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(Click refresh or reload for current message) Wednesday, October
19, 2022
"I
Am The Door"
Message
summary: We welcome you to enter the door
of Christ which is the only way to salvation!
"So Jesus said to them
again, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the
sheep'" (John 10:7).
On Saturday during our Crossroads class bike ride I passed the door in our lead photo on Front Street in Marietta PA. When I saw it I thought of Christ's statement, "I am the door". Doors are not something we
normally give a lot of attention to and probably often
take them for granted. But each of us can appreciate their
value; exterior doors that keep our homes secure and
the weather out, interior doors that provide privacy
within our walls.
Have you ever counted how
many doors you have in your house? Our house has
twenty-eight doors. This includes closet doors and a
shower door as well as the doors in our utility barn! You
might be surprised at how many doors you have in your
house, should you choose to count them!
Our only door with any real distinction (and that's not much) is our front door but many doors have real character such as the one in our lead photo. I took the photo to the right in the Star Barn near Elizabethtown, PA. We have seen posters made of distinct doors in a particular town or county such as this one of doors in neighboring Columbia, PA. Wherever you live you most likely have doors but we recall having a wonderful meal with a family in Guatemala some 30 years ago. We had hosted their son Marvin who had come to the states for emergency medical care. He and his family lived in a tiny two room house with no interior or exterior doors at all (as we recall). They shared with other villagers an outdoor latrine, a common faucet and a shower. We are still in touch with Marvin who has grown up to be a fine young man serving the Lord, married, raising a family and working as a forester. Doors are referenced all through the Bible with the first reference in Genesis 4:7. It was a message from God to Cain before he killed Abel, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Among the last references
to the door in Scripture has Jesus standing at the door
and knocking in Revelation 3:20. "Behold, I stand at
the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens
the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him,
and he with Me".
Today let us examine a reference to the door among the “I am” statements in John’s Gospel. In these statements Jesus asserted His deity in describing Himself. They are known as the ego eimi (ἐγώ εἰμι) statements from the Greek words for “I am”. In John 10 He uses an illustration that would have been so familiar to them on the basis of observation and experience along with their knowledge of the Scriptures such as Psalm 23. Christ said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep". Just a few verses later He stated, "I am the Good Shepherd". In the Bible period a shepherd would build a temporary sheep pen by building a wall when staying overnight in distant pastureland. He’d leave an opening where the sheep could come and go and be safe. All that remained was the closing for the door, but there was no door. Somehow a door had to be provided in order for the sheep to dwell in security. A good shepherd, in caring for his flock, would simply lie down across the small opening. Thus the shepherd became the door, and in this way the sheep remained safely inside and the wild beasts remained outside. Because the shepherd had become the door, there was nothing for the sheep to fear. Their protector and provider had guaranteed their protection from predators while also preventing them from wandering from the secure sheepfold and entering enemy territory. “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). We encourage you to enter this door of Christ which is the only way to salvation. As one of His sheep I am so thankful for this desperately needed provision. Christ emphasized the statement with repetition when He “said to them again” and with the dual emphasis, “Truly, truly”. We do well to listen! Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Jesus, just
like the shepherd willingly lays his
life down for his sheep, You also
willingly laid down Your life for us.
You took on our adversary, the devil,
who takes people captive for his own
diabolical plans. You struck down the
devil’s scheme to enslave and devour us,
and his plan for death and the grave.
Instead You became the doorway to the
Father when You told the disciples, “I
am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No
one comes to the Father but by me.” We
thank You for being the door to our
eternal salvation, when You laid down
Your life for us, through Your shed
blood. Amen.
The seven "I Am" statements of Christ in John's Gospel: 1.
I am the bread of life 6:35,
48,51
2. I am the light of the world 8:12; 9:5 3. I am the door of the sheep 10:7,9 4. I am the good shepherd 10:11,14 5. I am the resurrection and the life 11:25 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life 14:6 7. I am the true vine 15:1 In addition to these metaphorical "I am" statements there are absolute “I am” statements. Among the last words in the Bible is our Lord’s powerful self-declaration, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). An
interesting reference to a door that has
relevant teaching truth in regard to our
current culture is from Sodom when Lot
was besieged, "They kept bringing
pressure on Lot and moved forward to
break down the door" (Genesis
19:9). This seems analogous to the
persistent efforts of the downstream
culture attempting to break down the
doors of morality and righteous
teachings.
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
Can Your grace set me free?
Can it break the chains that always held me And do what no one’s done before Throw the past away and open the door? "Jesus,
Strong and Kind" Video
CityAlight What a blessed "children's"
song for all ages!
"Somebody's
Knocking At Your Door" Video King's
Heralds (1949-1961)
"Into My
Heart Lord Jesus" Video
Selah Brooksyne's note:
Several weeks ago I visited my cousin's
church in Oark, Arkansas. I have three
cousins who are preachers from the mountain
in Arkansas. After Sunday School and just
before church began the children came up
front and sang "Booster Band" songs (at
least that's what they called it when I was
a child and we did the same thing in my
church in Tulsa). The children sang their
last song and then knelt at the altar with
their hands folded and their heads bowed as
they sang, "Into My Heart". It took me back
to my childhood (a LONG ways back), as our
children's songleader always led us in this
song to close our booster band service as
well. Perhaps some of our you had a similar
arrangement at your church or still do.
Stephen's
note: I recall an early effort at
personal evangelism when I quoted this verse
about Jesus knocking and a man earnestly
felt his chest and said, "I don't feel
anybody knocking".
But here's our favorite story on this: A children's
nurse had an interesting approach in
calming children. Before listening to the
little ones' chests, she would plug the
stethoscope into their ears and let them
listen to their own hearts. Their eyes
would light up with awe, though she never
got a response equal to a little four-year
old's comment. Gently she tucked the
stethoscope into his ears and placed the
disk over his heart.
"Listen", she said quietly, "What do you suppose that is?" The little boy drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap - tap - tapping deep in his chest. Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin with big eyes as he curiously asked, "Is that Jesus knocking?" Apparently
the little boy had heard a lesson about
Jesus knocking or more likely had sung the
little children's song based on the verse
such as this one (video) or perhaps
this one (video)!
Today we share some fall
scenes from rural Lebanon County and
Hershey as we drove through yesterday.
This huge
maple is next to the school in Cornwall, PA.
The grounds crew will be busy with this one
for the next several weeks!
Click on photo to
enlarge
These trees
are along the Little Swatara Creek.
Click on photo to
enlarge
We often
pass this church in rural Lebanon County
and they do a great job posting
thought-provoking messages on their sign.
Finally
today:
Early
yesterday morning I caught our cat Gracie
sitting on the bathroom scales. Perhaps she
is worried about putting on a few ounces!
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Stephen & Brooksyne Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity." © Copyright 2022 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA |