Daily Devotional For Monday, August 4, 2025
Good morning Southside. I imagine you have heard of an ambassador. The Apostle Paul writes this in A0, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’” (NLT). An ambassador is someone who represents another person or a country. When I was growing up in my hometown church, for missions for boys, our church had a ministry called Royal Ambassadors (RAs). It was part of the Southern Baptist Convention’s missions ministry for boys, ranging from the 1st grade through the 12th grade. Girls had a similar ministry called GAs – Girl’s Auxiliary. At every Wednesday night meeting, we boys had to recite our RA Pledge. Here it is below:
“As a Royal Ambassador I will do my best: to become a well-informed, responsible follower of Christ; to have a Christlike concern for all people; to learn how the message of Christ is carried around the world; to work with others in sharing Christ; and to keep myself clean and healthy in mind and body.”
It is amazing I still remember this after all these years. The Apostle Paul found himself as an ambassador for Jesus Christ, something which he was never ashamed of in his ministry. He writes this in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (NASB). So, let’s go back to what an ambassador is. What do you picture when you think of an ambassador? You probably imagine someone who lives in a beautiful house in an exotic place, attending important meetings and elegant dinner parties. But not all ambassadors live like that.
You see, we too are ambassadors because we are representatives of God’s Kingdom. As Jesus’ followers, we have been empowered to say what we believe and why—in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and wherever our journeys take us. That means we are His ambassadors when we talk to our neighbors and when we speak at a school board meeting. We are representing Jesus when we interact with a person whose appearance or lifestyle shocks us and when we play a game of pickleball with our friends.
No matter whom we meet or where, no matter how different from us they may be in outlook or lifestyle, it is our privilege and responsibility to tell them what Jesus has done for us. We must summon the courage to say, “I’ve found hope in Jesus. He set me free, and He wants to do the same for you. Following Him is the best way to live in the world.”
When Paul wrote this, he was a prisoner in a Roman prison. He was looking forward to sharing Jesus and the Gospel with anyone who would listen. We know he was shackled 24/7 to a Roman guard. I imagine this guard got an ear full. So, it makes you wonder who was really shackled through each of those 24 hour posts. So, why wasn’t Paul ashamed? Because he personally knew and had experienced its power change and transformation on that road to Damascus and during the 14 years he went away to Arabia to be alone with the Lord. When he came back, he was not the same man. Prior to Christ, he had been a zealot to destroy Christianity and Christians. After his encounter with the Resurrected Christ, he was now a zealot for the Gospel. Everyone who knew him was shocked.
Through my years as a disciple and a pastor, the number 1 concern I hear from brand new Christians is they see those who have been in the faith for years, seem ashamed. Those long time believers no longer have their excitement and enthusiasm for the Gospel. The church, yes – the Gospel, no. They wonder what happened and will it happen to them. New believers are excited and cannot be quiet about it. These new believers often experience faint praise, condescending responses, and averted eyes, which leads this new believer to think what Christ has done for him or her needs to be toned down.
Paul was eager to speak and unashamed of his message. It was life to him, and he knew it would be life to others. This past Thursday, Pastor Hunter, Pastor Steve and I were meeting at a McDonalds for a staff meeting. We do this to discuss books on discipleship that we are reading together, share prayer concerns and hold each other accountable. We also meet at the same one and most of the time, we see the same people each Thursday there. After both of them had left, an older gentleman who is always there on Thursdays asked me a question from his table: “Excuse me, are you guys insurance agents?” I looked at him and said, “No” and then my mind quickly decided to answer him positively. I said, “Well, we kinda are. We represent Someone who offers spiritual and eternal insurance.” He said, “Oh” and he left. I hope that made him think and I look forward to talking more with him this Thursday.
When you come to church to worship, are you inhibited with your worship? You don’t want to clap or lift your hands out of fear of what others might think? That is being ashamed. Are you “private” about your faith because you know at times you are hypocritical and that would be a turn off. That is being ashamed. Let’s say you found a cure for all cancers. Would you keep it a secret or would you share it? You might think this is an unfair question, believing I think you would share it. I am not being naive. Sin is a spiritual cancer. Do you share its cure with your fellow employees or students or neighbors or anyone else who is dying of the cancer of sin? If not, that means you are ashamed of Jesus.
The purpose of our lives is this simple: to be faithful ambassadors for Jesus. Being an ambassador for Jesus is not about being articulate or a theologian or having tons of the Bible memorized. It is actually not about any of your abilities, just your availability. No one can tell your story. No one can share so effectively what Jesus has done for you – but – you. Paul says that the Gospel is power. This is the Greek New Testament word [δύναμις, dunamis]. This is where we get our English word “dynamite.” The Gospel is God’s dynamite to blast away the cancer of sin. It is not only explosive, but it also destroys evil.
Demolition experts will tell you that you have to handle dynamite carefully because of its explosive nature. Yet, when it is put to use in the right context, it is very effective. If you take dynamite (the Gospel) and keep it hidden, it does no one any good at all, even the person who keeps it hidden. This is why we must never use the Gospel as a weapon, but as power. But if you use the Gospel like dynamite, it can be destructive to world views, pagan ideologies, world views and traditions. If you do not believe that the Gospel (dynamite) is both effective and useful, you will be ashamed of it and never use it.
Assignment: Reflect on these questions: In what ways do you sometimes seem to be ashamed of the gospel? What young or recent believers need you to rejoice with them in their new faith to encourage them? When you are in worship, do you hold back or just praise the Lord? Are you shackled to sharing the Gospel or shackled to being embarrassed by it?
Scripture To Meditate On: 2 Timothy 1:12, “But I am not ashamed to be in prison. I have believed in Christ and I know Him well. I know that I can trust Him to keep His message safe. God has given me the authority to speak that message to people at this time. Christ has the power to keep it safe until that great day when He comes back” (ESY).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, pour out Your Spirit upon me. Open my ears to hear and my heart to receive. Give me a heart for those around me who do not know You. Give me greater boldness and power to be Your ambassador. Open new doors for me to talk about Jesus and all He has done for me. May Jesus’ name be exalted in my life and throughout the earth. In His name, Amen.
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly