Should I Keep Sharing the Gospel with Someone Who Rejects It?

Should I keep sharing the gospel with someone who rejects it? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering today on CORE Christianity. Hi, this is Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your questions, and our phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so. Here's the number. 1-833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. As always, you can post your question on one of our social media sites, and you can always email us your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com. First up today, here is a voicemail we received from one of our listeners earlier this week. What do I do if my company openly supports the LGBTQ community? Even this week, they've decided to do a spirit week where we're encouraged to wear different colors of the rainbow each day. This is very difficult because I work with clients that have very different religious, political views than me, and I'm not sure what to do if any conflict arises, just because I won't be wearing those colors and I don't openly support. The homosexual lifestyle, but at the same time, I want to be respectful and loving to others. So any advice on how to go about this working in a workplace that is promoting the LGBTQ community would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for any insight, and have a great day. Well, I thank you, sister, for your question, and this is a question that we're getting more and more these days. It's a question that I've received from people in my own church, and I think that the decision to abstain from wearing the rainbow-colored shirts and whatnot, participating in the Pride celebration is the right decision. We as Christians are going to stand out in the culture, and because of that, there could be some repercussions in terms of how people think about us. I mean, Jesus seemed to indicate that there would be for his disciples, and especially when you have things like this, where society seems to be going in one direction. And it's very contrary to the things that we see in scripture, the ethics that we find in the Bible, what God calls us to rejoice in and to celebrate.

When we don't rejoice and celebrate with them, there can be consequences, and I think that we have to be willing to bear those consequences as Christians and as lights in the world. I think of two passages of scripture. The first one that comes to mind is in 1 Peter 4. Peter seemed to indicate this was just the reality for us as the people of God in a world, in a time where there are so many who reject the truth of God's word.

He says in 1 Peter 4, I'm going to begin in verse 1, since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourself with the same way of thinking. For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. For the time that has passed suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. This is sadly, tragically, the kinds of things that we see in these pride celebrations and pride parades. He says, with respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you, but they will give account to him who is to judge the living and the dead.

And so I think we separate ourselves from those kinds of celebrations, from participating in that. I also think, I'm currently preaching through the book of Revelation, and I'm right in the middle of Jesus's letters to the seven churches. And what's interesting is, some of the churches are doing really well. Jesus only commends them.

He doesn't have anything to rebuke them. Some of them have good things going for them, but they're also struggling, and one of the struggles was essentially participating in the idolatry of society. I think, in particular, the church I'm preaching about this week is the church in Pergamum.

And he says to them, I have a few things against you. You have there, in Pergamum, those who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. In other words, there's this conflict, there's this compromise that you and the church are engaged in. There are people there in Pergamum who are teaching, hey, these kinds of things are okay. Not a big deal to participate in these festivals of pagan worship, these idolatrous ceremonies or meals.

Yeah, I mean, it's fine. Those aren't real gods, that kind of a thing. And Jesus here has stern words for them, because they're compromising. And so I think that we have to be careful that we as believers in Jesus Christ don't compromise during this moment. Now, having said all of that, we are still called, you are still called to love your neighbors, no matter who they are, no matter how they identify in terms of their sexuality, no matter how they sin. We're called to love our neighbors. Loving our neighbors doesn't mean affirming everything that they do and celebrating everything that they do. It's defined by what scripture says love is, and that involves speaking the truth, but it also involves being willing to serve, to lay down our lives for those who are in need. I mean, you think of the parable of the Good Samaritan, really being willing to care for people, even people with whom we have strong disagreements.

I would say, in the workplace, not engaging in that same celebration, but being a person who's known for a deep love for everybody that you work with and care and interest in people's lives and desire to see their good. I think that's how we need to be known as Christians, so that even as we abstain from some of these cultural celebrations saying, no, this goes against my conscience and it goes against God's word, we're known by people as those who have just a heart of love and compassion for those who are in need, even while maintaining our strong Christian convictions. God bless you, sister, and may the Lord give you courage and wisdom.

That's some great counsel, Adrian. I was thinking about it, too, as you're going through Revelation and you're reading Jesus' words to these various churches. I can't help but think, in today's world, there are some denominations that have strayed so far from the truth. You wonder what Jesus would be saying to them. You're absolutely right. As I was preparing to preach through the book of Revelation and considering the letters that Jesus gave to these seven churches, I was thinking, if Jesus wrote a letter to the church that I pastor, what would he say?

