Christ, The Door

I'm going to read from the book
of John, chapter 10, verse 9, one verse of scripture and then
speak to you on the subject, Christ the door. If you have
your Bibles, I'd like for you to open to this scripture and
just keep the scripture open during the entire message. Our
Lord said, I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. Do
you know what we desperately need in this day more than anything
else? We need a message from the Lord. We need a word from God. Now
it doesn't take a wise man to discover that what we're hearing
from the average pulpit today is not from God, it's from man. Old Dr. J.R. Graves used to say,
if my voice is the only voice you hear, Nothing of any eternal
value or any spiritual value will be accomplished for you.
Christmas Evans was heard to pray one day, Lord, I've gone
into the pulpit by myself for the last time. If you don't go
with me today, I'm not going. The Apostle John could say this
is the message that we have heard from him and declare we unto
you. This is the message. we have
heard of him, and declare we unto you." And the old prophets
began their messages with these words, thus saith the Lord. We're desperately in need today
in our churches to hear a message from the Lord, a message from
God. Now there are many people who are content to walk down
an aisle and shake a preacher's hand and give mental agreement
to some facts about heaven and hell, about death and judgment
about the resurrection, but for those who are seeking the Lord,
they want more. And there's some people who are
content to play church, engage in building a strong religious
organization with contests and socials and ball games and fleshly
enthusiasm. There's some people who are content
with that, but those who are seeking the Lord want more. And there are some people who
are content to adopt a denominational program, or denominational system
of doctrine, or a faith handed down to them by their parents,
or perhaps one that fits their social pattern. But those who
are seeking the Lord want more. There are those who are content
to study the Bible in order that they might be orthodox, in order
that they might be exact in their practice and in their creed.
And they find their security in being sound in doctrine. But those who seek the Lord want
more. They want to hear from God. They
want to hear a message from the living God. It's not our words
that God has promised to bless. It's His word. Listen to Isaiah
55 verse 11. So shall my word be that goeth
forth out of my mouth It shall not return unto me void, but
it shall accomplish that which I please, and my word shall perform
the thing whereunto I sent it." My friends, it's by the word
of God that men are born again. Not by our words, not by our
logic, not by our argument, not by the presentation of our doctrines. It's by the word of God that
men are born again. Listen to 1 Peter 1.23, being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. It's the
word of God that the Holy Spirit uses to quicken dead sinners.
It's the word of God that the Holy Spirit uses to convince
men of sin. It's the word of God that the
Holy Spirit uses to reveal Christ. Not our words, God's words. And then listen to Romans 10,
17. It's by the word of God that
faith comes. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God. Also, it is by the word of God
that we're sanctified. When our Lord prayed in Gethsemane's
garden, John 17, listen to what he said. Sanctify them by thy
word. Thy word is truth. Then it's
by the word of God that men grow in grace. Peter writing to the
church says, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the
word, that you may grow thereby. It's by the word of God that
we have assurance. John wrote in 1 John 5.13, these
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the
Son of God that you might have life. This is why we desperately
need a message from God. This is why we desperately need
a word from God, because it's by the word of God that men are
born again. It is by the word of God that
men are convinced of sin. It is by the word of God that
Christ is revealed. It is by the word of God that
we're sanctified. It is by the word of God that
we receive comfort and assurance, and it's by the word of God that
we grow in grace. Now, when we realize the importance
of God's word, the power of God's Word and the necessity of God's
Word. We'll never be content with anything
else. We'll never be content with listening
to the words of men, the reasonings of men, the arguments of men.
Oh God, we will pray, give us a word from thee. That's what
we need desperately in this day. We need a message from God. Now
here's a word from our Master. I've selected this as my text.
I believe it's appropriate for our day. I believe it's a word
from our God for this day, for any day. Our Lord said, I am
the door. I am the door. This is a word
from Him. 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. Now let me divide that up and
speak to you on that subject, Christ the door. First of all,
He said, I am the door. Now, when our Lord speaks to
us about himself, he comes down where we are. He comes down to
the commonplace things that we understand. That's right. When
the Master speaks of himself, he comes down to the commonplace,
everyday things that we understand. You know, most preachers, with
their high-sounding phrases and their deep theology and their
big words, cannot communicate with real people, but Christ
could. He communicated with people. They gathered around him to hear
him. And when he spoke of himself, he said, I am the water. I am
the water of life. Oh, everyone that thirsteth,
come to the water. You know what it is to be thirsty.
The people who listened to our Lord knew what it was to be thirsty.
