Ambassador of Christ
Pastor Tan Thai · Feb 28, 2021
This sermon draws from Jeremiah 29 and 2 Corinthians 5:20 to explain the responsibility of believers living in a secular society. Christians are called neither to isolate themselves nor to be assimilated, but to live as faithful ambassadors of Christ wherever they are placed.
This sermon was preached on Sunday, February 28, 2021, drawing its title from the Apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:20: 'We are therefore Christ's ambassadors.' The pastor introduces the historical background of Jeremiah 29, written when the people of Israel were taken into captivity in Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 years before the birth of Jesus. Babylon is presented as a symbol of a society completely opposed to God's ways and teachings, paralleling the secular cities where millions of Vietnamese believers live today across the world.
The first point is 'Do not isolate.' Contrary to what the exiles might have expected, God did not call them to withdraw from Babylon but commanded them to settle, build houses, raise families, and pray for the peace and prosperity of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). The sermon connects this to the reality of millions of Vietnamese living in the United States, Australia, and Canada, emphasizing that their presence there is not accidental but is within God's sovereign purpose according to Acts 17:26-27. Believers are called to be salt of the earth, light of the world, and a city on a hill, actively engaging and witnessing to those who do not yet know Christ in the very cities where they live.
The second point is 'Do not be assimilated.' The pastor explains that assimilation is the danger when believers adopt worldly values: placing self above all else, worshipping material gods of money, status, beauty, and fame. The pressure of peer groups and social media is highlighted as a particularly significant challenge for today's youth. Romans 12:2-3 is cited to call believers not to conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. The Vietnamese folk image of the lotus flower — beautiful and pure, rooted in mud yet untainted by it — is used to illustrate holy living amid a sinful society.
The third point is 'Be an ambassador for Christ.' An ambassador is one sent by a king to represent the king and the nation, requiring loyalty, knowledge, skill, and diplomatic wisdom. Believers as Christ's ambassadors live in the world while their true homeland is heaven. The pastor cites 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, where Paul describes becoming all things to all people in order to win some, not clinging to personal rights but freely serving so that he might share the gospel.
The sermon closes with the image of Christ's incarnation: descending from glory into a dark and sinful world, being humiliated and led outside the city to be crucified on the cross in order to make his people holy. Hebrews 13:12-14 is cited to call believers to 'go outside the camp' and live among those who do not know Christ, bearing the same disgrace he bore, and witnessing on his behalf. This is the true meaning and responsibility of being an ambassador of Christ in today's world.