Christ the Door

There's a Middle Eastern story about a spy who was captured and sentenced to death by a general of the Persian army. The general had fallen upon a strange and rather bizarre custom. He permitted the condemned person to make a choice. He could either face the firing squad or pass through the big black door. At the moment of execution, the general ordered the spy to be brought before him for a short final interview. Which shall it be? The firing squad or the big black door?

This was not an easy question, and the prisoner hesitated, but soon he made it known that he chose the firing squad. Not long thereafter, a volley of shots in the courtyard announced the grim sentence had been fulfilled. The general, staring at his boots, turned to his aid and said, You see how it is with men. They will always prefer the known to the unknown.

And it is characteristic of people to be afraid of the unknown. And yet I gave him a choice.

What lies behind the black door? asked the aid. Freedom, replied the general, and I've only known a few men brave enough to take it. That's from a magazine entitled Leadership.

And this was from the Winter Quarter 1992, an article or a story shared by Don McCullough.

Like so much in life, we often choose the familiar over the unknown, even if the unknown might be a wonderful opportunity. Rejecting the familiar could be a grave mistake, because maybe the proven path is the good choice. But just because something is familiar doesn't always make it the right, good, or best choice in life. Continuing with the illustration and considering the door presented, we probably go through doors every day of our life. From the moment we are born, someone carries us through our first door. And doors become a common occurrence in our lives. When we think back to historical times, doors have always been a thing of necessity. Doors keep the wild animals out. They keep the cold breeze and the bad weather for making us too cold. They keep the heat in and slow down the movement of air inside our abode so it's more comfortable to live. And they provide us a way to keep our valuables safe and to keep ourselves safe from dangers. We know we could go on and on and on about the advantages and importance of doors, but the fact remains that doors are a continual structure in human lives from the day we are born until the days come to an end. We start out our lives entering through the door of our first home, and we often exit through a door when our lives end. Now, I don't mean to be grim. I don't want to be too grim. There is a positive point and focus on today's message. Doors are prominent in the scriptures that we hold near and dear to our hearts. Often, they provide an example of the choices we get to make in life, and with that choice, we get to choose which doors we walk through. The first time the word door is used in scriptures in Genesis 4 and verse 7. I'll go ahead and turn there. It's the very beginning of our Bibles. I find it interesting that the word is used in an account where an irreversible consequence is presented by God. Genesis 4, and we're going to read one verse earlier starting in verse 6. Genesis 4 and verse 6.

This is the account where Cain is very upset that his offering wasn't acceptable to God, even though his brothers was. God knew the heart. God knew that there was tension, that something was brewing, and he knew that Cain was about to make a choice that had irreversible consequences. Verse 6. So the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, notice sin lies at the door. It's interesting that he used this example, this illustration God did, right? Because was Cain standing physically at a door and about to walk through it and go hurt his brother?

Probably not. But it was the analogy, right? It was the example that right on the other side, you get to make a choice. You get to walk through this door frame and choose what's on the other side. And notice he said, And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

And so this choice was presented to Cain. And we know where this what decision he made. We know what mistake it led to. And so in the time we have together today, we will consider several doors referenced in Scripture, and the significance of doors in our lives. Doors are used many times in the Bible to illustrate a greater point about choices, opportunity, and salvation.

Some very significant doors have deep spiritual meaning for us, all of us today, no matter where we are at in life. So whether we are a teenager or young adult, whether we're baptized or not baptized, whether we're senior, these examples should be we should be able to relate with them all. And so the first door that we will consider is the door that was on the Ark.

You can put in your notes the Ark door. In the beginning of Genesis chapter 6, and we can turn there next, we find a description of society early on in man's history. And it shows us that there is nothing new on this earth. God described society by saying, the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Sometimes I read that passage, and it's hard for me to wrap my mind around like, is this literal that like that they just looked to do her harm and hurt others continually that they just look to create havoc. But God is God is one of his word. If he says it, it's the accuracy of the time that Noah lived in.

