The Door, The Shepherd, and The Call (John 10:1-21 Jeff Kliewer)

God Sightings, God’s Care, and the Reality of False Shepherds

There's a term I'd like to use over the years with different Bible study groups or whatever. It's called a God sighting. Has anybody ever heard the term a God sighting? It's one of those things as you live your life, as you experience life, you realize that was God and you actually rejoice in it and you can share it with somebody else.

Sometimes it can be something as simple as seeing a deer out in the field or it could be the fact that you were expecting a difficult situation in a drive and all the lights were green. It can be something as simple as that where you say, God was really, really, really gracious to me or it can be that God has brought a thought to your mind that where did that come from and it's a God sighting.

We have a God that cares for us, that helps us, that guides us and is with us and the opposite side is the evil one who is doing his very, very best to make life difficult. We have promises that God is greater than the evil one.

We have promises that God knows and the evil one doesn't. We have promises in the omnipotence and the omniscience of our God. Psalm 147 verse 5, great is the Lord and abundant in power. His understanding is beyond measure.

God is the only source of true truth. Anything else that you can go after, anything else you can experience of this world if it's not of God, it is not true truth. Pastor, I'm going to steal some of your thunder.

There are false shepherds. There's one good shepherd. The world, everything that it offers to you is at best temporary and flawed. When we turn to God, we have access to truth, to true truth. It's in the supremacy of who God is.

Amen to all of that. Some announcements. First of all, we'd like to celebrate and praise God for an amazing meeting that we had Monday night right here, the congregational meeting. I think the count was 77 people were here.

We had an amazing unity of spirit. It was an encouraging evening throughout the whole evening. We affirmed our new board. We approved our new budget. We brought in 11 new members. God is just continually adding to our numbers as far as numbers, but God is adding to the strength of our numbers in our relationship with him, with various classes, and we're going to talk about some of that in a minute.

Some of the testimonies that people say when they're here, I come in and I get greeted. People are hugging. People are enjoying each other's company. This is all a blessing from God. To the gentlemen's retreat, Michael, you've already promoted it.

Want to continue to promote it, please, please. There's something that's different about it this year than our retreats in past. This is a men's retreat, but it is also a father-son retreat. If you have children, if you have sons, that is up to you.

At what age are they ready to be part of a men's retreat? At what age are they ready to sit and actually experience it? We are not putting an age limit to it. What an amazing opportunity, fathers, for you to bring your sons, and they can see men in fellowship and in worship and listening to the word and doing all of this stuff as men under God, and to see that as an example and help them to grow, building the relationship with your sons in that environment.

If you have sons and they can come, please have them come. Now, you spoke about online registrations. We're not limiting it to online. If you're not comfortable with online type of stuff, and when I said this first service, my wife looked at me and chuckled.

I'm not really good at apps. If you're not, see John Detoli, and he will take the information and register you for yourself. We do not want any impediments. Somebody wants to come, and that includes we are going to have a number of scholarships available for those who have, financially, it's going to be a difficult thing for them.

We want you to come. We will make scholarships available, so be in prayer, and ladies, be encouraging your gentlemen because this will be an important time of gentlemen fellowship. Love life is on this Saturday.

We're at the other end of the spectrum. We're talking about God's precious little children who have not yet been born, who are being butchered, who are being murdered. Let's not call it anything short of that.

Saturday is our love life prayer walk. Please be part of that, and if you can't be part of that, please be in prayer for that and for those precious young lives. Wednesday, we have, this is the movie night.

We have, I guess it's on the 2nd and the 4th. The 2nd is a game night. This is going to be a movie night. The movie is called Overcomer. I encourage you to come out. It's a good time of family fellowship.

It will be a movie night this weekend. Now we're going to talk about some opportunities for growing in depth, and I'm going to ask Brother Eric if you would come forward.

Youth Ministry and the New High School Small Group

Good morning, everyone. I'm actually unprepared this time. John put me on the spot for service.

My name is Eric Meyer. I only did that because she said I could.

John was being cringy, as the youth would say. My name is Eric. I've been attending Cornerstone for, well, it was Emily of Seaback when I started over 20 years ago. About a couple months ago, my wife, the Lord tends to work through my better half sometimes, put it on her heart to say, you know, like, we need to do something to help with the youth of our church.

So our senior high school-aged kids, Julianne, who recently graduated, is in college, and our son Nathan, who's a sophomore at Lenape. You know, in addition to what Tim's doing, you know, with the youth group, we just felt like it would be great to have an additional time for them to get together, to build relationships, to grow closer to the Lord.

So, you know, my wife and I have led a lot of small groups, have served as an elder, and done a lot of different, wore a lot of different hats here. I used to be the announcement guy a long time ago, so it's kind of good to be up here again.

So this Tuesday, we're going to be starting a small group for high school kids, and it's going to be at our house, I think, at 7, 7 or 7 .30. My wife knows all the details. But we are going to embark on that, so we would cherish your prayers.

We tried to email everybody that was in the church, in the directory, so if we missed you, we're sorry, but, you know, please feel free to come on Tuesday night. We ordered some extra books, just in case some people show up.

So we're going to do, it'll be ninth grade through twelfth graders in high school, whether you're in public school or Christian school or homeschooled. We're going to be using a book called This Changes Everything, How the Gospel Transformed the Teen Years.

It's written by a young lady, and as we read through it, we just felt like this would be a good way to help guide our discussions. There's some questions, you know, we're going to ask the kids to read and do some homework, and we're going to have some fun and food and things like that.

So we're just praying that, you know, the Lord would just bless these Tuesday nights with the kids. So my wife was out in the foyer trying to answer some questions if anybody had any. So, you know, feel free to reach out to me or to her, I'm pretty sure everybody got the email that we sent out.

So we have about 11 kids that are signed up, so we're excited about that, and we're just asking for your prayers, and I think that's it, so, thanks.

Let's dedicate this time and the ministry that Eric and Carrie will have. Father, we acknowledge your hand. We need you, and as Eric and Carrie have answered this call, we say thank you, Lord, for them, and we say thank you in advance because your Spirit will speak through them.

We know that our children are in the midst of a battle in high school where so many things are taught or peer pressure, and so to have truth spoken of and that they could discuss it in an environment where the Holy Spirit is in power, we say thank you.

So we lift this time, this study up to you, and we ask your special blessing on Eric and Carrie. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Thank you, brother. Thank you. Continuing with our youth, I'm going to ask Sister Jill.

I don't know if I've ever been called Sister Jill, but good morning, everyone. This is just a real quick announcement for Vacation Bible School. Things are underway, and we're working toward a little work day coming up early April, and we're going to be making torches.

It's like a castle sort of theme, knights in shining armor, and if by next Sunday, everyone who has either a paper towel roll, or it needs to be an eight-ounce empty can of whatever it is, even dig in your recycle buckets, that's wonderful.

If you could have those to us by next Sunday, that would be wonderful, either to Drew or myself or maybe leave them on the front pew out in the foyer. And just one more thing, we know a lot of people are in and out of the shed, and it just got cleaned out so beautifully at the work day, but we're going to need to be putting a whole lot of stuff that we're working on in the shed.

So we just appreciate your patience, and we promise that it'll all be out of there after Vacation Bible School. So thank you again for these things.

Jill, is there a grace if somebody's a week late with those things? Okay. We don't get enough. Be in prayer for the VBS. And then I also want us to remember, I like to call our young men and women that are off to college, they're actually on the mission field in their particular university.

Whether it's roommates, whether it's classmates, or whether it's faculty, there are opportunities for them to stand as salt and light in the midst of wherever they are. So continue to remember our youth that are off to university.

At this time, I want you to remember our regular schedule of the studies, the men's studies, the women's studies, and please come back tonight for our prayer meeting. Let's turn to prayer. Lord God, we do worship you, our Lord, our God, the creator of all.

You are omnipotent, you are omniscient. All that is and will be is under your sovereign control. Great is the Lord, and abundant in power, his understanding is beyond all measure. We worship you, we surrender to you, we pray for your guide.

We rejoice in your love because as sinners, we are not worthy to come to you, but through the precious blood of the Lamb, we're washed clean by this abounding love. Thank you, God, for saving us, for saving me, for transforming us and turning us into your child.

Thank you for the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, teaches us, and guides us. And we thank you for your word, which is given, which was inspired by you, which is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.

It equips us to be more like you. Thank you for your word, and that we can have time to read it, to study it, to teach it to our children, to grow in it. Lord, we continue to remember those in our midst in need, physically, emotionally, having lost loved ones, we pray, Father.

And this morning, we ask that you would equip Pastor Jeff with your very word. Prepare his words by your Holy Spirit's power. Prepare our hearts to hear, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.

