I am the Door, the Shepherd, the Bread of Life

My joyful song, the battery of life, Thy death brings light to me. And while the ages flow along, This shall my glory be, And this the new and endless song I offer to God to be. Now I'd like to welcome you to the gospel meeting tonight.

And before we look into the word of God and preach the gospel, let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for our Lord Jesus, this one of whom we've been singing, the spotless victim. And Lord, there's many here tonight and many throughout the world who can say he gave himself for me.

And Father, if there are any here that have never had a time in their life when they've understood the sufficiency of the death of Christ for them to take away all their sins once and for all, Lord, we pray that tonight would be the night that they would come into the good of the gospel message and just rest where God rests and know what it is to have peace with God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you for the Savior. We thank you for his sufferings.

We thank you for his death. And Lord, we thank you that he's alive forevermore. And we pray he would be honored as a result of the gospel being preached here and to the ends of the earth in his name.

Amen. I'd like to read with you in the Gospel of John, please, chapter 10. John chapter 10 and verse 9. I want to read a few verses, and they'll all be the words of the Lord Jesus that he spoke when he was here on earth.

And they're as relevant tonight as when he spoke them almost 2,000 years ago. First of all, in verse 9 of John 10, the Lord Jesus says, I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.

The thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. And one further reading, please, in chapter 6. Chapter 6 and verse 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life.

He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Now, where we've been reading tonight, the Lord basically made three statements. He says, I am the door, I am the good shepherd, and I am the bread of life.

And to me, it's amazing that the Lord Jesus, the one who is the creator of all things, the creator of the universe, would compare himself to things like a door and a shepherd and a bread. But you know, I just want to tell you tonight that what the Lord Jesus said here, these different things that he is, it's just what we need. Because as human beings, because of our sin, we're on a broad road that leads to destruction.

We need a way out. We need an exit. And so he says, I am the door.

And God makes it very clear again because of our sins that we're sheep that have gone astray. We're lost. We need a shepherd, a good shepherd.

But finally, mankind is empty inside. The world can't satisfy the longing of the human heart because of our distance from God. But the Lord Jesus says, I am the bread, the bread of life.

I like to look, first of all, in John 10, where the Lord Jesus said that he's the door. Now, a door, nothing too fancy about a door. I mean, people often have very nice things in their home, but the door isn't one of the most prominent features, likely.

Why would the Lord compare himself to a door? Well, I want to tell you, and you probably know this. If there were a fire in this building, and may the Lord spare us, there'd be one thing that would be important, the door, a way out, an exit. I remember it was back in 2003.

I was out in British Columbia, and I heard or read that there was a tragedy at a nightclub in Chicago. Now, that was before we knew we'd ever move to the Chicago area, but since I used to spend so much time in nightclubs, unfortunately, it caught my ear. And what happened, there's a restaurant, there was a restaurant called the Epitome Restaurant in Chicago, and on the second floor above it, there was a nightclub called the E2.

And one night in February, some estimate that there were around 1,500 people up there. It was the wee hours of the morning, and I'm not sure anybody knows the exact details, but some say there was a bit of an altercation, a fight, and some of the security guards used pepper spray, and people got a whiff of that, and somebody said something about terrorists, and everybody panicked, everybody panicked, and started heading for the door. Now, that would have been fine, except that there was one narrow stairway for all those 1,500 people, one narrow stairway leading down to the ground floor.

But here's the thing. At the ground floor, there were a pair of doors, but unfortunately, they opened inward. And when people went down there, they're trying to get away from whatever they thought the trouble was.

They got down there, they tried to open the doors, but the crowd was pressing on them so much they couldn't, and the people kept... Well, they said the bodies were stacked six feet high. People were looking for a door that night. They were desperate.

But the door was closed. They couldn't get out. My friend, God wants you to know that there's a door tonight for you.

The Lord Jesus made it very clear when He says there's a broad road that leads to destruction. I was on that for many years, didn't know it. That didn't change the fact that I was on it.

Because of my sin, I wasn't on my way to heaven. I was on my way to hell, and I would deserve to be there. And I'm so thankful that God brought me in touch with a lady who spoke the gospel to me.

And at first, I tried to change my lifestyle to get off that road, and I found that was a hopeless case. And then I found out there's a way off this road. And it's not through anything I do.

It's through what Christ did. My friend, He died for our sins so we could get off that broad road. He died to deliver us from danger.

And tonight, He's saying to you, I'm the door. And through me, if you enter in, you can be saved. Listen, it's not hard to go through a door.

But you may not go through a door unless you realize you can't stay where you are. And for many years, I didn't think I needed Christ. Now, I never heard the gospel, but I'd heard about Him, but I didn't want Him.

I didn't want Christianity. I didn't think I needed it. But I'll tell you, when I started reading the Bible and found out how God saw me in all my sin and that I couldn't take away my sin and that my sin deserved eternal judgment, I'll tell you, I started to see things differently.

