The Door
When I first moved here almost everyone who came to church entered through the front door. How many of you here today came through the front door into the lobby? Then when we started our addition in 2007 and built the parking lot on the north end of the building about half of us parked up there and came in through that north door. How many of you came in that way today? Then when we finished the new addition in 2008 and reopened the parking lot down on the south end that enters the fellowship hall, lots of us began parking there and entering the church building through those doors. How many of us came in through that way today? Finally, there are at least four other entrances to our building that get at least some use from time to time. These are in no particular order: 1. The third floor stair way. 2&3. The two doors under the driveway in back that are sheltered with a roof. 4. The side door just down those stairs at the back of the annex that’s in the lower front and accesses the old fellowship hall next to the new bathrooms. Did anyone use any of those doors to get in here today?
We have a church building with seven doors from which to come in or go out. We have seven points of entry or exit. I don’t think anyone has come in through a window yet. And for the kids, let me say that even if you want to, you really shouldn’t. Ok?
Doors are important. They are the way in and the way out.
We’ve been doing a series on the church. What is the door into the church? Are their lots of doors or just one? Do they open automatically, or are they locked?
Jesus spoke of this in John 10, didn’t he? Look at verse 7 again. Jesus tells us that He is the door. Now look at verse 9 and let this sink in: I am the door; (you may have the word gate). If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and go in and out and find pasture.
Jesus is talking about how shepherds take care of their sheep and using it to help us understand how He treats us and how we should follow Him. Listen to verse 10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly!
From these words of Christ we learn several things:
1. Jesus is the door or gate.
2. When we enter through Him we are saved.
3. He came to give us abundant life.
Imagine a door that opened into another dimension. Remember C.S. Lewis’s the Chronicles of Narnia? Lucy Pevency went through the doors of the wardrobe and entered another world. She could even stand in Narnia and look back through the wardrobe door into the room of the house! That’s all just imaginary and clever, but what if there were a real door or gate that could take us out of this world of change and decay and into a world of eternal glory and life? Is that just childish dreaming and wishful thinking? Or is there actually a door into God’s presence?
The Bible says that there is. It’s not the fountain of youth. It’s not a clever invention of some fertile fanciful mind. It’s not even a physical door. The way into glory is through a person. Jesus is the door of the church. His body. His Spirit. Jesus says here in verse 7: Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. Later in chapter 14:6 Jesus explains to his disciples: I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.
There is only one door by which we may enter life and it has Jesus name on it. The apostles, Peter and John are confronted by the High court of the Jews in Acts 4, after they had preached the gospel of Jesus to crowds that gathered to hear them. Peter had healed a lame beggar in the name of Jesus Christ, and then told the crowds that they were guilty of putting Jesus to death, but that God had raised Jesus to life. Look at Acts 3:11-20. Many believed in Jesus, but the Jewish leaders arrested Peter and John and wanted to silence them. Look at 4:1-12.
Jesus is the door into God’s presence. Jesus is the way to eternal life. There is NO OTHER WAY.
The church Christ built has only one door, and it has the name Jesus on it.
Discovering the door is one thing. Entering it is another. I don’t want to just believe that there is a door to glory. I don’t want to just admire others who have entered through it. I want to go in too! Don’t you?
Believing that Jesus is the way is one thing, walking with Jesus in the way and living through Jesus as the way is much more.
Did you ever consider how many things we do in the name of Jesus as Christians?
I imagine that almost everyone here today came because we believe in Jesus Christ. We entered the doors of this building to meet with others who believe in Christ. We have gathered in the name of Jesus Christ this first day of the week when we believe Jesus rose from the dead. We open our service of worship with prayer in the name of Jesus Christ and have several prayers throughout this communion of worship together, all in the name of Jesus Christ. We sing songs of praise to God in the name of Jesus Christ and express our thanks and love to our heavenly Father who loved us and sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. We take the Lord’s supper in the name of Jesus Christ, remembering the body and blood that He gave as a sacrifice for us on the cross. We proclaim His death till He comes! We read the words of the scriptures that tell us about Jesus Christ and today’s reading in John 10 are actual words of Jesus Himself. We are living our lives through Jesus Christ so that we may enter His glory and enjoy His grace and love with all the saints for eternity in His presence.
