What If They Say No?
Notes
Transcript
How many of you have ever been rejected? How many of you that is why it is hard for you to share your faith? What if they say no?
You ever try to share your faith—or even just invite someone to church—and suddenly you feel like a middle schooler asking for a date?
You’re standing there rehearsing your lines in your head:
“Hey… um… do you maybe… possibly… want to come to church with me sometime?”
And when they say, “No thanks,” you’re like, “Cool, cool, cool, yeah… me neither.”
Rejection is awkward! Nobody likes hearing “no.” Whether it’s a sales call, a job interview, or an invitation to church—rejection stings. But here’s the truth: Jesus knew we’d face rejection, and He sent us anyway. Because our mission isn’t to make everyone say yes—it’s to be faithful and trust God with the results.
Our text today is found in Luke 10:1-16
Jesus sends out seventy-two followers in pairs to prepare the way for His ministry in various towns. He instructs them to depend fully on God’s provision, to bring peace where they are welcomed, and to move on when they are rejected. Jesus reminds them that their mission carries His authority. Look at verse 1.
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.
7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.
9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,
11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’
12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
This morning I want to give you four things that you need to know about sharing your faith. There may be times that you will be rejected but if you listen to what I am telling you, you will understand you are responsible for going on mission not the results.
1. The Call: Sent with Purpose
1. The Call: Sent with Purpose
Jesus sent the 72 in groups of two. He sent them intentionally, to every place He was about to go.
At this point in Jesus’ ministry, He had the 12 disciples that were with Him wherever He went. Then, here in Luke we read that He sends 72. Plus in verse 2 Jesus said…
2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Jesus is telling them, we need more workers. In Christian service, there is no unemployment. There is no lay offs. God has work for everyone. No believer should sit back and watch others work because the harvest is great.
What happens to the crops if the farmer doesn’t pick them. The fruit rots on the vine or it falls to the ground and rots on the ground.
We have to share the message of Jesus. We have to have conversations with those that need to hear the Gospel message. That is the calling.
What the calling is not. We are not called to save anyone; we are just called to prepare the way for Jesus.
As believers, we need to step out with confidence knowing you are part of God’s mission, not your own mission.
You are like a mail carrier for the Gospel. You deliver the message, but you are not responsible for how the people respond to the message.
2. The Challenge: Trust God for Provision and Protection
2. The Challenge: Trust God for Provision and Protection
No one ever said the call wouldn’t be a challenge.
Jesus said…
4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
He wanted them to depend on God’s care, not their own preparation.
Fulfilling the call will take a step of faith.
Jesus wanted them not to take anything on the trip because He wanted them to rely upon God for their provision.
It can be a challenge to step out in faith.
Fear often comes from trying to control the outcome.
Fear often comes from trying to control the outcome.
When we step out in faith, we are relying on God and therefore we lose control of the situation. We are asking God to take control of everything.
True faith requires trust that God will supply what you need when you obey Him.
We can’t let the fear of rejection keep us from obedience. God has called us to go and therefore we are up to the challenge that is in front of us. There is a chance that someone will say no, we are not responsible for the results, just the call.
When you confront someone and an opportunity is presented to you, God will provide the courage you need. He will give you just the right words to say. He will also give you the strength that you will need to face the challenge head on.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
The power is in the message, not the messenger.
3. The Reality: Some Will Receive, Some Will Reject
3. The Reality: Some Will Receive, Some Will Reject
Jesus was honest with the 72 He sent out. He said…
10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,
He forewarned them that rejection would come. He didn’t say if it comes, He said when it comes.
We have to understand that rejection is not personal, it is spiritual.
Remember what Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
When that person rejects you, there is a battle that is raging in the heavenly realms. There are wars in the heavenlies that are taking place for that soul.
I’m not saying they are possessed for telling you no. However, what I am telling you is that we are dealing with something that is not natural but it is supernatural.
I talked to you in this series about praying and asking God to give you opportunities. We pray and ask God to give us the words to say. Also, there are friends, family members, co-workers, classmates and so on that you want to see come to Jesus. I told you in week one to make you a prayer list of those you can pray for. We are not fighting an earthly battle but we are fighting a spiritual battle for the souls of our loved ones. We must be prepared through prayer.
The reality is people aren’t rejecting you, they are rejecting the message of Christ.
So when people reject you, don’t take rejection as failure; take it as part of the mission. And keep going.
Farmers don’t quit planting because some seed falls on rocky ground.
5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.
6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
We can’t stop planting seed just because someone told us no.
4. The Comfort: The Results Belong to God
4. The Comfort: The Results Belong to God
Look at verse 16 of our test again.
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
You are a representation of Christ, but you are not Christ. And when you speak for Jesus as His representative, you are backed by His authority.
The results that may come are His not yours. Success for you is the obedience that you use. You don’t need the acceptance. Your reward will come at a later time.
We fulfill our mission, when we present the message. We don’t have to wait on the results. Leave the results in God’s hands. You just be obedient to the call.
Every “no” that you will face can’t cancel the “yes” of your obedience.
Every “no” that you will face can’t cancel the “yes” of your obedience.
Years ago, a missionary spent months traveling village to village in Africa, sharing the gospel. In one town, people laughed at him, slammed their doors, and told him to leave. Discouraged, he prayed, “Lord, no one’s listening.” But he felt God whisper, “Keep going. You’re not responsible for the ‘yes’—only for the going.”
The very next village welcomed him warmly, and years later, that one place became the center of a thriving church movement. Looking back, he said, “If I had stopped at the first ‘no,’ I would’ve missed God’s ‘yes.’”
Fear of rejection is real—but faith must be stronger. You can’t control who says “yes” or “no,” but you can control your willingness to go. When you step out for Jesus, you never walk alone—you carry His presence and His power.
Remember: God didn’t call you to be popular; He called you to be faithful. So go, speak, and shine the light. Because every “no” you face can’t stop the “yes” that God is already preparing. And one day, when you stand before Him, you’ll hear the only words that ever really mattered: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
