1. Candid Camera and Shepherd Story
The “Candid Camera” TV show went to an exclusive prep school where all of the students were well above average. The “Candid Camera” people posed as career consultants who were going to advise these brilliant young men concerning the careers that would be best suited to them, on the basis of “tests” and “interviews” that seemed quite authentic.
One young man eagerly awaited the “counselor’s” verdict. Surely the adviser would tell the boy to be a college president or a bank president, or perhaps a research scientist. But, no, the “counselor” had other ideas. You should have seen the look on the boy’s face when the “counselor” said:
“Son, after evaluating your tests and interview, I’ve decided that the best job for you is- a shepherd.”
The student did not know whether to laugh or cry. After all, who in his right mind would want to be a shepherd? Why devote your life to “stupid sheep” that do not seem to have sense enough to find their way home?
2. Sheep Characteristics
Author, Max Lucado asked the question: “Couldn’t God Have Thought Of Something Better Than Sheep? Of all God’s animals, the sheep is the least able to take care of himself. Sheep are dumb! Have you ever met a sheep trainer? Ever seen sheep tricks? Know anyone who has taught his sheep to roll over? No. Sheep are just too dumb. And they’re defenseless. They have no fangs or claws. They can’t bite you and they can’t outrun you. That’s why you never see sheep as mascots for sports teams.
We’ve heard of the St. Louis Rams and the Chicago Bulls and the Seattle Seahawks, but the New York Lambs? Who wants to be a lamb?
3. Yeshua (Jesus) compares us to sheep and himself to a shepherd – Next week we will discuss “The Good Shepherd” – this week we will note a special aspect of the shepherd-sheep relationship – “The Door”
4. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10.7-10
5. Yeshua (Jesus) as THE Door:
I. The Entrance Door
A. The Shepherd’s Role of Protector
1. Sheep-pen and door
2. Protection against predators – wolves and wolves in sheep’s clothing, etc.
3. Religious leaders trying to be the door of Torah for the people
a. “Thieves and Robbers” – one is covert, the other is overt
b. Can’t lead the sheep – can only steal them
c. Characteristics:
a. Covetous – The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. Luke 16.14
b. Crush Helpless scribes – who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. Mark 12.40
c. Create Temple’s Destruction – He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21.13;
8 “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD. 12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim. Jeremiah 7.8-15
d. Cause death of Yeshua (Jesus) out of Fear of Rome – 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. John 11.49-53
B. The Shepherd’s Role of Provider
1. Moses & Manna – John 6.32-34
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
2. Messiah as Heavenly Bread – John 6.41///6.53-54
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ///53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6.53-54
3. May mete the bread of affliction – Deuteronomy 16.3
3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.
a. Brings to God
b. Source of LIFE
Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When asked, "Why is that there?" Alex Haley answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words & think that they are wonderful, & begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post & remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help."
II. The Exit Door (sheep enter and exit)
A. He Provides Opportunity for Us to Minister – Revelation 3.8 (Philadelphia)
“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
1. Little Worldly Power
2. Great Spiritual Power – 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4.6
B. He Provides Opportunity to Express His Mastery – He Has the Keys
C.R. Smith was one of the founders of American Airlines, and he once made a stopover in Nashville, Tennessee. When he did, he found two desks in the American Airlines corridor of the airport. On one, a phone was ringing away. Sitting at the other, with his feet propped up, was a man reading the newspaper.
Smith walked up to him and said, “Your phone is ringing.”
“That’s reservations. I’m maintenance,” the man replied.
Furious, Smith walked over to the desk, picked up the phone, and began talking to a man who urgently needed to get to California. Smith rattled off the schedule from memory to the man and hung up. The man from maintenance couldn’t believe it!
“Say, that was pretty good!” he said. “Do you work for American?”
“Yes, I do,” Smith answered. “And you used to.”
It’s important to learn what to take seriously –and who. Nothing should be taken more seriously than God.
1. Key = Authority – Matthew 16.19; I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Revelation 1.18
2. Yeshua (Jesus) Operates by the authority of God – Matthew 28.18-20
a. Ministry does not have to be complicated
b. Successful ministry comes with the presence of God (reason for faith)
III. The Exclusive Door – Matthew 25.1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
A. Inclusion of the Prepared –
1. Preparation out of respect for the Bridegroom
2. Inclusive of Jews and Gentiles (John 10.16)
B. Exclusion of the Unprepared
1. Foolish/selfish with provisions
2. Unknown to Bridegroom – Matthew 7.21
Conclusion
1. The door of personal experience Revelation 3.20 – Holman Hunt’s Picture
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
2. When Martin Luther was asked how he overcame the devil, he replied, “Well, when he comes knocking at the door of my heart, and asks ‘Who lives here?’ the dear Lord Jesus goes to the door and says, “Martin Luther used to live here, but he has moved out. Now I live here.” When Christ fills our lives Satan has no entrance.
