October 10, 1999
A Dream Come True

TEXT: II Corinthians 5:16-21
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

On Saturday evening, June 18, I joined millions of Americans who were watching the Miss America pageant. At the appointed time, Marie Osmond came with the judges’ decision and crowned Miss Kentucky, Heather Renee Finch, Miss America for the year 2000. After the crying, hugging and other emotional responses, Heather Finch told the press, “You can’t imagine the feeling running through my entire body. This is a dream come true.”

To a greater or lesser degree, we have all had those times when our dreams became realities. After the ceremony, I have heard many brides exclaim, “I am married!” She had dreamed of her wedding day, and now it had come. It is always a thrilling experience to visit the hospital and hear a new mom say, “Look at my baby! Isn’t she beautiful? It is a dream come true.”

Today I would like to direct your attention to one verse in our text – “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” If this one passage of God’s Word would come alive in the souls of ten percent of the Church, there would be a spiritual awakening in America. This nation would be turned around. That would be a dream come true for evangelical Christians.

St. Paul tells us that when we are in Christ, “the old has passed away and the new has come.” We have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and He has given us the ministry of reconciliation. He is going to make His appeal to this world through us. I often wonder why God has chosen to evangelize the world in this way, but the fact remains that He has and we should not question it.

Who are these ambassadors? We assume it is the television evangelists who have the opportunity to preach weekly to millions of people. It is the evangelist of our day, Billy Graham. It is the pastor who has been trained to share the Gospel. It is the missionary who goes to the mission field. It is that person who has a special gift to tell the Gospel.

The Bible tells us that the ambassadors are all of these people, but more importantly it is every believer in Christ, including you and me. We all know someone in this world with whom we can share Christ better than any other person. The thought of being Christ’s ambassador has not come alive in the hearts and minds of most Christian people. That is the reason there is not, nor has there been, an on-going spiritual awakening in our world.

Let’s dream for a bit. Do you know a person whose life is messed up? If so, then do you ever say to yourself, “I wish I could do something for them.” Ask this person what needs to be fixed in their life. If they think of you as a friend who really wants to help, they will probably talk freely with you about it. If it becomes evident that they have some basic spiritual problems, then this is the time we become Christ’s ambassador.

What a privilege to take as much time as is necessary to stay with your friend, always holding the Gospel before them. They need to be reminded that God loves them, and Christ has died for them. Whatever stands between God and them can be forgiven in Christ.

At this point we have fulfilled our assignment as Christ’s ambassador. We cannot convert the person, but we can leave it all with the Holy Spirit and watch Him act. If you have never been the Holy Spirit’s agent in leading a person to Christ, you have a thrilling experience before you. In the words of Heather Finch, Miss America, you can’t imagine the feeling that will be running through your entire being when you see this person’s life changed. It is a dream come true.

Throughout my ministry, I have had many thrilling experiences, such as dedicating new church buildings, watching a congregation grow from a few hundred people to several thousand, and seeing a budget increase from $20,000 to $2 million dollars. However, nothing compares to watching a person come to Christ and grow up spiritually. What a thrill it is to observe a dysfunctional family become one with Christ at the center, with order and love replacing chaos and hate! Believe me, it happens. And inmost cases one of Christ’s ambassadors had a part in bringing it about.

Our Christian life becomes exciting when we commit ourselves to being one of Christ’s ambassadors. Pam found that to be true. She is serving as a Bible translator in Cameroon. As a medical student Diane wanted her life to count for Christ. Little did she know that her dream would be realized in Nepal, where she now cares for the sick and tells them about Christ. Many medical people – doctors, dentists, nurses, technicians, and pharmacists – sit in the pews Sunday after Sunday and hear the pastor talk about using their talents for the extension of God’s Kingdom. The last few years, these people have spent time as short term missionaries in Jamaica.

The majority of Christians will not travel to other lands to be Christ’s ambassadors. However, they will find their calling at their work or in the home with their spouse and children. Wherever we find our ambassadorship leading us will be fulfilling. Our lives are counting for Christ.

Yes, there are many exciting experiences in life when we say that it is a dream come true. Yet, for those who have had the experience of leading another person to Christ, these words say it all: “You can’t imagine the feeling running through my entire being! Christ can and did use me!” Pray this week that God will make this Scripture passage come alive in your life: We are ambassadors for Christ. God makes His appeal to this world, with all its needs, through His children. In Christ, we are one of those children, called to be an ambassador.

Amen.

Rev. Homer Larsen
Christian Crusaders