Rejection

Happy Rock: Loving Father who art in Heaven,

We thank you for your loving mercies that you have granted unto us this day.

We pray that we will be embedded deeper yet into the solid rock our Savior and Lord Yahshua. We ask that you will comfort those who are suffering at this time, and bring peace to troubled lives both spiritually and physically. Help us as we study you words today that our eyes will be open as to where we are to stand on this day we pray in Yahshua’s name. Amen.

Zahakiel: Amen.
Guerline: Amen.
Tain: Amen.
Jody: Amen.
Naraiel: Amen.
Barb: Amen.

Zahakiel: This month’s topic is called “Rejection.” In just the past week, I have spoken to two Church members who had almost identical problems. They’ve tried to explain the state that our people are currently in due to the SDA lawsuit against us, and they’ve encountered a total or near-total rejection. This is a difficult, painful and complex issue, and not surprisingly, it’s one that the Bible does not leave unattended.

Rejection of this message by members of our families is something that has touched all of us in the Church to one degree or another. For some it is particularly challenging, in the case of a spouse, or a child. For others, we may have parents that express some initial interest, out of curiosity for what their children are doing, perhaps… but very little follow-up. This is also a kind of rejection, just not as overt as in some cases.

Some of the problem has to do with the fact that our family members knew us before conversion. While a message of righteousness in this last and most wicked generation is not generally well received by anyone, it’s particularly striking when we find this denial of the light in our own intimate circles. Yahshua Himself addressed this matter, as we read from this incident in from His ministry:

“And when [Yahshua] was come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, ‘Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?’ And they were offended in Him. But Yahshua said unto them, ‘A prophet is not without honour, save in His own country, and in His own house.’ And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Mat 13:54-58)

There is quite a lot to be understood from this passage. First, it might have seemed that the initial reaction of His hearers were positive, for it says that they asked, “Where did this wisdom come from?” The hearers, like many in our own personal spheres of influence, are certainly not able to contradict the wisdom of our words. It should be obvious – Scripture or no Scripture – that if an infinitely powerful and infinitely loving God desires to save us from sin and its consequences, no power on earth (or anywhere else) should be able to stop Him. Nominal Christians cite “the flesh,” “the temptations of Satan” and “our unreliable hold on Jesus” as excuses for not obtaining the Victory over all known transgression, yet none of these things are comparable to the power of the Almighty, nor the strength of the Sacrifice offered on our behalf.

It should be obvious – Scripture or no Scripture – that using a secular power to try and defend or preserve a religious institution is a foolish course of action. Similarly, it should be quite obvious that if we are all worshipping one Heavenly Father, we will be united as one people, whether or not there are chapters and verses that declare it to be so. Of course, there are Biblical passages for every one of these things, but the wisdom that inspired these verses is greater still, and it is not particularly difficult to convince the truly open-minded about the validity of our faith. And thus, it may well be asked by those who hear us speak, “Where did this wisdom come from?”

However, acknowledging the wisdom of something and actually absorbing it to the degree it causes a personal transformation are two different things. This was certainly the case in that synagogue; instead of dealing with what He was saying, the hearers began to attack the person bearing the message. We find that this is quite often what happens in our own experiences.

For Yahshua they asked, “Haven’t we known this fellow from birth? Why is it He thinks He can speak to us with authority on spiritual things now?” And you know, the issue of His birth, that Joseph was not His biological father, was actually not unknown to some in the community. The evidence for this is subtle, but it’s there. If you know about the way names were used during Biblical times, they usually followed the pattern “X ben Y” (in Hebrew) or “X bar Y” (in Aramaic). An example would Simon Barjona (Mat 16:17) which means, “Simon, son of Jonah.” The correct way to speak of Yahshua would be Yahshua barJoseph, but instead of asking, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph,” they asked, “Isn’t this the son of Mary?” This was casting doubt on His legitimacy – a great insult, especially in those days where there was so much emphasis placed on genealogy.

All this, of course, was to shift attention away from what He was actually saying, and I think that with parents, spouses, children, etc. in our day this practice is actually more common than we realize. Whether it’s said aloud or just in the mind, the question that arises in the unsanctified thoughts is, “What’s so special about him/her all of a sudden?” This is one of the most effective barriers to conviction, attacking the messengers rather than evaluating the message on its own merits. We have had people listen intently to our teachings on victory over sin, only to turn away because they heard “something bad” about pastor Chick, or David, or Luke from some bit of gossip or outright fabrications found online. In a recent meeting I mentioned one woman who calls our house from time to time who has found some anti-CSDA websites, and as a result has no intention of accepting anything we say. Why she keeps calling is something of a mystery to me, but she is a classic example of what I am talking about – someone who has ingested a fatal amount of false witnessing.

