EPHESIANS | AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST
Based on the message by Chad Everett
OVERVIEW
What if the way you live at school, interact with friends, respond to conflict, and present yourself online reveals more about whose approval you’re seeking than whose Kingdom you represent?
It’s possible to believe in Jesus, attend church services, know Scripture, and still make most of your decisions based on what you want, how you feel, or what other people think. But following Jesus is more than identifying as a Christian. It’s about living as someone who has been sent to represent Him.
In Ephesians 1:1, Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. The word apostle describes someone sent with a message and an assignment. Scripture also calls believers ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador doesn’t represent personal opinions or interests but the authority and purposes of the one who sent them.
Through Jesus, we have become new creations, reconciled to God, and entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. Our citizenship is in heaven, and our responsibility is to represent His Kingdom here on earth.
Jesus also declared that He would build His Church, the ekklesia, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The Church isn’t a building or a weekly service. We are God’s people, called to carry His truth, values, and authority into the world.
Pastor Chad used the picture of a team gathering in the locker room before a game. Our church gatherings are like a team’s locker room. We come together to worship, receive instruction, encourage one another, and be equipped. But the purpose of being equipped is to carry out our Kingdom assignment beyond the gathering.
No team wins a game by staying in the locker room. You weren’t called just to attend church services. You were called to represent Jesus wherever He has placed you.
The question is whether your life actually reflects that assignment.
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE – Read → Respond → Reflect → Pray → Live It
Read each Scripture passage carefully and answer the questions directly from God’s Word. Reflect honestly on how these truths apply to your identity, relationships, choices, and everyday life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where your thinking or actions need to align with His Word and give you boldness to respond. Then take a specific step of obedience that puts what you’ve learned into practice.
KEY WORDS & DEFINITIONS
- Apostle — apostolos: A messenger sent out, a delegate, or ambassador.
- Ambassador — presbeuō: Someone who represents the authority and interests of another kingdom or government.
- Citizenship: Belonging to a country or kingdom, with its rights, responsibilities, and privileges.
- Ekklesia (Church): A called-out assembly sent to represent and advance Kingdom values and authority.
- Will — thelēma: Determination, choice, intention, or purpose.
- Reconciliation: Being brought back into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
SECTION 1 — CALLED TO BE AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST
FOCUS
An ambassador represents the interests, values, and authority of the one who sent them. As believers, our citizenship is in heaven, and we are called to represent Jesus here on earth. Our assignment isn’t to build our own reputation or advance our personal agenda but to live under His authority and make His Kingdom known.
READ
Ephesians 1:1–2; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 3:20
RESPOND
- How does Paul identify himself in Ephesians 1:1, and whose will established his calling?
- According to 2 Corinthians 5:20, whom do believers represent, and through whom does God make His appeal?
- What message are ambassadors for Christ entrusted to communicate?
- According to Philippians 3:20, where is our citizenship, and whom are we awaiting?
- How should heavenly citizenship shape the responsibilities and priorities of someone living on earth?
REFLECT
- Think about how you present yourself at school, on social media, and around different groups of friends. Do you change your language, attitudes, or behavior depending on who you’re with? What does that reveal about whose approval you’re seeking and whose interests you’re representing?
- Have you ever stayed silent about your faith, participated in conversations you knew were wrong, or compromised your values because you didn’t want to seem different? If your citizenship is in heaven, why should the pressure to fit in have less authority over your decisions?
- Consider your goals, ambitions, friendships, and the way you spend your time. Are you primarily focused on building your own image, gaining recognition, or pursuing what benefits you? What would change if representing Jesus became the priority behind those decisions?
PRAY
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where your desire for acceptance, recognition, or control has influenced your choices more than God’s Word. Pray for the courage to represent Jesus consistently, even when doing so makes you different from the people around you.
LIVE IT
Identify one environment where you tend to compromise your values or hide your faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you boldness to represent Jesus, just as Paul prayed for boldness to proclaim the gospel (Ephesians 6:19–20). Then take one specific step this week to represent Him through your words, attitude, or actions.
