Your Most Important Assignment

so if you are a follower of Jesus I want to ask you what kind of a Christian are you if you are a Christian what kind are you I'll give you a couple of choices and these will kind of be extremes are you one of those bold ones I mean you know you've been chosen and called by God when you wake up every day you know you're on assignment by God to do his will on Earth as it is in heaven you spend time in his word and you're sensitive to the spirit and you're prompted multiple times a day to reach out to someone to show God's love you know you're called to go into all the world to preach the gospel showing the name of Jesus baptizing people in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are you a bold Spirit empowered faith-filled follower of Jesus are you that type or would you say ah I'm more of the normal type you know I love God and all but I don't want to go overboard I mean you know I'm going to do my spiritual thing I'll go to church every now and then and I'll read the word occasionally and you know I I want to please God but I'm just a stay-at-home mom trying to change diapers you know I'm I'm not I don't have time for all of that or I'm a Christian but I'm just a student trying to graduate and not drowned in student loan debt or or I'm you know a grandparent I'm a Christian and my kids are grown and I've worked really hard for a long time I'm just trying to enjoy life I'm I'm more of the normal type of Christian if you're a Christian what kind of a Christian are you are you the Bold passionate Spirit-filled witness type or are you the more normal type now if we were about 20 minutes into the message meaning I've kind of broken you down with some stories and humor and and I could go for it about that time if we were 20 minutes in I would remind you that Jesus said I'd rather you be hot or cold but if you're lukewarm I'll spit you out I'll vomit you out I would tell you that if we were later in the sermon but since we're just getting going I'll keep it kind of friendly and I'll save my punches till later but what I want to tell you on a serious note is if you're a Christian and you think you're just a normal Christian you couldn't be more wrong you could not be more wrong because if you are in Christ there is nothing normal about you nothing at all in fact scripture describes you as an ambassador of the most high God if you are in Christ you are representative of God sent by him from Heaven to Earth to show his love in fact Paul told us this when he was writing to the Corinthian Believers it was about 55 or 56 ad in 2 Corinthians 5 this is what the Apostle Paul said he said therefore if anyone is in Christ the new creation has come the old is gone the new is here if you are in Christ your past sins are forgiven your old life is gone you've been changed and Redeemed by the power of the Risen Savior you are not the same the new has come and he says all this is from God now watch how many times we see reconciliation mentioned in God's word all this is from God who reconciled us to himself he makes us right with him and through Christ not on our own but through Christ he gave us the ministry of reconciliation that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ not counting people's sins against against them scripture says and he is committed to us that's you that's the Christians the message of reconciliation so who are you let's say it aloud type it in the comment section who are we we are therefore Christ's ambassadors we are Christ's ambassadors watch this as though God were making his appeal through us what kind of an appeal are you representing the love of God Paul said this we implore you on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God God made him Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us why so that we might become the righteousness of God who are you scripture says if you are in Christ you're a new creation the old is gone and now you are an ambassador of the most high God what does that mean for you if you're an ambassador let's talk about the Greek language so we can kind of understand the word uh the word translated as Ambassador comes from the Greek word prbo uh we get our word Taco Bueno from we don't really at all I just made that up uh but this this Greek word appears two times in the Bible it appears here and it appears whenever Paul says that I'm an ambassador in Chains in other words I'm even when I'm in Chains and locked up in prison I'm still an Ambassador for God and this word means an ambassador it means a chosen representative of a ruling Authority it's a representative we could say it this way if you're an ambassador what is is an ambassador an ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat sent from one country to another to promote and protect the interest of their home country what are you you are the highest ranking Diplomat sent by God God from Heaven to Earth to promote and protect the interest of the Kingdom of Heaven who do you think you are if you're in Christ you're not just a normal Christian there is nothing normal about you if you are in Christ you are an ambassador sent by God from Heaven to Earth so what I want you to do is I want you to start internalizing it and I'm going to just ask you to repeat after me online you can type this in the comment section uh everybody say I am I am an ambassador of Christ an ambassador of Christ sent by God sent by God to show his love to show his love on Earth on Earth as it is in heaven as it is in again I am I am an ambassador of Christ Ambassador sent by God to show his love on Earth as it is in heaven there's nothing normal about you you're an ambassador of the king of the king all Kings you're an ambassador of the kingdom of God if you're an ambassador what do ambassadors do what are the benefits what are the responsibilities what do we need to know to fulfill Our Calling by God to represent him I give you three big thoughts from God's word the first one is this number one as Christ's Ambassador number one you were not elected by people but chosen by God God you weren't voted in by anyone else's opinion but you were chosen by the King of Kings to represent him in fact Jesus said this in John 15:16 Jesus said you didn't choose me but I chose you how does it feel to be chosen by Jesus not only did he choose you but he appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit fruit that will last asked if you belong to this world but you don't belong to this world you're not from here you're a citizen of Heaven you don't belong to this world if you did you would love it as its own as it is Jesus said you do not belong to the world why because Jesus has chosen you out of the world Jesus is reminding you and we need to work to remember this that this world is not our home we are not from here therefore we don't live for here this is not where our home is this is not where our values lie this is not where our heart drifts toward we are from the kingdom of heaven in fact it was Paul who said this he said for we Philippians 3:20 are citizens of heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ lives as citizens of Heaven God chose you to represent him on Earth God chose you to be his ambassador and you may say dang that feels a little more important than I was ready for like I don't I don't feel worthy to be an ambassador I mean I woke up late I yelled at my kids I can't even get to church on time and I'm supposed to be an ambassador yeah we often don't feel good enough we don't feel smart enough we don't feel ready enough we don't feel important enough and yet God calls us um I illustrate it this way I've told you many times that uh years ago before starting Life Church I went uh before the ordaining board to become ordained as a young pastor and I was midway through Seminary and the board actually rejected me for ordination I've told you that part many times the part that I rarely ever talk about is a year later I was ordained and finally you know like I GL would glow in the dark because that's what happened when you're ordained I'm just joking you don't really glow in the dark you're still in the dark you know and uh but anyway I was ordained and then graduated from Seminary and I went to the leaders and I said I feel really burdened to start a church and they said you can't start a church I said I really would like I feel like called by God to start a church they said you can't start a church and I so I kind of said could I please please start a church and they're like we barely ordained you no you'll never start a church and so I was rejected for ordination I was rejected by that kind of governing authority to start the church but God opened the door to start the church and what I want to tell you is this when God selects you it doesn't matter who rejects you when God calls you man's opinion will never ever stop you it doesn't matter what anybody else says about you it doesn't matter what they think about you doesn't even matter what you think about you you are chosen by God and you are placed by God at this moment in history given your specific and very unique design that you've got spiritual gifts within you and you've got a calling upon you that when you walk into a room you were ordained by God to represent him in that moment you're an ambassador of the most high God so as an ambassador how do you know what to do who do you talk to what do you say well a good Ambassador is going to stay in close communication with headquarters as an ambassador of the most high God you're going to stay in close communication with your heavenly King that means every single day you open up the book and you say God what are your assignments for me in your word you let his word his instructions renew your mind and build your faith and you listen for promptings from God you listen for the voice of the spirit to say reach out to this person and show my love and be a witness here and be a light there and be generous to this person and be on call be available when you're an ambassador you're not on your own agenda you're always on call for the one who sent you to represent his will in the country in which you're in God prompt me and Lead me and when you recognize you're an ambassador you're ready for an assignment from your commanding officer to fulfill his will where you are when you recognize you're called and chosen you're ready your day is never just your day your day belongs to him God where do you want me what do you want me to say and when you have that posture that mindset I am an I'm a representative of the king of kings you'll sense that he prompts you over and over and over again to show his love as though he were making his appeal through you I was um in the gym one day when my workout partner Paco didn't show up and so I worked out by myself and went to the sauna afterwards and thought could be a nice quiet sauna and this I walked in and didn't know who I was um we never talked and he sat down and he was having a really really bad day you could just tell it's like all over him and I said looks like you're having a bad day and he said cuss word cuss word cuss word I'm having a bad day well he doesn't know who I am this is kind of fine now I can be regular guy not Pastor guy and so we sat there for a while and I thought well I'll just pray for him but then I felt like there was an assignment this prompting that I should ask another question and I just said hey hey if you want to talk about it I'm willing to listen and he said I don't want to talk about it and then he started talking about it and he told me all about basically how he had screwed up his marriage and his daughter was begging him not to leave and his wife had kicked him out and he was really hurting and I I sat there that moment and um I felt like God had ordained for us to be there and so I was praying do I tell him that or not and I said hey man I don't want to sound weird or religious or anything like that but I really believe that God sent me to this place at this time for this conversation with you and I really really really think you're supposed to go back and tell her what you just told me about what you did wrong and