Text: 2 Cor 5: 18-20 Date: 22/9//24
Introduction:
Our anchor for September is remembering my identity. On the first Sunday, we identified four key characteristics of a believer’s identity:
Child of God
Believer
Ambassador
Winner
Today, we look at exercising ambassadorial authority.
Ambassadorial Authority
Authority is very important, and its utilisation is crucial to the survival, stability and growth of individuals, organisations and society.
The position of ambassador is a very important one. An ambassador is an authorised representative of a country sent on mission to another country. An ambassador has authority to exercise in his country of posting.
Who is an Ambassador?
Authorised representative of a country sent on mission to another country.
Spokesperson or representative with authority to speak to the authorities of another country
Represents the country’s interest: visa, trade etc
Messenger of the country
Accountable to his own country
Authority
Authority is the lawful right to enforce obedience
Authority and Power: Authority is legal but power may be illegal eg Police and Armed robber
We are ambassadors for Christ 2 Cor 5: 17-21
2 Cor 5: 17-21-Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (KJV)
We are not citizens of this world. We are citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20-But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ (NIV)
God has called us out of this world John 15:19-If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (NIV)
We are aliens in the country where we live (Heb 11: 13- All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. (NIV)
We are ambassadors for Christ 2 Cor 5: 20
We are accountable to heaven 2 Cor 5:10-For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (NIV)
Our authority as Ambassadors
Our authority is from heaven. We represent the King of Kings
We speak the message of reconciliation and love to the unsaved world
We represent heavenly interest: to depopulate the Kingdom of darkness
We are messengers of heaven
- Exercising ambassadorial authority
To have dominion (Gen 1:26) ( 7 Areas of dominion: Religion; Economy and Finance; Entertainment, Arts and Culture; Governance and Politics; Education; Media and Family)
To represent Jesus
To give the message of reconciliation and love
- Challenge
Too much hatred and wickedness in our country
Too many unsaved in our land
We need the message of reconciliation and love
- Conclusion
If you are a born again child of God, you are an ambassador of Jesus Christ. You are a representative of heaven. You have authority from heaven to represent Jesus Christ on earth. You need to exercise your ambassadorial authority for people of the world to see and glorify your father in heaven.
Prayer Point
Father, empower me to exercise my authority as Ambassador of Jesus Christ.