Within even the LC-MS, there is a humungous push to reach
the “lost”, usually referred to as the “un-churched”. These are the people you
deem as not having the privilege of growing up in the church like you and so you
think that these are the ones Jesus talks about.
And sometimes He does. Jesus talks about how He was sent to save
the entire world, not just some. Jesus says that His Gospel is for all people;
that they might hear and believe. Jesus also commanded that His Gospel be
preached and that is how Faith would be created in the sinner.
Thus, it logically follows that you are preaching Christ to
everyone, but especially taking care to give it to those you see as never
having heard it before. Understandably so, you want them to share in the forgiveness
Christ gave so freely, so that’s what you talk about.
The problem is that Jesus is not so clear on this subject as
you would like Him to be. In fact, all Jesus does is talk about “lost SHEEP”.
Lost or found, a sheep is a believer and is who Jesus is after. Also, if we
make the connection, a sheep is not a goat.
Jesus will only pronounce two judgments, on the Last Day:
sheep or goat. There are no other adjectives. Jesus will not use “lost” or “un-churched”
or anything like that. Simply two different groups of people: those who believe
and those who do not.
For now, we put it simply: the sheep are the elect and the
goats are not. So, when Jesus is talking about “lost” or “other sheep”, He is
referring to those who have already heard the Gospel and are being saved. The
goats are those who don’t believe, even though they have heard.
Repent. In your zeal to advance the kingdom, you have left
the sheep behind and have gone chasing the goats. In your sinful blindness, you
have mistaken the Lord’s mission with your own and have forgotten not only the
sheep, but your own need as well.
Do you think that everything is grand with you? Do you think
that, just because you don’t have it as bad as others do, that you are safe and
have no need of hearing the same Gospel over and over again?
The Good Shepherd cares
for the sheep and does so in the Church. You need the Church. You need the
Gospel. You need to hear and be comforted. You need to listen and believe that
this hospital, which we call Church, is your ward. It is necessary for you to remain
in the ICU. Your life depends on it.
Jesus rules over
the goats. They are those who reject care and medicine. They memorize and do
good works, believing in themselves and the power of God in their lives.
Jesus says,
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have
eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me;” (Jn.5:39)
You think that the Bible is simply an instruction manual,
before you leave earth. Jesus means that Scripture is not about you, your life,
or the power therein. Yet, this is exactly what you think witnessing is. But
what do you know of such things?
What your brain wants to delve into, your eyes can not see.
You can not tell the difference between a sheep or a goat. Only God searches
the heart. Only the Shepherd can tell and only the Shepherd’s voice brings the
sheep along.
Dear Christians, hearing the Shepherd is hearing the Gospel.
Jesus leaves His voice behind that the sheep might hear and follow. Jesus is
the man Who is so concerned with the sheep that He purchases them with His own
body and blood, giving His Spirit to His pastors, in order that they would
preach His words.
Baptism is Christ working in the world and the place where
salvation occurs. Being baptized, we have been given open ears to hear about
Jesus. We are given a clean heart to believe and a right spirit to act. In the
Word of God, we hear Christ crucified and Faith is created.
Living in this forgiveness, you are not concerned with
reaching out or reaching in. To you, attendance numbers matter little. Faith
wants to hear the Gospel. Faith needs this renewing, because daily you sin much
and sin destroys faith.
For you, returning to the sheep-pen is the most important
thing on your to-do list and it is always the top priority. For you,
remembering and being reminded of your Baptism, hearing the Gospel, and
communing with your Lord is all that is necessary in this life.
Jesus creates His sheep to hear His voice. Jesus creates His
sheep to believe. Jesus preaches His Gospel in the Church, for His sheep are in
need of tending. Jesus therefore sends them Word and Sacrament.
The Shepherd’s voice is in His Word. There is nothing less
and nothing more in the Bible. Jesus searches the heart with His Sacraments. He
finds goats and baptizes them into sheep. He finds sinners and preaches them
into righteousness. He seeks out the wolves and Communes them into His very
Body and Blood.
True missional work is done by Jesus and the Holy Spirit in
the Word and Sacrament. These are the only things that convert and you need
this conversion, daily. You possess both sheep and goat, inside, and lose the
battle daily.
Jesus gives the Gospel and the Holy Spirit delivers it to
you, in order that you believe that you can be, and are forgiven. Even your
sins do not prevent you from being baptized into the One Flock.
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