Let us turn in our Bibles to Second Corinthians, chapter 5, Second Corinthians, chapter 5. We’ll begin reading at verse 14. Second Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 14. The topic that we’ve been looking at and will continue to look at over the past several weeks of chapel is what it means to be an ambassador. I walked your halls today. Everywhere I look, I see ambassadors. I see it on some of your clothing. I see that it is the mascot of Agape Christian Academy.

But it’s so possible to be so familiar with something that it loses its luster, its significance, its meaning, or possibly to have the wrong idea about it altogether. So we are striving to drive home the point of what an ambassador is. So, 2nd Corinthians 5:14. The apostle Paul is writing to the church at Corinth this. Now his third letter to them. One letter was not recorded and was not preserved. So this is actually second Corinthians, but it’s actually third Corinthians. So we have in verse 14, for the love of Christ controls us. Because we have concluded this, that one has died for all. Therefore all have died. And he died for all that all those who might live might no longer live for themselves, but for him, who for their sake died and was raised.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, and, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who, through Christ, reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ. God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, listen to this. We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God for our sake. He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Do you see it there?

Therefore, we are ambassadors Christ. We are the ambassadors for Christ as well as ambassadors of Christ. So we ask God to bless the reading of his word to the hearing of our ears, that by His Spirit we might take it and apply it in our lives. It’s In Christ’s name we all pray. Amen. We are thankful for the love of Christ, are we not? Did you notice what it says about the love of Christ in verse 14? For the love of Christ controls us. It constrains us. In reality, the word there means to seize. The love of Christ seizes us. You see, it’s one thing to sing about the love of Christ. It’s one thing to even speak of the love of Christ, but it’s another thing to be gripped by the love of Christ.

And the apostle Paul, writing here to the Corinthian Church, is letting them know that the love of Christ lays hold of us. It arrests us, it seizes us. And because of the effect that the love of Christ has for us and in us, then it leads to our loving Christ more and better. And, and also to loving each other more and better. There is an effect to the love of Christ as the love of Christ seizes us. And as you studied last week as ambassadors are to be disciples of Christ. That it is Christ likeness that we are to pursue that for all of eternity. God’s intention is for him to have for himself a people that is conformed into the image of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

And so the love of Christ then compels us, it constrains us, it seizes us, leading us to love Christ and to love each other. Now, in verses 15 to 20, we’re going to spend a lot of time today, but in verses 15 to 20 tells of that great work that he did for us. You see, when we speak of Christ’s love for us is an act of love. And therefore it led him to action. What is that action that it led Christ to do? Well, it led him to die in the place of sinners. And so that’s where in verse 15, he died for all that all those who lived might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake was raised.

So that great work that he did for us is now translated in us when we are seized by his love. It translates that there is a great work done in us. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things become new. And then it leads us, then the love of Christ that He has proven and. And what he has done for us, and that great work that he begins in us then leads us for him to love through us. And that brings us to the topic of an ambassador. So it is what Christ has done for us. It’s the work that he does in us, and it’s the work that he does through us. And so what is an ambassador?

An ambassador is an official position, a a high ranking authority who represents one government, one authority in its dealings with another government, another authority, except an ambassador is one who deals with that other government on its own soil. So an ambassador is never doing his work at home. An ambassador is always doing his work, her work, on foreign soil, on a foreign territory. And so ambassadors then represent their government. It’s not themselves that they represent, it’s the government, it’s the authority, it’s the king who they represent. And furthermore, an ambassador may be one who is just sent on a particular errand and in order to deliver a message.

And we have that throughout, for example, the Old Testament, where emissaries are sent, or what we would call ambassadors are sent to represent their government to a foreign power, maybe to parlay for peace or to petition for peaceful resolution to war or something along that line. And so they are an ambassador, even though it’s just one message, it’s only one time that they’re sent, but nevertheless they are an ambassador. But more, and most likely, as Paul means it here in Second Corinthians, an ambassador in the official context is one who is permanently installed in that foreign land. And then that representative of that government then stays in an embassy, which is a representative. It is sovereign soil on foreign land. And so we have churches in our communities, don’t we? Faithful churches, gospel believing churches.

Those are embassies. Those are buildings that belong to a different kingdom. Those are communities that belong to a different kingdom. And each of the parts of that church community is considered to be an ambassador. And thus they are representatives of a foreign, of a different kingdom. And so the ambassador has a message that is received from an authority, the authority of their home government. It’s not their own. And they have a work that is entrusted to them. It is not their own work. They do not do what they think is best. They do what the king or the authorities tell them to do. And for the most part, ambassadors are present when governments are on friendly relations. But that’s not always the case.