apologize and he looked at me and said cuss word cuss word cuss word and he Saidi I'm not religious but I do think God sent you here to tell me that and that's what I need to do and I said well let's go do it man go do it he said I'm going to go do it and he went went out and what I realized at that moment is I was where God wanted me not for a workout or not for a SAA but to represent him to someone who needed a message from heaven and in the very same [Applause] way every single day in the smallest just a conversation with a guy if you want to talk we can talk and all of a sudden you find yourself representing Heaven you may be driving along and and you see someone's got a flat tire and you're like going I can change a flat tire and suddenly you rep you recognize you are God's ambassador of the flat tire changing Ministry and you just pull up say hey can I can I help you out I'm are you walking to work and someone's hurting and you think I can listen and you are the ambassador of the ministry of listening on that day or someone has a baby and you know they're going through a lot you think I can make a meal and so you have the ministry of meal making or like me you have the ministry of gift card buying let's just be honest right I'll buy you a dinner cuz I'm not making you anything it doesn't have to be big but you understand wow it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks it doesn't matter how much I know or don't know I was not elected by people but I was chosen by God therefore I step in with the authority of God to do his will who are you who are you you're an ambassador of the most high God you were not elected by people but you were chosen by God number two two you never represent yourself you always represent God you never represent your own will your own desires you're always representing the king who sent you in fact Philippians 1:27 tells us this scripture says above all else you must live as citizens of Heaven conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the good news about Christ how cool would it be if everyone who called themselves a follower of Jesus conducted themselves in a way worthy of the manner of Christ showing his love his truth and Grace because no matter where you are and no matter what you're doing you may be at the soccer field with your kid you're at the grocery store buying groceries you're go going to the bank you're talking to somebody at the store no matter where you are no matter what you do you're representing Christ in that moment moment that's who you are uh I'll give you an example how many of you have been here for a long time we're talking like 20 plus years at the church anybody been a long time a few of you would you say if you've been here for a long time I've matured a little bit just a little bit raise your hand just please just makes me feel better thank you just a little bit some of of you say you've got more room to go yes thank God for the redeeming power of Jesus who continues to conform us to his will if you were here a long time ago if you think I'm rough now I I've come a long way and just as an example like years and years ago I'm 56 now um when Amy turned 40 I've got a picture of her for this was when she started 40 she had a little hat on you you got to understand I am so in love with this woman when I tell you this is like there's no there's no way to describe how much I love her she is the best thing she's my favorite thing about everything so I did this post that was both funny and true but it was not appropriate on the post I said happy 40th birthday I love you with all my heart happy 40th you are way better than two 20- year olds that's what I said now I see I told you it was funny and it's true but it was unwise okay and that's one of the reasons why I have helped with my social media accounts today so there's that and and I mean like people lost their minds like Pastor should never Pastor shouldn't there Pastor shouldn't never and you're man of God Pastor held a higher standard and that's not Pastor shouldn't there Pastor shouldn't Pastor shouldn't Pastor should but okay okay okay okay I should have done it know whatever but it is funny and it is true but I shouldn't have done it and and I'm not ever going to say a pastor shouldn't be held to a higher standard especially when it comes to teaching God's word but what I'm going to say is if you're a follower of Jesus we all should be held to a higher standard and everything we do in the way that we conduct our our eles we should always represent Christ it was Paul who said in Colossians 3:7 17 he said in whatever you do or whatever you say anywhere you go you act it you say it do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ though we live in this world we are not of this world the world has its values that are not the same values of the Kingdom that sent us this world says put yourself first but our King says put others first and consider them better than yourselves we're Representatives this world says get as much as you can but our King says give as much as you can because it is far more blessed to give to others than it is to receive this world says hate those who hate you but our King says love and bless those who persecute you we're not living according to this values of this world we represent Jesus in every thing that we do who are you you're are representative of the most high God there's nothing normal about you if you're in Christ you're not a normal Christian you are chosen and appointed by God to represent him on this Earth what does it mean to be an ambassador Number One You're Not Elected by people you're chosen by God number two you never represent yourself but you always represent God number three you have the authority of the one who sent you you have the authority of the most high God Paul said this 2 Corinthians chapter 10 uh verse 8 he said I may seem to have been boasting too much about the what let's all say it Al loud about the authority given to us who was it given by given to us by the Lord hey I I I may have been telling too much I mean like God gave