The Confident Ambassador

We can take the business principle of "Focus Maximizes Effort" and apply it to our evangelism efforts.  We might be generally supportive and committed to serving where needed in our own church.  We might say:  Oh, I love this church.  I support this church.  But this general support overall will not likely translate to a conscious effort to be a Confident Ambassador for Jesus.   Jesus said: Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  Scripture tells us in 1 Peter:  Be sober-minded; be watchful and as the Apostle Paul wrote to the house churches in Rome:  We are set apart for the gospel of God.  Paul also encouraged his young protege Timothy when he said:  What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. It is clear that God is teaching us through Scripture that we should be focused as we serve Him & His Kingdom including as we share the Gospel.  When we can purpose in our hearts to be committed to sharing the Gospel, that commitment will narrow our focus to a specific task. That focus will maximize our efforts as Confident Ambassadors. Also check out the Confident Ambassador Blog for more helpful evangelism tips. Both the Confident Ambassador Podcast and Blog are a ministry project of Evident Ministries, a non-profit Christian missions organization serving the local church in Acuña, Mexico through short-term cross-cultural Team Ministry evangelism.

Matthew 9:37-38 tells us:  Then he (Jesus) said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.  Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”  Jesus is telling His disciples:  Look we have more mission field than we have missionaries.  We have more crops to work than we have workers.  So pray to God asking for more missionaries, for more workers By the way, the harvest is more than just MORE.  Jesus said it is:  the harvest is abundant Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China said this about prayer for missions and evangelism:  You must go forward on your knees. There can be no doubt that when we become a member of the family God, surrendering ourselves to Jesus and making Him Lord and Master of our lives, we are also surrendering to the call on our lives to be ambassadors for Jesus. We are called to be missionaries spreading the Gospel message to the lost world around us. Charles Spurgeon put it like this:  Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor. One of the most important things we need to pray about as Confident Ambassadors is that there would be MORE Confident Ambassadors. Also check out the Confident Ambassador Blog for more helpful evangelism tips. Both the Confident Ambassador Podcast and Blog are a ministry project of Evident Ministries, a non-profit Christian missions organization serving the local church in Acuña, Mexico through short-term cross-cultural Team Ministry evangelism.

If we are to be Confident Ambassadors, we must have a clear understanding of the Gospel. It is important to not only recognize what evangelism is but also what it is not. Evangelism IS proclaiming the message of the Gospel. Evangelism means preaching, proclaiming, or otherwise communicating the clear message and Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is delivering the message that Jesus Christ is not only God the Son but also that He gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins. In doing so, He ensured eternal life for anyone who believes, repents of their sins, and surrenders themselves to Him fully. The Confident Ambassador understands evangelism is NOT simply making friends or trying to get others to like us. It is not winning arguments or manipulation. It is not watering down the Gospel so that people will not feel bad about themselves or be offended. Evangelism is more than sharing our own testimony or inviting someone to church. Is the message of the Gospel offensive? Yes, it is. But, the Confident Ambassador understands the only path to an authentic saving knowledge of Jesus includes facing the reality, seriousness, and eternal impact of one's sinful nature. Certainly, this reality offends our self-centered independent nature. But, never in Scripture do we see an example of nor are we ever instructed to soften up the Gospel message so as to make it less likely to offend. In fact, we are given specific instructions of just the opposite. Also check out the Confident Ambassador Blog for more helpful evangelism tips The Confident Ambassador Podcast and Blog is a ministry project of Evident Ministries, a non-profit Christian missions organization serving the local church in Acuña, Mexico through short-term cross-cultural Team Ministry evangelism

Maybe you feel compelled to be a Confident Ambassador for Jesus.  Maybe you want to be able to share your faith, but fear and anxiety win the battle in your mind over and over.  Here are three important Biblical truths which can help you overcome your fears. 1.  Evangelism is not just a suggestion for living a better life.  It is a command of God.  2.  We don't save people.  God saves people.  3.  God's Holy Spirit is actually the one doing the talking.   Aside from being familiar with and embracing these Biblical truths, if we are serious about becoming a Confident Ambassador, we can also pursue and invest in some kind of personal evangelism training. There are many resources available, many of which are free, including this podcast and others, which can help you take your A-game to your mission field. Personal evangelism involves: Sharing how God works in and through your life Patiently listening to the spiritual questions and needs of others Keeping a current personal evangelism prospect list Faithfully and regularly praying over your prospect list & Sharing the specifics of the Gospel with your prospects With only a little bit of experience, true disciples who are genuine born-again followers of Jesus, will very quickly discover that personal evangelism is one of the greatest joys of following Christ.  It delivers the highest rewards and sense of satisfaction to the Confident Ambassador. Of course, the more confident we are in our own walk with the Lord, the more confident we will become in sharing our faith with others.  The degree in which we are transformed by the power of God in our own lives directly correlates with the degree we surrender ourselves to Him and thus come to know Him. If we are only a little bit surrendered and know Him a little, we can expect little transformation.  As we come to know Him more and surrender ourselves to Him more, we can expect more transformation.  When we know Him much, and have surrendered to Him much, we can expect much transformation.  And our level of confidence and fruit in any kind of ministry service including evangelism will be a reflection of our own walk with God.  As you spend more time with God and experience His presence in your life on a deeper level, you will discover a growing desire to share your faith with others. Listen to Episode for 5 Action Steps you can take today to set yourself up for success in a pursuit of becoming a more Confident Ambassador. Find more helpful personal evangelism tips at The Confident Ambassador Blog

If obedience feels like a chore, it is a red flag for us that there is an issue in our heart which needs to be addressed.  If obedience feels like a chore, it is something to pray about, asking God and trusting God for guidance, a deeper faith, and a greater surrender.  We can also ask God to give us an anticipation in our hearts along with a watchful eye for His divine appointments and opportunities to share our faith with others. Sharing our faith as Confident Ambassadors does not need to be complicated or require us to be prepared for deep theological discussions.  Our role is to be available and to cast our net when the opportunity presents itself.  We can start by simply telling our own story.  "I was blind but now I see.  I was lost but now I am found.  In my old life, I rejected Jesus but now I have put my faith in Jesus and surrendered my life to Him.  This is how that has transformed my life." Pastor Chris Canote is also the co-founder and executive director of Evident Ministries, a cross-cultural missions and discipleship ministry using a Team Ministry Evangelism model to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Acuña, Mexico. Visit evidentministries.org to find out how you can be a part of this significant Kingdom building ministry.