Jesus’ Ambassadors
An all-creatures Bible Message

Jesus’ Ambassadors
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
13 May 2018
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Psalm 93:1-5
John 17:12-19
Acts 1:15-26

Jesus’ ambassadors are those of us who truly believe and have the faith to live and act as His representatives to the world around us in everything that we do and say.
 
Through the power of the Holy Spirit within us, others should hear and see Jesus in us; just as the people some two thousand years ago saw and heard Jesus in person.
 
This is what it means to be Jesus’ ambassadors.
 
Today is also Ascension Sunday, which is to be a remembrance of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, which proves that He is who He says He is, and we who are Jesus’ ambassadors are to help others believe in Him, and live as peacemaking children of God who do everything in their power to free creation from its present corruption, including the suffering and death that causes millions of humans and billions of animals to suffer and die every year.
 
This is all part of what it means to be Jesus’ ambassadors.
 
Even though Psalm 93:1-5 was written a thousand years before Jesus was born into this world, it reflects how Jesus’ ambassadors view almighty God.

1. The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
 
2. Thy throne is established from of old;
Thou art from everlasting.

Is this the way we also view God?
 
We hope so…

3. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their pounding waves.

The floods were supposed to wash away all the sins of the world, but as we know the ways of the world came through the flood in the bodies and minds of the people on the ark, for even “righteous” Noah gave into the corrupt ways of this world and sacrificed some of the animals, which is not in the heavenly will of God.
 
And this action prompted God to say that humans are evil from their youth, and this evilness has carried forward to this very day.
 
This is the evil that Jesus’ ambassadors have to constantly take a stand against.
 
So the psalmist continues…

4. More than the sounds of many waters,
Than the mighty breakers of the sea,
The LORD on high is mighty.
 
5. Thy testimonies are fully confirmed;
Holiness befits Thy house,
O LORD, forevermore.
NASB

This is all true, but evil is still strong in the world, which Jesus’ ambassadors have to take a stand against.
 
And we hope and pray that we are willing to do this.
 
In John 17:12-19, Jesus tells of His love and care of His followers; however, today, we are to be Jesus’ ambassadors, which means that we are to represent Him and His work and actions.

12. "While I [Jesus] was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

There are two things that we need to look at: are we strong enough in the Lord to protect ourselves from the devil and the corrupt ways of this world, and are we able to help others do the same thing, in a similar way that Jesus did?
 
If any part of this is “No” then we need to return to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to strengthen us.

13. "But now I come to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
 
14. "I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Do we feel this hatred or rejection from the world because we are living in the heavenly will of God and care about the whole of creation and eat only the plant foods that God created for us to eat?
 
Then we are most likely on the correct path: the one that leads to eternal life with the Lord in heaven.

15. "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

Do we pray for others in the same way?
 
If so, we are doing what the Lord desires.
 
However, we do ask the Lord to take the animals out of the world, because of all the pain and suffering that is inflicted by uncaring and hard of heart people in this world.

16. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
 
17. "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.
 
18. "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

And we strongly believe that the Lord has sent us into the world to tell the truth, and live the example before them of God’s heavenly will as it is in heaven as a witness against them and their actions.

19. "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
NASB

And we all should be trying to do the same things.
 
In Acts 1:15-26, we can see Peter being one of Jesus’ ambassadors just as we should be.

15. And at this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,

Many people are afraid to stand up and speak to a group of people, but this is something that Jesus’ ambassadors don’t fear to do, because they are filled with God’s perfect heavenly love which casts out all fear.
 
Fear is really of the world, but perfect love is from heaven.

16. "Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
 
17. "For he was counted among us, and received his portion in this ministry."

Unfortunately, there are many evil people in the world around us, and many of them disguise themselves as believing church members, but Jesus’ ambassadors can easily spot them by the animal products they eat and wear, because if these people truly had heavenly love, they would also have compassion and empathy for the whole of creation and could not participate in the suffering and death of any living being.  

18. (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
 
19. And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
 
20. "For it is written in the book of Psalms,
'Let his homestead be made desolate,
And let no man dwell in it';
and,
'His office let another man take.'

So what did the other disciples do after the death of Judas?
 
Peter tells us…

21. "It is therefore necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us — 
 
22. beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He [Jesus] was taken up from us —  one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection." 

The person they select must also be one of Jesus’ ambassadors, because only such a person can truly represent the teachings of Jesus and the heavenly will of God, with meaning, in this corrupt and evil world.

23. And they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.
 
24. And they prayed, and said, "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen
 
25. to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."

Even Jesus’ ambassadors need to pray about the decisions they are about to make, just as Jesus prayed to His Father.

26. And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
NASB

None of the original disciples of Christ are with us today, but the Holy Spirit is, and He has been selecting and guiding others to become Jesus’ ambassadors.
 
Can we count ourselves among them?
 
We hope and pray we are, for this is the only way we are going to be able to truly bring God’s heavenly will to earth as it is in heaven.
 
Amen.

Happy Mother’s Day

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