Ambassadors for Christ

How we see the church matters.

If we had a suggestion box for sermon series ideas, I would be surprised if we got many suggestions for a series about Church Membership.

Though it might not be the most flashy topic on paper, our understanding of the Church, this local expression of church, and our relationship to it is vital.

It is vital as we Christians seek to walk in this world with all the chaos, struggle, and confusion that life brings.

And it is vital to those outside of the Church because of what Paul says in Ephesians 3:20

Ephesians 3:10 ESV

10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

The Church is God’s plan for accomplishing His purposes and plan for this world.

So you can see, how we view the church matters.

Jonathan Leeman argues that people often view the church through four flawed lenses:

Individualistically- prioritizing our personal preferences and our own spiritual experience.

How am I being served by the church, rather than how am I serving God’s mission through my church.

Consumeristically- A direct result of individualism, we treat the church like a product or a service.

Becoming "church shoppers," looking for the congregation that best meets our personal criteria—be it the music style, children's or youth ministry, or the pastor's charisma or style.

Romantically- Leeman argues “many people today expect the church to be a place of "unconditional acceptance" that makes them feel relaxed and comfortable, not judged.”

When the church doesn’t makes us feel good about ourselves or it becomes uncomfortable in some way, we get out.

Voluntary- like a gym membership, we treat the church like a casual association.

We can opt-in or opt-out based on what fits in our schedule, budget, or desires.

We “pay our dues” and take advantage of the benefits as it suits us.

But these are far from the way God sees His church.

Over the next 3 weeks we are going to look at 3 analogies God uses to describe His church.

Embedded in each of these analogies is a clear argument for the necessity of church membership.

Scripture simply doesn’t even contemplate a follower of Jesus who is not vitally, obviously, genuinely, and sincerely committed to a body of believers. -- Greg Gilbert

After fall break, we are going to spend 4 weeks digging into how we as EHBC seek to live out our mission in this local expression of Church through our 4 L’s.

Then on November 23rd, we are going to have a special “Commitment Sunday” where we will have the opportunity to commit or recommit to this community.

Today though, l want to look at 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, the local church as an embassy for God’s Kingdom in our world.

STAND FOR THE READING OF GOD’S WORD

2 Corinthians 5:14–21 CSB

14 For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

2 Corinthians 5:14–21 CSB

16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:14–21 CSB

18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

2 Corinthians 5:14–21 CSB

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

An Embassy for God’s Kingdom

In Massachusetts Aves in Washington DC, there are 50 embassies from countries around the world, the highest concentration in the US.

They are more than just buildings. Once you step foot in the lobby, you are literally in the sovereign land of whatever country that building represents.

Those inside are called “ambassadors” and represent the interests, values, policies, and culture the country.

You can see then the significance of the language Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 5 as he speaks to the church in Corinth and who they are.

In the same way an embassy represents a country in a foreign land, the church is the embassy of God’s kingdom on earth.

This brings us directly to the significance of church membership.

It is not a casual, voluntary agreement but the very act of identifying with God’s kingdom.

Submitting as Members of a local church does three vital things:

1) Affirms the VALIDITY and SINCERITY of our CONCLUSIONS.

Paul has been defending his motivation and authority for ministry in the first part of the chapter, which had been questioned by some false teachers in the church.

They had also challenged the message he had preached to the Corinthians.

In verse 14, he is drawing a line in the sand.

“It is because of the love of Christ that I do what I do.” It isn’t for his personal gain or to gather a following.

And that motivation is drawn from a sincere and weighty conclusion… “that one died for all, and therefore all have died.”

He understood the love of God in such a vivid and glorious way through Jesus dying “for all”.

That statement encompasses the whole of the Gospel. The message we spend the last weeks breaking down from Ephesians 2.

And it is the central message of the Church. It is our confession.

John 3:16 “16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

What we believe matters.

We can see this back in Matthew 16 in one only a few times Jesus speaks of His Church.

He had asked the disciples who people were saying He was, and after getting their answers, He asked them “but who do you say that I am?”

And Peter answers

Matthew 16:16 CSB

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

And then Jesus’s famous words:

Matthew 16:17–19 CSB

17 Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.”

Peter’s confession of Jesus’s identity is the foundation of the Church Jesus starts after His resurrection and ascension.

It is the confession that Jesus says protects the Church from the gates of Hell.

And it is the confession that draws us together as believers into what Jesus called the “ecclesia” or “the Church”.

It is in our confession, our conclusion, that we find salvation and identification as God’s people.

Jesus tells Peter, and by implication the other disciples and us who follow them, that the “keys of the kingdom” belong to the church.

We are the ones that God has given the responsibility to affirm the validity and sincerity of our conclusions.

That might sound judgmental, but it is not.

If you are in a foreign country and lose you passport, you must go to the US embassy to get a new one.

Their job is not to make you a citizen, but to confirm that you are actually a citizen through proper identification.

That is the role of the Local church.

