Ambassadors of the Great Commission - 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 | Cody Calhoun

0:56 [Music]

7:50 It's too late. [Music] I'm waiting for us who are still standing to take our seats. [Music]

9:15 Good morning church. Good morning, church. That's better. Thank you. I'm still waiting for those that are still standing to sit down. Just for a minute and then start. [Music] Okay. Thank you. My name is Filon Lungo. I'm the D on duty for this month. I'll be giving the announcements and any matters needing add attention can be passed on to me for the rest of us the deacons. The following are the are the announcements. Um let me start with the campus outreach before I forget.

10:01 So this is a notice to all the students and those who would want to be part of the campus outreach that we are meeting this Friday. Take note of that. If you're a student, remember that we're meeting this uh Friday. And if you are a member or a regular attendant, you'd want to be part of the campus outreach, this is for you. So remember that we are meeting this coming Friday at 18 hours to about 20 hours. Take note of that. The next announcement is the Zambia annual reformed family conference which is scheduled for 25th to 29th August which is just in the next uh few

10:49 weeks. The venue is Dream Valley Lodge. The theme is uh God's design for mankind in a world gone mad. The theme is God's design for mankind in a world gone mad. The speaker is Pastor Jeff Smith from the US. registration is still uh taking place and if you'd want to register at the end of the service go to the information desk and uh be registered. The payments are as follows for the workers if you are a working class. The amount is 630 quatcher 630

11:37 quatcher. Like I said last Sunday that the amount has reduced. So let's take advantage if of this amount. For those that didn't attend last year, this is your chance. This is your time because next year the amount may go up. So let's take advantage of this uh reduction. For those that are not working, the amount is slightly less. It's a 520 520 quatcher. For children, it's 230230 quatcher. And for the international uh guests, it's $100. Just $100.

12:24 Installments are acceptable. Just again go to the information desk, indicate that you'd want to pay in installments. You can pay small amounts 100 quatcher today, 100 quatcher next Sunday and by by the time we'll be getting into uh these dates 25th to 29th would have finished making the payments and you'll be able to participate. You should uh I almost said how many have attended but I won't do that. Uh it's exciting and it's the singing is powerful. It's more than what we have here. So I'm encouraging for each and everyone in here and all those that may be uh viewing us to register and be part of this exciting

13:10 Zambia annual reformed family conference. There's a registration link for those who are members. It's in the uh members WhatsApp group. uh let's take advantage of that uh registration link and through the same link you are able to make the payments. The next in line with the same is if you have got room in your home, we are kindly asking that you see you go again to the information desk and indicate that you've got a room that is uh free and that you'd want to make it available for the guests that are coming from uh

13:55 other parts of Zambia and also other parts of the world. The next announcement is uh the annual HBC couples retreat. This is now for the couples. All the couples in here and all those that are viewing. You are encouraged to register for this exciting lovely couples retreat. The venue will be Tiffan Tiffan's Cannon and the amount is 2,000 quatcher per couple. 2,000 quatcher per couple. And the dates are 5th to 60th September. We still have a lot of time with this one. Uh but it's

14:42 just next month, the early part of next month, which is 60th 5th to 60th September. Again, couples be encouraged. Be reminded to register for this um couples retreat. It will be exciting. I can assure you it will be worth the amount, the money and you come back excited, refreshed and uh ready to conquer the world. The payments also is flexible. You can pay in in small amounts 200 quatcha today. Next Sunday again you can pay 400 quatcha by the time we'll be getting to 5th

15:28 you would have finished. Now I should mention here that registration is closed as was announced last week that last Sunday was the deadline for registration. Now for those that have registered, we need your monies. Let's start making the payments in installments so to be able to attend this exciting uh lovely retreat. The next announcement is uh for the Sunday school for children. This is the announcement for the

16:14 children. All the children. There's a VBS that will take place on the 21st to 23rd August. children. You have a vocational Bible school that will take place from 20 21st to 23rd August which is just this uh very month. Parents be encouraged to register your children and uh make the the payment uh which is a 150 quatcher. All the children are invited. All those sitting here, all those that are not here,

17:01 they are all invited to come and be part of this uh again exciting um time together with the children. So parents be encouraged to register your children and children make noise. This is why you are allowed to make noise on your parents that you want to come for this uh VBS. The venue will be right here. The next announcement at two. We thank God for the the movie that the the our youths here had yesterday.

17:49 um we came to pick those that came here and you could see from their expressions and smiles and how they talking about how nice the movie was. So if you missed yesterday as a youth uh that is starting from uh what age group? Teenagers. Teenagers. Yes. Uh teenagers. If you're a teen and you didn't manage to come yesterday, you missed a lot. I can assure you. Uh you missed the popcorns, you missed the movie. And uh the second last is the interchurch social uh the interchurch social on the 20th of uh September which is uh next month. Thank you for

18:35 your time and your attention. I'll now invite our worship leader to come and take us through the service. Thank you so much. [Music] Good morning. Um, this Lord's Day. I would like to thank the deacons for this opportunity to stand before you. I'm joined here by my wife.

19:23 I haven't been here I think in the last three or four weeks. I think the last time I was here I was on the other side of the pit being introduced as someone who was about to get married. Um today I'm on this side of the pit on the other side of that introduction as a very happy man. Um um yeah, I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the church and everyone at large for the love and the support that you showed us during that time and that you continue to show us. We are overwhelmed by everything that you do and um continue to do. Um, may God grant you strength to continue serving him um in the various ways that you do and may he cause his countenance

20:09 to always shine upon you. Um, our call to worship this Lord's Day comes from Psalm 138 verse 1 to8. We'll read Psalm 138 verse 1 to8. And even as we have come to worship God this Lord's day, um I pray and uh trust that we worship him for his steadfast love and his faithfulness. I pray and trust that we exalt his name above all other names for everything that he has done. We called and he answered us. He he has preserved us and he has delivered us from all our enemies. Um I pray and trust that we'll humble ourselves before him this day. Um, for he regards the

20:54 lowly and sets a halty. Psalm chapter 138. Um, we'll read the entire chapter. I give thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart. Before the gods, I sing your praise. I bow down towards your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness. For you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called you, you answered me. My strength of soul you increased. All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord. For great

21:40 is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. Amen. Shall we bow before the Lord in prayer? We thank you dear father for this day that you have given to us. We thank you

22:26 that it has pleased you um not only to grant us life this morning but also to grant us strength to be able to gather here before you today. We pray, oh Lord, asking um that you will make our hearts ready to worship you in praise um and in song um in the preaching of your word, oh Lord, and even in the reading of your word. We ask, oh Lord, that we will incline our ears and that we will set um our hearts affection this day on you alone. Oh Lord, we ask that the worship that we bring to you will be guided only

23:14 by the truth that is found in your word. That oh Lord, it will also be guided um by your spirit because outside of this um we will error. Oh Lord, we thank you for your word that has come to us from Psalm chapter 138 um which encourages us, which calls us to worship you this day. Um for your steadfast love and your faithfulness that continues to endure forever. Um we praise you this day because um you have fulfilled um your purposes for us and that your steadfast love endures forever. We pray that um even as we begin to worship you and up to the end, you will be with us this

24:00 Lord's day. It is these things we pray in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Um for our first song, I'll ask that we stand. We will be singing the song of the month. I'll ask that the congregation rises with me, the choir. [Music] Oh yeah. on [Applause] [Music] My [Music] Holy

24:48 as he [Music] [Applause] [Music] I say [Music] I [Applause] see my go [Applause] [Music] to

25:35 [Music] [Applause] [Music] a single Ohana [Music] I could teach you [Music]

26:37 and I see command. [Music] Oh, [Music] deep. [Music] for [Applause] [Music]

27:24 my [Music] in the song [Music] [Applause] [Music] way. [Music]

28:12 Thank you so much for that singing while still standing. We will sing. There is a redeemer. There is a redeemer. Jesus, God's own son. Precious lamb of God, Messiah, holy one. In the chorus. Thank you, Almighty Father, for giving us your son through whom we have life and living your spirit um through whom we are sanctified till the work on earth is done. [Music] There is a redeemer

28:59 Jesus God's own son, precious lamb of God Messiah. Oh holy one. Thank you all my father for giving us your son and leading your spirit. The work on earth is done. Jesus my redeemer, name above all names.

29:48 Precious lamb of God Messiah, oh for seeing us. Thank you, oh my father, for giving us your son and leaving your spirit till you. The work on earth is done. When I stand in gloryy, I will see his face. And there I'll save my king forever

30:37 in that holy place. Thank you, oh my father, for giving us your son and leaving your spirit till the work on earth is done. You may take your seats for our next song. I'll ask the ushers to wait upon us even as we give our offerings and our tithes. And after this, I'll call upon

31:25 and then immediately after I'll call upon Richard Kambinda to give us the consecutive Bible reading. Our next song is I am a new creation. [Music] I am a new creation. No more in condemnation. Here in the grace of God I stand. My heart is overflowing. My love just keeps on going here in the

32:13 grace of God I stand. And I will praise you, Lord. Yes, I will praise you, Lord. And I will sing of all that you have done. A joy that knows no living. Their lightness in my spirit. Here in the grace of God I stand. I will praise you Lord. Yes I will praise you Lord. And I will sing of all that you have done.

32:58 A joy that knows the living. The lightness in my spirit. Here in the grace of God I stand. I am a new creation. No more in condemnation. Here in the grace of God I stand. My heart is overflowing. My heart just keeps on moving here in the grace of God I stand. I will praise you Lord. Yes I will praise you Lord and I will sing.

33:44 of all that you have done. A joy that goes for the spirit of I will praise you. I will praise you Lord. [Applause] joy that the living. [Music]

34:30 Amen. A pleasant good morning to everyone and a special welcome to those visiting us for the very first time. We are truly happy and delighted to have you in our midst this morning. Today we have a guest speaker in our midst and so I will quickly invite uh Pastor Codi Calhoun to just quickly join me in front. All

35:20 right. So, I will basically just ask uh three questions to Pastor Cody uh just as a way of getting to know him. Um the last time he was here was about six years ago when we used to meet at the cross junction of great lungu there about. Welcome pastor. Thank you. All right. Thank you so much. So maybe my first question would be just tell us a little bit more about yourself. Well, my name is Cody Calhoun. I am a pastor in the state of Arkansas in the United States. Um, it's next to Texas.

36:08 Most people know Arkansas because that is where Walmart is. That's all we're known for is Walmart. And so it is a it is a state that I am proud to be from. I've I've been a part of ministry there. I've been a pastor at Fellowship Bible Church for 12 years uh in the same area that I grew up. Um, and so I I've been there before then. I have served in churches. I went to seminary in Texas. But even before then from 2001 to 2003 I lived in Botswana and uh and during my time in Botswana it allowed me many times to come to Zambia and uh so I've always enjoyed my my travels here I always enjoyed my stay. Uh but six years ago as I came and got to see what God was doing in Lusaka uh providentially he

36:54 he paired me up with pastor Mandulla and Baywi and that began a friendship and uh that friendship has continued on. There are times that I get to see him in the States, but I'm always asking how you are doing here and I continue to pray for you. And uh and so that's my story. I'm I'm the I'm a husband. I have three daughters. And so I am uh I'm starting my own women's ministry right in my own home. And uh and so uh I'm blessed. My daughters, my older two have been to uh Botswana. Um and they know my heart to be here and they wish they could be here with me. All right. Thank you so much. So the next question will probably what brings you to Zambia? Yes. Um