Sometimes there’s tension, sometimes there’s strife between governments, but yet the ambassador remains put, because as long as that ambassador is there’s always hope for communication, there’s always hope for peace. And one of the final things that is a precursor to war, one of the final things that a government will do before they attack their enemy is that they will remove Their ambassadors, when they find it completely untenable that they can no longer leave their ambassadors there, they must bring them home. And then war will ensue. Well, we live in a time of war, don’t we? We live in a time when things can get dicey, but yet here we are. And we say we’re ambassadors. You see, as long as ambassadors are present, the hope remains for peaceful relations and for a possible end of hostility.

And so ambassadors then will relay terms for peace. They will relay the will of their king, of their authority, of their government. They will relay to the foreign government where they find themselves. They will relay the intentions of the sending government and the sending authority. That’s what an ambassador does. And you say, well, that’s good and proper for you. But, you know, I thought this was a chapel service. And I thought were studying the Bible. Paul says we’re ambassadors for Christ. Paul says we’re ambassadors of Christ, for Christ. And therefore we have been given a message and we are to represent our king. And we’re on foreign soil. Do you see how this plays in? We are indeed ambassadors. And it is an apt term for the Christian. It is an apt term for the Christian that we don’t belong to this world.

We’re in this world, but we’re foreigners and strangers. The Bible tells us we are in this world, but we belong. And in this kingdom. But we belong to a different kingdom. We have a different king. Remember that Jesus in Mark 1:15, he says, the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the Gospel. The kingdom of God is at hand. We serve a different king. We serve a different kingdom, and we represent that kingdom. And the reason that we represent that kingdom is because the king has come and he has loved us. And his love has laid hold of us. It has seized us, and he died. Because we recognize that he died for us and that’s the work that he has done for us. So it has an effect in us.

And as a result of us representing him, there’s a work that he does through us. There’s a work that he does through us. So in our Christian context, Paul says that we’re ambassadors for Christ. He means himself, he means his cohorts. But everyone who names the name of Christ, this would apply to. We’re also commissioned, are we not? Isn’t that what it says in Matthew 28? Jesus Christ, before he departs from this, after the resurrection, before he returns to the right hand of the throne of God, he says to them, all authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. All authority has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Have we not been commissioned? Is that not what he means in 1st Thessalonians when he tells us in chapter 2, verse 4? But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, an ambassador speaks on behalf of the one who has approved him to share that message. And so we speak. And we speak not to please man, but to please God, not to please a godless world. We speak so as to please the king of our kingdom. So as we come in here and we claim ourselves as ambassadors, we have to first and foremost understand this kingdom, this world in which we live is not. It’s not our home. It’s not where we belong. We belong somewhere else.

We’re just here to represent God. We have been commissioned to go to all the world with his message, that we have been entrusted by the Lord with this message. And it’s our duty. And so we have been given a mission, haven’t we? In 2nd Corinthians 5, verse 18. Look at this. Everybody look at verse 18. All this is from God, who, through Christ, reconciled us to himself and gave us the mystery of recon, or the ministry of reconciliation. We have been given this mission. We have been given this ministry because we’re ambassadors. It’s not ours. We’re representing our king. Secondly, we have been given a message. Look at the latter part of verse 19. Entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. We have been given a message. We have been given this message. That is not our message. The gospel is not our gospel.

Do you hear me? That which I have received of the Lord, I also shared with you is what the Apostle Paul says, that this precious gospel has been handed down. You got me over there, guys. This gospel that has been handed down now for generations, 2,000 years, it isn’t ours. It’s not ours to monkey with. It’s not ours to redefine. It’s not ours to mock. It’s not ours to ignore. If we’re ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we have been given this message. And we are to give it as it has been given to us. And this message is in light of the fact that we have been given a mission and a ministry in light of the fact that we have been given this message, therefore we are ambassadors.

And the only way that we can lay claim to the title of ambassador is if we have received that message and if we have received that ministry and that mission. And so because of that. Look at everybody. Look at verse 20. Therefore, we, as ambassadors for Christ, God is making his appeal through us. Do you see it through us? How is it that God is going to get his Gospel message that isn’t ours, that has been entrusted to us? How is it that he’s going to get that gospel message out into a lost and dying world? Anyone? I can’t hear you. Through us. Thank you, sir. Through us. How are you doing on that? It’s through us. It’s his message, but he delivers it through us. And that God is making his appeal through us.

So therefore, we implore you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. And we’ll talk about that next week. But look at our world. Our world is fallen, isn’t it? Our world is wicked. Our world is rebellious, yet God is kind. God is merciful. And he continues to offer his terms of peace to a hostile world. That as long as you and I are in this world, as long as we are ambassadors for Christ, there’s hope for reconciliation, there is hope for restoration, there is a hope for an end of hostilities. Because God has not removed his ambassadors from this world, from this nation, from this kingdom of darkness, there’s hope. The very fact that I look out here today and I see young people who are willing to lay claim to that title ambassador gives me hope.

