Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher - Jim Rickard Thursday, March 13, 2014

1 John 1:9-10, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

Doxology Praise Jehovah, all ye nations, All… ye people, praise proclaim; For His grace and lovingkindness, O… sing praises to His Name. Great to us hath been His mercy, E…ver faithful is His Word; Through all ages it endureth, Hal…lelujah, praise the Lord!

Prov 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Proverbs Chapter 13 Vs. 17 Contrasts in Ambassadorship!

Prov 13:17a The Negative! “Wicked Ambassadors”

“Wicked Messenger” RASHA, רָשָׁע – evil. MALAK, מַלְאָךְ – Messenger or angel.

Prov 16:14, “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will appease it.”

Prov 17:11, “A rebellious man seeks only evil, so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.”

This is a reversionistic believer or evil unbeliever who is sent by another, (Satan, his cosmic system or their own Sin Nature), to deliver evil to others in their words or deeds.

Yet, the evil this wicked messenger is sent to deliver to others actually comes back around onto himself, as he “falls into adversity.”

“Falls into adversity” NAPHAL, נָפַל – “to fall, to lie, to prostrate oneself, to overthrow.” RA, רַע - “evil, bad.”

This is the principle of The Law of Volitional Responsibility. The wicked messenger actually causes evil upon his own life as he plunges himself into ruin, (self-induced misery).

This will also come upon the one(s) who sent him, and potentially the community, state, nation or kingdom they represent.

Prov 10:26, “Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy one to those who send him.”

Prov 26:6, “He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence who sends a message by the hand of a fool.”

The Contrast!

The Contrast! “But a faithful envoy brings healing.”

“Envoy” - TSIYR, צִיר, “An ambassador, an envoy, or a messenger.”

It is a person appointed to represent someone else or his nation faithfully, Prov 25:13; Isa 18:2; 57:9; Jer 49:14; Obadiah 1:1.

This Ambassador is “faithful”, EMUN, ‏אֵמֻן, “trustworthy, faithful, or dependable.” Prov 14:5; 20:6; Isa 26:2. It is also used for “Unfaithful” in Deut 32:20.

The faithful ambassador is the one who is an effective witness for Christ, as he is said to bring “healing” - MARPE, מַרְפֵּא, “health, healing, or a remedy.”

It refers to the restoration, cure, or renewal from an illness or sickness. Cf. Prov 4:22; 6:15; 12:18.

Prov 25:13, “Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters.”

The righteous ambassador will be a blessing to those that sent him whom he represents. The wicked ambassador will fall himself into the evil that he lives, along with those who sent him which he represents.

The believer priest, 1 Peter 2:9, is also a royal ambassador for Christ, Eph 6:20, who must have integrity, honor, inner stability and conscientiousness in order to rightly serve our Lord, as well as mankind.

Eph 6:19, “And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Doctrine of Ambassadorship

Church Age believers have a key position with great responsibility to represent God and our Lord Jesus Christ to our fellow members of the human race.

2 Cor 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Grace Fellowship Church Thursday March 13, 2014 Tape # Proverbs Chapter 13 The Contrast Between Good and Evil Ambassadors James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2014 Grace Fellowship Church Thursday March 13, 2014 Tape # Proverbs Chapter 13 The Contrast Between Good and Evil Ambassadors Prov 13:17; 10:26; 16:14; 17:11; 25:13; 26:6; Eph 6:19-20; 2 Cor 5:20 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2014