As in the case of Isaiah, recorded in Isaiah 6, the death of a leader can certainly be used by God to cause those of us still living to stop, breathe deeply and consider our own lives.
Billy Graham has died. He lived 99 years on this earth. While none of us may fully agree on every point regarding his ministry, there is little disagreement with the fact that he was an international public figure that caused millions of people to consider their relationship with God. He was used by God to be a royal ambassador for God to this world. As we read the news stories and see his biography played out in media in the coming days, may God use this to cause us to consider two main questions in our lives regarding the Gospel. 1. Have I Accepted the Gospel for Myself: Are You Ready to Die When Your Time Comes? First, do you have a real and vital relationship with God through Jesus Christ? Have you repented of your sin, come to God for forgiveness based on the death, burial and resurrection Jesus? Have you called on the Lord Jesus Christ and invited him to come into your life and change you for eternity? If you have been considering starting a relationship with God and want to learn more, we invite you to contact us here today. Just let us know you have questions about a relationship with God. If you aren’t ready for a conversation just yet, click here to watch some short videos that will help you understand the Gospel better. Stay in touch if we can help. For those who have a real and consistent relationship with God, may the death of Billy Graham be used to inspire us to consider our personal responsibility to share the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. The news articles talk about how Billy Graham used all the new technology of the 20th century to spread God’s word. What are we doing with the powerful free tools of social media? How can we personally spread the Gospel more effectively and be a royal ambassador for Christ? 2. As a Christian, How Are You Doing With Your Responsibility As an Ambassador for Jesus and His Gospel Message? How often do you think of yourself as a representative of King Jesus? How much of your life is spent on the mission that he has given to you? Throughout the Bible we see many powerful metaphors to help us understand what it means to be the a Christian, and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. One of the best and most unsung metaphors is that the church (We are talking about the whole saved family of God here.) is the embassy of Christ and we, like Billy Graham are royal ambassadors. Consider, an embassy is: Embassy –
Ambassador –
Where is this concept found in the Bible? In Philippians and Ephesians, Paul refers to himself as a “citizen” of heaven and an ambassador for Christ. And perhaps most clearly, in 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reminds the church that they too are ambassadors and that God is “making his appeal” to the world through the church. God has called Christians to be his ambassadors, his authorized representatives; and he has called local churches to be embassies; groups of ambassadors that all have the same objective. Churches ought to be little localized outposts of the kingdom of God. Churches are supposed to look like, act like, and function in the same way that the kingdom of God does. Christians, as ambassadors, are likewise called to live the same kind of lives that we will when our citizenship in the future kingdom becomes complete. So, what exactly does that mean for us to be an ambassador of Christ and his Gospel? Who and what do we represent? Where is our “homeland”? How long are we on this mission? How are we supposed to go about it? 1. We represent a King and a kingdom As Christians, we no longer live for ourselves but for Christ and his kingdom. We should look different, act different, speak different, and live different than the culture in which we live. We should be representing Christ’s character, his love, his commands, and his purposes to the world around us. We have been sent to the foreign land of this world in order to represent our King and our kingdom’s interests. The problem is that most of us look just like everyone else. We spend our money the same way, we dress the same way, we talk the same way. But that isn’t the way it is supposed to be. Just like you can tell when someone isn’t a native to where you live, the world should be able to look at Christians and say, “That person clearly isn’t from here. Where are they from?” Would people say that of you? 2. We have the King’s authority Jesus sent his disciples out with his own power and authority in Luke 9. He has given the church the keys to the kingdom (Matthew 16) and told us that the gates of hell will not prevail against us and that it is through us that the “manifold wisdom of God” becomes known (Ephesians 2). He has gifted us with his Spirit so that we might possess his power and authority. He has not sent us out on this mission empty handed, for he has given us his very own authority. 3. We have the King’s protection We have been granted asylum as refugees. We fled from our former lives of slavery to sin and to the kingdom of God where we were granted access because of Jesus’ love and sacrifice on the cross. We have been given protection through our citizenship. Though we may be afflicted in every way, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, we will never be crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, destroyed, or totally overcome. As citizens of heaven, no matter what happens in this life, we have been given the promise that God is with us and our citizenship is secure. 4. We are on temporary assignment Like Billy Graham, we are resident representatives, but only for a while. This foreign land is not our home, for our true homeland is the city that God is preparing for us while we are away on the mission. We are always waiting and longing for the return of our King and our entry into the completed kingdom of God. Because this is true, we shouldn’t get too comfortable in this life because we won’t be here for long. If you were going on vacation, you would pack light. In the same way, we should “pack light” in this life and instead store up for ourselves treasure in heaven. This treasure is accumulated through obedience to Christ’s mission and message. 