So God decided to start new with mankind, and he saved Noah, his wife, sons, and daughter-in-laws from complete destruction. We know God did this through a large boat that Noah was commanded to make. Again, Genesis 6 and verse 14.

He said to Noah, make yourself an ark of gopher wood, make rooms on the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you should make it. The length of the ark shall be 300 cubits, it's with 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits. And you shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubic from above and set the door of the ark and set the door of the ark in its side shall make it with lower second and third decks. And so God was very specific, even specific, where this door should be on the ark.

So he did what was asked of him. He built this ark, and when the time came, he entered the ark through that very door. We see in verse seven, Genesis, excuse me, chapter seven and verse one. Then the Lord said to Noah, come into the ark you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. So God gave Noah this invitation to enter in through this door, to not deal and not face the judgment that was coming on to everyone else, but to find salvation.

The walking through and shutting of the door of the ark pictured God's judgment and his mercy. God is the God of both judgment and mercy. Mankind has always had the opportunity to make choices in their lives. Just as Noah made the choice to walk through the door of the ark to be saved, we must also make the decision to no longer walk according to our own plans, but rather change and decide to walk through the door that leads to eternal life.

A way would be provided for Noah to escape the judgment of sin. But did God force Noah to walk through that door in the ark? God never forced Noah to even begin building the ark.

He didn't force Noah to complete the construction of the ark. And as Noah did everything that was God had asked him up to that point of his life, he still had the choice on his own to decide, am I going to enter in when God commands me to do it? And then when God gave that command, up to the moment when he walked in and the door shut behind him, it was still his opportunity to make a choice, just as it was Cain's when sin lied at the door, remember?

So that's one example of a door. The second example we'll look at is the Passover door. Another significant door of Scripture is found in Exodus chapter 12. Exodus 12, and we'll begin reading at the beginning. As we pick up the story here in Exodus 12, God is in the process of delivering his people from their Egyptian captivity. God has already warned Pharaoh that he needed to let his people go, or else there would be consequences. So God brought nine plagues upon Egypt and is preparing to bring a tenth.

Exodus 12, verse 1, it says, Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be your beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. Verse 5, Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Verse 12, For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and I will strike all the firstborn on the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Similar to the example we saw with Noah in the Ark, this example again shows how God is a god of judgment and mercy. God's judgment is against sin in the world, and in this case, the sin must be reconciled through the life of an animal. The Israelites were told to offer up a perfect lamb without blemish, without spot, and then put some of the blood on the door frame of the house. By doing so, they would be spared from the death of the firstborn, which was the tenth plague to come upon Egypt. This blood did not hold any supernatural power in that it would provide on itself the Israelites protection. This would have been a false teaching like the Egyptians believed in. They had their pagan gods, they had their pagan rituals. They would have believed that there would have been something supernatural in the blood itself. But this is not the case with God. The blood was a sign of the cost of sin and how God would provide a way of escape for his people. There was again a choice presented to God's people. Will they follow his instructions and will they walk through the door of their homes with the blood placed on the door frame? God did not force them to put the blood there. He didn't make sure that they picked a lamb on the 10th and he that they then killed it on the 14th. He didn't make sure that they were going to do everything he commanded. He said, this is the command. Will you do it?

Are you going to walk through this door?

Would they receive the gift that God wanted them to receive? Would they walk through that door and receive salvation? I hope you see a theme is starting to appear between these ideals.

The third door that we'll look at is the temple door. Another significant door found in Scripture is in the temple that Solomon built for God. Turn to 1 Corinthians 28. Actually, not Corinthians. Chronicles. 1 Chronicles 28. When you put like abbreviations in your notes, sometimes they can throw you off. 1 Chronicles 28 and verse 9.

And then you add nerves on top of that and a couple cups of coffee and everything can go off the rails very quickly. 1 Chronicles 28 and verse 9.

Especially if you make the coffee like I made it today, right? Mrs. Frankie, I see some other head nods. Yeah, it was a little potent. If you liked it, you're welcome. If you didn't, that's my fault.