So the question is, how did Yahshua deal with situations like this? Because how He dealt with them is what we must emulate if we wish to be effective representatives of His character. We can look at His encounter with this kind of opposition in four different sets of circumstances. They are a) from strangers, b) from those who knew Him, c) from the disciples – those who had already accepted His teachings on many things, and d) His family members. We will cover them in that order, along a scale of increasing familiarity.

Are there any questions before we begin to do so?

Naraiel: No.
Guerline: No.
Jody: No.
Barb: No.
Happy Rock: No.

Zahakiel: When dealing with “strangers,” at least, those who did not know anything about Him, Yahshua was always very direct. While He would illustrate spiritual truths with parables, (Mat 13:34) when they understood those truths He spoke to them directly. We have an example of this in the Gospel of Matthew, from which we read, after the conclusion of the parable of the vine-dressers:

“‘When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?’

“They say unto Him, ‘He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.’

“Yahshua saith unto them, ‘Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.’

“And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that he spake of them.” (Mat 21:40-45)

Let me know when you have read this.

Jody: Done.
Barb: Finished.
Happy Rock: Done.
Guerline: Done.
Daphna: Done.

Zahakiel: Here we see a balanced approach to dealing with those who will not hear us speak. We try to reach them gently, with parables, illustrations, and descriptions (because we don’t get a whole lot of opportunities to give an outright Bible study, which would be ideal) but if it comes to a point where we see that we aren’t making progress, we have to tell them straight what the stakes are. Some have, at times, shrunk back from dealing directly with those who are not advancing toward the Covenant of Yahweh, but this is a necessary part of the Gospel work. We read of the final separation that develops between saints and sinners:

“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Mat 13:30) Now we know that the separating message is that which is given in Revelation 14, the “Three Angels’ Message” of which we speak so often; but who is it that actually speaks these messages?

Naraiel: Yahshua’s Bride.
Tain: Us?
Jody: Us.

Zahakiel: It is us, it is the Church, and we see in Matthew 13 that the angels have two jobs. The one we focus on the most (because it is the more pleasant task by far) is the gathering of the wheat into the barn – And we do so because this IS the Harvest, and the separation is done before the Son of Man gets here, according to this and all the other parables. But there is also the “binding of tares,” the identification of those who have not made themselves ready for the Barn, for the Bridegroom, and this is done when, in response to the message we bear, some go away into rebellion or a fully Laodicean mindset.

Happy Rock: Can we be called His ministering spirits?

Zahakiel: That is another term for angels, so in this case it would fit, yes.

Happy Rock: Ok.

Zahakiel: Are there other questions at this point?

Naraiel: No.
Jody: No.
Barb: No.
Tain: No.
Daphna: No.
Guerline: No.

Zahakiel: The second set of circumstances in which Yahshua faced rejection was among those who knew something about Him. In the case provided in the Gospels it does not appear as if He dealt as drastically with the people in the synagogue. He did tell them that they had lost the opportunity to hear the words of a prophet, but if they were not taking His good news seriously, it would likely have been a waste of time to bring them stinging rebukes thereafter.

We read of another, similar situation here: “Then said the Jews unto Him, ‘Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?’ Yahshua said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.’ Then took they up stones to cast at Him, but Yahshua hid Himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” (John 8:57-59

And John has yet another record of value here: “And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him, ‘How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Yahshua answered them, ‘I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.’ Therefore they sought again to take Him; but He escaped out of their hand.” (John 10:22, 24, 25)

This is a situation perhaps closer to the synagogue passage. If you read the entire chapter, you find that those attending the feast in Jerusalem came up to Him; they knew something of Him and His ministry already, as evidenced by their questions, like, “How long dost thou make us to doubt?” It is clear that they did not understand His teachings, but they had heard His words before. In a situation like this, He attempted to reason with them, but thereafter, when they had plainly rejected Him, He simply departed. It was not benefitting them to be in His presence, as it is written in the first passage, “And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Mat 13:58)

Questions at this point?

Peterson: No.
Jody: No.
Barb: No.
Naraiel: No.
Tain: No.
Daphna: No.
Happy Rock: No.

Zahakiel: In the third circumstance, we may speak about how Yahshua dealt with rejection from His disciples, His fellow-believers. To be honest, this is not something we have a huge problem with currently – outright rejection – and maybe more of a reverse situation, that of accepting the decisions and views of our brethren without due consideration. To an extent, of course, there is some merit in the principle. We should certainly be more secure in the judgment of our spiritual family than in the judgment of the world. We are taught in the Scriptures to give one another the benefit of the doubt, particularly in the cases of the elders and those teaching the Word. At the same time, we must cultivate a spiritually-minded decision-making process in our individual experiences.

So we need to find that balance between accepting the testimony of our brethren, and developing individual judgments. If we are of the same Spirit; that is to say, if the Holy Spirit is guiding our spiritually-minded decisions, then we will certainly find that our opinions on all the major issues will agree (as Paul describes in 1Cor 1:10) but we must – and this is actually quite vital – we must be able to arrive at this agreement out of our own convictions, and not by following a human being. Individuality in religion is clearly taught in the Scriptures, as Paul writes, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” (Rom 14:5b) That phrase “be fully persuaded” is a single word in the Greek; it is also translated as, “be most surely believed,” and speaks of individual conviction.

If this principle is not honored in any organization, be it religious or otherwise, then there will certainly be some application of “force” in order to have people fall into line, and this is not proper. In a Church it is of great importance lest there be the development of a papal spirit and a “boss” or a leader figure whose authority is taking to extremes; and a lot of Adventist groups have fallen into that pit. But you might say, “Well, Paul was pretty direct in dealing with people, and he would command them to do this or that during his ministry.” And yes, that is true. But here is how that fits in: Paul was very careful to distinguish between accepted doctrine, new revelation, and his opinions. This would be a study unto itself, really, but let me give you the basics so that you can understand this principle clearly.

When Paul “commanded” people, He was not only speaking directly for Yahweh, but he was also speaking to enforce the principles to which the people had already agreed. He was enforcing the Covenant. An example may be found here: “Now them that are [disorderly busybodies] we command and exhort by our Lord Yahshua the Messiah, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” (2Th 3:12)

John also writes, “Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.” (1John 2:8)

But note than in each case it is not a “new commandment” at all, and John actually points this out in the verse before the one I quoted here. It is simply “new” in the sense that John and Paul are repeating and reinforcing that which the brethren have already known, already agreed to perform. We in this movement say that we “hold their feet to the fire;” and in cases like that it is perfectly appropriate for us to “command” others to honor their previous commitments, for if they refuse they are in danger, as we read in the book of Acts, chapter 5. In that chapter, two members of the early Church promised a certain thing to the brethren and then willfully refused to honor their agreement when it came into their power to do so. For no greater reason than personal greed they held back that which they had committed to Yahweh, and because of this they were both struck down in the same day.

This event, again, would be a study unto itself, but the principle should be a clear one: for the sake of the Church, and certainly for the sake of the example we set before others, we must honor our agreements. If we do not seem inclined to do so, a “commandment” is certainly appropriate for our own good. We may read of Paul’s open rebuke to Peter before the Ephesians, to see another example of this principle made manifest.

To finish briefly what I was saying above about Paul, he was clear to distinguish between commonly accepted doctrine, on the basis of which he could command others, and his opinions. In 1Cor 7 he makes it very plain which it is: “But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord; yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.” (1Cor 7:6, 25) When Paul speaks of new doctrines obtained by vision or study, he speaks persuasively, and not commandingly, sharing what he has learned. Examples of this include the teaching of the “third Heaven” in 2Cor 12.

But now, what if the legitimate commandment of the elders, or brethren in general, is actually rejected? For this process we have Gospel Order, which we have discussed at length in other studies, and then there is a final penalty: “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” (Titus 3:10, 11) This is the most severe penalty that any truly Christian Church can impose upon an individual; for all else, Yahweh Himself will be responsible for judgment and the consequences of bad actions.

When the followers of Christ rejected Him, how he dealt with it was simple: He let them go. In one such incident He was sorrowful to the point of asking His remaining disciples, “Will ye also go away?” (John 6:67) And yet, He knew that if those other people, who had been with Him for the miracles, were not willing to endure the “hard teachings” that would separate them from the pattern of this world and prepare them for eternity, It was best to simply leave them to enjoy what reward they could from this temporary existence. That was all they would have.

Any questions here?

Barb: No.
Jody: No.
Tain: No.
Naraiel: No.
Happy Rock: No.
Guerline: No.
Daphna: No.
Peterson: No.

Zahakiel: The fourth circumstance is rejection by family members, and this is the one that has actually inspired this study. Rejection of our faith by family members (and very close friends as well) is certainly very difficult emotionally, and it may be difficult in other ways as well if we are still living with parents or children who do not accept our beliefs. It is absolutely true when we are dealing with spouses.

Let us look at how Yahshua dealt with family members who had not accepted His words:

“While He yet talked to the people, behold, His mother and His brethren stood without, desiring to speak with Him. Then one said unto him, ‘Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.’ But He answered and said unto him that told Him, ‘Who is my mother? And who are my brethren?’ And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, ‘Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.’” (Mat 12:46-50)

It is important to understand, when considering this passage, what exactly it was Yahshua was saying while He “yet talked to the people.” He was speaking of the “queen of the south” rising up in judgment against those that rejected Him. He was saying, “One greater than Jonah is here,” and “One greater than Solomon is here.” (verses 41, 42) In other words, he was speaking things that, in the ears of His family, seemed outrageous, extreme; and we can be fairly certain that His brothers – at least – were not trying to give Him ministerial support at that time. And significantly, it doesn’t take long for us, while we are speaking of complete Victory over sin, or being willing to surrender our freedoms and even lives if necessary to maintain the name Yahweh has given to His Covenanted People, to get this response. To the carnal mind, these things do seem very “extreme.”

The way that Yahshua reacted to this was twofold. First, He did not stop what He was doing to go see them. He did not allow them to distract Him from what He was doing. Second, He emphasized the importance of the spiritual family above those of His blood relatives. This is a very important step for us to take, and while we do not cut off our family members (unless they desire to be “let go” from our sphere of influence as in the third circumstance we discussed) we must remember that it is our spiritual family to whom we have the greater connection, and with whom we are preparing to spend the rest of all existence.

When those who knew Yahshua somewhat rejected Him, He departed from them. We are not really told to do this with our families, to depart from them; but it seems that after a time they will depart from us (or they may drive us away anyway). We are certainly to reason with our relatives as long as it’s sensible to do so. Even considering His words above, Yahshua felt great love for His biological family, as evidenced by the fact that He appeared directly to His brother James after His resurrection, (1Cor 15:7) and expressed concern for his mother while He was on the cross. (John 19:26, 27) We must pray for opportunities to speak with our relatives; for in some cases it is more difficult for them to accept our words than it would be for a stranger to hear us, so they need those prayers. Satan certainly tries hard to accomplish this, that he may have stronger weapons against us emotionally. This is all something he has thought of long before.

At some point, however, there comes time for “departure,” if not in the body, certainly in a mental sense. By that I mean, if we must live with them due to being with parents, children or spouses, we are not to seek a way to escape, but if we keep pushing something they do not want to hear, we ourselves would be guilty of force, and it is rarely effective to do anything spiritually beneficial that way. We “depart” from them in the sense that we focus our attention on other avenues of teaching the Word. In cases like this we have to balance ourselves very carefully when dealing with family members who remain near us, especially if they not only reject the message, but become hostile while doing so. Because we do love our families, we may rebuke and remind them when possible without oppressing them. Again, we pray for opportunities to speak on a heart-level that is hopefully beyond most hostilities. But what we must not do is allow the influence of our family members to weaken or distract us from giving our testimony to the world. We have the example of how Yahshua accomplished this, and how He spoke plainly to His hearers about the greater importance of His spiritual brethren.

Above all, we must remember this: our lives are standing rebukes to those who are not following the path we walk, and while a silent testimony is sometimes the only one available to us, it should not be underestimated by any means.

Are there any questions before we close?

Happy Rock: No.
Guerline: No.
Tain: No.
Peterson: No.
Naraiel: No.
Barb: No.
Daphna: No.
Jody: No.

Pastor “Chick”: May I offer a suggestion?

Zahakiel: Of course :) Go ahead, and then please offer our closing prayer.

Pastor “Chick”: The Spirit of Prophecy offers us a large body of counsel when meeting rejection dealing with family members. This counsel is extremely valuable.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We see the curtains of probation closing. The finality of this is amazing to us as we have waited for the coming of our Lord and Savior. Our pioneers longed to see the day in which we are living. We have known that persecution, rejection, and all of these unpleasant things would be our lot.

It is not as easy in the flesh to immediately accept these things, but because we have the mind of Christ and because He has walked this path before us, we can with great courage march forward. And, as we march forward, it is likely that the furnace fires will be kindled to a higher degree, until all of our weight is suspended by the green chord sent from Heaven.

Thank you that we have the care and protection of our Father and may we finish this work and bring a quick end to sin and suffering. In Yahshua’s name, Amen.

Zahakiel: Amen.
Peterson: Amen
Guerline: Amen.
Abraham: Amen.
Naraiel: Amen.
Barb: Amen.
Tain: Amen.
Jody: Amen.
Happy Rock: Amen.