Would I be able to handle it? Because Jesus can see the things that we don't see are blind spots, and he lovingly, graciously calls us to repentance, and that's what you see over and over again in Revelation chapters two and three. But churches that don't repent, where the pure preaching of the gospel is lost, where the truth of God's word is abandoned, Jesus says, look, I'm going to remove your lampstand. You might have a building, you might have a service, more of an affinity group, a club where people come together, but if my word and spirit are not there, you don't have a church.

It really is important for us in our own churches to take the words of Jesus to heart, but yes, so many denominations out there that have abandoned the truth of God's word, the truth of the gospel, who you pray that they hear the words of our Lord Jesus and come to repentance, and so yeah, it's so important for us in this day. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now, and we would love to hear from you if you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life, doctrine, theology, or like that last listener, how to walk out your Christian faith, how to stay faithful in a culture that's really, in many ways, persecuting you.

So let's hear from you. Here's the phone number. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Of course, you can also email us at questions at corechristianity.com. By the way, we have produced some great Bible studies here at the Core, and we have a new one to tell you about today. Yeah, this new Bible study is on the book of Ruth. Ruth is practically hidden in our Bibles, and it's easily overshadowed by larger, more dramatic Old Testament books. But did you know that without Ruth, there would be no line of David, there would be no gospel, and there would be no Savior? This Bible study will help you to understand Ruth as a part of a larger story of Scripture by providing tools for studying the Old Testament while opening our eyes to God's redemptive workings throughout history.

While many have focused on the love story between Ruth and Boaz, the book of Ruth also provides us with a larger love story, showing us how God intends to bring beauty out of ashes. I really do hope that you'll get a hold of this 10-week study. You can go through it on your own or with a group of people in your church, and it's yours for a donation of $20 or more. You know, all of our studies are set up to work for personal use but also in a group format, and they're available in bulk quantities, too, so they'd be great to consider. As you plan maybe for a fall Bible study, a small group Sunday School class, you can receive a copy of our Ruth Bible study for a donation of $20 or more by going to corechristianity.com forward slash studies.

Again, corechristianity.com forward slash studies and look for the brand new Bible study on the book of Ruth. Well, we do receive voicemails here at Core Christianity. You can call us 24 hours a day. Leave us your voicemail at 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Here's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Maria. I have a girlfriend whose husband is declining, and he's actually dying of cancer. Several years ago, we were at the dinner table, and I brought up Christianity, and I was getting persecuted by him. And now he is in hospice. He declined having a chaplain speak to him.

I'm going to go visit them on Sunday. What is your counsel? How to bring about the gospel to this dying man who doesn't know Christ? Thank you, and God bless you. Well, Maria, I'm sorry to hear about this situation, and the first thing I want to do is just pray for this man and pray for you that the Lord would give you the words. Father, we pray for this man who has demonstrated in his life a hostility toward your truth. We pray, God, that you would soften his heart. We ask that you would draw him to yourself by the power of the Holy Spirit, that he would come to understand the gospel, the forgiveness of sins, the hope that we have in your son Jesus prior to his death, and like the thief on the cross, that he would call upon your name for forgiveness and experience that forgiveness now. Be with him. Be with Maria as well, Lord, as she speaks with this family.

Give her courage. Give her the filling of your Holy Spirit, boldness, and wisdom, Lord, to articulate the truth of your gospel to this man, to this family. We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen. The first thing I want to do is just read the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5, beginning in verse 16. He says, From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. That's what we plead with people saying. We implore you, be reconciled to God.

Why? Because of the goodness of the gospel. Because for our sake, he made him to be sin, Jesus, who knew no sin, the sinless son of God, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God, having had our sins forgiven and given as a gift, the righteousness of Jesus Christ credited to our account. Now, with regard to this man, a lot can change in the space of some years. You said from that time that initially you guys spoke around the dinner table when he was hostile to the gospel, that there's been some time that has elapsed and it sounds like some serious life changes with sickness. And the Bible is full of stories of God changing the hard hearts of people. You think of Saul of Tarsus, a persecutor of the church transformed by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the power is in God's word and spirit. It's not in you, sister.

It's not in how well you can articulate these truths. It's in the word and in the spirit working together with the word in the hearts of people who hear. And so pray for wisdom, pray for an open door, and I would say if you get an opportunity and when you get an opportunity, focus on the glory of the gospel, on the hope that we have, the promise that we have in Jesus of new life, of the forgiveness of sins. And so I just pray for you that the Lord would give you this opportunity and that the Lord would open the heart of this man as he draws near to death. And so the Lord be with you, Maria. Thank you for calling.

