WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.500 All right, so this is just a short introduction, but you can turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:10.019 I'll speak on a verse from there, famous verse, 5 verse 20. 00:00:12.540 --> 00:00:17.740 By the way, yeah, in a moment we'll hand out the questions for the discussion. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:22.240 There are, at the back of the booklet, there is kind of space for notes. 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:25.160 So if you want to take notes, and you still have your pen from the bingo, 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:29.260 then feel free to make notes at the back. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:35.000 But yeah, retreat is great. I love retreats. 00:00:35.939 --> 00:00:39.219 It's such a wonderful foretaste of the new creation, right? 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:40.840 Being here together in community. 00:00:41.859 --> 00:00:44.079 But this is not why we are in Hong Kong. 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:47.379 We are not in Hong Kong to just be together. 00:00:47.500 --> 00:00:48.460 We're going to do that forever. 00:00:49.140 --> 00:00:51.659 Now, why are we in Hong Kong? 00:00:52.060 --> 00:00:53.980 Well, because Jesus gave us a mission, right? 00:00:54.299 --> 00:00:58.900 Jesus is saving people, and he's doing that through us, through the church. 00:00:58.899 --> 00:01:02.079 Which is why, yeah, we are here, right? 00:01:02.119 --> 00:01:05.500 We are here to make mature disciples who love Hong Kong. 00:01:06.260 --> 00:01:11.659 So I want to just think about that for a moment as we get into our topic. 00:01:12.579 --> 00:01:14.700 And that verse, I think it's a great verse. 00:01:14.819 --> 00:01:16.539 So 2 Corinthians 5, verse 20. 00:01:17.099 --> 00:01:20.079 This is one way that Paul describes our mission. 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:23.939 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:26.439 God making his appeal through us. 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:31.679 We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:33.739 So the image of an ambassador. 00:01:34.539 --> 00:01:37.120 Now, an ambassador is a representative, right? 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:39.539 Someone who represents their country. 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:44.099 You go somewhere, and there's a Dutch ambassador, and they represent Holland. 00:01:44.099 --> 00:01:47.099 And basically, they're there to, yeah. 00:01:47.679 --> 00:01:51.399 You know, the king of Holland, of course, isn't there, but the ambassador is there. 00:01:52.019 --> 00:01:55.039 But a representative function, I guess we don't know ambassadors. 00:01:56.159 --> 00:01:57.640 Let's change the image slightly. 00:01:58.140 --> 00:01:59.939 How about, like, the press secretary? 00:02:00.780 --> 00:02:07.119 So I'm sure most of us, you know, you watch the news, and there's, like, the U.S. and the White House. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:10.259 And there's the, you probably know that background, right? 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:12.580 There's a lectern, and the blue background. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:16.240 And then the logo of the White House, and the American flags. 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:21.920 And there's someone, yeah, the press secretary, who is speaking for the U.S. president, right? 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:24.860 Announcing new policies, or new actions. 00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:26.879 That's, yeah. 00:02:27.580 --> 00:02:29.120 They're representing the president. 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:35.379 And they are saying things that will affect, well, the whole U.S., sometimes even the whole world, right? 00:02:35.379 --> 00:02:36.939 If there's wars involved. 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:41.060 Now, would you just go up there and stand behind that lectern and speak? 00:02:41.819 --> 00:02:43.219 It's quite a job, right? 00:02:43.939 --> 00:02:48.259 You know, if you say things wrong, you're going to dishonor the president, don't you? 00:02:49.139 --> 00:02:53.620 You know, people, you make a big mess of this, they will think badly of him or her. 00:02:54.379 --> 00:02:56.740 I'm not making any future predictions. 00:02:58.620 --> 00:03:01.400 At the same time, you're going to affect so many people, right? 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:07.360 If you mess it up and the whole U.S. is going to hear the wrong thing and all those kind of things. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:12.259 It's quite a big responsibility that many of us wouldn't want to have. 00:03:13.200 --> 00:03:15.200 But how much more than as a Christian? 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:17.080 Let's think about us as ambassadors. 00:03:18.180 --> 00:03:19.460 What is our... 00:03:19.460 --> 00:03:21.040 Let's first think about who we represent. 00:03:21.259 --> 00:03:23.280 We don't just represent a U.S. president, right? 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:32.840 If you are an ambassador for Christ, you get Christ is the king of the universe, the lord of all history, the creator and judge. 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:35.620 And you are there to represent him. 00:03:35.699 --> 00:03:36.719 Think of your workplace. 00:03:37.379 --> 00:03:42.360 You are there to represent the king of the universe to other people, right? 00:03:42.420 --> 00:03:45.879 Someone far greater than anyone, the most important person in the universe. 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:49.799 And you are there to represent him. 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:54.740 And what people will think of you is what people will think of Jesus, right? 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:56.919 You don't want to dishonor him, right? 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:01.000 The Bible talks about living a life worthy of your calling. 00:04:02.079 --> 00:04:02.460 Worthy. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:05.340 Worthy of belonging to the king of the universe. 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:07.419 Can you think of that? 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:08.500 Right? 00:04:09.060 --> 00:04:11.519 I mean, how do we represent him, second thing? 00:04:11.639 --> 00:04:13.500 I mean, one big thing is just our lives. 00:04:13.500 --> 00:04:20.779 And Jesus says, let your light shine before men so that people see your good deeds and glorify God. 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:23.779 And give glory to your father in heaven. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:32.399 Or the way Peter puts it, live such good lives among the pagans that they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits. 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:37.779 People should see you in your workplace and think, wow, God is real. 