Are You a Good Ambassador Sun AM 11-3-96

You got a Bible this morning.

Uh let's turn, if you would, with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

Turn this down just a little bit, guys.

2 Corinthians chapter 5.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

Thanks for the good sound this morning.

2 Corinthians chapter 5.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

And would you also pick up Luke chapter 4?

Luke 4 · chapter mention

You don't mind you studying your Bible on a Sunday morning, do you?

2 Corinthians chapter 5 and Luke chapter 4.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention Luke 4 · chapter mention

I believe we gave Bibles out.

I hope you have one to use.

I want to tell you right off from the start of this message this morning.

2 Corinthians 5, Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

Some messages we hear in church, it ministers to us immediately, and we get joy as the pastor or the preacher is going through the message.

The joy of this message probably will not come during the message.

You ever have one of those?

The joy of this message will really be if we'll listen to it, and then we, including myself, will not just be hearers of the message, but doers.

And in the doing of the message, that's where the joy is going to come.

Did you ever hear a message and go, well, that was kind of a flat message, and you know, I don't know, I don't know.

Didn't seem like that many people were excited.

And then when you went out and did what the message said, that brought the joy.

That's where this one's at.

Look at 2 Corinthians 5.

And look at some familiar verses of scripture, but let me let me exhort just a little bit.

2 Corinthians chapter 5, and look at verse 17, beginning.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

Old things are passed away.

And behold, all things are become new.

And all things are of God.

I want you to watch the next little phrase in verse 18 of 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

Who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.

Please look up here just a minute.

Reconciliation has to do with bringing back uh bringing us back into favor with God again.

And what he says is this in verse 18, that through Jesus Christ we were brought back into favor with God.

Is that right?

If you would, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

And then he explains it in verse 19.

To wit.

Well, somebody says, What's to wit?

Well, he's explaining what the ministry of reconciliation is.

He says, let me expound upon what the ministry of reconciliation is.

That God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.

How?

Not imputing their trespasses unto them.

Please look up just a minute.

We were separated from God because of our sin.

Yes or no?

Come on.

Sin is a transgression of the law.

It's called a trespass.

And when we received Christ as Savior, the ministry of reconciliation was accomplished, and we were brought back into favor with God again because those sins were taken out of the way.

Is that right?

So if you would, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.

And watch verse 19 at the end.

And hath committed unto who?

Say it.

Us.

The word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are what?

Ambassadors of who?

Or for who?

Now, an ambassador.

An ambassador is simply someone who is sent out, ordained, if you would, to represent the one who sent him out, or her out, in transaction of business, or to manage that which he's given more.

For example, the United States has ambassadors sent out.

And what that ambassador is to do, they've been delegated authority by the United States to represent represent the United States to transact business for us.

Is that right?

So, now then we are what?

Ambassadors for who?

Christ.

That means, brethren, if you're saved and you're a child of God and you're Christian this morning, that Christ has ordained all of his children as ambassadors to represent him in transacting business for him.

Amen?

Let me stand up a minute because I want you to get this.

We are left on earth not just to have a good time.

Now there's nothing wrong with having a little bit of a good time.

We laugh around here, don't we?

We have a good time.

We don't need alcohol to have a good time.

We don't need drugs to have a good time.

We have a good time in Christ because he gave us all things richly to enjoy.

Amen?

But the idea is the reason he left us here was to be a representative of his to transact business for him instead of him.

Verse 20, look, now then we are bastards for Christ.

As though God did beseech you by us.

We pray you, look what it says, in Christ's stead.

The Bible's not hard to understand.

Instead of Christ we're left.

Be ye reconciled to God.

Now, okay, let me ask you something, preacher.

If we're an ambassador, what are we supposed to do for him?

We are supposed to transact business with the word of reconciliation.

Is that right?

Well, it's all contained right here.

Now let me show you something.

Look at Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

Stay with me.

Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

Somebody says, I don't know what if I want to be an ambassador.

If you're saved, you're already ordained.

Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

Notice what Jesus said and did.

Look at Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

Notice verse 16.

Stay with me.

Luke chapter 4, verse 16.

Luke 4:16

He says, now wait a minute.

I come to get something.

We'll get something.

Now remember, hearers and doers is where the joy comes.

Verse 16.

And he came to Nazareth, this is Jesus, where he'd been brought up.

Come to his hometown.

And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.

There was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah, which is Isaiah.

And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written.

Here's what he reads The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

Because he hath appointed me to do what?

Say it.

Preach what?

The gospel to the poor.

He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to do what?

To preach deliverance to captives, recovering of the sight to the blind, to set at liberty that I'm a bruise.

Verse 19, to do what?

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Looks like to me that God was saying there, you say God, yeah, Jesus, as he stood up, God manifested the flesh, was saying, The reason I'm here is to fulfill this scripture, and I came to preach the gospel, which is my father's word.

He closes the book, he sits down, he gives it to the minister, and he sits down.

And everybody's quiet.

And he began to say, verse 21 to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

You know what he came to do?

He came to proclaim liberty, he came to heal the brokenhearted, he came to proclaim to the poor that they can be saved.

You see, salvation has nothing to do with money.

The rich, the poor doesn't matter.

God can save all of them, amen.

The idea is the gospel is not bound by any type of monetary value.

In fact, uh, if you try to buy it, he won't give it.

That's right, that's right.

The question here is then, okay, if we're to be about God's business, what is his business?

The business is to get the word out, the gospel, preaching, proclaiming, you say, now wait a minute, now I'm exempt, I'm a woman.

Hey, you know what?

Male and female ambassadors do very well.

Hold it.

I didn't say women were called to preach publicly like this to a congregation of a church, but you know what?

Preaching takes place many, many places.

I know sooner or later you've preached to your neighbor.

Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

No, you say no, I never shared the gospel.

I didn't say the gospel, I said you preached to them.

Haven't we all preached our opinion to someone?

I want you to think for a minute.

Haven't we all preached our opinion to someone?

They said something and we had an opinion.

I mean we said, now wait a minute, this is the truth of the matter in that situation.

Ladies, how many of you have preached your opinion to someone else?

Men, how many of you know that your wife has preached their opinion to someone?

Okay, don't answer that.

Don't answer that.

We all do it, don't we?

If we feel strongly about something, most of us will stand up and say something when asked.

Amen?

I mean, if we still, okay, somebody says, why don't you?

If you feel strongly about who's going to win a sports game, you will strongly say, no, this team is going to win because.

Now got real quiet, amen?

We have opinions about things.

Brethren, the stronger we believe that we're sent with the ministry of reconciliation, the word of reconciliation, the more we'll give it out.

Uh, if I remember correctly, Jesus was at twelve years of age uh contending with the doctors and lawyers about his father's word.

His mother and father, his stepfather, came back and said, What are you doing?

He said, Uh, didn't you know that I was I must be about my father's business?

Don't you know that I'm down here to be doing what my father appointed me to do?

And the father's business was to get the gospel out and preach that gospel.

Yes or no?

It comes through witnessing, it comes through a lot of different ways.

Now, follow with me a little bit further.

Look, if you would, two scriptures.

Pick up 1 Corinthians 4.

You're doing great.

1 Corinthians 4 and 1 Timothy chapter 3.

1 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

Remember, we're ambassadors.

If we're Christians, we're ambassadors.

We're down here to transact business, if you would, to trade with God's word that others might receive it and be reconciled back to God through Christ.

1 Corinthians 4, 1 Timothy 3.

1 Corinthians 4.

1 Timothy 3.

Now, here's the message.

1 Corinthians 4.

Verse 1.

Let a man so account of us as the what?

The ministers.

A minister, if you look up the word ambassador, you'll see the word minister.

A minister and ambassador are much the same.

