Expectations of Ambassadors
2 Cor. 6:1-13
The US presently has appointed around 225 ambassadors throughout the World to represent the interests of our country in those places. Throughout the history of the US, only 8 ambassadors have died while serving, the latest we are all very aware: Christopher Stevens was killed in Libya on September 12, 2012. There have been millions of ambassadors for Christ who have been killed in the line of duty.
Last week we looked at 2 Cor. 5:17-21, and saw that every Christian has been chosen by God to serve throughout the world as representatives of HIS KINGDOM INTERESTS:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 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 men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, 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. (It is only through the Righteousness supplied by God in Christ that we have peace with God.)
This morning we honestly consider the expectations of serving as Christ’s Ambassadors in 2 Cor. 6:1-13.
Look at the Urgency of the Message (1-2)
Look at The Urgency of the Message for the world to “be reconciled to God”! 2 Cor 6:1: As God's fellow workers (commissioned with God’s message) we urge you NOT to receive God's grace in vain. (It is NOT a Gospel of Works that we, as ambassadors are called to preach, but the Gospel of God’s Reconciliation by GRACE alone in and through Christ from 2 Cor. 5:17-21) (Paul quotes from Isa. 49:8- Let me read it in the ESV: For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. "Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” TODAY, right NOW is STILL the day of God’s Grace to save sinners. Are you looking at others and witnessing with that thought in mind? As surely as morning comes and there is DAYTIME, evening will also come and there will be an end to the DAY and TIME of GRACE.)
Our Reputation as Messengers (3-7)
Our Reputation as Messengers is on the line (3-7): 3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way (It doesn’t matter what comes at us on account of the Gospel, we patiently proceed.): in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights (I’ve experienced those!) and hunger; 6 (HOW do we do that?) in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech (the written revealed word of God) and in the power of God (by His Spirit, Not our own strength); with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left…”
We preach grace, we live grace, we GIVE GRACIOUSLY, and we do nothing which would stand in the way of the message of God’s Grace. We don’t trust in human resources but spiritual virtues and the armor of God: Eph. 6: 14 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth (the truth of Jesus Christ) buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (HIS IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS, reconciled by God, applied to my heart and life.) 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (You can run from God but you will only find peace if you run TO God in Christ.) 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, (It is a GIFTED weapon given to us) with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation (Protect your HEAD and mind with the applied salvation of God in Christ.) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Prayer covers us, protects us, prepares us, humbles us, and shows us how powerful God IS and how utterly weak and helpless we are.)
We are protected and war, not with weapons, but with the fruit of the Spirit: Gal. 5: 22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.) Lord, let me be eternally armed by YOUR PROTECTION; let me UTILIZE your weapons, and Lord, Help Me to Produce your spiritual fruit so that the world will take notice of your life-changing GRACE in Christ!!!
The Realistic Expectations as Messengers (Ambassadors)
Look at the verses 8-10 to see the Realistic Expectations as Messengers (Ambassadors of Christ). These are the things you can expect: 8 through glory (doxa-high praise or opinion) and dishonor,(Disgrace) bad report (defamed) and good report (good fame, root word both is “phçmç”); genuine,(being truthful- to the Gospel) yet regarded as impostors (deceivers); 9 known, (to know thoroughly) yet regarded as unknown (not to be understood); dying,(shrivel up like dead wood) and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;(because we are FULL OF God’s grace-chairo) poor, yet making many rich;(gospel is free to those who are poor in spirit and will receive it and it makes you eternally rich!) having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (All I have is Christ; All I need is Christ!)
These verses certainly shoot the prosperity gospel to pieces: Does this seem to be speaking of health, wealth, “name it and claim it” and all your troubles will disappear? It makes it clear that Ambassadors for Christ will experience a paradox of extremes. You are going to experience tremendous spiritual blessing but simultaneously you may have NOTHING physically; as a matter of FACT, you may be penniless and persecuted. Remember that if you have running water, a place to sleep, food every day, and transportation, you are wealthier than 50% of the world, and if you have Christ and DON’T have water, home, food, or transportation, you are STILL wealthier than most of the World. That’s just Kingdom of God economics.
Ambassadors will experience the truth and reality of living by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor.5:4: “For while we are in this tent,(in this body on this earth) we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose (to receive NEW and Eternal bodies) and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
We learn this reality only in part as long as we are living here. We know that the physical is only the “trailer”, a short preview of the “coming attractions“. We really LIVE for what is coming, what we cannot see!
“In Great Endurance”
In verse 4 there is a wonderful expression describing the persistent character of ambassadors. Listen: “As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: IN GREAT ENDURANCE.” Ambassadors carry on in every way “In great endurance.” This word in the Greek, “Hupomone”, is used en the New Testament to describe the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his purpose and loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings. Four ways we perform in great endurance.
1. We endure because of the privilege of being the Savior’s messenger. The phrase is used back in “Verse 1, "And working together with Him" (NAS)… And in that simple introductory statement Paul gives us the high point of our perspective. There is the dignity of ministry. There is the honor of ministry. There is the glory of ministry. We are working together with God. "With Him," by the way, is added in italics and correctly so because it is the very essence of what has been said in verses 18 to 20 in the prior chapter (5). It is God who reconciled us, verse 18, it is God who gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Verse 19, it is God in Christ reconciling the world. And it is God who committed to us the word of reconciliation. And then in verse 20, it is God who is entreating through us. Indeed, we are coworkers with God. That is the dignity of ministry. What condescension, what incarnation that the Almighty God of glory, the eternal One should dwell within us, should stoop to work with unworthy sinners such as we are. That is the nobility of the ministry God has given to us.” (J. MacArthur,” Honor and Dishonor--The Paradox of Ministry”, Part 2) Glory to God!
2. We endure because we have passion on account of the Savior’s compassion. James 5:11 refers to this truth: “We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” This ties in with 2 Cor. 6: 11-13: “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13 As a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts also.”
Reconciliation was an EXACT exchange of Christ’s Life and Death for our sins: He paid the price in full. We accept His love to cancel out the debt that we owed to God. As a “FAIR EXCHANGE”, as a reward or compensation, we are called OPEN WIDE YOUR HEARTS ALSO in a LIKE MANNER. God did not withhold His love from you, and we endure and persevere with a SIMILAR LOVE because we do so in the Savior’s Love. We received the Love of God in Christ as a GIFT and at NO COST to you, so you respond to Him and others by LOVING with the Love He Has Given You!
Does Christ’s love ever fail you? No, of course not! Sometimes we fail to love others within the body as if they were actually redeemed and their sin debt was paid. That’s why we tend to strain to pull the dust particles out of another person’s eye and then realize that the plank in our own is obstructing OUR VISION. If you truly love others the way God in Christ loved you, you will conduct yourself WITH HIS LOVE because you are IN HIS LOVE! Exercise!
Many of the Corinthians were “saved” but still struggled with sin and deceptions….and so do we but Genuine Love is proven by its very character. Love others and God ON ACCOUNT OF God’s love for you. Do you sin and fail? Most definitely; but the Spirit continually convicts and convinces and forgives as we daily deny ourselves and follow Christ.
3. We endure to protect the Integrity of the Savior. Hebrews 12: 2-3: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has ENDURED such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” It isn’t about US that we endure; it is because we want to protect and never destroy the reputation and integrity of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. According to the WORLD, we have lost our own integrity but that is because we have a new INDENTITY in the Everlasting Lord and we would NEVER want to damage HIS REPUTATION.
4. We endure in the Power of God of God and of the Spirit of the Savior. Col. 1: 11 explains that we are “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness (Endurance, same Gr. word) and patience.” We endure, NOT because we are good or competent, but because HE IS gloriously Mighty to ENDURE!
“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Phil 2:12-13) “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:23-24) “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thess. 3:3) 2 Tim. 2:13: “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6) Throw yourself at the mercy of the Court, at the Mercy of the Judge, at the Mercy of the Cross, at the Mercy of the Christ and King who died for you, and live through Him and for Him!
The Gospel Prayer (which J.D. Greear, uses in his book, “Gospel,”) is not a magical potion, but a humble prayer to God of the reality of the Life-Changing Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I would suggest that you pray and search your heart according to this pattern and these biblical principles:
1. “In Christ, there is nothing I could do to make You love me more; nothing I have done that makes You love me less.”( We are SAVED entirely BY GRACE!)
2. “You are all I need today for everlasting joy.” (YOU ARE MY JOY and LIFE!)
3. “As You have been to me, so I will be to others.” (My heart’s desire is to BE an IMITATOR OF CHRIST and His love!)
4. “As I pray, I’ll measure Your compassion by the Cross and Your power by the Resurrection.” (I am saved because of your mercy and given life and power to live that life by your resurrection!) Our thoughts and praise are not self-serving or self-praising. Our thoughts should Not BE: What a Sermon, but rather, what a spectacular Savior! To God be the Glory forever! Amen!
OUTLINE
I. The Urgency of the Message (1-2):
As surely as morning comes and there is DAYTIME…
There will be an end to the DAY and Time of GRACE.
II. Our Reputation as Messengers is “on the line.” (Vs. 3-7) (Eph. 6: 14-18, Gal.5:22-23)
A. We preach grace, we live grace, do nothing to stand in the way of the message of God’s Grace.
B. Lord, may I be eternally armed by YOUR PROTECTION, UTILIZING your weapons, and PRODUCING YOUR spiritual fruit.
III. The Realistic Expectations as Messengers (Ambassadors) (vs. 8-10)
A. Ambassadors will experience a paradox of extremes.
B. Ambassadors will experience the truth of living by faith, not by sight.
(2 Cor. 5:7)
C. Ambassadors carry on “in great endurance.”
1. We endure because of the privilege of being the Savior’s messenger.
2. We endure because we have passion on account of the Savior’s compassion. (Vs. 11-13, James 5:11)
3. We endure to protect the Integrity of the Savior. (Hebrews 12: 2-3)
4. We endure in the Power of God of God and of the Spirit of the Savior.
(Col. 1:11,Phil 2:12-13, 1:6,1 Thess. 5:23-24, 3:3, 2 Tim. 2:13)