And he spoke to them about water. He said, I am the water of life.
When he talked to the woman at the well, he said, I'll give
you living water. You come to this well and you
draw day after day after day, and your thirst is never fully,
completely quenched. But if you ask of me, I'll give
you living water, and you'll never thirst again." Our Lord
said, I am the bread of life. The table is spread, coming down.
Our Lord said, though your sins be as scarlet, I'll make them
as white as the snow. We know what it is to be thirsty.
We know what water will do for a thirsty throat. We know what
it is to be hungry. We know what bread will do for
those who are hungry. We know how beautiful the snow
covers even these cold, darkened mountains of ours and makes them
white and beautiful. The hand of God just completely
covers every blemish and every mark and every stain. And here
in our text, our Lord says, I'm the door. I am the door. Now,
I know what a door is for. I know what a door can do, and
you do too. I know that I need a door. I
know by passing through this door over here that I can come
into this room. If I'm on the outside of that
door and I want in, that door is the way that I can come into
this room. And even so, our Lord Jesus Christ is saying this,
I am the door. I am the door into the fellowship
of God. I am the door into the kingdom of God. I am the door
into communion with God. I am the door into fellowship
with God. I am the door to eternal life. I am the door. And by me,
if any man enter in, he shall be saved. I am the way, the way."
How does a person come into this room? He comes through that door
over there. Everyone who enters this room must come through that
door. And all who enter the kingdom of God must come through Christ.
He said, I am the door. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No man comes to God but by me, he said. Thank God
he's given us a door. By our fall in Adam, we're outside. By our sins of the flesh, we're
outside. And without a door, someone says
the house of mercy would be a house of misery. Our sins have separated
us from God. Our sins, like the clouds, have
separated us from God. What hope would we have if we
didn't have a door? What hope would we have if God
had not provided a door? What hope would we have, what
way back to God, if He hadn't said, I am the door? There is
a door. And Christ is that door. And
listen to this. Christ is the only door. He said,
I am the door. Not a door. Not one of the many
doors. I am the door. Is there not some
other way, preacher? Perhaps, you know, the law. Perhaps
maybe the church. Perhaps maybe the ordinances.
Perhaps maybe the doctrines. No. Christ said, I am the door. Our Lord Jesus Christ over and
over again expresses this and emphasizes this. He says, you
go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,
and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and
he that believeth not shall be damned. It's just that clear.
It's just that clear. John said in 1 John 5.11, this
is the record that God has given us eternal life, and this life
is in his Son. It's not in the law, it's not
in the ordinances, it's not in the church, it's not in the altar,
it's not in the church roll book, it's not in the pool, it's in
Christ. this life's in his son. And he that hath the Son of God
hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God shall never see
life." Christ is the door, the only door. Peter said, we know
that we're not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver
and gold from our vain conversation received by tradition from our
fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ. And the apostle
wrote, other foundation can no man lay. Other foundation can
no man lay than that which is laid, Christ the Lord. Christ
the Lord. There is none other name unto
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Christ Jesus
is the door. You want into fellowship with
God? You'll have to come by Christ. You want into communion with
God? You'll have to come by Christ. You want into the kingdom of
God? You'll have to come by Christ. He said, I am the door. Now watch this. By me, if any
man enter in, this is a word from God. This is what we need.
This is what we need our preachers to do. Is give us thus saith
the Lord. Not what he thinks, not what
he supposes, not what he studied in the seminary, not what somebody
told him, what God said. Christ said I am the Lord. There's
no room for argument there without controversy. Great is the mystery
of Godliness. God was manifested in the flesh.
scene of the angel, justified in the spirit, preached to the
Gentiles, believed on in the world. There's no controversy
to it. This is what he said. And he said, By me, if any man
enter in. I want you to note three things.
And I divide this up into three things that you might understand
it better, that I might understand it better. First of all, he says,
By me. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved. It's not by your works, it's
by his works. It's not by your life, it's by
his life. It's not by your sacrifice and
your submission and your death, it's by his death. It's by me
if any man enter in, he shall be saved. Listen to Philippians
3, 8 and 9. Paul said that I may win Christ
and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which
is by the law, but the righteousness of God which is by faith in Christ.
that I may win Christ. It's by Him that we enter in.