me Authority and because of that Authority I'm happy to walk in that Authority and live in that Authority said I may be boasting too much about that Authority given to us by the Lord but our Authority builds you up it doesn't tear you down we encourage one anothers we build people up as followers of Jesus so I will not be ashamed he says of using my authority God gave me his authority notice Paul said I am operating in his authority but he didn't use the word power and there is a difference he said I have his authority I don't have the same power but I have his authority kind of like if a police officer stands in the middle of the road and says stop do they have the power to make you stop or the authority they they they don't really have the power because they can't really stop a moving vehicle with their physical body but they have a badge that says there is a greater power standing behind them and that power behind them gives them the authority to say you better stop you have the authority given by God or if that doesn't make sense to you if you grew up with a sibling and your sibling acts up and you walk into your mom and tell on your sibling and your mom says you go back and tell her I said you go back and tell him I said if he does that again I'll knock him into tomorrow or they don't say that if he does that again I'll give him time out whatever it is you tell me right and so you walk into that room like this mom said if you whatever because now you what power do you you don't have any power but you have authority you have the authority of the mom there's the authority of God and the authority of the mom it is below God but not by much okay and so you come in and you say I have a different Authority and Jesus said this he said look I've given you authority over all the power of the enemy in other words we do have a spiritual enemy who came to steal kill and destroy that anytime the enemy attacks you you take authority over the enemy and you tell the enemy not today devil Jesus gave me authority over you you get behind me devil you can't have my kids devil you can't have my marriage devil you can't touch my health you can't touch my finances my God gave me authority over you get behind me I don't have the power but I've got the authority to call on the one who is sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty making intercession for me that you can come boldly before the throne of grace and when you do you find help in your time of need you're not a normal Christian there's nothing normal about you you have the authority of the most high God who do you think you are who do you think you are say it I am I am an ambassador an ambassador sent by God sent by God to show his love to show his love on Earth as it is in heaven I am an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ on Mission I'm on call I'm available I wasn't I wasn't chosen by people they didn't vote me in I was chosen by God I never represent myself I represent the country the Kingdom from which I was sent and I may not have a whole lot of power on my own but I come with the authority of the one that sent me and that's why we're not just asking on behalf of Jesus and we're not just sharing our faith on behalf of Jesus and we're not just inviting people to the good news but we're pleading with them we're pleading that's what the text says here's what scripture says scripture says so we are Christ Ambassador God is making his appeal through us we speak for Christ when what do we do say it with me when we when we plead and what do we say we plead come back to God type that in the comment section come back to God what do we say we said say come back to God what am I going to do today listen I'm pleading with you if you are away from him come back to him he loves you with every part of his being for God so loved the world that he sent his one in only son Jesus that whosoever doesn't matter what you've done whosoever believes in him would not perish but would have eternal life come back to God come back to God you got hurt by someone in the church that's going to happen unfortunately people hurt you God didn't do it come back to God come back to God come back to God you've been away you put him on the Shelf come back to God he's still there he's waiting for you he's calling you he love let me tell you where I come from where I come from there's love and there's joy and there's peace and there's kindness there's Grace where I come from where I come from the truth of God it sets people free come back to God come back to God come back to God there's forgiveness when you come back to him there's Grace for you when you come come back to him we plead come back to him how's it going in your sinfulness how do you like the values of this world do you find more joy is there more peace do you find yourself fulfilled when you follow the sinful ways of this world come back to him come back to God we plead we do that with our lives we don't just go to church we're ambassadors of the most high god with everything in us we plead come back to the one who created you and loves you come back to him why because scripture says this for God made Christ who never sinned to be the offering for our sin Jesus Christ who never sinned gave his life for us why so we could be made right with God through Christ if you are in Christ there is nothing normal about you you're an ambassador you're chosen you're not just a mom you're imparting spiritual life to everyone that you interact with you're not just a new employee at the at the bank you're you're God's undercover agent showing his love where you are you don't just go to school you are God's representative in your sorority in your chemistry class when when you show up hope shows up when you walk in Love Walks In who you are and how you live and how you love represents the Kingdom of Heaven that's who you are so what kind of Christian are you if you're in Christ there's nothing normal about you you chosen by God as his Ambassador want you say it again and I want you to feel it in your SP I want you to feel it in your spirit