Being Lights and Ambassadors

We're very pleased to welcome the 53 students, and from what I feel from this year, we're starting off with a really good group of young people, and we certainly appreciate them to be here to carry the flag, you might say, the baton on for the third year of ABC, and we're very grateful for them. With the new year, students coming from 17 different states and one international area, South Africa, other internationals, could not make it in this year because we could not accept them on, we could not grant any visas at this point in time.

They are like new ambassadors. In fact, they are ambassadors. They attend Ambassador Bible Center. And you know the term ambassador in times past carried with it an understanding that that person was almost, it originated, it was like a herald. This person would carry the banner, would kind of introduce the main entourage. This person was a one who was a trusted envoy, somebody who could take a message that you would be sure they would deliver that message. Later on, it developed as a post, an ambassador, someone who represented his or her country in the midst of another country.

And you know, though they are called ambassadors because they go to Ambassador Bible Center, in one sense we're all like ambassadors. We're all called to be ambassadors. Yesterday I had a different sermon planned and Dr. Levy told me briefly what his was going to be about in general. But I went home and I prepared that whole sermon last night and then I realized that some of the points were similar to a sermon I gave back in July.

So I said, scrap that one, I'm not going to give that same, some of those same points, so I threw it out and worked on this. And not knowing, not recalling what he said his message was going to be about, so I told him today, I said, well, I'm speaking about this topic. And he said, well, that's good. I put them into darkness and you can bring them out into the light. Okay. Ambassadors, no matter what their role, they were supposed to be loyal to their own country. They were supposed to be law abiding to their own country and in the country in which they dwelled. They were also supposed to be diplomatic.

The one thing they were all supposed to do was represent their country. And 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 20, we find the Apostle Paul mentioning the need to be an ambassador. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 20. Same Corinthian church, same problems, they were trying to work with them to come out of. 2 Corinthians 5, 20, Paul says, now then we are ambassadors for Christ.

As though God did beseech you by us, we beg you, in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God. We have a responsibility to do. We must be in God's good graces in order to carry out that responsibility. And as ambassadors, we're called upon to show the light of God's way of life, no matter where we are. As ambassador, Bible Center students, they carry it.

They have to shed the light, among others, of ambassador. In fact, I visited one young lady who was working at Ruby Tuesdays, and she was telling me that I asked if she was there. They said, well, she's in the kitchen, so we sat my wife and I just sat down and had some soup.

And she found out we were there. So she came over, my wife saw her, and she came over. I said, how are you doing? I'm fine here. And she said, yes. She said, I'm doing good. She said, they asked me where I am going to school. And I told them, Ambassador Bible Center. And they said, well, what's that all about?

And she explained a little bit about what it was. Another one of our young ladies was working at the cooker. And we had a couple of students work there in times past. Last year, Tanya Ekkema, and the year before that, Hansel New. And she was saying, when they were talking to her, they were happy to have her. She's got good credentials and everything. They're saying, now, where do you go to school? And they said, well, I'm going to buy Ambassador Bible. What's that kind of like? They talked a little bit.

They said, does that Armstrong, does that have any connection to Armstrong in the past or whatever? And she said, well, yeah. You can't work Friday nights and Saturdays. That sounds like you're a Sabbatarian. So she stood up for her beliefs right there. It was called upon to give an account for who she was and what she was.

We all have to, no matter what our walk in life, whether we're a young person going to school and have to stand up for our beliefs when we're countered with the Christmas time or other holidays that we do not observe, or when we take off to go to the feast, we have to be able to give an account for ourselves.

We're all called upon to be a light. We're all called upon to show forth God's way as the right way of life. We're all called upon to shed light, to show the light, to shine the light of God's way in this world of darkness.

