I AM - I AM the Gate
Mother’s Day - May 13, 2018
John 10:9 (p. 748)
Introduction:
Please remember every time Jesus made an “I AM” statement it caused the Pharisees and religious leaders to wince…God’s name is Yehoveh… “I AM” and every time Jesus would say, “I AM the gate” or “I AM the living bread” or “I AM the way, the truth, and the life” He was announcing his messiahship…His divinity…He was making the claim…I AM God.
In our text from John 10 Jesus is speaking to these wincing Pharisees…He’s just said to them, “You are sinful and guilty because you claim to be able to see…but in reality you are spiritually blind.”
They’re spiritually blind because they claim to know God’s plans…His Word, but standing right in front of them is the promised Messiah…Jesus. The very one that the Old Testament prophesied would come…and they don’t believe…they refuse to accept Him…they are blind to the very hope of entering God’s Kingdom.
Listen to His rebuke:
JOHN 10:1-10 (p. 748)
Jesus uses the word “Thura” here which means “gate” or “door.” It’s used 39 times in the New Testament…from describing the door of Jesus’ tomb to the door the Apostle John sees opening in heaven in his Revelation (Matt. 27:60; Rev. 4:1).
I bet like me you’ve walked through some doors that changed your life…and probably out of a few that have done the same.
Jesus knew that “a door” was one of the most important pictures of Christianity. It’s the point of entrance and unless you open it and enter in you will always be on the outside…so when Jesus says…“I AM the door and whoever enters by me will be saved.” He’s making an exclusive statement…He’s saying you can’t sneak in…There’s no back door…or side door…Just one door…“I AM that one door.”
I. JESUS IS THE ONLY ENTRANCE TO SALVATION
We live in a world that hates exclusiveness. In America one of the most explosive words is “intolerance.”
We live in a society that frowns upon anyone saying “My door is better than your door.” “My way is the right way and your way is the wrong way.” It’s tempting to say “All doors are equally valuable…all doors lead to heaven…your door is just as valid as my door.”
The problem with this is…“It’s a lie!!!”
When it comes to salvation…the most important issue that any one of us will ever have to address…the only door that really matters…Jesus was completely intolerant of other doors.
“The one who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.” (v. 1)
When talking to Thomas, one of His followers about entering heaven (the Father’s house), Jesus says, “I AM the Way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:7)
“Except through me.” That’s as exclusive and narrow of a statement as you can make…one door…one gate into the Father’s house…I’m it.
Let me show you something…
VIDEO OF CHRISTIANITY’S DECLINE IN AMERICA
Why is Christianity at it’s lowest popularity in American history…and according to the pew research group it doesn’t matter whether you’re black, white or purple…rich or poor, educated or uneducated…young or old.
No one has really asked me what has caused this drastic decline, but I thought I’d let you know what I believe.
The Church…big C not little c…has become afraid to present Jesus Christ as the only door of salvation…the world sees many of us being a part of a religious community…declaring with righteous indignation what we believe is right and what is wrong…Instead of rejoicing in our salvation and the amazing grace that saved us…and can save others, we’ve become a “gated community” that’s only open for the privileged.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
Jesus is the only door into eternal life…
He opened a new and living way, through His death burial and resurrection. He gave Himself to pay for us all.
II. EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ENTER IN
Jesus is “exclusively” the only way in…but those who are invited are totally “inclusive.”
“All” “Anyone” “Whosoever”
That’s about as inclusive as it gets!!!
[I have a book that Clara Fields gave me that was written by her two sons…Jeff and Roger…it’s called “Breaking the Hex.” The subtitle says, “It’s about life with God after the cross killed religion.” It’s really good…In Chapter 33 Roger calls it “Kickball” and writes Ephesians 1:4 declares “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”
Roger writes:
In my elementary school kickball was king.
And I was a horrible kickball player.
The game is simple enough: someone rolls the ball in your direction, you kick it as hard as you can and then run like you’re on fire to first base. You try to get there before some other kid grabs the ball and hurls it at you.
Before the game started, two captains chose kids one by one to be on their team. The problem with that was my past performance in kickball was less than impressive. Therefore, the captains regularly - and reluctantly - chose me last or close to it.
That’s not a great feeling.
Obviously, neither captain was pumped about picking me for their team. So even after I finally got picked, it was an after thought, not something that the captains planned. “OK, I’ll take Roger,” was what I heard most days.
Thankfully, God is not a kickball captain looking for the best players.
