and will go out
and will find pasture.
The secret
of God's grace
is that it
keeps drawing you
toward Jesus
in love,
doesn't it?
So many of you know that.
It keeps drawing you
toward Jesus
in love
rather than sending you
out from Jesus
in licentious living.
Rather than leaving you
on your own,
you are not
on your own,
brothers and sisters.
brothers,
what Jesus
wants you to know
is that he may be
the door
that you walked
through five years ago
or 75 years ago,
but he is the door
for you today.
Today he wants you
to know that
the same door
into relationship
with God
is Jesus.
How do I live
with God?
Okay,
so that's how to get in.
How do I live
with God?
Y'all,
so many Christians
today are like
the Christians
in Galatia
that Paul writes to.
They heard
the good news
of grace
that you get in
with God
through Jesus
alone
and then they figured
they better start
looking the part
or they would get
left behind.
Teachers were
telling them
that.
You ever felt
like that?
Get it together
where God's
going to leave
you behind.
You ever feel
like God's
probably ready
to drop you?
It's been one
too many times.
If I skip
another Sunday,
if I lose
my temper again,
if I don't love
my neighbor better,
something bad
might happen.
that's what the
Pharisees made
many feel like,
including the
blind man
whom Jesus
had just healed
that they ran
off and Jesus
had to run
after again
to bring him
back, right?
Thieves,
robbers,
strangers
pointing the
sheep away
from Jesus,
leaving them
alone in their
own strength
to fend for
themselves.
What a disaster!
Never so
with Jesus.
That's not what
he's like.
That's not the
kind of shepherd
he is.
Friends,
Jesus is not
merely the
way in once,
the way to
get in with
God and then
poof,
he's gone.
He is the
way to live
with God.
Let's try to
see this
practically through
the three verbs
in verse 9.
I am the
door.
If anyone
enters by me,
he will be
saved and
will go in,
will go out,
and will
find pasture.
First,
going in
through Jesus,
going into the
sheepfold,
the company of
God's people,
relationship with
God over and
over,
deeper and
deeper,
not looking for
another way to
life,
not looking for
a better way
back in tonight
at the end of
the day.
British preacher
Charles Spurgeon
said it beautifully
of this phrase,
so I'm going to
quote his sermon
for a longer
stretch than I
usually do because
it's too pretty
to cut out.
If you know
what this means,
he says,
go in.
Go in farther.
Go in more
constantly.
Do not stop
where you are,
but go in until
you have a little
more.
If you love
Christ,
come nearer to
him and nearer
and nearer still.
But if you want
to get into
anything that is
divine,
you must get
it through
Christ.
Oh, you who
open your Bibles
and want to
understand a text,
the way to get
into the meaning
of the text is
through the door,
Christ.
Oh, you who
want to get
more holiness,
come through
the door.
The way to
holiness is not
through Moses,
but through
Christ.
Oh, you who
would have
closer communion
with your
heavenly Father,
the way to
come in is not
through your own
efforts, but
through Christ.
You came to
Christ at first
to get salvation,
you must come
to Christ still
to get
sanctification,
to grow,
to know him
more.
Never look
for another
door,
for there is
but one.
And that
one door
will let
you into
life,
love,
peace,
knowledge,
sanctification.
Christ is
the master
key of all
the rooms
in the
palace of
mercy.
And if
you get
Christ,
you shall
go in.
Nothing
shall keep
you out
of the
secret
chambers.
You shall
go in
in God's
name
through
Christ
the door.
Isn't
that
beautiful?
every
spiritual
blessing
where?
In
Christ,
right?
Ephesians
1.
All the
treasures
of wisdom
and knowledge
where?
In
Christ,
Colossians
2.
Are you
daily
coming
to God
through
Jesus?
Are you?
Time with
him must
be a
priority
for us.
True
life is
found
nowhere
else.
Peace,
hope,
purpose,
wisdom,
growth,
love.
Friends,
in case
you're not
familiar,
that's why
many Christians
read the
Bible every
day.
It's not
to compete
for points
with God.
He doesn't
have a
top 25.
But because
we know
that it
will point
us to
Jesus and
that we
can't make
it without
him.
Not one
day.
We know
he will
fill us
again,
bless us
again,
guide us
again.
So every
day read
and then
reflect.
How should
I treasure
Jesus?
How does
this show
me his
beauty,
my need
for him?
If you
need help
with when
and how
to see
Jesus,
please ask.
Love to
help.
Next,
going out.
we'll
go in,
we'll
go out.
Best
understood
in this
picture as
leaving the
church,
going out
into the
world each
day through
Jesus.
Isn't that
wonderful?
I don't know
if you think
about every
day going
out into the
world that
way,
but in
this picture
there is no
separate part
of your
life.
the sheep
cannot leave
the fold
without going
through the
same doorway
they came
in,
right?
They're not
getting over
the wall.
They will
go out
through
Jesus,
and this
is really
important
because I
just told
you why
so many
Christians
spend time
talking with
Jesus every
day,
and you
need to
know Jesus
is with
you not
only in
your quiet
time.
Did you
know that?
Jesus cares
about you
more than
your regular
devotional
life.
He is a
personal
shepherd
helping you
to live
with God
everywhere,
in every
situation.
What that
means is
that the
only safe
way to
make it
through a
day in
this world
is with
Jesus.
The only
safe way
to make
it through
a day in
this world
is with
Jesus.
Do you
live like
that?
I didn't
say,
did you
nod your
head when
I said
it?
Do you
live like
that?
How do
you practice
the presence
of God
that he
is with
you at
work?
When you
want to
share of
him with
your neighbor,
when you
go to
school,
Jesus,
give me
strength,
I'm about
to slap
my co-worker.
Jesus,
help,
I need
words to
speak about
you.
Those are
equally
legitimate
prayers.
Jesus,
I feel
it.
I'm
treasuring
the things
of this
world.
It's
happening
again.
I see
it in
what I'm
doing
right now.
Show me
again,
Jesus,
you are
the true
treasure.
Right
now,
right here,
not tomorrow
morning when I
have another
quiet time.
Show me
now,
Jesus,
I need
your help.
He's
with you,
giving you
all that you
need to
live in
his world
on his
mission.
He gives
you forgiveness
that enables
you to
repent,
even to
that
co-worker.
He gives
you eternal
security that
frees you to
risk temporal
discomfort in
relationships to
share his
love.
He gives
you peace
that allows
you to
enter chaos
and hurt
and busyness
around you
as a calm
presence.
Do you
live like
that?
Are you
going out
on your
own,
in your
own strength,
for your
own goals,
thinking you'll
be just
fine?
Friends,
you won't.
You're a
sheep.
He's the
door.
Don't leave
home without
him,
ever.
Talk with
your grace
group about
how you
can go out
every day
wherever you
go with
Jesus.
Where you
go,
you need to
talk about
your life.
you'll go
in and
you'll go
out and
every single
time you'll
find pasture
through Jesus.
Find pasture
sounds like
Psalm 23,
doesn't it?
The Lord is
my shepherd,
I shall
not
want.
Perfectly
provided for
at all times.
The cherished
object of
divine
diligence,
green
pastures
to lie
down in,
his provision
rest,
still
waters,
a restored
soul,
peace,
hope.
You'll
have life
and in
fact have
it abundantly,
he says.
We're going
to talk more
about that
abundant life
next week.
It is so
good and
it's Easter
and so
don't miss
that but
it's not
all the
comfort and
ease that
we could
ever hope
for.
That's not
what abundant
life means.
No.
Jesus is
saying that
living through
him we
have true
life no
matter what
discomfort or
dis-ease
we face.
Pasture is a
place of
rest,
not rush.
church.
I've sat
with several
of you
in a lot
of pain
this week.
Deep
loss
and grief,
painful
injustice,
hurt
from other
people's
sin.
and in
every one
of those
painful
situations
if you
are trying
to live
with God
on your
own,
come to
him on
your own,
you'll be
in those
situations
merely angry
with him
and hopeless
and bitter
because you
can't fix
him.
Nothing
seems good.
That's the
reality of
where many
of us
will go
this week.
But if
Jesus is
the door
in your
relationship
with God,
if he is
there with
you in
those moments,
the one who
stays with
you, the
one who
makes sure
that no
matter what
happens,
you're going
to find
pasture,
then you
can grieve
the loss
of someone
young or
old.
You can
even yell
it God
and have
hope in
the God
who gave
up his
only son
for you.
If Jesus
is actively
with you,
you can be
confident that
the wrong
you've
experienced
will one
day be
made right
and that
it's not
without purpose
right now
because he's
here at work
with you.
If you are
finding pasture
through Jesus,
you can call
sin,
sin.
You can
forgive without
limit and
you can
love others
because someone
loves and
is caring
for you.
Is your
life too
full for
that?
You're always
searching,
you're frantically
busy,
slow down.
You can
because he's
got it
and he's
got you.
