Title: The Door to Life
Contents
♡♥♡ The door of life / John 10:7-10
*** Introduction
People live their lives making choices. It would not be an exaggeration to say that every moment is a series of choices. What to do, how to do it, who to meet, what transportation to use, what to wear, what to eat, etc. In this way, a person's life is determined by his or her choices. In this way, choice is like a door in life. Because your life will change depending on which door you open and enter. If you enter the door of drugs, you will get the ruin of your life, and when you enter the door of service and devotion, praise and honor await you. In this way, people have different outcomes depending on the door they enter.
In the text, Jesus declares, “I am the gate of the sheep.” In other words, Jesus is the door to our lives. When people enter through the door called Jesus, they become members of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “If you enter through me, you will be saved, and you will go in and out and find pasture.” It is a gift that guarantees eternal life and also enriches it. That's a really attractive offer. Who would hate eternal life and abundant life?
Once upon a time there lived a beggar in a village. He went from house to house to get food every day. One day the beggar muttered to himself:
“The rich are too greedy, so it’s a mask. I mean, I was just trying to make more money while I was making money. Ugh, I'd be satisfied with just a little bit... ”
An angel who came down from heaven heard the beggar's words muttering to himself.
“Uncle, did you say that you would be satisfied with just a little bit of money right now? May I give you some money?”
The beggar was so happy. The angel said to the beggar, “Open the sack,” and put some flashing gold coins into the sack. “Are you done now?” Then the beggar said, “No, just a little more.” “Uncle, I can give you any amount of gold. But if the sack is torn and gold falls to the ground, it will turn to dust.” However, the beggar continued to open the sack, saying, “Isn’t this too little?” The angel added gold money again. Already more than half of the sack was full of gold. The angel said, “Now is it?” But the beggar took the angel's wrist and said, "Give me a little more," and asked for more. At that moment, the sack ripped open and gold money poured out onto the ground. As soon as the gold and money touched the ground, they all turned to dust.
This story satirizes the endless greed of man. People say, ‘I would be satisfied with just a little bit!’ when I am not there, like this beggar, but when given the opportunity, greed is endless. Didn't they say that they want to sit when standing, lie down when sitting, and sleep when lying down? But will you be satisfied with doing this?
Jesus Christ is the One who brings true satisfaction to our lives. As the text says, Jesus is the door to life that enriches both the spiritual life and the physical life and enables us to enjoy satisfaction. But why does the Lord speak of a richer and more abundant life?
1. The Lord, who is the door of life, wants the abundance of life.
God's interest in us is not a life of disaster or suffering. There are countless Christian heresies that have emphasized 'abstinence' and 'a life of suffering' from the time of Jesus until now. There is no smile on their faces and they always lead a rigid life. They spend countless days in such pain, thinking that it is pleasing to God to pursue all human desires while tormenting themselves. The priests who served Baal and Asherah, who had a confrontation with the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel, also thought that God was pleased that they inflicted pain upon themselves.
But God did not speak of such meaningless suffering. God's concern is for people to enjoy the life God has given them to them, to enjoy them happily and to serve God in abundance. This is Jeremiah 29:11. “I, the LORD, saith. My thoughts toward you, I know, are not calamity, but peace. The idea is to give you hope for your future.” And in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, God promises the abundance of life for those who obey and serve God's commands. That is why the New Testament says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
God's will for man's life and abundance are numerous in the Bible. The clearest evidence among them is that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth. Why was God so frustrated that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, as a man into the world and even made Him a sacrifice? This is because of God's love, for the life and abundance of life. The abundance that the Lord gives means a satisfying life in which we enjoy joy, joy, and peace because of the Lord.
So, are all those who believe in the Lord enjoying life and the abundance of life? How are you? Do you live rejoicing that you have been given eternal life? Do you feel your life is enriching? Many saints will probably answer no. Why?
2. People are turning away from the Lord, who is the door of life.
If you are a Christian, there is only one Jesus you believe in, and everyone is a child of God. However, some members live happily and prosperously while enjoying joy and joy, and some members are always in a hurry, but they always say, 'I'm going to die.' How can it be so different? There is one reason. The saints who acknowledge, believe, and obey the Lord in all their lives will find joy and satisfaction regardless of what they have. On the other hand, if you turn away from the Lord, you cannot feel joy or satisfaction no matter how much you have a house like a palace and a lot of wealth.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks last year, the world is paying attention to immigration control. A businessman went on a business trip to Italy and arrived at the airport close to the departure time because he was running out of time to return home from work. However, the Rome airport is famous for being difficult to search, so it is said that it goes through four searches. They go through customs, immigration, foreign exchange inspection, and finally an immune system.
The businessman staggers, restless for fear of missing the flight. He is impatient, and the man standing behind him taps him on the shoulder and says, “Don't be too impatient. The airplane door will never close until the teacher boards. Normally, it takes a long time to check-in at this airport.”
“What do you believe in and what do you assure yourself of?” the businessman slammed and did not look back. Then the gentleman standing behind said a word. “I am the pilot of your plane.”
How embarrassed must this businessman be?
Many Christians work hard and live a busy life in their own way. Still, no results. That doesn't mean life is fun or satisfying. Sometimes I'm busy and impatient by myself, so I'm restless. The reason is that they are turning away from the Lord. They are running to satisfy their own physical needs. Life's peace, joy, satisfaction, and thrill come only when Jesus Christ is with you. This is John 15:4-5. “Remain in me. I will abide in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit of its own accord unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches; if he is in me and I in him, this man bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Humans are limited beings. He seems to be a strong being who seems to be conquering the universe with science at his disposal, controlling everything in the world at will, but he is a weak being who has to look helplessly in the face of even a small natural disaster. Saints are people who believe in this fact. Even then, they do not try to depend on God, who is the Creator, Sovereign, and the Gate of life. This is the cause of not enjoying abundance.
3. What is the way to enjoy God's riches?
The answers have already been given. It is to make Jesus Christ the door of my life. Let's read verse 9 again. “I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” Read it again with the modern Bible. “I am the gate, and whoever enters through it will be saved, and will go in and out and find good grass.” Also, in the second half of verse 10, he said, “I came to give life to the sheep and make their life more abundant.”
So what does the gate mean? The door controls the entrance and has the meaning of protection. All access is through the door. And the door does the job of protecting it from the outside. People put a lot of locks on their doors to protect their houses. But our Jesus is the most complete protection of the saints. In other words, to say that Jesus is the door of our life means to do all things in life through the Lord and to remain in the Lord's protection.
In this way, if you make the Lord the door of your life, He said, “You will come in and go out and find abundant pasture, and you will have more abundant life.” In a word, it means that the Lord is in control of your life. The Lord knows what we need. You know if you need money, if you need health, if you need power. You know me better than I do. So in Matthew 6:8, the Lord said, “Therefore, do not imitate them. God your Father knows what you need before asking.” All you have to do is make the Lord the door of your life and stay in it.
Whenever there is a problem, whether joy or sorrow, pain or suffering, whenever there is a problem, always talk with the Lord as if you were going through a door. Trust and trust in the Lord. Then the Lord will lead us according to His promise, and we will live a life of contentment and abundance, with joy and peace.
Today, I bless you in the name of the Lord that we all make the Lord the door of our lives and dwell in it.