Remember Whom You Represent

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DAY 3 – Remember Whom You Represent 

 

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

Genesis 1:26

 

Growing up in a family of seven, I often heard my father say, “Son, you represent our family. Everywhere you go, everything you do, either brings honor or shame to the family name. No pressure.” Yeah, right! Wow… I started to realize how true that was when I had my own kids, especially as a Pastor. I naturally want my kids to represent our family well, not based out of guilt, but out of a genuine desire to live out our family’s faith.

 

When God made mankind, He made them with a role and responsibility. That’s found in these two words: “image” and “likeness”.  These words are similar in meaning; the original reader in Hebrew would have understood the words to read something like, “Let us make man, to be like us and to represent us.”

 

A representative is someone who is appointed or chosen to speak or act on another’s behalf. For example, when my military friend was deployed overseas, I was asked to serve as his power of attorney. In a legal sense, I served to represent him in order to pay bills and manage his home.

 

As believers, we are called to be God’s representatives; we are to speak and act on behalf of God’s kingdom. From the beginning to the end of scriptures we are called to represent God.

 

HYPOCRISY HURTS US

 

Research says that the number one objection to the Christian faith by Millennials is hypocrisy. Some 66% of millennials said that American church goers are hypocritical, meaning they don’t practice what they preach, they don’t walk the walk, but they talk the talk. In other words, they are pretenders, fakers. 

 

Hypocrisy is perhaps the most common deterrent for those seeking to be part of the Christian faith. This is why Jesus speaks so strongly on the subject on various occasions throughout the gospels.

 

This is why perhaps God has woven our very identity into a role and responsibility. What is that? It’s to represent God in all of life. It’s an understanding that we have a mandate, a mission, and it needs to be in line with God’s.

 

THE MISSION OF GOD

 

As we look at the call to represent God, we must look at what’s been called the mission of God by theologians and missiologists. The mission of God is asking what’s God’s mission, what’s God’s intent for us as people? It could be summarized in this: God’s intent is that believers might declare and demonstrate the righteousness of God to all people in all places for all times. This can be found in a number of places throughout the scriptures as I will describe below.

 

 

CREATION MANDATE

 

In Genesis 1:28, we read, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” This charge is for all believers of all times to be fruitful and multiply and has implications into work, family, church, community, and the world, to fill the earth with a Godly offspring and serve as a steward over creation. It’s a call to cultivate, to create, to build things, families, businesses, churches, organizations. It’s a call to influence the world for the good of people and the glory of God!

 

 

BLESSED TO BLESS 

 

Later in Genesis 12, we learn how God calls Abraham to create a covenant community that is to serve as a blessing to all other nations. It’s been called the Abrahamic Covenant, whereby God makes a promise to Abraham, saying, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2)

 

Psalms 67:1-3 says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, (so) that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!”

 

God’s people have always struggled with being the representative they were called to be. Believers often pray for blessings, but don’t understand that God’s purpose behind the blessing is, as the Psalmist said, so “That your ways may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.”  God’s heart is for the nations to know him. God’s glory is global. He’s called us to represent him not only locally but globally, as we travel overseas on vacation, to visit families, or go on mission trips.

 

 

THE GREAT COMMISSION

 

In the Great Commission, we find the very words of Jesus to his disciples. His instructions were not only for them but for us as well. He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19–20)

 

First, we are called to “go”. This means we have to do something. We can’t just stay put. We must go! Go across the street. Go next door. Go get online. Go text a friend. Invite someone to church, share how God is working in our lives.

 

 

EVERYONE CAN DO THEIR PART

 

Thankfully, God has gifted pastors, preachers, teachers, and evangelists to help. Regardless of whether you have these gifts or not, every Christian must do his/her part to fulfill this great commission. They can either contribute or participate. By contributing this means by giving to ministry where the faithful bible teaching and proclamation of the gospel happens regularly. It’s important to seek to give towards funds in a local church such as a general fund, as this helps the church’s regular ministry and provides for such ministries as missions or mercy funds.

 

At our church, it’s called the Hope Offering, which fuels our local and global outreach efforts. By doing this, there is a partnership in the gospel ministry, and members move from being customers to partners. While not everyone can go, everyone can give.

 

Lastly, it’s important to participate in the Gospel ministry. This means serving on a ministry team in the local church, going on a mission trip, serving as locally and globally as you are able. Everyone can play a part in serving as a representative for God. 

 

As we do, we will surely see more and more people of all nations come to faith in Christ and God’s kingdom come. His will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Amen?

Remember who you represent.

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