Listen to 1 Timothy 2.5. There's one God, one mediator
between God and men, and that's the man Christ Jesus. Now get
this. God will not speak to nor be
spoken to by any sinner except through Christ. It's by me if
any man enter in. I'm the door, the only door. Thank God there is a door. It's
the door into the fellowship with God. It's the door to pardon
and mercy because I am that door. And by me. Not by his efforts
and his strength and his merit and his goodness and his righteousness. By me. Now watch this. If any
man enter in. If any man enter in. Now the
same way to God is available and required of every man. The same way. There's not one
way of salvation for Moses and another for me. There's not one
way of salvation for the moral woman and another way for the
harlot. There's not one way of salvation for the preacher and
another for the drunkard. There's not one way of salvation
for the honest and another for the thief. There's only one way.
Christ said, by me, any man. I don't care if he's in the White
House or the prison. It doesn't matter whether he's
in the pulpit or the gutter. It doesn't matter whether he's
in the church or in the world. It doesn't matter if he's an
atheist, an agnostic, a skeptic, an infidel, a Pharisee, a Sadducee,
a scribe, a religious person, an old man, a young man. It doesn't
matter if he's educated or uneducated, if he's in the depths of Russia
or in the heart of New York, if any man enter in by me, he
shall be said Jew, Gentile, Catholic, Baptist, atheist or religious,
By me, if any man enter in. Now, what's the next word? Our
Lord said, I'm the door. By me. By me, not by your works,
not by your decision, not even by your faith. He said, by me,
if any man enter in. Don't make a Savior out of your
faith. Don't make a Savior out of your experience. There's just
one Savior, and that's Christ. Don't make a Savior out of your
confession. There's just one Savior, Christ.
Salvation is not something you do for God, it's something God
does for you. It's a work that God performs in His power and
by His grace through His Son in you and for you, by me, Christ
said, if any man enter in. Now that's mighty important.
A man's not saved by studying the door, but by using the door.
That's right. It's not enough to study the
door, it's not enough to admire the door. Nicodemus admired Jesus
Christ. He said, why, no man could do
the miracles you do except God be with him. But Nicodemus can't
be saved by admiring Christ, he's got to receive Christ. What
does the word say? To as many as received him, to
them gave he power to become the sons of God. Not those that
studied him, or admired him, or spoke well of him, or thought
highly of him, those who received him. That's the way of salvation.
It's to receive Christ. It's not to talk about the door.
I can stand outside this room for 30 years and never enter
it, and stand and look at the door, and admire the door, and
talk about the door, and know of the existence of the door.
But I've got to use the door. You see that? I've got to enter
in. As many as received Him to them,
gave he the power, the right, the privilege to become sons
of God. Listen to Romans chapter 10,
verse 9 and 10. If thou shalt confess with thine
mouth Jesus to be Lord, and believe in thine heart God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. But you're going to
have to believe it, and you're going to have to receive it,
and you're going to have to confess him, a person. That's right.
Listen to 1 Timothy 1.12. Paul said, I know whom I have
believed, and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which
I have committed unto him. How about you? Have you used
the door? Oh, I think a lot of Christ.
Yeah, I think he's a fine prophet and a great preacher and a great
healer, and I admire him, and he's one of the greatest prophets.
That's fine. Have you believed on him? Have
you received him? I know the door is there, preacher. Have
you used it? Have you entered in? Or are you just standing
outside talking about the door? And admiring the door? Or have you used it by me? If
any man enter in willingly, lovingly, deliberately, intelligently,
Christ is my way to God. Now watch this. He shall be saved. Isn't that a beautiful word?
I am the door. That's a word from God. I am
the door. He leaves no doubt about it.
He mentions no other way. I am the door, by me. If any
man, any man, enter in, he shall be saved, delivered, forgiven,
pardoned, justified, accepted, embraced by God, an heir of God,
a child of God. You know, when we talk about
salvation, I don't think we can improve on the definition used
by the old timers. This is a definition used by
the old writers back five, six, seven, eight hundred years ago.
A four-fold salvation in Christ. First of all, there is deliverance. Salvation means deliverance.
It needs to be delivered. There is deliverance from the
penalty of sin. All of our sins are paid for
and put away. Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that
wonderful? And you who have sinned against
God and you know it and you feel it and you mourn over it and
grieve over it, can't you rejoice that God has put away all your
sins by the blood of his Son? That's what it says in Galatians
3.13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us. Romans 8.1, there is therefore
now no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Who is he
that condemns? Who is he that can condemn? Who
can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God has justified. So we are delivered. We're saved
from the penalty of sin. No judgment, no condemnation,
no wrath, no damnation, no hell. That's right. In Christ. Behind
the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be delivered. He shall be saved from the penalty
of sin. But further, listen. He shall
be saved from the guilt of sin. In Colossians chapter 1 verse
20 the scripture says, In the body of his flesh he presents
you holy, holy, unblameable, unapprovable in God's sight. Now you think about that. Can
you think of anything richer than that? Can you think of any
blessing greater than that? Can you think of any gift more
valuable than that? to be presented in the sight
of God, holy, as holy as Christ, unblameable, unreprovable. But that's what we have in Christ.