Wow, such a difficult situation. And Maria, we appreciate you and your heart for this gentleman. And again, we do pray that God will use you in a mighty way in his life, in his remaining days. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

Our phone lines are open for the next 10 minutes or so. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, we'd love to hear from you. Here's the number and jot this down for future reference. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, make sure to tell people in your church or your small group about Core Christianity and when they can listen. We'd love to have them join our listening audience as well. Let's go to Michael calling in from Nashville, Tennessee. Michael, welcome to Core Christianity.

What's your question? Hello, and thank you for your ministry. The week before last, I'm the music ministry team at our church, and the week before last our worship leader showed up heavily intoxicated, drunk. And after slurring through a scripture reading and failing to get through even one song, the whole kind of service fell apart. As a result, he actually led worship this past Sunday, and I told my pastor I was convicted that I could not bring my family, as I believe he does not meet the qualifications as listed in First Tennessee 3 and Titus 1. And I'm just concerned that if church discipline isn't taken here, that my family and myself will have to leave the church, and I just need some counsel.

Michael, I'm so sorry to hear about this situation. It sounds like this individual desperately needs help. I mean, to show up to church as someone on the worship team intoxicated, right? I mean, it just goes to show that I'm probably talking about an addiction here that's bleeding into all of his life, even showing up at church in this way.

So it sounds to me like there really seriously needs to be an intervention of sorts. The church needs to take this very seriously, both because it's sin, as you said, in terms of thinking, just for any believer to show up in this way, but certainly for somebody who's in a position of leadership. It doesn't meet the qualifications of First Timothy 3, as you said, Titus 1. And so you have to handle it as sin, but also have to handle it as, boy, this person really needs some probably help in terms of addiction. Because to show up like that at church is indicative of a very deep problem of a pattern of alcoholism, probably. Now, this kind of thing has happened in the history of the church.

In fact, the Apostle Paul talks about a similar situation in First Corinthians 11. And there he says in verse 17, in the following instructions, This one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry. Another gets drunk.

What? Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this?

No, I will not. You're saying, look, some of you guys are showing up to church, and you're getting drunk. You're showing up intoxicated. You think of the story in Leviticus chapter 10 of Nadab and Abihu, where God struck them down. They were offering strange fire to the Lord. And right afterwards, we're told that there's this prohibition. The priest, as they approach the worship, can't be drunk, should not drink any alcohol prior to.

Why? Because it brings about God's judgment. And here at the end of First Corinthians chapter 11, you have that warning again, where Paul says, for this reason, many of you are sick and weak, and some have even died because you failed to deal with the sins in your own life. And some people are so blinded by their sin and their addiction that they desperately need the church to intervene, to come alongside and say, Hey, you need help. We need to get you help. You should not be serving in this capacity. You need the grace of Jesus right now.

You need to maybe check into a program for addiction, for alcoholism. And so I would say, Michael, the leadership here needs to come alongside of this individual, needs to deal with the sin and get this guy the help that he needs. And if the leadership is unwilling to do that, if they're unwilling to exercise discipline in that way, well, then that's a serious, I think, sign of a problem. One of the marks of the Church of Jesus Christ is discipline, faithful discipline, and care for people, especially care for people who are sinking in sin and struggling. And so may the Lord be with you, and may the Lord be with the leadership of your church in giving wisdom and handling this situation well. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Just a reminder, we have that great new Bible study available for you. It's on the book of Ruth, and we'd love to get that to you, either for your personal study or maybe for a small group or a Sunday school class. To find out more about it, just go to corechristianity.com forward slash studies. Again, corechristianity.com forward slash studies.

Look for the new Bible study on the book of Ruth. Well, we do have a YouTube channel here at Core Christianity, and you can send us a message through YouTube and actually watch Adriel live in the studio every day at 11 30 a.m. Pacific time. Here's a question from one of our YouTube viewers. How do you deal with hate towards you and towards Christianity in general?

Yeah. Well, I mean, in one sense, right, like as the disciples of Christ, we don't want to do things that cause people to hate us. We don't want to be obnoxious. But the truth is, if we cling to the word of the Lord, and if we cling to what the Bible teaches, there are going to be people who reject us and who hate us even because, you know, we preach the gospel.

Because we call people to follow Jesus. Well, what should we do when we're hated by others? Do we retaliate? Do we respond in kind? Do we grow in bitterness?

Do we shut our hearts off to them? No, Jesus said very clearly, this is Matthew chapter 5 verse 38, You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven. For he makes his son to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?

Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. What does God, what does Jesus call us to do when we're hated, when we're persecuted, when we're reviled for the sake of his name? He says, well, don't respond with reviling, with mockery, with hatred. Respond with love. Turn the other cheek. Respond with humility. Respond with righteousness so that they might see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven. And may God give us the grace to do that with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the one who did it for us. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's word together.