That's why you can't let the pastor get to church too early. I think he takes control, grabs hold of things, and then it's all over from there. 1 Chronicles 28 and verse 9. Again, this is the instructions that Solomon was given to build the temple. It says, as for you, my son, and David is talking to his son Solomon, my son Solomon, know the God of your father and serve him. Like, David doesn't just start off with the instructions for the temple. He starts off with this relationship that he wants his son to have with God, this wisdom. Because he knows if you have this relationship with the father, with God, everything else will fall where it needs to in life. He says, know the God of your father and serve him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intents of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. Again, there's this choice that Solomon is being given from the wisdom of his father. Verse 10, consider now for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it. Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, the houses, the treasuries, the upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat. So David gave all of these plans to his son. First Kings chapter 6 and verse 1 records—all of chapter 6 actually records the building of this temple. So let's go to 1 Kings 6 and verse 1 next. 1 Kings 6 at the beginning of verse 1. And it came to pass in the 400th and 80th year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt. In the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord. Now the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was 60 cubits, it's width 20 and its height 30 cubits. And he goes on with more and more instructions on the specifics of how this temple to God was built. Verse 11, then the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying, Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in my statutes, execute my judgments, keep all my commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform my word with you, which I spoke to your father David. So here's again God presenting now Solomon this choice. Do you want to walk through this door? Do you want to walk with me forward? What choice do you want to make for your life? Verse 13, he says, and I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel. So, Solomon built the temple and finished it. You and I, we have very similar promises from God that this work that he started in us, he will finish it if we will walk with him, that he will never leave us nor forsake us if we walk with him, right? There's a commitment that he wants us to make. He wants us to walk alongside of him. He's wanting us to not get ourselves caught in problems and challenges and difficulties, just like he prompted Cain before he killed his brother and said, you don't want to do this. I can tell you're on the verge of something that you shouldn't be doing. Settle eyes at the door. The choice is yours. And so, in a similar fashion, he presented Noah with an opportunity to make a choice.

And now Solomon saying, will you walk with me? Verse 16, then he built the 20 cubic rooms at the rear of the temple from floor to ceiling with cedar boards, and he built it inside, and he built it inside as the inner sanctuary as the most holy place. And so, this is where God's presence would reside. This is where the Ark of the Covenant would reside, and it was very holy and very special to God. Going on in verse 19, and we're skipping through a lot of the other details of this temple being built and the aspects of it, but I'm focusing on this inner sanctuary, this inner part where God's presence, his holy presence, would reside when this temple would be completed, because there's a point about this door that separated this inner sanctuary. Verse 19, and he prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple to set the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord there. The inner sanctuary was 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 20 cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold and overlaid the altar of cedar. Verse 31, for the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood. The lentil and door posts were one fifth of the wall. The two doors were made of olive wood, and he carved on them figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid these with gold. And he spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees, and he continued with after this with the construction of the temple with all the details that God had given. We know when we looked at the tabernacle, the wilderness, that tent that they carried all the way through the wilderness, the Israelites did, that God was very precise on the instructions on how this tabernacle in the wilderness was to be created. He talked about the materials that would be used, the color of the threads, the hooks that would hold the curtains. He talked about the wood pieces that would make the frame of this. God was very precise in his instructions because he himself is very precise in how we should approach him and his holiness. And so we can discern that he would have been very involved in the design of this tabernacle, this temple, as well that Solomon was building. This, of course, also included the doors. The inner sanctuary, or the Holy of Holies, could only be entered once a year, and that was on the day of atonement, and then only by the high priest. The high priest would bring a specific offering into this place and atone for the sins of the full nation before God. And this high priest would do that once a year again. Where God's presence dwelled in his temple was so holy, the average Israelite did not have access to this area. This showed the holiness in which the Israelites were to demonstrate in their approach to God. There was a separation between God and his people, even though God himself wanted so desperately that there not be a separation.

So God himself would eventually provide a way for humanity to walk through this door and be one with God, continuing to see this theme develop of doors, salvation, and God's grace. The fourth door we'll look at is simply Jesus' THE door. You can put the in all caps if you want. That's what I put in my notes. Jesus' THE door. This brings us to another type of door, which is actually, again, THE door, which is Jesus Christ. In the fall of 30 AD, Jesus shared his 25th parable with those listening in Jerusalem. We find this in John 10 and verse 1.

