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TODAY'S TEACHING
Many people are blinded to the lies of the enemy — but God is sending YOU to speak the truth about WHO He is and WHAT He says. Today’s teaching will awaken your purpose, challenge you to prepare, and remind you that ambassadors don’t sit in silence…they speak for the King.
Paul’s passionate language is due to what’s at stake. Ambassadors for Christ Warn of God’s Wrath & Offer God’s Peace
BIG TRUTH
Ambassadors carry the message of the King to others - the message that those who REPENT - those who turn from their sin & trust Jesus’ payment on the cross - will be forgiven. We confidently tell others, “Your response to Jesus is His response to you.”
But without repentance...there is NO forgiveness.
Many people in our culture have come to believe that they WILL experience God’s forgiveness, without their repentance. They don’t need to change or turn from sin. They don’t need to fear God’s wrath because He gives us a pass. But that claim is nothing more than a sugar-coated poison - a lie...and someone has to warn them before it’s too late.
During Hitler’s reign from 1933 to 1945 (not including war casualties), over 11 million people were murdered by the Nazis.
Andy Andrews “How Do You Kill 11 Million People?”“The answer is breathtakingly simple...Lie to them.”
So too the enemy of God lies and deceives people who are also headed to their death. He promises of fame, fun, & full life
...but he lies. Jesus calls the devil ‘a murderer from the beginning’ and ‘the father of lies.’ (John 8:44)
The devil is a created being - an angel who disobeyed God long ago. Yet he rules as if he is God over others. This is why Paul refers to him as the god or ruler of this age & Jesus called him as ‘the ruler of this world’ in John 12:31.
Those who do not believe have been blinded by the lies of the enemy. They don’t recognize the glory of Christ, who is the image of God - they don’t know WHO God IS - perfectly revealed in the person of Jesus.
And they don’t see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ - they don’t know WHAT God SAYS - the GOOD NEWS about how they can be forgiven.
If WE are going to help others see the light of the glorious good news of Jesus, then we must become…
BIG TRUTH: Effective Ambassadors [who] know WHO GOD IS & WHAT GOD SAYS
Sadly, many who claim to follow Jesus have listened to the enemy’s lies. In truth, many who claim Christ are NOT effective ambassadors because they don’t know WHO God is or WHAT God says. They have been caught up in a culture that counterfeits God’s truth with lies that lead to death.
Those who have trusted Jesus as Lord of life, are to continue to walk in Him throughout the course of life. Our relationship with Jesus should deepen & strengthen. We are to be rooted and built up in Him - stable, grounded, growing, & maturing. And while the winds of our culture shift daily, WE are to remain established in the faith - not blown about like a tumbleweed.
Tumbleweed
This concept of taking someone captive is a term of war meaning to carry off possessions or the person himself. The captive would be bound and marched back to the enemy’s home.This is what false philosophy does.
(Not all philosophy is bad. In fact, philosophy means “love of wisdom”).
The false philosophy Paul warns against is empty & deceitful, shallow & seductive, based on human tradition handed down from one generation to another.
- The follower of Jesus who doesn’t walk in Him, doesn’t grow in Him...will likely go back to the culture’s default setting, based on false philosophy full of empty deceit - lies. And, ultimately this human tradition distorts & discounts what Jesus has to say about the issue.
Here’s what this sounds like in real world phrases:
- “The Bible was written by men and it’s full of mistakes.”
- - So EVERY book written by men is full of mistakes? Great question: ‘How did you come to that conclusion?’
- “Who are YOU to say that certain activities are sinful? Don’t Judge.”
- - The Scripture is our guide for what is right & wrong. And does God say we shouldn’t judge? (1 Cor. 5 says we SHOULD judge believers.)
- “No one can ever really know what is true.” Really? Then I’m certain that your statement is not true.
- “There are many ways to God…as long as you’re sincere.”
- - So then why did the Jewish followers of Jesus warn their Jewish people that Jesus was the only way?
- “After all, a loving God would never send anyone to hell for temporary sins.”
- - Really? Then that would mean that YOU are right...and Jesus is wrong. (I don’t think so.)
Why Trust Jesus Over Others?
We trust the words of Jesus over the words of our culture, because Jesus is GOD in skin! And in Him the entire fullness of God dwells bodily in Christ. See how that works? If Jesus is God...then His opinion trumps yours and mine.
4 Conclusions in Discovering WHO God IS and WHAT God SAYS
- The Bible is the supreme source for truth. It contains God’s Words & is the supreme source of authority for our lives.
- Question what you have been taught in light of the Scriptures. (Go listen to Trusting the Word of God series). Twist beliefs to fit the Bible instead of twisting the Bible to fit beliefs. If this is God’s word, then opinions need to get in line with His. The person who believes God’s Word must leave no room for racism, sexual impurity, dirty language, cheating others, or prideful arrogance.
- Jesus is God in skin who rose from the dead. Jesus was killed for this claim - that He claimed to be God in skin. He not only died a brutal death on a Roman cross to pay for our sins, but He physically ROSE from the dead!
- In Jesus we see WHO God is & in the Scripture we see WHAT God says.
- God uses people to reach people. The apostles didn’t just PRAY for others, but they also persuaded others that Jesus was worthy of their lives. We must follow their example, pray for our friends’ souls, and attempt to persuade their minds. God wants us to be an effective ambassadors who share WHO God is & WHAT God says.
- We must be trained by effective ambassadors. Listened to their reasons for believing and weigh what they say with the truth of Scripture & history.
- Greg Koukl - Check out STR.org for more info.
Why does it even matter? If you believe the Scriptures, then you know that lives hang in the balance...so...are you going to do anything about it? Will we do NOTHING to help the people passing by who are headed to an eternal death? We should engage them. We MUST engage them.
BIG TRUTH: Effective Ambassadors know WHO GOD IS & WHAT GOD SAYS
This knowledge is intended to be used to give us evidence and give us confidence to take the knowledge of who God is and what God says, to others…
Have questions and need some help? …real soon…how about now? Please call or text us soon!
These open-ended questions are designed to help you LIVE what you LEARN with your Family, Friends, or Small Group.
- What questions, answers, or challenges did today’s teaching stir in you?
- Read John 8:44 & 2 Cor 4:4. The sermon warns that Satan lies to the world — and even to believers.— What are some cultural lies you’ve noticed that contradict Scripture?
- Read Colossians 2:8. This passage talks about being taken captive by empty, deceptive philosophy. What are some examples today of "human tradition" that sound good but oppose biblical truth?
- Read Colossians 2:9-10. Why should the authority and opinion of Jesus be trusted above others?
- Jackie mentioned how he studied, questioned, and reshaped his beliefs around Scripture. Are there any beliefs you hold that need to be realigned with God’s Word? Are there any that have been challenged and changed based on Scriptures?
- “Are you singing louder while people are headed toward destruction?” — What is one practical step you can take this week to warn others and offer them peace in Christ?
- Who in your life may be spiritually deceived and needs you to lovingly speak truth as an ambassador?
- Name a same sex ambassador inside or outside of our church family whom you respect & whom you might need to seek out to help you train as a more effective ambassador? What are some things you need to ask/learn from them?
- Take a moment to pray for & encourage each other.