Jesus picked people no one else ever would…He picked them first…tax collectors, fishermen, zealots, divorcees, lepers.
It so irritated these Pharisees that they asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus answered their accusation by saying…“It’s not healthy people who need a doctor, but those who are sick.”
Jesus welcomed sinners…He opened His heart and life to them…and this inclusive invitation irritated the Pharisees, Chief Priest, and teachers of the law more than any other.
In John 8:58 Jesus stands before them and says, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born…I AM.”
The Bible says they immediately picked up rocks to stone Him.
There’s no doubt Jesus is claiming to be God here… “Yehoveh.” I AM…The Pharisees believed they had a special birthright…an automatic ticket into heaven because of being Abraham’s descendants.
Jesus said, “Nope.” That’s not the door in…“I AM the door in.” Abraham isn’t the gate…I AM the gate.
Let me end this morning by saying on this Mother’s Day…
III. THE CHURCH NEEDS TO BE LIKE MY MOM’S HOUSE
Jesus says to His sheep… “I AM the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.”
Jesus welcomes everyone…whoever…we find safety in His presence…and we also are to go back out.
[Growing up our house and yard were the gathering place…football, whiffle ball, ball tag, Easter Egg Hunts, Youth Group Bible Studies.
They called my mom…Momma B. We didn’t have any grass because it was so worn out…but mom always said, the grass can grow after the kids are gone…It didn’t matter what side of the tracks you lived on…what your parents were like…what color you were, or where you went to school. Momma B. welcomed you, loved you, disciplined you, fed you and made you feel special. As I’ve grown up I’ve come to believe that it wasn’t the whiffle ball that brought kids back…it was Momma B. One of those kids from the wrong side of the tracks married my sister and went into ministry…and He married me and Kari.
The church needs to become a whole lot more like Momma B’s house.
Welcoming all who will come…like Jesus who said, “And the Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires let him take of the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17)
Every group that exists in Jesus’ church ought to throw it’s arms open in welcome for a world that thirsts for salvation…Why? Jesus said so…It’s His bride…His Spirit…HIS CHURCH…It should be like Momma B’s house.
But we also are to be disciple makers as we go out into our daily life. “Go and make disciples of all nations” is His Great Commission.
We are to love and choose people that the world rejects so the Good News can be lived out loud.
One of my favorite stories of all time is in a book called “Letters to My Children” written by Daniel Taylor.
He describes an experience many in my generation had in the 6th grade.
Periodically the students were taught how to dance. Thank God this kind of thing isn’t done anymore, but the teacher would line up the boys at the door of the classroom to choose their partners. Imagine what it would have been like to be one of the girls waiting to be chosen, wondering if they were going to be chosen, wondering if they would be chosen by someone they didn’t like.
One girl, Mary, was always chosen last. Because of a childhood illness, one of her arms was drawn up and she had a bad leg. She wasn’t pretty, she wasn’t smart, and she was…well…fat. The assistant teacher of Dan’s class happened to attend his church. One day, she pulled Dan aside and said, “Dan, next time we have dancing, I want you to choose Mary.” Dan couldn’t believe it. Why would anyone pick Mary when there was Linda, Shelley, or even Doreen? Dan’s teacher told him it is what Jesus would have done, and deep inside, he knew she was right, which didn’t make it any easier. All Dan could hope for was that he would be last in line. That way, he could choose Mary, do the right thing, and no one would be the wiser. Instead, Dan was first in line.
The faces of the girls were turned toward me, some smiling. I looked at Mary and saw that she was only half-turned to the back of the room. (She knew no one would pick her first.) Mr. Jenkins said, “Okay, Dan - choose your partner!”
I remember feeling very far away. I heard my voice say, “I choose Mary.”
Never has reluctant virtue been so rewarded. I still see her face undimmed in my memory. She lifted her head, and on her face, reddened with pleasure and surprise and embarrassment all at once, was the most genuine look of delight and even pride that I have ever seen, before or since. It was so pure that I had to look away because I knew I didn’t deserve it.
Mary came and took my arm, as we had been instructed, and she walked beside me, bad leg and all, just like a princess…
Mary is my age now. I never saw her after that year. I don’t know what her life’s been like or what she’s doing. But I’d like to think she has a fond memory of at least one day in sixth grade.
I know I do.
There was nothing Mary could do. She was chosen, and she was chosen first.
Come on church let’s start acting like our Savior and start choosing the Mary’s of the world first!