The local church is the authority on earth that Jesus has instituted to officially affirm and give shape to my Christian life and yours. The local church guards the reputation of Christ by sorting out the true professors from the false.—Jonathan Leeman

2) Recognizes and aids in our TRANSFORMATION as NEW CREATIONS.

There is a pretty serious issue in the Corinthian church that Paul is dealing with back in 1st Corinthians 5, a man within the church is in a relationship with his father’s wife (likely a second wife).

It is a grievous sin that Paul says wouldn’t even be tolerated by pagans, and yet nothing has been done within the church.

So Paul demands that the man be “removed from among you.”

There is something assumed in this language that we can’t miss.

To be formally “removed”, the man must have formally belonged to the church.

I say it is assumed in that we don’t have a “membership process” outlined in any of Paul’s letters.

But there was a distinction made between those who were “among you” and those who weren’t.

Back in Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus lays out a process of accountability and discipline for dealing with sin within the church family.

What is clear through 1 Corinthians 5 and Matthew 18 is that there is a responsibility placed upon the church to help one another to walk with Christ in faith and obedience.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that our confession of faith leads to a new life in Christ.

Our old selves pass away and “behold” new selves are born.

It's in the committed community of a local church that our new identity is nurtured.

Where we are known, loved, and held accountable.

Where we are discipled, encourages, corrected, and strengthened

Wayne Mack (from To Be or Not To Be a Church Member): "The plain, unvarnished truth is, that every one of us needs the accountability that comes from formal, regular, intimate relationships with other godly people. To be or not to be a church member is to be or not to be accountable, and we are commanded to be accountable."

It was about a year after Paul wrote 1st Corinthians that he wrote 2nd.

In that year, it seems the church did what Paul had instructed them to do in removing the sinful man from among them.

In 2 Corinthians 2, it is likely the man who Paul tells the church that it is time to welcome him back into fellowship.

He seems to have confessed and repented of his sin and now needed the church to recognize this and welcome him back in.

Galatians 6:1 CSB

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.

If you have confessed faith in Jesus, then you are a new creation, and it is the responsibility of the local church to encourage you, equip you, strengthen you, protect you, correct you, discipline you, train you, and, sometimes, carry you in this walk of faith.

3) Connects us to our shared MISSION and PURPOSE as ambassadors of Christ.

Our new lives in Christ redefine the mission and purpose of our lives.

Because God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and He has mow given us this same ministry.

We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, pleading with others to be reconciled to God.

1. We are God’s representatives of His Kingdom: You are not simply a private citizen of your own life. Your primary identity and allegiance are to Jesus and His heavenly Kingdom. This means your life—your words, actions, attitudes, and character—should reflect the "official position" of that Kingdom.

2. Our mission is reconciliation: Our core message is "be reconciled"! We are inviting people, by our words and our witness, to a restored relationship with God, away from hostility.

3. We are sent into a foreign land: This "foreign land" is the world that is separated from God. As a Christian, you are in the world but not of it. Your purpose is to live out your faith and to be a witness to Christ in all areas of your life—at home, at work, at school, and in your community.

4. We are a living example of Christ's character: Being an ambassador is more than just telling people about Jesus. It's about demonstrating His love, grace, and truth in your daily life. It means being a "living gospel" that people can see. This involves embodying the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.) and acting with integrity, compassion, and humility.

5. The local church is your "embassy": While you are an individual ambassador in your daily life, the local church acts as the collective embassy of God's Kingdom on earth. It is a community of fellow ambassadors who support, encourage, and equip one another for the mission. It is a place where others can "taste of the goodness of Jesus and his kingdom" by observing the corporate life, worship, and service of the body of Christ. The church provides the framework for this mission, training its members and sending them out to represent Christ in the world.

Christ’s authority transforms geography. He sanctifies the space where Christians gather. He gives it a new social significance with his words “there” and “among” (Matt. 18:20). He’s there. He’s among. This is true whether or not the lord of that particular realm acknowledges it, whether that lord’s name is the Chinese Communist Party or the Iranian Ayatollah or a movie theater owner.—Jonathan Leeman

Response

Do you remember the Tom Hanks movie “Terminal”?

He plays a Eastern European man whose home country goes through a Coup while he was flying into New York.

When he lands in JFK, his passport has now become invalid and he is unable to enter the US and also unable to go back home.

He becomes a man without a home and makes JFK airport his home.

Learning how to make money, speak English, and provide for his basic needs.

He even renovates an area of the airport, making himself a home, and meets a love interest.

But regardless of how well he adjusts and how comfortable he gets, an airport is not a home.

He was stuck in the in-between, a man without a home.

Far too many of us are living like  Viktor Navorski, like people without a home.

But that doesn’t have to be the case.

1 Peter 2:9–10 CSB

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

You don’t have to wait until November to commit, you can do it this week.

Come talk to me or Andy.

And if you have never given your life to Jesus, your first step toward join His church is trusting in Him for salvation.