Ambassadors

Read 2 Corinthians 5:20.

An ambassador represents the interests of a country in a foreign land.

  • In what ways would an ambassador’s job be limited without an embassy to work from?
  • If an ambassador did not personally represent the values of the country that sent him to the foreign land, what would be the likely response of the home country?
  • “We are ambassadors for Christ.” In what ways do believers represent the values and interests of God in a foreign land?

    Pentecost Sunday—The Birthday of the Church

    On Pentecost Sunday (May 31) we celebrated the birth of the church. Pentecost was a Jewish festival held 50 days after the beginning of Passover. In Acts 2 the believers are gathered on Pentecost; it is 40 days after the Resurrection and 10 days after the Ascension (a bit confusing!).

    Read Acts 2:1-4, 38-42.

    • According to Acts 2, how is the Church taking form on Pentecost Sunday?

    When you become a Christian, your first act of obedience is to be baptized

    by the church into the Church. This baptism publicly marks you as an ambassador for Christ. Your fellow believers will nurture you and protect you as you serve together the advance of the goal of the kingdom of God: to redeem the fallen world!

The Messy and Crucial Church

The Church is far from perfect because it is made up of imperfect people. Our common bond is our realization of our brokenness and our reception of Jesus as our Savior and Lord.
There will be some Christians—your brothers and sisters—with whom you will click and others with whom you will never quiet understand what makes them tick!

• In what ways has your church experience been both “messy” and “crucial”?

The Church, like an embassy, reflects the values of the kingdom of God. Prior to the Ascension, the New Testament declares Jesus to be the clearest representation on earth of God.
After the Ascension, the New Testament clearly portrays the Church as the physical representation of Christ on the earth. We are His body; we are His flock; we are His bride; we are His family.

• When people who are spiritual disconnected see our church at Trace Ridge, what qualities of God might they notice?

God specializes in using broken vessels to display His character. As we bump into each other in the messy Church, we are knocking off the ways of the world and polishing the reflection of the character of God. We learn to love God by loving people—messy, broken people.

Let us resolve to cherish our relationship with God’s Church and to serve faithfully and accurately as ambassadors for Christ.