Overcoming Rejection

Jeremiah 1:4-10

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If you're signed up for our text messages. But today we are going to continue with kind of a part 2 about this rejection scene with Jesus. Now, just to briefly recap what we looked at last week, we looked at how Jesus is relatable in his ministry because he was rejected by his hometown. Living in the world, we will find our rejection as well. And we learn that rejection has no partiality to whether you're of good repute or bad repute.
They the world is just going to is in the business of rejecting people, whether good or bad. And we even see that in Jesus life there's no reason to be rejecting the Messiah that has come to redeem the fallen world. But yet he is met with opposition and rejection. Can we talk briefly about a couple of things that we've learned from that Gospel lesson is that Jesus was so assured of his identity as Messiah and he was so on mission to accomplish his purpose for coming to the earth, that nothing was going to deter him. No matter what opposition or rejection he felt he was going to accomplish it and it wasn't going to be sidetracked by what others might think of him or how others respond to him.
And so today I want to look at another lectionary reading, the Old Testament reading that comes from the book of Jeremiah. Because what naturally comes to the question is how is identity and purpose so motivating to overcome rejection? What is it about that? What is it about our true identity and the purpose for which we have been called that encourages us and builds up confidence within us that we are able to overcome opposition and rejection in our life? If as long as we live into our true identity and our purpose, That's a question that all of us might be wrestling with when we think about the will of God for our lives.
And oftentimes we get easily sidetracked because people might think we're not fit or called to particular thing, right? This is a question about our identity. Is your identity, your true identity, wrapped up in who you think is you are or what you would like to become, is do you value and find your worth and what others might identify you as? But I would argue that your true identity comes from God and your true purpose comes from God. And as long as you set your mind, your heart and your life on those things, you will have the confidence to overcome opposition and rejection.
And so turn to Jeremiah, chapter one if you have your Bibles. We're going to be looking at our Old Testament reading this morning, and what you're going to discover is that at the calling of Jeremiah. We are giving more depth and detail into our identities, how it is that we come about our identity, and how it is that we come about our purpose in life. And those are the things that I want to briefly mention to you this morning. If you turn to Jeremiah chapter one, you immediately begin to see that true identity comes from God.
It's established by God. In verse 5 of Jeremiah 1, it says this. The very first part it says, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Think about that before you were given a nose and eyes and the amount of hair that you may or may not have in your life, before that was formed, before God formed you, he knew you. This knowing that God knows about you before you even take shape or form is an intimate knowledge, means he's not surprised by all the things you'll experience in your life.
He has already seen them according to his foreknowledge about your life. He knows the poor decisions you'll make. He knows the good ones you'll take. God knows you. God creates the image of you and the person of you through his knowledge of you.
That God knows you before you're formed means that your identity is established before you're even created. And God establishes that. The second part of that verse is even more telling. The second part of that verse talks about the fact that God creates you based on what he knows about you. That before he takes you and shapes you and forms you, he does so.
And that's initiated by his knowledge of of you. So he begins with the end in mind that he begins to create you and form you based on what he knows of you. Therefore, you're created intentionally. You ever looked around and you realize that you aren't like everybody else, you're kind of wired a certain way. We often joke about this, that this person's more inclined this way, this person's more inclined that way.
We have certain wiring. Some people can get up in front of others and speak. Some people absolutely can't. Some people are really good on the spot to have a comeback. Some people are very slow, like three days slow to have a comeback to those things.
Those are how we're wired. But what I find encouragement is, is that God has created you uniquely and specifically and intentionally based on what he knows of you. And so who you are is how you're created. And why does this matter? It's because when you come to First Corinthians 10:13, and it says no temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.
You know what that means? That means he knows you, and based on that knowledge, he created you. And so when you encounter temptation, he has already equipped you to be able to overcome that temptation. That that temptation isn't going to ruin you if you live into your identity that he's created you to have. That's what that means.
It means he has prepared, equipped you and created you to deal with all that will be thrown to you in your life experiences. You're like, well, that's not my experience. Well, we're gonna get to that here in a second. But it's not because you lack anything in your wiring. It's not because he hasn't created you with intentionality.
It's because you're not living into it. It's because of your own hunger and thirst and flesh that prevents you from living into the identity that God created you with.
But Jeremiah chapter 1 goes on and says the second and the last part of this verse 5 says, and before you were born, I consecrated you. I have appointed you to be a prophet to the nations. What God is revealing to Jeremiah as he's calling him to be a prophet, what he says is, before you're even born, I assign to you the purpose for your life.