READ MORE
2 Corinthians 5:18–19; Ephesians 6:19–20
SECTION 2 — NEW CREATIONS ENTRUSTED WITH RECONCILIATION
FOCUS
In Christ, we are new creations. Our past, mistakes, insecurities, and old patterns don’t define who we have become in Him. God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus, not through our ability to perform or earn His approval. Now He has entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation, calling us to help others know the relationship with God that Jesus has made possible.
READ
2 Corinthians 5:17–20
RESPOND
- According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, what happens to anyone who is in Christ?
- What does Scripture say has passed away, and what has become new?
- According to verse 18, who initiated reconciliation, and through whom was it accomplished?
- What ministry has God given to those He has reconciled to Himself?
- According to verses 19–20, what message has God committed to believers, and how does He communicate that message through them?
REFLECT
- How much of your identity is shaped by your appearance, athletic ability, grades, relationships, popularity, or what people say about you? When those things change or disappoint you, does your sense of worth change with them? How does being a new creation in Christ challenge the way you define yourself?
- Do you ever feel like God is more pleased with you when you’re doing everything right and disappointed in you when you struggle? Have you been trying to earn His acceptance through religious performance rather than living from the reconciliation Jesus has already accomplished? How might that thinking affect your relationship with Him?
- If God has entrusted you with the message of reconciliation, how are you representing that message to people who don’t know Jesus? Are your attitudes, conversations, and actions helping others see what a relationship with Him looks like, or are there contradictions between what you say you believe and how you live?
PRAY
Ask the Holy Spirit to expose any false beliefs that have shaped your identity. Thank God for reconciling you to Himself through Jesus, and ask Him to help you live confidently from that relationship rather than constantly seeking approval from others.
LIVE IT
Identify one belief about yourself that doesn’t agree with what Scripture says about who you are in Christ. Write down the truth from 2 Corinthians 5:17–20 that challenges it. When the old thought returns this week, intentionally respond with God’s Word.
READ MORE
2 Corinthians 5:21
SECTION 3 — WE ARE THE EKKLESIA: CALLED TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM
FOCUS
Jesus declared that He would build His Church, the ekklesia, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. His Church is not a building or a weekly service. We are His ekklesia—God’s people, called to carry His truth, values, and authority into the world. Instead of retreating from opposition or blending into the culture around us, we are called to represent His Kingdom wherever He sends us.
READ
Matthew 16:13–18
RESPOND
- Where did Jesus take His disciples, and what question did He ask them?
- How did Peter answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”
- According to Jesus, who revealed His identity to Peter?
- What did Jesus declare that He would build, and what would not prevail against it?
- How does Jesus’ promise concerning His Church establish confidence in His authority rather than human strength or ability?
REFLECT
- Do you think of church primarily as a Sunday service you attend, or do you understand that you are part of Christ’s ekklesia with a Kingdom assignment? How should that understanding change the way you live throughout the week?
- Think about the culture of your school, friend groups, sports teams, or online communities. Where do you see attitudes or behaviors that clearly conflict with God’s Word? Do you tend to blend in, withdraw, or represent Jesus with truth and love? What does your response reveal about your confidence in Him?
- Have you become comfortable being openly Christian during church gatherings while keeping your faith private in environments where it might be challenged? What fears or pressures influence that decision? How does Jesus’ declaration that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church challenge your willingness to stand for Him?
PRAY
Ask God to help you understand what it means to be part of His ekklesia, not just attend a church service. Pray for boldness to carry His truth into the environments where He has placed you and wisdom to represent Him with both courage and love.
LIVE IT
Choose one place outside a church gathering where you have an opportunity to represent Jesus more intentionally. Look for a specific way to demonstrate His truth and love this week, especially when it would be easier to remain silent or blend in.
READ MORE
Matthew 16:19
SECTION 4 — THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM: OPERATING UNDER HEAVEN’S AUTHORITY
FOCUS
Jesus has given His Church the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. As His ambassadors, we are called to operate under His authority, not our own. Kingdom authority isn’t about getting God to support our plans or preferences. It’s about knowing His Word, aligning with His will, and representing what heaven has already established.
READ
Matthew 16:18–19; Philippians 3:20
RESPOND
- According to Matthew 16:19, what did Jesus promise to give?
- To which Kingdom do these keys belong?
- What does Jesus say concerning binding and loosing on earth and in heaven?
- How does Philippians 3:20 establish the source of a believer’s citizenship and authority?