It ought to give hope to the world. Even though the world hates us, mocks us, ridicules us, we are a sign to them that our God is a loving God. And that the same love that constrains and seized us is the same love that can seize and constrain them. Therefore, we do not lose heart in this. Look, the latter part of 20. His message will go forth. We implore you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. And so we have a representative role. It’s our conduct, it’s our character that must match the message. First, Thessalonians, chapter four. Finally. Then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus, that as you receive from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you were doing, that you would do so more and more.

Do you know how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord? Well, if you do, keep doing it well, we might know and not do. But if you are, if you’re doing it. The encouragement of the Apostle Paul is keep doing it as ambassadors. We don’t wake up today and say, I was an ambassador yesterday, but I’m not today. I’ll pick him back up tomorrow. No, we continue in this. And we know the instructions that were given to us through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification. That you abstain from sexual immorality. That each one of you know how to control his own body and holiness and honor. Not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. They’re of a different kingdom. We’re of this kingdom. We’re of God’s kingdom.

We’re ambassadors for Christ. Not in the passion of lust like those Gentiles. They don’t know God. That no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter. Because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us to impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man, but God, who gives the Holy Spirit to you. You have a message that you have been given. You have been given a mission. And if they despise your message, they’re not despising you, they’re despising God. Does it make sense to you whose message is. Is God’s message. And what is that message? That message is this.

For our sake, he made him Jesus to be sin, verse 21, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. That’s the message that needs to go forth. There is a great exchange that Christ makes possible. That he takes upon himself the vile filthiness and sinfulness of man. And he dies on an old rugged cross so that the wrath of God might be poured out on him. God the Father crushes God the Son, so that people like you and I might be able to look upon him and be healed of our sin. And that Christ perfect righteousness then would be. Would be transferred to us. What an exchange. All of us like a good deal, don’t we? We look at something. We want that new game. We want that new bike. We want this.

And we say man, that is a deal. I can’t pass that up. I have to buy this, and it’s too good to be true. But I’m going to take advantage of it. There is no greater deal than what Jesus Christ has offered us. I’ll take all of your sin. I’ll take all of your punishment. I’ll pay Your price. And I’ll give you all my righteousness and I’ll give you fellowship with the Father that I have. There is no greater gift. There’s no greater deal than this. So then we have a mission, a ministry, we have a message, and we have a representative role to live well. So then you, as ambassadors, what does this mean for you? As teenagers, as students, what does this mean? You know, what’s this bald headed, raspy voiced guy doing up here? He’s boring.

All he wants to talk about is that Bible. What does this mean for us? Well, it means as ambassadors. Ambassadors not of yourself, but of Christ. Ambassadors not of your family, but of Christ. Ambassadors really. Not even of your school, but of Christ. Not even ambassadors of your church, but primarily Christ first and foremost. And if we represent him well, we’ll represent our churches, our schools, our families, we’ll represent it all well. Ambassadors of Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, you must apply all of your effort to this great representative duty to represent the kingdom of God here on earth and the king of that kingdom. Whatsoever you do, the Bible says, do it as unto the Lord. So in your studies, then, as you gain education, you do this. You do it for this purpose, to represent God to a lost and dying world.

To represent his message, his ministry. To represent him well as you learn life skills, as you acquire wisdom, as you acquire experience in life. You do all of this primarily not so that you can make more money, not that you can be upwardly mobile, not that you can make mom and dad happy. Although I hope all those things are true for you. You. You do it primarily for the glory of God. To represent him well. When we represent him well, everything else will fall into place. And the din and the noise of this world grows strangely dim when our eyes are fixed upon Jesus. What is it that we ought to do with this then? We ought to represent our king. Well, we ought to represent him first.

We ought to represent him foremost because for our sake, he was made to be sin who knew no sin. He represented us at Calvary. He represented us at Calvary so that we can represent him now in newness of life. Your ambassadors now represent. Let’s pray, Father. I pray God that these young people would understand the immensity of the responsibility of representing you and your kingdom. But Father, they’re never asked to do this alone. It’s by your spirit that they can do it effectively. It’s only by submitted hearts and regenerated from within that we can do anything that you call us to do, Father. Let us know and realize that we have a king over our kingdom and that our king never rules over rebels.

So, Father, help us to submit ourselves to him and humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God, knowing that we represent you and we must do it well and do it to your glory. Father, I pray that you bless these young people that they would fix their eyes on Christ and that they would live representing him as ambassadors for Christ. It’s in his name that we pray. Amen. It.