5. We are not to isolate from culture While the people of Israel were in Babylonian captivity, they were not called to isolate from culture but to seek the good of their neighbors and captors. Though we are called to represent Christ’s kingdom and interests in this world, that does not mean that we are to totally isolate from culture. We cannot possibly be successful ambassadors for Christ if we are not involved in, familiar with, and connected to the culture around us. We should understand, contribute to, and strive to better the culture while we are here in this land. We have a different King, a different mission, a different drive in life – but in order to represent our King and his kingdom, we must be a visible part of our culture. We are living in the culture, but not of the culture. We should not allow the evil culture of the world to live in us as God’s ambassadors. 6. We have the King’s mission and message In Matthew 28 and Mark 16 Jesus commissioned his disciples and believers everywhere of all time for a specific task – to go, baptize, teach, and declare the message of reconciliation to the world. Our mission is to declare the gospel message to the foreign land around us so that they too might become citizens of the kingdom. God has entrusted to us, as stewards, the treasure of the gospel that we are to share with the world. We are to be a city on a hill, a light in the darkness, drawing people toward Christ. So, as you watch the news and consider Billy Graham’s life, perhaps you will ponder your own short time on this earth. Do you have a real relationship with God yourself? Where will you go when your death day comes? If you do have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, what does it mean to you to be an ambassador for Christ? How often do you embrace your role as an ambassador? Do you think you and your church do a good job of representing Christ and his kingdom to the world? Here is more from our church that you may be interested in reading...
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Overcoming Disabilities in Serving God By: Anthony Joseph Schabel Note: Anthony is a college student who is paying his way through college. He is from a tough background and struggles with Tourette syndrome which causes, among other disabilities, a serious speech problem. Rather than feeling sorry for himself and giving up, Anthony endeavors to serve in a local church like ours and strives to use the strengths God has given him instead of getting discouraged about his weaknesses. Anthony serves as an usher, he takes attendance and desires to learn to write even better to communicate the truths of God's Word far and wide. Following is a little bit of his story in his words and some advice he has learned dealing with his special needs. We think we can all learn from him. God uses all of us. Those with special needs are powerful means of ministry in the hands of a mighty God. Here is Anthony’s Advice… It can be very easy to get caught up with making comparisons. In most cases, this will result in focusing on our own shortcomings. This can turn into a huge waste of time and energy. Nothing good comes from dwelling on our weaknesses. Instead, we need to accept the way that God made us. No, I am not talking about sinful weaknesses such as angry outbursts or greed, I mean weaknesses such as physical disabilities or We are all made in the image of God. God has also given each person a unique blend of gifts and abilities. Each of us has role to fill. There is no role that's more important than any other role. All the roles are supposed to work together in harmony. I know this can be easy to say but extremely hard to do. I understand the frustrations that are involved. Playing your strengths will only take you so far. Your shortcomings will persistently remind you of their presence. No matter how hard you try, it's impossible to ignore your weaknesses forever. If you look closely, you probably have at least one area of struggle that actually amplifies one of your strengths. List out your strengths and weakness. Also, list out some general things that you like. It's likely that you'll see a few things jump out at you. I'll use myself as an example. I like to communicate thoughts and ideas. One of my biggest struggles is the ability to speak. I have a disability that makes the act of speaking very difficult. On the other side, writing is one of my greater strengths. The struggles that I have with speech play a large role in amplifying my ability to write. Much of my desire to become a better writer comes from the difficulties that I have with speaking. With that in mind, my greatest weakness is also my greatest strength. There will still be days when your weaknesses will usher in feelings of frustration. You're still going to have those rough days. You're still going to face those struggles that shatter your morale. Dealing with your shortcomings will still be tough. It won't be easy, but properly understanding the bigger picture will make those rough times a lot easier to manage. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. --2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Other Articles You May Find Helpful
Failure Isn't Final Struggling Teens and When God Ran How to Stop the Yelling at Home 4 Encouraging Truths When God Says to Wait Click to Read 4 Reasons Biblical Love Can be Extremely Romantic 5 Phrases You can Give Someone to Change Their World. Setting Goals and Moving Ahead for God's Glory Are You Biblically Wise? Take this Assessment (Also good for assessing a teen son or daughter) Learn how you can have a relationship with God and eternal life Here are few links to more info on our church or you can browse this website. Read about our Leadership What we believe and teach Ministries and Programs |
AuthorPastor Bob Franseen, Pastor of Eagle Heights Baptist Church & Others Archives
April 2019
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