Sunday, August 2, 2020

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Be God’s Ambassador

As a pastor, I am given opportunities each and every day to either provide God’s message of love and salvation to someone who wants to have a relationship with God or listen to someone’s testimony of how he or she came to have a relationship with God. In either case, I act as God’s ambassador by preaching or listening. Both activities are equally important in our daily walk with the Lord.

By listening to others, God provides His message of love and salvation. Each person who receives Jesus as his or her personal Savior and Lord has a different experience. In my many years, I have heard or read thousands of individual stories of how God spoke to people. Some have experienced the beginning of their relationships quietly while in a church, maybe for the first time. Others may receive God’s love and gift of salvation through a traumatic experience. Each story is very important to all members of God’s family. When we listen to their testimonies, we see God has a special and unique relationship with each person. Each person is special to Him and He treats us His children.

It is through that special and unique relationship that we build upon that foundation that God gave us through His son, Christ Jesus. Jesus is not only that foundation but he is also the cornerstone of our faith. It is upon those elements that we are able to build and improve our lives and our relationship with the Father. Each day is an opportunity to truly take a close walk with Him.

As we continue to grow in our faith, we are given the opportunity to share our stories with all who want to listen. Many will hear the words and not respond or the words may fall on deaf ears. Over time, the seeds that we plant in a person’s heart may grow and yield fruit. As we share our stories with fellow Christians, we help build the body by providing encouragement to others.

With everything that is going on in the world today, fellow Christians, more than ever, need to be encouraged and strengthened daily. It is so easy to be worn down by all of the events that we see in the world. Between violence and the virus, our lives are filled with bad news and stories of horror. We need to stop listening to those stories and listen to the testimonies of other Christians. Their words will help us build upon the foundation and cornerstone given to us through the blood of Christ Jesus.

Instead of listening to all of the bad news that comes at us from all sides, we need to remember the words of John.

John, in chapter five of his first letter, writes, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” 
 
When you look at the definition of ambassador, you will discover that an ambassador coordinates activities between one organization and another. In the case of a government ambassador, he or she must coordinate activities between two governments. This coordination not only includes talking with another government but also listening to the needs and requests of the other government.

As God’s ambassadors, we share His message to all those who walk in darkness as well as those needing encouragement. You can see just how important it is for us to be God’s ambassadors through sharing and receiving His love and salvation. We remind our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus that we are no longer part of this evil world and have achieved victory through our faith.

The message that we share is very simple and easy to share with all. In fact, the message is not ours; it is God’s message.

In chapter five of his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul writes, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”

So, as you go through the rest of this week, I ask you to share God’s message by being His ambassador. Share the Good News with all and share the message of victory with those who have been weakened by temptation or strife. By sharing and receiving God’s message, we plant seeds in the hearts of those who walk in darkness and encourage those who are struggling in their walk with the Lord. When you act as God’s ambassador, you will be doing His will and able to stand firm in His grace.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 

No comments:

Post a Comment