Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. Just as there are absolutes in money, and in medicine and in math. There is absolute truth. immorality. According to the Word of God.
On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about how Jesus is the door and the good shepherd.
Now here's Dr. Graham with his message. Lord of Life. Begin finding John chapter 10. Jesus had enemies.
While he was loved and beloved by multitudes, many rejected him. He came into his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them give you the right to be called the children of God, even to them who believe on his name. But many rejected Jesus. And many resisted him.
And there was a public plan to ruin him. They described him, they meaning the culture, and it was a religious culture. that said he was a drunk, a glutton. A demon-possessed maniac who broke the commandments of God, that he was a madman. These descriptions of Jesus were offered by religious right-wing wing nuts.
who were more holy than God. and they attacked Jesus relentlessly and rigorously.
So what did Jesus do? Jesus fought back. In fact, he called these religious the Pharisees and others Someone described them. Pharisees in whom the milk of human kindness had curdled. Call them whitewashed tombs.
Snakes. Masked hypocrites. Blind guys of the blind. And he even said, your daddy is the devil. Your father.
is the devil. He called them also thieves. and robbers. It was a confrontation. Between Jesus and religion.
And this was not a way to win friends and influence people. He was, it all culminated, of course, in a crucifixion. After Jesus was illegally arrested and tried and sentenced to the death penalty, he went to a cross voluntarily, laying down his life. But his life taken.
So Jesus met confrontation. in his life and ministry. There is a devil. There are demonic forces, including religious forces, that are anti-God and anti-Christ. And there are, as Jesus called them, thieves.
that come to kill, steal. and to destroy. And so we're going to read the scripture beginning at verse. 7 of John chapter 10.
So Jesus again said to them, And he's talking. confrontationally. With a religious crowd, he said, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me. are thieves and robbers.
And he's talking about false prophets here. He's confronting era and false prophet and religious phonyism and all the rest. And he said again in verse 9: I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out. and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. And here's why Jesus came. I came that they may have life. and have it Abundantly. I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The wolf speaks of Satan himself. He flees, that is, the hireling flees because he's a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd.
I know my own and my own know me. Just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and I must bring them also. And they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me.
And here it is again. I lay down my life. that I might take it. Again. Jesus said, I am the door.
to the sheepfold. I am The living door. He also went on to say, I am the shepherd, the good. Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.
So, just a bit of background here. The shepherds of the ancient world would gather the flock together at night or even at noonday. and build a fence, typically with rocks. And they would build a fence around the sheep, around the flock, no matter how... Large or small, the flock may be, and building this fence, they would leave a gap or an opening where the sheep could go in and out, of course.
A rancher might build a sheepfold today or a cattle stall, but there was this fence and then this gap at the opening. And at night, When the sheep are laying down to sleep, And what does the good shepherd do? He doesn't run away because there are wolves howling and And there are people, or people, thieves and robbers who could come and steal the sheep. What does he do? He lays down, and he lays down at the door of the sheepfold.
At this gap, at this opening, the shepherd, the good shepherd, would literally lay down. to protect the sheep. This is the beautiful illustration that Jesus is giving concerning himself: that he is the door. of the sheepfold, the good. Shepherd.
I want to talk about. Jesus, the Lord of life, who is the door. The door of Division, the door of decision, and the door of destiny. Those three points, if you're taking notes. First, the door.
of division. Of course, a door. Not only invites people in, but it also keeps others out. A door hinges and swings both way typically. And the The purpose of a door is Two.
Welcome people in. and then close the door behind them to keep them in. or to keep the sheep in this case. or to provide an exit. And so a door.
in this sense divides. A door divides and separates between those who are in. The fold? The flock. The church.
And those who are out.
Now Jesus said, I am the one door of the sheepfold. I am the one who lays down my life. As the good shepherd for the sheep.
Now our culture Even some in religious culture. says that there are many doors. into the sheepfold. Into God's family, God's flock. And people want options.
If they don't like plan A, they'll take plan B or plan D or C and so on. And what we hear today in the culture are words like, What is true for you? Maybe your truth. But That's not my truth.
Now, of course. That statement doesn't really work in anything. Because you can't say it in terms of math. Try taking a math test and say to your teacher, well, I know 2 plus 2 is 4, but I say it's 5, and that's my truth. No, it's not true in mathematics.
The statement, the idea that your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth, and we can substitute truth for tolerance and all the rest, it doesn't work in music. Change a note or two in a song, it corrupts the entire song, right? It doesn't work with money. You give somebody a hundred dollar bill To buy a $10 item and they give you $50 back, I'm sure you wouldn't be happy about that. Oh, well, that's my truth.
No, it doesn't work in money. Doesn't work in medicine. I mean, just one thing wrong. In fact. I was reading some numbers just this week about how often prescriptions are misfilled.