Colossians 3 reminds us: Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
How do you go through the door of Jesus Christ? The Bible is God’s instruction for how to enter the door and live within the will and way of Jesus Christ after we enter Him.
First, we must hear the God’s word with an open heart. 1 Peter 1:23-25. James 1:21-25. Romans 10:17. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Be careful what you listen to.
Second we believe the word of God. We believe that God created us in His own image and likeness, but that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, that God loves us and has sent Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son to pay for our sins and redeem us and save us through His mercy and grace. Jesus did this through His own death on the cross, where He received the punishment for sin that we deserve. Jesus died on that cross. He was buried. But on the third day, Jesus rose to life never to die again and proved Himself to be the Son of God, our Savior, the door to glory. Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns as Lord over all. One day Jesus will return and the dead shall be raised and we will all stand before His Judgement seat to receive what is due for the things done here in our bodies. (2 Cor. 5:10). He has opened the way to eternal life and offers it to you and me. We will either believe Him or we won’t. We will either follow Him or we won’t. We will either enjoy eternal life in glory with Him or we won’t. The ultimate destiny of all of us is either heaven or hell. Jesus came to give us life. He is the only way to receive it. Jesus is the door.
Third, if we believe, we must repent of sin and turn to God, that is turn from darkness to light, from evil to righteousness. We must reject death and darkness and walk in truth and light. Going through the door of Jesus Christ means letting go of all that is temporal and sinful in this world and following the path of life in Jesus Christ. Repentance is a change of life. We can’t enter Jesus the door going backwards and trying to bring in all the trash we love with us. Repentance is letting go of sin and taking hold of Jesus with both hands. Listen again to Colossians 3:1-17.
Fourth, we now confess the Name of Jesus Christ as Lord! We call on the name of the Lord! Romans 10:9-10. We who believe use our lips to confess Him and to praise Him. This is a public profession of faith and it occurs in the fifth step.
Fifth, we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38, 22:16, (Here is how we call on the name of the Lord!) Gal. 3:26-27, (Are clothed with Christ) Romans 6:1-4 (Enter the death, burial and resurrection of Christ).
This act of baptism is the only thing in the Bible that says specifically we are put “into” Jesus Christ. No wonder Paul, in Ephesians 4 said: There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, One God and Father of all… Notice that baptism is right up there with faith, and right between one Lord and one God. That’s a pretty powerful place. And no wonder 1 Peter 3:21 says that like Noah and his family were saved from the flood, that water symbolizes baptism that NOW SAVES YOU also, not the removal of dirt from the body, but the the pledge of a good conscience toward God, it saves you through the resurrection of Christ. Those three words, "now saves you" explain why Jesus commissioned His apostles to "make disciples by baptizing them... and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you." It sure looks like Jesus put baptism as a means of beginning discipleship. He didn’t even mention faith at all there. Does that mean that disciples can be saved without faith? Of course not, but many today say that faith alone is what saves us. The only time in my Bible that the words "faith alone" occur are in James 2:24 and it doesn’t look like we are saved by faith alone there.
These simple steps of faith put us into Jesus Christ where the blood cleanses us from sin and the Spirit seals us as God’s children and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us as if we were the ones that lived the righteous life Jesus himself lived. Our sins are placed on Him and His righteousness is placed on us. Galatians 3:26-27 tells us that when we are baptized into Christ we are clothed with Christ.
This is how to get in the door! Then we learn to walk in the way as we live in the presence of the Lord through faith and love.
Today, the door. Tomorrow the way of abundant life in Christ. Are you in Jesus Christ?