By me, if any man are entered in, he shall be saved from the
penalty of sin and from the guilt of sin. Totally delivered. Listen
to Jude 24. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling, and to present you unblameable, holy,
faultless, before the presence of his glory." Faultless. Absolutely
faultless. That's what he's saying. Listen
to David. Hattie is the man to whom God will not charge sin. Not charge it. Nothing on my
account in the presence of God. Nothing. Saved from the guilt
of sin. But more than that. I am the
door. By me if any man enter in, he
shall be saved, not only from sin's penalty, Not only from
sin's guilt, the slate is wiped clean, just as pure and clean,
Christ said, as the driven snow. And thirdly, saved from the power
of sin. Sin shall not have dominion over
you. We're not in Satan's kingdom
any longer. We're not under Satan's reign
any longer. We're not under Satan's rule.
We're not under Satan's dominions. We're under Christ's reign. Christ
is our Lord. And Christ is our King, and Christ
reigns over us and rules over us, and sin shall not have dominion
over you. And then, thank God, listen to
the fourth. We're saved. I am the door, by
me if any man, any man, enter in, he shall be saved, not only
from sin's penalty and sin's guilt and sin's power, but someday
from sin's very presence. That's right. Not yet. I know
we have a battle with sin, I know we have a conflict, I know we
have a warfare in which we are engaged, and there's no discharge
in this war. But I'll tell you this, behold
what manner of love God hath bestowed upon us that we should
be called the sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, but when he shall appear, when he, our Lord, shall
appear, we shall be just like him. And he that hath this hope
in him purifies himself. That's right. Paul wrote over
there in 1 Corinthians and said, this corruptible is going to
put on incorruption. And this mortal is going to put
on immortality. And this weakness is going to
put on the strength of God. And this flesh is going to take
on the very glory of God Almighty one of these days. And because
of what Christ did for me, I'm going to be set free. totally,
completely set free. Thanks be unto God who giveth
us the victory in Christ our Lord from all sin. Then shall
be brought to pass the saying, Paul wrote, death is swallowed
up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory? Now in closing, our Lord said
this is the word from God. This is what we need today. We
need some preachers to get in the pulpit and on the radio and
on the television and preach, thus saith the Lord. And quit
preaching about the gospel and start preaching the gospel. And
quit preaching about the Bible and start preaching the Bible.
And quit preaching about the Word of God and start preaching
the Word of God. I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, he shall be saved. Now what's the last line? And
he shall go in and out and find pasture. What's pasture to the
sheep? It's a place to graze. It's a
place to feed. It's a place to lie down. It's
a place of protection. It's a place of provision. It's
a place of rest. And that's what our Lord is saying
here. He shall find satisfaction. You'll never find it in the bottle.
No, sir. You'll never find it in pleasure.
No, sir. There's pleasure in sin for a
season. You'll never find it rebelling
against God. You'll never find it in business.
You'll never find it in entertainment. You'll never find it in this
world. You'll never find satisfaction. It can only be found in a right
relationship with the living God through Christ. Listen to
Jeremiah 31, 14. My people shall be satisfied
with my goodness. And they are. They're satisfied.
David wrote, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within
me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities,
who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction,
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness, who satisfieth thy mouth with
good things. Yes, sir, I tell you this. There's
real satisfaction in Christ. He that entereth in shall go
in and out, and he shall find pasture, he shall find protection,
he shall find joy and rest and food for his soul, he shall find
comfort and assurance, he shall find all things in Christ. All
things are yours in Christ. That's not everything. Now what's
the last thing? In Christ, yes, but you know
when we'll have total satisfaction? David wrote it. David said this,
I shall be satisfied when I wake with his likeness, with his life. It's all Christ, though. That's
where it starts, and that's where it's continued, and that's where
it's completed, in Christ. We never leave him. We find everything
in him. And our total satisfaction will
be that day when we become just like him. Now this message is
available on cassette tape. It'll have two messages on the
tape, today's and next week. Be glad for you to write and
receive it. The address will be given. God bless you, everyone.

Christ, The Door

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Christ, The Door

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