I want to quote to you this wonderful quote, and I've kept it for years, and I've probably used it. Some of you may have already heard it, but it bears repeating. I was traveling on American Airlines planes several years ago, and I was reading its magazine, and inside they had their own advertisement. It says this, we're American Airlines doing what we do best. Remember that phrase they used to use? It had a picture of a flight attendant, and she says this, the way people feel about American Airlines depends on the way they feel about me. The way they feel about American Airlines depends on the way they feel about me.

How many people does each one of us impact every day that may never touch the light of another Christian, true Christian? How many do you touch?

Will they see real Christianity? Will they glorify Jesus Christ because of their contact with you? Will they come to understand God's way is a good way because they know you?

Are we letting our light so shine? I was thinking about lights. I was going to bring some light bulbs in, but I decided not to. I could bring a little light light bulb. There are lots of different sizes and shapes of bulbs, and many of them have different illumination. But as long as that particular light bulb is shining to its maximum, it's doing its job. It's doing its job.

But if it's just flickering, such as a battery, in a flashlight with a battery that's weak and you just barely see this kind of a yellow light coming out instead of a bright light, there's something wrong with that particular light. But what are we doing? She goes on to say in 1955, when this article says, Vicki Jess was 10 months old. American found that it's industry's first training school flight professional flight attendant. It's a school where more than 200,000 people apply each year, and less than half of 1% are formally accepted. It's a school where students are taught to make their your flight safe and enjoyable. They already know how to be nice. And it is a school whose graduates never stop learning. They regularly study new procedures and review old ones. It takes a special kind of training to be an American Airlines flight attendant and a very special kind of person. It takes the best people to make the best airline. Vicki Jess is one of them. We thought you'd like to meet her. What about us? Will people see Christianity by coming in contact with us? Will they come to know what Ambassador Bible Center is trying to teach and trying to promote by coming in contact with you? 1 John 4, verse 8. Sorry, 1 John 1, verses 4 to 8.

I would like to share this section with you. 1 John 1. 1 John 1, verse 4. He talks about these things. We write that you may be full. Verse 5, he says, This then is the message which you have heard of him, and we declare to you that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. God does not want us to be in darkness. He wants us to shine as light in darkness. He talks about fellowship in verse 6. Verse 7 says, If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from sin. God is light. Jesus Christ came into the world, John chapter 1, and Jesus Christ was the light of the world. Jesus Christ came into the world to be the light of the world. God is light. Matthew 5, verse 14, one of the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, verses 14 to 16, we read Jesus Christ's instructions to you and me. He said, you are the light of the world. In a world where cultures change, where they devolve, not evolve, where they get worse, not better, where culture begins to move farther and farther away from accepted standards of morality to perverted standards of morality, if there is such a thing, you are the light of the world, he says. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father, which is in heaven. So Jesus Christ directed us to being lights, to being examples, to showing others what God's way is all about by our living, by our daily life.

The contacts of people you have are different from any one of us. We interface regularly with different ones, whether it's a bank teller, whether it's a grocery store clerk, whoever it is, we come in contact with. Do they see real Christianity? Will they know there's someone special there? Ephesians 5 verse 8. Paul also urges us to be lights. How may we be lights in this world?

I want to share with you a couple points in conclusion, but before we get there, just Ephesians 5 and verse 8. Ephesians 5 and verse 8. For you were sometimes darkness.

We used to be out there too, and God calls the world darkness, and He calls coming to understand God's way of life and embracing it and living it light. His way is light. As you accept Jesus Christ and as He lives His life over in you, you have light, and you can be light in the world. For you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the Lord? Walk as children of light. So each one of us carries two or three names on our back. One, we carry our own name. So you can do honor or dishonor to your family name by how you live life. Secondly, you can do honor or dishonor to the name of Jesus Christ by how you live life. And thirdly, you do honor or dishonor to the organization or group or whatever that you represent, wherever you work, wherever you go to school. As we know, what was it, Xavier Catholic School was using some pretty bad language because they didn't like a call at one of the basketball games. And I don't know what they were saying. I could imagine it was two words, I guess, or one word with a hyphen after they didn't like a call.

