Ambassadors for Christ

 

 

Central Thought: All believers in Christ are His representatives her on earth.

 

Hymn: Onward Christian Solders

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:1-21

 

 

From the beginning of creation, God had a purpose and will for man on the earth. The first man, Adam and his wife, Eve carried out God’s divine will for the earth until they were contaminated by sin. Man therefore surrendered his authority to Satan who then began to do his will and purpose.  Man’s values, orientation, desires, style of operations, etc., were then at variance with his original state of life, which was God-kind of life.  Man could no longer relate with God and His righteousness, Romans 3:23; Psalm 14:2-3.  However, through God’s infinite love and mercy, He sent His only begotten Son to restore man back to Himself.  Man has been restored and reconciled back to God through Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection.  To this end, God’s plan of reconciling the world back to Himself is to be done by all who have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.  They are to carry the message of reconciliation to all those who are still under Satan’s domain.  This means that Christ Jesus has sent us as His ambassadors to the world.

 

 

Lesson Objectives:

1. To identify and describe who an ambassador for Christ is…
2. To identify specific things about the appointment, duties and privileges of an ambassador.
3. To discuss the qualities of an ambassador.
4. To explain the value of what an ambassador is expected to accomplish.
5. To explain the danger involved when an ambassador falls short of what is expected of him.

 

1a. Who is an ambassador for Christ?

An ambassador is a representative of a ruling authority such as a nation, an organization, or belief. He/she is always chosen from the rank of mature, experienced men to represent the government of his country in a foreign land.  It implies that such a person must be a citizen of that country.  To be able to represent his country, he should be fully acquainted with the values, orientation, culture, tradition, policies, etc. of his country.  This will enable him not to work at cross purposes with his country in a foreign land.  One of his greatest benefits is that he enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Similarly, an ambassador for Christ must first be born again to enjoy the citizenship of heaven. One cannot work for a kingdom which one does not know.  For Christ’s ambassador to effectively function, he must be equipped with the word of God which gives him the values, orientation, culture, tradition and policies of heave.  Christ ambassador also enjoys divine, diplomatic immunity through the operations of the Holy Spirit.

 

1b. Identify specific things about the appointment, duties and privileges of an ambassador.

-Appointment of and Ambassador:

Only a citizen of a county can be appointed an ambassador of that country. He should be appointed from the rank of mature and experienced persons in the country and should also be fully acquainted with the values, culture, tradition, policies of his country.

-Duties of an Ambassador:

An ambassador represents the interests of his home country in a foreign country. He translates his home government (Kingdom) policies and decisions to the foreign country where he is a diplomat.  He runs his country’s consulate in the foreign country where he lives.  He also safe guards the interest of his nationals living and operating in that country where he is as a diplomat.

-Privileges of an Ambassador:

An ambassador enjoys the privileges of diplomatic immunity that helps him to function on behalf of his country without inhibitions. The respect and honor that can be given to his king or president are given to him as the country’s diplomat.

 

1c. Who then are ambassadors of God’s kingdom on earth?  2 Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 3:20; John 17:14-16

Every person who has received the gift of salvation and has been reconciled back to God is automatically an ambassador for Christ in this world. Our citizenship is now from heaven and we are positioned here on earth to reconcile others back to God (ministry of reconciliation) as ambassadors.  Our role as ambassadors increases daily as we develop into Spiritual maturity.  In our small location at home, school, market, business place, we should be ambassadors for Christ to reconcile the unbelievers around us to Christ.  Jesus Christ has already prayed for us to remain in the world for the purpose of bringing many Sons unto God.  Our lifestyle must reflect the nature, character and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ whom we do represent here on earth.

 

2. Using the following points, discuss the qualities an ambassador should have and relate the same to an ambassador for Christ.

-Citizenship: John 3:3, 2 Corinthians 5:17

An ambassador must be a citizen of his country by birth, or by registration/marriage, or by nationalization. To be a citizen of heaven, one must be born again which means that such a person has already had a natural birth, but now must have a spiritual birth which comes by faith in Christ.  It is certain that without the new birth, one cannot understand or comprehend nor represent the kingdom of God.

-Good behavior: 1 Timothy 4:12; Ephesians 5:1-9

Just as an ambassador is expected to be of good behavior and high integrity any where he is, so good behavior is one of the qualities expected of an ambassador of Christ. An ambassador for Christ must be an example to others in all things especially in lifestyle, in obeying the word of God, constantly ordering his behavior within the sphere of love by giving himself for an offering and a sacrifice to God a sweet smelling savor.   He must live a life devoid of all uncleanness in thoughts and speeches.  An ambassador must walk as a child of light to expose darkness everywhere he finds himself.

-Loyalty and Faithfulness: 1 Corinthians 4:2; Luke 19:12-19

Loyalty is the quality of being faithful in support of somebody or something. An ambassador is expected to be loyal and faithful to his country; similarly it is required in stewards (ambassador for Christ) that a man be found faithful.  Through loyalty and faithfulness, an ambassador commits himself to fulfilling his mandate to represent God’s kingdom here on earth by occupying his area of operation.  At Christ’s return, all ambassadors will be required to give account of their loyalty and faithfulness in stewardship.

-Information/Knowledge about Home Country: Joshua 1:8; John 5:39

A good ambassador must have regular firsthand information about his home Country. He must be abreast with the day-to-day policies, regulations and decisions of his home government and pass the same to the government of the country where he lives and acts as ambassadors.  Similarly, an ambassador for Christ must have constant knowledge from the government of heaven through the constant reading, meditating and doing of the world of God.  Information from heaven can also be obtained by inspirations, revelations, and prayer sessions with God through the Holy Spirit.  The Bible, God’s greatest gift to mankind, is full of revelation knowledge about ambassador’s home country (Heaven) which testify of Christ and His Kingdom.

-Constant communication with Home Country: Luke 18:1

For an ambassador to effectively carry out his mandate, he must be in stant communication with His home country. He collects information from his home government and passes the same to the government of the country of his residence as an ambassador and also information from the government of the country where he is as ambassador to his home government from time to time.  The ambassador for Christ must receive information from heaven at the place of prayer and also relate the problems and situations of this earth back to heaven.  An ambassador ought always to pray and not to faint.  Without a proper prayer life, faith cannot be truly exercised, irrespective of how much it is claimed.  We should believe in our prayers as we commune with our home government (Heaven) on a daily basis.

 

3a. What is an ambassador expected to accomplish?

An ambassador is expected to carry out the biddings of his master. He takes orders from his master and carries it out faithfully, even when he does not like his master’s biddings.  He must never alter the orders of his master.  His words, action and appearance must conform to his master’s/home government’s expectation as he seeks to accomplish his role as a good representative.  In the same vein, believers must put off the old nature and imbibe the newness in Christ Jesus, in order to truly be His ambassador.

 

3b. What happens when an ambassador falls short of what is expected of him?

The first thing that happens to an ambassador who falls short of what is expected of him is that he will be recalled back home and may be reprimanded and all his entitlements as ambassador taken from him by his master. If his action was a gross misrepresentation of his master and country, he may be made to face some severe punishment that is commensurate with his offences.  Similarly an ambassador for Christ, who falls short of what heaven expects of him, shall suffer many deprivations.  His refusal to properly occupy till Christ comes, will earn him rebuke and even loss of his eternal home in Heaven.

 

4. To what extent should an ambassador relate with the people of the country in which he is serving? Compare the same with an ambassador for Christ? 2 Timothy 2:3-7

An ambassador living in a foreign land should relate with the people of the land positively in the areas of civil and criminal laws which he has to obey but as pertaining to traditions and culture, he sticks to that of his home land, because he represents the tradition, culture, policies and decisions of his home country. Anything contrary, he reports back home.  He must be an example of what his home country stands for and not what his country of residence stands for.  In the same way, an ambassador for Christ must live his life in consonance with the lifestyle of heaven here on earth.  Though, he is in the world, he is not of the world.  He may suffer some deprivations on the earth; he must be strong and endure the hardships that may occur during his pilgrimage on earth.  As he lives heaven’s lifestyle here, God will stand and defend him unto the utter most of his ambassadorial duties.  He must not be entangled with the affairs of this earth.  An ambassador has one thing in mind, and that is to carry out his duty with the right motive, same spirit and the same consecration so as to be able to please Him who has chosen him to be an ambassador.

 

Daily Living Application:

At the point of the new birth, a Christian becomes an ambassador for Christ. Our everyday activities in this earth count when the success or failure of our stewardship as ambassadors come in focus.  As an ambassador receives orders from the head or the government of his home country and carries it out without tampering with or altering it, so also the ambassador of Christ needs to pass on faithfully orders from his Master (God) and live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Let us be watchful and prayerful so that we do not fail in our stewardship as ambassadors for Christ. Let us align ourselves with the operations of the Holy Spirit in our ambassadorial duties.  Let us also remember that as ambassadors, we shall one day stand before our Master to give account of our stewardship, begin to live our lives in consonance with the heavenly lifestyle as we await the glorious appearing of our great King and God.

 

Memory Verse:

1 Timothy 4:12 – “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”