Sermon Tone Analysis

We have been talking about being a follower for the last 3 weeks.

We learned that Followers fish.

We also learned that we are ambassadors for the Lord.

I want to talk about being an Ambassador

YOUR ROLE AS AMBASSADOR

1.

I represent Jesus to the world.

Difference between your career and your calling… job and your vocation.

You might work in sales, in service, in administration, in medicine, in management…

You might work at Taco Bell, but you are not called to TB

You might work at West Jeff or Ochsner, but you are not called to WJ

You may work in sales, but you are not called to sales

Vocation - latin voice - your voice is your calling.

ILL - lady one time said she was an ambassador for Jesus disguised as a basketball coach.

What’s your disguise?

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are called to be an ambassador for Jesus.

You might be disguised as a mom, as a nurse, as a truck driver, a plant worker, a salesman… whatever, but that’s not your calling.

Your calling is to be an ambassador.

screen only for all of this...

He called us to be His people

He called us to be his friends

He called us to be Holy

He called us into fellowship with Jesus

He called us to be an ambassador

He called us to live in peace

He called us to be like Jesus

He called us to suffer for him for doing good

He called us to bless those who curse you

He called us to eternal life

He called us to share in his glory

That’s your calling, not your career, but its your calling.

We are representatives of Christ.

We are ambassadors.

If you are going to be an ambassador for Jesus, it’s going to affect the way you live.

Walk the walk.

Don’t tell people you are a follower and then follow the devil everywhere.

Everyday when we get up we need to remember, we represent Jesus.

When pastor Kathy was young, her dad would send her to school and tell her, you are the only Jesus some of these kids will see.... lot of pressure, but true.

Remember we represent Jesus.

If you name the name of Jesus, you are an ambassador and we are represent Jesus one way or the other.

Paul said to live a life worthy of our calling.

2. I’ve been given a mission.

Ambassadors are sent on what’s called diplomatic missions.

Embassies are called permanent missions.

The ambassador is on a mission… to wherever.

We all have a mission.

The moment we receive Jesus, He gives us a mission to be ambassadors for Him to the world.

When you are on a mission, you are not there to enjoy the scenery or to build a permanant house, etc.

You are there to do a mission.

Our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq are not on a sightseeing tour, they are on a mission.

They were sent by our country to do a job.

We have all been give a mission too.

Of all the missions in the world, ti’s the most important because it involves people’s eternal destiny.

People will only be here 70 to 100 years or so, but we will live somewhere for eternity… heaven or hell.

Paul said the most important thing to him was to complete the mission God gave him.

At the end of his life, he was able to say that he had completed his race… his mission.

He did what God sent him to do.

Will you and I be able to say that?

when you stand before God, saying I didn’t know I had one will not fly.

You do.

You have a mission.

3. I have been given authority to speak.

The devil will try to make you thik you are not worthy or able to speak for Jesus.

He will often time make you believe that you should not speak for Jesus.

Jesus not only has given you a mission, but He empowers you to to complete that mission.

This is the Great Commission.

It was not just given to pastors, evangelists, elders, missionaries, but to all of us.

He has given us this commission to go and speak for him.

He also said that he has all authority and he is giving that to us to go out…

Ambassadors are given power to represent the government… our country.

Plenipotentiary is a diplomatic term that means full power.

During the Revolutionary War, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were both plenipotentiaries to both France and to England; which means they were authorized by our young government to sign treaties without it even having to be approved by congress.

That’s how much power they were given.

They were saying we give you the authorization to make the offer on our behalf without having to check back with us.

Today, many countries call these people ministers… minister of state, war, commerce...

A minister is someone who has been authorized to act on behalf of someone else.

Here is the cool thing… you are a minister of Jesus, and you are authorized to speak to others for him.

Every believer is a minister.

4. I serve in a foreign culture.

If you are a Follower of Jesus, your home is not earth.

This is where your mission is, but it’s not your home.

Heaven is your home and your identity is in eternity.

You will only be here on your mission field for a few years, but you will spend eternity in heaven of you are a follower of Jesus.

Our ambassador to Israel doesn’t live in USA, they live in Israel… they don’t get to live in their home country while there are on their mission… nether do we.

During the cold war, our ambassadors lived in communist countries who were our enemies and who were tyring to bring our country down.

An ambassador not only lives in a foreign country, but in a foreign culture, a hostile culture...

You and I are ambassadors for Jesus and this world is not our home… we are just passing through.

Peter is saying don’t get comfortable here in this world… it’s only temporary.

You are an ambassador and you are just passing through.

During this time, we are to represnet the Lord to others.

Someone onetime said, Christians ought to carry green cards because we are from a foreign place… heaven.

So, What am I supposed to do here on earth?

Why does Jesus leave us here after we are saved?

To be an Ambassador.

He leaves you here to tell somebody else.

You’re going to heaven because someone told you.

Have you been an ambassador to someone else?

As an Ambassador you have three responsibilities...

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Live as an example.

The very first thing God wants you to do when trying to help other people is to be a good example of his character qualities - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, meekness, self control.