Have you ever shared the Gospel with someone repeatedly,
only to have them laugh in your face?
Ever tried to serve someone only to have your efforts rejected over and
over? Did you know that God tells us to
move on, to leave situations behind where people continue to resist the Gospel
and refuse to hear the Word. I can hear you asking -“Jerry,
what about patience, endurance, and love?” I ponder that
same question. How long do we continue to present Christ to those who mock Him,
who resist us, who care nothing for the message we bring? How long do we try to
serve those who throw it back in our face? There is no one simple answer, but
there is a principle that Jesus taught, that is repeated in 3 of the Gospels and
that we see in the ministry of Paul.
When He sent the apostles out on Kingdom missions, He said “Take nothing for the journey except a
staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra
tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if
any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet
when you leave, as a testimony against them.” (Mark 6:8-11, NIV) Did they ever actually do it? Yes!
"The influential
religious women and the leaders of the city … incited a mob against Paul and
Barnabas and ran them out of town. So they shook the dust from their feet as a
sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium." (Acts 13:50-51,
NLT)
In another parable, Jesus tells us not to “throw pearls before pigs.” Awfully strong language, isn’t it? Let’s
get one thing out of the way. Jesus is
not teaching us to be petty or vindictive! He is not telling us to throw a
tantrum when we feel disrespected or when others are rude. That would be
totally in conflict with the command to love others sacrificially, to be
selfless servants.
We are to be led and empowered by the Spirit. If we have
given ourselves prayerfully to someone in our family or to a region or even to
a church in service and they care nothing for the things of God, the Spirit may
whisper to us, “You’re finished here. Move on.” We do not have to make a grand
production or call down the fire of judgment on their heads. Instead, we
obediently pick up the pieces, thank God for the opportunity, trust Him for the
results, and leave, shaking off the dust, without remorse or regret. Let me underscore the fact that this has nothing
to do with being personally offended! If
we are hurt and decide, “Well, I’ll show them” and walk off in a huff, we have
missed the point. If our desire is to
find fertile soil for the Gospel, to use the finite resources of time and
energy for the greatest good, and we are led of the Spirit, then we go. God
will give us wisdom to know the difference between “I quit!” and “It’s time to
go.”
Samuel Wells writes about serving people who avoid the
Gospel, who resist God’s work, who refuse accountability making excuse after
excuse for not living as they should, becoming disciples of Christ. He takes
Jesus’ teaching and writes these wise words.
“Don’t carry that dust
everywhere you go, embittering relationships, souring friendships, sapping
energy, leaking hope.
Shake the dust off your feet.
Shake the dust off your feet.
Don’t take out your
anger on people when you have no idea what’s making them be so bafflingly
indifferent.
Shake the dust off your feet.
Shake the dust off your feet.
Don’t judge them --
that’s God’s job, not yours, and only God knows why they’re so distracted or so
passive or so frustrating or so silent.
Shake the dust off your feet.
Shake the dust off your feet.
Don’t go on a
self-righteous rant that assumes you’re a perfect embodiment of the gospel and
anyone who doesn’t repent and be baptized this instant must be stupid.
Shake the dust off your feet. Shake, shake, shake.”
Shake the dust off your feet. Shake, shake, shake.”
Now let me change the focus to you and me and our attitude
towards Christ. Are we meeting Him with apathy? Are we indifferent about
worship? Are we more interested in chasing happiness than the pursuit of the
Eternal? Let’s realize that He, too,
despite His abundant love, will ‘move on.’ The word from the Word comes from
His letter to the Laodicean Christians. He couples a warning with promise. May these words awaken us to follow Him
today. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you
were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor
cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. … Those whom I love I rebuke and
discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with
him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:15-16 18-20, NIV)
_____________
Lord, I want You to be welcomed in my life.
Forgive me for the times when I rush on to my own agenda,
Forgive me for the times when I rush on to my own agenda,
When I ignore Your invitation, when I offer up half-hearted
prayers,
When I persist in sin, despite the Spirit’s conviction.
Lead me to Your heart.
Let’s sit down to dinner and become best of friends,
Let’s sit down to dinner and become best of friends,
Jesus, this I pray . Amen
1 comment:
Hi. I found your blog tonight in time for my turn to share a word in a small group tomorrow. I would like to inform you that this piece really helped me. I believe it's God given. Thank you for writing for the Lord.
If you don't mind, may I request something. I would love to see and browse through all your write ups. It would help if there is like a table of contents that we can click the devotions from few years back. Thank you. ❤ Keep writing for God's glory.
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