John 10:3-5 To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.… I. HOW TO ENTER THE CHURCH. 1. Negatively. We cannot get into it — (1) By baptism. Millions are baptized with water, but unless they come to Christ by true faith they are no better than baptized pagans. (2) By birthright. It is a great privilege to have Christian parents, but, "except a man be born again," etc. Your father and mother are not the door, but Christ only. (3) By profession. A professor may prove himself a hypocrite, but he cannot prove himself a Christian by mere profession. Men do not get rich by professing to be wealthy. They must hold their title deeds, and have cash in the strong box. (4) By admission to the visible Church. If a man leaves the door alone and climbs over the wall and gets into the outward Church without Christ, he is a thief, etc. If you have not Christ your Church certificates are waste paper. 2. Positively. By faith in Christ. (1) If you exercise this it makes it plain that you enter by Christ, the Door, because faith leads to obedience. "By their fruits ye shall know them."(2) If we have entered through that Door it does not matter what priest or pope may say. II. THE PRIVILEGES OF ENTERING BY THAT DOOR. 1. He shall be saved — as the manslayer from the avenger; as Noah and his family. 2. He shall go in — (1) To rest and peace, for there is no condemnation (Romans 3:1). (2) To secret knowledge. (3) To God, with holy boldness in prayer as the adopted heir of heaven. (4) To the highest attainment in spiritual things, for a man does not tarry just inside the threshold of his home. Do not stop where you are. Go further in to get more holiness, joy, etc. 3. He shall go out — (1) To his daily business. The way to do that calmly and justly is to go to it through Christ. Do you neglect your morning prayer. (2) To suffering. (3) To conflict with temptation. (4) To Christian service. It makes all the difference between success and failure whether we go on not out through "the Door." 4. He shall find pasture (Psalm 23). (C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. |
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