37:39 during my time in Botswana, I got to be very close friends with a a family from Zambia, the Mandumbas. Uh their daughter who was little at the time of my being in Botswana has grown up and she was going to wanted to start in university. And so she moved in with my family. She became my fourth daughter and went to school uh there in Arkansas and then later on into Connecticut. Well, we've been we were praying for a godly young man in Arkansas and then she left and went to Connecticut. So, we prayed for a godly young man in Connecticut, but funny enough, God gave her a godly young man from Zambia. So, we were just praying on the wrong continent. And so we are blessed that William Manila uh has proposed and the wedding

38:25 was yesterday and so I was able to be in town. I was able to be a part of the ceremony in Lusaka Baptist Church and the celebration and uh and so my time here was coming. I knew I was coming here and so I reached out to Pastor Mandulla and said I will be with you on Sunday. Just whatever whatever I can do I would love to be with you and so I'm able to be here this morning with you. All right. Thank you so much. So maybe my last question then would be what would you like us to be praying for fellowship uh faith fellowship Baptist church? Yes. For fellowship Bible church. Give us three two or three prayer items. I would say just a couple of things. One um that God would continue to open our hearts to all that he is doing across the world. Uh in in our culture where we live uh we we live somewhat in a bubble.

39:12 We live in a very uh disconnected part of our community. And so the American culture is very isolated. So our our what we constantly preach and what we constantly ask our people to is realize that God is doing incredible things outside of your home, outside of even Fellowship Bible Church. So we pray for a global heart for our people. not just to go but to pray to even share the gospel with those around them and that those that God blesses us anywhere we go whether it's to Ghana Zambia to Poland uh to Dubai God has given us incredible partners that we get to go and encourage but also we want to be a part of sharing the gospel and so just pray number one that our church would have a vision for the people outside of their own

39:57 communities but secondly that they would grow in their devotion to the church. I would say in America, what we're seeing in the church is uh less and less faithfulness to the local church. Not not complete abandonment, but just attendance, connection, growth, all those things. Uh American independence has kind of pushed us away from the body instead of pushing us to. And so I would pray for faithfulness for the church and I would pray for a heart that wants to reach those around them and across the world for the gospel. All right. Thank you so much. Uh you're free to Oh, yes. Thank you so much. All right. Thank you. All right. So, those are just a few uh items from Pastor Cody. Uh please do uh

40:44 take time to interact with him guessing it need little to learn a little bit more about uh Faith Fellowship Baptist Church uh after the morning uh service. Uh maybe let me just be quick to note that uh actually Faith Fellowship Baptist Church is a church behind the tent that we're meeting under. uh it is the the the church that uh the Lord moved their hearts to be able to bless us and now today we are a testimony of the Lord's goodness through Faith Fellowship Baptist Church and we are grateful for that. All right, let me just uh add some items of prayer to what

41:31 has already been said. uh the praise item as it was alluded to by the deacons when they were making an announcement. Um one of them being the ladies uh uh uh ladies uh Bible study that was a success that went on well. So we'll be praising God for that and also praising God for yesterday's uh young people the light for the uh evangelistic uh movie that they had yesterday. Then we also continue to pray for uh VBS. uh this week is the day that it is

42:17 happening and so we will pray that the Lord may undertake for the children's ministry even as they make arrangements of the event and putting all things together that the Lord might be pleased uh to use this aspect. Then also we'll be remembering pastor Munde. is not with us today because he is preaching at Lusaka Baptist Church children's camp. And so we will be praying that the Lord might continue to use him in the lives of the children who are in attendance but praying that God might be pleased to bring about salvation even in the hearts of our children who are in

43:03 attendance. And then uh lastly, we'll be praying for Pastor Codi Khoun as he will be bringing God's word to us this morning. Please do join me as we bring these items before God in prayer. Shall we pray? Blessed God, Father in heaven, we come before your presence this morning with hearts that are filled with great humility to you, our great God. Oh Lord, we want to pray that you may accord us this time when we can be able

43:52 to worship you in truth and in spirit. Our father, we pray that you would help us to raise praises to your holy name for who you are. We thank you for your mercies. We thank you for your grace. That we who do not deserve your mercies and your grace, we who at times fall short of being faithful to you in our words, in our speech, in our thoughts.

44:38 Yet, oh God, you have continued to show your faithfulness. Oh father in heaven, we plead with thee that even as you have gathered us together this morning, speak to our hearts. meet us at our points of need that oh God that Lord's day may not pass us by without knowing of your grace being sufficient for us. Uh father we pray and ask that your spirit alone would illumine our minds

45:23 and our hearts to comprehend the beauty of your word. Oh God, that in each sense of your word that we hear this morning, either being read or as later it will be preached that we may behold the beauty of your son, the grace around him and the great salvation in him that you may Fill our hearts with that sense of gratitude to those served of this immeasurable grace.

