From Greenville, South Carolina, we present Let the Bible Speak. Let the Bible Speak is the radio ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America, preaching Christ in all His fullness. We're delighted that you've joined us for another broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, featuring the recorded messages of Dr. Alan Cairns, Minister Emeritus of Faith Free Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina. Recently, Dr. Cairns began a series of messages focusing upon the various occasions in which the Lord Jesus Christ referred to himself by that ineffable name, I Am. This is the name by which God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush. During his earthly ministry, Christ applied this matchless name to himself, clearly demonstrating his deity, that he was and is God manifest in the flesh. Dr. Cairns will be with us shortly. First, please enjoy this brief devotional thought from the pen of C. H. Spurgeon. This morning's text comes from Colossians chapter 2 and verse 6. as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord. The life of faith is represented as receiving, an act which implies the very opposite of anything like merit. It is simply the acceptance of a gift. as the earth drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night accepts light from the stars, so we, giving nothing, partake freely of the grace of God. The saints are not, by nature, wells or streams. They are but cisterns into which the living water flows. They are empty vessels into which God pours His salvation. The idea of receiving implies a sense of realization, making the matter a reality. One cannot very well receive a shadow. We receive that which is substantial. So is it in the life of faith. Christ becomes real to us. While we are without faith, Jesus is a mere name to us, a person who lived long while ago, so long ago that his life is only a history to us now. By an act of faith, Jesus becomes a real person in the consciousness of our heart. But receiving also means grasping or getting possession of. The thing which I receive becomes my own. I appropriate to myself that which is given. When I receive Jesus, He becomes my Savior, so mine that neither life nor death shall be able to rob me of Him. All this is to receive Christ, to take Him as God's free gift, to realize Him in my heart, and to appropriate Him as mine. Salvation may be described as the blind receiving sight, the deaf receiving hearing, the dead receiving life. But we have not only received these blessings. We have received Christ Jesus Himself. It is true that He gave us life from the dead. He gave us pardon of sin. He gave us imputed righteousness. These are all precious things. But we are not content with them. We have received Christ himself. The Son of God has been poured into us, and we have received him and appropriated him. What a heartful Jesus must be! For heaven itself cannot contain him. O magnify the Lord with me, ye people of his choice. Let all to whom he lendeth breath now in his name rejoice. For love's blest revelation, for rest from condemnation, of salvation to Him give thanks. Let all the people praise Thee. Let all the people praise Thee. Let all the Let all the people praise thy name forever and forever. Lord, forevermore, O Lord, let all the people praise thee. Let all the people praise thee. Let all the people praise thy name forever and forever. O praise him for his holiness, his wisdom, and his grace. Sing praises for the precious blood which ransomed all our ways. In tenderness he sought us. From depths of sin he bought us. Thanks. By a thousand tongues to sing, the half could ne'er be told, Of love so rich, so full, and free, of blessings manifold. Of grace that faileth never, is flowing like a river, Let all the people praise Thee. Let all the people praise Thee. Let all, let all the people praise Thy name. Forever and forever, Lord, forever more, oh Lord. Let all the people praise Thee. Forever! You're listening to Let the Bible Speak, the radio ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America. We're delighted that you've tuned in today, and we're especially grateful for those of you who make this program a regular part of your day. We've been particularly encouraged by the response to the program content. So if you have written to say that the Lord has blessed you, or to ask for some of the literature that we offer, then take our thanks for your taking time to do so. And if you haven't yet done so, we would be delighted to hear from you. You may contact us by email, by telephone, or by regular postal mail. You may write us at LetTheBibleSpeak, 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29615. That's LetTheBibleSpeak, 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29615. You may email us at info at faithfpc.org. That's info at faithfpc.org. Or you may telephone us toll free. at 866-877-LTBS. That's 866-877-5827. Also, if you enjoy this program, you might like to join us on our website, LetTheBibleSpeakRadio or ltbsradio.com. Don't forget the word radio, ltbsradio.com. We hope to hear from you and that you will join us on our website this week. you. In John chapter 10 verses 1 through 9 we find the Savior's third use of I am. As Dr. Cairns has already explained, this passage is an allegory in which Christ defines the character of undershepherds or pastors as well as the significance of the fold. According to Christ's explanation, the fold contains many flocks