Fear of Rejection

We live in a world where acceptance/rejection by people is a powerful influence on what we do. Which cell phone should I use? How does my skin look? Should I smoke some weed? Which drug can I do that won’t hurt me, but get me into that group?

There is a man in the Bible that had acceptance/rejection issues, maybe like you.

If you want freedom from the acceptance-rejection cycle, follow along as we walk through Nicky’s story.

Nicky encountered Jesus in John 3:1-15.

Jesus knew his problem instantly, the same one you may be having.

Nicky was of the political & religious party known as the Pharisees. And that implies he had financial status as being well-to-do.

Nicky was on the ruling council — the Sanhedrin.

Being a ruler also indicates his EXCELLENT knowledge of the OT scriptures.

Being a ruler was a HIGHLY RESPECTED position.

The Sanhedrin was the equivalent of the US Supreme Court. These men had power, prominence, prestige,

Nicky was ACCEPTED in a VERY ELITE group. He was among the top 70 men in all of Judaism

But he was struggling. He was CONSTANTLY under the STRONG influence to accept Jewish politics, EVEN WHEN IT WAS IN ERROR.

Nicky was aware of what was going on in his country. There was this uneducated religious teacher that was turning EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN.

This Jesus guy was doing better at teaching truth than anyone ever. Plus he reportedly was doing REAL miracles.

With Nicky’s scripture knowledge, he recognized that this Jesus could be the expected Messiah.

But if he SAYS that, or associates with this Jesus, it will COST HIM DEARLY. He could LOSE his status with Sanhedrin members. He might be PUBLICALLY ridiculed and shamed.

Does that sound like your acceptance/rejection issue? It was his!

So to get around the acceptance issue, Nicky visited with Jesus during the night, under the cover of darkness.

Have you ever slipped around to protect or gain acceptance?

Nicky was respectful in calling Jesus a Rabbi, which is a religious teacher.

And Nicky recognized Jesus must be at least a prophet.

He virtually admitted other rulers were noticing him, too.

This untrained “Rabbi” was out-teaching the rabbis that Nicky knew.

He gave more truth, More understanding, Depth of knowledge & perception, and Genuine Authority.

But this wonderful, truthful, forceful, understandable teacher was putting Nicodemus into a difficult situation. If he were to follow Jesus, his colleagues would reject him.

Jesus immediately began working to help Nicky with his issue, and perhaps YOUR issue.

Jesus tells Nicky that NO ONE will be able to SEE the kingdom unless they experience the second birth.

Nicky understands this is a “re-start” of life.

People CAN have a “re-do”.

Nicky seems to be interested in methodology; “How” is his question.

But the question reveals Nicky is evaluating HOW he himself would do this.

It is our first glimpse into his OWN PERSONAL STRUGGLE with COMMITTING to Jesus and LOSING his acquired acceptance.

And Jesus gives Nicky the answer he needs to this acceptance problem.

It is a re-start, a re-do.

Jesus called it a re-birth involving water and spirit. Water is about baptism. Spirit is about H.Spirit. This combination WIPES the past clean and gives a FRESH beginning.

Then Jesus puts a proverbial “mirror” in front of Nicky. Things tied to the flesh, this world, give birth to more flesh and things of this world.

When you think about what OTHERS think, it just gives birth to MORE thinking about what others think.

He is telling Nicky, and maybe you, to get away from this problem you must be re-born, and leave behind the outside pressures.

Nicky again asks HOW. He does not understand how these changes can occur.

So, Jesus chides him, gently.

Jesus tells him, as I paraphrase, “You are one of the smartest Jewish people, and you are not getting it. What is up with that?”

So, Jesus shows Nicky what he MUST consider.

He says, “You (speaking of everyone in the Sanhedrin) do not receive what is being said about us”

Nicky’s fellow rulers were rejecting the obvious.

Nicky’s conflict was between what he was HEARING, and what his INTELLECT would allow him to believe.

This growing belief that Jesus was the Messiah was the ROOT CAUSE of his acceptance issue. Nicky was not prepared to give up being a “TEACHER” and become a STUDENT.

Jesus ends his visit with Nicky by putting a vital statement in front of him.

ANYONE who believes MAY have eternal life.

ANYONE, not just the teachers of the law, the Sanhedrin. Or the well-educated, people with political acceptance.

Belief in Jesus was the fundamental requirement

Belief DEMANDS making an OBSERVABLE COMMITMENT to Jesus

This change, for Nicky, was to RELINQUISH HIS RELATIONSHIP with those pride-filled, status-seeking, judgmental, ACCEPTANCE DEMANDING. Nicky MUST be publicly identified with Jesus. He MUST public ridicule that would certainly come. He MUST humble himself and become a FOLLOWER and not a leader.

The 1^st step was for Nicky to STOP thinking about what PEOPLE think and START listening to what GOD thinks.

If you want freedom from the pressures of acceptance or rejection, you MUST set aside people’s pressure.

When this world ends, and it will, whose acceptance will you really want?

What do people think? Or what does God thinks?

A commitment to God will FREE you from your acceptance-rejection issue.

How can you accept God’s way TODAY, RIGHT NOW?

Send a text to the phone number on the screen. We will start a conversation about what YOUR needs are ASAP. Or you can use the contact email. We will get back to you SO quickly.

If you need prayers, please use the prayer request above or at the side.

At Timeless Talks, we LOVE you and want you to be FREE from this world’s pressure. Contact us NOW.

We thank you for watching. We hope you will share this with others.

Until we can visit again soon, Goodbye for now.