Ambassadors For Christ 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Isaiah 52:7 2 Peter 3:9 Isaiah 40:9-10 Matthew 28:18-20 Ephesians 6:14-15 Ephesians 6:19-20 Philippians 2:12-18 Romans 10:13-15 03.21.18

AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

BREAD

¹⁴ For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. ¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ 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. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.   2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (NIV)

⁷ How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”  Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

⁹ You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”  ¹⁰ See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.  Isaiah 40:9-10 (NIV)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  Ephesians 6:14-15 (NIV)

¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.  Ephesians 6:19-20 (NIV)

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. ¹⁴ Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe ¹⁶ as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. ¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.   Philippians 2:12-18 (NIV)

¹³ For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”   Romans 10:13-15 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Not called!” did you say? “Not heard the call,” I think you should say.  Put your ear down to the Bible and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to the pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world!”   William Booth

“Oftentimes we don't like to say the words Hell and judgment, because people will get offended. So we hide that part of the gospel message. Listen, the word gospel means good news. But before someone can fully appreciate the Good News, they need to know all about the bad news. Jesus did not come to be an additive in our lives. He did not come just to give us warm, fuzzy emotional feelings. Jesus primarily came to deliver us from eternal judgment in Hell. Things like happiness, peace, and joy are fringe benefits. The big issue is eternity. We must not be afraid to tell people the truth. We, like the apostle Paul, need to proclaim the whole counsel of God.”  Greg Laurie

“When we understand our great need for God and the unthinkable price Jesus paid for our freedom, there is only one appropriate response: an offering. So we offer ourselves as a "living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1). And by God's grace, we have received His Spirit that we might live in a way that pleases the lover of our soul (see Romans 8:5-11).”   Michael Youssef

“Be One.... who has a model life; a mentor with a message; an approved workman who correctly handles God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15); who does his best (2 Timothy 2:15, 4:9,21); who guards the Gospel (2 Timothy Chapter 1); who suffers for the Gospel (2 Timothy Chapter 2); who continues in the Gospel (2 Timothy Chapter 3); who preaches the Gospel (2 Timothy Chapter 4); who pours out his life as a drink offering (2 Timothy 4:6); who fights the good fight of faith (2 Timothy 4:7); who has a fixed focus, firm stand, and a faithful finish (2 Timothy 4:7).”   Donna Evans

“Jesus gave all His followers – not just a few - the immense privileged duty of the ministry of reconciliation.  He sent us to proclaim the Good News – with both our actions and words - that through His blood we no longer need remain alienated from God and even each other – wallowing in the filth of our sins, lacking significance, always coming up wanting.  His desire is for all to be turned back from our miserably sad point of departure – which we were all born into excepting Adam and Eve – to walk again in the garden, so to speak, in the cool of the day; to commune with Him; to be filled with the fullness and completeness that He alone gives and to experience the life that is truly life.  God greatly desires to bring back the lost wanderer to the former state of harmony that our original parents were privy to and He confoundly uses people like me and you to accomplish this great work.  That’s actually what the word reconcile means in Scripture – ‘to bring back to a former state of harmony.’  Christ’s blood reconciled us allowing those who would believe in Him the changing back to that time of no variance.  That amazing Truth is to be shared and not hoarded and He calls all of His followers to be faithful to the task.”   BHY 

“But when I think of him (Billy Graham) I also think of his message because he was immersed in it.  Saturated in it.  He was his message…a simple man who had responded to God’s love by placing his faith in Jesus, receiving the assurance that his sins were forgiven, that he would not perish, but would have everlasting life.  Simple faith.  Faith that now matters more than anything else.  For years, over his head as he preached was the banner that quoted the words of Jesus: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  Jesus completed that sentence by saying that “No one comes to the Father but by Me.”   Based on what Jesus said, Daddy is safely with the Father.  In heaven.  Daddy not only claimed Jesus as the only Way to God, he lived by the Truth publicly on platforms and privately behind closed doors and is now enjoying real Life.  I have often stated that I was raised by a single parent because ministry took my father away from our family – for weeks and months at a time.  Daddy estimated that he was gone from home approximately 60 percent of his children’s growing-up years.  Now, he has left again.  This time, he will not be coming back.  At least, not until Jesus does, too.  While he may be physically absent and his voice silent, I am confident that his message will continue to reverberate throughout the generations to come.  My prayer on this day of his move to Our Father’s House is that his death will be a rallying cry.  That tens of thousands of pastors, teachers, evangelists, and ordinary men and women will rise up to take his place.  That they will take up his message like a baton being passed in a relay race and faithfully pass it on to those with whom they come in contact.  Because Daddy’s message is God’s message.  And it’s a message of genuine hope for the future, of love for the present, of forgiveness for the past.  It’s a message, when received, that brings a fresh beginning, unshakable joy, unexplainable peace, eternal significance, meaning and purpose in life, and opens Heaven’s door.”  Ann Graham Lotz    

HEART SAVOR

·         If we are children of the King, we are called to the high calling of ministers of reconciliation.  God desires that we are faithful to the call in each of our spheres of influence.

·         God desires for none to perish but for all to come to repentance.

·         Christ’s love compels us to action because we are convinced that One died for all and therefore all died.  And He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him Who died for them and was raised again.