September 23, 2012
2 Corinthians 5:20
Introduction
- A couple of weeks ago, an ambassador was in the news
- Ambassador Christopher Stevens, US ambassador to Libya
- There was a mortar attack on his vehicle, and then his body was dragged through the streets of Benghazi, apparently orchestrated by Al Quaeda
- Not all ambassadors have this kind of experience.
- I once knew the US Vice Consul to the Cameroon, he had a relatively peaceful time, and later served this country, in the Canadian Consulate
- Today we will take a look at what it means to be an ambassador, and how relevant this is to us, as Christians
Reading
- 2 Cor 5:17-21
What does an ambassador look like?
- Am ambassador is a citizen of the country he represents
- Phil 3:20
- Being a citizen of another country means that there are activities he cannot engage in, in his host country
- For example, he cannot fight in the host country's army, or vote in its elections
- In the same way, we, as citizens of a heavenly Kingdom, cannot become enmeshed in this society's way of doing things
- We stand ready to fight the Lord's battles in spiritual warfare, we don't fight with the enemy's tactics
- Am ambassador represents his country
- 2 Cor 5:20
- As God's represenatives on earth, we must be aware of how God feels about things, what he would have us do in situations
- We must be able to answer questions about our native country, encouraging people to find out more
- At an embassy or consulate there is usually a person whose brief is to present the nation's positive trade advantages to enquirers from the host country, encouraging the building of relationships
- In the same way, we stand ready to give our testimony, and show the benefits of relationship with the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
- An ambassador has to be trustworthy and reliable
- Proverbs 13:17
- If an ambassador were untrustworthy, he would soon be recalled.
- A person in such a position must be absolutely trusted to present an accurate picture of what his nation belives, does, and is like
- God trusts us to be good representatives of his Kingdom
- He expects us to be examples to those around us
- They should see the difference just by looking at us, the same as light is different from darkness
- The words that come out of our mouth should reflect God's look on things, not what seems right to our carnal mind.
- Am ambassador obeys the laws of the country he represents
- Acts 5:19-20
- Luke 20:25
- As ambassador, one is answerable ultimately to the nation he represents. He should obey the laws of his host country as far as that is possible, but if there is a conflict in what to do, the ambassador's home country laws take precedence
- In our everyday lives, we live among people of a different alleigance.
- We obey the laws of our physical country
- But where there is a difference between what the world expects and what God would have us do, God rules!
- An ambassador's foreign residency is temporary
- 2 Cor 5:2
- Heb 11:8-10
- The ambassador's stay in his host country is temporary, though it could last many years
- Ultimately, he will be called home
- In the same way, our stay in this present evil world, is only temporary
- There will come a day when we will be called home, to be with Jesus, forever
- We will put off this physical body and will be clothed afresh with our spiritual body, eternal, incorruptible, spititual and glorious
- This is how it is described in 1 Cor 15:35-44
Conclusion
- As Christians, people who follow Christ, we are his ambassadors
- We are his ambassadors to the people around us
- We are a city set on a hill which cannot be hidden
- An ambassador is true to his government's policies, and he faithfully presents this to the people around him, in a foreign country
- He is a faithful representative, and one day he will be recalled to the country of his citizenship, where he will hear, Well done, thou faithful servant.
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