Worship, Prayer, and the Opening Call to the Good Shepherd

Let's praise his name this morning. Psalm 148. Oh, praise his name. Let all his wondrous works declare his praise. Reaches of heaven. Dancing in silence of mourning. Driving out demons, converting new believers, igniting faith, powerful preaching.

All these things were done in the name of Jesus. Saying the name of Jesus has power beyond ourselves. It means representing him, speaking on his behalf as the only one with authority. Lord, we come to you this morning knowing that your name, the God of all the universe, has created everything.

That you are worthy of our praise. You are faithful. Now, forever, and always. We worship you this morning in song. Continue singing and praying and reading your word throughout the week. Side to the blind.

I believe that the dead came to life. I believe there are wonders and signs. You're still the same. Worthy you say. There are scars in your hands. That your goodness is good without end. You'll never change.

I will tell of your wonders. Sing of your grace. The God of creation knows me by name. The Lord. Yesterday, now, and always. Mighty. Age after age. All generations. Yesterday, now, and always. The cloud.

Even now. We confess, Lord, that sometimes we are not praying as much as we should. Forgive us of that. And allow us to receive your power of the Holy Spirit. To dedicate our lives to your word. To prayer.

And to singing praises to your name. It's not just on Sunday morning, Lord. We want to do it every day. Every moment. Your mercy is more. Stronger than the darkness. But new every day. Thank you for the promise that you renew us every day.

Let's pray.

God, it is so good to be part of your flock. Under one shepherd. Lord, it is so good to be called by name. To be known by you. And to know you. You are a good shepherd to us. And we pray, Lord, this morning we would be found to be obedient sheep.

That we would follow you. That we would hear your voice. And follow your lead. Lead us now into your word. Lead us now to that living water. That bread from heaven. Christ himself as revealed in the word of God.

Lead us, good shepherd. For we are your sheep. And the people of your pasture. We belong to you. And you are our shepherd. Help us now to understand you more. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. The opposite of a good shepherd is not just a bad shepherd.

But a false shepherd. There are many false shepherds in the world. An example of a good shepherd. One who points to Christ. Would be Mawin Socket. Anybody ever celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Maybe last week?

Anybody celebrate that? The world did. And ironically many of them were getting drunk and carrying on for St. Patrick's Day. But few people know in the world. Many of you probably do. That Mawin Socket, later known as St. Patrick.

Was an Englishman who was captured. And brought to Ireland as a slave. He was a slave for a number of years until he escaped. But after the call of God on his life. As the power of the Holy Spirit came over him.

As he was acquainted with the word of God. He voluntarily went back to Ireland. This time not as a slave. But as a missionary. And St. Patrick is the one. Who in the 300's brought Christianity to a pagan culture.

Now prior to Mawin Socket. The people of Ireland were led by false shepherds. They led people to do sacrifices. Human sacrifices in their paganism. It was a wicked culture. But Mawin Socket brought the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

And led in the right way. Similarly many of you know the story of William Wallace. A good shepherd that pointed to Christ. Over in Scotland. They were in danger of falling under the oppression of England.

More so and more so. Being taxed. Being oppressed. Being pillaged in so many ways by the English. William Wallace rose up to lead them. And why is it that people followed William Wallace? Well it's because he was a good shepherd.

Who led from the front. He was willing to go ahead of the troops in battle. He was willing to lay down his life. And in fact William Wallace died as a martyr. Now few people realize that William Wallace was a devout Christian.

He was raised on the scriptures by some uncles that trained him. He had a Psalter given to him. That is a book of Psalms. Which he would memorize. And in his death he asked for that Psalter to be given to him.

And he quoted the Psalms to endure the suffering of his death. He wrote a letter carried by Sir James Ferguson. In which he said these words. Which might sound familiar to some. Because that movie Braveheart picks up on it.

He says, My son, freedom is best. I tell thee truth of all things to be one. Then never live within the bond of slavery. And historian says that what William Wallace understood. Is that people desire to treasure and protect liberty with their own lives.

And William Wallace did. Seeing that it's the only certainty for the continuance of the church. The family and the nation. You see William Wallace valued freedom. Because under freedom people can worship their God.

Under false shepherds that oppress them. Like the false shepherd of North Korea. Or Hitler during the days of Nazi Germany. Or Stalin crushing the church in the Soviet Union. False shepherds rise up and stifle the church.