representative of the true people of God who are under the care of a number of undershepherds. In no uncertain terms, the Lord Jesus makes it clear that He alone is the door, the only way by which anyone can enter into the fold. The undershepherds have specific and important tasks as they care for the sheep. Their primary responsibility is to lead their people to a true knowledge of Christ as Savior. And now, to bring God's Word for today, here is Dr. Alan Cairns. The only thing that can make you a minister is that God puts you in through that door. God opens the door to you. You enter lawfully. The only way to enter lawfully is not by trying to break down the door, but for God to swing it open, and then you come saved, and with the stamp of God upon you and the calling of God evidently upon your life, that is the way to enter the gospel ministry. But this minister, and again, this is where most, not all, but most of the commentators, I think, fail to see what the Lord is saying. It's not just becoming a minister, it's the ongoing daily practice of the minister that's here being pictured. And he carries on his ministry through a full and proper relation to the person and office of Christ as the mediator. Do you get the picture here? This true shepherd, his constant objective every day is to lead the sheep through the door. leads them in to the sheepfold for security at night through the door. He leads them out to their pasture through the door. In other words, his constant job is to lead God's people to a full experience and a full enjoyment of all the grace of God through Jesus Christ alone. There's a lot of emphasis on the voice of this under-shepherd. a very important thing for every preacher. If he loses his voice, he loses his ministry. He's got to speak. When I think of what goes forth from our pulpits, I'm ashamed. When I think of the nonsense and the garbage that so many ministers talk, I'm ashamed, and they ought to be ashamed. You see the picture here? When the shepherd, this under-shepherd is speaking to the sheep, what is he doing? He's calling them to Christ! He's calling them, come through the door, come into a fresh, up-to-date enjoyment of all that is in Christ, your only mediator and your only access to all that God has for you. So all his ministry is calling them to Christ. And I would put that down as an absolute. There are many parts of a minister's life. There are many things that a minister has to stand for. But I'm going to put this down as an absolute, because God puts it down as an absolute. If I can't put Christ in the middle of what I'm calling my people to do, I am not being the voice of the true shepherd, and I'm not doing the work of a minister. I'm a free Presbyterian. This church has taken a stand for God over the years. We have stood against Romanism. We were reading this morning in 1 Timothy chapter 4. Does that speak specifically or solely of the church of Rome? I don't know. But does it speak graphically of the church of Rome? It certainly does. And a good minister has to stand against potpourri. And a good minister has to stand against apostasy, and a good minister has to lead his people against the craves and crazes of this day. That's what he has to do. Isn't this what Paul was talking about in Hebrews chapter 13? Separation outside the camp. That's where we stand, outside the camp. But how does he put it? Let us go forth therefore unto him. I'll tell you what has cursed the fundamental movement and the separatist movement has been a separation that has been separation for separation's sake. It's contention for contention's sake. It's fighting just because people are ugly. but set Christ before you. If I cannot set Christ in the middle of what I am calling my people to do, I am not the voice of a true shepherd at that point." The picture's clear. Does he call them to come in for the night? Come in through Christ. Does he call them out to the experiences and challenges of the day? Come through Christ. When He leads them, it's always through Christ. Something else, of course, you'll see, that He lives in the experience of Christ that He's seeking to lead them into. Here's a challenge for me, for every minister of the gospel. There is alwaysâ€"I have to be careful how I say this, for It could be counted that I'm using the word just vulgarly, and I'm not. I'm using the word vulgar there in its proper meaning, by the way, which means common. Is it possible for a minister simply to become a mouth? Just a mouth. I don't mean that now in a pejorative way. I mean that simply, that all he does is talk. It's a danger I have had to face all my ministry. It's a danger every minister has to face. I'm called on to preach. I've got to spend long hours alone to meditate, to study. And the minister who doesn't do that is ultimately going for shipwreck. But the danger is always just to be, come the mouth, you're just speaking. It's very easy, and ministers do this constantly. This book becomes a textbook for sermons. This book becomes the basis of what I want to say to somebody else. And that's the rock that your ministry will perish on. You see, if the shepherd himself is not constantly going through the door, he'll never lead the sheep through. The shepherd himself can only lead the people into the experience he himself has of Christ. I don't think that always The minister in the church, and here I agree with R.L. Dabney, the great Southern Presbyterian, though I vehemently disagree with the use