The ministers of Christ and what?

Stewards of the mysteries of God.

You know what a steward is.

A steward is somewhat like an ambassador.

He's given something and entrusted with it and told to take care of it.

And if you would, in this situation, use it in such a way to influence others.

Look it again at it.

Stay with me.

Let a man so what?

Account of us as the ministers of Christ and stewards of the what?

Mysteries of God.

Do you know anything about the mysteries of God?

Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found what?

Faithful.

So he's given to us the stewardship of the mysteries of God.

And he says, you better be faithful.

And you and I both know that one of the days we're going to give an account for it.

Look at 1 Timothy 3 about this mystery.

You know it, but I want you to see it.

1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16.

1 Timothy 3:16

And without controversy, great is the what?

Mystery of godliness.

And then here's the mystery.

God was what?

Manifest in the flesh.

Now, wait a minute.

What do you do with someone who says, I don't believe Jesus was God?

I mean, right there it says, God was manifest in the flesh.

Now, wait a minute, let's read that again.

God was manifest in the flesh.

He was made in the flesh.

Who's they speaking about?

Jesus Christ.

So God was the full Jesus was the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

God was manifest in the flesh.

Look at it.

Justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in the glory.

Brethren, do you understand that we will give an account as stewards of that mystery for what we do with it?

Stay with me.

In 1979, I've received Christ as my Savior.

I became an ambassador.

For who?

For Christ.

Instead of him being here, I'm one of the ones that he's left to make sure that the word goes forth.

What word?

That God was come in the flesh.

That he was justified in the spirit.

He was seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles.

The world believed it, and then he received back up into glory.

What are you saying?

I'm saying the gospel is true.

That Jesus Christ came, born in a manger, lived as a man like you and I.

You say I'm not a man, lived as a human, like you and I.

Was all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

He literally physically died.

But he didn't stay dead.

He rose again from the dead.

He's alive right now.

He sitteth at the right hand of the throne of God, and he's up in glory right now.

Now, what I'm supposed to do with that is proclaim it.

Pass it around.

Trade with it.

Transact business with it.

Reconcile people back to God through their belief and acceptance of that.

Yes or no?

Somebody says, good.

That's what we ought to do in church.

We ought to not just do it in church.

Look at Acts 20.

Acts 20.

And here's where people begin to jump off the wagons.

Acts 20.

This is something you're going to run into.

If you haven't, you will.

If you open your mouth for the Lord outside of the church building.

Look at Acts chapter 20.

Acts 20 · chapter mention

You say, man, I come to get a blessing.

I don't think I'm getting them.

I want to tell you again, the joy comes in the doing of this.

Not just of the hearing.

Look at Acts chapter 20.

Acts 20 · chapter mention

Look what is said in verse 19.

Let's back up to verse 18.

And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, who's he speaking about?

After what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews.

Now you know it's Paul.

And how, Paul says, I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you.

You know, brethren, the ministry of real reconciliation is profitable to anybody, but have showed you and have taught you how, say it.

How?

Now somebody says, now right there, okay, hey, listen, I'm a Christian, and I don't have a problem with them preaching the gospel in the church building.

That's public.

Well, that is public, but you know what public means?

Anywhere out there we want to do it.

Doesn't public mean parks, street corners, airports, beaches.

Come on, yes or no?

Outside of your businesses, in the cafeteria, at your business?

Unless I I mean, if they strictly say, and you know you can't, I understand.

And you have to do the best you can with that.

But you know what publicly means?

Public doesn't mean just in a church building.

Public means freedom to do it out there, anywhere we want.

You know why a lot of people aren't saying amen?

Why?

Because a lot of us haven't been very good ambassadors recently.

Now, you know, I thought, Lord, when I got this message, I said, Lord, now this is definitely a Sunday night message.

Sunday night, it'll be a good message.

And the Lord said, it'd be good for Sunday morning.

