March 19, 2023
79th Church Anniversary
Theme
BEING AN AWESOME AMBASSADOR FOR Christ
2 Corinthians 11-21
There was an article found in the Wall Street Journal:
Boddy Dodd, Georgia Tech’s deceased athletic director, tells of a coach who, with his team leading 7 to 6 in the last minute of play, carefully instructed his quarterback not to pass under any condition. But when the ball was carried within the opponent’s ten-yard line, the quarterback was overcome by temptation. He passed and the ball was intercepted by the rival’s fleetest back, who broke into an open field and raced toward pay dirt. He was speeding past midfield when suddenly, out of nowhere, the quarterback who has passed overtook him and brought him down.
After the game, the losing coach remarked to his barely victorious counterpart, “I’ll never understand how your boy overtook my fastest back.”
“Well, I’ll tell you, came the reply. “Your back was running for touchdown---my boy was running for his life.”
Being an awesome ambassador, we have to do what Christ’s says to be victorious! We have to act like we are running for our lives to please our Creator. Ambassadors for Christ have to demonstrate dedication on this battle field.
So, you’re an ambassador for Christ. What does that really mean? In short it means two things for you. First, an ambassador is someone who represents the interests of another. We have U.S. ambassadors stationed in other countries. They’re not there on vacation or to pursue their own interests. They’re stationed there to represent the interests of the United States – after all their citizenship is in the U.S.! They have been stationed in other countries to represent the interests of our homeland -- and our homeland isn’t the U.S., It’s not Michigan, it’s not Van Buren County – it’s heaven!
Second, an ambassador is someone who bears the message of the one who sent him. When you’re an ambassador you’re not tasked with making people like you or telling them what they want to hear or to please an audience. When we interact with those who are far from Christ, we’re supposed to bear His (Jesus) message, not our own opinions or ideas, not our goals or our interests. You are an ambassador for Christ and you bear (carry, convey) His message.
In this lesson today, we have three requirements for being an ambassador.
I. AMBASSADORS HAVE A MANDATE FROM CHRIST v. 11
A. Mt. 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
B. We are persuaded to tell people.
C. We are persuaded to tell all people.
D. We do this to please God Almighty!
II. AMBASSADORS HAVE A MESSAGE v.19 – 20
A. A positive message – “Be reconciled to God.”
(God initiates the change in the sinner’s status in that He brings him from a position of alienation to a state of forgiveness and right relationship with Himself.)
1. Sin has made a great offense between God and man. God has been insulted not merely once, nor twice, but thousands and millions of times.
2. Every sinner is guilty of high treason against the Majesty of heaven. We sometimes hear people talk as though God could forgive without Christ’s atonement; He can’t. The law has penalties attached. Law breakers must be punished.
3. The terrible death of Jesus on the cross is a picture of how terrible sin is in the eyes of God. “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.”
B. A powerful message – Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (NKJV)
III. AMBASSADORS HAVE A MOTIVE – THE LOVE OF CHRIST v. 14-16
A. Compelling message – the love of Christ compels the believer.
B. The love of Christ is the great thing that constrains (compels) Paul to minister. Note that Paul does not say that he is driven to minister because of:
· The great teaching of Christ
· The great example of Christ
· The great ministry of Christ
· The great life of Christ
All of these areas of the Lord’s life are important, critically so, but they are not the foundation of our salvation and ministry. The foundation of the believer’s life is the love of Christ. The love of Christ is seen in three acts.
1. Christ dies that all persons might die in Him.
When a person believes that Jesus Christ died for him or her, God takes that person’s faith and counts it as his death in Christ. His death stands as the death for all men. No person has to ever die. All we have to do is believe that Jesus Christ died for us.
2. Christ died that all men might live for Him.
3. Christ died to create a new man v. 17
We have a motive to be an ambassador – the love of Christ!
Being An Awesome Ambassador for Christ – three requirements
1. Ambassadors have a mandate from Christ
2. Ambassadors have a message
3. Ambassadors have a motive – the love of Christ
Responsive Reading; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