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:40.740 Look at that supernatural love. 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:42.079 Look at that patience. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:45.000 Look at the way this person endures suffering. 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:47.419 Look at their good deeds. 00:04:47.859 --> 00:04:48.800 God is real. 00:04:49.019 --> 00:04:52.120 They give glory to God as a result of you. 00:04:52.819 --> 00:04:53.939 Not just individually. 00:04:54.219 --> 00:05:00.319 As a church, a few years ago we went through Ephesians and the church is supposed to be like a billboard, right? 00:05:00.339 --> 00:05:04.339 This big advertisement that people see and think, oh, wow, I want that. 00:05:04.339 --> 00:05:11.599 People should come to Watermark and see our community, our love and think, wow, I want to be part of that. 00:05:11.679 --> 00:05:12.859 I want to be part of God's people. 00:05:12.939 --> 00:05:13.699 This is so amazing. 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:16.599 It's quite a responsibility, right? 00:05:16.659 --> 00:05:18.500 It needs to be a pretty good billboard. 00:05:18.500 --> 00:05:22.980 And of course, if it's pretty poor, what's going to happen, right? 00:05:22.980 --> 00:05:32.000 We all know people who turned off Christianity basically because of people who say they're Christians, but their life doesn't measure up. 00:05:32.780 --> 00:05:33.580 They're hypocrites. 00:05:33.960 --> 00:05:35.280 Their life isn't changed. 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:39.560 And people think, well, if their life is the same, then maybe Jesus isn't real. 00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:44.060 That's our lives, of course, our words as well, right? 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:46.959 We have this message to proclaim, this gospel. 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:50.759 It says God is making his appeal through us. 00:05:51.939 --> 00:05:54.360 And just think about the importance of that appeal. 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:59.540 Your job is to spread the message of eternal salvation. 00:06:00.699 --> 00:06:03.600 The king of the universe has the most important message ever. 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:10.600 That people can have eternal life instead of, well, eternal death. 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:16.980 People are on the way to hell, but through your message, through your witness, they can turn. 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:19.060 They can have eternal life. 00:06:19.300 --> 00:06:25.260 That's the greatest consequences ever that is on our shoulders, right, as ambassadors of Christ. 00:06:27.280 --> 00:06:29.200 You know, think of this person. 00:06:29.200 --> 00:06:32.480 You don't just turn them off Christianity when they're turned off. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:36.660 They may just end up, well, eternally damned. 00:06:37.580 --> 00:06:41.960 At the same time, if you do it well, you know, your words don't just get someone to come to church. 00:06:42.640 --> 00:06:45.020 Your words may lead to someone having eternal life. 00:06:46.580 --> 00:06:47.819 Are you feeling the pressure? 00:06:49.640 --> 00:06:50.520 It's incredible, right? 00:06:50.520 --> 00:06:57.020 The person we represent, the way we represent him, the significance of what we're doing. 00:06:57.020 --> 00:07:00.879 And then just think of who we are ambassadors to. 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:07.699 A wonderful world of lost sinners that God loves, that God wants to save. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:14.819 But, you know, the Bible isn't always very positive, right? 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:18.579 If you're here and you wouldn't call yourself a Christian, it's really wonderful that you're here. 00:07:18.579 --> 00:07:25.219 At the same time, if you've read the Bible, you know that probably sometimes the Bible isn't very positive. 00:07:25.219 --> 00:07:30.639 It says that people who are outside Christ are blind, deaf. 00:07:31.699 --> 00:07:33.399 That means unresponsive, right? 00:07:34.019 --> 00:07:35.860 People who don't want to respond. 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:37.740 So you want them to see your good deeds. 00:07:38.159 --> 00:07:39.819 And the Bible says people are blind. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:41.240 Right. 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:43.879 You want people to hear the message of salvation. 00:07:44.060 --> 00:07:45.360 And the Bible says people are deaf. 00:07:46.439 --> 00:07:48.199 How are they going to see your good deeds? 00:07:48.340 --> 00:07:49.840 How are they going to hear the message? 00:07:50.620 --> 00:07:50.800 Right. 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:54.199 Deep down, it says people are hostile to God. 00:07:54.300 --> 00:07:56.360 Deep in their hearts, they're biased against him. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:02.040 Jesus says you're sheep among wolves, which is a great image. 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:04.439 So here, here is our mission. 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:10.319 Representing the king of the universe to people who probably don't want him. 00:08:11.379 --> 00:08:14.680 And their eternal future depends on your words and needs. 00:08:16.640 --> 00:08:18.500 Now, I know how I feel, right? 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:20.600 This is truly mission impossible. 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:22.780 This is too daunting. 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:27.160 In the words of Moses at the burning bush, Lord, please send someone else. 00:08:27.700 --> 00:08:29.700 That is my response, right? 00:08:29.699 --> 00:08:32.019 But then again, who else? 00:08:32.700 --> 00:08:33.759 Think of your workplace. 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:35.639 How many Christians in your workplace? 00:08:36.700 --> 00:08:38.000 How many Christians in your family? 00:08:38.779 --> 00:08:42.240 How are people going to be saved if it's not for you? 00:08:44.139 --> 00:08:48.960 Now, the alternative, I guess we should cry to the Lord for help, right? 00:08:49.580 --> 00:08:51.639 It should make us a dependent church. 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:53.100 Because with man, this is impossible. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:54.120 But not with God. 00:08:54.460 --> 00:08:56.439 All things are possible with God. 00:08:56.440 --> 00:09:00.760 If we want to do this, we need to be dependent. 00:09:00.940 --> 00:09:01.900 We need God to help us. 00:09:02.280 --> 00:09:03.400 And so that's where we're going. 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:11.139 We need God to love you. 00:09:11.139 --> 00:09:11.879 We need God to help you. 00:09:12.220 --> 00:09:13.439 We're going to keep you. 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:20.120 Asha.