I said, Sunday morning, they're gonna sit and stare at me, Lord.

Because not all of them's real committed to this thing yet.

The Lord said, I know, that's why I want you to preach it on Sunday morning.

I want to get them more committed so I can have pleasure in giving them rewards at the judgment seat of Christ.

You say, now what's that?

That's where we're accountable for this ministry of reconciliation.

And I struggle a little bit.

I said, Lord, come on, Sunday night.

I I just think it'd be a great Sunday night message.

And you say, Oh, I never do that.

When you preach as much as I preach, every once in a while you struggle a little bit with a message.

And where it's supposed to fit.

I said, Lord, it'd be good for Sunday night.

It was so clear to me Sunday morning.

Give it Sunday morning because some of them are just gonna stare at you like an owl.

Who?

And have taught you publicly, verse 20, look, and from what?

Say it.

House to house.

Oh man, house to house.

Have you ever run into anybody when you were out doing a little house to house that said, I'm a Christian and I don't believe you ought to be doing it this way.

Take it back to the church or, you know, do it in something like that, you know, a worship service, invite them to church, but I don't think you ought to be out here, you know, invading people's privacies.

What do you mean when just knocking on the door?

If the pizza man showed up and said, Listen, I pizza delivered next door.

They weren't home, I gotta get rid of this thing so I can go home, knock, knock, knock.

Do you want it?

Somebody wouldn't say, You're invading my privacy.

They'd say, Thanks for the pizza, buddy.

You want to come on in and have a slice?

See, it's the gospel that offends.

It even offends some Christians.

Now, I'm not saying we ought to go out there and be obnoxious with it.

The Bible says we're not giving offense with the ministry.

That's right.

That's right.

But I have run into so many Christians that say, I don't think you ought to be doing it that way.

Doing it what way?

Well, you know, like, like, like, you know, it's public.

You're out in front of, you know, everybody.

Isn't that what Jesus did on the side of a hill?

Isn't that what Jesus did in the marketplace?

Isn't that Jesus what Jesus did from a boat?

And he said, as I was sent, so you're sent.

Brother, you know what?

If we're not careful, we listen to some of the Christians that are a little bit comfortable.

I'll use that word.

That's a kind word.

Amen.

It'll start making us question whether we should be doing it or not.

Look at Acts chapter 5 real quick.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Stay with me.

Acts chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Now, this is not to make you feel uncomfortable.

This is to loosen you, to let you free.

Look at Acts chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Stay with me.

Look at verse 42.

And daily in the temple.

See right there.

Do it in the temple only.

And in where?

Every house.

They cease not to teach and preach who?

Jesus Christ.

Hey, brethren, uh, we have a great opportunity in our country because we have what's called freedom of religion.

We can take this gospel to anybody and be an ambassador and please look up here.

We don't have to worry about being put in jail.

We have an opportunity to transact business with the word of reconciliation and then give an account and give pleasure to God.

That's right, we're created.

Okay, all right, all right, okay, all right.

I I I I'm feeling guilty.

I've not been doing it.

I'm not here to put you down.

I'm here to build you up.

I'm here to say you're still breathing, there's still opportunity.

Well, now I want you to know something, preacher.

I I cannot stand up and do that publicly.

I didn't say you had to.

I look at 1 Peter 4.

1 Peter 4.

And would you also pick up Luke 19?

And I won't ask you to turn into many more scriptures.

1 Peter 4 and Luke 19.

You doing okay this morning?

Man, I can't believe all the scriptures we're turning to.

That's the word of God, amen.

Look at 1 Peter 4, you're doing great.

And Luke 19.

Watch 1 Peter 4 very carefully here.

And Luke 19.

And by the way, I'm I'm I really am comfortable preaching this and talking to you about it on Sunday morning.

Because I believe there's a lot of people in here that want to do right.

I don't believe we're going to offend anybody.

I'm not, I'm not being unkind to you and saying, you know, if you're not doing this, you're this, you're that.