46:09 We who are greatly indebted to him. But also praying for those who are not yet served that your spirit would convict and draw their hearts to yourself to bring them nearer to you that they may experience the joy that is found in the great salvation in your son Jesus Christ. Our father we thank you for the way that you undertook for two ministries yesterday. We want to join them in thanking you for the opportunity that

46:56 you had provided them for their meetings to be successful. We think of the ladies that had their Bible study. And father, we thank you for the indepth even as they search the pages of scripture seeking to grasp the truth from your word that Lord may you help our ladies to grow in your grace even as they meditate on your word. Our father, we also want to thank you for the young people, the light ministry, even as they met yesterday. Thank you for the number who were in

47:42 attendance, even as they had the movie night. Father, we pray that you might continue to use this ministry in reaching to the hearts of the young people with the truth and with the gospel that Lord you will draw those far away from you to yourself. That father in heaven this might be a means upon which your word is being shared to the hearts of the young people within the church and also outside the church. Father, we also want to pray remembering

48:30 the children's ministry even as they make plans for the vocational Bible club, especially this coming week. Father in heaven, we pray for them that even as all logistics are being put in place and seeking to finalize for this event, we want to pray, oh Lord, that you may help the team to put all things in place. We thank you thus far for the children who have already registered and we pray oh Lord that you may move

49:15 the hearts of our parents. those within church and those who listen to us through the means of media who have not yet registered their children that Lord they may do so that they may be able to accord this great opportunity for their children to hear your word being taught to them. We pray oh Lord that the event a three-day event may it be a great success. We pray for those who will be teaching the young ones including our intents that God may you bless them bless your word to their hearts that in 10 they may bless the

50:05 hearts of these little ones even as they share your word. Oh father in heaven, it is our prayer. It is our prayer that one day we hear testimonies of children being able to make reference to the VBS as being a contact point when you called them to yourself. And so, Father, we pray that this blessing may be upon this ministry and the hearts of these young ones. Our father, we also want to thank you for the opportunity that you gave pastor to be able to teach

50:53 even at Lusaka Baptist Church Children's Camp. We thank you for the number of children who are in attendance for this event. And our father, we want to pray. We want to pray and ask that you would use our pastor as a means to which your word will be preached to the hearts of the children. Lord, we pray that you may help the children to hear your word. Lord, we pray that you may help the children to understand your word. But Lord, we also pray that your spirit

51:40 may lay your word in such a convicting way in the hearts of these children that Lord they may see the need for Christ and the need to cry out in prayer for salvation. Oh father in heaven, we pray that even as they will continue to have sessions today running into tomorrow, that your grace might abound for them to that very end. Our father, we also want to thank you this day for the opportunity of fellowship, for the opportunity of being able to give Pastor Cody Khon

52:28 being in our midst this morning. We thank you for your grace that has been upon his church, Faith Fellowship Baptist Church, for the way, oh Lord, that you have moved their hearts as a church and being a testimony today years down the line of our meeting place. And now we want to pray for them as a church that Lord even as they have desired that you might continue to open their hearts as a church being able to be globally missionminded

53:15 and where oh Lord you can cause them to see an opportunity to reach many with the gospel. Oh father in heaven, we want to pray for them that you may lay this burden upon the heart of the church that Lord together they will seek your face together oh God that they will look to your leading and to your guidance. We pray oh Lord committing the leaders of the church that your grace might be sufficient for them even as they lead the church towards this mission. that Lord through Faith Fellowship

54:01 Church that they will know of answered prayers because of the doors and windows that you would open across the globe even as they reach out with your word. Our father, we also want to pray for them that in doing so that you may grant them hearts that will be favored, devoted to this great task. that Lord you will cause them that their hearts might be warmed to see the need, the passion and the desire of your gospel being disseminated

54:47 to this far and wide country. That Lord, you will strengthen their inner souls even as they seek you in this way. that our father in heaven each will be an encouragement of another member holding hands even as a savior as a church together. And now father we want to thank you for the opportunity that you have given pastor Cody to be in our midst this day that even later on as he would stand to bring forth your word to us. May you use him oh God may we hear your voice

55:34 speak to us through him. And now father we want to pray remembering those in our mid who have bereiements that father in heaven may you remember them and may you comfort them. We think of our sister Tawonga. We also think of our brother Donoyo and those that we have not known but who are bereaved. That father in heaven you will be their great comforter and above all Lord that you will carry them through even this time and moment of loss. And now, Father, we pray for every tithe and offering that has been given that

56:20 may you use it to the extension of your work here at Hillview Baptist Church even as we forge out within the church and outside the community that oh God you will bless these efforts. We pray oh Lord that you will bless too the reading of your word even as our brother Richard comes to stand before us. So our father we pray that you might continue to draw us nearer to yourself and use our brother Chavala even as he continues to leads us in worship for this is our prayer in Christ's name. Amen.

57:23 Uh good morning church. So for our consecutive Bible reading, we'll be going through the book of Acts this morning covering chapter 24. I invite you to follow along uh with me as I read using the English Standard Version. So that's Acts chapter 24. Chapter 24. And after 5 days, the high priest Ananas came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tulas. They laid before the governor the case against Paul. And when he had been summoned, Tulas began

58:10 to accuse him, saying, "Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation in every way and everywhere, we accept this with all gratitude. But to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ring leader of the sect of the Nazarines. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. By examining him yourself, you'll be able to find out

58:57 from him about everything of which we accuse him." The Jews also joined in the church, affirming that all these things were so. And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied, "Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. You can verify that it is not more than 12 days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. And they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up

59:43 against me. But this I confess to you, that according to the way which they coect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law and written in the prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. Now after several years I came to bring arms to my nation and to present offerings. While I was doing this they found me purified in the temple without any crowd

1:00:29 or tumult. But some Jews from Asia, they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation. Should they have anything against me, or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they have found when I stood before the council other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them. It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day. But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the way, put them off, saying, "When Licius the Tribune comes down, I will decide your case."

1:01:15 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla who was Jewish and he sent Paul and heard him and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, "Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you." At the same time, he hoped that money

1:02:02 would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him orphan and conversed with him. When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porsches Fesus and desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left poor in prison. And the Lord add a blessing to the public reading of his word. Amen. As we prepare to listen to the preaching

1:02:47 of God's word for our handover hymn, we'll be singing Holy Bible Book Divine. I'll ask that you stand with me. [Music] Holy Bible divine, precious treasure, thou art mine, mine to tell me when I came. Time to teach me what I am.

