Roles & Responsibilities Part:3
Notes
Transcript
I thought after a roller-coaster week we could use a little light hearted approach. It has both thrilled me and concerned me how Christians have approached this last week:
Some have expressed how grateful they are that they know not matter who sits in the oval office… God sits on His throne
Others have shared their fear of tomorrow and how the uncertainty is paralyzing
While that same group of believers declares that they are facing tomorrow with little to no hope,
Others are remembering that the ONLY HOPE you and I have is found in Jesus Christ!!!!
King and Rulers and Presidents come and go… but the Lord remains the same yesterday, today and FOREVER!!!!
Soon we will have a president take the oath of office, and as he does we the church need to be praying for his leadership!!!
I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
This is the oath of office for those who serve in our in our government take.
An AMBASSADOR as he or she steps into their role will take this oath.
NOW… whether or not they truly desire God’s help in the process or not is left for debate. However, as we look at our Role and Responsibility of being an AMBASSADOR for Christ, and LIVING for Him we most assuredly NEED God’s help and cannot fulfill this role without Him!
AMBASSADOR:
a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent ...
by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative
by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty
an authorized messenger or representative
You and I hold this very honored ROLE and OFFICE as the Church!!!
Genesis 1:27-28 states that God made us in His image and we are royalty… we were made to rule!
As His bride, as His body, and as children of the King of Kings Lord of Lords…
You would expect an expectation of our conduct.
We should consider how we represent ourselves to those around us!
The Value of Citizenship
The Value of Citizenship
1 Peter 2:9-12 speaks beautifully and convincingly to our place of citizenship…
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Proclaim… Him, His excellencies!!!
While you’re at it.... proclaim what HE DID for you...
Darkness to Light
No people or identity to His identity
No mercy to Mercy
ALIENS: a foreign-born resident who has not been naturalized and is still a subject or citizen of a foreign country broadly: a foreign-born citizen
Nicodemus… you must be born again,
We reside here but our citizenship is elsewhere!!!
As foreigners we are not to act as those of this world…
Rather our actions may even receive flack , scoffing, ridicule… OUR RESPONSE
Watch your behavior, mind how you respond and behave
Our good deeds may bring glory to GOD!!!!
As citizens we retain ALL the blessings and privileges that come with it
Despite the difficulties our nation is facing… it is still a blessing to live in this nation the United States of America
It is even a greater honor and blessing to have our citizenship in Heaven!!!
If this is not our place of citizenship then Paul’s argument to the Corinthians makes even more sense in 2 Corinthians 5:6-21
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
We Behave Differently
We Behave Differently
As an ambassador… do you understand your fearful responsibility to the Lord?
We represent HIM!!!!
God is appealing to the lost world through us!!
The treaty so to speak between God and mankind has been entrusted to us to share as His ambassadors
What an amazing message to share!!! What an honor and privilege
You and I because Christ died for our sin… we have died to our old way of living DEATH holds no power
Verse 16-17 speak to us being a new person… has there been a change?
Or has living in a foreign land captivated you
Do you look more like the locals than the one you came to represent?
Paul understood the temptation to fit in verse 13-14 he states some find him crazy
Youth asked about 40 days left to live… it was convicting!
We have a reason, a purpose… to bring reconciliation to the lost
We have real hope, regardless of times
As ambassadors, we can live in the craziness of this world recognizing this is not our place of citizenship,
Rather it is where we are called to dwell with a whole different perspective… His perspective
We need to begin to behave like we are born again believers in Jesus Christ
We need to stop living in the flesh, that died at Calvary… LET’S TRULY LIVE!!!!!!!
In Closing I don’t want to leave you with an oath or pledge from this world we live in BUT RATHER a challenge and mission cry from the POWERFUL and EQUIPPING Word of God… 1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.