3/7 Luke 10:16

¹⁶ "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

Our verse today was Jesus' sendoff message to the seventy-two evangelists. It would be applicable to all who proclaim the message of Jesus. When we speak to others in the power of the Spirit, seeking to advance His kingdom and sharing what He has done for us and for them, the hearers are listening to Jesus. They hear His call to come and worship Him and become a child of God. The hearers have two choices. They can receive what you say, receive Jesus, and become a child of God, or they can reject God's call and remain in their rebellion against God. We invite people to stop resisting God and instead surrender to Him and become a spiritual soldier of the cross.

We aren't all called to be evangelists, but we all have opportunities to share what Jesus has done in our lives. We all have those times when we can allow the Spirit of God to address the needs in others' hearts. At first we might fear rejection, but we must realize that those who reject our message of the work of Jesus in our own lives are ultimately rejecting God. The rejection isn't because we don't have a perfect presentation or haven't studied enough. It is simply their rejection of God's right to reign in their hearts.

When we realize it is not about us, it is much easier to not be personally offended. Instead, we have broken hearts for those who reject the message because they have accepted a lie that will destroy them. The lie tells them the things of this world will satisfy and that God will take all pleasure from them and make them do things they hate. Our joy in the Lord may help them see the lie for what it is.

Remember: Our most effective witness is to tell what Jesus has done in our lives. Your testimony will have the ring of truth if you have found joy and peace in Jesus.