1:03:36 Mine to try me when I roll. Mine to show the Savior's love. Mine at my feet. Mine to me. My to [Music] show my living. I can triumph over [Music]

1:04:26 [Applause] [Music] our Let us pray. Lord, thank you for your word. Lord, thank you for how it instructs and teaches us. And Lord, I pray that today in a special way, you would instruct our hearts through your word. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. You can be seated. This morning, our text is going to come from 2 Corinthians chapter 5 18-20. It is a joy to be with you again. I know it's been six years and I know that is too long, but I am privileged to be with you again. I'm privileged to be able to share God's word with you. We have been praying for you as part of Fellowship

1:05:12 Bible Church, as being a pastor and an elder there, coming here six years ago. It it it endeared my heart to you. And I think of what Paul wrote in Philippians when he says, "I thank my God every time I remember you." And so Hillview and in Lusaka and in Zambia, every time I think of you, I thank God. I thank God for your faithfulness. I thank God for the way that you love his church and that you're a part of it. And so your faith is an encouragement to me. I know I get to be here. I know I get to open God's word and encourage you through God's word. But before I ever get to do that, your faith is an encouragement to me. And so I'm so happy to be with you today. This morning we're going to look at a very unique passage of Paul's description of believers.

1:05:59 He is going to tell us about a title that we all hold. Every single one of us that we are all whether you realize it or not today you are an ambassador. We think of that position as being a very lofty position. That is a very high political position. Paul's encouragement to all of us is that we hold that position within the household of God, that we are ambassadors, that we represent one nation to another nation. Most of the time, this position was most needed in war. When one nation was waring against another nation, an ambassador would go and speak on the behalf of one nation to another. That is true for Paul as he has given us a picture of 2 Corinthians 5, which by the

1:06:46 way is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. And in 2 Corinthians 5, he speaks of reconciliation and then giving us the title of ambassadors. So we are here in 2 Corinthians 5 chapter 18 verse 20. We do this at fellowship. If you don't mind to do it with me as we read God's word, would you stand with me as we read God's word together? 2 Corinthians 5 verse 18 through 20. All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is in Christ God was reconciling the world to

1:07:31 himself not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ. Be reconciled to God. Lord, we thank you for your word and I pray that today you would give me words to speak. Would you prohibit me from anything I don't need to say? Lord, would you bless your congregation in the reading of your word? In Jesus name we pray. Amen. You can be seated. This morning, just two points as we look at this passage. Firstly, ambassadors know the message of the gospel and ambassadors proclaim the message of the gospel. As we look in our text, we see this the knowledge of the gospel itself,

1:08:19 the message that we have as ambassadors. Verse 18-9 again all this 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 people's sin against them that is the message of the ambassador of Christ we need to know what that message is need to be understanding of what the message is ambassadors have a message I would love the position ition of ambassador to Zambia. I'm not qualified in any way. But that position would be a wonderful position, wouldn't it?

1:09:05 I think where I would fail at that position is that the message of the the the ambassador is not one that they get to make up. They don't get to create the message. They simply receive the message from one country and then pass it along to another. That's where I would fail as an ambassador. I would be a terrible ambassador because I would want to share my own message. I want to do things my own way. I would love to say, "Hey, here's the way things ought to be." But the messenger only shares the message that they are given for us as ambassadors for Christ. We share the gospel. The gospel has what is what has been given to us. what we have been authorized to share. And if I'm

1:09:52 sharing the gospel as an ambassador of Christ, then I need to know that message incredibly well. I need to know it. I need to be fluent in the language in which I am sharing. I was the worst of missionaries when I was here. I was terrible in Setswuana. I could only have a conversation with a 5-year-old. But I tried. I tried to learn. But when we understand that we are called to be ambassadors that we are we have a message to share that not only do we need to know the message we need to be fluent in the message. It needs to be a message that not only do we share but we rehearse it well. And our message is the good news of the gospel. The gospel that is every Sunday

1:10:38 proclaimed from this pullpit. The gospel that is preached not just for the lost among us. Not just for those that don't know Christ. We rehearse the gospel every Sunday. I rehearse the gospel every day because I need it for myself. We practice it. We repeat it. We remind each other this morning. It doesn't matter how long you've been in the faith. I have been in the faith almost 40 years now, which is older than many of you. But you know what? When I was 10 years old, the power of the gospel changed my life. And I don't walk away from it. I grow deeper in it. I remind myself every

1:11:25 morning of the gospel of Jesus Christ and what he has done for me. That message draws my heart to worship. Jesus even sums it up as in his own message. Luke 19:10, for the son of man came to seek and save the lost. His purpose in coming was reconciliation. His purpose in coming was the reconciliation of God with sinful men. We have to know the message. We have to practice the message. When I preach at home, my our people know that when I'm when I'm sharing the gospel because I kind of get in the same spots when I share. There's three pillars to define what the gospel is that we need to know. We need to know who God is.

1:12:12 We need to know who are we. We need to know who is Jesus. The three pillars of the gospel are God, man, Jesus. And we have a right understanding of those three. If we get one of those three wrong, we are not sharing and preaching the gospel. If we have a wrong view of who God is, then what we're sharing is not true good news. If we have a wrong view of humanity itself, then we don't proclaim the bad news to make the good news good. If we have a wrong view of Christ, we are preaching a false gospel. These pillars are incredibly important. We need to know. We need to be fluent.

1:12:59 We need to share. Paul does this in a very unique case study. Go to Acts chapter 17. When Paul views his role as being an ambassador, one that represents the kingdom of God to another kingdom being the world, Paul has an example here of how he engages culture as an ambassador. I love this portion of scripture because Paul is going into a very religious culture. He's going to go share the truth of the gospel and he is going into the the beautiful massive city of Athens. And as he walks in, he is noticing the culture. He is seeing how these people live. He is seeing what do they believe? They he is hearing what they believe.

