THE OPEN DOOR
JOHN 10:7-10
INTRODUCTION… Model House in Industrial Arts (p)
READ JOHN 10:7-10
I. CHRIST IS THE WAY OF SALVATION FOR ALL
A. He is the only access to the Father- When Jesus was born, the entire manner of relating to God changed. Who changed it, you ask? God changed it! In Israel, only the High Priest had access to God and he talked to God for the people. It was the priests who offered sacrifices and who read Scripture and interpreted it for the people. Only they could do these acts. The priest was the access to God the Father.
1) Hebrews 7, 8, 13:11-16: But, because of Jesus, all of this changed. Jesus takes the place of this High Priest and now is our access to God. 13:15 underscores this for us by saying that we praise God through Jesus. We do this also in prayer when at the end of our prayers, we pray “in Jesus’ name.” It is the same idea. He is our access to God. He is the doorway.
2) Romans 8 (verse 11): We live the victorious life through the Spirit of Jesus in us. We have the power through Him.
B. He is the only access to Heaven- Our culture is one that will tell you that all roads lead to God. “All of us can come to God in our own way and still get to Heaven” is what the world would like you to believe. It is what Satan would like you to believe.
1) Its on TV à Oprah Winfrey
2) In music à Madonna
3) And fills the movie screens à Too many to mention
* ILLUSTRATION… O You Can’t Get to Heaven
I remember singing a song when I was younger, I believe the title was “O You Can’t Get to Heaven.”
O You Can’t Get to Heaven… On Roller Skates… You’ll roll right past those pearly gates.
O You Can’t Get to Heaven… In a mini skirt… God don’t like girls that flirt.
O You Can’t Get to Heaven… By driving a Ford… Because God wants us all in one accord.
C. We must stop for a moment: There is such a thing as Absolute Truth. Basically, what this means is that some things are true whether or not you choose to believe in them. Scripture is full of Absolute Truth. Opinions do not matter.
D. What is Jesus also saying? He, as the door, is always open- Jesus is available to us 24/7. He is available at all times in our lives: the good and the bad. Whether you call on Him in the morning, the noontime, or in the evening He will be there waiting to aid you. Jesus has an open door policy!
[Jesus moves from describing Himself to contrasting others who came before Him who attempted to be Savior. Jesus… ]
II. CHRIST WARNS AGAINST FALSE SAVIORS
A. Jesus is not referring to the prophets of God- Jesus is referring to those who came before Him who offered salvation and help. There are actually more after Him who emulated Him and expressed the lie that they could save. This is the TRUTH: only one can save.
1) Getting technical: Judas Maccabees in the time between the Testaments was seen as a savior and rebelled against the Roman Empire. This is why there is such a strong Roman military presence in Israel in the time of Jesus.
2) The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.
B. We should note Matthew 7:15-23.
* ILLUSTRATION… Church of Christ of Boston = cult (p)
C. There are in our world today “wolves in sheeps’ clothing” that attempt many times to bring a message of salvation. Some of them even use the name Jesus to do so.
1) Mormonism: “You can become a god after this life if you live right”, Book of Mormon is seen as the authority
2) Jehovah’s Witnesses: Change Scripture and salvation to their own ends, Teach that Jesus has already come back and the rest of us are lost (144,000)
3) Islam: Allah is not YHWH, Koran is seen as the authority
4) Buddhism/Hinduism: “Self improvement comes by our own efforts”
5) New Age: “Self has the power to save self”
D. There is only one Mediator between God and Man and that person is Jesus Christ. He
Alone has the power and the authority to come to God in our stead.
1) There is only One God: Creator, YHWH, I AM, God of Abraham
2) There is only One Book: Holy Bible
3) There is only One Savior: Jesus Christ
E. We must be careful in this world that we are not sucked into their modes of thinking or believing. We need to be careful that we are not fooled by things that seem Christian but are not. Even the early church had to deal with this, 1,2,3 John deal with this subject because Christians were being deceived by false teachers and false doctrine.
III. THE PRIVILEGES OF THE SHEEP
A. The sheep will have safety- Jesus our Shepherd will see to it that our souls are safe for all eternity. We can trust that He is watching over us just as a shepherd would his flocks, for He says in verse 11: “I am the good shepherd.”
1) Do you know if your soul is safe?
2) Do you know that the Lord carries you in the palm of His hand?
3) Do you know that when rough times come, you can run to God?
* ILLUSTRATION… Keeping Abigail & Nathanael Safe (p)
B. The sheep will have liberty- Jesus our Shepherd will see to it that we are free from the bonds of sin. As part of God’s flock, we have freedom from:
1) Shame and guilt, because our sins are forgiven
2) Directionless life, because God will show us the Way
3) Worry about eternity, because we are secure in Christ Forever
4) Loneliness, because we belong to God’s family
C. The sheep will have food- Jesus our Shepherd will see to it that we have what spiritual food we need to survive and grow. We should remember that Jesus has already said, “I am the true bread that came down from Heaven.”
CONCLUSION
