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Ambassadors: Sharing Jesus with Courage and Credibility
Sunday 14th June

Introduction: The Good News 

We are talking this morning about sharing good news. How many people have been told a secret, there are bad secrets that we should tell a parent or a trusted adult but there are good secrets like planning a surprise party. 

When we find out something amazing, our natural instinct isn't to lock it away; it’s to share it. We want to find someone, look them in the eye, and say, "You need to hear this!”

Yet, when it comes to the biggest and best news in history—the reality that the Creator of the universe knows us, loves us, and has saved us through Jesus Christ—something different happens. Some people get quiet and hesitate. Some people think that faith is strictly private, something to keep to ourselves. We worry about looking pushy, awkward, or self-righteous. We worry that if someone asks a hard question, we won’t know the perfect answer. So, we stay silent.

Today, we are looking at what it means to be a bold and credible witness for Christ. Being a witness doesn't require a university degree in theology. A witness is simply someone who steps forward and tells the truth about what they have seen and experienced. Boldness isn't about being loud or aggressive; it’s just having the courage to speak up instead of staying silent.

To see what this looks like, we are going to look at two very different people from the Bible—one from the Old Testament and one from the New—who showed us how to share faith in a simple, believable way.

Part 1: The Courage

Old Testament: 2 Kings 5

Our first example comes from the Old Testament, in a story about a man named Naaman. On paper, Naaman had everything. He was the commander of a huge army, a brilliant soldier, highly respected by his king, and very wealthy. But behind the armour, Naaman was carrying a heavy, terrifying burden: he had a painful skin disease called leprosy. In the ancient world, there was no cure for this. It meant his career, his strength, and his future were slipping away.

Living in Naaman’s house was a young captive girl from Israel. She had been taken from her homeland during a war to work as a servant for Naaman’s wife. By all human standards, this girl had every reason to stay quiet. She was an outsider, a servant, and young. She could have been bitter towards the commander who captured her.

Instead, she saw his suffering, and she remembered the living God. With remarkable boldness, she spoke up to her mistress, saying:

"If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." (2 Kings 5:3)

Think about the courage it took to say that. She didn't give a long speech about religion. She didn't debate theology. She offered a direct, simple solution because she had total confidence in God’s power.

What made her message credible—or believable—was her genuine kindness and her certainty. She wanted her master to get better, and her confidence was so striking that Naaman actually listened to her. He travelled to find the prophet, did what God asked, and was completely healed. Because one young person chose courage over comfort, a great leader's life was changed, and he came to believe in the true God.

Part 2: Firsthand Experience

New Testament: John 9

Centuries later, in the New Testament, we meet another person who had to stand up and speak the truth. In John chapter 9, Jesus meets a man who had been blind from the day he was born. Jesus heals him, completely changing his life. For the first time ever, this man can see the faces of his family, the sky, and the world around him.

But instead of celebrating, the religious leaders of the day were furious. They disliked Jesus and were looking for any reason to catch Him out. They dragged the healed man into a high-stakes, intimidating meeting. They questioned his story and tried to trap him, demanding: "This man Jesus is a sinner! Explain how He did this!"

They wanted a complicated debate about religious laws. But look at how the man responds. He refuses to get tangled up in their arguments. Instead, he relies on the simple truth of what happened to him. He looks at the most powerful, educated leaders of his culture and says:

"Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25)

This is a perfect example of how to share our faith. The critics could argue over theories and rules. But they could not argue with his reality. They could not look at a man who was standing right in front of them, seeing perfectly, and convince him that he was still blind.

When we talk about Jesus in our workplaces, our schools, or our neighbourhoods, we often think we need to know the answer to every hard philosophical mystery. We don't. If someone asks you a question about your faith that you cannot answer, the most honest and powerful thing you can say is, "I don’t know the full answer to that, but let me tell you what I do know. I know the difference Jesus has made in my life. I know the peace He gave me when I was anxious, and the comfort He brought when I was lonely.”

People can argue with your opinions, but they cannot argue with your story.

Part 3: Credibility.

How do we take the kindness of the servant girl and the simple honesty of the blind man and live them out today?

In our world, sharing faith credibly means making sure our actions match our words. True Christian boldness is never arrogant, pushy, or rude. One famous theologian described it beautifully: he said that sharing the gospel is just "one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread." It is an act of humility.

For the students and young people here, boldness might look like refusing to join in when others are being teased, and being willing to say, "I follow Jesus, and that’s not how I want to treat people." For adults, it might look like choosing to be completely honest in business when cutting corners is the norm, or offering a quiet, genuine prayer for a colleague going through a crisis.

When we live lives of integrity, kindness, and hope, people notice. Our lives create the curiosity, and our words simply explain. We just give the credit to Christ.

Conclusion:

Scripture: Ephesians 6:18-20

If we feel nervous or inadequate about doing this, we are in good company. Feeling hesitant is completely normal. Even the greatest heroes of the Bible felt it.

Think about the Apostle Paul. Paul was one of the most brilliant and daring missionaries in history. He travelled the world, started churches, and stood before kings. Yet, at the end of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul pulls back the curtain and reveals where his strength actually came from. He writes these words while sitting in a Roman prison cell:

"Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.” (Ephesians 6:18-20)

Notice what Paul does not pray for. He is in chains, facing execution, yet he doesn't ask the church to pray for his release. He doesn't pray for an easier life or more comfort. He asks them to pray for boldness.

Paul knew that spiritual courage is not something we pump up inside ourselves through willpower. It is a gift given by God, supported by the prayers of others. He reminds us to pray "at all times" and "for all the saints." We are not meant to do this alone; we are a church family meant to support and pray for each other. We can pray for our children at school, we can pray for our friends at work, and we can pray that God opens doors for good conversations.

Paul uses a phrase: he calls himself an "ambassador in chains." An ambassador is just a representative sent by a king to speak on behalf of a country. Being in prison didn't change Paul's job description.

No matter our situation, our age, or our fears, we are Christ’s ambassadors today. 

We represent a Kingdom built on grace, truth, and unconditional love. Let us commit to praying for one another this week—asking for the clarity to see opportunities, the kindness to live credibly, and the boldness to speak the name of Jesus.