1:13:48 And then so he approaches as an ambassador into this other culture. Read with me Acts 17 verse 22 through31. Listen to the pillars of what Paul is presenting. a right view of God, a right view of humanity, and a right view of Jesus. Verse 22. So Paul standing in the midst of the Aropagus said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you were very religious. For as I passed along and observed the object of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, to an unknown God. What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you, the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live

1:14:35 in temples made by men, nor has he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way towards him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As we have seen some of your poets have said, "For we are indeed his offspring." Being men then God's offspring. We ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art or

1:15:22 imagination of men. The times of ignorance God overlooked. But now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. You hear it? Paul is walking into a culture here to share the gospel as an ambassador. He goes to what they call the Aropagus. This doesn't sound as cool as it is. The Aropagus is called the place of war. This place of war is not what you think it is. The if you look at a picture,

1:16:08 it's only a it's a large stone. And at this large stone, people would sit and they would talk and they would debate the the the philosophies of the day. They would debate the thoughts of the day. The place of war was actually a place of words. It sounds a little lazy, I know, to sit around and just talk about words. But as Paul enters into Athens, he goes to the Aropagus. He goes to the place of words and he stands before them and says, "I can tell you're religious." We can look at our own culture and we can say the same thing, can't we? I can see that you're religious.

1:16:54 He looks at their idols and he came to an idol that said to an unknown god. The Greeks were so afraid of meeting a god that they did not know, they created one to an unknown god. just to make sure that they were okay. That if ever in their life or afterlife if they encountered a god they did not know, they could say, "Oh, no, no, no. We had an idol for you." Paul sees this and says, "Let me tell you about a god that you don't know, but you can." And he compares God to the little gods of this culture. You see, God does not need us. In the Greeks, they they believe that

1:17:40 the gods needed their worship. They needed their temples. They needed their idols. Paul says, "The true God does not need your hands. He does not need your temples. He does not need a place. And in fact, he created you and everything you see. He created all. And he's sovereign over all." He says he appoints the boundaries in which everyone will live. He He doesn't just He's not at the whim and mercy of whoever is going to worship him. Our sovereign God is over all and created all. But then he says our sovereign God is holy. That our sovereign God has the right to judge humanity because humanity is sinful. Our holy God

1:18:28 created humanity to have a relationship with him. And this creator God had the perfect relationship until man chose to sin and disobey him. And in doing so fractured the relationship with God. And that sin not only separated relationally God from man, but destined man apart from rescue to eternity separated from God. And God being holy and righteous and the rightful judge has every right to judge sinful humanity in their rebellion. But God being rich in mercy looked upon our condition and sent us his only son being part of himself being

1:19:13 the triune God that the mission and the rescue of God came through the son and his life being perfect where sinful man could not obey God's word Christ obeyed perfectly. He suffered and died in our place where he took upon our sin and we were given his righteousness in this terribly one-sided exchange where God placed our sin upon Christ and gave us the righteousness of Christ himself means that you and I truly can become the children of God and our savior died upon a cross and

1:19:58 three days later rose again not just to defeat sin on the cross but to defeat death through his resurrection. Paul is laying the foundational f the the the framework in which he is sharing the gospel as an ambassador. He wants to be clear about what it says. What is the message? Holy God, sinful humanity, precious savior who would suffer and die for us. He repeats it over and again. He reminds them of the good news here or he speaks of the good news here. He compares their false theology to the truth of the gospel.

1:20:43 Let me just tell you that good news of what Christ has done for us. The good news that a holy God has sent rescue to humanity is what Hillview Baptist Church needs. It is what Lusaka needs. It is what Zambia needs. It is what Arkansas needs. It's what the United States desperately needs. This good news of what Christ has done for us is the very message that you and I are charged to share. that right view that we would have that we would rehearse that we would know well of God. The clear view that we as humanity are broken and sinful and unable to save ourselves

1:21:29 and our faithful view of Jesus that this redemption he offers came at his own personal price of his life. Second Corinthians go to the next verse here verse 21 that we that's right after our passage. If you're wondering how do I share the gospel with somebody, start here. It's a great verse to read. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Let's break down the pronouns. For our sake, he being God made him being Christ to be sin who knew no sin. So that in him Christ we might become

1:22:17 the righteousness of God given righteousness though sinful perfect Jesus took on our sin died upon the cross to give us his righteousness and his life. Right now in the states there's a We have issues with famous pastors. Like people like to make pastors famous. There's one just this past week who came out and said he does not believe in the atonement that that Christ bore the penalty that God poured out his wrath of sin upon Christ to pay the

1:23:03 penalty for our sin. Believers, this is foundational to what Christ has done for us. You can't escape the fact that sinful humanity needed a wrathbearer in our place. Otherwise, we are destined for the wrath of God. But that's what that makes the good news so good. When I got to Botswana, I learned this illustration. It falls apart a little bit, but go with me, okay? There was a village and in this village there was a chief and this chief loved his people dearly but he was incredibly strict. There was a certain way things were going to have to happen in the

1:23:49 village and the people had to obey in this village. They knew the chief loved them. One day the men of the village come to the chief and say someone has been stealing in the village. The chief being very upset because he's been clear about there should be no stealing in the village. He tells the men, he said, "You go find the thief and you bring them here and they get three lashes for stealing." The men of the village go out and look. They can't find the thief. Days go by. The men of the village come back and say, "Someone has been stealing. There's it's it's happening again." The chief says, "Five lashes. You find

1:24:35 out who it is. You bring them here." The men leave. They cannot find the thief. Days go by. They return again. We still have a thief. Someone is stealing. The chief becomes so upset. He stands up and he says, "10 lashes. You find who it is. You bring them here. 10 lashes. I want them found today." The men of the village go out and look and they find the thief finally. They bring the thief to the chief and the chief looks and it's his mother. What does this chief do? The punishment has already been given. It's been declared.