don't don't believe it in your head believe it in your heart who are you I am an ambassador of Christ ambassador of Christ sent by God sent by God to show God's love show God's love on Earth on Earth as it is in heaven as it is in heaven God help us to represent you to make your appeal through us in a way that shows a hurting world that coming back to you is where there's truth and forgiveness and healing and Grace and joy and peace today as you're praying at at all of our churches I I want to speak to those of you who would say yes I am a Christian but you might be more of the normal type just kind of going through life and you recognize there's way way more maybe you're underperforming your potential because doesn't matter what anybody else thinks about you God chose you and called you to be his Ambassador if you say today hey I want his help to represent him well we're going to pray and when you pray that you got to be ready because every day you're on call and he's going to prompt you all of our churches today if you say I I am a follower of Jesus and I want to be I want to be even more available to fulfill his calling would you lift up your hands I hope it's everybody lift up your hands and say that's me online you can say I want to be available to God just type that in the comment section father I pray God that that every day because we represent you that we'd be in close communication with you that we'd start the day in your word or or find whatever works best for our schedule to be in your word and then God in our in our prayer time every day we just talk to you and listen to you and say we're available our day Belongs to You prompt us God I pray that there are those that could not walk out of the church room that they're in without being prompted to Love Somebody Pray for somebody give something Reach Out invite somebody somewhere that we'd see we're here for somebody else God I pray that even those online would be prompted to pray for somebody and reach out to use what you put in us to be a blessing to others we're on call God help us to internalize this that we never represent ourselves we always represent you Empower us God by your spirit we thank you that we've been chosen no one can talk us out of this we represent you God help us to live in such a way that you make your appeal through us as you keep praying today um there are those of you that would say actually I'm not like not walking with God maybe say I don't know God maybe you were like with God for a while and now you're kind of away but I what I want to just do is say what Paul did is I am pleading with you would you come back to him come back to him like come come come to [Music] him he is the Supreme creator of the universe and yet he loves you he created you as his [Music] Masterpiece he loves you there is there is no meaningful life outside of a fully surrendered life to the one who created you you may say but you I've done some things wrong yeah welcome to the club we all have every single one us every single one of us the Bible calls it sin we have sinned against a holy God and our sin separates us from God but here's how good he is that God sent Jesus who was without sin to die in our place the Bible says so we could be made right with god listen it doesn't matter who you are doesn't matter what you've done doesn't matter where you are in life right now when you come to him he he will forgive your sins and he will fill you with the very same spirit that raised Christ from the dead and you will no longer be apart from God but you will be in his family and then get ready because immediately you're drafted you're chosen you're in his army you're an ambassador and so today wherever you're watching from those who say you know what I don't know where I stand with God hey we're we're just going to go all in today we're going to step away from our sin we're going to step into the grace of Jesus the Bible says when you're in Christ you're a new creation the old is gone and everything becomes new today at all of our churches those who say all right that's me I'm it's now I need it I need his grace I need his forgiveness I'm stepping away from my old life I'm stepp I'm coming to him I'm coming back to him I'm coming to him I'm giving my life to him when you do he hears your prayers forgives your sins and makes you brand new at all of our churches today and online those who say I'm coming to God I'm giving my life today I'm coming to him Jesus take my life that's your prayer lift your hands high right now all over the place lift them up high oh great praise God all of you right here others today say that's my prayer praise God for you right back up here oh here lift up your hands high right back over here God bless you in there oh come on Church let's give God some praise we thank you God for salvation in Christ others today who say yes Jesus online just type it I'm coming back to God I'm coming back to God or I'm coming to God and let's all pray together just pray aloud pray heavenly father I'm coming to you I'm coming back Jesus Save Me Jesus make me new make me forgive my filth all my sin all my wash me completely clean completely now fill me with your spirit so I can be your Ambassador representing you in all that I do my life is not my own I give it to you thank you for New Life you have all of mine in Jesus name I pray come on Church could you thank God right now could you give him give him some praise give him some praise give him some praise did you connect with this message did it resonate with you we've got even more messages about your calling and your purpose that you can watch right now check them out here [Music]

Channel: Life.Church

Views: 69,834

Keywords: Craig Groeschel, Sermon, Life.Church, Lifechurch, life church, life church sermons, craig rochelle, groeschel craig, church sermons 2024, what you represent, representing god, lukewarm christian, being a lukewarm christian, authority of god, god's authority, showing god's love, showing god's love to others

Id: FuGjiS45gUo

Length: 34min 43sec (2083 seconds)

Published: Sun May 19 2024