And they had to apologize for the students. You know, what does that do for that school?

To have students doing that. What does that say about that school? Well, it says a lot about them that they could acknowledge they made a mistake. That's great. But for it to be a current, again, what did they bring upon their school? Reproach. They were not examples.

They brought reproach. They were detriments to their school. How about us? Philippians 2, verses 15 and 16, what will we bring to Ambassador Bible Center this year? What will we bring to Jesus Christ and Christianity? What do we bring to our own reputation? Philippians 2, verses 15 and 16.

Breaking into a thought, as Paul writes to a church they love very much, he says that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke. Now, we don't tell you to go out with a spotlight and shine it in everybody's eyes, or a bright flashlight and shine it in everybody's eyes. Look, I'm a Christian. Look, look, look. No, we quietly go about being a light. And if that light's effective, whether it's a nightlight, if it's brightly burning, it does its job, doesn't it? It lights the room enough so you can get through if you need to get up in the night. A nightlight does its job. A flashlight does its job, but it's not intended to push it right on in people's eyes, but rather to illuminate the path to show the way. And that's what we need to be doing. He says that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, as was brought out by Dr. Levy, the culture of our day, among whom you shine as lights in the world. And I think God's people sometimes don't realize how precious they are.

I don't think God's people realize how much they stand out as being special, as having something special, such as the students who worked that first year at Staples and last year's group.

After that first year's group, the four of them worked at Staples, one of them's here, Sherry.

You know what they said? Anybody from ABC will hire. Anybody. And the next year, sure enough, 17 students applied. They couldn't hire them all. As many as they could use positions for, but they did hire four. And those four, three of the four who worked in the sales area, they were the top salesmen. So this year, we also have students working at Staples. In fact, one guy said when he was hiring someone last year, I don't know why I'm hiring you, but it says on this thing, if they come from ABC, hire them. Now that's a pretty nice, that's a pretty nice complement. That is a light that's been shown and shined in that area by students who are trying to live God's way. It wasn't their goodness, but was combined with God's goodness to shine the light. And that was wonderful. But verse 16, holding forth the word of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ. Remember what Dr. Levy said about standing up. Holding forth the word of God. Here you have this precious word of life. Holding forth that word of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I've not run in vain, neither labored in vain. I want to share with you some other examples of brethren. This comes from quotes from the feast, and they're too good to not share with you.

Here's one from the Feast of Tabernacles, several years ago, California. California Highway Patrol Commissioner says this, We have noted with interest that the number of tending your annual event increases each year.

Unlike almost every similar large-scale annual affair, our personnel actually look forward to your people's presence. The unfailing courtesy, consideration, excellent demeanor, deportment, and cheerful cooperation is an extraordinary change from the problems we usually face with large groups of people. Isn't that amazing? That the people of God, by just doing what God says, and being led by the Spirit of God, and being charged with the light of Jesus Christ, can bring this type of a statement. This is written by the California Highway Patrol Commissioner.

Your people, we look forward to them coming.

It's amazing. It's awesome. Here's another one from the Rhineland Inn, in cottages in Mount Pocono.

Some of you used to attend Mount Pocono. I'm sending this letter to you to express how I feel about the festival that occurred here in the Poconos. Your people exemplified everything one could possibly wish in another human being. Think about that, brethren. Everything anybody could possibly wish in another human being. Their patience, thoughtfulness, courtesies, and manners, in young and old alike, were beyond belief in this day and age.

It certainly restored my faith in humanity, and we can all learn a great deal from them.