I needed a door. I needed a way out. Let me ask you kindly, has there ever been a time in your life when you realized you're on the wrong road? You need to get off that road.

You know, some people fancy, they hope that they're on their way to heaven, but they've never realized they're on the broad road that leads to destruction. They believe about Christ, but there's never been a time in their life when they've trusted Him alone. He's the door.

He says, I'm not the big door and you're the little door. He's the door. There's only one.

And He's the only one who died for our sins so we can go to heaven. But you know, four nights after, this tragedy at the E2 nightclub where many people died, many people were injured, four nights later, I heard about another tragedy, again in a nightclub, this time out in Rhode Island, at a nightclub called The Station. Some of you are probably familiar with what happened that night.

It's been in the news recently due to lawsuits and everything. But the main band that night was a band, a heavy metal band called Great White. And likely they had some acts first, but then probably as the night went on, then the main band comes on.

And the place was packed. And now this band, when they started playing, they had some pyrotechnicians with them, guys that shoot off fire. And they shot off their fire.

I'll tell you, they were playing with fire in more ways than one. What they didn't realize was that the soundproofing in that old nightclub was flammable. And I've seen video of this.

They shot off the fire, the band started playing. The crowd thought it was great. But that fire ignited the ceiling.

And I'll tell you, that flame started spreading. Now what's ironic is there was a man there, a reporter. He was doing a video on nightclub safety.

And it'd be because of that tragedy just four nights earlier in Chicago. He was doing a video on nightclub safety of all things. And he says he was standing there and when the fire erupted and the band started playing, there were some people said, wow, isn't this great? And he thought to himself, this isn't great.

This is dangerous. I'm getting out of here. So he went for the door.

And then the flame just started spreading like anything. And he went back. And this is what he showed it to the people.

Get out. Get out. Get to the door.

Get to the door. Let me ask you, was the door important that night when that old nightclub erupted in flames? But this is what he said. He told the people to get out, to get to the door.

And this is what he said. And people just stood there. A hundred people died that night.

They didn't get to the door. And my friend, what a tragedy that was. Well, what a tragedy it will be if there's someone under the sound of our voice tonight and you don't get to the door.

My friend, God sent his son. And the Lord Jesus wants you to know that he's the door. There's a way out for you.

My friend, you don't deserve to be in heaven. Neither do I. None of us do. We deserve God's judgment.

And the Lord Jesus spoke about the everlasting burnings. Now, I don't know how long that fire burned there at the station, nightclub in Rhode Island. But there's a fire that never goes out.

That the Lord Jesus came into this world and gave himself on the cross to deliver you from. The Lord says, I am the door. By me, if any man, if any human being, man, woman, boy or girl, by me if any man enter in.

Now, he doesn't say you might be saved. He doesn't say you'll feel safe. He says you will be saved.

My friend, he has done everything that needs to be done so that you and I can have a door of escape from the judgment our sins deserve. Hallelujah, there's a door. I remember another time being over in Russia.

And I've told this before. Some will have heard me say this. But, you know, the Russians are fond of their banya.

It's like sauna. Only they call it by a different name. And they're public.

And a friend, Pasha, wanted me to go to the banya with him. And at first I was busy. I didn't go.

But he kept on at me. And so finally I said, OK, Pasha, I'll go to the banya with you. So we went there.

And they have the women's banya and they have the men's. And so we went into the men's and opened the door. And there's these seats, you know, wooden seats that go up to the ceiling, different benches, levels.

And in the corner, of course, you've got the heater with the stones. And every so often somebody would turn on a tap and a saucepan and pour it on the stones. There would be a big ssss.

And, you know, there would be water vapor, steam. And it increased the heat. And they kept doing this.

And it was getting hotter and hotter and hotter. And I look up. I mean, we're on the first level here.

And there's guys up at the back. And I thought, wow, I don't know how they stand this. Finally, they kept on doing it so much that I said to Pasha, Pasha, I'm out of here.

And I went out the door. You know what I thought about after? I was glad there was a door to that banya, a door out. But here's the thing, my friend.

In hell, there's no door, no exit. You don't want to be there. And God wants you to know that his son is the door.

He can be your door, not through any efforts of yours, but just trust, take God at his word that Christ Jesus came into the world to save a sinner like you. But then the Lord mentioned that he's the shepherd. He says, I'm the good shepherd.

The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. Now, I haven't met too many young people that want to be shepherds. There probably are.

But, I mean, a shepherd is a little different than being like the CEO of Apple or from being the quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Shepherd may not seem like a very important thing unless you're a sheep and you've gotten lost somehow. And you're way out in the wilderness and there's wild animals there, maybe lions, wolves or other thing, and it's dark.

Listen, there's one thing you need then. You need a shepherd. And I want to tell you, there's one thing lost sinners need.

This is what I needed because I was out there. I'd gone my own way. God says, oh, we like sheep have gone astray.

We've turned everyone to our own way. I was a lost sheep for so many years. I thought I had life in my hip pocket.

I thought I knew where things were at. I was lost. It took me 25 years to realize I'm lost.

