CHRISTIAN, SPEAK UP!
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Recognize the possibility of rejection
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Realize the importance of your message
Text: Romans 10:13-17
Introduction
“Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.” This oft-repeated saying has been attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (1181 or ’82—October 3, 1226), although research indicates that he never said these words that are so often attributed to him. I find it kind of ironic that a man who was known for his lively and unapologetic preaching has a quotation attributed to him that essentially downplays preaching. But that incorrectly attributed quote seems to have a lot of traction today. After all, “preach” and “sermon” have almost become dirty words! Telling others about your Christian faith and why they need to come to grips with Jesus Christ is about as popular as standing up for traditional marriage in downtown San Francisco. To many, it seems preferable to try to extend Christianity with kind deeds and good works than with a message of the Son of God dying on a cross and being raised back to life.
In the Second Lesson for today’s service, the Apostle Paul has something to say to the modern way of thinking that says that we need more deeds and fewer creeds in the church today. You can’t preach the gospel without speaking! The word gospel means “good news,” and the Church can preach the good news in actions about as well as Brian Williams can deliver the NBC Nightly News with mime and skits—in other words, not very well! News needs to be proclaimed! And that’s why the Apostle Paul says to each of us this morning: Christian, speak up! The message of salvation in Christ that you know and believe and need to hear also needs to be heard by others who do not know and believe in Christ. So Christian, speak up! When you speak up, recognize the possibility of rejection, but speak up anyway because you realize the importance of your message!
I.
A few moments ago you heard the Gospel account of Jesus calling some of his first disciples (Luke 5:1-11). He called Peter, James, and John to follow him and become “fishers of men.” I find it ironic that Jesus calls disciples to proclaim the gospel in Luke chapter five, when just one chapter earlier (and just last Sunday in our weekly church readings) Jesus’ message was resoundingly rejected by the residents of his hometown. As God, Jesus knew that the incident in Nazareth was only the first of many rejections that would occur, not the least of which was the rejection by his own disciples and his people’s religious leaders that would put him on the cross.
We’re focusing on the Second Lesson from Romans chapter ten in this sermon. Paul encourages the same kind of missionary activity in this reading as Jesus calls for in the Gospel. And Paul also recognizes the possibility of rejection along the same lines that Jesus experienced. Near the end of this reading, after Paul has walked through a series of questions to demonstrate the importance of confessing our Christian faith, he says this: “Not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’” Paul was a Jew. He knew that his fellow countrymen had the advantages and privileges of God’s prophets around them throughout their history. Even with those advantages, even with the Old Testament ceremonies and prophets pointing to the promised Savior, many of Paul’s countrymen failed to recognize that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for. Yet Paul’s words in this entire section encourage us to speak up about Christ even in the face of potential rejection.
That’s hard. That’s really hard. Who likes rejection? Kids at recess don’t like rejection when they are shut out of a game that another group of children is playing. High school boys don’t like it when they girl they ask out to prom says, “No.” College graduates don’t like it when their job applications are rejected and they can’t find work. Faithful employees don’t like it when they are rejected for a raise or a promotion. Our natural distaste for rejection can lead us not to speak up about our faith when rejection seems likely. But we need to remember that what is at stake here is not our self esteem, but the salvation of other souls! Read More…
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