John 10 and beginning in verse 1. And in this parable that we're about to read, he outlines the length and the depth that he goes, he himself goes, to be the shepherd of the flock and the way that we have to eternal life. John 10 and verse 1. Jesus says, Most assuredly, say to you, He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs up in some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Jesus is sharing this powerful illustration that many listening could understand as they tended sheep or they would have been familiar with the example that he's using. Sheep are unique in the way that they build a close relationship with their shepherd and they know their voice and have a trusting relationship with them. Now, I've never raised sheep myself, but I've read a few articles about it. And what I found interesting, one of the articles that I read several years ago, is when the shepherd leaves, because they go on vacation or they can't be there every single time that they need to be fed, another shepherd can come into the fold. They can bring food. They can show up, but the sheep will stand far off. Even if the shepherd, this visiting shepherd, brings in the same food that they normally eat, the same buckets that they normally use, the sheep are still like, I'm not down with this. I don't know you. You are not my shepherd. And so they place the food in the troughs and then the visiting shepherd leaves, and then slowly the sheep will migrate over to those troughs and will eat. There's this knowledge. There's this relationship. And I should talk to the shafers. They know about sheep probably, but way better than I do. And I'm getting a bad look because I called them out right now. And so my apologies, ladies. But anyway, there's such a special relationship between the shepherd and their sheep. And this is the illustration that Jesus is getting at. And so he's warning the listener to be on guard for false shepherds, those with smooth sounding words, but are not true followers of Jesus themselves. But what's also interesting is as Jesus shared this illustration, verse 6 states that they did not understand the things that he was speaking of. And so he goes on in verse 7 to say, Then Jesus said to them again, Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All whoever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

Similar to a shepherd who goes in and out of the gate, out of the gated pen, looking after his sheep, and the sheep knows who that shepherd is and the one who works to find them a good place to graze or a good place to be cared for. This is how God, this is how our elder brother looks after and cares for us. We see in Scripture access to the Father is only through Jesus Christ, the Son, thus a reference in verse 7 to being the door of the sheep. God draws us to him. He's the one who calls us. God the Father then, in a way, hands off responsibility to his Son to then be our guide as we continue in this life, as we follow after his example, as he goes before us, as our advocate, as our helper, as our provider. There's such a beautiful analogy that he is painting here, but the reality is so serious for the believer. This is the way that Christ looks at us. This is the way he loves us and he cares for us. He goes on in verse 10 and says, the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy.

An obvious reference to our enemy Satan. He says, I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Going all the way back to the beginning, God wanted Cain to make a better choice. Looking at Noah, he wanted him to step into the ark. God loved humanity so much through all these different choices that he gave mankind. He wanted them to choose life, but he left it to each person to decide. Verse 11, he says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his wife for the sheep. Verse 14, I am, and he repeats, the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and I am known by my own. That is something really important that we're going to dive into in just a few more minutes. I am known by my own, meaning those who follow Christ, not only do they know Jesus, but Christ says, I know them. This isn't a stretch of a relationship. This isn't a distance. You talk once in a while on the phone. This isn't a, we haven't seen each other in years. Christ is saying, I know them. I've been to their house, in an example. I've had a meal with them. We've talked. I know their motivations for life. I know their thoughts. I know what they want to do, their desires for their life. Like, I know these people. They know me. And this should ring powerfully for us today. Do we know God? Do we know Christ? Or is it just a once in a while phone call? Once in a while prayer? Once in a while communication?