I'm just saying we still got opportunity, amen?

Stay with me.

1 Peter 4.

Now, let me stop right here.

Just maybe.

Someone is in here this morning that says, I don't believe you ought to do it.

One or two or three things.

If you really believe that.

Either you're willingly ignorant.

That's a Bible terminology.

I don't want to know the truth.

I like what I believe.

So don't tell me anything different.

Now, wait a minute, hold it.

Willingly ignorant says I don't want to listen.

That doesn't change the book.

Book's still the book.

My opinion, your opinion, doesn't matter.

Book's opinion is all that matters.

Or someone has never taught you.

Or you've been taught and you still just don't want to do it.

And that's just called rebellion.

Amen.

And sometimes I'm rebellious.

I know I should do it, and I don't do it as much as I should do it.

Preacher, let me ask you, why this morning?

Two weeks away from a big day?

You say, what's this big day I hear about?

It's just a time in the year where we get stirred up to do what we should be doing a lot of the time of the year, and we just all get together and provoke ourselves to do a little bit more.

We use the cultural holiday of Thanksgiving, get about 60 turkeys together, invite a bunch of people in, all walks of the community.

We feed them, but before we feed them the turkey, we feed them here.

And we try to give them the word of reconciliation, hoping that they will stop being estranged by God to God and that they will come back and be in harmony with him again.

Whether they be backslidden or whether they be lost and never heard the gospel before.

And it stirs us up to do what we should be doing.

And it pushes us just a little bit.

Amen?

Look at 1 Peter 4.

Oh, by the way, I didn't mean to offend you.

But if you're offended, it's not because you don't like me.

It's because you don't like what I'm saying.

If you're one of those ones who say, I don't think you ought to do it that way, well then how should we do it?

Amen, preacher.

Just inside a building like this, do you know how many people would never hear one-on-one communicating the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to be able to ask questions back and forth, which is what communicating is?

Well, they can hear it on the radio.

That's not communicating.

Communicating is back and forth.

Communicating is, let me ask you a question, and uh, and and have you ever trusted Christ as your Savior?

You know what?

I've heard that before.

What does that mean?

Well, let me tell you.

Okay, I've got a question about what you just said.

That's communicating.

And ought to not just be in the church building.

Ought to be anywhere God leads us to do it.

Look at 1 Peter 4.

Verse 9.

Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

And as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good what?

Stewards.

Remember what a steward is?

A steward is someone who's entrusted with something to take care of it, to use it.

Stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Brethren, along with this stewardship of the gospel, if you would, comes the grace.

Verse 11.

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.

If any man what?

Minister, let him do it as of the say it.

Uh-oh.

Preacher, I don't have the ability.

Okay?

All right.

I'm just not, I'm just not a good communicator that way.

I can't talk to people.

I can't.

I I well, we give them our opinion in a lot of other areas.

But look what it says in verse 11 for those of us who feel like we don't have the ability.

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.

If any man minister, let him do it as the ability, say it, which God giveth.

Oh.

You mean God can give me the ability?

Amen.

Amen.

That's what it says.

How do you get it?

Ask.

God, would you give me the ability to be an oracle of your word?

Would you give me the ability to speak your word?

Would you give me the ability?

I'm not asking so much to be a preacher.

I'd just like to be a communicator and have this ministry of reconciliation as an ambassador for you.

And I don't need to be as good as someone else because every man receives his own gift.

But I just like the ability to do it a little bit.

That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom he prays and dominion forever and ever.

Amen.

Now, I want you to watch something very carefully.

Verse 10.

Look at it.

Now watch this.

Every man hath received the gift, and it talks about let him do it as the ability which God giveth.

Different people have different abilities.

Look at Luke 19.

Watch it.

Luke 19.

Luke 19.

Watch this now.

It fits right in.

Don't miss this.

I'm watching your time.

Your turkey's not burnt.

Oh, we're not to that place yet.

Won't be long.

Look at Luke 19, watch it.

Now remember, everybody has our ability that God gives us if we'll ask for it.

Look at Luke 19, receive it, verse 12.

He said, Therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country.

By the way, you can cross-reference that certain nobleman to Jesus Christ, to receive for himself achaeman and to return.

Now, what he does is he calls his ten servants and he delivers them.

And he says, you know, occupy till I come.

Now, what they're supposed to do is take those pounds and trade with them and minister and uh barter and uh transact business.

Huh?

The one goes out and gains ten more.

Another goes out and gains five more.

You say, well, how'd God feel about that?

Well, he felt very good about the one that gained ten, and he felt very good about the one who gained five.

But look at verse 20.

Another came saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound.

Which I have kept what?

Laid up in a napkin.

I kept it for you, it's right here in this napkin.

You know when I did that?

Verse 21?

For I feared thee because thou art an what?

Austere man, a stern, a strict, a severe type of man.

Thou takest up that thou layest not down and reapest that thou didst not sow.

And he that no one said unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee.

And then he calls him something.

That really hit me.

Thou what?

Wicked servant.

You know one of the things that would just be terrible to hear God say?

You wicked servant.

I gave you a good mind.

I gave you a couple arms, I gave you a couple legs, I gave you a mouth that could speak.

You gave your opinion to a lot of people.

But very infrequently did you even mention the gospel to anybody?

Very infrequently did you even tell others that you were Christian and ask them if they were.

You had ability.

Why didn't you represent me better?

Why didn't you talk about me more?

Why didn't you trade with what I gave you?

I even put you in America.

I could have put you in 1940 behind the iron curtain, but I didn't.

Why'd you get, why'd you get angry with those that were out trying to give the gospel out?

Why'd you put a stumbling block in their way by saying you didn't think they ought to be doing it that way?

Didn't those words save you?

Didn't those words keep you from being cast away from my presence forever?

Didn't those words that you believe keep you out of hell?

Weren't they important enough to give to someone else?

Well, Lord, I I laid it up.

I I knew for myself.

I kept it.

I know.

But you know what I told you to do with it?

Trade.

Transact.

Put it out.

You say, where does he say that in this context?

Verse 13.

Occupy.

Look up the definition sometime.

It doesn't mean we we we sit on the hillside and occupy it.

It means we protect it.

We we actively involve ourselves with it.

We steward over it.

We actively are involved in using that.

Now, brethren, I'm not trying to put anybody down.

And I want to say this right here, and I want you to listen very carefully.

Somebody may be thinking right now, listen, uh, this is not the kind of church for me.

No, no.

I want to go to a church where they they I mean, you shouldn't be coming to church and be put on a guilt trip.

But we came to church to learn something.

Come on, say amen.

We came to church to learn something.

We came to church to provoke growth.

Yes or no?

Well, but man, I shouldn't go out feeling guilty.

Depends on what we've been doing.

Or depends on what we have not been doing.

Hey, brethren, if I'm in a service like this and a message like this, and it provokes me to get going again with something I already know I should be doing, Lord, then I'll be joyous at the judgment seat of Christ that someone stood up and said, Let's get at it again.

Because not doing is not going to change anything.

Well, but but but listen.

This makes me mad.

Who are you mad at?

The word?

Christ?

Me?

Moi.

Or your actions.

Don't tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I don't want to know.

I want to stay willfully ignorant.

That way I can live my life in peace, but that doesn't help with the judgment seat of Christ.

It doesn't change what's in this book.

And I'm not the judge.

I'm going to be judged.

Just like you.

Look at Luke 9.

Luke 9.

Oh, this is the kicker.

If you haven't been kicked in the teeth yet, this'll kick.

This'll kick us.

Verse 25.

For what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world, lose himself or be cast away?

For whosoever shall be what?

Ashamed of who?

Me.

