Ambassadors for Christ

Today’s Passages – 2 Corinthians 1 – 5; Proverbs 5

(Second Milers also read – Psalm 21 – 25)

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” – (2 Corinthians 5:20)

By definition, an ambassador is an “accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country”. The thought for this morning is simple. We represent Heaven to this world. We are God’s official ambassadors. We do not represent our own interests and desires, we are committed to communicating the wishes and desires of the Lord. Our message to the world is the gospel: the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for the sins of all men.

Being an ambassador for the Lord is an awesome responsibility and privilege. This commission is not just for the select few among Christians, but for all of the saved. We who have trusted Christ as our Saviour must recognize that we are no longer our own, for we have been “bought with a price”. God could have taken us immediately to Heaven, but instead He left us here on this earth – our mission field – so that we can get the message of salvation to other men and women. How serious are we taking our responsibility as ambassadors. Remember, people are watching our every move, and they are listening to every word that comes out of our mouths. Do our words and actions bring glory to the Kingdom of God? These are sobering thoughts, but they must be considered. As you go about your daily affairs today, recognize that you are on official business for the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Someday soon, God will pull all of us ambassadors out of this earth, and take us home to the place of our real citizenship – Heaven; but until that time, we need to be about the Father’s business.

What’s New About You?

Today's Passage - 2 Corinthians 1 - 5 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) I just want to share some quick thoughts from the Word this morning, as we are…

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Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since January of 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married since 1985. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Their oldest son, Phil Jr. and his wife Katelyn are serving the Lord in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Their oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in New Mexico. Samantha, their third child, is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord at the church in Galloway. Hannah, the youngest, is married to Lucas McCollum, and they are also serving here in Galloway. In preparation for ministry, the Lord led him through a variety of educational experiences that have equipped him to serve the Lord and His people. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court University, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Pastoral Theology from Texas Independent Baptist Seminary (formerly Texas Baptist College), a Master of Religious Education in Bible from West Coast Baptist College, and a Master of Biblical Studies from The Crown College. More recently, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Veritas Baptist College. He is thankful for these opportunities to study God’s Word more deeply, and counts it a privilege to use whatever knowledge the Lord has given him for the building up of His church. In addition to pastoring, the Lord has given Phil the wonderful privilege of teaching as an adjunct professor at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, NJ and Veritas Baptist College.