 And the title of our sermon is the Good Shepherd's Love for His Sheep, and we're in part three of this sermon series as we've been working through this paragraph in John chapter 10 verses 1 through 10. And so today, now in John chapter 10, we come again, the Good Shepherd's Love for His Sheep. We've been enthralled in this passage, in this text, with the love of God for His own people as it is beautifully depicted in the rich imagery that we find here of the Good Shepherd's Love for His sheep. In this passage, the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd. And that is an amazing claim. That's a staggering claim. With that statement, the Lord is making a claim. We know from the Old Testament that God himself is depicted as the shepherd of his people, Israel. In Ezekiel chapter 34 verse 31, God says of Israel, you are my flock. You are the flock of my pasture. You are men, and I am your God, says the Lord God. As we come to the New Testament, we see the Lord Jesus Christ making this self-same claim. The Lord Jesus Christ here depicts himself as the shepherd of his people, and in John chapter 10 verse 11, Jesus says, I am the Good Shepherd, and the Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. As we listen here to the Lord's words, just like those who were listening here in the first century to Jesus speaking, we're expected to make that connection. Jesus Christ is God. He is the one who calls his own by name and leads them and brings them out. He is the one who goes before them. In verses 7 through 10, he is the one who saves. He is the one who comes to give abundant and eternal life. And he is the one who lays down his life for the sheep. John says, in this is love. Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. The incomparable and indescribable love of the Good Shepherd for his sheep. Now God's love for his own, so ineffable, so indescribable by words that the Lord paints a picture of it here in the relationship of a shepherd to his sheep. This love of God, the love of the Good Shepherd for his sheep is displayed here in four ways. And we've looked at some of these in weeks past. In verses one and two, he shepherds his people with a protective love. Most assuredly, verse one, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. And he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. And we saw that in the protective love of God for his people. In verses three through four, he shepherds his people with a directive or an authoritative love to him and to him alone, the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. In the beginning in verse five, we saw that he shepherds his people with an exclusive love. Verse five, yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but they'll flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers. And so the Good Shepherd here, he protects his sheep from the thieves and robbers that seek to kill and to destroy. At the appointed time, he calls his own sheep out by name. He leads and directs them and he goes on before them, bringing them out of the fold of their sin, out of the fold of false religion. He places them within his own fold and guards them from the ravenous and savage wolves that come in sheep's clothing. The sheep know them, know him. He is familiar to them and they follow him. You can almost picture as the Lord is giving this depiction here in John chapter 10, you can almost picture, can't you? The man born blind from John chapter nine standing next to him in the temple. As he's telling these false religious leaders, these false shepherd, these savage wolves, as he's giving them this depiction, the man born blind standing there next to him, having been lovingly rescued by the Good Shepherd out of the fold of false religion, out of the fold of now false Judaism, out of the fold of his sin. So it's such a, just a clear and beautiful picture of the Good Shepherd's love for his sheep. It's such a simple illustration, isn't it? Would have been very clear to them, it's very clear to us. So it's difficult to imagine anybody being so hard hearted that they can't get it. So overcome with defensive hostility against the Lord Jesus Christ that they fail to understand what he's communicating here, but that's exactly what happens. In verse six, Jesus used this illustration, but they, the religious leaders, the religious elite, these wolves did not understand the things which he spoke to them. And so the Lord here beginning in verse seven responds with another word picture to further clarify. He's going to further expand his claim. He doesn't ever back down. He doesn't ever back off. He doesn't ease off the claims that he's making. These are bold statements and in verse seven, he just further intensifies the claim. Look at verse seven with me, then Jesus said to them again, most assuredly I say to you, most emphatically I say to you, amen, amen. He says, right, listen carefully to me. I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. Not only is the Lord Jesus Christ exclusively the good shepherd, the only one who enters the sheepfold by the door, the only one to whom the doorkeeper opens, the only one truly known by his own sheep, the only one who calls them by name, but the Lord Jesus Christ is the door, the singular point of entry for the sheep. Secondly, all who ever came before him are thieves and robbers. And thirdly in verse eight, the sheep will not follow anyone else. I am the door of the sheep. The Lord Jesus Christ says, all who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. The good shepherd's love for his sheep is an exclusive love. Now let's take each of those statements from verse seven and verse eight and let's unpack them one at a time. One verse seven, Jesus Christ is the door. Two, all who ever came before him are thieves and robbers. And three, the sheep will not follow anyone else. This is the good shepherd's love for his sheep seen in the