A Rejected Gospel

by Adam Kronberger / Superintendent

Recently, two CCS freshman girls boldly and intentionally approached a woman on the streets of Portland. They attempted to share both the love of Jesus Christ and present the gift of eternal life. Though roughly rebuffed, the girls kindly persisted to pray for the requested needs provided by the stranger. Before entering into prayer, when the two girls asked the woman her name, she gruffly responded, “Nun-O’-Yur-Bisnis!” The girls retained their composure and continued to pray out loud for their friend, “None Of Your Business” that both her physical and spiritual needs would be met.

During the High School mission trips and other weekly outreaches, students engage with others in Salem, Portland, and Ensenada, in order to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Through apologetic training, acts of service, and evangelism, students shine their light brightly. In the process of presenting and defending their faith, students also develop ownership of their beliefs, forming a more authentic faith. While some interactions might feel disappointing to students as described above, other conversations are often very encouraging resulting in true conversations of faith in Jesus Christ.

When we share our faith, there are basically three potential outcomes:
1.  The person can accept the gospel completely.
2.  A seed can be planted for a potential future conversion.
3.  The gospel can be rejected (sometimes defiantly).

The outcomes would commonly be characterized as great, good, and bad when judged by human standards. But Scripture provides a different context. In I Peter 4:14 we read, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” And Jesus declared, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:22-23).

Even when the gospel is shared (in gentleness and love) and rejected, the messengers are blessed as God’s spirit rests on them and future awards await them. One of the greatest hurdles for sharing our faith is fear of the outcome, which might include a rude (sometimes incoherent) response. But as we see, all possible outcomes are wins! One student recently remarked that sharing your faith is similar to jumping off the diving board. The first time you jump in takes a lot of courage. But once you get wet, the joy of taking the plunge soon takes over. We can all be thankful that somebody else made knowing our name and sharing the gospel with us part of their business! 
​
– Adam Kronberger / Superintendent