And then you ought to underline the next four words.

And of my what?

Words.

I'm not ashamed of Jesus.

Are you ashamed of his words?

I'm not ashamed of Jesus.

Are you ashamed of the gospel?

No.

Are we ashamed of telling someone the gospel?

Well.

Sometimes.

How many of you, I raised my hand first, have ever been embarrassed to witness, to tell someone about God's word, even though you knew the Holy Spirit wanted you to.

Me too.

And God has a lot of grace for that.

But it shouldn't be an excuse.

Well, what do I do?

God give me the ability.

Put it inside of me.

Push me.

Let me see the priority of this thing.

Give the word free course out of my mouth or out of my hand or somehow for me.

Help me not to be ashamed of your words.

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed.

When he shall come in his own glory.

His fathers and of the holy angels.

Please look, please listen.

A couple weeks from now we have a big day.

And by the way, we don't all only pass out the gospel before a big day.

We pass out the gospel every week.

Every week.

But we just pass it out more when we have these days where we're pushing.

Maybe this.

Now please look up here just for a moment.

I'm trying to do this so in case I fall, it'll keep your attention.

Amen?

Maybe you're not one to be able to contend a lot with the faith as far as, you know, you run into some questions, and maybe the Bible you don't know it real well or know where to turn to, so it embarrasses you a little bit.

I understand that.

Best thing to do with that is to study more.

Use it.

Get embarrassed a few times.

I don't know how many times I've been embarrassed by a question that somebody asked me that's so simple, and I just don't know the answer from the book.

You know what makes you do?

Oh, I go back at night and say, where is the answer to that thing?

It's got to be in there somewhere.

It'll bug me, it'll bug me, it'll bug me.

And it forces growth.

Or maybe it's just embarrassing to even give the gospel out.

May I say this though?

It ought not to be embarrassing to invite someone to your church.

Let me say it again.

It ought to not be embarrassing to invite someone to the church so someone else can proclaim the gospel to them.

Unless you're ashamed of your church.

And what's to be ashamed of?

What?

Our music?

Well, I didn't want anybody to know I go here.

Why?

You ought to find a local church that is your church.

And put your heart into it.

And maybe, maybe you say, I'm just not good at answering all those questions, and they ask me questions.

Well, I could start by witnessing, if they ask me questions, I could say, listen, if you come to church, there's some guys down there, some gals down there that answer that question.

I don't know the answer right now, but I'm working on it, but they can answer that.

Maybe just by giving the gospel out, it makes you a little bit embarrassed.

But, brethren, you know what?

You could do this.

You could say, hey, listen, we got a big event coming up at our church in two weeks.

Why don't you come to church with me?

And afterwards, you know they got a big Thanksgiving thing and everything, and we got a special speaker coming in, I'll sit by you.

Ah, man, I'm embarrassed to even do that.

Why?

Well, what if they don't like it?

They can join many who didn't.

But at least they heard the gospel.

At least as an ambassador in Christ's stead, you influenced them to get under the word of reconciliation, and now you honestly have a ministry of reconciliation personally.

Give account of thy stewardship.

Of what?

Of the mysteries of God.

What's that?

God was made in the flesh, received up in the glory.

Give an account.

I know some are going to walk out of here and say, no, that's not the kind of church I'm looking for.

You know what?

This is not a normal Sunday morning message.

In fact, don't you remember I said I struggled a little bit?

Lest I offend somebody that's still growing.

But then you know what?

All Christians ought to be provoked to love and good works.

Not just Sunday nighters, not just Wednesday nighters.

Those who come on Sunday morning ought to be provoked also.

How many of y'all have friends?

No, you're not listening.

How many of y'all have friends?

How many of those friends, to your knowledge, have never heard, don't raise your hand, the gospel.

Now.

Two weeks from now, 1045, we've got a big day.

Why don't you invite them?

What if they say no?

We get told no all the time.

Don't we?

What if they come and they don't like it?

