Well, good morning church and I wanna welcome some of you 9:30 service people to the 11 o'clock service today. It's good to see you. Uh, thanks for being here today. Uh, you made it, uh, and that is good news. Well, hey, before we jump into the message, if you are a normal Burnt Hickory person, you know that last Monday, uh, we had our annual Men's Night here at Burnt Hickory. And let me tell you, it was incredible. The food was fabulous, the company was great. The Holy Spirit did a work in this room and as a result of that, over 50 men gave their heart to Jesus on Monday night. Uh, here in this room as well as 25 or so or even more, jumped into a small group on Wednesday night and many, many, many others just left here encouraged. It was a great night together.
So let me say this, for those of you that prayed at that event, man, thank you for doing that. For those of you that are faithful givers here, man, thanks for giving because you make things like that happen and let's keep reaching this community. All right, well let's jump into the message this morning. According to the bumper, right, we are still in our series walking with our friend, the Apostle John. We're walking through his gospel, but we're doing it in kind of three distinct chunks over the course of all of this spring. And right now we are slap in the middle of the I Am statements of John that actually Jesus gave us when he proclaimed, right? The highest and the holiness and holiest name of God from the Old Testament, Yahweh. When he proclaimed that on himself as well as showed us that he's attaching these I Am statements to some of our greatest needs, right?
That's what he's doing so far. We've walked through two of them. Two weeks ago we walked through John chapter six where Jesus proclaimed to us that he is the bread of life. After feeding the 5,000 and feeding the 4,000, Jesus stepped onto the scene and said, I am, I am God. And I am the one that nourishes that gives you life. Last week out of John chapter eight, we moved from the bread of life to we moved over to the idea that Jesus proclaimed that he's the light of the world. Last week we walked with Jesus as he stood up during the moment in the temple, the Festival of the Tabernacles, and he's proclaimed to everybody that was present that I am, not only God, but I am the light of the world. I'm the one that brings comfort and the one that brings safety, the one that brings guidance, the one that gives you hope, the one that absolutely gives and sustains life.
That's where we've been in the last two weeks. But today we actually come to the third one of these powerful claims, the third one of these powerful promises from Jesus and and we find it in John chapter 10. John chapter 10 is where we're gonna be camping out today. If you have a copy of scripture and just like the last couple of weeks, what I wanna do today is I simply want to give you the claim on the front end and then I wanna walk you back through the context of the claim. And I wanna walk you back through why this claim carries so much power, not only for the first century people that it was given to, but also for us. All right? So what Jesus is about to do, he is about to give us a new claim, to show us who he is, to show us that he is God and to show us what he's offering to every single person.
Well let's jump into the text. Here we go, John, chapter 10, let me read you the claim and then we're gonna walk back through it. Here's the claim from Jesus. Here's what he says in verse nine. He says this, I am the door. I am the door. There's the claim, right? If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and he will go in and out and find pasture. Now that's our key verse. We're gonna hammer that verse over and over and over and squeeze everything we can out of it. But I want you to circle the phrase, all right? If you got a Bible, circle that phrase I am the door. Or just actually highlight that whole verse there. Because you may not have ever thought about it, but doors are actually gates. Either way you wanna say it, whichever one. It's the same thing. In the Bible are a big deal.
In fact, I'm thinking about asking Pastor Allen on Wednesday night, maybe at some point of doing a whole series on the doors or the gates in the Bible. That's how big of a deal that they actually are. From the beginning to the end of scripture. You say, Matt, are they really that big of a deal? Well, lemme give you a couple and let you make the decision of how big of a deal they really are. Remember in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis chapter three, after Adam and Eve had sinned in the garden, God literally removed them because they separated themselves from his presence and the eternal life that God had given them. God removed them from the garden. And do you remember what happened next? God posted at the door of the garden, two angels. The Bible says, with flaming swords that were guarding the tree of life that humanity could not enter back into, except through that door.