And restrain the free worship of God. There are many false shepherds in the world. Which is why we need freedom fighters. Like William Wallace. Protecting the church and the family. And the nation. Now at the time of William Wallace.

There were false shepherds in Scotland. These were men who claimed to be Christian. These nobles in Scotland. Were not true shepherds of the flock. They exchanged the labor of the people. Enslaving them to the English King Edward.

In exchange for titles and land. And greater status as the nobility of Scotland. These were false shepherds. A good shepherd is one who will lay down his life. A false shepherd is one who feeds on the flock.

We see this paradigm in the Bible very much so. In fact it's one of the prominent metaphors. To help us understand our God. It begins as early as the 12th chapter of Genesis. When Abraham a shepherd is called to follow God.

And this shepherd Abraham cares for sheep. But later will become the leader of a nation called Israel. He is at one point called to sacrifice his most precious sheep. And that is Isaac. In obeying God he's even willing to follow God to that extreme.

Which is mind-blowing. But God of course stops him from sacrificing Isaac. And provides a ram in the thicket. A substitute sacrifice. The heart of Abraham pours out of the pages of scripture. And we see one who loves the sheep.

His beloved son Isaac. Abraham is a shepherd. The next great shepherd of course. In the meta-narrative of scripture is Moses. And you realize Moses lived three lives. 40 years each. The first 40 years of Moses' life were lived as a false shepherd.

He was enjoying the treasures of Egypt. Raised by the Egyptian princess. And in some sense part of the oppression of the sheep. Of Israel. But making a break and leaving behind the treasures of Egypt.

He came out of Egypt. And for the next 40 years of his life he was a shepherd of sheep. He was off in the wilderness caring for sheep. Well that means something. Because of course it points to the last 40 years of Moses' life.

When he became the great shepherd of Israel. And going before them he leads them out of bondage. He leads them through the Red Sea. And the wanderings in the wilderness. And he brings them safely to the promised land.

He is a picture of a shepherd who leads the sheep. And then there is the great king. And do you think it's a coincidence that David as a boy was a shepherd? Caring for sheep. Until in his adulthood as a man he was the shepherd of Israel.

A true king. And it was David who wrote those famous words. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. And he presents God as the true good shepherd. It's God that will correct us with his rod and staff.

And protect us from the wolves. And lead us to quiet waters and meadows. And prepare a table before us. And anoint our heads with oil. He will care for the sheep. He is the good shepherd. And that's what the metaphor points to.

That God is the good shepherd. But there are false shepherds in the scripture as well. Aren't there? Ezekiel 34 is a warning of woe against the shepherds of Israel. Because rather than caring for the flock like good shepherds should.

They feed on the flock. And they devour the flock. And so God says after condemning the false shepherds of Israel. I myself will come and shepherd Israel. How is it that God the good shepherd will himself come and shepherd?

Well of course that is in the person of Jesus Christ. He will take on flesh. Become if you will a sheep that leads sheep. He will then become the lamb led to the slaughter. Jesus is the good shepherd in flesh.

And he warns of a false shepherd. The antichrist. In John 5 .43 Jesus says I am come in my father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name him you will receive. He refers there to the antichrist.

A false shepherd that will lead the people to the slaughter. Zechariah 11 .16 foretells this false shepherd. This foolish shepherd. Behold I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed.

Or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy. But devours the flesh of the fat ones. Tearing off even their hoofs. Woe to my worthless shepherd who deserts the flock. May the sword strike his arm and his right eye.

Let his arm be wholly withered. His right eye utterly blinded. This is the woe of God against false shepherds and particularly the coming antichrist. The metaphor of the shepherd points us to God. And it warns us of false shepherds who lead people away from the true.

Turn with me to John chapter 10. Where we encounter one of the most beautiful metaphors in all the Bible. Many of you will be familiar with it. The story of the good shepherd. It's not a parable. John 10 is not a parable.

In fact nowhere in the book of John do we have the parables of Jesus. Why do you think that is? I think John writing decades after Matthew, Mark and Luke. Considered what they had written of the parables to be sufficient.

The parables were there. But John does not add new parables. What he does here is as verse 6 calls it. A figure of speech. The difference between this kind of figure of speech and a parable. Is that a parable always seeks to make one point.

It centers in on one main idea. And if you stretch the parable in other directions. It takes you off into uncharted territory. You wander where you don't belong. The parable is leading us to underscore one central point.

