| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “You have been set free” Our Bible verse for today: “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.” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV) Our thought for today: “We must represent Him well.” In his great Bible study series “The Kingdom Agenda”, Pastor Tony Evans likens Christians in the world to ambassadors sent to another land on a diplomatic mission. The Ambassador is commissioned by his or her government to go to a foreign land and represent the interests of their homeland. The ambassador has the authority of the home government to conduct the business of the homeland in that foreign country. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 the Apostle Paul says that we Christians are ambassadors of Christ. We are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) but we have been sent to this foreign land to represent the interests of the homeland (heaven) and to promote the policies of our King (Jesus). Just as a diplomatic ambassador is not there to represent his or her own interests, nor are we here to represent ours. We’re on a mission from our home to a foreign land to promote the interests of the kingdom to which we belong. In the Great Commission, as it is expressed in Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Please note He said, “You are to be “my” witnesses.” We are not here to be witnesses for ourselves, or to promote our own agenda. Nor are we here to be witnesses for someone else, or to promote some other agenda. As Christians our purpose here on earth is be witnesses for Jesus and to promote His kingdom. Our role is to help others see the goodness and the righteousness of the rule and the ways of our King, and to convince them to follow Him as well. One of the reasons we Christians often lose our influence with the unbelieving world is that we sometimes lapse into self-promotion and pursue our own interests. Or, we seem to be more of a witness for a political party or a politician than we are for Jesus Christ. As Americans we appreciate the freedom our democratic system of government affords, and we eagerly and proudly promote democracy around the world. How could be do anything less as Christians in our efforts to promote the cause of Christ in the world? We should be even more eager to represent Jesus in this world and to promote Christianity than we are to represent anyone else or to promote any other cause. Jesus set us free and then sent us out into the world to be His witnesses, His ambassadors in this broken and bleeding world. I encourage all of us to represent Him well. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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