There's another door in Genesis chapter seven, right? In Genesis chapter seven, you have Noah, the only righteous person on earth. Remember what God had him do? God had him build this incredibly large boat and the design that God gave him of the boat had one door just like the garden where there was only one door back into the presence. Outside the door was death. Inside the door was life. Now God has designed the ark with one door. Remember what Noah did? Noah received all of the animals that walked onto the ark, one of every kind. He received his family that walked onto the ark, every one of his family. And then the Bible tells us in Genesis chapter seven, that God shut the door to the ark. He shut the door to the ark. Representing what? Outside the ark was the flood, was destruction, and was death.
Inside the ark was life. It was the one door to life. Okay, Matt, well that's two doors. Well, lemme give you another one out of Exodus chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12, the Israelites are on the last plague, the plague of the death angel. And remember what God did for his people? He said, if you will slay a lamb and you will paint the blood of the door over or paint the blood on the door of your home, what did God promise to do? God promised to pass over them to save them. What is it representing? There is one way inside the home was the safety was eternity was promised. Outside the door was what? It was death. Lemme give you one more just for kicks today 'cause this is time change. The Old Testament tabernacle, right? The Old Testament, when you look at the design of the tabernacle or of the temple, one of the most significant parts of the layout, I feel like we've been talking about this a lot lately.
One of the most significant parts of the layout was that it wasn't like kind of our building today where where there were multiple ways in and multiple ways out. Evidently there was no fire marshal or no fire code or or anything like that. Back in this day, once you were in the courtyards to get inside the temple, there was one door into the temple. It was covered by this huge thick, actually huge thick curtain that walked into the bronze altar that every day the priest in the morning and at night would offer the sacrifices before the Lord with this representation is this is God's presence. On top of that one door, if you went one more door into the Holy of Holies, there was only one door into the Holy Holies that had the veil that the Bible talks about, the curtain that the Bible talks about, that once a year the high priest could go through this one door to offer a sacrifice for the atonements of all mankind's sins to be forgiven so that they could walk back into the presence of God's favor.
Man, I hope you're seeing that doors are significant outside the doors was death. Inside the doors is life. For you bible nerds, those of you that aren't just checked out for a minute, for those of you that are, I wanna point one more thing out, right? Inside the Holy of Holies, when you walked into the building, the Bible describes it as that there was two statues of angels holding swords on top of the mercy seat, right? On top of the arc. There was an angel at the foot, an angel at the, at the head of the mercy seat that actually signified these carvings of these, these angels signify the angels in the garden symbolizing that now this is the place, the arc, right? The Holy of Holies that is the place you receive forgiveness and reentry into God's favor. So I hope you're seeing that doors are a big deal.
So when Jesus, right, let's get back to this. When Jesus steps onto the scene and when Jesus says, I am the door, it is way more than us just thinking, ah, let's just walk through a door. Jesus steps onto the scene, he says, Hey, doors are a big deal because outside the door is death, inside the door is life. And Jesus steps onto the scene for all humanity at one moment and says, I am the door. So listen, that's the claim, alright? I want you to remember the claim, but I also want to show you the surrounding conversation around the claim just to help us see how big of a deal it is and actually what Jesus wants to do because he's the door. Now, if you've been tracking with us, you know that we're in actually John chapter 10 today, but in John chapter five all the way through John chapter 10, what John has done through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is John has given us one long message of the deity of Jesus.
One long message that over and over and over again, Jesus has proved that he is God and he is with us. I mean, when you just, when you go back and kind of hit the highlights, you see Jesus healing the lame man at the pool of Shalom where, where the religious leaders get really peeved off at him because he does it on the pro or does it on the Sabbath day, but, but Jesus says, no, his life is worth it. You fast forward over to two weeks ago where we see the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus proclaiming that he is the bread of life. And Jesus, even in that moment when proclaiming that he is the one makes the religious leaders, these Pharisees even more mad. You fast forward a little bit farther, Jesus forgives the lady and sets her free. That was caught in the act of adultery, and who was it that was mad about it that walked off throwing their stones on the ground?
