When the Gospel is Rejected

.... Before completing our discussion on a listener's response to the gospel, we should talk about what to do when the gospel is rejected. Most evangelists would advise you to thank your listener for their time, and to move on -- but really, that depends. Under certain circumstances, Jesus would tell you to respond in a much stronger way:

.... "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

(Mark 6:11)

.... But would anyone really do that? I’ve done it, and I’ve seen others do it, and I honestly have to say that to understand its benefit you'd probably have to try it. But allow me to try an explanation through an example:

.... A friend and I were street witnessing, and we came across a young man doing some things he shouldn’t. We discussed the gospel with him, and he answered that his grandmother was a sincere Christian, and said he would think about the things we shared with him. That was at least a partial acceptance, so we thanked him for his time and said we would be praying for him.

.... A few nights later we returned, and found the same young man doing the same things. Our hearts were grieved. For himself, he was very surprised to see us there, but not quite enough to be budged. ‘We have no choice now.’ we told him in sorrow. ‘Why did you make us have to do this?’ And we shook the dust off of our feet, and explained to him what it meant. This really shook him up.

.... "Behold, God works all these things, twice, in fact, three times with a man, to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life."

(Job 33:29-30)

.... "Listen, think about the things we told you the other day," we said to him, "then go to your grandmother and tell her what has happened. Tell her that we’re still praying for you, and ask her what you must do." He began nodding his head solemnly, because it had become very serious to him now. And remember that before this, he’d heard the very same things and had simply disregarded them.

.... So the purpose in shaking off the dust of our feet is to offer a solemn testimony while there is still hope, and to show them that they are now accountable to God for the message they’ve heard: "The kingdom of God has come near you." (Luke 10:11; see also John 9:41).

.... It's true that if they’ve rejected the gospel, this is a step toward their condemnation -- but the real point is that it's not an irrevocable step. Especially when a person has a religious background, this may actually be enough to break through the hardness of their heart and sober them, and bring them to repentance soon afterward. But in any case, it is time for you to depart and leave this in the hands of your senior partner, the Lord, who has further work to do and may send another evangelist their way in the future (John 4:35-38). But please do follow up that same night by praying for them.

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Daily Bible Reading: Luke 5