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Sermon Notes

The 7 “I Am’s” of Jesus
Pt 3
“I Am the Door”

John 10: 1-5; 7-10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber (Jesus speaking of the Pharisees and all false teachers and false religions here). 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers”…7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear 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 does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
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This is the third “I am” spoken by Jesus to disclose who he is to us as God the Son.

The first two “I AM’s” were “I AM the bread of life,” and “I AM the light of the world.”

This time he tells us twice, “I am the DOOR.”

Now, two things we use a door for are–ENTRANCE and PROTECTION.

A door lets us in to where we want to go, and keeps out who we don’t want in!

And in our text Jesus tells us three important things about himself as THE DOOR:

–He’s the doorway to salvation
–He’s the protective door that keeps the enemy out, and
–He’s the doorway to our ultimate fulfillment
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So first,

I. He’s the doorway to salvation

10:9 “I am the door, if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved,”

Notice he didn’t say, “I am A door, one of MANY doors to choose from.”

He said “I am THE one and only door; if you come through me you will be saved.”

The Lord emphasizes over and over that any other option,
anyone or anything else claiming to be the way to salvation,
is “a thief, a robber, and a stranger.”

“I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers…and my sheep don’t know the voice of the stranger.”

So there’s a REAL doorway to heaven,
and there are FALSE doors that steal, kill, and destroy those that walk through them.

Jesus said, 10:10 “The thief (the fake doors promising salvation and fulfillment) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”
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DOORS are weighty, important, often life-altering things.

God presents doors for us to walk through, and so does the devil.

GOD’S DOORS:

When God presents a door it is always for a righteous cause, to enhance spiritual growth, to advance His kingdom, and will always bring glory to Christ Jesus.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”–1 Cor. 16:9

In John’s Revelation we find Jesus telling the church at Philadelphia, “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.”–Rev 3:8
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THE DEVIL’S DOORS:

But the devil’s doors contain hidden traps that snare you once you walk through it, and always result in heartbreak, regret, bondage, and ruin.

God told Cain in Gen 4:7,

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you…”

Notice how sin “is crouching at a door,”—waiting on the other side of a door that it might ‘have you.’
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Satan’s doors always ADVERTISE:

“Fulfillment and happiness are yours if you open this door!”

Or, “This door is the way to your questions being answered about life and meaning.”

Or, “Try this door if you want to have some fun and enjoy life.”

Or, “This door is the way to the mystical, spiritual experiences you’ve longed for.”

And the devil’s doors are typically well decorated and appealing to the eye.

But if its a door from the devil it is always false advertising!
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DOORS BRING CONSEQUENCES OR BLESSINGS:

Some DOORS you can walk through, not like what you find, and walk back out.

But other DOORS can take you to a place of no return.

–No one walks through the door of ALCOHOL with the intent of becoming a lifelong slave to it.

–No one walks through the door of THE OCCULT intending to open their lives up to Satanic bondage.

–No one walks through the door of a FALSE RELIGION knowing it will cost them their eternal soul.

So DOORS are a big deal, and are presented by both God and Satan.
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With that in mind, think of how Jesus describes himself!

He made no bones about claiming straight up that he was the one and only doorway through which we escape the perils of hell, and gain entrance into heaven:

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”–John 14:6
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According to him, any other way is a FALSE DOOR that results in–theft, death, and destruction.

A false door will STEAL from you–it will steal your soul.

It will KILL the good things in your life.

It will DESTROY by bringing eternal ruin to you.
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All of the cults are false doors–Mormonism, the Moonies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, and so on.

All of the world’s false religions are false doors–Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Secularism, Christian Science.

Jesus on the other hand is the ONE TRUE DOORWAY leading to salvation, redemption, forgiveness!
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And he’s not just the only doorway to heaven, He is:

II. Our protecting door

A door not only lets welcomed people in, it keeps unwelcome people out!

Jesus is like a locked door to our enemies, keeping the wolves out of our lives!

ILLUS: In Jesus’s day, a shepherd would stand at evening time at the door or gate leading to the corralled pasture land the sheep grazed in, and guard against any predator trying to get through it.

Likewise, our Great Shepherd provides a safe refuge for believers to find peace and security.

He stands guard at the doorway of our minds and hearts to protect us from deadly predators.

He warns us of the voice of the stranger, “4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
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SO—-As the true DOOR, Jesus is the only DOORWAY to heaven, is our PROTECTING door that shuts out the enemy, and finally he is the doorway to:

III. Abundant life

10: 9-10 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Abundant life is about the rich spiritual nourishment and fulfillment that comes from knowing Him.

Jesus is the doorway leading to abundant life as he leads us to the rich pasture lands of:

spiritual fulfillment,
love,
joy,
peace with God,
redemption,
the indwelling Holy Spirit,
the rich grazing lands of God’s word,
and ultimately the sheer bliss of heaven!

No wonder the psalmist wrote, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”–Ps 23:2
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And notice how all this becomes ours:

He “calls his own sheep by name”–Jesus calls our NAME!

It’s an individual call.
It’s deeply personal.
He knows your name and calls you by name to follow him, just like he did the early disciples, saying “Follow me.”

He said:

10:3-4 “…the sheep hear my voice;…and I lead them out. 4 And…I go before them; and the sheep follow me, for they know my voice.”

He knows us by name and we in turn “know his voice.”
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Jesus is:

The one true DOORWAY to heaven
The PROTECTING door over our soul, and
The DOOR leading to abundant life!