₦Sermon 42
_ HAS THE WORLD REJECTED YOU?
“For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me”— 1 Samuel 8:7
Read 1Samuel 8:1-8, Ps. 27:10
I bring to you today a message of hope and comfort. First, let us wave our hands to God in thankfulness of His goodness and mercies. Praise God!
Chorus —
I love that man of Galilee
For he has done so many things for me
He has forgiven me all my sins
And sent the Holy Ghost to me
I love that man of Galilee
Brethren, we should always be joyful even when we feel that our people have rejected us. It may be that you have been neglected, abandoned or seen as an ordinary person who is not worthy of living. But I want to assure you that when the world has cast you off, that is not the end of your life for the Lord will not forsake his people. He’ll not abandon his heritage – Psalm 94:14. My dear, you are the God’s heritage and so prized to Him.
After reading series of scriptures, I came to realize that rejection by man is purely a sign that you are God’s heritage and not that of the world. This is what makes you a true Christian. Christ in his teaching tries to let us know that he that rejects us has rejected the most precious thing in his life. “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me” — Luke 10:16. This implies that all that belongs to God must be rejected by the world because we are of the Lord and not of the world.
Remember that when the Israelites requested for a King that would rule over them just like what has been a tradition in other nations. Samuel probably felt that the Israelites he administers judgment as to uphold justice in the land have rejected him. But God says to Samuel —for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me for being their King (1 Samuel 8:7). But the question is, what fault did the Israelites see in Samuel? It is nothing rather than they wanted to be like other nations that have kings. And these other nations such as Moabites, Amorites etc were nations that did not worship the true Living God. By implication, it seems that the Israelites were setting a trap to derail from worshipping their God. This seeming atomic fact is perhaps what made God to say the people have not rejected Samuel but Him. By augmenting it, it implies that when we are true believers (like Samuel) and are rejected by men, it is not us they reject, but God because of our devotion to His ministry.
One thing we ought to have noted is if the world hates us, we should not forget that it has hated Christ before it hated us. Christ was rejected by his own people and even at the point of death, his disciples deserted him and denied of knowing him. What about you? Are we better off than Christ? No! It is a thing of reality that we believers must surely be rejected. You may be rejected by man because you have said the truth or because of your beliefs.
Jephthah a mighty man of valor, a great warrior born by a harlot woman came from the tribe of Manasseh (Num. 26:29). His mother was a second wife of Gilead but a day came that his half-brothers rose like a raging sea against him. They said to him that he must not have any heritage from their father’s properties. So, Jephthah left his father’s household and settled in a strange land of Tob. Soon a war broke out between Ammonites and Israel. The man who was cast off from his father’s house is now remembered and sought for because he is a great man in battle. When people hate you, my dear, it’s a very good opportunity to be separated from them. The moment you separate from them, time shall come when they will seriously look for you. Could you believe that the cast away man is later searched for and pleaded for the wrongs wrought on him. He fights for them and is made king over his people that hated him. He judged them six years (Judges 12:7).
We believers must be serious in our faith and try to be relevant in the society even if the society do not value our worth at first; there must be something that will make them one day to remember us. Just like Jephthah who is remembered for his skill. The Psalmist says: Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close —Psalm 27:10.
I pray, as you have been rejected by the world, may God not forsake you and may he hold you close to the end of your life – amen.
—————Meditation Point——————
O LORD of my ages, as the world has rejected me; “do not hide your face from me; do not turn away in anger from your servant. You’ve been my help, therefore do not abandon or forsake me, God of my salvation! — Psalm 27:9 ISV.
_ HAS THE WORLD REJECTED YOU?
“For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me”— 1 Samuel 8:7
Read 1Samuel 8:1-8, Ps. 27:10
I bring to you today a message of hope and comfort. First, let us wave our hands to God in thankfulness of His goodness and mercies. Praise God!
Chorus —
I love that man of Galilee
For he has done so many things for me
He has forgiven me all my sins
And sent the Holy Ghost to me
I love that man of Galilee
Brethren, we should always be joyful even when we feel that our people have rejected us. It may be that you have been neglected, abandoned or seen as an ordinary person who is not worthy of living. But I want to assure you that when the world has cast you off, that is not the end of your life for the Lord will not forsake his people. He’ll not abandon his heritage – Psalm 94:14. My dear, you are the God’s heritage and so prized to Him.
After reading series of scriptures, I came to realize that rejection by man is purely a sign that you are God’s heritage and not that of the world. This is what makes you a true Christian. Christ in his teaching tries to let us know that he that rejects us has rejected the most precious thing in his life. “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me” — Luke 10:16. This implies that all that belongs to God must be rejected by the world because we are of the Lord and not of the world.
Remember that when the Israelites requested for a King that would rule over them just like what has been a tradition in other nations. Samuel probably felt that the Israelites he administers judgment as to uphold justice in the land have rejected him. But God says to Samuel —for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me for being their King (1 Samuel 8:7). But the question is, what fault did the Israelites see in Samuel? It is nothing rather than they wanted to be like other nations that have kings. And these other nations such as Moabites, Amorites etc were nations that did not worship the true Living God. By implication, it seems that the Israelites were setting a trap to derail from worshipping their God. This seeming atomic fact is perhaps what made God to say the people have not rejected Samuel but Him. By augmenting it, it implies that when we are true believers (like Samuel) and are rejected by men, it is not us they reject, but God because of our devotion to His ministry.
One thing we ought to have noted is if the world hates us, we should not forget that it has hated Christ before it hated us. Christ was rejected by his own people and even at the point of death, his disciples deserted him and denied of knowing him. What about you? Are we better off than Christ? No! It is a thing of reality that we believers must surely be rejected. You may be rejected by man because you have said the truth or because of your beliefs.
Jephthah a mighty man of valor, a great warrior born by a harlot woman came from the tribe of Manasseh (Num. 26:29). His mother was a second wife of Gilead but a day came that his half-brothers rose like a raging sea against him. They said to him that he must not have any heritage from their father’s properties. So, Jephthah left his father’s household and settled in a strange land of Tob. Soon a war broke out between Ammonites and Israel. The man who was cast off from his father’s house is now remembered and sought for because he is a great man in battle. When people hate you, my dear, it’s a very good opportunity to be separated from them. The moment you separate from them, time shall come when they will seriously look for you. Could you believe that the cast away man is later searched for and pleaded for the wrongs wrought on him. He fights for them and is made king over his people that hated him. He judged them six years (Judges 12:7).
We believers must be serious in our faith and try to be relevant in the society even if the society do not value our worth at first; there must be something that will make them one day to remember us. Just like Jephthah who is remembered for his skill. The Psalmist says: Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close —Psalm 27:10.
I pray, as you have been rejected by the world, may God not forsake you and may he hold you close to the end of your life – amen.
—————Meditation Point——————
O LORD of my ages, as the world has rejected me; “do not hide your face from me; do not turn away in anger from your servant. You’ve been my help, therefore do not abandon or forsake me, God of my salvation! — Psalm 27:9 ISV.
Comments
Post a Comment