But this figure of speech, this metaphor is broader than that. In fact it's so expansive that it goes in multiple directions. And it's hard to track with unless you have the interpretation of Jesus. So the first six verses make no sense to those who hear them.

But then Jesus will explain the meaning of the metaphor. The figure of speech in three sections. And that is from 7 to 10. 11 to 13. And then 14 to 18. So let's begin with the figure of speech verses 1 to 6.

And that will give us a sense of where this metaphor is going. And we'll see if we can pick up on the range of meaning that Jesus is uncovering for us. John 10, 1 to 6. 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 leads them out. 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 to them. So let's pause there. Those hearing the figure of speech were not understanding. Now for us to understand where Jesus is going with this.

We need to set it in context. Realize that John chapter 10 is 42 verses. But the first 21 and the second 21 take place at different times. 1 to 21 take place still at the Feast of Booths. How do we know that?

Well look at verse 21. When people are rejecting this and not understanding. Their objection is the ones who do believe say. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? Why are they still talking about the opening of the eyes of the blind?

Well that is because chapter 9 did not really come to a close. When scripture was given to us there was no giant 10 before verse 1. That was a later addition. Stephanus with the numbering system in the 1500s.

Here the scene hasn't changed. It doesn't change until verse 21. And then at verse 22 you have the next festival. The next feast which is Hanukkah. The Festival of Lights. So through verse 21 you're still dealing with the same body of teaching.

And last week we learned that the main idea of the healing of the blind man. Is that God supernaturally gives sight to the blind. People who can't see God. Their eyes are open. They're given eyes to see.

And so in 941 it says Jesus said to them. If you were blind you would have no guilt. But now that you say we see. Your guilt remains. Even as God gives sight to the blind. And that's up in prior to this I think verse 39.

For judgment I came into this world that those who do not see may see. And those who see may become blind. The meaning of chapter 9 is that God is opening blind eyes. To see Jesus as Messiah. But conversely the other side is also true.

There are those who are blind. Who are self-assured in their pride. And they can't see even though Jesus is right in front of their eyes. The king of the world is in flesh and they receive him not. They're blind.

Their eyes are blind. That's the idea. So now look at chapter 10 verse 1. Truly, truly. Whenever you hear Jesus Christ say truly, truly. You better pay attention. Truly, truly or amen, amen in the Greek.

Truly. Whenever this phrase is used. It is meant to underscore something that is of utmost importance. John 3, 3. Truly, truly I say to you. Unless one is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of heaven.

Speaking of the human condition. You need to hear this. Truly, truly. Without the new birth you are dead. Your condition is such that you will not go to heaven. You think that you're righteous but you're not.

You will not go. You need to hear that. Truly, truly. Or John 8, 58. Truly, truly I say to you. Before Abraham was born I am. You truly, truly need to hear that Jesus is God. He is the I am who came in the flesh.

He's more than a prophet. More than a man. He is the I am. Truly, truly. And you likewise need to hear this. Truly, truly I say to you. He who does not enter. The sheep fold by the door. But climbs in by another way.

That man is a thief and a robber. You truly need to hear that there are false shepherds. They might look the part of a true shepherd. The Pharisee wore flowing robes and they had a phylactery on their head.

A box of scripture. To make themselves look holy. And they prayed on the street corners. And all the people looked up to them as being religious and righteous and holy. But truly, truly. These blind Pharisees, they're thieves and robbers.

Now why does it say that they're thieves, klepto, and robbers? Wouldn't just one of the terms suffice? Well in the text we're again at verse 1. The thief and the robber. Pictures one who steals. A thief is one who steals.

A robber, more than that, is one who comes and takes by force. And is even willing to kill or murder the one from whom they steal. The point here is the Pharisee. The religious teacher who denies that Jesus is the I Am.

This Pharisee is not just taking something from your pocket. He'll kill the prophet sent. The Pharisees will kill the Son of God. Those who tell the truth, the genuine shepherds, will be put under their sword.

As William Wallace died a martyr. As the martyrs through the generations have brought the gospel. Those religious leaders, the false shepherds who have gone before them. These will kill by force. To hold on to their possessions and to take from the flock.

To fleece the flock. This is a good shepherd. Notice that. For later. Stranger they will not follow. But they will flee from him. For they do not know the voice of strangers. Now in the metaphor, we're told they don't understand what he's talking about.

