Ambassadors For Christ

AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

2 Cor. 5:18-21; Lk. 14:31-33

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Have you ever known people who exaggerated? What are some examples?

2. SMALL TOWN

a. One comedienne said, “You know, I was visiting a small town last week.” And the audience said with one voice, “How small was it?”

b. “The Enter and Exit signs for the town were on the same pole.”

3. FISHERMAN JOKE

a. A small town Doctor was famous in the area for always catching large fish. One day while he was on one of his famous fishing trips, he got a call that a woman nearby was giving birth.

b. He rushed to her aid and delivered a healthy baby boy. The farmer had nothing to weigh the baby with so the Doctor used his fishing scales.

c. The baby weighed 21 lbs 13 oz!

4. Well, there’s one thing it would be hard to exaggerate about: How Good God Is!

B. TEXTS: Lk. 14:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation (Greek noun, presbe-ian – “ambassador”), while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors (Greek verb*, presbe-uomen), as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

[* ‘work as an ambassador’]

C. THESIS

1. These verses speak of a war between mankind and God. It seems preposterous that men should think they could fight God, but it’s all too true. Shall man, who is utterly insignificant, make war with God who is infinite? Like a mosquito Vs a Mack truck!

2. From the Garden of Eden until now mankind has been an enemy of God, even though God has constantly demonstrated His love for us. But there’s still war between heaven and earth.

3. Otherwise, there would be no need for ambassadors between God and men. But a state of war prevails between the carnal, fallen nature in us and God.

4. According to 2 Cor. 5:19-20, those who are reconciled are to act as God’s spokesmen to those who are still at war. We are “ambassadors for Christ.”

5. We see 3 things in this text: Ambassadors have a Mandate from Christ, A Message to carry, and a Motive – the love of Christ.

6. The title of tonight’s message is, “Ambassadors for Christ.”

I. AMBASSADORS HAVE A MANDATE FROM CHRIST

A. THE GREAT COMMISION: “GO”

1. SCRIPTURES:

a. Mt. 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

b. Mk. 16:16, “And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved…”

c. Acts 8:4 “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.” It was NOT the apostles, but regular church members who did this.

2. WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO?

a. We might have thought the first thing Adam and Eve would have done, after they sinned, would’ve been to come back to God and say, “We ate of the fruit of the tree You told us not to; please forgive us!”

b. But instead, they ran away. We do that too! Instead of frankly confessing our sins, we often begin to make excuses.

c. But, thank God, God didn’t give up on us, but sent out ambassadors to find us and make peace! Hallelujah! God doesn’t want peace because it’s any advantage to Him, but He does it out of love and kindness for us.

3. WHY DID GOD SEND PEOPLE?

a. Why send people as His ambassadors? Wouldn’t angels have been better messengers?

b. Angels wouldn’t have made good ambassadors because a sinful human who’s been forgiven, when he talks to other sinners, does so very sympathetically.

c. He remembers when he was in sin and away from God. He understands where people are and what they need.