Today, as we continue our “What’s next” series, I want to talk about rejection and how we might respond to it. After all, one of the many reasons why we call ourselves Christians is because Jesus took us in when the world rejected our decision making, identity, or some sort of aspect of who we are, and had no where else to turn but Him. Some of the most famous historical figures in our time have dealt with rejection. “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth,” Whether I shall ever be better I can not tell; I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible; It appears to me I must quit, or get better.” With those words, the young senator from Illinois Abraham Lincoln was in deep depression. What was happening around him did not help. Because of the state’s economic crisis from 1837 to 1840, Lincoln could not even support his own love interest Mary Owens in 1842. This economic crisis destroyed the state’s credit rating, and land values dropped. Thousands of people lost their homes, and many banks and brokerage houses also closed. In light of this, Lincoln was often bedridden and wouldn’t eat. Many people thought he was on the brink of having to be assisted for the rest of his life. In light of this long list of failures and bad things happening, Abraham Lincoln would decide against running for a 5th term in the Illinois legislature. His banking business plummeted. He understandably, felt rejected by society. We will explore what happened to him later, but this is the kind of rejection and feeling that comes to mind when I read our text. Peter is talking to a church that has been put through the ringer. They have been rejected by the areas where the exiled church lives, and been told following Jesus alone, leaving their nets, changing their lives for Jesus, is a bad idea. Despite what you might hear in history or believe, our life as followers of Jesus began by feeling absolutely desperate and rejected, the world did not see us as enough, but thanks be to God, Jesus does see you as enough! Let’s talk about rejection as a part of what’s next for us as believers, and how we might overcome rejection.

Rejection is never fun, but rejection can be the starting point of an encounter with Jesus: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him…“you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”1 Peter 2:5. Biblically, rejection can be a gateway to encountering Christ. Here, Peter calls the church “living stones.” The point is we, like Jesus, have been rejected, but also chosen by God! Mary Magdalene was considered a sinner and socially rejected by society (Luke 7:37-38). Yet, Luke’s Gospel also shares with us that Jesus drove 7 demons out of Mary (Luke 8), and supported Jesus ministry after that season of rejection. She would also be the first person to tell the disciples “I have seen the Lord” in John 20:11-18). In John 4 and John 8:1-12, the Samaritian woman and the woman caught in adultery were rejected by others, and encountered the grace of Jesus and were changed by His love despite their season of rejection by others. Friends, you would think that as a Christian society, we would embrace this biblical stance to help those who have been rejected. Yet, a quick examination of day to day events tells us we have some work to do. We are a society that feasts on rejection! Sports, what was once considered to be a pure component of America, is now a microscope for failure and rejection. College Coaches who made the Final 4 in college basketball yet had a losing season the following year have been fired. Even youth league games see way more tempers flare over losses. Business owners who fail to bring in money eventually are rejected by the community and have to close. In public education, if you fail a grade, you are rejected, told that’s not good enough, and don’t advance to the next grade.

Yet thanks be to God, the Bible does not align with society!! Stories of failure and rejection would have connected with Peter in his letter. His job as a fisherman required him to sometimes touch animals considered to be unclean such as catfish and shrimp. According to Leviticus 11, water creatures must have both fins and scales to be considered clean and edible. Any sea or river creature lacking fins and scales is deemed “detestable” or “unclean”. Touching the carcasses of these unclean water creatures renders a person ceremonially unclean until evening. Deuteronomy 14 instructs “not to eat fish in the sea that does not have scales.” As a fisherman, Peter had to handle unclean fish all the time, and it was built into Jewish Law that when you touch unclean fish, you have to stay away from town till evening. When Peter betrayed Jesus, Jesus loved him, but all he had to do was look at him to tell him how wrong he was for denying he ever knew him. Peter knew rejection. Now do you see why today’s text is so important? Peter is saying “I know you have been rejected, so have I. Yet God still loves you! He has chosen us to be built into a spiritual house.” Oscar Wilde put it this way: “Ah! Happy day they whose hearts can break and peace of pardon win! How else may man make straight his plan and cleanse his soul from sin?” How else but through a broken heart May the Lord. Christ enter in?”

