Dear Christian friends:

Today on our poster we have a door. It says, "Christ, the Door." Again we thank Ferol for painting this beautiful picture for us to impress upon us Jesus' Words. He says in our text, "I am the door." (John 10:9) Jesus a door? Door to where? Heaven? Yes, His is the door to heaven, but we need not wait until we die to go through the door. Jesus is the door for us today.

He is the door through which anyone can go to have the good life. We can begin to enjoy the joys of heaven even now on earth. My sermon today is for you today, not some future day. I want you to stand in that door today and see the good life inside.


Christ is the door. Go through that door Jesus and you will have the really good life, full life, "abundant life." Jesus says, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10b) You will be sorry if you pass by today and don't stand in the door and see. You will be sorry if you pass by and look for another door to find a better life. Don't go looking and searching for other doors.

People are looking and searching for the good life or a "better life" and few find it. Many people are not happy in their present life. They say, "It's a rat race" or "I feel trapped." People are hoping and dreaming and searching for a better life. And they look in strange places for that better life.

Some people quit their job in the city and move far away to the quiet country on a farm. They think they will find the good life in the country. But after they move, they still are not really satisfied and happy. Some move from the cold mid-west to warm, sunny California or Arizona. They think they will find the better life here in California. But after they move here they still are not fully satisfied and happy here in California. Some move again to Oregon or Washington or Idaho, looking and searching for that better life. Some people think they will have a better life if they get a good job and earn lots of money. But after they become rich they still are not satisfied and really happy. People feel trapped like an animal in a cage.

We need not be trapped and in a cage. There's the Door to the better life, the good life. You don't have to move to Oregon or Idaho or Alaska to find and have the good life. The good life is in the Door in Christ Jesus, and Jesus is here. Jesus is near to each one of us. He is waiting for you and me to come to Him to stand in the Door and see the really good life. 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. (John 10:9) And what is the "pasture"? It's the good life!

The door is Christ, our Lord, He is the entrance into the sheepfold where we have His perfect protection, the same as sheep during the night are led into the stone fence to sleep and rest under the protection of the stone fence and the closed door. Jesus is also the exit. In the morning the sheep go out and eat the green pastures. Jesus is for us Christians the Bread of Life and the Water of Life. Jesus is the door to the good life.

Is that true? Is Jesus really the door to the good life? Do those who believe in Jesus have protection from all harm and danger" Are they really happy and satisfied people? Many think not! They ask, "What war has Jesus ever stopped? Why is there so much sickness, crime, hunger, and poverty in the world? Why do Christians also have much trouble and suffering?" They don't think that Jesus is the door to the good life.

They think those that go into the door with Jesus and His Church are not happy. They say, "You Christians can't have any fun or good times. You must go, go to church every Sunday; work, work for the church. You can't drink, dance or gamble or have sexual freedom." They see Jesus as a Jailer not as the Savior and Giver of the good life. They think that's a bad life through the door. They see the Church as a prison.

Are they right? Do you agree with them? Many church members agree with them. They don't really believe in Jesus and find peace, happiness, excitement and joy in Jesus. They feel trapped in the church. They are very weak in faith or have no faith. They are hypocrites, not born again. They do not really have the new good life of Baptism and the Holy Spirit.

How can we know for sure that Christ is the door to the good life?
Stand in the door and look!
Stand in Jesus and see and experience God's wonderful love and power!

Jesus says, "I am the door: if any man enter in, he shall be saved" Stand in the door and see again how Jesus has saved you. Saved you from what? Guilt, feeling depressed, feeling ashamed, feeling afraid of God and people, feeling trapped. Jesus has died on the cross for your sins. God has forgiven all your sins in Jesus. You need not feel guilty, depressed, ashamed or afraid. God loves you and forgives your sins in Jesus. In Jesus you can have peace with God, friendship and love and prayer and serve Him freely and with thanks and praise willingly, not having to be forced.

In Jesus you are saved from death and have eternal life and nothing can separate you from that eternal life. Not grief or pain, accident, cobalt machines, cancer or bombs, nothing. You are saved!

And you are safe (protected). Protected from what? Protected from the enemy. Jesus says, "The thief comes to steal and to kill and to destroy." (John 10:10a) Jesus is the door. He will not let the enemy in to destroy your faith. Jesus will not let too strong a temptation come to you. He will make a way for you to escape and overcome the enemy of your faith.

We are protected in Jesus because we know that whether we are sick or well, whether we have grief or joy, whether we have loss or gain, rich or poor, dying or living these are not really important. The important thing is are we in through the door or out, and we are in!

But we are not slaves in there! We are free, "to come in and go out." Jesus says, "If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."

We are free to live the good life fully. We are free to dare death, Satan and hell. Paul mocked death and the grave. He said:

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

We are free to celebrate life because we believe in the resurrection of the body. We are free from competing with others for worldly riches and fame. We are free from lust and pride and worldly wisdom; we have God's wisdom. We are free to love others even our enemies and free to risk our life for others because we can't really lose our life when Jesus' life is ours.

The door is open. The door is Jesus Christ, and through the door is the really good life. Don't look for other doors. There is no other door. This the Door to the good life.

Amen.