Rejected

Good morning brothers and sisters. How do you feel when you are rejected? Me, I don't like it. It hurts. So how do you think God feels when He is rejected? Paul tells the Israelites that the message is going to be preached to the Gentiles. To the Israelites this was preposterous. See they heard the message of God first. They were suppose to bring it to the Gentiles but pride got in the way. The whole time God intended for the whole world to hear His word. He chose the Jewish nation first and they were to teach it. But let's look in Acts and see what Paul spoke to them. Acts 13:46-52. 46- Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first, but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47- For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth." The Jewish nation rejected Jesus as the Messiah, they (if you have be doing Prophets study with me) rejected God and turned to other nations to save them. They were too prideful to think that anyone else should hear the word of God. So God sent out others to teach the Gentiles. They rejected God, so He sends one of them out to preach God's Word to the Gentiles. That would have been a slap in the face to the Jewish nation. Now lets look at the response of both. 48- Now when the Gentiles heard this, there were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49- And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. Now the Gentiles were glad and glorified. See we were not rejected. Christians were never rejected. You have never been rejected by God. 50- But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. The Jews did not like that response and wanted them out of there. They could not have them going against the grain. But I want you to take a close look on how Paul and Barnabas responded. 51- But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and came to Iconium. They were rejected and they didn't lose any sleep over it. In fact they shook off the dust, or in other words, they shook off the rejection and got moving on. See they knew they were not rejected by Jesus Christ and that was enough. They were not concerned with man rejecting them. And look what happened. 52- And the disciples were filled with JOY and with the Holy Spirit. They were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. God took care of them. And just like that, He will take care of us. If you are feeling rejected, go to the Lord, He will not reject you. He will mold and make you into an amazing human being. Don't worry if man rejects you, the Lord accepts you. Have a blessed day. Rise up child of God, rise up!