Here is my question: What if Christians could do something different with rejection? Does rejection really have to be the end of the world for us? As tough as it may be? Peter says Christians can’t do anything about rejection, but Christ can: “ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”-1 Peter 2:5. There is a principle here that is so important: Be willing to embrace rejection so that Jesus might be glorified. Friends, new life in Christ exists on the other side of rejection! Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t Jesus telling us to suck it up when we are rejected. After all, Jesus Himself knows exactly how we feel when we are rejected: “And Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”-Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭22‬. Like all things, He has a pathway for us to handle rejection.

When rejected, remember you are chosen: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”-1 Peter 2:9-10. Friends, this language is royal language. Words like royalty and chosen are words reserved for the highest of authority. When the King’s select officers, they select those specifically gifted for the task. What makes those chosen by God royal? Those chosen by God are royal not because they have something special skill to offer, but because they have received mercy.

For me, it was Jesus choosing to show mercy on methat changed my life at Paradigm Ministries in Lubbock Texas. This was a massive college worship service, with over 1,000 college students attending each week. I went a lot of times to enjoy the Lord and great fellowship. Yet that week was a rough week. I had gotten in an argument with friends and lost their friendship. I was in a bad place in areas of my life which left me desperate for an encounter with Christ. I got to worship and while I don’t remember the exact details of what happened, I do remember Jesus assured me during the time of prayer. The late Jon Randles called on us to pray and blessed us immensely. I remember his words pretty well: “You can sing and dance, you can kneel before God, you can sit in your pew, but whatever you do, please know how precious you are in God’s sight, and just how chosen and loved you really are.” Brian Maines came over and put his hands on my shoulders, and prayed for me, and I wept, in a way I hadn’t in a long time. I left that night in the words of Jon Randles a “Dangerous disciple.” A dangerous disciple is someone who knows they are chosen in Christ to do great things and can do anything God calls them to. I arrived feeling rejected , I left Paradigm encountering Christ through my rejection, and he showed me mercy. Through His word, prayer, Christ reminded me “John, don’t give up, you are royalty, you are still chosen!” I credit that night in many respects to my personality ands insights today. I often get told “John, you are way to happy. Can you tone it down?” Friends, a monotheistic God saw me in a dark moment, and restored me through the mighty, powerful, crucified, and resurrected name of Jesus that night. My personality is not a gimmick, it is a response to the love of Jesus that evening. I also left Paradigm with a new insight to handle rejection. Rejection is going to come for me, for all of us. When it does, it does hurt, yet I, and we , still have one thing to do in spite of our feelings of rejection, and that is to follow Jesus! No turning back!

That’s a strong word for someone who’s been and is feeling rejected this morning. God has shown you mercy, and has a plan for your life today! Rejoice in His mercy today, and daily. Why? The mercy of Jesus is not a bucket list that happens once in church camp, or when you receive Christ, it is an action item for daily living in your marriages, jobs, families, and communities. Don’t be ashamed to respond with joy and enthusiasm to the rich mercy of God!

What rejection is holding you back? Is it work? Is it a bad moment at school? Did someone say something so ugly to you that it hurt? Friends, I can’t fix those rejections for you. I can tell you inspite of your rejection, by people, the culture, job, neighbors, you are chosen by God the most high! You are in Peter’s words royalty. In Christ, you are not a mistake, and are precious in his sight! The rejection that happened in your life, no longer has authority over you. You are royalty. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are loved, not because you loved God, but He first loved us! “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”- Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8. In Christ, you are not a mistake, and are precious in his sight! Remember, you are loved and chosen.

What happened to Abraham Lincoln after quitting the Senate and his rejection in banking? He formed a business partnership with the country’s leading lawyer, Stephen Logan and restarted his legal career, a process that took years. He took advice from Logan, who said, “Life does not depend on the start a man gets…it depends on how he keeps up his labors and efforts until middle life.” Realizing his knowledge of the law was lacking, Abraham Lincoln spent hours reading and studying, often working by candlelight until 2 a.m. He worked later and got up earlier than many of his peers. His ability to story tell in the law, was a great aid for him in securing the Republican nomination for President in 1860, won the Presidency, worked for the 13th Amendment that outlawed slave ownership, and gave one of the most immortal speeches in American history the Gettysburg address. All after his moments of rejection! Friends, new life in Christ exists on the other side of rejection. Cut yourself some slack if you’ve been rejected, the Bible says your story is far from over. May Jesus, the author of our faith, remind you that you are chosen, and that the best days of your life are ahead in Him! In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen