Unbelief is the enemy

Good Shepherd Sunday

Additional Reading: Psalm 95:6–11 “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.””

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Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Shepherds protect their sheep. Parents protect their children. But what do parents protect their children from? What do shepherds protect their sheep from? Where’s the danger? What’s the enemy? Parents protect their children from dangerous situations, like falling from the high parts of a playground or running with scissors. Parents protect their children from hurt feelings from bullies and unkind siblings and classmates. Parents protect their children from sicknesses and diseases, as well as from people who would harm them. Shepherds protect their sheep from predators, sickness, and bad weather. When Jesus declares that He is the Good Shepherd for God’s sheep, it’s a story of protection. But today, it’s helpful for us to dig deeper into what Jesus is protecting us, as God’s sheep, from.

What does Jesus protect us from? The first answer that might come to mind, and the answer that so many of us know from confirmation class is, “Jesus protects us from the enemies of sin, death, and the devil.” That’s true. But Jesus, by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, has forgiven sin, undone death, and conquered the devil. If you go back to Jesus’ words in the reading from John, Jesus isn’t concerned about sin, death, and the devil because He dealt with them on the cross. But there is something that He does teach about that matters today. The enemy to you today isn’t sin, death, or the devil. No, Jesus warns you about unbelief and lack of faith. That’s the danger that you face today.

In other words, your Good Shepherd isn’t worried that about predators like sin, death, and the devil. He is concerned that you recognize Him as your Shepherd and your Savior. Jesus distinguishes between those who hear His voice and follow Him, and those who don’t. When Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, He said that they didn’t hear his voice or follow him. On the other hand, those who heard His voice and followed Him were His sheep.

But for you today, you recognize that faith is fragile. In these pews with you, there have been people who aren’t here today. Maybe they said, “This organized religion thing isn’t for me.” Maybe there was conflict or hurt and they went somewhere else, or just stopped going to church altogether. Maybe they got out of the habit of church attendance. Maybe they say, “I believe in God, I just don’t think I need to go to church.” Or maybe there’s just no answer to why they aren’t coming to church anymore. And sometimes, you might wonder if that could be you. Is is possible that you might get out of the habit of going to church? Is is possible that your faith might change or even go away? Jesus has dealt with sin, death, and the devil - but you might sometimes worry that your faith is fragile and you could lose your faith.

That’s why those words of the promises of confirmation are so heavy, and sometimes uncomfortable:

P Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord’s Supper faithfully?

R I do, by the grace of God.

P Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?

R I do, by the grace of God.

P Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?

R I do, by the grace of God.

Those are big, bold, heavy duty questions, and the simple response, “I do, by the grace of God” still seems, well, vulnerable. Who are sinful, flawed people like us to promise that we will never, ever fall away from faith in God, and that we will undergo all trials and persecution and even death without falling away from God’s promises? Do you have it in you to remain a faithful Christian, no matter what? What’s to stop you from falling away from believing in Jesus?

That’s an important question - but please endure a quick tangent. There are some Christians who believe and teach that once someone becomes a Christian, they can never lose their faith. They say, “Once you’re saved, you’re always saved.” For the record, that’s not what we teach or believe here. When you ask those Christians about people who came to church and said they were Christians who no longer say they are Christians, they will answer that those people weren’t really Christians - they thought they were, but they weren’t. So, why don’t we believe that too? Well, because Jesus warns us about losing our faith. Jesus is worried that you might believe in Him and then stop believing. That’s why Jesus comforts us by saying that no one can snatch us from the Father’s hand - but it is possible that we could stop believing in Him.

Back on track, what’s to stop you from falling away from faith in Jesus? Jesus promises that the devil can’t snatch you away from Him. You can’t out-sin God’s grace. Death won’t separate you from Him. Yet, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower about how God’s Word is planted among people and yet the cares and concerns of the world distract people and they lose their faith. Psalm 95 talks about how God’s people in the wandering toward the promised land. They doubted God and they put God to the test at Massah and Meribah. The Lord loathed them because they went astray from Him.

So, what’s the solution to the danger of losing your faith? Follow Jesus. Be where Jesus promises to be. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who comforts His people with His rod and His staff. That’s figurative language. How does Jesus comfort you? With the words of Scripture. With the absolution, where the forgiveness of sins to declared in your ears. In the water of Holy Baptism, where Jesus makes you a new creation and forgives you all your sin. Receive the body and blood of Jesus, that gives you life, forgiveness, and salvation. That’s where Jesus has promised to be. That’s where Jesus comforts you and declares that you are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

You don’t need to go on some kind of “spiritual training plan” or to work out a way to protect yourself from unbelief. You have a Savior. Hear His Word. Believe His promises. He gives you rest and peace, no matter what. He protects you, not just from sin and death and the devil, but also from unbelief. So stay close to Jesus, not out of fear, but because there is no better place to be than with the Lord Jesus who loves you. Amen.