- How does Jesus’ promise of Kingdom authority connect with His declaration that the gates of Hades will not prevail against His Church?
REFLECT
- When you’re facing conflict, rejection, pressure, or a difficult decision, what usually determines your response—your emotions, your friends’ opinions, what seems easiest, or what God’s Word says? Think of a recent situation. Which authority actually influenced your decision?
- Have you ever prayed for God to change a situation while refusing to change an attitude or behavior that you knew didn’t agree with His Word? Are you more interested in God supporting what you want or in bringing your desires into alignment with what He wants?
- Consider the influence you have in your friendships, family, school, or online interactions. Are you using that influence to promote your own opinions, defend your reputation, or win arguments? What would it look like to represent heaven’s authority through humility, truth, obedience, and confidence in Jesus?
PRAY
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where you’ve been relying on your own understanding or pursuing your own agenda. Pray for a greater hunger for God’s Word and the willingness to submit your decisions, relationships, and priorities to His authority.
LIVE IT
Think of one situation where you’ve been reacting according to your feelings or personal preferences. Study what God’s Word says about it, then make one specific decision that brings your response into agreement with His truth.
READ MORE
2 Corinthians 5:20
SECTION 5 — GET OUT OF THE LOCKER ROOM: GET ON THE FIELD!
FOCUS
As the Church, we gather to worship, grow, and be equipped—but our assignment doesn’t end when the gathering does. Jesus has defeated the enemy and sent His ekklesia into the world to represent His Kingdom. It’s time to take what we’ve received and put God’s Word into action. It’s time to get on the field!
READ
2 Corinthians 5:17–20; Matthew 16:18–19; Philippians 3:20
RESPOND
- According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, what new identity has every believer received in Christ?
- What ministry and message has God entrusted to believers according to 2 Corinthians 5:18–19?
- In 2 Corinthians 5:20, whom are believers called to represent, and through whom does God make His appeal to the world?
- What does Jesus declare about His Church in Matthew 16:18–19, and what authority does He promise to give?
- How does Philippians 3:20 establish the citizenship that should direct our priorities, decisions, and actions?
REFLECT
- Whose interests are you representing? Think about how you spend your time, what you post online, the people you try to impress, and the decisions you make when no one from church is around. Are you living to represent Jesus or primarily to protect your reputation, maintain friendships, and get what you want? What specific evidence from your life supports your answer?
- Are you living from your new identity in Christ? Are you allowing insecurity, past mistakes, comparison, or other people’s opinions to determine your worth? Have you been trying to earn God’s approval by appearing spiritual or doing enough good things? What beliefs or behaviors need to change so your life reflects the new creation Scripture says you are?
- Are you ready to get on the field? How often do you hear God’s Word during a church service but fail to put it into practice throughout the week? What is keeping you from representing Jesus more boldly—fear of rejection, social pressure, distractions, personal comfort, or simply not wanting to be different? Where has God already placed you to make a Kingdom impact, and what specific step of obedience will you take this week?
PRAY
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you’ve become comfortable hearing God’s Word without living it. Pray for courage to overcome fear, surrender your own agenda, and recognize the opportunities God has already placed in front of you.
Ask Him to help you remember that you are not representing yourself. You belong to Jesus, and your life has a Kingdom purpose.
LIVE IT
Choose one specific way to get on the field this week. It might mean standing for biblical truth when others disagree, refusing to participate in gossip, sharing Jesus with a friend, praying for someone, changing how you respond to conflict, or making a decision that honors God even when it costs you something.
Don’t settle for simply deciding that you need to do better. Identify the action, the situation, and when you will follow through.
READ MORE
1 Samuel 17:26–29
FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT
“Brothers and sisters, everyone listening to me, you are an ambassador for Jesus Christ. And when you walk out these doors, it’s game time.” — Chad Everett
You don’t have to wait until you’re older or feel more confident to represent Jesus. He has made you new, reconciled you to God, and entrusted you with a Kingdom assignment. Your words, choices, relationships, and actions are opportunities to make Him known wherever He has placed you.
We gather as the Church to worship, grow, and be equipped, but our assignment doesn’t end when the service does. Ask the Holy Spirit for boldness, live under heaven’s authority, and put God’s Word into action. You are the Church. Get on the field and represent Jesus. It’s game time!