It was the Pharisees. Once again, it was these religious people last week. I can't believe we skipped the story. It's one of my favorite in the Bible. We just gotta read it. Last week, John chapter nine, where we kind of left off, Jesus actually heals this blind man. He heals him. But yet the religious leaders, they get mad at Jesus again, even one more time. So much so they accuse Jesus as being a sinner. They bring this guy in and keep questioning him. They even question this poor guy's parents, for goodness sake, on what happened to him. And finally, this guy gets so upset in one of my favorite verses in John chapter nine, where he looks at the Pharisees and says, look, whether this guy's a sinner or not, I don't know, but I was blind and now I see. He just says He healed me.
He gave me life. So all through these verses in five through 10, this is why I wanted to remind you of them. You can see that it's almost like the kickball teams are being chosen, right? It's almost like over here you've got Jesus and his disciples. You've got Jesus and these people that he has healed. You've got Jesus and these people that are believing in him and giving their life to him, and he is giving people hope and promise. But over here you've got these Pharisees, right, that are supposed to be the religious people, supposed to be the smart and holy people, but yet they're so mad at what Jesus is saying. They keep trying to stone him. They keep trying to discredit him. They keep trying to arrest him. But yet Jesus continues to say, I am. And in all of that, Jesus is looking at them going, listen, boys–to the Pharisees–you keep saying that you're the way.
You keep saying that you know the way. You keep saying that you're the protectors of the way, but he keeps saying, I am the door. Now, that's the context of John chapter 10, and I know you knew that. I just wanted to remind you, okay? That's the context of John chapter 10, and that's where Jesus gives us this incredible claim today. So let's just read the first nine verses and then I'm gonna do my best. In the time that I got left, I'm gonna do my best to walk you through this double metaphor from Jesus. All right, here it is, John chapter 10 verse one. Here's what Jesus says. He says, truly, truly. In other words, y'all listen up. That's southern for truly, truly, all right? Truly, truly. I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber, but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him, the gatekeeper opens the sheep, hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. When he has brought all his own, when he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice, a stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him. For they do not know the voice of strangers. This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying. Now they knew the context, they just didn't get the point. All right? So watch what Jesus does. In verse seven, Jesus says to them again, y'all listen up. Right? Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
Verse nine, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and go in and out and find pasture. Now, when you read that, especially if you're a little bit ADD like me, there is a lot there and you get lost in the "truly trulys" and the this story and the gatekeeper and the shepherd. So let me just see if I can make sense of it, because what it does is it shines a light on the hope of what Jesus wants to do in you. In this time, there was actually two different kinds of sheepfolds. You're like, what's a sheepfold? It's a pen you put your sheep in to keep 'em safe. There was two kinds. -There was the first kind is in the first six verses. The second kind is in the last verses. The first kind is what I would just kind of call a multi flock city pen.
Now, I know that's not a good name, right? I couldn't come up with a good name, but that's exactly what it is. That would be a pen that was outside of a major city. If you go to Jerusalem with us, at some point, you'll see there's some actual ruins of them right outside the city. You would bring your sheep if you were a shepherd, you would bring your sheep to this multi-flock pen. If you would want to go into the city, have a night off, get a good bath, get a meal, probably other things the shepherds did during that time, and they would check their sheep into this pen so that they would be safe. There was a gatekeeper, a hired hand. So the shepherd would bring their sheep and they would basically put their staff about knee high and they would bring their sheep underneath the staff so the shepherd could inspect them. So the shepherd could see if they were sick, if they were wounded. And so that he and the gatekeeper could agree with how many sheep came in so that the next morning that shepherd could come back refreshed from his monthly bath and come back to the gate, and then he could receive back his sheep from among all the other sheep that are in this pen.