exclusivity, the uniqueness of that love. It is an exclusive love. First in verse seven, Jesus Christ is exclusively the door, thura, a singular point of entry for the sheep. Not only is he the shepherd of the sheep described in verses one through six, but here in verse seven, he is the door of the sheep. Now notice first, first thing I want you to see is that this is the third of seven key I am statements made by the Lord in the Gospel of John. Ego A. Me, it's that unusual construction that we've looked at before in the Greek that references the name of God from Exodus on Isaiah in the Old Testament. In John chapter six, verse 48, the Lord said, I, I am, Ego A. Me, the bread of life. In John chapter eight, verse 12, I, I am the light of the world. And here in John chapter 10, verse seven, the same construction, I, I am the door of the sheep. So now the Lord, with this statement again, remember, he reaches back into the Old Testament, back to Exodus, back to Isaiah, back to the name for God given to Moses, the name for God given to the prophet Isaiah, and he makes a radical claim about himself. He is the Son of God, God, the Son, the second person of the Trinity. So now what does the Lord specifically mean by this statement? I am the door. To give us some clarification, we can reference the sixth of his I am statements in John chapter 14. A few pages to the right. Turn to John chapter 14 with me and look at verse one. We'll see these statements more in detail as we work through the Gospel of John. But in John chapter 14, we see the sixth of his I am statements from John's Gospel here. Look at John chapter 14, verse one, the Lord says, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me, in my father's house or many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also and where I go, you know, and the way you know. But Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't do not know where you're going. And how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. In essence, Thomas, listen, you don't need a map. You have me, I am the way, the truth and the life. He says, I'm the way, meaning he's the only path, the only road, so to speak, that God has provided that leads to life. Do you see the exclusivity of that statement? I am the path, the only path, the only road that God has provided that leads to life. It's interesting, the early church taught this. They taught the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. And so in the early church, Christianity became known as the way. They called them people of the way. He says, I am the way. He says, I am the truth, the preeminent and sufficient revelation of God the Father. God has ordained no pathway of communication with us apart from his word. God has given, ordained no pathway of communication with people, with men and women apart from his word. And we have no pathway to God apart from that same word that became flesh and dwelt among us. Do you see? I am the way. I am the truth. Jesus says, I am the life, because he alone is the way. He alone embodies the truth of God. He alone is the exclusive source of the life of God to spiritually dead men. He exclusively is the way, the truth and the life that God may only be approach then exclusively through his monogonase, his unique son, his only begotten son. He is then the door of the sheep. Do you see? Now in addition, we talked about the sheepfold a couple of weeks ago. In addition to the village sheepfold, that sheepfold with high walls where the shepherds would bring their flocks and all the flocks would be together inside the sheepfold. In addition to that, shepherds often kept a more makeshift sheepfold out on the mountain side, usually made with a short stone wall, single gap in that wall, which the sheep through that gap would go in and out and find pasture. When the sheep were in the fold, the shepherd would often lay himself in that gap to sleep. Now think of that picture for a moment. Sheep going out or wolves coming in would have to cross over the body of the shepherd to get in or out. That's the picture. That's the picture of the shepherd's love for his sheep, guarding the sheepfold. There's only one way of entering the kingdom of God, only one way of salvation, only one source of the righteousness of God, only one way to heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the door and no one comes to the Father except through Him. The way of salvation, the way of salvation is a difficult path, right through a narrow gate that only a few find. He is the stone which the builders rejected, which has become the chief cornerstone. For is there salvation in any other? For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. His is the name which is above every other name, do you see? It's an exclusive love. It is only through Him, it is only through the door of the sheep that we can be saved and go in and out and find pasture. Muhammad, Muhammad didn't provide a substitutionary atonement for his people, for the people of God and Muhammad is dead. Muhammad has been buried, his body is rotting, has rotted and he is in hell even now. Buddha did not satisfy the wrath of God that sinners to serve and Buddha is dead and Buddha has been buried. Buddha has rotted and Buddha is in hell even now. Ephesians chapter two says that those who are without Christ have no hope and are without God in the world. He who has the son has life, John says. He who does not have the son of God does not have life. Many people would say, many professing Christians would say, man, that's really narrow minded. Listen, there is nothing, there is nothing that is more opposed to Christianity, nothing more opposed to Christ than the notion that there are other doors. To deny that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven is to deny Jesus Christ. Many think to themselves, I can't tell people that. I can't preach that gospel. That's so intolerant. Jesus says in Matthew