Disciples: Christ's Ambassadors

DISCIPLES: Christ’s Ambassadors

2 Corinthians 5:11–21 (NIV)

INTRODUCTION

ILLUSTRATION For the past few months, our news was bombarded with the investigation of the death of our ambassador and personnel in Benghazi, Libya.

We are aware that it has been politicized by some legislators but we cannot deny the fact that we should make sure that our ambassadors abroad is our government responsibility. They represent our nation to different parts of the world; we should give the support they need by all means and at all cost.

Our text this morning tells us that as followers of Christ, we are His ambassadors. DISCIPLES ARE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS.

What does it mean for us to Christ’s ambassadors and how did we become Christ’s ambassadors? Let us find out by reading 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

This passage says that Christ’s followers are Christ’s ambassador. How did we become Christ’s ambassadors?

1. WE BECAME CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS WHEN GOD RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF THROUGH CHRIST (v. 18).

To reconcile means to reestablish proper friendly interpersonal relations after these have been disrupted or broken. The components of reconciliation are the following:

a. Disruption of friendly relations because of

b. Presumed or real provocation,

c. Explicit behavior designed to remove hostility,

d. Restoration of original friendly relations.

The basic meaning of the word “reconcile” is “to change thoroughly.” It refers to a changed relationship between God and the lost world.

Man’s greatest problem is his broken relationship with God because of his sinfulness.

Read Romans 3:23 (NIV) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Because of his rebellion, man became the enemy of God and out of fellowship with Him. Through the work of the cross, Jesus Christ has brought man and God together again. Jesus mediated.

Read 1 Timothy 2:5–6 (NIV) 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

God took the initiative to reconcile us to Himself through Christ.

Read Romans 5:10 (NIV) 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (v. 21) This verse introduced to us the idea of “imputation.” This is a word borrowed from banking; it simply means “to put to one’s account.” When you deposit money in the bank, the computer (or the clerk) puts that amount to your account, or to your credit.

When Jesus died on the cross, all of our sins were imputed to Him—put to His account. He was treated by God as though He had actually committed those sins. When he died, he died for all and therefore all died (v. 14). When he resurrected, he rose for all. Therefore the death he died he did for all and his resurrection is the resurrection for all.

Read Romans 6:4 (NIV) 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

When we put our faith in Christ and embrace Him as our Savior and Lord, we appropriate his death and resurrection. That is why, it is important that we unite ourselves with Christ.

Read Romans 8:9 (NIV) 9You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

His death is being applied to us and crucified our sinful nature. His resurrection gave us new life to give us a fresh start.

Read Romans 6:5 (NIV) 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Therefore we need to count ourselves as dead to sin but alive to God.

Read Romans 6:11 (NIV) 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

As a result we became a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here (v. 17). As a new creation, we should no longer live for ourselves but for him who died for us and was raised again (v. 15).

Read Romans 14:7–9 (NIV) 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.