that he made of it, but the minister's not always the most spiritual man in the church. He's not the most gifted man in the church. He's not the greatest prayer warrior in the church necessarily. In other words, God can bring in saintlier and greater people than he is. But over against that, I think of what I learned growing up. I had two professors when I was in theological hall. Both were called Paisley. One was my English Bible, J. Kyle, from whom I learned mostly what I've taught you from Romans chapter six, the greatest impact of my life that he made. The other was his son, Ian R.K. What did I learn from him? Well, I learned patience for a start. Not from example, but from necessity. Don't tell him I said that. One thing he used to thunder at us. And I mean thunder. Water never rises higher than its source, and no congregation will be any more spiritual than the minister who leads it. And you can never lead people to an experience of Christ that you yourself are a stranger to. There's a whole lot of truth in that. Here's this man coming through the door himself, and that's how he can lead the sheep. So, he sets Christ before them by precept. That's his voice. He sets Christ before them by his own example. For, you know, the minister does his work best by being like the Lord Jesus. He's an under-shepherd. I've spoken of Christ as the door, and He's leading the people through because He's going through. But, you know, there's also this. He keeps in mind what we learn later in this chapter. I'm only an under-shepherd. There is the good shepherd. There is the Great Shepherd, there's the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the minister who is living in right relation to Christ will, as 2 Corinthians 3.18 teaches us, will by beholding Him be transformed or transfigured into the same image from glory unto glory. And the more like Christ he is, the more he'll be a good under-shepherd. The final thing I'll say is this, to these under-shepherds, Christ specifically makes the promise of verse 9. I think here he's dealing, while the words obviously, as I've made clear, have an application to the sheep as well, to all who will come, yet I think the primary Interpretation here is, to the shepherds, I am the door, by me, if any man shall enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. So, while it's true of the sheep, it's particularly true of the shepherd. So, what does it mean, then? Some interpret the word saved to mean they'll be protected, they'll be kept from the enemy. There's a lot of truth in that. But others give it the full meaning of salvation, the salvation of the soul. If the shepherd enters him, he'll be saved, yes, personally saved. But is he saved because he does a good job as a minister? No. It's not by or because, but it's in doing His work He is saved. We read this morning in 1 Timothy 4, verse 16, and I have to say that's a verse that always puzzled me. It's a very serious verse. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine, continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. A great Church of England preacher of the 1800s said, it is a tragedy for the soul winner or the minister to save others and lose his own soul. That's a tragedy. For me to stand before this people for nearly 30 years and tell them the way to heaven and end up in hell would be a tragedy. But it happens. He went on to say for the minister to save his own soul and see his people damned is an equal tragedy. So Paul says, Timothy, take heed to yourself as a minister. Take heed to the doctrine. Maintain this doctrine over against apostasy. Maintain this doctrine, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. What does it mean? It's not talking about Timothy saving himself by his own work or his own effort. I think John chapter 10 verse 9 throws a lot of light on this. If we enter in by Christ, we'll be saved. In other words, the minister who lives and serves in and through Jesus Christ as his sole mediator will be saved. The matter is certain that no matter what a man's profession may be, If he repudiates Christ as the door, and that's what Paul's talking about in different language in 1 Timothy 4. He's talking about staying clear of apostasy. Any man, no matter what his profession, who repudiates Christ as the door cannot be saved. You've been listening to Let the Bible Speak, the radio ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America. We hope you've enjoyed and benefited from today's program. We're here as your servants for Christ's sake. If we can be of any further help to you in the things of the Lord, we invite you to contact us. If you would like to receive our booklet, Separated Unto the Gospel, a booklet that sets forth the beliefs and standards of the Free Presbyterian Church, You may have a copy free of charge simply for the asking. Our mailing address is Let the Bible Speak, 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29615. That's Let the Bible Speak, 1207 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29615. Our email address is info at faithfpc.org. That's info at f-a-i-t-h f-p-c dot o-r-g. If you would like to learn more about the Free Presbyterian Church of North America, or if you'd like to see if there is a free church in your area, we invite you to visit our website, www.fpcna.org. That's www.fpcna.org. On behalf of Dr. Alan Cairns, this is Charles Kelsch saying, thank you for listening and inviting you to join us again as we Let the Bible Speak.