Now, for me, the problem is how in the world would that shepherd know which one are his and which one are brother Fred's the other shepherd that are in my mind right now? Right? How would he know that they didn't have tags in their ears back then or numbers painted on them or anything? How did they do it? Well, history tells us exactly how they did it, and it's incredible. You see what the shepherd would do is he would walk up to the gate, to the shepherd, he would greet him, and the shepherd would open the door and the shepherd would have a specific word or a specific phrase or a dirge, or here's one for you southern people, a yodel, right? That he would call out in that moment and check this out, guys, if I'm lying, I'm dying. None of the rest of the sheep would move, but his sheep would hear his voice respond to his call, and they would walk out the door with the rest of the sheep, not even know when it's happening.
Now, you, you, you can, you can YouTube this thing up this afternoon, not right now, this afternoon, and go down the wormhole, right? And you'll see that this is exactly how it happens. The sheep knew his voice. There's actually even, there's actually even like stories and antiquity of robbers stealing the coats of other shepherds and staffs of other shepherds and trying to sneak into these pens and trying to lead these sheep out by looking like them and smelling like them and being around them. And them sheep would look up and be like, nah, you're not our dude, right? But here's the point. This is the point Jesus is making about himself. The sheep are going, Hey, we know our shepherds voice. And listen to what Jesus says right here in verse three. He says, the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name.
Believer, listen to me he called you by name and you responded to him. He calls them by name and he leads them out. When he has brought them out, what does it say? He goes before them and the sheep follow him. For they know his voice. And a stranger they're not gonna follow, but they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers. So here's the question that's been in my mind. How do you know a true sheep of Jesus? How do you know if you are? 'cause you're the sheep in whole story. You're like, like spoiler alert, but you are the sheep, right? How do you know if you are a true sheep of Jesus? It's easy. He just told us it's not by signing a card. It's not by going to a revival service. It's not by being in a LifeGroup.
It is the fact that you have heard and you have followed the voice of Jesus. Do you see it? It's clear as day when you know what's happening in scripture. How do you know a true sheep of Jesus? They hear and they follow Jesus. Let, let me kinda put that in a different context. How do you know that a sheep, how do you know the sheep that are not in the flock of Jesus? It's easy. They're still over here walking circles around in the pen when Jesus is at the gate calling out to his sheep and they don't even recognize his name. Why? Because they have another shepherd. Believe me, this is, this is huge, isn't it? Because if we're a sheep of Jesus, we hear his name, we respond to his name, we follow his name. But if we're not, all that means is we have another shepherd that we follow.
He may look the same, he may smell the same. He may even have on the same coat, but you're not following Jesus. So here's the litmus test question I've been asking myself all week. I put it in your notes for you this morning. Here it is. Whose voice are you listening to? Whose voice are you listening to or put it like this? Whose flock are you traveling with? Whose flock are you moving with Now? That's the first sheepfold. All right? The first, the multi-city. The city multi-flock sheepfold. All right, there it is. I got it out. All right. But the second kind of sheepfold in verses seven through the rest of the story is a different sheepfold that he's describing, showing us something just as incredible, alright? The second kind would be what I would just describe as a country sheepfold.
All right? Say Matt, what? What are you talking about? Lemme show you a picture just to kind of reel you back in a little bit. All right? This is what I would describe in the second part of the story. It is a country sheepfold. Now, this sheepfold would be out in the country. It would be away from people, it would be community property. It would be set up for generations, and anybody could use it, but it was just for one flock at one time. But I want you to notice something about this sheepfold. Something is missing on this sheepfold. What is missing? It is the? The gate or the door, and that's Jesus's point. So what would the shepherd have to do at nighttime at this one? He couldn't go into town. What did he have to do to protect his sheep?
He laid his body down in the gap of the sheepfold to protect his sheep, right? He would get them into the sheepfold, right? He would usher them in, they knew his name. He would lay his life down. I hope you're seeing a little bit of symbolism here. Lay his life down. And then from that point, nothing got in. Nothing got out without it coming through him, the shepherd. We're gonna talk about the Good Shepherd next week. This is all about the door today. That's Jesus. So that's what Jesus is saying to these people. That's what Jesus is looking at these, these Pharisees of the time, and he is going, listen, you keep teaching all this stuff. You keep talking about all this stuff. You keep saying that you are the way in. He stops them. Some scholars believe that he's actually by the sheep gate, which is the east gate of the temple.