Yeah, we have a lot to catch up on. It's been a while since we've talked. Jesus is saying, and I am known by my own. As the Father knows me, even so, I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. Knowing God is not just about knowledge, right? There's a lot of people that have biblical knowledge. A lot of people have read through God's where a lot of people who know the principles. So having this relationship, letting Christ be the shepherd of our lives isn't just about knowledge. It must be much more than that. So it is only through the acceptance of Jesus Christ's atoning death that we have access to the Father. There is no other avenue, no other shortcut. We either have access or we don't. This is why belief in the Son and faith in his life is critical to the Christian. Jesus is our Advocate. He is our Redeemer, and he is our Lord. Which brings us to the fifth and the last door we will look at, which is titled the narrow door. The narrow door. Turn with me to Luke 13.

I've always read Luke, this account in Luke, in a sobering way because the depth of what is shared here with us can be kind of like that choice that was presented to Cain. It can have life-or-death consequences. Luke 13 and verse 22. And he went through the city, speaking of Jesus, and the villages teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. Then one said to him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And he said to them, notice, strive. We're going to focus on that word a little bit in a moment. Strive to enter through the narrow gate. For many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open for us. And he will answer and say to you, I do not know you. Notice where you are from.

Remember the previous passage we talked about? How we need to know God, and God needs to know us. We need to have a relationship with Jesus, and he needs to know our thoughts and our minds. Notice what he's saying in this parable. He's saying, I do not know you. I don't know where you're from. I don't even know where you live. Like, if you were coming over to visit, I'd give you my address, right? We live in Howl. Let me show you the street, and this is how you get there. Watch out for this construction. You'd come over. We'd share a meal. We'd enjoy that time together, right? You would know where I am from, right? You go to the feast. Somebody says, where are you from?

And then you describe your city. You describe your state. You describe the location, and sometimes you get that blank stare because nobody's ever heard of where you live. So you describe it further. This is where I... so we do the whole... all right? No. This way. I'm picturing you looking at me, right? And then you do the whole... the Michigan thing. I had to learn this when I came. You can tell I'm still kind of rusty at it. And you point, and they nod, and they still have no clue where you're from, right? Jesus is in a very serious way saying, I don't know where you live. I don't know who you are. I don't have this relationship for you to come into my house. Verse 26, he says, and then you'll begin to say, we ate and we drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets. Like, we saw you. We saw you in this physical way coming down and doing these miracles, and we saw the teachings that you gave. But he goes back and says, I didn't know you.

But he will say in verse 27, I tell you, I do not know you. And again, where you are from, depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets and the kingdom of God and yourselves thrust out. Now, in a more serious, like, I guess, kind of what, why would he share this with the group listening to him? We know that Jesus first came to the Jews to try to show them who he was and the truth of errors of their way and to help broaden their thoughts. And so they could enter into this relationship with them. And when they refused, then the message went to the Gentiles was no longer neither Jew was the Jew or Gentile, anyone who would accept anyone who would believe. That's a context. But there's a serious aspect that we can still apply for our lives today with the same message, right? Because he tells them to strive to enter through the narrow gate. Don't just meander, don't just wake up and oh, wow, here I am. Don't blindly walk.

He says strive, work at it. The word strive here from the complete word study dictionary means to contend for victory in the public games. So kind of like wrestling in the Olympics. It says it can generally mean to fight, to wrestle. Figuratively, it is the task of faith and persevering amid temptation and opposition. I like that. The task of faith and persevering, of overcoming, of working and making progress, even though you're in the midst of opposition, even though temptation lies at the door, right? That's what he's saying. And it goes on to describe it this way, the complete word study dictionary. It also came to mean to take pains to wrestle as in an award contest, straining every nerve to the uttermost towards the goal. It implies hindrances in the development of the Christian life. During Teen Club today, some of them talked about sports that they've played, battles on the fields, going up against other athletes, and getting tackled, getting hit hard, sometimes by their own teammates, sometimes by an opponent.

Straining every nerve to the uttermost, right? When you feel like you got nothing else to give, when you've been knocked on your back, when something hurts that's not supposed to hurt, but the rest of the team is going on, right? The rest of the team says, we got to get back in the next play, right? Forget the last play. It's always the next play ahead of us. And so you dig deep, you pull back yourselves back up, and you get back in there. You may be limping, but you're not limping off the field. You're jumping back to the line, right? And then to realize that you didn't sign up for sports because everybody gets a trophy, right? You didn't sign up for sports because they said nobody ever is going to be risked or have a risk of getting hurt.