But they understand the physical analogy. Because Israel is a very agrarian culture. That depends entirely upon sheep for them to live. How many sheep are there in Israel at this time? To give you an idea.

When Job was in the Middle East. Caring for his flocks and his family, the richest man. He had 14 ,000 sheep. By the time of Solomon. About a thousand years prior to the time of Jesus. When they dedicated the temple.

Solomon offered 120 ,000 sheep on that day. Those were just the sheep for sacrifice. So now as Israel has grown a thousand years later in the time of Christ. Imagine how prevalent sheep were to the economy.

And to life in Israel. In every village. Most every village in Israel. There would be a sheep pen. It would be an enclosure built of stone. Usually the stone would be piled about three feet high. And on top of that three foot high stone enclosure.

There would be thorns and thistles. And this would extend out into a large pen outdoors. Sometimes they'd cover a corner of it. In case of rain for the sheep to find some cover. But this huge enclosure was used by all the shepherds of the village.

Their sheep would graze on the hills during the day. And then they would call their sheep by name. And they would lead them through the door into the sheep pen for the village. They would pay the gatekeeper.

And he would sleep at night by the door. The shepherd could then go get a good night's rest in his home. And all of the different flocks were together in one pen. Now if a thief or a robber came. They would have a difficult time getting a sheep.

Can you imagine how much a sheep weighs? It would be a little difficult to lift a giant sheep over a three foot wall. Especially if they go through the thorns. You're genuinely, generally safe inside the sheep pen.

Then the shepherd comes in the morning. And amidst all of those sheep. Belonging to so many different shepherds. He would call his sheep by name. And they would come running. So now picture yourself in the first century.

You understand this metaphor. Clearly the shepherd must be in view as a true leader. But many people miss where Jesus begins the explanation of this parable. Let's look at verse 7. Surprisingly. He doesn't begin with himself as the shepherd.

He begins with that door. Where the gatekeeper would sleep. That door is the first point we need to zero in on. To understand this metaphor. Jesus again said to them. Truly, truly. I mean you better not be dozing off right now.

This one's important. Truly, truly. I say to you. I am the door of the sheep. That's the first thing that he wanted them to understand. He's the door. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the door. He's referring to himself as an inanimate object. An entryway. He's not yet talking about him as the shepherd. This is verse 9. If anyone enters by me. Here's the meaning of the door. Let the text tell you.

He will be saved. And will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life. And have it abundantly. The first meaning of the metaphor.

Is that Jesus is the only way to be saved. One must come through Jesus. Through the door. To be saved. Unless you come in and out of this door. You're going to die. If all you do is ever stay in the pen.

You'll starve to death. Because it's just tamped down dirt. There's no grass for grazing in the sheep pen. You'll starve to death. If you can't come through the door. And go out and find pasture. You'll starve to death.

But if you're not brought in at night. Into the safety of the sheep pen. You'll get devoured by wild beasts. Out on the hills. The door is the key to being saved. And the point is. There's no other way.

If there were stones removed from the sheep pen. And someone coming in and out that way. This is only a thief. It's a false shepherd. He's leading you through that hole in the wall. To kill you. To sell your meat.

On the market. To sell the fat of the tail. To devour you. He'll kill you. So you can listen to the Pharisee. Who says no Jesus is not Messiah. Because he would never heal on the Sabbath. You can listen to that Pharisee.

And die in your sin. Or you can come by the door. The one way to be saved. You can come through Jesus. Who is the door. And you will be saved. Church. Those listening online. Everybody here. Pay attention.

Unless you believe in Jesus. You will die in your sin. He is the only way to be saved. Any who went before. Claiming a different way. Be it Muhammad or Buddha or Confucius. Or political commentators today.

Or anybody else in the ethos of American culture. That says pluralism. Pluralism. Pluralism. Every way is equal. Go whichever way you choose. If it's true to you. Then it's true. Everyone who says such things.

Is a thief and a liar. The good shepherd. Tells us the way to be saved. And I find it really ironic. That some claim to follow the shepherd. And yet reject him at this point. They say I'll follow Jesus for me.

But others can follow whichever shepherd they choose. And that's good for them. Then why follow Jesus? Because he's the one here telling us. That he is the door. And every other way. Every other shepherd.

Is a thief and a liar. It broke my heart a number of years ago. To see video of Billy Graham. Going on the Crystal Cathedral. Robert Schuller show. Now mind you. Billy Graham called many people to the door.