He stops them at this moment and says, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You can say that you're the protectors. You can say that you're the way. You can say that you're the religious people that are bringing all this to the people. But Jesus goes, I am the door of the sheep to get back to my father. That's what Jesus says. So just like last week, I want you to write down three things that the door actually brings us this week. Number one, we just talked about it a little bit. We're gonna hit it hard. Number one, the door. This is Jesus. What does he do? He opens up the only way to God. He opens up the only way to God. Why? Why? Why? Why? Well, because literally Jesus is the entryway. Listen closely. Jesus is the entryway, the sole entryway for all of us sinners.
We can put all of us in this category. All of us sinners, he is the entryway back into the promise of God, back into the garden of God. And just like the garden, and just like the ark, and just like the tabernacle, just like the Holy of Holies, there is only one way. There's only one door, and his name is Jesus into the fullness of what God is offering you. Now, this is the primary message of the gospel of John, and it's actually the primary message of the whole New Testament, and it's the primary message that starting last Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, looking towards the cross, that actually Jesus showed us by his death, by his resurrection, was that he is the door. Did you know? Did you know at the moment Jesus died on the cross? At that very moment, the Bible tells us that the veil, right? The separation from the holy of Holies to sinful mankind.
At that moment, the Bible tells us that the veil was split symbolizing, that it was the death of our Savior that is now the door back into God's presence. On top of that, did you know that in John chapter 20, verse 12, when Mary went to the two to see where they lay Jesus, it says this in verse 12. It says, she saw two angels in white seated where Jesus' body had been one at the head and the other at the foot. Remember what I told you what was on top of the mercy seat? There was two angels, one at one side, and one at the other. Remember what I told you that was at the gates going back into God's presence of the garden of Eden, there was one angel on one side and one on the other. Do you see what's being recreated right here?
To say that Jesus is the door, that Jesus is the only door back to God. He's the only door. How we enter into his salvation and his satisfaction? Listen to me close students just for a minute. Look up from your phones just for a minute and say, lemme tell you this. Everybody you walk with is gonna tell you at some point that the way to God is this huge mountain that you can go to however you want to. That you got your way and I got my way, and I got my names for God. And you got your names for God. And as long as we're all faithful, we're gonna reach the same place and we're gonna walk through the same door. But Jesus, as clear as day, is teaching us that there is only one door. There's always only been one door. God is in charge of the door, and judgment is gonna come from any who try to climb in from outside that way.
That's what he's saying in verse seven. He says it. So Jesus again said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. Do you? Do you see what he said? He didn't see I am a door, just like he wasn't a light or a bread. He said, I am the door, singular door. Listen, I know possibly wherever, man, there's some of you that are at a place right now spiritually where it just feels mean to say that. It feels arrogant to say that. It feels judgmental to say that Jesus is the only way, but it's not mean judgmental or arrogant to say it if it's true. It's actually life-giving to say it. And remember this, write this principle down. Just remember this. It makes it easier for me. Remember the principle that I'm just not in charge of the door.
God is, God is. And look, it's not arrogant for me to say, Jesus says the door when Jesus said he is the door and he's proved that he's the door through his resurrection, and now he says that I am the one that make the rules about salvation. Let me flip the script a little bit and say how arrogant or how judgmental is it for anyone to stand up and say, I know the way and I am the way. Last time I checked out, you can't lay your life down for the sin of humanity. You see, it's arrogant looking at it the other way in my estimation, because Jesus said, I am the door. I'm the door. I'm the door, and I am the one to give life. And anybody, Jesus says, who thinks another way, they're just a thief and a robber like these Pharisees that are walking the earth.
So let me ask you this. Have you walked through the door? You know the good news this morning is the door is open for you. The door is made available for you. The door is available for the whosoever that are being called by the voice of the shepherd to turn from their sin, to turn from their shame, and to turn to the savior that can give them life and give them the opportunity to be in the sheepfold of God. Number one, Jesus the door, opens up the only way to God. But here's number two, some of thinking, oh no, we're never going to, we are. I promise. That's the main point. All right? Here it is. Number two, not only does he open up the main way to God, he provides a promise of protection. He provides a promise of protection. After all, what do doors do?
Right? Why do you lock your doors at night? Why do you pull through sketchy neighborhoods and make it a point to tell everybody to lock the door when you know good and well, the doors are already locked. Why do you do it? Because doors are your protection. In fact, look back at the text after the exclusivity of Jesus that he's the way. Look at verse nine again. We're gonna beat it up a little more. Watch what he says. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, here it is. He will be saved. In other words, I'm letting you come into my presence and watch this, and he will go in and out and find pasture. Now, look, I know we're not shepherds. This illustration's a tough one for all of us, but like three of us, and you just got some goats and chickens, so you're not a shepherd, right?
Here it is, all right. During this time, it was, it was dangerous to be a sheep. It was dangerous. You didn't live your little fluffy lifestyle like we try to see on TV sometimes in New Zealand, somewhere on a hillside. No, that's not what it is. Okay? During this time, there were thiefs and robbers who wanted to steal you. There were animals that wanted to kill you, that wanted to destroy you. And the point that Jesus is making, and the story is that we are the sheep in our life in many ways. We walk in the same danger that these sheep walked in. Why? 'cause there are so many things that are coming at us in life. There's so many dangers. There's so many things that are out to get us. There's so many things that are out to derail us from being in the fold of Jesus.
That's the point of the story. But the promise that Jesus has given is to say that not only am I the door that opens myself up to give you salvation, Jesus says in this idea is that he is now the one that lays his life down between me and all the danger that will ever come at me and listen to me believer nothing will ever come into the pen of God's sheepfold without it coming over the life of Jesus. That's the protection we have. Do you know when you gave your life to Jesus, when you surrendered your heart to Jesus, he grabbed onto you, you grabbed onto him. And from that point for the rest of your being, he promises to lay at the door of your life in the good times and the bad times, in the struggle times, and in the life of absolute joy.
Jesus is the door, and he promises us. In Psalms 84 11, he says, for the Lord is a son and a shield. The Lord bestows favor and honor and no good thing. Listen to this. Does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless? Do you know what this idea is? Is that Jesus doesn't give us this promise of protection to just have this earthly, fruitful life, although that's there, he says that no matter what in life comes at you, it will be a momentary time of sorrow based on the fact for eternity. You will walk as my lamb and as my sheep under my protection and in the fullness with me. Believers that's the promise you have in Jesus. Or you can just go walk with the boys that are the Pharisees over here and watch 'em stab you in the back. Listen, I know this sounds like hefty, but really it's an incredible promise to us.
What would happen? Let me ask you this. What would happen if we lived every part of our life within in mind, within our minds? We lived every part of our life that we have an almighty and all powerful and ever awake and an ever to attend of God that is laying at the door of our life. Not only did he lay his life down for us on the cross, but he lays there and he protects us. That's the offer that he's offering to us. And no matter how bad it seems, Jesus says, Hey, if it comes through me, it's for my glory and your good. And we're gonna walk this out together. The shepherd the door gives us protection. Number one, he opens up the only way to God. Number two, he provides a promise of protection. I told you we're gonna make it. Number three, check it out.
Here's the last one. He also leads us to a truly fulfilled life. You see how I did that? Leads, that's what happens when you walk in a door, right? It leads you to somewhere. All right, I thought it was better. Here it is, all right? This is big. This is big. This is big. Lemme lemme tell you why this is big about the full life. Full satisfaction, true fulfillment, and eternal joy are what shapes almost every single one of our decisions, is it not? It's what shapes them all the way through our day. Those things are it. Most of our decisions are based on what is going to fulfill me. Now, let's watch what Jesus says about it in verse nine. Again, he says this and read it again. You're gonna memorize it by the end of the day. Here's what he says, I am the door.
