Biblical Success - What Me? An Ambassador? Who Says?Sample

How is an Ambassador Evaluated?

Scripture: 

The Parable of the Talents - Matthew 25:14-39; The Parable of the Minas - Luke 19:12-27

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” -- Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men . . . [we should be] looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” -- Titus 2:11, 13-14 (NKJV)

“So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.” -- Romans 14:12 (NKJV)

The question that I pose for our final discussion is a very difficult one, and I won’t attempt to give a categorical or legalistic answer, but just let the Scripture speak for itself. Every ambassadorship has a beginning and an end. In the world, ambassadors are recalled to their home country for various reasons, including non-performance of the wishes of their superiors, or political change in their governments, or aging. Most don’t serve for more than 10-15 years. In Kingdom terms, our assignment begins at new birth and ends at our call to our permanent home in heaven. Scripture tells us that the days of our lives are written in the hand of our Father and our assignment will end when we have accomplished all that He has created us to do, or perhaps are willing to do. Some will last many decades, others a few short years. 

It appears from the parables of Talents and Minas that one of God’s measures is measurable productivity from the use of what resources we are given, at least in part. In the book of Titus, we are exhorted to be “zealous” or passionate for “good works” which Ephesians tells us that God created us to do. So it is likely that those two will be linked with Romans 14:12 and II Corinthians 5:10. There will be a connection between our Father's purposeful placement and our performance in it.

Of course, none of us ambassadors will perform perfectly and thanks be to God for His grace , mercy and forgiveness. Sinless perfection is not what we are talking about. It’s our heart and the desires of our heart that will matter because those desires are what lead to our works. We have to choose to align our heart with God’s heart. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” (II Chronicles 16:9a) He never forces us to serve or takes away our freedom to choose. The world, our flesh, and the devil offer constant alternative choices and we will need serious intentionality to keep our eyes on the prize. But then, ambassadors don’t succeed by accident.

In the Kingdom, there are three basic areas of God’s interest. I call them salvation (helping those who don’t know God get to know Him), sanctification (helping those who do know Him grow to know Him better and more intimately), and service or generosity (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, doing good for the “least of these”). Fruitful Ambassadors will be doing and/or encouraging and supporting all of these areas. So, what do you think? How will our effectiveness be measured?