Excuse me, Ambassador, someone wants to meet you!

For many of us, there is little that is more frightening than to hear Jesus say in Mark 16:15, “As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone.”

The thought of sharing the gospel can be truly petrifying. “How do I do it? What do I say? What if they outright reject me? What if they ask something and I don’t know how to respond? Do we even have a right to do this? Is it really MY role? There are those who can do this so much better than me… I should just let them do it.”

Go!

But the Bible makes it clear that all believers are commanded to go out and make disciples. Jesus said,

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

We are all called to make disciples, no exceptions! Not only do we have God’s command, but we also have a job title.

Our job title: Ambassador

The title on our name card reads “Ambassador”. Paul wrote:

“…we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making an appeal through us.”  (2 Corinthians 5:20 NASB)

We are official envoys or representatives, high-ranking diplomats who represent the sovereign Creator, appointed for a special diplomatic assignment. What we say carries weight because in our official capacity, we are to speak for God. This job is not on a voluntary basis. Neither is it a suggested vocation. It is not a part-time duty. We are not asked to consider taking on this role. We have already been appointed to this responsibility.

Along with this very prestigious job title, we have been given a very clear job description.

Our job description

1. You need to know how to live

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise…” (Ephesians 5:15 NIV)

Our lives need to reflect the message we represent. If the way we live, the way we treat our co-workers or the way we handle our children does not match up with what the Bible has to say, we will be poor ambassadors. In other words, we need to ask ourselves, “Do our lives line up with the message we represent?”

2. We need to be opportunity conscious

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…” (Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV)

It is our job responsibility to ensure that our very lives, the choices we make, the words we speak, the activities we engage in, appropriately represent our Creator. We also need to make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel.

3. We need to be ready when the opportunity arrives
We not only need to be able to spot the opportunities, we need to be ready—knowing what to share.

“And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.” (1 Peter 3:15,16 NLT)

This job description is nice to know—in theory. But exactly HOW do we live a lifelong lifestyle of being ambassadors for Christ, always being ready to share the gospel at a moment’s notice? HOW do we be opportunity conscious? HOW do we live in a way that helps our testimony?

Our “Be Ready” article in this issue outlines very practical steps on what you can do.