If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and he will go in and out and watch this. He will find pasture, find pasture. Now, I want you to focus on that last phrase, find pasture. Because finding pasture to us, we're like, man, it's allergy season. I don't need no pasture. But to them, pasture literally meant it offered their flock life. Why? Because if you're in an arid climate and you're walking around and there's nothing to eat, your sheep die. But what he's saying here is that God's sheep are led to find good pasture, a life of abundance, a life of satisfaction, and a life of joy. In fact, Jesus clears this up even more with John 10 10. You've been waiting this whole series for this one verse, and here it is. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I have come that they may have life and they may have it to the full.
I love that word. The phrase, the full is the Greek word parechó. That literally means that God doesn't just fill our cup up and walk away. He keeps putting, filling on top of filling on top of filling, on top of filling, on top of filling. And he stands there like a waitress that has been distracted on your table. That's the promise that God is giving here. Church, that's the offer. That's what Christ brings. And I know some of you in your mind, somebody has led you to believe that surrendering your life to Jesus is gonna lock you down. It's gonna take out all your joy. It's gonna take out all your fun. It's gonna take out all your relationships. It's gonna take out all your blessings. But listen, this is the life you are offered in Jesus. And it's the exact opposite of what Satan wants you to believe, that you're gonna be locked down in Jesus.
Jesus says, I am bringing you to fresh pasture. And not only am I bringing you there, I'm leading you there. And not only I leading you there, when we get there, I'm gonna lay across the gate and nothing is gonna come at you. Nothing will protect you. But the question is, have you walked through the gate? Have you walked through the gate? Do you realize this is what we've been created for? This is why every single thing you try to walk through in your life, it may feel joyful for the moment, but it never feels like that's where you truly belong. Do you know why? 'cause you belong in the sheepfold of Jesus, you belong in the place that you have been created for. You belong in the place that God has made you for. And as long as you walk outside of that place, the Bible says that you're just a thief.
You're just a robber. But the moment, listen, the moment you step into the sheepfold of Jesus, your incompleteness, your unsatisfaction, your uneasiness, your offness, your, all of these things will come into right relationship with Jesus the door, and he will give you his protection and he will give you his life. So what are we seeing? We're seeing there's total safety in the presence of the sheepfold. There's salvation that is offered in the sheepfold and there's safety, knowing that we are in the arms of the Father that has not only created us, but has given us his life.
He is the door. But here's my final question for you this morning. Have you heard his voice? Have you surrendered your life and have you stepped through this door? I'm not talking about if you signed a piece of paper. I'm not talking about have you given some money to church. I'm not talking about if you're a good person, but has there been a moment in your life where you have heard the dirge of the heavenly shepherd, the good shepherd, we're gonna talk about him next week. You've surrendered your heart to Jesus. You've asked him to forgive you of your sins, to give you life, to be your savior, to be your Lord, and to save you. It's at that moment church that you crawl under the stick of the shepherd and you come into his sheepfold of protection and satisfaction. Have you walked through that door? Or this morning
do you need to give your life to Jesus in just a second? And we're gonna have our invitation time. We do this every single week. And during this time, it is there just so those of you that need to make a step of faith and hear the calling of the shepherd can say, yes, Jesus, move in my heart. If you need to give your life to Jesus in just a second, I'm gonna be standing by that next step banner. And listen, man, why don't you walk through the door in just a second, I'm gonna be standing over there by this next steps banner and maybe today you are a believer in Jesus, and you just need somebody to pray over you because you're just struggling. Why don't you walk through the door? We'll be right over here. Got some friends that are with me. But I just know today I'm praying that this image and this metaphor of the sheepfold comes alive. That we have a protecting, a satisfying and a saving God.