You Are Christ's Ambassadors

Introduction

A. There are two questions which almost all people ask during their lifetime. Sometimes these two questions are asked more than once. As we go through transitions in life, we may ask these same two questions with each transition. The two questions are intertwined. The second question is answered in light of the first. Thus, one may surmise that the first question is of first importance. Here is the first question: Who am I? This question is not as easily answered as some would believe. This question is not about your name, gender, or nationality. This question has to do with an understanding of your values, your character, and your personality. This question is often asked at challenging times and times of uncertainty. We must answer this question before we can answer the second question.

B. The second question is this: What is my purpose? Until we are able to answer the first question then we cannot answer truthfully the second. Many try to answer the second question before understanding the first and thus move in directions that are not satisfying leading to frustration and imbalance. These two questions are particularly challenging to those who are not disciples of Jesus. And the questions are often asked with greater frequency. To validate who one is for those who are not disciples means that experiences determine the answer to the first question: who am I. This is answering the second question before the first. This is to get things backward. For if we allow experience to determine who we are then our purpose is driving our understanding of our values.

C. Let me take this from the realm of thinking into the realm of practicality. A person who answers the second question first, will usually answer the first question with a series of answers that describe what they do. Who are you? is followed with I am an accountant, a husband, a father, and a friend. But the emphasis in the answer is on what one does not who they are. For the disciple the answer to the first question sounds different. The disciple of Jesus answers the first question with an understanding of God’s definition of who we are. God says we are his children, his friends, the carriers of his image, his salt and light in this world. This answer says something about our values, our character and our personality while the one who is not a disciple answers in terms of function which is the answer to the second question.

D. For the disciple when we understand who we are then we can move to the answer about function. For as a disciple our purpose comes from God’s definition of who we are. This may all seem rather complicated. We may not have thought about our lives in this way. But we can all think about times when we have had to decide what was really important to us in a challenging situation (this is the first question) and once having decided what was important to us acted in ways that were consistent with that decision (the answer to the second question). In terms of our faith, our walk with God, these two questions are asked and answered in our text tonight. Paul tells us who we are and then states our purpose in light of who we are. Let’s look at the text.

The Text

A. In this text, Paul intersperses the two questions. But it is obvious that the answer to the first question is driving the answer to the second question. Which is the point of the text. He says in verse 11, “what we are is plain to God and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.” He has written something similar in 4:2. In that text he says that we speak the truth plainly so that each person’s conscience can see the validity of the message and the truthfulness of Paul’s character. Paul says who we are is plain to see for those who want to see it. In verses 12–19 he goes on to explain how who he is affects his purpose. But he returns to who his is in verse 20 with a very clear and plain statement. “We are Christ’s ambassadors.”

B. Knowing who he is helps him to know what he is to do. The answering of the first question drives the response to the second. Being Christ’s ambassador means that what is seen is not as important as what is from the heart (v. 12). Being Christ’s ambassador means that what was old is now new (v. 17). All of this helps to answer to the question who am I. We are people who are not concerned about the trappings of this world but about what is going on in the heart. We are people who do not hang out to the past but are thankful for a new present and future because of God’s love through Christ.

C. So if we know who we are then what is our purpose. Our purpose is found in verse 15. We no longer live for ourselves but for him who was raised from the dead. It isn’t about us anymore. It isn’t about what we want. It is about what Christ wants. God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Once we recognize who we are then we know what our purpose is. We are Christ’s ambassadors to bring the message of reconciliation to others. That which made us Christ’s ambassadors is that which motivates us to use our new found purpose. Verse 14—our motivation comes from Christ’s love. His love motivates us to act with intent and purpose to be who we are—Christ’s ambassadors.

So What?

A. What does this mean for us and to us? When we discover who we are, then that eliminates other possibilities. We are not here to see how much we can amass; we are not here to see how comfortable we can be; we are not here to be connoisseurs of fine wines, restaurants, or vacation spots; we are not here to for power; we are not here for leisure. While any of these can and will occur in the life of the disciple, none of these things define us. As God’s disciples we allow God to define us so that verse 16 we no longer regard anyone from a worldly point of view. No longer do we look at people for what they can do for us but what we can do for them.

B. Being God’s ambassadors means that we look for ways to help, to assist, to aid, to reconcile. But we at times lose sight. We define ourselves in ways that are not consistent with God’s view.

1.  We do not value sharing the message of reconciliation instead we value our comfort and lack of embarrassment. Instead of seeing ourselves as Christ's ambassadors, we define ourselves by feeling good.

2.  We do not value the message of reconciliation instead we value that we have assemblies that make us feel good.

3.  We do not value the message of reconciliation, instead we value being accepted by peers.

4.  We spend too much time and energy trying to maintain buildings, and funding projects and not enough time and energy living out who we are. The danger is that the buildings and the projects take our time and then we begin to believe this is why we exist.

5.  Our purpose is found in sharing the message of reconciliation. Any method devised, any tradition held onto, any attempt made to reach our community must be fueled by this purpose.

C. We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is making his appeal to others through us. We must not lose sight of who we are and why we are here. All the methods tried; all the traditions fought for; find their meaning in these two questions. No method or tradition is an ample substitute for one person knowing who he/she is and knowing his/her purpose is to share the message of reconciliation. May each of us become that person. Prayer.

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