God assigns to us each and every person and appoints them and employs them to a particular purpose that they must accomplish. That is how meticulous God is. The sovereign God of all creation who creates all things, has assigned, consecrated means, set apart. He set each and every person apart. That's a lot of individual employment jobs for the kingdom.
And yet you were born with intentionality to complete with everything you need to complete your purpose, and that your identity is going to help you accomplish that. But not only that, but he also reveals to you, he reveals to Jeremiah that he appointed him, he established him to do his particular task that he's assigned to them. He set him apart for this. He's unique in being able to accomplish it. Right?
And so we learned that God determines not only who we are, but and how we were made, but what we are to do with our lives. Do you find this true for you? Or are you the one who determines what you will be doing with your life? And I'm not talking about what you do for a job. I'm going to get to this just here in a second, but I'm not talking about your necessarily vocation.
A lot of times you'll hear pastors and teachers say, like you could Be a postman and still be within the will of God? Absolutely. I'm not saying that. But that is not your ultimate purpose. Your identity isn't wrapped up on whether you're an engineer, an accountant, a teacher.
Your identity is wrapped up in what the will of God is for your life, the purpose for which he has appointed you to, and what role you will serve in his kingdom. Because that just doesn't last. And you can't retire from that. It's something that's been given to you for all eternity. You think he's equipped you and created you and given you an identity and it's going to stop when you die.
No, it's going to continue on, and it's going to be glorified and perfected, and you'll be doing it for the rest of your life. Because that's why he consecrated you, set you out, made you unique, created you with intentionality, formed you to accomplish your purpose for the rest of your life. And your purpose is going to involve advancing his kingdom, building up his kingdom. It's going to continue to work and cultivate in his kingdom.
Ephesians 2:10 says this. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. See, the jobs that you might have that provide and pay the bills may not necessarily be the purpose for which God has created you to live into. That's a means to an end. Those are good things.
That may be how the Lord provides you the opportunity to go and fulfill your purpose and to live into your identity, but you are not a mail deliverer. You are not an engineer. You are not an accountant. You are a child of God who's uniquely and specifically gifted, equipped, and been purposed to serve in a kingdom where you'll dwell for all eternity. That never goes away.
But not only has God told us who we are, how we're made, and what we will do, Jeremiah reveals that he struggles with this a little bit. Right? Jeremiah in verse 6 says this in his reply back to God, and learning this as God is calling him into his life, he says, then, alas, Lord God, behold, I do not know how to speak because I am a youth. You know what that speaks to? It speaks to a lack of experience and a lack of security.
I can't be called to this. I know you appointed me and separated me out before I was even born. I know you've assigned this task to me and this purpose for which I am to fulfill. But I'm not equipped. I Can't talk, I don't speak well, and you're asking me to speak.
And I'm young, I'm inexperienced, I lack the very thing that you should probably give to somebody else who's more familiar with these things that you're assigning to me.
I think maybe you can identify a little bit with Jeremiah there. I can. Matter of fact, this is the point where you may not know. Maybe some of you know. I can't remember if I've shared this or not, but this passage, Jeremiah 1, is particularly in my heart because when I was 17 years old, when I was going to be an accountant, the Lord had began to start calling me into ministry.
But those words right there were exactly why I didn't think he was calling me into ministry. I said, I'm too young, I'm too dumb, and I cannot speak. I mean, I really do. You may not think it, but I had. Well, back then, I struggled a lot more speaking because my mind just couldn't.
My mouth couldn't keep up with my mind, and my mind couldn't keep up with my mouth. And so I was like, there's just no way. I'm not equipped to do this. I don't possess the giftedness in this. So I took my Bible, and because I was really struggling with it, I spoke to my pastor, and I said, hey, pastor, I.
I think I might be called to ministry, but I don't ultimately know. And that pastor tried to talk me out of it. He said, describe it to me. So I began to describe to him why I think there might be a calling in my life. And he confirmed the very thing that I was kind of hoping he would confirm, that I was just a very good, committed Christian.
Oh, that's good. But for whatever reason, as much as that, what he said confirmed what I was thinking for myself, it didn't set right. There still wasn't. That didn't satisfy what was taking place and shaping in my life. So I remember walking into our sanctuary at the Southern Baptist Church, and I just took the Bible and I said, lord, I need guidance right now.
I'm about to head off to college. I just need to know. And I just said, speak to me. And I opened it up, and it dropped to Jeremiah, chapter one. And I began reading it.
And can you imagine hearing Jeremiah's own calling in the midst of what he was calling me to, which is ministry? To proclaim his excellencies, the excellencies of Jesus Christ, and the good news of the Gospel to. To all those who are oppressed. By sin and Satan. And when I get to this, that's how I reply.
