I Represent Jesus
1 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Prayer
Introduction
Before I have told you that I like going to the mall, sit, and study people. I watch people come and go. Now have you noticed that today many people wear their company’s logo on their clothing? They are walking advertisements for their company. I think about how at that moment for me they are representing their company. Their words actions will often influence what I think about their company. If I see them cursing, drinking, and acting rude in any way or any other negative thing then I will probably have a negative reaction to them and to their company. I will not in likely hood do business with that company because of their actions. My thoughts will be if that is the way he acts here in public then his company must allow worse to go on there. It may not be right but that the way we are. We associate employees to their company’s and their behavior to their company also. Therefore employee’s behavior can have an adverse effect on the company.
Now consider this, when we wear our Christian t-shirts or we call ourselves Christians we must remember that we are representing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the eyes of the world. We either show compassion or anger, love or hate, caring or indifference. People base their whole experience of Jesus on these encounters. What impression are you leaving of Jesus? Are you leaving an impression? Is the impression you leaving bad? These are questions we need to ask ourselves tonight. Do the people, who know us, work with us, or we meet on the street get an impression about Jesus from their experience with us?
In the night passage it says “so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you” My actions, my words either brings or fails to bring glory unto Jesus. In church we use words like glory, grace, sanctified, and other church words. I have often wondered how often we really understand what these words really mean. How many have heard these words over and over again and never understood what mean. They never asked what people are talking about because they didn’t want to be ignorant. I have heard these words in church all my life. When I was growing up I did not truly understand what they meant until God truly got a hold of me. Then did I discover what the words grace and salvation meant. We have heard them so much in Church and used them so much for so long that they have lost much of their meaning and power.
Sometimes we need to step back and reexamine our lives and the meaning of the words grace, glory and sanctified in our lives and the power of those words. Remember our scripture just told us that our action and words are supposed to bring “glory” to Jesus. What exactly does that mean?
Well it means making Jesus look good in the eyes of the world. Jesus is the head of the church and you and I make up the body. Therefore what ever the world sees us as that is how they see Jesus. If we are allowing Jesus to be the head than His mercy, glory, love and purity will shine through us for the world to see. We then bring glory unto Jesus. We simply allow the world to see Jesus in our lives, our actions, our every word, and even in our worship services.
I represent Jesus. You Yes You represent Jesus. If you are a Christian, and we all here say we are then you represent Jesus it this dying world. The world is scrutinizing every word, action and deed that we do. It is a great responsibility that we have. We must allow the love of God to show itself in our lives so we can properly represent Jesus and bring Glory unto Him.
Unfortunately we all know what happens when we fail to represent Him. Everyone has heard these words. “I am not going to church it is full of a bunch of hypocrites.” Yes it is just an excuse but the question is where did that excuse come from. If the church was showing Jesus then the world could not say that. It came from some Christian acting or speaking in some way that poorly represented Jesus. When we talk about others, when we get mad at some precieved slight from someone at church and go out and talk about them in the community, when we get into screaming and hollering matches in public, whenever we do anything unchristian we are poorly representing our Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ. And when it happens you can almost hear people say “and he calls himself a Christian”
In Titus 2 Paul is writing a letter to a church on the Island of Crete which warns against compromising and doing anything unchristian. This island must have been known for lying and being immoral. Paul urged the believers to exemplify Jesus. And the same is true today. In all that we do we are to exemplify Jesus.
I know that I am not telling you anything new. We all know that our actions often don’t measure up. We all know the damage it can do to our witness. We can spend all night giving examples of that but instead let give you a suggestion that might help us do a better job for Jesus.
Can you imagine what it would be like tomorrow just before you left for work you pinned on you a bright red button that says in Bold letters I Represent Jesus Christ. Everywhere you go people will see you. Everyone will know that you represent Christ. Would you do things differently then. How would it affect your lifestyle, your work place, your home life even your leisure time.
Well when you call yourself a Christian the button is there already. It can never ever be taken off. For good or bad you represent Jesus. It is there for all to see and to judge our actions and Jesus accordingly.
Why should we be concerned with being a good representative of Jesus. Because He represented us first. He represented each one of us on the cross. Each one of us had an appointment with death but Jesus kept that appointment for us. And He is representing each of us in Heaven right sitting at the right hand of God. Therefore we must represent Him. Just what kind of representatives have you been ?
This week go through it differently. To through it as a representative of Jesus.