Isn't that amazing? Here are the people of God out there just letting their light shine, just doing what's right, doing what's honorable, doing what's respectful, doing what's law-abiding, doing what God's Spirit in them inspires them and motivates to be and do. And they're being watched and they're being observed because you stand up like lights in darkness in this world. I encourage us to keep it up. This one's from Tucson, Arizona. We had our largest contingent this year from Arizona, by the way. Too often, the restaurant management appreciates members. Too often in this busy world, people do not take time to express appreciation or to compliment others for their achievements. We at Pinnacle Peak in Tucson would like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to the Church of God members for their continued patronage over the years as you've held your annual convention in Tucson. Your members are a delight to have as guests. They truly exemplify the adage, living your faith by their dignity, kindness, and obvious deep belief in their religion. They have served as an inspiration to us all, as well as a credit to your organization. We look forward to seeing you all, all of you, next year. Again, brethren, what can you do? How can you make this happen? When we were being judged by the accrediting committee in big Sandy, Texas for accreditation, one of the deans who came there to judge the students said to me, how do you get these students to be so cheerful and friendly? How do you get them to be that way? So we just command them. That's how they get that way. But he was amazed, he was amazed at the friendliness and the warmth.

When God's way is practiced, it makes a difference so noticeable you cannot believe.

A psychiatrist I went to see, not for my own sake, by the way, although some of you might think I need to, but the psychiatrist I went to see was a family psychiatrist just to have a point of reference in case we needed it, working with counseling. When I met him, the first time I ever met him sat down, I was just introducing myself, his secretary had been to one of the events in Ambassador. Oh, she said, she started selling Ambassador. I didn't say that. Oh, hi, I'm Gary. Oh, yeah, you should get it. She said, have you been over there, Doc? Have you been over there? All you ought to get on their list to go to some of their concerts. They're wonderful. You should see those students. Those are wonderful students. You should get to meet them.

They're awesome. I'm sitting there saying, thank you. I didn't have to say a word. She's selling the whole program. Then I met another one down in Longview, Texas, and the person said the same thing. She said, you know, those students are so wonderful. They're not like our students down here. They're not like our students in Longview.

And I was shocked. I didn't say a word. These people are noticed. When you walk in God's ways, you'll be noticed. Your light will shine, and it does make a positive impact. One final one I want to share with you, and then I'll wrap this up, is a quote from the Feast of Tabernacles. By the way, the man who was mostly responsible for such a fine organization, Harold Rhodes, is one of our regional pastors. This was entitled, The Ode to the Little Green Stickers. I read it to you before. It was in the worldwide news. But I want to read it to you again, because it is touching. One week, it's all this person knew us, and she wrote this. She says, oh, how we planned for months on end. Didn't want to miss a detail as 5,000 you promised to send. We delighted in your church officials, Pasadena, and local. Real pros. They helped us about your needs. They were vocal.

We wanted to miss not a step and be at our very best. For you and for them, we wanted to pass the first year test. Then at last, you were here. And everywhere in our community, you did appear. You dined and you shopped. Lines of attractions hardly ever stopped. Quickly, we became accustomed to having you among us. As warm and friendly, you mingled without any fuss. We enjoyed every minute of hosting the feast. You've become his family. As family! One week! You've become his family, to say the very least. Alas, though it is with dread we contemplate next week, gone will be little green stickers and even big beak. Chattanooga will be empty without you, and lonely we will be. As we scan the bumper stickers, remember the green bumper stickers, and sigh thinking, we miss our new friends. Do we ever owe me? One week, brethren! One week of God's people living God's way could have an impact on this person so much that they wanted to write this poem to give honor and credit. And, of course, the overall honor and credit goes to our great God.

So how may we be lights? I have three points at the end. Number one, remember your power source.

So I can have a beautiful lamp, I can have a wonderful brand new light bulb, and not plug it in.

Keep turning the switch on and off, on and off, on and off. Why isn't this thing working? No light, no light, no light. Why isn't it working? Oh, I didn't plug it in. So you have a light bulb, but you need power. And that power comes from God. That power has to come from God. He is our strength. He is our life. John 1 and verse 9. John 1 verse 9. He is our life, he is our light.

