A Talent for Handling Rejection
Pastor Scott Voss
New Life Christian Center
Rector, Arkansas
Gen 37:3-11
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Of all the difficulties in life, I suppose that there is none harder to cope with than rejection.
If you live your life in an effort to please others, you will find that you and rejection are closer friends than you ever desired to become.
It is not a matter of choice, only of timing. You will experience rejection.
If you are going to live for God, you must have a talent for handling rejection!
When I began to study this subject some things became very clear to me. One of which is this. If you are going to seek the favor and anointing of God on your life, you are opening your self up to pain, sorrow, and rejection.
This is not to say that we should not seek his favor, for his favor is the only thing that will make your life complete.
But prepare yourself, you are going to experience rejection.
Joseph.
Look at his story today.
His father Jacob loved him more than all of his other children. He was the child of Jacob’s old age. He was proud that he could still produce children.
He doted over Joseph. Everywhere he went, Joseph was with him. He was given first choice of the good things. He was blessed with favor.
His father loved him so much that he made and gave to Joseph a coat of many colors. Just to be a testament of his love for the boy.
But his brothers hated him just for that reason. In fact the bible says that they could not talk peaceably to one another! Shouting matches, shoving, and scuffling went on continually.
And in the midst of all this, God’s favor began to be evidenced.
Not only was Joseph Jacob’s favorite, but it was obvious that God was going to do something great through this young man.
He began to dream of reigning and ruling. He recognized that he would one day lead his family.
Told dreams. Hatred grew.
Rejected.
More dreams, more hatred and rejection.
Go check on your brothers.
They saw him a long way away.
Can’t kill him, it would break father’s heart.
Just like the devil, wanting to destroy, but pretending not to want to hurt anyone.
That is the crux of the majority of church troubles. People that want control, or position, will pretend that they are not wanting to hurt anyone and the whole while they are seeking an opportunity to destroy whatever they need to.
(SAM?)
Threw him in the pit. Sold to slave traders.
Rejection?
But he had a talent.
Prospered in Potipher’s house. Elevated.
Became a leader of servants.
Then again. Potipher’s wife. Seducing, provocative, she pursued him. In fleeing he left his coat in her hands. She was so angry that she had been turned down, she lied. Back to prison.
Rejection.
Years of his life spent in prison for no reason.
Rejection.
He did not do anything! He just had the favor of God on his life ! He did not ask for a position. He did not ask to be elevated or blessed.
Yet with that blessing came the rejection.
You are going to experience some days of heartache, trial and confusion, merely because you are living for God!
You are going to have to have a talent for handling rejection!
Through it all Joseph refused to become bitter and angry.
I do not have time to tell it all today, but in the end he was able to confess to the same brothers that rejected him, that what they had meant for evil, God had intended for Good.
Yes, the rejection of men is painful, but God can take their evil and make it good for you!
David.
Little brother. Eighth child. The one that got stuck with the bad chores.
Sent to the back pastures to tend his Daddy’s sheep. His brothers thought that they were doing themselves a favor, but in fact they were doing David a favor.
Their rejection led him to a place of solitude and worship.
Sitting on the hill side he would sing and praise his creator. Songs of praise came to him as naturally as the ability to breathe.
In that place of rejection he learned the skills that would guide him through the most difficult days of his life!
There is something that happens to a man or woman’s life when they are put into a place of rejection.
Lion, bear. Life skills.
Time for a new king to be anointed.
1 Sam 16:10-13
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
That place on the backside of the hill, may have been a place of rejection to begin with, but it became a place of worship and audience with God. A place that led him into the favor and anointing of God.
Don’t get bitter! Use the rejection of men to draw closer to God! He has an anointing for you!
Go check on your brothers.
What are you doing here! Go back home.
Rejected.
Is there not a cause?
Goliath.
His past experiences prepared him for this challenge.
Goliath defeated. Wow!
Saul has killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands.
Elevated, exalted, a hero.
Then it happened again.
Rejected.
Saul threw his spear at him. Swore that he would kill David.
Fleeing for his life.
Caves, hideouts. Vagabond lifestyle.
Yet in this time of rejection and fleeing, this anointed king with no throne, penned one of the greatest statements of worship ever written,
I will bless the Lord at all times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth!
A talent for handling rejection!
Are you praying for God to use you? Are you praying for God to make a place for you in his work?
Then you better also start asking for the ability to handle rejection. You are going to need it!
Jesus.
That there was no room in the inn was symbolic of what was to happen to Jesus. The only place there was room for Him, was on a cross. He sought an entry to the over-crowded hearts of men; He could not find it, and still His search and His rejection go on.
Light came into the world but men would not receive it for they loved darkness more than light!
Jesus’ ministry was one of compassion, power, and rejection.
(Luke 4:16-22) And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
{17} And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
{18} The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
{19} To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
{20} And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
{21} And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
{22} And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
He continued to tell them how his ministry would be rejected by his own people.
(Luke 4:28-30) And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
{29} And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
{30} But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
Rejected.
By his own.
He was better received by the heathen than the people of God.
He was accused of being the devil. (I have heard that one!)
He was accused of being a sinner for his association with them.
He was accused of being a false teacher.
Rejected.
He came to his own and his own received him not!
Don’t tell me how hard you have it. Don’t try and tell me that I don’t understand how hard it is to live for God where you live, work or go to school.
Don’t tell me that a situation is going to cause too much heartache, that you can’t do it because it would hurt.
You do not know what hurt is! You do not know what true rejection is!
Let me give you a definition of true rejection.
Jesus’ entire ministry was rejected.
One day he is being paraded and praised through the streets on the back of a donkey. Palm branches are waving, children are dancing and parents are leaping. Messiah, Jesus, Master!
Merely hours later, the same ones are demanding that his blood be upon them and their children!
Rejected.
Taken to a court, accused of blasphemy, subordination and inciting ill will against Rome.
Turned over to the Roman rule system.
Harmless, helping, hope filled man reduced to the level of a common thief.
Stripped of his clothing he was tied to a post, there the soldier began to beat his back until the flesh tore away.
A crown of thorns was fashioned and thrust upon his scalp. The thorns pierced his flesh and tore at his skull.
A rod was used to beat him more, his beard was torn from his face as the soldiers spit upon him and mocked him.
Rejection.
Don’t tell me that it is too hard to live for God.
Don’t tell me that I don’t know how bad you have it.
Don’t tell me that you do not have any friends.
Look at Jesus!
(Mat 27:27-31) Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
{28} And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
{29} And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
{30} And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
{31} And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
(35) And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
{36} And sitting down they watched him there;
{37} And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
{38} Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
{39} And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
{40} And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
{41} Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
{42} He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
{43} He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
(John 19:25-27) Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
{26} When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
{27} Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
How do you think it was that Jesus could look into the eyes of his weeping mother and tell her to go home and also say Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!
There was no room at the inn for Jesus. In fact there was not room for him anywhere except on the cross!
It is time to put the proper perspective on our walk with God.
No matter what it is that we go through, it is worth it to be saved. No rejection of men will ever damn you. But rejection by God will!
I know some of you will not move or respond at all today. That is exactly why you will spend eternity in hell! Rejected! By God.
(Heb 12:1-4) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, {2} Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. {3} For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. {4} Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
We need a talent for handling rejection!