chapter 10, whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my father who is in heaven. Many would bristle against that idea today and they'd say, where's the grace of God in that? You know, if God were really gracious, if God were really merciful, then there'd be many paths up the mountain. See, are you really going to argue with that statement that the Lord Jesus Christ, that God has not done enough? B.B. Warfield said this, for when there was no one in the heavens or on the earth or under the earth who was able to open the book of salvation or to break its seals thereof, this man, the Lord Jesus Christ was counted worthy, worthy to endure the pangs of death for the offenses of men. Worthy to rise from the dead for their justification, worthy to be exalted to the throne of God and to receive the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. He by whose hand has been wrought salvation, he is and remains the only Lord of salvation and beside him is no fellow. Let this good confession I beg you echo throughout all the quarters of your life and fill with its voice all the recesses of your souls. Remember as those should remember who owe to him their all. Remember the honor due to Jesus Christ, the Savior, the soul Savior of this lost world. Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ is exclusively the door of the sheep and both the good shepherds love for the sheep and the love of the sheep for the good shepherd is to be an exclusive love. It is an exclusive love. Secondly, let's unpack that second statement of the Lord in verse eight. All verse eight, whoever came before me are thieves and robbers. All whoever came before me are thieves and robbers. And once again here in verse eight, the Lord reveals himself through contrast with all the false religious leaders who are characterized here again as being thieves and robbers. All those who are opposed to Christ. Now the all of verse eight doesn't include those faithful under shepherds because those faithful under shepherds are faithful under shepherds of their chief shepherd. They are delegates of the chief shepherd. They are representatives of him. Psalm chapter 77 verse 20 says of God, you led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. So the Lord uses faithful under shepherds, not incorporated in the all here of verse eight. But again, those here characterized as thieves and robbers are those who ran when they weren't called. Those who played the shepherd, they played the shepherd while they fleeced the flock for personal gain. All these usurpers, whoever came before me are thieves and robbers. The good shepherd here is seen profiled in John chapter 10. The best place to see the contrast here with the thieves and robbers of verse eight is in the worthless shepherds of Ezekiel chapter 34. And I want you to turn there with me. Ezekiel chapter 34. The Lord again, in describing this exclusive love contrasts himself, the good shepherd, with the thieves and robbers and worthless shepherds of Ezekiel chapter 34. Now look beginning with me at verse one, and I want you to see in Ezekiel chapter 34. There are three indictments here from the Lord against these wicked false shepherds. The first of these indictments comes in verses two and three. They weren't truly concerned for the needs of the people. They merely used the people for their own personal gain, right, their own selfish purposes. So look at verse one. And the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, thus says the Lord God to the shepherds, woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves. Do you see? They don't feed the flock. They feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool. You slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. So one, they weren't truly concerned with the needs of the people. They were only concerned with their own well-being, their own needs, their own selfish purposes. But secondly, I want you to see, the false shepherds weren't concerned to help those in need. Not only were they not concerned to help those in need, but they showed contempt for them and they ruled them in cruelty. Look at verse four. Verse four says, the weak you've not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost, but with force and cruelty you've ruled them. They weren't truly concerned for the needs of the people. They used the people. They weren't really concerned to help those in need. And thirdly, because of their complete lack of any godly leadership here, the people wandered from the Lord and became prey. They became prey to wolves. And we know from Ezekiel, they became prey to immorality. They became prey to idolatry. Look at verse five. Because of this failure on the part of these worthless shepherds, verse five, they were scattered because there was no shepherd and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. And the Lord here is speaking of his people, the nation of Israel. My sheep, God says, verse six, wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill. Yes, my flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth and no one was seeking or searching for them. So what does the Lord do? What does the Lord do when these worthless shepherds fail and their responsibility to his people? He enters into judgment with them. He enters into judgment with them. Jesus says, if these false shepherds, in his day, right, Jesus says, God will destroy those wicked men miserably. Here, the Lord enters into judgment. Look at verse seven. Therefore, you shepherds hear the word of the Lord. As I live, we serve the true and living God. As I live, says the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey and my flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed my flock. Therefore, O shepherds, verse nine, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God, behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my flock at their