Jesus Christ came into the world to be the light. John 1.9. That was the true light which lights every man that comes into the world. So Jesus Christ is there to give you light. And if he's living his life richly in you, remember Christ in you, the hope of glory, if he's living his life richly in you, you will have light, and you will have the power. When promising the disciples what's going to take place afterwards, in Acts 1 verse 8, it is mentioned that you will have power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be witnesses to me. So we need that power from God. Go to God to God. I want to be a good example of your way of life. I want to be a right example. I'm going to bring credit and honor and glory to you and ask him for the strength and power to do so. Without him, our lights will flicker. They'll be kind of a dull yellow, and they will not be bright. Number two, don't hide your light. I could have power. I could have my light. I could put a basket over it. I could put a dark cloth on it, because I don't want people to see this light. I'm a little ashamed of this light. I don't want people to really see this light. I believe in this light. I don't want people to see it. I'm a little ashamed of being a Christian. Luke 8 and verse 16.

Luke 8 and verse 16, he tells us, don't. Don't put a basket over it. Luke 8 and verse 16, no man, when he has lighted a candle, covers it with a vessel. Why did you light it? If you're going to cover it up, why do you have Jesus Christ in you if you're going to cover him up?

And covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. And God wants us to show the world it's possible to live his way of life now. It's possible to live a decent life in a world that's not going that way as a regular rule. He wants the world to know it can be done through you and through me. And not because of us, but with us, and with God's Spirit dwelling within us. Don't be ashamed. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Do not hide your light. Do not put it underneath a bushel. And number three, shine. You have the power source, don't be ashamed of the light, and you need to shine. You know, sometimes our shine might get a little bit covered. You know, you never see a light bulb after a while, it gets dusty. Maybe there's been a lot of moisture and a lot of dust in that particular. It gets kind of covered. And when you take some solution and you wash it all off and it's there bright, and you turn on, it's almost sparkles. You know, sometimes our shine may be dulled by our sins, because when we sin, darkness comes into our lives.

How many keep your light shining and shining brightly? By repenting. Repentance restores the shine. Acts 26 and verse 18. Acts 26 and verse 18. And of course, as you walk in God's ways, then that brings you, that brings the shine up. But Acts 26 verse 18. Paul writes in his defense before Agrippa, he says rather, and this is recorded by Luke, verse 18, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith. That is in me, he makes this quote. But he says to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan, and to forgive them forgiveness of our sins. Getting rid of the dross in our lives, the spiritual dross, changing, overcoming, restores that luster, gives that light brightness. And we can also go to 1 John 1 verse 7, which I won't turn there, but it talks about walking in the truth. We need to walk in the light. And if we walk in the light and others walk in the light, that brings our fellowship closer together. But we all can be shedding that light and shining that light to a world that's in darkness. So we have a responsibility as Christians, as ABC students, to shine the light. We have a responsibility, no matter what our walk of life, no matter where we are, to shine the light. Because Jesus Christ brought light into the world, He expects His disciples to carry that light to the world as well. In conclusion, I want to read Proverbs 4 verse 18.

Proverbs 4 and verse 18, my final scripture. Is this your final scripture? Yes, this is my final scripture. Okay. Proverbs 4 and verse 18, but the path of the just is as the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day.

And if we take the analogy of light, you may start it out as a night light, maybe only a two-watt night light. You may have graduated to a five-watt night light. You may have graduated to a thirty or fifty-watt or fifteen. You may have graduated to a sixty.

I hope by the time Jesus Christ returns, we're all big, bright spotlights, maybe fluorescent, maybe huge lights, you know, Mercury vapor light, whatever, that we as individuals will shine brighter as that day approaches. Because the more we become like Christ, the brighter we shine.

And when we don't become like Him, then we don't shine so brightly. But may we all be shining brightly to the end. And just to re-quote for you what Vicki Getz said, the American Airlines attendant, the way people feel about American Airlines depends on the way they feel about me. How will people feel about God and Jesus Christ?

Because they've met you.