1:25:20 So this chief gets up off of his chair. He takes off his coat and he wraps his arms around his mother. In 10 lashes, he bears the penalty for her. Church, what a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us. Our guilt deserves punishment. His love and mercy has bore our punishment. That's good news, isn't it? That's good news. That's that's that's that news is so good, you can give your life to it. That good that good news is

1:26:07 so powerful, you can go share it. you and I, the rightful role that we have as ambassadors means that I am so overwhelmed by what Christ has done for me that I gladly share to those that have never heard or those that have said they do not know Christ. I need to be fluent in it. Listen, tomorrow morning when I wake up, I'm going to be need I need to remind myself of what Christ has done for me. I need to remind myself that my justification before a holy God is not about my performance. It's about what Christ has already done for me.

1:26:53 The way that I live, it's about what Christ has done for me in the gospel. That's how I function. Musa did a a great job this morning of talking about how do we fight sin? You my favorite line, you don't negotiate with a lion. You don't you you don't try to bargain with a lion. Will you flee? Absolutely. And let me tell you, the reason we flee is because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because he has saved us from sin. We still we will we will be tempted. We will fight sin all of our life. But the gospel reminds me of Christ and what he did for me. And it stirs my heart towards obedience. And it stirs my heart to remind myself Jesus is better than my

1:27:38 sin. and it turns my heart to him. That's how the good news has shaped my whole life. This may be the wrong word to use, so forgive me, but we ought to be romantic about the gospel. When we think of what our savior has done for us, as we meditate on God's word, as we think on God's word, it ought to stir our affection so much that we love the good news. We don't graduate from it. We don't leave it behind. We live in it every single day. And as ambassadors, that's what we have. That's our message.

1:28:24 So secondly, we proclaim the gospel. We share it. We are announcers. We're proclamators of God's word and his gospel. Verse 20. 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. Reconciliation. You get to go to those that have been by their own sin and their own choosing separated from God and in line of God's wrath and you get to tell them the war can be over. The war can be over. This war because of your sin against the holy God can be over and you can be reconciled and knit together with God

1:29:11 himself in Christ. Reconciliation is possible. That's the message we have as ambassadors and we beg people to be reconciled to God. 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession." We love those things. And then it says, "Why does it happen? That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous, marvelous light." Why did God save you? For his glory and so that you would become messengers of the gospel. It doesn't stop with you. The good news of the gospel is not received by you to

1:29:57 just sit with you. It has been given to you to proclaim it to others. There's no such thing as a silent ambassador. There's no such thing as an ambassador that does not open his mouth or open her mouth. We are called to be proclaimers of the message. We have to share it. So at the bare minimum when it comes to the message of the gospel, we share out of obedience. We are compelled to share because of Christ's words to us in Matthew 28:19-20 that we know as the great commission. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all

1:30:43 that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. That first word is go. It means as you are going believers, it is as you are going in this life. You are to be proclaimers of the gospel. You're to be messengers. You're to be disciplemakers. It's a call of obedience just as much of a call of anything else that he has called me to. As he's called me to obey his word, he has called me to be a messenger that we must go. This is a task. I want

1:31:30 us to be clear. This is a task not just for pastors. This is not a task just for elders or deacons. This is not a task for those who teach alone. Every single one of you who has by God's grace been saved. This is a task for all of us. All of us. We are called to share what Christ has done in our lives. We are called into obedience to be messengers. We're called to share what Christ has done. It is a compulsion for us. Go back up to

1:32:15 verse 14 and 15 in of 2 Corinthians 5. For the love of Christ controls us because we've concluded this that once died for all and therefore all have died. And he died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. We're compelled. It's a compulsion that we have to know Christ, to follow Christ, and to share Christ. Please understand, if I stood out here on the street and one of these big trucks comes flying by at a hundred and I get hit by that truck, you will

1:33:01 know I got hit by that truck. It will have an impact on my body, will it not? Right? If I have been hit and struck, you'll know it. Listen to me. When you have been hit by the gospel of Jesus Christ, people will know it. It will be clear. The impact that the gospel has in our life is clear to those around us. And part of that impact is that we are compelled compelled by the love of Christ to die to ourselves and to proclaim him. We're pushed to it. We're controlled it. Now, obedience is the low bar. Let me give you the high bar. The high bar is

1:33:47 love. Love is why we share. I have three daughters. Occasionally, very rarely will they come and obey me because they love me. Why do they obey me? Because they know if they don't there's there's punishment, right? Obedience for the sake of obedience is good. It's not bad. Obedience because we're commanded to do something is good. But let me just tell you as a father, you know what I love? I love when they obey because they love me. When they do something out of love. Yesterday was my birthday. I'm just

1:34:34 getting older and older. But there are messages that they they sent me yesterday that to wish me happy birthday. There are moments that I genuinely feel their affection and it stirs my heart for them. Let me just tell you our obedience especially sharing Christ out of love is the best motivation we can have. If you and I today sat down at lunch and we're eating, you give me 10 minutes and I can tell what you love. You and I are going to start talking and in 10 in 10 minutes I can look at you and look at your life and listen to what you say and I bet you I can tell you

1:35:19 what you love. We love to share what we love, don't we? I know the Premier League started for some of you. You love to share what you love. Listen, the goal in all of this is that as we know Christ and we love Christ, we share Christ because we love him. Out of love, you and I get to be ambassadors. Are you struggling in evangelism? Start with love. Grow in your love for him and watch how easier it is to share your faith with those that don't know Christ. Grow in love. Paul had this. Paul's Paul's growth was

1:36:06 not just in love for God, but it was love for people. Even in Romans 10:1, he says, "Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them being his own people is that they may be saved." his heart's desire. If you asked him if if you could have it prayer requests answered right now, it was God, would you save my people out of his love for them? Our love for Christ compels us to share. Our love for people compels us to share. The most loving thing you can do for someone is to share the gospel with them. Serve them. Please do. Yes, please share them. Share with uh share the things you have with them. Meet their needs. Serve

1:36:52 them well. But the most loving thing you can still do with someone is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. And because we're commanded to do this, but because we love them, we freely share. But let me just hopefully help you this morning. Most of the time when I talk to my people, I ask them, "Why do why do you struggle in sharing your faith? And most of the time what they say is, "I'm afraid I'm going to mess it up. I'm afraid I'm going to mess up how I share the gospel." And my response to them is this. If they're already dead in their sin, you're not going to make them more dead. If they're already lost, you're not going to make them more lost.

1:37:39 And none of us save anyone. It is the work of the spirit in their lives. We can freely share the gospel because we are, this is a bad illustration, so forgive me. We're operating on a cadaavver. We're taking the good news of the gospel to someone that's dead in their sins. It's not going to make it worse for them. The good news of the gospel through the work of the spirit is the one that can make someone that brought bring them from death to life to bring them from darkness to light. the pressure is off. Just share what Christ has done for you. Share share the way that you have come into the faith. Share your testimony. Share what you've learned at church. Share with them what God has done for

1:38:25 you in your life. Just share. Don't be afraid. You won't you won't mess it up. I promise you won't mess it up. Love them well and share. One of my favorite quotes about sharing the gospel is from Charles Spurgeon and he says this, "Winners of souls are weepers of souls." Winners of souls are first weepers of souls. If you're going to win people, you have to cry out to God for them. You have to be brokenhearted for their lossness. You have to petition and pray for them.

1:39:12 Share the gospel with them. But be brokenhearted for the lost. Here's my question to you today. Who are you brokenhearted for? Who in your life that doesn't know Christ are you so brokenhearted that you consistently lift up to the Lord? If if part of your answer is, "Well, Cody, everyone I know is a believer." Well, get around more people. Go develop relationships with more people. But I would say for the vast majority of us, we know somebody that has never put faith in Christ. Our prayers ought to be for them constantly.

1:39:59 Our our words should always be encouraging. We ought to look for opportunities, opportunities to share what Christ has done for us that we love them so well, we can't help but be so excited to sit with them and say, "Let me tell you about what my Jesus has done for me." It ought to compel us. It ought to push us. Church, this is my prayer for you. My prayer for you is that God stirs your affection for him so much that when you leave outside of these walls, your heart is so focused

1:40:45 on glorifying Christ and sharing Christ that you can't wait to talk to somebody. You can't wait to tell them what Christ has done. Every message you get from this pull pit right here, every Sunday is good news to share with someone outside these walls. Everything you hear has been the blessing of God's word that is suitable and encouraging and life to those around you that only know death, that only know darkness. My genuine prayer is that it won't be six years the next time I'm with you. I hope it's much much sooner.

1:41:33 But here's my prayer. It's for the glory of God in your lives to be so compelled and so in love with him that when I return, I get to see a lot of new faces. There are people that are sitting right next to you that you have longed prayed for that have come to faith in Christ because by God's grace to you, he has used you to share the gospel with them. You're ambassadors. You're ambassadors. Every single one of you make a business card. Wear a name tag ambassador. But that's what you are for Christ.

1:42:18 So may God bless you in your ministry. May God use you to proclaim the gospel to those around here. May God grow his church for his glory. And may you grow in love for him and for each other. Let me pray for us. Lord, thank you for this precious church. And indeed, Lord, I I thank you every time I remember them. And Lord, grow their love for you. Grow their obedience, Lord. Grow their heart for what you have done in their lives, Lord. As you do so, Lord, I know that they cannot help but share what you have done. So, Lord, grow your ambassadors here.

1:43:05 May they be faithful witnesses for your glory. May they be winsome and loving and gracious in the way that they engage the lost here in Lusaka. And Lord, may we see for your glory the growing of this church and those that are being baptized, those that are coming to faith, those that are growing in the in your word. And Lord, that we would all be encouraged by what you do in your church. Lord, we love you. Thank you for the forgiveness of our sin. Thank you for our redemption and our salvation. Thank you for taking broken, sinful people and using them as instruments in your hand.

1:43:52 Lord, we love you. We pray all this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Um, I'll ask that we take a moment just to think upon God's word that has come to us.

1:45:04 We thank you um Pastor Cody for bringing us God's word this Lord's day. Um and indeed our prayer too is that you come back to us sooner rather than later. Um this point in time I would like to welcome all those who are visiting with us for the very first time. If there's anyone visiting with us for the very first time I ask that you raise your hand. Any visitors? There we go. There we go. Visitors on my left. Anyone? Okay. There we go. Um, keep your hands raised up high. The ushers are coming. They'll give you a booklet that you're supposed to fill in. And then please don't rush off after the service, after everyone

1:45:50 has gone out. Please remain in your seats. There will be someone to come and um seek to get to know you better. Um, visitors up and high so that the ushers can see you. Okay. Any visitors who haven't received a booklet? There's one here. There's one. Thank you. Anyone else? Any other visitors? Um, thank you again for joining us. Um this this Lord's day we are delighted

1:46:37 that you could join us today. We meet every Sunday. Um our our meetings start at 9 hours. We have a Bible study that alternates every month with a prayer meeting and then at 10 hours the main service which we are now in starts and then every Thursday we have sale group

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