hand. I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more, for I will deliver my flock from their mouths that they may no longer be food for them. These wicked false shepherds were devouring God's sheep in their neglect, in their self-indulgence, in their wickedness, in their immorality, in their leading of God's people, not to righteousness, but to immorality and to idolatry. These wicked false shepherds, these thieves and robbers were devouring the flock of God. So one, God judges the false shepherds, but two, in grace and mercy, God himself then shepherds his flock. Just like in John chapter 10, right, in the same way, we see it fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at the contrast between how the corrupt false shepherds exploited and fleeced the sheep in Ezekiel 34, and now in verse 11, how God himself cares for and delivers his own sheep. Verse 11, for thus says the Lord God, indeed I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out and listen to all the I will promises of God in this statement. Verse 12, as a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out my sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will, God says, bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. God says I will feed them. Verse 14, I will feed them in good pasture and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, God says, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. It's a picture of safety, right? A picture of nourishing and cherishing the flock of God. Verse 16, I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away. Bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick. But I will, God also makes as a promise here of judgment, but I will destroy the fat and the strong and feed them in judgment. God rules and reigns both in compassion and in justice. A justice of God, the holiness of God will be vindicated. But look at the promises of God to his people here. I will, I will, I will. And Jesus comes along in John chapter 10 verse 11 and says, I, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. You see the connection? It's a tremendous connection. Unmistakable and unmistakable connection. Now drop down in Ezekiel 34 to verse 23. Look at verse 23. God says, I will establish one shepherd over them, no rivals. It is an exclusive love that God has for his sheep. It's an exclusive love that God has for the son. I will establish one shepherd over them and he shall feed them. My servant David, he shall feed them and be their shepherd and I, the Lord will be their God and my servant David, a prince among them, I, the Lord have spoken and when the Lord says that I, the Lord have spoken, it is sure and steadfast, immovable, it will be done. Now the coming shepherd here in verses 23 and 24 referred to as my servant David and he's referred to as my servant David because he's from the line of David. He's a fulfillment of all God's promises to David, the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel chapter 7. This is the Messiah, this is the Lord Jesus Christ that's being referred to here in verses 23 and the following. God says in verse 25, I will make a covenant of peace with them. This is the new covenant. Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel 36. I will cause wild beasts to cease from the land and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. God says in verse 26, I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing and I will cause showers to come down in their season and there shall be showers of blessing. The worthless shepherds of Ezekiel 34, these worthless shepherds led the people into captivity, led the people into judgment, into exile. But here, the Davidic shepherd king, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, a complete contrast to these wicked thieves and robbers, the Davidic king, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ would lead the people in showers of blessing. Look at verse 27, then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land and they shall know that I am the Lord when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them, but they shall dwell safely and no one shall make them afraid. I will raise up for them a garden of renown and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. Look at these, the glorious promises of God. Do you see? And listen, John chapter 10, these things are seen in their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has fulfilled his promises to his people in the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 30, thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God and with them and they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord God. You are my flock, the flock of my pasture. You are men and I am your God, says the Lord God. There's only one chief shepherd. Do you see? All others, all others are thieves and robbers. There is one chief shepherd. The good shepherd's love for his sheep is an exclusive love. And we've unpacked the first statement. Jesus Christ is the door. We've unpacked the second statement in verse eight. All who ever came before him are thieves and robbers. Let's unpack the third statement in verse eight. The sheep here will not follow anyone else. Verse eight, back in John chapter 10, says this, all who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. In verse five, they'll not follow a stranger. In fact, they're gonna flee from the stranger. In verse five, they don't know the voice of strangers. In verse eight, the sheep did not hear them. They, the sheep, exclusively follow the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. In Matthew chapter 24, in verse 24, the Lord Jesus Christ says, for false Christ and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Now praise God, it's not possible. We see that communicated here in John chapter 10. They will not follow a stranger. They don't know the voice of strangers. Here, the sheep, all those that came before were thieves and robbers, but listen, true, genuine sheep. True, genuine children of God, disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. True followers of God do not hear those wicked thieves and robbers. The sheep will only follow, will exclusively follow the good shepherd. Although large crowds will often follow after false shepherds, his true sheep will only follow him. We can see that in our day, can't we? Large crowds following, trumping off after false shepherds who are fleecing the flock, only interested in their own gain. Someone might say, what about, what about the 2.1 billion Muslims in the world? What about the 1.2 billion Catholics in the world? What about all those countless millions that even now are in easy-believism churches? Easy-believism churches right down the road. And someone might say, but they're so nice. They're so sincere. And they are sincerely wrong. You know, there are many. There are many that think that God will accept people into heaven, or that God will save people on the basis of their sincerity. You can hear that if you've been in those churches before, you've heard that statement before, the words of this prayer don't save you. But if you are sincere, if you pray this prayer and you mean it, the Lord Jesus Christ will come into your heart and save you. So the ground of their salvation, the foundation of their faith, so to speak, is their sincerity? Is the sincerity of their wicked and deceitful heart, their sincerity in saying some prayer or making some act of religion? You know, you can't get any more. If you remember 1 Kings chapter 18, when Elijah is with the prophets of Baal, you can't get any more sincere than the 400 prophets of Baal who cut themselves and their blood gushed out onto the altar, calling Baal to strike a fire on the altar. You can't get any more sincere than that and all of those wicked men are in hell. There is a content to our faith that we've been delivered to. There is a person who is the object of our faith that we have been delivered to. There is one way and one truth that no one comes to the Father except through him, the door of the sheep. You know, it's grossly, grossly and excessively misguided to believe that you show compassion for those people while you show contempt for the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what that is. They're so sincere. They're so nice when Jesus Christ is not Lord to them. They're so sincere when they worship another Jesus Christ. But they're so sincere, they're so nice when they believe another gospel, which is really not another. And by showing compassion for that sincerity is so misguided, so excessively misguided, when at the same time doing that, you show contempt for the Lord Jesus Christ and his one way of salvation. Richard Phillips said this, people who object that God has provided only one way of salvation show that they do not recognize the reality of their need. A man dying of thirst in the desert does not complain if he stumbles upon only one watery oasis. A man dying of cancer does not object that there is only one person who donates the bone marrow that saves his life. And a sinner realizing the otherwise unavoidable prospect of unremitting corruption in this life and wrathful judgment in the life to come does not object that the Son of God lovingly bore for us the hell that our sin deserves. Such a person does not complain. Why must my soul be saved in only this way? To deny that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life is to deny Christ. It is anti-Christ, do you see? In reality, the person who says such things that shows that misguided notion, that misguided attitude, isn't really objecting to the exclusivity of Christ as much as they're objecting to God's verdict or judgment on sin. They just don't get it. John chapter three, verse 36. The Father loves the Son. Understand that. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him. The Father's love for the Son is an exclusive love. The Good Shepherd's love for his sheep is an exclusive love. And the love of the sheep for the shepherd must be an exclusive love as well. As we think about that statement, the sheep will not follow anyone else. The sheep, they don't hear them. What other rivals for Christ do you allow? What other rivals for the Lord Jesus Christ do you listen to? What competes for your attention? Think about it now. What desires do you allow to compete with the Lord Jesus Christ? How do you spend your time? What competes for your attention? You can be sure of this, right? Be sure of this. You can't say that you don't follow anyone else when you won't follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, the sheep won't follow strangers. They don't know the voice of strangers. The sheep don't hear them. You can't say that you won't follow anyone else when you won't follow the Lord who bought you. The Good Shepherd's love for the sheep is an exclusive love, you see? You can't say that you're a disciple of Christ and hold on to some idolatrous lust over here. Some idolatrous desire. Some idolatrous indulgence. The Good Shepherd's love for his sheep is an exclusive love. And the love of the sheep for the Good Shepherd must be an exclusive love as well. Next, I want you to look at verse nine. The Good Shepherd, he shepherds his people with an exclusive love. But beginning at verse nine, I want you to see that he shepherds his people with an exhaustive love, a comprehensive love, an intensive love. Verse nine says this. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come, Jesus says, that they may have a life and that they may have it more abundantly. Now thieves and robbers, thieves and robbers have a purpose. They have a purpose among the flock and their purpose is to steal, to kill and to destroy. But the Lord Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd and he also has a purpose among the flock. He came with a purpose. He came to seek and to save to the uttermost that which is lost. Jesus says, verse nine, I am the door. Listen, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved. Now if he's the door, then who is it that may enter through him and be saved? Anyone. If he's the door, then who is it that may enter through him and be saved? Anyone, anyone who turns from their sin and puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save them? Think about it now. While there is one exclusive way, one exclusive truth, one exclusive source of life, that life, that truth that way is wide open available to anyone who will enter by him and be saved. It is an exhaustive love, do you see? Exhaustive, comprehensive, full and complete lacking nothing. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is genuinely and freely, unashamedly and fully offered to all, to anyone, do you see? So what must you do to be saved? Enter by him. Enter by me, he says, and you'll be saved. Turn to Christ from your sin. Trust him, come to him and be forgiven. As someone might ask, they think to themselves, how does this gel with God's sovereignty and salvation? I mean, how do I know if I'm one of the elect? The Lord says, anyone who enters by me will be saved, but how do I know I'm one of God's elect? How do I know that I can be saved? What if the Lord won't, what if I'm a reprobate? Doesn't Jesus say, doesn't Jesus say that all that the Father gives me will come to me? Well, how do I know if I've been given to the Father? How do I know if I've been, if I'm one of those, consider with me, you can't stand there unmoved. You can't stand there preoccupied or paralyzed by thoughts of where you may or may not stand in the decrees of Almighty God on the invitation that is freely offered to you. If anyone comes, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved. That invitation is for you. If you are here this morning, you can hear the sound of my voice. That invitation is for anyone, for all, all who will come. For anyone who will enter by him, turning from their sin to put their faith in Christ, that one will be saved. It is for anyone who, so why? Why would you sit there paralyzed in your thoughts, preoccupied in your mind about the hidden decrees of God that you can know nothing about? Move on the invitation that the Lord Jesus Christ gives you this morning. Take action, respond to the invitation. It's freely given. James Montgomery Boyce tells the story of a woman who is confused about salvation, confused about these very things, confused about God's sovereignty and salvation. And so this woman, she finally comes to faith. She turns from her sin, puts her trust in Christ after hearing a sermon by Donald Gray Barnhouse. And Donald Gray Barnhouse explained this to her. He said, imagine that on the cross, there's a door. And on the front of that door, there is engraved a statement. Whoever will may enter. Whoever will, whosoever will may come. And she stands there, the woman stands there with her sin upon her under the weight of her sin, wondering whether she should enter or not. And finally she does, she enters through the door. She's forgiven the burden and weight of that sin, falls away, you're safe, you're free in Christ. You've been forgiven of all your sin, you're right with God, you've been justified. Now a child of God, she walked through the door, she entered in, entered in at the free and full offer of salvation from Christ. To anyone who would enter, they'll be saved. And once through the door, she looks back. And on the backside of that door, on the backside of that door engraved across the door where the words chosen in him from before the foundation of the world, that woman was Barnhouse's mother. So enter now, put your faith in him. Anyone, anyone, verse nine means you. Anyone means you. If you're a drunkard, it means you. If you're an adulterer, it means you. If you're a liar, if you're a thief, if you're a cheat, if you're a disobedient son or a disobedient daughter, if you've been raised in church and you've never seen yourself in any real outward, gross, observable or evident immorality, but you know that your heart is far from him. You know that you've never been made to truly treasure Christ, that means you. Anyone means you. It is an exhaustive offer, do you see? The Lord Jesus Christ gave everything. The Lord Jesus Christ gave everything, including his own life to redeem sinners. And God says, look to me and be saved all you elect. No, no. Look to me and be saved all you ends of the earth, right? Does he not say that? For I am God and there is no other. I have sworn by myself the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return that to me every knee shall bow and every tongue should take an oath. Look to me and be saved all you ends of the earth. This is a glorious and exhaustive salvation. That salvation beginning in verse nine is described for us here in three ways. This exhaustive salvation described in three ways. The first is that these are surely and eternally saved and all that entails. The Lord says in verse nine, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved. So what is sown in corruption will be raised in incorruption. What is sown in dishonor will be raised in glory. What is sown in weakness will be raised in power. What is sown in selfishness will be raised in godliness. What has been sown in the flesh is redeemed for use by the spirit. In the same way, in the same way that every faculty of man, every facet of man was corrupted by the fall, in every way, the salvation that God provides enters into every area of man, every area of human need, every area of human depravity and proclaims that it is saved, that it is delivered, that it's been redeemed. It is an exhaustive love. Listen to BB Warfield again. No sphere of human life is left untouched by it. As on its touch, every sphere of human life is transformed, so the completeness and the profundity of its renovation of man is matched by the wideness of its extension over man. It is the renewed heavens and the renewed earth that we are bidden to contemplate. And dwelling in them is endless bliss, renewed humanity, renewed humanity, not a meager company withdrawn from the sin festering race, but the race itself cleansed and purified and gathered home to the Father's arms. It is an exhaustive love. Those, they are eternally saved in all that eternal salvation entails. Secondly, there are showers of blessing in this life. Verse nine again, I am the door, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved and listen, and he will go in and out and find pasture. That phrase there, go in and out and find pasture, simply refers to the course of this life. Just the course of your life going in and going out. In Psalm chapter 121, verse eight, the Psalmist says of a saved child of God that the Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forevermore. When you put your faith and trust in Christ, the Lord then preserves your going out and your coming in from that time forth and forevermore. But additionally now, think about that picture of the good shepherd laying across the gap, the opening to the sheepfold. This implies, this salvation implies not only saved, but safe. If you are in Christ, you shall never perish. It's a glorious picture. This is an exhaustive salvation. You will never perish. There are showers of blessing attached to that in this life and in the life to come. You look at John chapter 10, drop down to verse 27, 27. The Lord says, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them this eternal abundant life. And listen, they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand. It is an exhaustive salvation, full, comprehensive, complete. If you're in Christ, you'll never perish. You know, you might think that many have that in coming to Christ, you're gonna have to give up the joys and pleasures of this life. You know, that's the deceptive state and condition of the depraved sinner is they love their sin. Not a lot of motivation for that one who loves their sin to turn from it, unless you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you believe that there is a judgment coming and the Lord has died to save sinners. And many think that to come to Christ would mean to give up all the joys, all the pleasures of this life, all the indulgences that they enjoy. But Jesus said, listen, whoever drinks at that fountain is gonna thirst again. You're gonna thirst again. But if you drink from the fountain of living water, you'll never thirst again. Right now, you're thirsting for that disgusting water of this world and you're gonna thirst and keep thirsting. Those pleasures are fleeting. But if you turn to Christ and put your faith in him and he gives you a drink of fresh living water, you'll never thirst for that tripe ever again. You'll thirst only for him. He changes your thirst. Do you see? Praise God. It's an exhaust of salvation. He reaches in to your life and changes everything about you. Changes your heart, changes your mind, changes your desires. Stop desiring that filth and desire the fresh living water of Christ. There are showers of blessing in this life. Christianity has often been painted as that it's one big abstention, right? I'm not gonna do this, I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna tie some strap around my leg and tighten it till I bleed. Whip myself, because I'm so wicked. Listen, there are showers of blessing in this life. There's joy and peace and forgiveness and love and joy and forgiveness and peace and love. It is a glorious blessing. This life is characterized as abundant. Contrast it again with the thieves and robbers in verse 10. The thief does not come except to steal, to kill and destroy. But listen to what Jesus says. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. In Christ, in Christ you have an eternal, secure and abundant life. It is an exhaustive love, an abundance of true riches in Christ in this life and an abundance of true riches in Christ in the life to come. Romans chapter eight, verse 32. Man, I love Romans chapter eight. He who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? It is an abundant life. It is an exhaustive salvation. He will freely give us all things to his sheep, to his sheep, to those that enter in by the door through repentant faith in Christ. God communicates himself. God communicates himself in the richest and fullest possible way in Christ with all the exceeding riches of his grace, with all the fullness of his grace and of his mercy. You know, it's interesting. False shepherds also believe that they'll have an abundant life. Look back with me quickly at Isaiah chapter 56. Isaiah chapter 56. False shepherds, they are often described as both deceived and deceiving. False shepherds also believe they'll have an abundant life. It's not true. Maybe if you're sitting here, you're a sinner. You're rebellious in your heart and mind against God, against his truth. And you say to yourself, I'm gonna be abundant in this life. You seen my last paycheck? You seen my newest car? Last house I bought? Look at Isaiah chapter 56. Drop down to verse nine. All you beasts of the field come to devour. All you beasts in the forest. Listen, his watchmen are blind, these thieves and robbers, these false teachers. All his watchmen are blind. They are all ignorant. They are all dumb dogs. They cannot bark. Look at the Lord's prescription or diagnosis of these, right? Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yes, they are greedy dogs, which never have enough. And they are shepherds who cannot understand. They all look to their own way. Everyone for his own gain, from his own territory. They should, these verses should be a subtitle to that series, The Preachers of LA, right? This is a description of all false shepherds, but certainly we see this all over the place today. Very relevant today to our context. Verse 11, they're all greedy dogs. They never have enough. They are shepherds who cannot understand. They don't know the word of God. They all look to their own way for everyone for his own gain, from his own territory. Verse 12, come, one says, I'll bring the wine and we'll fill ourselves with intoxicated. These are the shepherds. We'll fill ourselves with intoxicating drink. Tomorrow will be as today, and what, much more abundant. They don't believe that judgment is coming. Their conscience just turns its back on the truth of God. These worthless shepherds, the good shepherd knows what an abundant life is. It has the power and the authority to give it. These worthless shepherds have no idea. In Revelation chapter seven, beginning in verse 15, John records that he who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them nor any heat. For the lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There'll be no more mourning. There'll be no more crying. There'll be no more pain. That's symbolic, right? That's symbolic of the salvation that we have in Christ. That's a representative list, not even exhaustive. Salvation that is offered in Christ is an exhaustive salvation. It is an exhaustive love that the good shepherd has for his sheep. In Scripture, it's interesting that a common description for that salvation is life. That word sums it up, life. In contrast to the equally descriptive word, death. Both comprehensive terms. All that is meant by the word death, all of its possible implications, physical, temporal, spiritual, eternal, all of the terrible consequences of sin, including the eternal wrath of Almighty God, that, all of that is what we are saved from if you're in Christ. All that is meant by the word life, all of its rich implications in Scripture. In this life and in the life to come, man ultimately glorified in Christ to a perfect spiritual standing in worship of God. That is what we are saved to. All that that implies, it is an abundant life. I love this passage of Scripture. This is what we've been saved to. Listen to this. 1 John chapter four, verse 17, love, the good shepherd's love for the sheep has been perfected among us in this. That we may have boldness in the day of judgment, why? Why? Because as he is, as Christ is, so are we in this world. That is a staggering statement of truth, of the truth of God's love. That's staggering. As Christ is, as Christ is, so are we in heaven. Certainly in heaven, but he says in this world, when you've been saved, when you've entered into the door, put your faith in Christ, you've turned from your sin, you've entered into the door and you are saved, it is an abundant life, an exhaustive love that you are saved to. As he is, then so are you in this world. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. The good shepherd's love for his sheep is an exhaustive love, a comprehensive love, an intensive love. It's an exclusive love, it's a protective love, it's a directive love. Enter through the door of the sheep. Do you see? Do you see? John writes, so that you may believe that he is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you would have life, you would have this life in his name. Why? Why would you continue to rebuff this great love? Trust him alone and trust yourself to him in all things. There was a hymn written by a woman named Elizabeth Clefane in 1868, it's called the 90 and the nine. Listen to the words of this hymn. Lord, thou hast here the 90 and nine. Are they not enough for thee? But the good shepherd made answer, this of mine has wandered away from me. And although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find my sheep. But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters he crossed, nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through. Air, he found his sheep that was lost. Out in the desert, he heard its cry, sick and helpless and ready to die. Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way that mark out in the mountain's track? They were shed for one who had gone astray. Air, the shepherd could bring him back. Lord, whence are thy hands so rent and torn? They are pierced tonight by many a thorn. And all through the mountains, thunder-riven and upon and up from the rocky steep, there arose a glad cry to the gate of heaven. Rejoice, I have found my sheep. The angels echoed around the throne. Rejoice for the Lord brings back his own. You know, to think that for you here today, if you're not saved, if you've never turned from your sin to trust this shepherd, are you not moved by this love? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever, anyone who enters by him would not perish. You don't have to perish. You don't have to continue to wallow in your sin. Turn to the good shepherd, drink from fountains of living water, enter in by the door and be saved. If you're here today, my brothers and sisters, and you profess the name of Christ, then doesn't this love compel you to give all to follow him? Is there any other rival in your life to this love, to what Christ has done exhaustively for you? Our time here is short. It's a pilgrimage. We are aliens and sojourners. We're just passing through. We have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. He goes to prepare a place and he's gonna come back. Will you give your all for him? As B.B. Warfield said, remember, remember the honor due to Christ and serve him with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength all the time. He is a good shepherd. Amen, amen. Let's pray. Take just a few moments and pray silently to yourself. Just ask the Lord that he'd be gracious and merciful to you, that he would apply his word, this beautiful picture. You would apply this to your heart. Do business before God. What rivals must you turn from? What sin, what indulgences beg for repentance? He is a good shepherd. Let's pray.