2 Corinthians 5:20 - Ambassadors for Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT) So we are
Christs ambassadors; God is making his appeal
through us. We speak for Christ when we plead,
Come back to God!
WORD STUDY
We are pictured as ambassadors for Christ.
Ambassadors are a small but important class of people.
They go wherever they are sent to represent their
government. Often they must venture into a culture that
differs greatly from their own. Their work demands
tact and diplomacy, as well as frankness and
courage. Their duty is to guard jealously the
interests and the reputations of their home country.
What a fitting metaphor for those who represent
the kingdom of heaven! Adult SS Quarterly
Sep. 19, 2004
COMMENTARY PEARL
God's Best Commercial
Can you guess the most watched TV show
ever in the United States? The answer is the
Super Bowl. Which one? you ask. Super Bowls are
old pros at setting records. Super Bowl XLIV
(that's forty-four for you non-Romans) witnessed the
New Orleans Saints defeating the Indianapolis
Colts. The Saints not only won their first
championship, but also helped break a record for most
watched show - with 106.5 million viewers - that had
stood since 1983 when 106 million people saw the
final episode of M.A.S.H. (ask your parents about
this popular TV show that ran from 1972 to 1983).
The 2011 Super Bowl garnered 111 million
viewers. And the 2012 Super Bowl did even better with
111.3 million people tuning in. The 2013 Super
Bowl dropped down to 108 million viewers, but is
still one of the all-time most seen shows.
While footballs championship game can be
exciting, a lot of people watch for the commercials.
Advertisers often bring out their best and funniest
commercials for the Super Bowl. And they'd better,
because it costs big money to appear during the big
game. For a thirty-second spot during the 2012
Super Bowl, companies paid $3.5 million! Of
course, advertisers know what they're doing. During
many shows, the commercials get skipped or muted.
But fans actually turn up their sets to see
Super Bowl advertisements.
Companies know the power of a good ad.
During a 2012 playoff game between the Denver
Broncos and New England Patriots, the Christian
ministry Focus on the Family paid for a commercial
that featured children reciting John 3:16.
Millions watched as kids told them God loved them so
much that he sent his only Son to die so they
could have eternal life.
Commercials to promote Christianity
aren't limited to TV screens. You are God's best
commercial. Second Corinthians 5:20 says, "We are
therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were
making his appeal through us." God wants us to be a
walking commercial for him. Commercials effectively
tell a message in a little bit of time. We should
do the same.
Think about your words and actions in the
last week. When people spent time with you, what
message did they receive? Were you kind? Did you put
others needs above your own? As you live your life
for Jesus, remember that people are watching to
see what it means to be a Christian. So always
be thinking: What can I do to be a powerful
walking commercial for God? [Case For Christ For
Kids by Les Strobel]
COMMENTARY
Our King is on a mission. He isn't
content with the current population of His realm.
There are people who were designed to relate to
Him who nevertheless are at odds with Him and
standing outside His domain. Many kings would let
them go, but not ours. He's a rescuer at heart.
He will pursue the ones who can still respond
to Him. He will gather all He intends to
gather.
How does He do that? Through us. The
sovereign God could reach them entirely on His own,
but He has decreed another way. He has
commissioned His own citizens to build bridges - even to
be the bridges - of reconciliation between Him
and those who don't know Him. Why? Perhaps
because long ago in a garden, He designed those in
His image to steward His creation. A tempter
exploited that privileged position, but the mandate
hasn't changed. Human beings are still the stewards
of this planet's welfare. Whether or not that's
the reason, the mission is clear. God's people
are His ambassadors, and He has never offered a
plan B. Those who have been reconciled become the
carriers of reconciliation. We make appeals as though
God Himself were working through us. Because He
is.
The reconciled are meant to be an
everexpanding community because we are called to be
representatives of the rescuing God. Not all of us take on
that mission, but the mission still stands. Paul
emphasized that Christ's love compelled him to pursue
the yet-to-be-reconciled in our world, implying
that if we've experienced that love for ourselves
and sensed it for others, well be compelled
to do the same. And he's right; the more we
bask in the love of the Lord, the less we're able
to keep it to ourselves. Kingdom ambassadors
are driven by the heart of the King. [The One
Year Heaven On Earth Devotional by Chris
Tiegreen]
Our six-year-old twin grandsons are
playing T-ball this year. One plays shortstop, and
he knows there is almost always a force out at
second base. When he gets the ball, which is often,
he runs right to second base. Sometimes he gets
there first, and the runner is out. Other times
the runner gets there first and is safe. The
interesting thing is that no matter who gets there
first, my grandson's reaction is always the same -
sheer joy! With hands raised in the air, he jumps
up and down, as proud as he can be just to be
in the game.
What a lesson for me! Why can't I be
joyful even when things don't go the way I want
them to? James, the brother of Jesus, said that
we should consider it all joy when we face
trials and tribulations. James acknowledges that
there will be stumbles, setbacks, and some lack of
success in every race. But the important thing is
that God has chosen us to be in the game!
No one but Jesus plays a perfect game.
But because he did, we are all winners. Thats
a lot to be joyful about.
Father God, thank you for choosing me to
play on your team. It is the greatest thrill of
my life. In Jesus' name, Amen. [Celebrate
Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny Baker]
ONE LINER
God is not saving the world; it is done. Our
business is to get men and women to realize it.
Oswald Chambers
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF
JESUS
1st of 28: Divine Dining:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY
