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Standing TALL Against Rejection
1/25/04
Given by Russell Q. Adams
January 25, 2004
Standing TALL Against Rejection
Acts 9:19b-30
Opening words: Our primary scripture lesson today comes from the book of Acts. We are in the ninth chapter. However, Saul’s story really begins in the seventh chapter. Do you remember the story? One of the early church leaders, Stephen, was taken before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court, and the same group that had Jesus killed. He witnessed to them about Jesus but they rejected his words. They were furious and dragged him out of the city and stoned him. Acts 7:58 is significant to our passage this morning. It says, "
Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at Jesus feet." That means Saul was in charge of this murdering mob. To underscore the point the author adds the opening words of the eighth chapter, "And Saul was there, giving approval to his (Stephen) death."
To put it gently Saul was not a nice man. If the early church would have been permitted to hate anyone, it would have been Saul. Chapter nine begins,
"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples." The early church bowed their head in reverence to Jesus but they always kept their eyes on the door just in case Saul appeared to arrest them. Everybody knew somebody who had been hurt by Saul.
Then Saul is converted. The same grace that saved the early church members is now received by the Saul. That sends Saul’s world into mass confusion. No one is sure what to do with Saul. He is between a rock and a hard place. Verse 26 says the Jews tried to kill him. The church should have been celebrating but the church was afraid. Verse 26 says,
"When he (Saul) came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, they were all afraid of him, not believing he really was a disciple." Without Barnabas Saul never would have gained church membership. Without Barnabas the church would have lost her greatest mission. With this understanding let us here these words.
Introduction
The year was 1947. General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers Branch Rickey signed a Georgian born infielder to play for his team. He signed him for $600 dollars a month, plus a $3500 signing bonus. The infielders name was Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play in the white dominated major leagues. During the next few months Jackie Robinson experienced rejection first-hand. Several teams filed petitions against him. It was rumored that the St. Louis Cardinals would boycott their series with the Dodgers if "the Negro" played. Everyday opposing players tried to spike him. He received several death threats. In spite of it all Jackie Robinson won the Rookie of the Year honors and led the Brooklyn Dodgers to the 1947 World Series. Robinson played ten years in the major leagues batting .311, and he became the first black athlete to join the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
This morning we are going to talk about rejection. As a disciple of Jesus Christ how should you react to rejection? There is the way the world tells us we should handle rejection. It is quite different to the way that Jesus tells us we should handle rejection. The memories of your times of rejection will be revealed to you if you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ, or a fraud.
Body
This morning I am going to ask you three questions. Each question is based on our primary scripture lesson this morning. The answer that you give will reveal how deep Christ has rooted himself in your heart. Remember we are in the disciple making business. During your times of painful rejection you have an opportunity to help build the Kingdom of God.
Question Number One: Have you ever felt the pain of rejection?
Perhaps a better question is: is there anyone here who has not felt the pain of rejection. Webster defines rejection as: to refuse to accept for some purpose. Saul had no where to turn. The Jews wanted to kill him. The church refused to accept him. Saul had no where to turn. Does anyone here know the pain of rejection? How many examples do you need?
Ask the boy in a gym class of 55 who was picked last for basketball teams and he will tell you about the pain of rejection. Ask the high school student who only applied to one college and got rejected about the pain of rejection. As the man sitting on the sofa with his one true love who has just said, "I just want to be friends," about the pain of rejection. Ask anyone who has ever been turned down for a mortgage about the pain of rejection. Ask the young woman who has just received the final divorce papers in the mail about the pain of rejection. Ask the adult child who never felt loved by Mom or Dad about the pain of rejection. Ask the old man who sits in the nursing home alone everyday because his children are too busy to visit, about the pain of rejection. Ask the person who wanted to find a new church but no one talked to them on their first Sunday morning, about the pain of rejection. Have you ever met a person who has never felt the pain of rejection?
In 1858, the Illinois legislature sent Stephen A. Douglas to the US Senate instead of Abraham Lincoln, although he won the popular vote. A sympatric friend asked him how he felt. Lincoln replied,
"I am like the boy who has stubbed his toe. I am too old to cry, but I am too hurt to laugh."