But I do not know how to speak because I am a youth.
Before we get into the good part, this is also really revealing. This is exactly how God has wired us that Jeremiah exposes his disability. I'm not equipped for this. God says, actually, you are equipped. And I've equipped you with enough disability that you do have to rely on me to accomplish what I've tasked you with.
And that's exactly how God works. God doesn't just equip you so that we don't need God. I'm already a protege. I can already do it in my own strength and according to my own equipment. I can execute perfectly.
And I don't need God. That's not how he has created you. He has created you to rely on Him. He has created you in such a way that you are going to need his strength to accomplish the purpose he has tasked you. The New Testament would say it this way in 2nd Corinthians 12:9.
And he hath said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.
What God says is that, Jeremiah, you are weak. You have these disabilities. But I still appointed you to this task because I'm going to give you my words. I'm going to give you the ability to speak. I'm going to give you everything you need, the power and the strength to accomplish your task.
Because in your weakness, my power and my grace is sufficient to help you accomplish what I've tasked you to do.
And so when you hear and when you think about your weakness, we learn that God is our strength. When you begin to doubt whether or not you can accomplish the thing that God says is the will for your life, I can't do that. Too shy, too bashful, too ignorant. I can't learn good. All those things, those things aren't.
Those things are excuses that keep you from really living into what God has tasks for your life. He wants you to rely on Him. He wants you to be empowered by his spirit to help you accomplish your purpose. And then Jeremiah, after he expresses his inabilities and his inexperience, God speaks and says, do not say to me, I am a youth, because everywhere I send you, you will go. And all that I command you, you shall speak.
And then in verse nine, he says, then the Lord stretched out his hand and he touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, behold, I have put my words in your mouth. He gives him everything he needs so that he can live into his identity and he can pursue his purpose for which God intended him. But then God also encourages him. For in verse eight, he says, do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.
Who's the them God is revealing. Like, just because you're going to live into your identity, your true identity that I've given to you, and just because you're going to be pursuing and living out your purpose for which I have equipped you for, and that you're going to have to rely on me for just doesn't mean that it's gonna be a life of roses or skittles and rainbows. You're going to meet opposition and rejection. But don't fear them because people don't get to make up who you are. They'll try and they'll live under this idea that they can determine somebody else's identity.
You'll live under that same suspicion that you can determine your own identity. But it's only when you discover your true identity that God has given to you before you're even formed, and when you discover your true purpose that God has given and employed you to, that you will ever experience true and ultimate fulfillment in your life. I have heard so many time and so many people time and time again who are just keep chasing the thing, they will find more fulfillment. Maybe you have even felt like, I'm more fulfilled if I just get this next position in my company. I'm more fulfilled if I can just increase my hourly wage or my salary.
But then that happens. And what you look for the next thing, you look for the next thing to satisfy because you're chasing something that you're not ever meant to chase. It's only pursuing your true purpose and living into your true identity that you'll be satisfied and you don't have to find out or pursue anything else.
Going back to my own calling. I left the ministry for a period of time even after being convinced by God that I was called. And during those 10 years of my life, I just wasn't satisfied. Some of that led right into the beginning of our marriage because I just would kind of like would easily get angered over dumb things. Like I would be running a photo booth.
We owned a photo booth company. And I'd be doing that and I'd just get so angry having to do it. And I just was like, but we were making a little money off of it and I was doing something that I can, you know, work from home and all this other, like, it just wasn't satisfied, wasn't satisfied. And then the Lord started calling me back into that ministry. And through my wife, he encouraged me to pursue that.
And then now there's not a day that goes by you couldn't convince me or talk me out of doing what I'm doing for the Lord. I find ultimate satisfaction. I'm not looking for another job or another church or to do anything else. And matter of fact, when I'm doing something else, I often get frustrated because this is the thing I want to do. I would love to continue to live into equipping you to draw closer to Jesus and to live out your purpose that he's called you to.
I would love to help in any way, shape or form that I can to help you accomplish what the Lord has set you apart to do. I get to do that. It boggles my mind why not everybody wants to be a pastor. It is a wonderful thing. But I guess it's only wonderful to those who have been called.
I'm not saying it's not scary. I'm not saying I'm perfectly qualified. I honestly don't. I have to talk myself into walking up these stairs and speaking God's word. Cause I just feel unequipped and like I don't.
I shouldn't be the person doing this, but the Lord has called me to that. I'm convinced, so I do. And the promise that God says, don't be afraid. Oh, I got enemies. I got enemies right now who would love to see me be removed as your pastor.