And it can make people sick, of course, if the proper medicine.
So it doesn't work in medicine or your diagnosis, it doesn't work in. measurements Whether it's a foot or a yard or something else, if you're building a house. Building a building?
So, to say your truth is my truth, and my truth may not be your truth, all that nonsense. Just as there are absolutes in money, And in medicine, and in measurements, and in math. There is absolute truth. Immorality. According to the word of God.
But the big problem we have in the church today is that we would rather live with compromise. rather than conviction. And preach a gospel of tolerance rather than the gospel of truth, which is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, if you follow me, you will have enemies. When you think about it, this is the keeping of the second commandment, to be willing to tell people the truth in love.
What is the first commandment? Jesus said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your mind, your soul, your strength. And then he said, The second is like it: your neighbor as yourself.
So, people today, many people want to say, well, to love means I won't offend anyone. No, that's not true. If you love someone and you care about someone, you will love them enough to tell them the truth and to speak that truth with love and compassion. You would do that with your children if you love your children. But there's truth regarding Morality.
There is one option. And that is to be all in. All in. Jesus said: if you follow me, you must go through one door and be all in. In So you're either out or you're in.
And the way you are in. Is via the Lord Jesus Christ. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and The Message. Lord of Life. Are you feeling tired?
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Now, let's get back to today's message, Lord of Life. Secondly, Jesus is the door of decision. The door of decision. Jesus said, look at it in verse 9. He said, I am the door, and if anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out.
And find Pasture. He says, when you come to me, when you enter by me. You will be given eternal life. You will be saved.
Now, life is a gift. Life is the gift of God, of his love and his grace. And Jesus reminds us of this. And when he describes this life, this abundant life, He describes it with Sheep going in and out. of the fold and the flock and into pasture.
The words of Jesus, someone said, reminded them of the words that Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence. Our founders, our framers, said, We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Jesus, long before Jefferson said this. This abundant life. Life.
Liberty flowing in and out and finding pasture and happiness, this abundant life. Jesus describes Himself in many ways: the light of the world, the bread of heaven, the resurrection and life, the way, the truth, and the life. But I am captured today by this thought that He is the door and the good shepherd. And he welcomes everyone into the family, into the flock. We want to welcome everyone who wants to come.
Anyone. The broken, the hurting, the helpless, the sinful, because we're all sinners. But we want to make sure that the door is wide. Open.
So that people can enter in. And Jesus was in effect opening the door and said, I am the door. And it's a wide open door. If you come to me, you will find and discover this eternal life and this abundant life. This door, this salvation in Christ, means that Jesus becomes.
The living Force. of our lives. What is life? Is what is it?
Well, we know something about physical life and we're learning more and more about it, but you know, is life in the brain, is life in the heart? There's life in the body. That's physical life. But what about the life of the soul that lives forever? What is soul life?
What is spiritual life? Because we are born without life. We were born dead in our trespasses and sins. Ephesians chapter 2. We walked according to the course of this world.
According to the dominion and the power of Satan in our lives. This was us B C before Christ. We were dead without life. You don't need renewal. You don't need a fresh start or a new start.
You need a resurrection in Christ. And Christ makes us alive. We are made alive again in Christ.
So Paul was able to say in Philippians chapter 1 and verse 21, for to me to live is Christ. Life is Christ. You can say that life is what you are alive to. Life is what you are alive to. And when you are in Christ, you are alive in Christ.
And When you think about life in Christ, That means that Christ is the source of life. That means Christ is the standard. of our lives, the Apostle Paul said. I press on to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ. It means that Jesus is the strength.
my life. Amen. Paul said, I can do the same chapter, same book of Philippians, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. To say Christ is my life means that Christ is not only the source of my life, that I have new life in Him, that He is the standard of my life. My life is now in pursuit to please Him.
It not only means that He is the strength of my life, but He is the satisfaction of my life. Paul said, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, Rejoice. That's the song we sing because of the satisfaction that we know in Christ. He satisfies me.
Don't feel sorry for me because I'm a Christian and don't get to do some of the things I don't do because of what Christ has done to change my life. I'm having a great life. I don't need substitutes. Are artificial stimulants? or alcohol or drugs.
Or anything else to enjoy life, to relax, to socialize, to have a great time. Why? Because Jesus is the satisfaction of my life. And not only is He the strength of our lives and the source of our lives and the standard of our lives and the satisfaction of our lives, but he is the supply of our lives. This is when he promises you'll go in and out and find pasture, just like the role of the shepherd is to.
It is to take the sheep out to find water and pasture. Jesus said the sheep will go in and out. And find a flourishing and beautiful life. This is Jesus who is the door. And he said, I've come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.
And therefore, we can say, to live is Christ. And there, then we can say, to die is gain. You fill in the blank for yourself. Take a test this morning. For me to live is What?
