Rejected
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Will you take your Bible and turn to Isaiah 6:9-11? Please search the Scriptures with us.
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Capture
Capture
Some of you have spoken up with the gospel at work, with neighbors, or family members.
And some of you have discovered something uncomfortable: they said no.
Maybe they changed the subject, laughed, got annoyed, or walked away.
Now you're thinking: "See? I knew this would happen. Maybe I should just keep quiet."
Series Connection
Series Connection
This is week four of "Hidden Hesitations"—exposing heart-level barriers to bold evangelism.
Week one: Hezekiah chose personal peace over others' destinies.
Week two: Aaron had backwards love—people-first instead of God-first.
Week three: God's Word is sufficient—we don't need perfect words.
Today: what happens after you speak and face rejection.
The Hidden Hesitation:
The Hidden Hesitation:
"If I'm Rejected, I Won't Be Able to Keep Going"
"If I'm Rejected, I Won't Be Able to Keep Going"
This fear stops us cold after that first "no."
We think rejection means we're doing something wrong—a sign to retreat or find a different approach.
Context
Context
Today, we’re sitting in the school of suffering with four faithful men who knew rejection intimately. These Old Testament prophets faced the worst possible responses to God's message, yet kept speaking. Here's the reality: every time a prophet was rejected, God gave them a reason to speak again. Today, these four prophets will coach us through rejection.
The Question
The Question
What if rejection isn't a sign you should stop, but a sign you should continue?
Bible Verse
Bible Verse
And he replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive. Make the minds of these people dull; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed.
1. Isaiah: The Futility Problem
1. Isaiah: The Futility Problem
The Commission and the Shock
The Commission and the Shock
In Isaiah 6, we witness one of Scripture's most dramatic calling scenes.
Isaiah prophet sees the Lord high and lifted up, seraphim crying "Holy, holy, holy!"
Isaiah is undone, cleansed, and volunteers: "Here am I! Send me."
Then God immediately tells him: "They won't listen."
Before Isaiah preaches his first sermon, God warns him that his ministry will be futile.
I love Isaiah’s response:
Then I said, “Until when, Lord?” And he replied: Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants, houses are without people, the land is ruined and desolate,
"How long?" Isaiah asks.
God's answer is brutal: Until everything collapses.
God called Isaiah to a ministry that would largely fail—at least by human standards.
The Coach's Advice: "You're not done till He says you're done."
The Coach's Advice: "You're not done till He says you're done."
How many of us have wanted to quit because we couldn't see results?
We long for visible fruit, souls responding to our witness. We dream of changed hearts, transformed lives, revival breaking out because of our proclamation.
But what happens when we share the gospel and people walk away?
When we teach God's Word and see little change?
We invite a neighbor to church—declined.
We post something meaningful on social media—ignored.
We think, "What's the point? No one's listening anyway."
But Isaiah teaches us that God measures faithfulness by obedience, not outcomes.
Our commission isn't to succeed—it's to speak.
Results aren't your responsibility—faithfulness is.
Paul understood this in Acts 20:27:
because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God.
He didn't say he convinced everyone—he said he didn't shrink from declaring.
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching.
In season—when well-received. Out of season—when it falls on deaf ears.
Your calling doesn't change based on the climate.
You are not done until God says you're done.
Faithfulness is staying on the field until God blows the whistle.
2. Jeremiah: The Discouragement Problem
2. Jeremiah: The Discouragement Problem
The Breaking Point
The Breaking Point
Jeremiah knew rejection like few others.
He was mocked as "Terror on every side!"
Beaten, thrown into stocks, dropped into a muddy cistern and left to die.
The ridicule wore him down. He cursed the day he was born and wished he had died in the womb.
Listen to his honest confession:
You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You seized me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all the time; everyone ridicules me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!” so the word of the Lord has become my constant disgrace and derision.
So, he decides to quit.
But then comes one of Scripture's most powerful confessions:
I say, “I won’t mention him or speak any longer in his name.” But his message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.
Even when he wanted to quit, he couldn't. The Word of God was like fire in his bones.
The Coach's Advice: "You won't be able to hold it back."
The Coach's Advice: "You won't be able to hold it back."
You know this feeling.
Discouragement settles in after another conversation goes nowhere.
The rejection wears you down, and you think, "Maybe I should just quit."
But you'll find that the gospel is too strong to bottle up permanently.
Discouragement is temporary; God's Word is eternal.
The gospel is like a fire in our bones—we cannot hold it back!
For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach—and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
Not "Woe to me if people reject it," but "Woe to me if I don't preach it."
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The disciples, when threatened by religious authorities, responded:
for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Paul captured this resilience:
We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.
When discouragement whispers, "Keep quiet," the Holy Spirit within you shouts, "Speak up!"
As John reminds us:
You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Remember:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
Don't let discouragement muzzle the gospel. Don't let rejection silence the fire in your bones. Let it burn!