No, you know there's hardships that come with it. You know there's difficulties.

You know the unknown lies around the corner. I appreciate the sermonette. We did not talk about what we were really covering to this detail with the two tie-ins so well. Didn't know what was around the corner. It could be a storm, right? A storm of life. It could be easy sailing. We don't know, but this word, strive, again comes back around that it implies hindrances in the development of the Christian life. It implies we're going to have our trials. It implies we're going to have our losses at times. It implies we're going to make two steps forward and regretfully a step back. But it means we're going to get back up. We're going to keep going. We're not going to quit. Jesus said to strive to enter through the narrow gate. So he instructs us to work hard on our Christian walk to recognize that we just can't take the easier road and float into the kingdom.

In a similar sense, the Apostle Paul encourages us to take up the struggle and persevere against the opposition of society around us. This is in 1 Timothy 6 and verse 11.

1 Timothy 6 and verse 11. Paul writes, But you, O man of God, and he gets into society, and we could apply these things today. Flee these things, not just endure, not just stand up strong. He says, if need be, run away from it. Flee these things and do what? Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. He's saying, put on these things. Seek after these things. Strive after these things. And then he brings it back to the strive word, this inward desire to overcome. Verse 12, Fight the good fight of faith. Doesn't say just sit on the sideline and cheer everybody else on, but get out there. Get your hands dirty. Make a change. Make a difference. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold, another action word, on eternal life to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. We are, again, not called to take what would seem like an easier path and just go with the flow of society. I remember being in school and I hated when the holidays would come around, right?

Because when Halloween would show up in school, what are you doing in art class?

Any of those in public school, you know, you're getting the pumpkins to draw in color, right? Then what follows that? Well, thankfully Thanksgiving follows it and we can partake pretty well there. But then before we know, art class has trees. Just an outline of an evergreen tree, right? And then they say, decorate it for Christmas.

And I'm just, I've told you this before, I only needed two colors. I needed green and brown, because that's all I was gonna, maybe I'd put some snow on it, because right, snow is an okay thing. But then before we know it, we're into Easter. We're into other aspects.

I didn't like standing out. It was hard, right? I remember in elementary, I don't think anybody does this anymore, elementary school, they would actually sing carols. We had a Christmas tree right outside the principal's office and the whole school would go down, the whole elementary school would go down and sing carols around the Christmas tree just before winter break.

And I would stay back by myself in the room, right? Because I wasn't gonna go do it, mom didn't want me to go do it. I knew I shouldn't go do it. It would have been the easier way, though, right? To just go down the hall and to sing carols. Would have been the easier way to decorate that Christmas tree with some ornaments, and so when the other kids look over, they don't think anything weird. It would have been easier to just do those things, so when the teacher then hangs them all up on the wall, there's all these Christmas trees and then a pine tree and then all these other Christmas trees. I think some of you are laughing and nodding because you can you were either there or you had to support your kids through it, right? The easier thing would have been to go with the flow, but it would have came with its consequences. It's a choice we can make. It's a choice you can make. It's a choice I have to decide to make every single day, still right now, but we're called to contend. We're called to struggle against the power that wants to push us down a destructive path. This is why the gate is narrow, and it's not necessarily easy to get through at times. Turn to Matthew 7 and verse 13. Man, I didn't have that in my notes. I forgot what those feelings were like until I started thinking through, but I can picture myself in that. I know what school, the elementary school I went to, I can picture the art room, I can picture the hallway, I can picture the, and hear the kids singing the carols as I'm just sitting there in the room doing something. I don't remember what I was doing, but I was not singing Christmas carols, just so you guys know. Matthew 7 and verse 13. It's funny how you think back on life, you think back to what God has done and what He has shown you. And at the time, I didn't realize there was a door theoretically in front of me, but there was. Matthew 7 verse 13, Jesus says, enter by the narrow gate. So many times I wish He would have made this a broad gate, right? Because that would be easier to go through, right? He doesn't give us that. He says, enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction.

And don't we know it? So many choices in life, so many different avenues, so many things we can do, so many things we can try, all around us, all the time. So many paths that lead to destruction.

And He says, and there are many who go in by it. And that's an understatement, it seems like. Then He says, because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. It's not narrow because it's necessarily difficult to get through, right? Because Jesus said His burden is light. He didn't put on us this heavy burden that we can't carry, or that we struggle, or we drag behind us, and we're exhausted. He says it's not heavy, it's white. It's narrow because not many people will make the effort to seek it, and then walk through that door. Many people want to choose all these other avenues, seeking out peace or seeking out what they think will bring happiness.

And as Pastor Samuel for you, I've sought those routes at different times in my life.

I share that not to bring anything in that's going to take away from the message, but to let you know that the reality is life is hard, and sometimes we don't make the best choice. And I guarantee you, everybody here could raise their hand on that one.

But yet, you realize it's not an option. And even in those moments, I knew God was in the back of my head saying, Mike, you really don't want to be making this choice right now.

And through His grace and His goodness, He continued to lead and work and continue to reshape and show.

We have to seek the narrow gate. We have to make the effort to walk through it.

And when that door is presented in front of us, we have to walk through it.

The key to the story is in verse 27. Well, I'm referencing back to Luke 13 verse 27. You can just put that in your notes. We read through it just a moment ago. I'm a little bit away from that. But this is the key again. Luke 13 verse 27. But He will say, I tell you, I do not know you where you are from. I don't know where you live. You've not invited me over to your house.

We've not had an intimate conversation. And then He says to them, depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. John 17 verse 3, though, gives us encouragement. And you can just it's one verse and you could put it in your notes. Jesus says, and this is eternal life. And He's praying this prayer over His disciples just before His crucifixion. He wants them to receive eternal life. He wants them to be part of His family forever. He wants to know them. And He wants them to know Him. And as He's offering this prayer, this final prayer over them, He says, and this is eternal life that they may know you as He's praying to the Father, the only true God and Jesus Christ who we have sent. This is our Lord and Savior. This is the approach He has towards me He towards me and to you. He wants us to have this relationship to be known by God the Father.

But we have to make a choice. We have to walk through that door. As we conclude, much more could be said about each of these doors we reviewed today. And there's much more that could be said about making good choices in our lives. We have a God who looks after our lives and has had a plan since before the foundation of the world that involves providing you and me an opportunity to be in His family.

On the eve of His death, Jesus shared His final thoughts and teachings with His disciples before His mock trial and crucifixion. He knew they would be discouraged when He was arrested and eventually killed. He knew they would have their doubts and He knew they would need strength.

John 14 in verse 1 will be the final scripture we look at this afternoon. John 14 in verse 1.

This is before that prayer that we saw in John 17. This is Jesus walking along with His disciples, giving His final verbal encouragement and instructions because He knew He was going to go away.

He knew they needed encouragement. John 14 verse 1 says, Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.

In My Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. This is a mansion with many rooms, many doorways, many opportunities to be welcomed in. He says, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. At that point, we're not going to have to say, Hey, this is where I live.

It's not a city you know of. You go by this city that you're probably familiar with. You get on this highway. God is saying, You're going to be living in My mansion with Me. There will be no separation. There will be no disconnect.

And where I go, you know. And the way, you know. He's saying, I've taught you. I've walked with you. I've shown you this example. And now you know it. It's not just book knowledge. It's heart knowledge now.

And Thomas said to him, verse 5, Lord, we do not know where you are going. And how can we know the way? And then Jesus answered him. And this is what we have to remember as we go forward. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me. He could have said, he could have repeated that aspect. I am the door. But do you want to walk through this door? Do you want to walk along this path? Do you want to enter this narrow gate? Do you want to seek out the truth that many want to just turn their back on and walk away from? Do you want this life? And as he's referencing here, eternal life. Jesus is the perfect door for Christians to walk through. There is no other way to salvation except through Him. Praise God for being the one who provides open doors.