The King’s Ambassadors

METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA

DIOCESE OF OSOGBO

ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, 14TH JUNE, 2020.

GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

THEME: “The King’s Ambassadors.”

           “Asoju (Iko) Oba.”

TEXT: Matthew 10:5 & 6

“These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

“Awọn mejeejila wọnyi ni Jesu rán jade o si paṣẹ fun wọn pe, “Ẹ má lọ si ọna awọn keferi, ati pe ki ẹ maṣe lọ si ilu awọn ara Samaria. Ṣugbọn ẹ kuku tọ awọn aguntan ile Israeli ti o nù lọ."

Salvation of the world is what could be done by the Creator only, and Jesus Christ, God the Son, came down from heaven and did it alone (John 10:10). But the followers of Jesus Christ are needed to bear witness to the work of salvation done by him and as well continue the salvific and compassionate work of Christ on earth. He needed people who would be filled with compassion for souls and move from village to village, teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing every sickness and every disease including COVID-19 pandemic among the people (Matt. 9:35) Jesus Christ as the King in his Kingdom needed ambassadors to carry the kingdom message out to people everywhere in the world. He needed those who have trusted him and have been saved to go and help others to be saved. The King still needs such people today as it was in the day of Prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, when God asked: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? (Isa. 6:8).” It is therefore not enough for us as a Church (Christians) that we pray for workers who will labour in the King’s vineyard (Matthew 9:36-38), rather we are expected to make ourselves available to serve him and represent the King of kings everywhere in this world.

Jesus Christ, the King, during his earthly ministry had many followers, out of whom many were merely “hangers-on”, while some were truly converted and saved (John 6:66 - 69). From this group of followers, Jesus chose a smaller group of twelve men which he called “Apostles”, the word etymologically, comes from the Greek word ‘Apostello’ meaning “to send forth with a commission.” “Apostello” was used by the Greeks for the personal representatives of the king. These representatives are ambassadors who functioned with the king’s authority. For anyone to make light of the king’s envoys, therefore, was to be in danger of insubordination, a punishable offence under the law of any State. For this reason, people who are chosen to be ambassadors are expected to be trustworthy people, men and women of integrity who command respect of others. Hence, anybody who wishes to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ, the King, must meet certain qualifications like the Apostles of Christ. Before anyone can be chosen to represent Christ,

1.    He must have seen and known the resurrected Christ (1Cor.9:1)

2.    He must be in fellowship with him (Acts 1:21 - 22)

3.    He must have been chosen by him (Eph.4:11)

4.    He must have been reconciled with God (2Cor.5:17,20)

These Apostles (Ambassadors) according to Matthew, were given special power and authority by Jesus Christ to perform miracles (Matt. 10:8). These miracles he gave them power to perform later, became part of their “official qualifications” as ambassadors of the great King in the world (Acts 2:43, 5:2; 2Cor.12:12; Heb.2:1-4) They cleansed the lepers, healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead and restored sight to the blind. One may then conclude that the early Apostles (Ambassadors) represented Christ, the King in a definite way, and as well extended his work on earth. It is obvious that Christ expects the same, if not greater, representation from all of us today. Though the early disciples of Jesus Christ were commissioned and sent only to the house of Israel because of the general believe that “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22), but today Jesus is sending all believers to the entire world (Matt. 28:19-20). The early twelve ambassadors announced the coming of God’s kingdom as in the days of John the Baptism (Matt. 3:2) following after the ministry of Jesus Christ himself (Matt. 4:17). But ignorantly, the nation of Israel rejected both Christ and his ambassadors, and the kingdom was taken away from it (Matt. 21:43) Today, we are sent with the gospel of the grace of God to the entire world (Acts 20:24). Our message to our generation is ‘Jesus Christ died for our sin’, and not “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is because, we believed that the kingdom has already come, Jesus had suffered, died on the cross and risen from the dead. He did all these to save us. In this dispensation, therefore, Jesus Christ, through the belivers offers Salvation to all who will believe and accept him. We his ambassadors are his witnesses in this present world. We have been called and sent by our King to go and proclaim his love to the entire world (John 3:16), to heal the sick, especially those who have been infected by COVID-19 pandemic. We are sent to cast out demons including Coronavirus and prevent the world created by God from being destroyed by this deadly disease and many other evils which are prevalent in this generation. As ambassadors of Christ, the King, we are to be bold and speak against all evil deeds in our world. We are sent to rebuke bad government and encourage the good ones. To destroy every satanic work and rebuild all to the glory of God. We are to bring transformation to the whole world without discrimination, especially our nation Nigeria at a time like this (Jer. 1:10) I therefore call on all born again Christians who have been called to be ambassadors of Christ, the King, to rise up, have done with lesser things; give heart mind, soul and strength to serve the King of kings (MHB 585). Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit for success and affective ministry as you go into the world to do his will.

Remember you are in the world, but you are not of the world (John 17:14 - 16). Therefore, let Christ be seen in you, and bear his tale to every part of the world. Proclaim it, sing it and announce the good news about Jesus Christ to all.

1: CHRIST for the world, we sing: The world to Christ we bring With loving zeal; The poor, and them that mourn, The faint and overborne, Sin-sick and sorrow-worn, Whom Christ doth heal.

2: Christ for the world we sing: The world to Christ we bring With fervent prayer; The wayward and the lost, By restless passions tossed, Redeemed at countless cost From dark despair.

3: Christ for the world we sing: The world to Christ we bring with one accord; with us the work to share, with us reproach to dare, with us the cross to bear for Christ our Lord.

4: Christ for the world we sing: The world to Christ we bring with joyful song; The new-born souls, whose days, Reclaimed from error’s ways, Inspired with hope and

Let us pray

Rt. Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.

Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.

Chairman OS-CAN.