One of the most painful experiences in my life came because I was rejected. No, it was not the time I was rejected for that Sears credit card or the time I failed seventh grade math. It was the time I was rejected by my own denomination. I think about that rejection everyday and it motivates me to excel. I had traveled a long way to be rejected. I graduated from college. I graduated from seminary. I spent my share of student loan money. I had served local congregations five years. I had submitted my paper work on time. I had sent them a sermon. I had passed the psychological test. But when the big day came for the big interview, I was rejected by a team of three. There is pain in rejection and I swore I would get even. There are things that I did in the next twenty four hours that I will never tell you because I am ashamed. Have you ever felt the pain of rejection? That is question number one.
Question Number Two: Have you ever given someone a second-chance?
If you look at the passage for this morning you discover that the star of the passage is not Saul. The star of the passage is Barnabas. In Acts 4:36 we discover that his name means "Son of Encouragement. Do you remember the story? Saul is between a rock a rock and a hard place. The Jews are trying to kill him. The church rejects him because of his ugly past. Think about it. If it wasn’t for Barnabas Saul would have never have been accepted and the church would have missed out on the great missionary who has ever lived. The faith would have never spread as quickly without him. We owe Barnabas a great deal because he gave Saul a second-chance. Have you ever given someone a second chance?
Church is the first place that people should go to get a second chance. So why is it we have such a difficult time giving people a second-chance? I was at a clergy meeting the other day when a friend told me how frustrated he was with his Education Committee. The source of his frustration was twelve-year-old Brian. His mother was white and his father black. Brian never made friends easily but he had a talent for getting into trouble. The committee met for a long time trying to decide how to help Brian. He didn’t need money. He needed love. Frustration filled the room and one of the committee members said, "Let’s be honest. Brian is a troublemaker. He will always be a troublemaker. Somewhere out there is a prison cell waiting for him." The rest of the committee said nothing. They adjourned the meeting and went home. Saul was a trouble maker but Barnabas gave him a second-chance.
Is there someone in your life that needs a second chance? Is there someone in your family that needs a second-chance? Is there someone in your school that needs a second-chance? Is there someone in your workplace that needs a second-chance? Is there some in your neighborhood that needs a second-chance. Have you ever given someone a second chance?
Did you know that it took Thomas Edison 24 hours with a team of 24 men to make the first light bulb? When it was completed Edison handed it to a small boy who was a helper. The boy took it and carried it up a flight of stairs. You know what happened. When he got to the top of the stairs he dropped it, smashing the first light bulb into a million pieces. It took Thomas Edison and his team of twenty-four men another twenty-four hours to make another light-bulb. When the second light bulb was completed he handed it to the same small boy and told him to put it away. Have you ever given someone a second chance?
Question Number Three: How Do you stand TALL against rejection?
If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ then you must make a decision. Are you going to handle rejection in the way the world tells you to handle it or are you going to follow Jesus’ lead?
I love the story that Zig Ziglar tells of an incident that happened during the days of the Berlin Wall. Some of the people on the East Berliners side decided to send the West Berliners a little "gift." They loaded a dump truck with garbage, broken bricks, stones, and anything else with zero value. They gained clearance and drove to the West Side of the wall. The West Berliners naturally wanted to get even. Fortunately a wise man intervened. The dump truck was filled with food, clothing and medicines. Those things were limited in East Berlin. They left a note in the dump truck that that simply said
Romans 12:21, do not be overcome by evil, but over evil with good.
Every year the conference journal comes. It is filled with all kinds of information about the 831 church in the East Ohio Annual Conference. I am going to confess. Do you know what I do? I look up those three people who rejected me for ministry in this conference. I am pleased that I preach to more people then them. I am pleased I make more money then them. I am pleased that I have had more longevity in my church then them. I am pleased that my church has made more progress. I am pleased with myself. The question is, "Is Jesus pleased with me?"
Conclusion
Have you ever felt the pain of rejection?
Jesus knew that pain. Even his closest friends rejected him. Have you ever given someone a second-chance? Jesus has given you and me a second-chance. How do you stand tall against rejection? You overcome evil with good. As the Master hug on the cross he said, "Father, forgive them because they know not what they do."
And all of God’s people said, "Amen!"
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