And yes, I pray that you can say. Christ, but really honestly before God, ask yourself. What is my life? What's my life all about? What am I living for?
Is it money? Is it job? Is it career? All good things. If not abused, Is my life in pleasure?
Is that my life? Is my life? Family, obviously a good thing. But here's the problem. If you live for anything but for Jesus, when that goes away...
You got nothing. When the money's gone when the family leaves. When Friends leave when the party's over, when The pleasure is gone. If you're living for these things. You really can't say to die is gain.
To die would be lost to live for those things. But to live for Jesus. This is life, and in this life There is satisfaction, and one more thing: there is security. John chapter 10, and we'll look at verses 22 to 30. At that time of the feast of dedication took place in Jerusalem, it was winter.
And Jesus was walking in the temple in the colonnade of Solomon, the outer court. And so the Jews gathered around him and said to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you're the Christ, tell us plainly.
Now, he'd been telling them plainly. And he said, Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me. But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. And watch this.
My sheep. Hear my voice. And I know them. And they follow me. And I give to them eternal life, and they will never perish.
And no one will 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 the Father's hand. I am the Father. are one. Jesus is telling us who He is.
that He is God. And that I hear my My sheep hear my voice and they follow me. And when they follow me, they're in the Father's hand, and they will never perish. Christ is our security. You don't ever have to wonder or worry, will I be unsaved?
Can I...
Somehow be snatched away or lose my salvation, never taught in the Bible. You start right here if this was the only verse. That we are eternally secure. That we are forever his. We are kept.
by the power of God. Peter tells us, look at 1 Peter 1, 3 through 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead. To an inheritance, watch this, that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed until the last time.
That means he's going to keep you all the way into eternity. You say, well, Couldn't the devil snatch me from the Father's hand? Come on. First of all, don't you know if he could, he would? But no man can pluck them from my Father's hand.
No man, no devil of hell, no demon of hell.
So we are secure in Christ. We are His people. The sheep of his pasture. He is our shepherd, and our shepherd will lead us home, even though when through dark valleys. He says, you will not fear, for I am with you.
And he said, Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And that's Psalm 23, and that's the abundant life. That Jesus promised.
So, three doors. Do you remember them? A door of division. A door lets people in. and shuts others out.
A door. Of Not only decision, but also a door of destiny. Because your destiny is in God's hand. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message. Lord of Life.
Through the Holy Spirit, God empowers you to love when it's hard. Forgive when it hurts and persevere when you're worn out. He equips you to live with joy, peace, and boldness no matter what circumstances you face. in his insightful book Powering Up, Pastor Jack Graham shares how you can live the life God intends for you. We want to send you a copy of Powering Up as a thanks for your gift of $10 or more.
To request your copy of Powering Up, just text Power to 59789. We are incredibly excited to share that we have a new way to connect with PowerPoint. We've just launched a brand new texting service designed to keep you connected with everything happening here. Imagine getting all the latest news, inspiring devotionals, and helpful reminders for the Bible in a Year podcast, all delivered right to your phone. You'll be the first to know about upcoming events, special announcements, and truly enriching content.
To join, start a new text conversation by texting Connect to 59-789. You'll receive a reply back and And that will add you to our text group. Just text Connect to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? When you think of the abundant life, I think of the Apostle Paul.
Though he was imprisoned and threatened with his very life for preaching the gospel, he lived with confidence, he lived with calmness, he lived a no fear kind of life. In fact, he was able to say, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. He said, Heads I win, tails I win. If I live, I'm going to live in the power of Jesus Christ. And that's great.
If I die, I'm going to go straight to heaven and be with him. And that is greater still. I'm going to preach Christ, he said, and if you kill me, I'm going to go be with him.
So, in life or in death, it's all about Jesus. I think of the occasion when Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi. And at midnight, the scripture says in the book of Acts, chapter 16, that they began singing and praising the Lord.
Now, that is. Is abundant life. When you know the joy of the Lord, even in the most difficult and even dangerous circumstances. You know, Jesus didn't say, I've come that you might have a bland, boring life. He said, I've come that you might have a full and overflowing life.
And this life is yours, believer. You can have an abundant life, and you can have it today. But listen, here's the key. You must be willing to say, Lord, I empty my life of self, I empty my life of sin by confession and your forgiveness, and I ask you to fill me. Take command, take control of my life.
Today, Lord Jesus. Wear me like a suit. I want to be your hands, your eyes, your feet, your love reaching out to people. Surrender your complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ and then experience that abundant life to the fullest. You'll be so glad you did.
It's the only way to live. And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more to PowerPoint, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book, Powering Up as Our Thanks. Just text the word power to 59-789.
And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how Jesus has power over Satan and his demon army. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
