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.
d. If an angel took my place next Sunday, some of you might be very pleased with the change; but, I bet after two or three weeks of stern angelic messages, you’d be ready to get your old pastor back!
B. TO PERSUADE PEOPLE
1. It’s the job of the ambassador to persuade the opponents of God’s kingdom that it’s better to make peace.
2. “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full’” Luke 14:23.
3. It’s our business to interfere with others! Christ’s ambassador’s are attempting to keep war from erupting between God and lost people. It’s our business to get the attention of those who’re asleep, ignorant, or indifferent; to plead with them to find peace with their King and God.
4. We’re not like a banker -- dealing with gold and silver -- but with immortal souls, souls which, if once lost, are lost forever. We’re watchmen; God will require the blood of souls at our hands.
C. TO ALL PEOPLE Acts 1:8.
1. We are to be witnesses to all the world, to every people group.
2. We’re not to tell only people who are like us, but to tell everyone regardless of race, creed, color, gender, or sexual orientation -- the truth of the Gospel.
II. AMBASSADORS HAVE A MESSAGE
A. A POSITIVE MESSAGE - "Be reconciled to God."
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 sin 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.”
4. WOW! How awesome! But only for those who accept it. Don’t trifle with God’s mercy. He who rejects the sacrifice of God’s Son for sin will face unforgiving judgment.
5. But for believers, God will blot out all our sins. If you believe in his Son, you’ll be completely pardoned and accepted. It’s salvation by substitution.
6. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” Isa, 53:5.
B. A POWERFUL MESSAGE
1. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
2. We have to speak according to the Bible. We have no authority outside of it. Any man or woman, or even an angel from heaven, who tells you anything not according to Scripture is not to be listened to. But listen to the humblest person who speaks the Word of God to you!
3. It’s the duty of “ambassadors for Christ” simply to declare God’s terms of peace. We can’t make any special deals. Sometimes my message may seem severe. Don’t shoot me; I’m just the messenger!
4. If I speak God’s Word, and you object to it, take it up with God!
5. HUMOR
a. Did you hear about the wedding where the groom offered the pastor $100 if he’d change the wedding vows, “be faithful to her unto death,”-“I'd appreciate it if you'd just leave that out." He passed the minister the $100.
b. But during the wedding, the pastor said: "Will you promise to do everything your wife asks, obey her every wish, and never even look at another woman, as long as you both shall live?"
c. The groom gulped and said in a tiny voice, "Yes," then leaned toward the pastor and hissed: "I thought we had a deal." The pastor put a $100 bill into the groom's hand and whispered: "She made me a better offer." (We can’t make special deals!)
C. A COMPELLING MESSAGE
1. It’s a message that can’t be ignored. At times we’ll have to confront people.
2. ILLUSTRATION
a. One time a Roman ambassador met a certain king, and told him that the Romans forbade him to advance further.
b. The king laughed at the stern command of the Roman, but the ambassador stooped down, and with a stick, drew a circle in the dust round the king, and said,
c. “You must give your answer before you come out of that circle; for if you step over that line before answering, the Romans will accept it as a signal of war.”
d. It bothers me that during the alter call in church, some immediately begin making for the doors. No one should move until God’s imperative, “Choose this day whom ye will serve” is answered!
III. AMBASSADORS HAVE A MOTIVE the love of Christ.
A. HOW JESUS EXPRESSED LOVE:
1. He loved the lost. Mark 10:21
2. He wept over the lost: Matthew 23:37
3. He loved the outcast
4. Lack of love angered Him. Mark 3:5
5. Proved His love for all on Calvary.
B. HE DIED FOR US; WE LIVE FOR HIM (read vs14-15)
1. Because He loved us, we must love Him and others.
(I John 4:19-21)
2. Love is a compelling motive. We will do almost anything for love.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. When I was a kid I used to watch television show "Charlie's Angels.” It was the story about 3 young ladies who would go into harm’s way for Charlie.
2. What's interesting is, they’d never seen Charlie. He was invisible to them, yet they were willing to do his bidding.
3. The word angel in the Bible means messenger. Biblically, we are Jesus’ messengers.
4. Now the question arises, "If Charlie could get 3 ladies to go into harm’s way for a man they’d never seen, how much more should we be willing to go into harm’s way for Jesus?"
5. Isn't pleasing Jesus a lot more important than the 3 ladies pleasing Charlie? [Tony Evans Bk of Illus.]
B. THE CALL
1. Every one of us Christians has the Mandate, the Message, and the Motive to tell those around us the way to salvation. Let’s be good stewards and faithful watchmen to carry out that has been entrusted to Us!
2. There may be some here tonight who need to hear the message, "be reconciled to God." Why don’t we pray right now and you make peace with God!
3. For the rest of us, can we pledge to follow the example of the Apostle Paul to become all things to all men and women that we might save some?
4. Let’s go into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in!