At least they can't.

At least you tried.

At least you weren't ashamed.

I'd ask God right now to put somebody on your heart and mind.

And He says, that person.

I put you in touch with them for this very reason.

I crossed your path with them for this very reason.

Try to get them to church.

I ran you into them.

We've had we had people visit our church a week ago, a couple weeks ago, because one of our members stopped by on the free when their car was burning.

And he helped that family out.

And they came to his church as a result of that.

Do you know what that is?

A divine appointment.

Somebody says, You mean God let that car burn?

Yeah.

I didn't say he caused it, I said he allowed it.

Now, if you're here today, I didn't say God burned up your car.

But he allowed it to happen so one of our members could stop by, invite them to church, and they came.

We meet people all the time.

We, me too.

That we need to see that God put us together for a reason.

We need to open our mouth and be good stewards and be good ambassadors.

Because I know this.

If Christ were here, please, he would open his mouth.

And he left us in his stead to open our mouth to get the gospel out.

Well, I knew it, Lord.

What'd you do with it?

I kept it right under my arm.

It's right there.

Who'd you give it to?

Kept it right there, Lord.

Right there.

Right next to my heart.

What'd you do with it?

Loved it.

What'd you do with it?

Meditated on it.

And that's all good.

What'd you do with it?

Why didn't you give it out?

Oh, listen.

That's the pastor's job.

I mean, Older Christians, uh, people are called to that.

I didn't ever really feel called.

Well, did you ever read it in the book that we are supposed to go and proclaim this gospel to every creature?

Like, have you ever heard of the Great Commission?

Oh, yeah, Lord, but that wasn't for me.

Oh.

Okay.

Well, the rewards I had for you in that area, I think I'll give them to someone else.

Take that from the one who laid it in a napkin and give it to another.

You know what he was giving away?

A city.

The one who went out and did one and got ten more, God gave him ten cities.

The one who went out and got five more, God gave him five cities.

You know what God did?

He took the city away from the one that was supposed to get it and gave it to someone else.

And that was a reward.

I need to chew on that one for a while.

We're in a church that is going to do something with the gospel.

If someone gets offended, we're still going to do something with the gospel.

Because I know 90% of you, and maybe 95% of you here today, want to do something with the gospel.

You want to trade with it.

You say, where's the joy?

I don't feel joyous at all right now.

You know what the joy is?

Seeing a person reconciled back to God that you had an impact on.

There's nothing like it.

Seeing somebody sitting in church that you had the opportunity to witness to.

Or pray for or sow a seed.

That's where the joy.

Paul said, Ye are my joy.

You know where the joy comes?

People coming.

People getting saved.

People getting right with God.

Ye are my joy.

I look around this congregation, couple y'all.

God used this little mouth to help get in.

That's joy.

Unspeakable and full of glory.

If you're not saved, if you never receive Christ as Savior, God came and died to reconcile you back to the Father.

Through Him, only through Him, can you be at one again with the Father.

Forgiveness of sins, admitting it, and letting God forgive you those sins is the way.

And the way of the cross does lead home.

For the rest of us, we already know.

We have an opportunity again.

This week, next week, to do something for God.

Brethren, let's redeem the time.

Because time in our life is running out.

Would you agree?

Please, I'm going to ask you to stand.

Don't leave.

Ushers, I want you to go back in just a moment.

Get some of our invitations for the big day.

Not yet.

The rest of us, you know what we ought to do?

Some of us ought to honestly, please, don't close up your mind and say, okay, it's over.

It's not quite.

God, give me the ability, the boldness, the wanting, desire to, the opportunity, and push me to do it.

And help me not to be ashamed and embarrassed.

Because I give my opinion about a lot of other things.

I ought to be giving this out.

And God, if you'd if you'd work, I'd love to see someone through my efforts, through your Holy Spirit's work, come to know you as Savior.

Please do that for me, Lord.

Let's all stand.