I have enemies right now who think I am completely and utterly disqualified. And I would agree with them. I would say I agree with you. I just got one problem. You're not God.
And God has said to do this. So do I believe you or man? Because I'm confused.
And that's where your true identity and your true purpose can give you the confidence to overcome the naysayers, the opposition, the rejection. I can either succumb to what they think or and do what they think I ought to be doing. Or I can just say, lord, what is it that you want me to do? And regardless of how hard it is, I'll do it. And when you listen to his voice, it's comforting, it's delivering.
And he says, I'm going to deliver you. You don't worry about them. You don't fear them. This is what you should fear. That you're not living into who I've made you to be and what I've tasked you to do in my kingdom.
Stay true to that when we embrace who we are and how we were created by God and our purpose, then that's the moment when God begins to activate you for your true purpose, right? You might have. Maybe you're even currently living in a place where you haven't been fully living into your identity and purpose.
Maybe you're still young and you're growing, right? But then there is a point where God activates you, just like he does with Jeremiah here, verse 10. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms to pluck you up and to break you down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. See, this whole conversation that God and Jeremiah has in order to call Jeremiah to become a prophet to the nations, God reveals to him all that's been in the background this whole time before he was even created. So his task and his identity has been eternal.
I have known you for well before you were born. I formed you intentionally in order to carry out the purpose of which I'm going to give you, and you haven't been living into that. Now, Jeremiah says, well, I'm not equipped to do this. And he says, don't tell me that, because I'm going to give you the strength to accomplish it. But this day, though, you're now activated to go and be a prophet, regardless of your experience, regardless if you're equipped.
But with me, you're going to go and do the things I've tasked you to do and I've appointed you to. And he activates us, somebody to say, maybe you need to be activated this morning. Maybe you need to embrace God's identity that he has created you with, and you need to begin to pursue the purpose for which he has tasked in your life. Maybe you need to begin figuring that out and seeking the Lord. What is it that I need to do?
Some of you are probably living into that. Some of you may not be. Some of you may be executing your own identity or somebody else's identity.
Maybe you're pursuing other purposes in your life that God has never intended you. It could be good things. I'm not talking about bad things. All of it could be really good. All of it can make you really wise and really wealthy.
But that may not be the thing that God has in store for you, and you're never going to find that ultimate satisfaction.
The word consecrate reveals sanctification. Sanctification is the concept that as it was created, it's finally being used. So there's a pen here, right? This pen was created to Write on paper. But if I were to use it to prop up a book that's not sanctifying it, it's probably going to get a little frustrated.
It's like, I just don't feel like this is the life for me. Or maybe I use it to do something else with besides writing pen. I can't think of anything right now. I need three days to think of more analogies. But this pen is only fully satisfied if it had feelings and is inanimate if it was being used as a pen to write.
Right. Not to be used as, you know, cleaning out your ear. Probably get super frustrated with that. It's like, oh man, I hope this guy doesn't do it right. But that's the idea of sanctification.
And until you live into what God has called you to and into your identity, you will never experience the joy he has always, always wanted and intended for you to experience the satisfaction. You know, growing up, I hate to use all these analogies for myself, but this is a real meaningful passage for me. I didn't like my identity. I looked at all the guys in school and just how cool they were. There's this one guy named Eric and he just.
He was super skinny and I was super fat. So of course I wanted to be like him. And he just. The clothes he wore, he just walked coolness through the hallways. He was friends with everybody.
And I began to try to posture my life in his ways, thinking if I can just assume some of his identity, then that identity is going to afford me the likeliness of being liked by everybody like he is. So I started laughing like him. He had this really fun laugh, made everybody laugh. And I was like, so I'd start mocking him. And I realized that just sounds weird.
And people picked up on it, like, why are you trying to laugh like Eric? And I was ashamed, wasn't satisfied. Well, then Trevor, the big star in the high school, man, he had girlfriends and was so popular. And I really wanted to be popular. And I just wanted a girl to say hi to me.
And so I, I started to. I asked Trevor what do I need to do to be like you. He says, lose some weight, get some contacts because I had glasses. Cut your hair. You've had the same buzz haircut since third grade.
You know, get a different look, different clothes. So I did everything he said. I ran cross country. A 300 pound kid has no business running cross country. I did.
I lost weight, got new clothes, talked my parents into contacts and they couldn't afford it and all that Stuff I wanted to change my identity in order to get the things his identity was accomplishing. I did those things and guess what? Girls still didn't say hi to me. I didn't become popular and I wasn't satisfied. And then as I spoke last week, I went to that Disciple now retreat where my disciple now leader, the one thing I remember from that weekend taught me, act for the audience of one God.