I needed to be found. And there's so many people that hope they're going to be in heaven. They think they're going to be in heaven.

They've never believed what God says, that we're lost. The Lord Jesus says he came to seek and to save good people. He says, I came to seek and to save those who are lost.

Can I ask you kindly, has there ever been a time in your life when you've realized that spiritually speaking, I'm not speaking about geographically, but spiritually, as far as God is concerned, you're lost. My friend, this is critical. Because if you're not lost, then you can find your own way to heaven.

You don't need Christ. Listen, he came into the world to seek and to save those who are lost. And maybe I'm speaking to somebody tonight and you realize, you know, I can't figure this out.

I believe what God says. My sin disqualifies me from heaven. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross, but I'm not saved.

My friend, if you are truly lost, you cannot find your way to heaven. God is just waiting for you to depend on his son, the good shepherd. My friend, he came all the way from heaven to rescue a sheep like you and a sheep like me who are lost.

And maybe some people still having some doubts say, well, I don't know. Well, let me bring your attention to what verse says, what verse 10 says. The Lord Jesus spoke about a thief.

He says, the thief comes not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I want to tell you that there's another being that's on your track. See, our enemy.

Now, for many years, I didn't believe there was a devil. Again, that didn't change anything. He had me believing so many things that were wrong.

I never read the Bible. I believed his lies. Well, my friend, he wants to destroy you and he'll do it any way he can.

He'll get you up and out, down and out, inside out. But there's a shepherd, a good shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, so many people, they enjoy Psalm 23, rightly so.

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. But my friend, if there's never been a time in your life when you've trusted the shepherd, when you've understood that he died for your sins, I'm sorry, but he's not your shepherd.

There needs to be a time in your life when you come into this relationship. Well, I'd like to mention the third thing the Lord Jesus said. He says, I'm the bread of life.

He that comes to me shall never hunger. You know, some of us, when we're young, the world dazzles us with all its lights and bells and whistles. Some of us.

Especially those of us, again, that aren't familiar with the word of God. And so we go after the things in the world, thinking it's going to satisfy. But it's been well said, this world isn't big enough to satisfy the longing of that heart of yours.

It's not big enough. My friend, only God can satisfy that longing. You know, bread may not seem too important to somebody if they've been eating candy all day.

But you eat candy for a few days in a row, and I guarantee you're going to get sick of it. Anybody sick of what they've been feeding on in the world, trying to satisfy? Whether it's money, fame, pleasure, whatever. Now, listen, I wouldn't have believed this.

I had to learn the hard way that none but Christ can satisfy. My friend, he's the only one that can meet that longing in your heart. Because he's the only one that can give us peace with God.

He made peace by the blood of his cross. God's judgment was hanging over us because of our sin. But he stepped in the breach, and he did for us what nobody else could do.

He died for our sins. And when a person trusts him, they come out from under the judgment their sins deserve. Because that judgment fell on Christ.

He's the bread of life. And, you know, he doesn't say, I'm the bread of life, and if you jump so high. If you jump over this bar, or jump through this hoop.

He says, I'm the bread of life. He that comes to me shall never hunger. Well, it's not that you won't have difficulties in life.

That's part of living in this world. But, my friend, he satisfies that deep longing in your soul. Do you have peace in your soul tonight? Do you know for sure that if you were to die tonight, that you'd go to heaven? Do you know for sure your sins are forgiven? Well, my friend, you will never have real peace until sure of this.

Really, looking back on it now, I wondered how I could sleep at night not knowing where I'd be if I died. My friend, God loves you. He wants you to have peace.

That's why he sent his son. That's why the Lord Jesus came. Again, he has made peace by the blood of his cross.

And, my friend, God just wants you to believe what he says. That we have a problem. That we can't solve ourselves.

But that the Lord Jesus can. He's the door. Because we're on our way to destruction.

He's the exit. He's the good shepherd because we're lost. And can't find our way back to God.

He's the bread of life. He can satisfy that longing in your heart and mine. My friend, this is what he came for.

And, you know, he also said there in chapter 10, he says, I'm come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly. You know, one of the things that the devil confused me with, and I didn't realize it was Satan at the time, just my own thoughts. I thought that if I go God's way, it's going to be the pits.

It's like, you know, putting on a straitjacket or something. I want to tell you, the devil's a liar. A very good liar.

Very convincing. Very cunning. But very cruel.

My friend, he wants to keep you from all the blessing that God has for you. He wants you to think, I don't need this. I don't need Christ.

I'm okay the way I am. But my friend, I trust as the gospel continues to be preached, that you will realize, perhaps in a way you never have before, that it's Christ you need. We're not talking about religion.

We're not talking about a program of self-improvement. We're not talking even about understanding all the Bible. Just understanding.

I'm lost. I'm helpless. I deserve to be in hell.

But thank God, Jesus died for me. He did everything that needed to be done to take away my sin. And I'm just going to rest where God rests.

Christ died for my sins.