Pasture
is a place
of rest,
not rush
because
Jesus is
there.
Do you
see why we
can't go a
day without
Jesus?
Without
contemplating
his glory
and his
grace,
without
depending on
him for
life,
for life
eternal,
for life
abundant,
for life
today we
need him.
The story
is told of a
wealthy old
widower and
his only son
who got
together and
began to
collect an
amazing art
portfolio.
Rembrandts,
Van Gogh's,
Monet's,
they had a
collection anyone
would envy but
the joy of the
father really was
that he shared
this activity with
the son that he
loved.
One day,
however,
the son went
off to war
and never
returned home.
Months after
the father
learned of his
son's death,
a soldier
knocked
on his
door and
gave him a
package,
was a
portrait of
the father's
son painted
just a few
days before
he died.
It wasn't
beautifully
painted,
but the
father hung
it over his
fireplace as
the centerpiece
of his
collection.
When the
man died,
art collectors
from around
the world
came to an
auction for
this fantastic,
famous collection.
Here they are
gathered and as
the room fills,
the auctioneer
says,
we're going to
begin with the
portrait of the
son.
Will anyone
give $100 for
the portrait of
the son?
And he hears
nothing.
He said,
how about $50?
Anyone?
Come on,
$50 for the
portrait of the
son.
And finally,
one of their
neighbors says,
you know,
I knew them.
He really loved
his son.
I'll give you
$50 for it.
Now,
now we can get
started.
Everyone's getting
keyed up for the
masterpieces.
Here they come,
but the auctioneer
says,
the auction is
over.
What?
Why?
How can that
be?
This is what we
came for.
It's very simple,
he says.
According to the
father's will,
whoever takes
the son gets
it all.
Whoever takes
the son,
gets it all.
When you enter
into relationship
with God the
father,
through Jesus
his son,
you don't
merely get
life one day,
someday,
although that's
wonderful.
You get
life every
day with
all the
glorious
riches of
the goodness
and grace
of God
himself.
It's
yours
now,
today.
and
every
day.
And that's
not a secret.
It's not
meant to be a
surprise.
Jesus,
the son,
tells us
that he
is the
good shepherd
who lays
down his
life for
the sheep.
The father
tells us
if God
did not
spare his
own son,
but gave
him up for
us all,
how will
he not
also along
with him
graciously
give us
all things,
all things
in Jesus?
Jesus.
So on
the night
he was
betrayed,
Jesus
took bread
and he
broke it
as I
gave it
to his
disciples.
Just in
the same
way that I,
ministering in
his name,
give this
bread to
you,
he said,
take and
eat.
This is
my body
broken for
you.
Do this
in remembrance
of me.
And in the
same way,
after supper,
he took the
cup and
said,
this cup
is the
new
covenant
in my
blood.
Shed for
many for
the forgiveness
of sins,
drink from
it,
all of you.
For as
often as
you eat
this bread
and drink
this cup,
you proclaim
the Lord's
death
until he
comes.
This is
the Lord's
table.
It's
another
picture
of our
relationship
with him,
just like
the sheep
fold is.
You don't
get the
invite to
this table
by being
Presbyterian,
by being
moral,
by being
pretty good.
You come
to the
table and
the God
who sets
it through
the door,
through his
son,
and if that
is your
hope,
then you
come and
you eat
with these
other sheep
who would
be hopelessly
lost without
him.
That's all
of our
story.
And who
have come
in only
through
Jesus.
If that's
not your
hope,
if you
don't place
your trust
in Jesus
alone for
coming into
relationship
with God,
then I
invite you
not to
come and
partake of
this table.
Don't take
the elements
this morning.
It pictures
that relationship
with God
is through
Jesus alone.
And if that's
not something
that you
believe personally,
I would warn
you not to
come and
say something
that you
don't really
believe.
Plus,
God warns
against it
also.
God also
warns not
having
relationship
with him
any other
way than
Jesus.
So,
he has
given you
Jesus.
He has
sent his
son for
you that
you might
know life,
life eternal
and life
abundant.
He has
given you
the only
door that
works,
the only
door you
need.
You need
to do
nothing else.
Won't you
come in
through
Jesus?
Let's
pray.
Father,
thank you
for giving
the son.
We come
to say we
don't need
anything else.
You've
given us
in him
all that
we need,
all we
could imagine,
the riches
of your
glory,
through his
body and
blood given
for us.
Would you
now strengthen
us through
that,
that we
might live
with him
even today.
We ask
in his
name.
Amen.
For more
information,
visit us
online at
southwood.org.