3. Amos: The Credibility Problem
3. Amos: The Credibility Problem
The Dismissal
The Dismissal
Amos had a credibility problem.
No prophetic pedigree. No seminary degree. No ordination certificate.
Just a shepherd from Tekoa who tended sycamore trees.
But God called him to prophesy to Israel.
When Amos arrives in Bethel, priest Amaziah confronts him:
Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living and give your prophecies there, but don’t ever prophesy at Bethel again, for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
Translation: "You don't belong here. You're not qualified. Go home."
But Amos responds:
So Amos answered Amaziah, “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ ”
Amos doesn't defend his qualifications; he points to his commissioning.
The Coach's Advice: "You speak because you're sent."
The Coach's Advice: "You speak because you're sent."
You've heard this voice—maybe not from others, but from yourself: "Who am I to speak about these things? Who am I to share my faith? I don't have a theology degree. I haven't been a Christian long enough."
Remember Amos's response.
When you or others question your right to speak, remember Who sent you.
Jesus said to His disciples—ordinary fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots:
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
Paul, the most educated apostle, understood:
It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Don't wait to feel adequate. Don't wait to be recognized.
Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus said all authority had been given to Him, and He told you to go.
God sent you, so speak.
4. Zechariah: The Final Problem
4. Zechariah: The Final Problem
The Ultimate Rejection
The Ultimate Rejection
The fourth prophet takes us to our deepest fear.
This faithful priest, Zechariah, rebuked King Joash and the people of Judah for their apostasy.
Standing in the temple courtyard, he boldly declared God's judgment on the people's unfaithfulness.
The response was swift and brutal:
The Spirit of God enveloped Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the Lord’s commands so that you do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.’ ” But they conspired against him and stoned him at the king’s command in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.
Zechariah spoke God's truth and was murdered for it.
But notice Zechariah's final words as the rocks flew, the stones crushed his body, and his life ebbed away:
King Joash didn’t remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him, but killed his son. While he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and demand an account.”
Even in death, he entrusted himself to God for vindication.
The Coach's Advice: "God will have the last word."
The Coach's Advice: "God will have the last word."
This addresses our deepest fear about rejection—the fear that it might cost us everything. Our reputation. Our relationships. Our livelihood. Even our lives.
But here's the truth Zechariah discovered: a faithful witness cannot be silenced. Even in death, you are not defeated. God will have the final word!
The martyrs under the altar in Revelation cry out with confidence:
They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, the one who is holy and true, how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”
They're not crying out in despair—they're crying out in confidence. God will vindicate them.
Jesus said:
Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
The worst they can do is kill the body. But God always sets the record straight.
Paul understood this:
As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Even if they take everything, either in this life or the next, God will vindicate you.
The Lord sees. The Lord remembers. And He will have the last word.
So, remember: rejection isn't your enemy—silence is.
Christ: The Ultimate Rejected One
Christ: The Ultimate Rejected One
Of course, these prophets point us to a greater Prophet who faced ultimate rejection.
Jesus was:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.
Religious leaders called him a blasphemer, political authorities accused him of treason, and his disciples betrayed and abandoned him.
Yet in his apparent defeat came ultimate victory.
In his rejection came our acceptance, and in his death came our life.
Christ transforms rejection from a curse into a credential—proving we belong to him.
Take-Home Truth:
Take-Home Truth:
Rejection isn't a sign of failure—it's a sign of faithfulness.
Rejection isn't a sign of failure—it's a sign of faithfulness.
“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus taught that rejection for righteousness' sake should bring joy, not despair. Why?
Because this persecution connects us to the long line of faithful prophets who came before.
You stand with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Zechariah.
Notice what the apostles did—
After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name.
The apostles rejoiced in rejection because it meant they were walking in the prophets and Christ's footsteps.
When you are rejected for righteousness' sake, you stand with Christ himself.
You're in good company. Keep speaking.
Repent, Believe, and Be Baptized
Repent, Believe, and Be Baptized
Maybe you've heard the gospel from someone who risked rejection to share it with you. Don't waste their courage. Respond to Christ today.
"Dear Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner deserving judgment. I cannot save myself. But I believe You love me, came for me, lived perfectly, died for my sins, and rose again. I trust in You! Please forgive me, come into my life, and grant me everlasting life. I surrender to You. In Jesus' name, amen."
To sign up for baptism, text BAPTISM to 706-525-5351 or visit www.mtcarmeldemorest.com/baptism.
Resource
Resource
Today you received a Friend Day Invitation Card. Use it this week. Hand someone this card. Say, "I'd love for you to be my guest this Sunday." Will some say no? Absolutely. Will some think you're weird? Probably. Risk the rejection.
A Prayer of Response
A Prayer of Response
Heavenly Father, we confess we fear man's rejection more than Your approval. Give us courage to keep speaking when people say no. Help us see rejection not as failure but as sign of faithfulness. Like the prophets, like the apostles, like Jesus Himself, may we count it joy to suffer for the name. In Jesus' name, who was rejected so we could be accepted. Amen.
