In John chapter 10, Jesus speaks
in the following manner. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth
up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he
that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and
he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when
he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will
they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the
voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto
them, but they understood not what things they were which he
spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again,
verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All
that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the
sheep did not hear them. I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, he shall be saved. and shall go in and out and find
pasture. The thief come if not, but for
to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have
life and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the door. By me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out. and find
pasture. In this passage, in this very
well-known chapter in John, where Jesus speaks of the sheepfold,
and himself as the good shepherd and the door to the sheepfold,
he contrasts himself and the truth with those who are highlands,
with those who are highlands, with those who purport to look
after the sheep and care for the sheep for payment. In this, in the picture, is seen
the contrast between that which is true in the church, that which
is in Christ, and that which is false in the church. There
are highlands who seek to look after the sheep. There are highlands
who come in the church purporting to care for the sheep, purporting
to preach and to teach to the sheep and to care for the sheep.
There are those who come in the church today preaching in Jesus' name, preaching
what they call the gospel, but who do it for their own ends,
who do it as highlands. They preach in his name as those
who, as it were, make their career in the church. They're employed
as pastors and teachers. They do it either as a career
or for the acclaim and the glory that comes from the position,
their highlands. And as Jesus says of the highlands
in this chapter, they care not for the ships. It says in verse
11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life
for the sheep. But he that is an highling and
not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, see if the wolf
come in and leaveth the sheep and fleeeth. And the wolf catcheth
them and scattereth the sheep. The highling fleeeth, because
he is an highling and careth not for the sheep. I am the good
shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the
Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down
my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which
are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth my father love
me because I laid down my life that I might take it again. No
man take of it from me but I lay it down of myself. I have power
to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment
have I received of my father. Yes the good shepherd gives his
life for the sheep. And all those who come sent by
that good shepherd to preach the gospel would do the same
likewise. They love the sheep, they love
Christ, they love the gospel and they come willing to give
all for the good of the sheep. But not so the highland. The
highland who's owned the sheep or not. see if the wolf come
in and leave if the sheep and flee if and the wolf catch if
them and scatter if the sheep the highland flee if because
he isn't highland and he cares not for the sheep and so we see
this in this world's religion Whether it calls itself Christianity
or not, whether it takes the name of Jesus or not, those who
are highlands, those who preach for their own ends, and who love
not the sheep, flee when trouble comes. They abandon the flock
when trouble comes. They're in it for their own ends.
not for the good of the sheep. In this chapter, as in others,
we see the great contrast between the truth, the gospel, Christ
and his gospel and his people, with that which masquerades as
the church, with those who pretend to be preachers sent of God.
With those who come with another message for another end, who
are in it for their own ends and care not for God and his
people. So many of the warnings in scriptures
to the Lord's people concerning turning to the left hand or to
the right hand, concern false religion. concern turning and
following highlands. The warnings to the sheep to
follow in this way, to follow the good shepherd, and not to
turn to the left or the right, are to follow in the gospel,
to hear his voice, to hear the words of his voice, his gospel. and not to turn aside to the
words of the highlands which will lead astray. The warnings
are not so much about turning to the world whilst the believer
has the flesh still in him. and can be turned easily to this
and to that. What is most easily deceived
by is false religion. The great danger to the believer
is to turn away from trusting in Christ alone for salvation
and to turn to his own strength. and his own will, and his own
works. And the deception of the Highlings
is to come unto the believers, to come into the flock, to come
into the sheepfold, and to say, here's the truth, here's Christ,
here's how we will have you to live. Surely you should be doing
this, surely you should be doing that. And the Highling comes
in with words which sound appealing to the sheep. And he entices
the sheep and says, come this way. But his way will lead them
to destruction. And the great comfort, the great
blessing for the sheep that we read of in this chapter is that
ultimately the sheep don't hear the voice of the Highly. My sheep
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me, Christ says.
I know them. I know them. They shall hear
my voice. They shall follow me. Oh yes,
the highlands may come. The highlands may deceive for
a time. But the sheep discover this is
the voice of a stranger. And they won't follow him. They
will return to Christ, the shepherd. And they will follow him who
loves them. and laid down his life for them.
A stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, for they
know not the voice of strangers. Now there are many strangers,
there are many highlands, there are many thieves and robbers
who come with a message which sounds like the gospel. They
come with food which sounds like that which the sheep would eat.
which seems like that which the sheep would eat but they know
it's not the truth they know their words are not that which
comes from heaven on high and ultimately the sheep will turn
from the highland and his ways and they will turn to he who
is the good shepherd he who knows his sheep and is known of them
I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine,
as the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I laid
down my life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. In verse
nine, speaking of the sheepfold, and the door of the sheepfold,
Christ says, I am the door. Verse 7. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me
are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. I am the door. How does a sheep
find its way into this sheepfold? How does a lost sheep find its
way into this flock? How does a lost sinner come to
no salvation? How is a lost sinner delivered
from his sin and the condemnation of God against that sin? How
is a lost sinner washed clean? How does a lost sinner flee from
the wrath to come and know the cleansing power of the blood
of Jesus Christ? By coming, by God's grace, unto
the door of the sheepfold. To enter into the sheepfold and
to enter in to be gathered with the flock, he must enter in by
the door. There were those, as Christ says,
there are those who enter not by the door. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold,
but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. There are those who seek to come
into the sheepfold, who come into the church, who are thieves
and robbers. And those who do so usually are
those who come as false preachers, as hylints, who come into the
church, who come into the physical gathering of the people of God,
pretending to be those who love Christ, who know not the gospel. and who have no true love for
the sheep but those lost sheep who know
they need to be saved those lost sinners who seek to flee the
wrath to come those who know they are guilty before a holy
God and want to know Christ and His salvation Come to know that
there's only one way into the sheepfold. Only one way into
the flock. And that way is not through the
words of thieves and robbers. That way is not through the enticements
of highlands. That way is not through believing
a false gospel and a message that they discover is a lie.
They may hear it for a time. It may be that the first they
come to know of truth, of religion, is to hear words from a highland. The first they hear of the Bible,
the first they hear about Jesus is to hear a message from one
of these false highlands who will tell them this and tell
them that but they soon discover that what they hear from them
is not true. And what they hear from them
may lead them in a certain way but they never find rest for
their soul. They hear from these teachers
that they must change their lives and change their ways and live
a certain way but they find that they cannot. So they attend to
the meetings and they read the scripture and they listen to
what these men tell them, but they find that there's no peace
in their hearts. Oh yes, they're at the meetings.
Oh yes, they try to pray. Oh yes, they learn many things,
but they never know that they are gods. They never know salvation,
they never know the forgiveness of sins. They're always striving
to do what they're told to do and always falling and stumbling
and failing. They're told to live by the Ten
Commandments and they find that they have no ability to do so.
They're told to pray every day and they find themselves with
wandering minds going off another direction. They're told to read
the Scriptures and they find themselves struggling to do so,
but so ready to read anything else. They hear what they should
do and they agree with what they should do but they can't do it.
And if salvation depends on any of their doing they realise that
they're going to be lost from the start. They try to do but
they fail. They try to follow but they wander
off. They try to believe but how can
they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? They try to accept
this Jesus that's presented unto them into their heart. They pray
the prayers they're told to pray. But it's all just words. They
know the name, they know he was God, they know he came into the
world, they know he was born, they know he lived, they know
what miracles he did, they know he went to the cross, they know
he rose again, and they make a mental assent to all these
truths. They pray to him. to hear them. They accept him into their heart. They try to follow him. But there's
no experience. It's just words. They don't know
he of whom they speak. It's just an outward form. They're there at the meetings,
they're hearing the words, they're saying the right things in response,
they're saying the right prayers, but there's no reality to it.
They feel the sin and the iniquity in their hearts and they know
they're not forgiven. They have nothing to tell them
that God has heard their cries. They don't know that God is real. and they find no comfort in the
message of the Highling and no comfort in the Highling because
the Highling says he cares but he doesn't care there they are
full of the conviction of sin there they are knowing the judgment
and the wrath of God is above their head and there's no comfort
in the Highling's message for them the Highling simply says
don't worry Jesus loves all you all Just believe on Him. So they try to believe in this
Jesus, who died for all and loves all and wants all to be saved.
But they see no difference. And they begin to realise that
the Highland and His message is false. They cannot follow
Him. They cannot hear Him. There's
no salvation in this Gospel. this message that comes from
the Highlands. And so the Spirit of God leads
them, if they are gods, if they're his sheep, he leads them forth
and shows them the falsehood of religion in this world and
the falsehood of false Christianity and that which comes from the
Highlands. A stranger will they not follow,
but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.
And they are brought by the Spirit of God to hear the voice of Jesus
Christ. When they come to hear the gospel
in truth, they hear it as coming from Christ himself. When they
hear a preacher whom Christ sends forth, they hear his voice describing
a Christ that's different from that of the Highland. They hear
of the Good Shepherd, who giveth his life for the sheep. Who gives his life for the sheep. Not the goats. They hear that
the Good Shepherd loves the sheep. and not the goats. When they
come to John's gospel in chapter 10, they see the division that
arose because of what Christ says here. There was a division
therefore again among the Jews for these sayings and many of
them said he have a devil and is mad, why hear ye him? Others
said these are not the words of him that have a devil. Can
a devil open the eyes of the blind? Then came the Jews round
about Christ and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to
doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and ye believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye
are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal
life. And they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which
gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck
them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one. Then the Jews took up stones
again to stone him. So the poor lost sinner, the
lost sheep who found the pastures of the false shepherds and highlands
to be wanted, who found the gospel of the false shepherds and highlands
to do no good for their soul, comes to this passage and hears
that there are those who on hearing the voice of Jesus Christ, who
on hearing of the good shepherd that lays down his life for the
sheep, took up stones to stone him. And they hear that Christ's
voice, Christ's The comment regarding them is that they believe not
because they are not of his sheep. And the sheep on hearing such
a thing is cut to the quick. Because the true child of God
discovers the reality that they'll either hear Christ's voice and
be saved because they're one of his sheep, or they'll perish
because they're not of his sheep. And the child of God fears that
he may not be of the sheep. What if I'm not? What if I'm
a goat? What if I believe not because
I'm not of his sheep? But the fact that he fears in
such a way, the fact that he hears the truth of this is in
itself an evidence that this one has heard the voice of Jesus
Christ. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me. The reaction of these Jews here
was to stone Christ. was to put him to death, was
to silence him. The reaction of the goat is to
seek to silence the gospel. To silence the preacher of the
gospel. Those who are not sheep turn
from the preaching of the gospel. They try not to hear it. They
try to trample it underfoot. They try to set it at nought.
They try to silence it. They try to close every door
to it. They try to prevent God's preachers
from coming and preaching. You're not preaching that message
in this place. We'll not have that man preach
that message. We'll not hear that anymore.
And in so doing they in their hearts take up stones to stone,
as it were, the preacher. To silence the gospel and through
that to stone and to silence Jesus Christ himself. Ye believe
not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you. What
is your reaction to this message? Does Christ's words that ye believe
not because ye are not of my sheep apply to you? Or do you
hear his voice? Who knows you? And do you follow
him? The sheep through the preaching
of the gospel discover that there is a flock and a sheepfold of
which they wish to be a part. And they discover that those
who would have led them in in the past were but thieves and
robbers who sought to bring them in by some other way. But they
know that there's a door into this sheepfold and they know
that that door is Christ. I am the door. By me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find
pasture. I am the door, Christ says. There's no other way into the
sheepfold, there's no other way into heaven, there's no other
way into the kingdom of God, there's no other way unto eternal
life, except by the door, except through Christ. How shall man
be saved? Through Jesus Christ, and through
Christ alone. How shall you be saved? Through
entering in by the door, through hearing the voice of the Good
Shepherd, through following the Good Shepherd, through having
the Good Shepherd come unto you in the Gospel and speak unto
you by the Gospel that you might hear. Not only is He the door,
but He is the one that leads you unto the door. You must be
brought to this door. God must bring you to the door
and bring you through the door. There is no salvation but by
Christ. He must seek you and find you
and bring you in. I am come to seek and to find
the lost sheep of Israel. to find them. He goes forth leaving
the 99 to find the one lost sheep. He'll go forth and find them. And if you're one of his, he'll
go and he'll find you and he'll bring you by the gospel unto
the sheepfold and bring you through the door. Salvation is of God. You are not saved. because you
choose to be. You are not saved because you
worked up your own righteousness. You're not saved because you're
in the right church or in the right meeting. You're not saved
because you made the right decision when others didn't. You're saved
because the Good Shepherd came into the world to seek you, to
find you and to lead you into the sheepfold. I am the door. I am the door. This is one of
the seven great, I am sayings of Christ in John's gospel. I am the door. John chapter 6,
35, he says, I am the bread of life. I'm the bread, the meat
of life, the food that brings life. Eat of me, eat of my gospel. eat the words of my truth and
you will live I am the door how do you how are you brought through
this door through the gospel through the word of life through
the truth which must be heard which must be eaten I am the
light of the world, he says in John chapter 8. The light of
the world that shines in the darkness. Where are you? By nature in the darkness. In
the depravity of your sin. In the rebellion of your sin
and iniquity. Sat in the darkness. And to the
people that sat in darkness have shined a great light. What do
those in the darkness need? They need the light. And Christ
is the light. I am the door, he says in this
chapter. The door to lead the lost out
of darkness and into the sheepfold, into the light. I am the good
shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep. this shepherd
that seeks them out this shepherd that comes to save them this
shepherd that comes and gathers them in this shepherd that watches
over them I am the good shepherd and all we like sheep have gone
astray as Isaiah tells us but some of us are lost sheep
and some of us are goats Do you hear his voice? Do you believe? John chapter 11, fifthly he says,
I am the resurrection and the life. You will not believe, you
will not hear unless you live. And by nature so great is the
fall of man into sin, so desperate is our state by nature that we
are described as being dead in trespasses and sins. We're dead. We're dead by nature and we need
to live. then we can only live if one
causes us to live and Christ is the cause, I am the resurrection
and the life. He came into this world and he
preached this gospel and there was a division because of it
and the Jews sought to stone him and in the end they took
him and they crucified him and he died. But he did not die because
they overpowered him. He died because his hour had
come and he allowed them to take him because he came for that
purpose. No man taketh my life from me
but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my father. Therefore doth my father love
me because I laid down my life that I might take it again. He
came and he came to lay down his life to die. Why did he come
to die? Because he could only take away
the sins of his people. He could only deliver the sheep
and save the sheep by laying down his life in their place. by taking their sin and bearing
it as though he was the sinner as though he did what they did
as though he was they he stood in their place as their substitute
he went to the place of execution that they should go to he was
judged in that place and died in that place he died in their
place in that place that they might live and that they might
be spared. I am the way, the truth and the
life, he goes on. Because he is the resurrection
and the life. Having died, he rose again. He took his life again and he
rose up in life and in righteousness for them. And he comes unto them
in the gospel. Sixthly, declaring himself to
be the way, the truth and the life. How do dead sinners come
unto life? Through the truth and the way,
which is Christ. This is the way, walk ye in it. What is the way? The truth of
the gospel as it is found in Jesus Christ. There is only life
through this Gospel, only life in Christ and only life in this
way. What is it to turn out of the
way? It's to turn to another Gospel. It's to turn away from
the truth unto error. What is it to walk in the way?
It is to hear the voice of Jesus Christ. To hear the truth of
the Gospel from His lips and to follow Him in that way. I
am the way. which means the way is Christ
from start to finish. We don't come unto Christ in
the gospel and return unto the law for sanctification. We don't
go to Christ for justification and turn to the law for sanctification. We're not purified by our own
works, we're not perfected by our own works. The way is Christ. We come unto Christ in the beginning,
we continue with Christ in the way, we continue with Christ
into eternal life. It's entirely Christ. I am the
way, the truth and the life. And because he's the way, and
because he's the truth, and because he's the life, we are wed to
him, we are one in him, where we remain forevermore. Thus in
John 15 he says, I am the true vine. the true vine, and my Father
is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth
not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit
he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. Abide in me
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except
ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I
in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye
can do nothing. I am. I am, he says. The Jews knew what it was when
he came, saying, I am. I am that I am, God said. Jehovah says. I am that I am. They knew that he was speaking
as God. They knew that in so declaring
himself as the I am, he was saying I'm not just a man, I am God. I am the bread of life. I am
the light of the world. I am the door. I am the good
shepherd. I am the resurrection and the
life. I am the way, the truth and the
life. I am the true vine. I am God,
in the person of the Son of God. And if you're to be saved, you
must enter in through me, for I am the door. I am the door. have you come unto this door?
have you entered in through this door? is this door open unto
you or is it shut unto you? in Revelation 3 John in that
book John the author of this gospel speaks of a door unto
the angel of the church in Philadelphia write these things saith he that
is holy he that is true He that hath the key of David, he that
openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth,
I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee
an open door, and no man can shut it. For thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. I've set before thee an open
door. What is that door? It's Christ. In the gospel, God
comes unto his people. He comes unto the church and
declares unto them his son and says unto them, I've declared
unto you Christ. I've set before you an open door. And if I've set before you Christ
as an open door, you will enter in through him. But if I've not
set him before you, if I've closed him to you, if I've closed the
door unto you, there's no entrance. There's no entrance. Paul speaks
in Corinthians of having a great door and effectual open unto
him for the preaching of the gospel. And in Acts chapter 14, we read of the disciples gathering and of speaking of that door
of faith which was opened, the door of faith, opened unto the
people of God to hear the gospel. Door of faith being Christ. Has
Christ come unto you as an open door? As an open door. Oh, how men seek to shut this
door. and trampled it underfoot. He
sent prophets of old to declare his voice, to declare his gospel,
to declare his truth and to make known that he would come in the
fullness of time and the people that heard the prophets put the
prophets to death. And every time they put one to
death, he'd raise up another and send another in his place.
And men could silence the voice of the prophets. But they couldn't
shut the door which sent them. In the end they took Christ himself. I am the door. They took the
door. They took the Christ. They took
the good shepherd and they put him to death. But he who is the
resurrection and the life rose again with life forevermore. And they could not shut the door.
Man does everything he can to shut this door, but he cannot
shut it. When God opens a door, no man
can shut it. And when God shuts a door, no
man can open it. Oh, you may in your heart seek
to shut Christ the door. You may close your ears to him. You may close your ears to the
gospel. You may think that you can silence
him and silence his voice and flee from his presence. But you
cannot. But likewise, if he shuts the
gospel to you, If he says, I will speak no more to you. I have
spoken to you in the gospel and you believe not. I've spoken
again and you believe not. I speak again and you believe
not. And now the door is shut. If
he shuts the door to you, you may run to it and bang on it
and try to open it and try to call out and try to force your
way in and he will not open. Don't presume on this door. To
whom God opens it, he opens it, and you can't shut it. And to
whom God shuts it, he shuts it, and they can't open it. These
Jews believed not because they were not of his sheep, and they
could not open the door, and they could not enter in. But
he says to those who are his, I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, he shall be saved. and shall go in and out and find
pasture. Have you been brought to this
door? Have you been brought to this
straight gate and narrow way as Matthew records of it in chapter
7? Have you been brought by the
Gospel to this straight gate, this narrow gate, this door through
which you must enter if you will be saved, but a door through
which you can bring nothing. You cannot enter into Christ
and His salvation. Bring in your own works, bring
in your own glory, bring in your own pride, bring in your own
ability or your own will. You must leave it all to one
side and say you're nothing before a holy God. You're nothing but
a guilty wretch and a sinner. You've got nothing to bring,
but you can plead on his mercy alone. You must enter in naked,
it's a narrow door. You cannot bring. your own glory. And you cannot bring the burden
and guilt of sin. That must be dropped aside. as
you enter in through this door you will discover that this Saviour
under whom you're brought has taken your sin and has taken
the guilt and has taken the burden and taken it all away He's delivered
you He's washed you clean He's paid the price and you who are
naked can enter in and be clothed clothed in the righteousness
of God clothed in salvation having everlasting life feeding on the
bread of life, walking in the way, trusting in the truth, following
the Good Shepherd, a branch on the vine. led out of darkness
into the light if any man enter in he shall be saved he shall
be delivered from the darkness and brought into the light never
to return my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow
me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand what is it to
be saved? to be given eternal life, to
be washed clean of your sin, to be forgiven of all your iniquity,
to be clothed in the very righteousness of God. If you're in Christ,
if you've entered by this door, if you're clothed in His blood,
washed in His blood, then the judgment of God against sin will
never touch you because it touched Him. It came down on Him. It judged your sins in Christ. The judgment struck Him. The
sword of justice struck Him. It cannot strike again. You'll
find him to be a refuge. a city of refuge, a tower into
which you may flee. He's a sure resting place. He's your ark to deliver you
from the judgment. As Noah went through the storms
of God's wrath in that ark, so you will find Christ to be your
ark. God will take you and put you
in the ark and shut you in. And the storms will come upon
the ark, upon Christ, but they never touch you. Because if you're
his, if you're one of his sheep, he loved you and gave himself
for you. If any man enter in, he shall
be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. He shall
go in and out and find pasture. Why would he go in and out? not
to go out out of his presence, not to depart from the fold,
but to pass through the door, to go in and out freely. The
truth shall set you free, says Christ, and he who is the truth,
he who is the door, delivers his people, he sets them free,
they're able to walk freely. and they can, as it were, go
in and out of the door and at times they're inside fleeing
unto Him for refuge and other times they go out and walk ahead
to journey through this world but Christ is always there He's
always with them He's always there to run back unto like a
child who walks with his father and who will walk along and will
run to and fro and run ahead and run back But the father's
always there, always looking out for them, always watching
for them, always watching for danger, always protecting them. They go in and out, they're free.
They're not trapped, they're not coerced, but he's always
there. I am the door. They shall go
in and out and find pasture. When a sheep comes unto Christ,
when one who had no righteousness, who was starving, who was dead
in trespasses and sins, who had nothing, he was naked, barren,
bruised. When one of these lost sheep
comes unto Christ, hungry, hungering and thirsting after righteousness,
he comes by the truth of the gospel. unto that pasture that
will feed him forevermore. I am the bread of life, Christ
says. This light that shone in the
darkness where they were, this door through which they enter,
this good shepherd that seeks the lost sheep and brings them
in, this one who is the resurrection and the life who takes the dead
and brings them to life by his word. This One who is the Way,
the Truth and the Life brings them into the Gospel pasture. He brings them into the flock
and into a field where they will eat and dwell forevermore. He's
the Bread of Life, they feed on Him. He gives them water of
life that they should never thirst. He gives them that which sustains
them, no matter what trial they're brought through, no matter what
difficulties in their way, no matter what life brings upon
them, no matter what persecution they may face, and no matter
who may come and seek to stone them as they sought to stone
Christ Himself because of their testimony to His grace and His
mercy and His love in the Gospel. No matter how many come upon
them, they will find that He continues to keep them, to watch
over them and to feed them. They need no other bread than
that which is in Christ. I am the way, the truth and the
life. Everything is in Christ. Everything
is in Him by His grace through the Gospel. He has delivered
them. Delivered them from judgment.
Delivered them from their sin. Delivered them from condemnation. Delivered them from the penalty
and judgment of the law. Delivered them from the rule
of the law. Delivered them from men. Delivered
them from time. Delivered them from sickness.
Delivered them from all that is against them. All their enemies. Delivered them from the grip
of the devil. They're in Christ and no man
can get unto them. I give unto them eternal life
and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand oh what a place to be oh what a place to be have
you been brought here to the door brought into the flock I
am the door I am the door what's your reaction to the door Do
you hear his voice? Do you follow him? Do you enter
in? Or do you believe not because
you're not of his sheep? Do you care? Does it matter? It did to these sheep. It will to you if God opens your
eyes to the state you're in by nature. It will matter to you
If you feel the death and the consequence of sin in your soul,
it will matter to you if you wish to live and not perish. I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, he shall be saved and he shall go in and out and
find pasture. Amen.