And that weekend, God began to settle me in my identity. Bruce, you're not like that. You're a little slower than them. But you know what? You're really faithful.
You're very kind, unlike them. And all the other things that God was revealing about me, right? And that's what led me to be willing to consider what God's will was for my life. He showed me who I was and who he's created me to be. And then he revealed to me what he's going to activate my life to do.
And that happens not just for me, but, but for every person in this place and to close here. This isn't. I'm not talking about just some kind of random identity or purpose. I'm talking about that what the Lord is calling you to is going to first and foremost be about his church and in his kingdom. Your purpose is going to coincide with living your life out in community with.
With others who have been given an identity of a child of God. So I'm not just talking like you need to go and discover what kind of classes you need to take for college and let the Lord direct you. Yes, you let the Lord direct you what kind of classes you need to take for college if that's what he's calling you to do, to prepare yourself. But that's not your purpose and your college student's not your identity. He is going to fashion you and you are going to be used in his church.
Can I just say as kindly as possible, cause I love each and every one of you. Some of you are not living into the purpose that God has tasked you to because you're not involved in any way, shape or form in the church outside of warming a pew on Sunday morning.
You are gifted and equipped and created to live in community and to live out your life serving God. And he is first concerned with the eternal community of his church. And he has equipped each and every one of you for a particular task within the church so that you can pour into my life and help me grow into my identity and purpose that God has given me. And I'm not benefiting as your brother in Christ from your service because we haven't seen it yet. You haven't been activated yet.
And just to further point this out, Peter addresses this in 1 Peter 4, 10, 11 as each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God. Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Peter writes to the church a letter.
They all read it, and he says to them, you need to be serving each other with how you are equipped, and your purpose will be discovered there.
And if you need further convincing, in 1 Corinthians 12 it says this now there are a variety of gifts, just like everybody is consecrated and set apart, but the same Spirit there are a variety of ministries in the same Lord. There are a variety of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles and another prophecy and to another distinguishing the spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as he wills.
Are you good with discerning the spirits? Can you listen to somebody and their experiences and determine like, oh, they're experiencing spiritual warfare? Do you have that discernment? Because I bet a lot of us can use that spoken into our lives. Maybe you have a better ability to understand and interpret the Scriptures than anybody else.
Are you sharing that? Are you teaching us? Are you expounding upon God's word and helping us grow in our wisdom and knowledge? Maybe you're a prayer warrior. You're committed to prayer.
That's probably your spiritual strength and somebody else's weakness. But it's by your prayers that people are being healed in the church. Are you sharing that? Are you praying for your church? Maybe you're gifted in hospitality.
That's a gift. It's named in the New Testament. You love to make others feel comfortable and welcomed. How can you be serving in the church to feed people and make them feel welcome into the kingdom so they can embrace their identity and their purpose that Jesus Christ has called them to.
What gift, what gifting are you equipped with?
What is the Lord calling you and activating you to the church shouldn't just be the one time thing you do a week. It's your life, your identity and your purpose is molded with the church and that's going to last forever. You're not going to retire from it. And we all come together and we share in it. Maybe you're really gifted musically and you need to be doing that.
We all need to share. This is a family. All of us should be participating equally and living into our identity together. Because the church is the one place where your true identity that God has given you is seen and is realized. And you hear every Sunday who God has made you to be.
The church is the one place where you can work out your purpose and pursue it and the world can't take it away from you.
So Jeremiah's calling reveals quite a bit to us that when you begin to understand identity, where it comes from, how it's done, and your purpose to what you've been called to do. When you receive God's calling on your life, it is and is helpful that when you begin to focus on that, then whatever opposition and rejection you face out in the world who don't know these things, but God has revealed them to you, you can overcome them. And this is exactly what Jesus demonstrates in Luke, chapter four, the Gospel lesson for today and the one we looked at last week. Jesus tells them, I am the Messiah, I'm here. I've come to fulfill what Isaiah 62 says.
And he sits down and their eyes are fixed on him, and he reveals to them who he is, and he reveals to them what I've come to accomplish. And they reject him and they seek to take his life. And he walks right through them because he knows who he is and he knows what he's come to do, and he's going to do it, and he's not going to be deterred by anybody to accomplish it. And it's that confidence, empowered by His Spirit that we can take when we live into our identity and our purpose for our lives, that we can overcome the opposition and rejection from the world. So consider these things this morning.