In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of keeping one's word and being trustworthy. He urges the audience to remember that their word should be their bond, whether in personal relationships, business, or within the church. The preacher also highlights the need for selflessness and reconciliation with God. He shares a story of a man who abandoned his family and the consequences that followed. The sermon concludes with a reminder that even in difficult times, one should not grow weary in doing good, as there will be a great reward in heaven.

Corinthians 5 and verse number 14. Now remember our theme tonight is the Christian as the Ambassador. We started it this morning, we're just going to continue tonight along this wonderful theme. Next, today we're looking at the Christian as an instrument, but tonight the Christian as an ambassador. We noticed this morning that an ambassador is a diplomatic minister of highest order, a man of great dignity, and he has a great responsibility, and he has a great motive, and he has a great message. We thank God for all tonight we're saved by God's matchless grace. We know the joy of being an ambassador. So dear brothers and sons, tonight this is not our home. We're just strangers here in a foreign land. We're here for one purpose only. We're here as ambassadors, and our message is, we pray you, in Christ's name, be reconciled to God. And I trust there may be those here tonight who may be still estranged to His love and to His grace. You don't really know Him as your Father. You're not really a Christian. You're not really a child of God. This may be the night when you'll be reconciled to God, through the merit of the shed blood of His beloved Son. Verse number 14 now, another verse of Alden, The great responsibility, and now the mighty love. Yet now henceforth know we Him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Now I want you to get that. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation. If you're not in Christ, you're still in Adam, in the old creation. And that's corrupt. That's under the curse. That's under condemnation. That is in death, and in darkness, and in deceit, and in bondage. If you're not yet a child of God, beloved, that's where you are. We want you to change that tonight by being reconciled to God, and tonight becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus. All things passing away, all things becoming new, because we are in Christ Jesus. And there's no midway. Oh no my friend, we're either in Adam, or we're in Christ. Either in the old nature, old creation, or we're in the new creation in Christ Jesus. Now you may have been christened as a baby. You may have become third. You may be a church member. You may become eulogist. You may be baptized by a nurse. You may be a pastor. You may be a teacher. You may be a giganet. But beloved, if you're not in Christ, by the merit of the shed blood, with all the love of my heart, I want to say, you are still in the old creation under the curse. May God give us grace to recognize our true position tonight as either in Adam, or in Christ. Verse number 17 again. Notice the little word, therefore. You ask, well what is it there for? Do you want to know what it's there for? Just go to the previous verses of context, and come back with me quickly. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. I'm so glad about that, aren't you? Amen? Now notice again. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become you. And all things are of God. You know this? All things are become you. All things are of God, because they belong to a new creation. And because you're in Christ. All things belong to God, and they belong to you. Because we're in Christ. The wonder of it all. Who has reconciled us to himself, notice now, by my good works, by my good name, by my good character, by my benevolence, by my sacrificial giving. Oh no, no, no. See what it says. Reconciled us to God, to himself by Jesus Christ, and there's no other means of reconciliation. None whatever. Romans 5, 10 makes it crystal clear. We're reconciled to God by the death of his son. But we are being saved by his life. And has given to us. Now notice this. Those of us who are in the new creation, those of us who know the all things of God in Christ Jesus, he's also given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Oh what a ministry this is. This includes each and every believer. If tonight you're in Christ, he's given to you this ministry. The ministry of reconciliation. See how it works out now in the next verse. To which, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now notice verse 20. Now then we are ambassadors for pride, all the high honor, all the great dignity. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's name, be you reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteous of God in him. Now there's what the next chapter gives us our sufficiency. Then we as workers together with him. Isn't that lovely? Remember we are his ambassadors, but we're not going forth in our own charges, not in our own resources. Our sufficiency is in God. We are co-workers together with him. Oh the joy of these wonderful words. Incirluk in Scotland some years ago, Mr. Scott who belonged, I was a proprietor of the Scott Jam, really fine Christian family. Robertson and Jam are also a fine Christian family. Mr. W. Fraser Naismith, he and I were administering a conference in Birmingham during the last war. And you know the save the preserved, the jam, the jelly. You know you take it from the jar, and you put it into a little jam dish. You know a preserved dish, you see. And it's looking nice. But during the war years, the save, the jam, they just left it in the jam jar, you see, and put that on the table. But, they had crocheted a nice little covering, you see, and they took away the plainness from the jar. And that's what they've done at this conference. But unfortunately, Fraser Naismith, he was a representative of Scots of Incirluk. That was his calling, a representative of Scots of Incirluk Jam. But this was Robertson on the table. So I never forget him. In the conference he said, Do you mind passing the apology for preserves? He worked for Scots, you see. Anyway, Mr. Scott had passed away. He was from the Scot family. And he invited Mr. Carr from Incirluk, the Carr Biscuit, another fine Christian gentleman. He goes to Incirluk, and he told, conducts a general service. He looked at the watch. The only way he could get there was to take this fast train leaving Carlisle. The train did not stop after Corsairs until it got to Glasgow. Had he gone right through to Glasgow on the train, he would have been too late for the fuel. How could he get that train to stop at Motherwell, quite nearby to Incirluk? He didn't know. Anyway, he put on his crop coat, swallowtail coat, you know, and his pinstripe trousers, silk hat, went down to Carlisle station, asked for a ticket to Motherwell. This man said, Sorry sir, the train does not stop at Motherwell. Go right into Glasgow. Sir, I'm an ambassador, and the train must stop at Motherwell. He looked at him, dreading all his wonderful morning suit, you know. So, he got his ticket. You see? So, he thought he better be honest. So, he went to the station master, and he said, Now look, I may be a little bit deceptive, but he said, You know, I said I'm an ambassador, because I want this train to stop at Motherwell. I may be there in time to conduct the funeral service. He said, I'm not an ambassador of Her Majesty, or His Majesty then, but I'm an ambassador of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This man said straight to himself, Sir, that far more important than being an ambassador of His Majesty of this realm, you're an ambassador of the greatest sovereign of all, and the train must stop at Motherwell. He got into the first class compartment, sitting there with another man. The train went, sitting there at the cattle aisle, stopped at Kirstair. Now, Kirstair is a divisional point. One part of the train goes to Edinburgh, another part goes to Glasgow. Mrs. Boswell and I, before she became Mrs. Boswell, were coming home from the Casey Convention in 1936, and here, somehow or other, she left her handbag in the Glasgow section while we went on to Edinburgh. You see? Anyway, by the time we got to Edinburgh, and her report was the same, somehow or other, they got from Glasgow, and that handbag had come down to Edinburgh. When we left Kirstair, the man sitting opposite, Mr. Carr, said, Well, let us settle down for the night. Next stop is Glasgow. Excuse me, sir. Next stop is Motherwell. Oh, no. This train never stops at Motherwell. It goes right through Glasgow. Next stop is Glasgow. Sir, this train won't stop at Motherwell. I'm traveling this train weekly. And he said, I'm sure the train won't stop at Motherwell. It goes right on to Glasgow. Sir, there's an ambassador on this train, and the train will stop at Motherwell. An ambassador? Did you see him getting on? Yes. I saw him getting on the train, and I am quite sure the train will stop at Motherwell. Are you so excited? Well, I must be awake. If I'm asleep, you'll wake me up. You'll wake me up. I want to see that ambassador leaving the train. I haven't seen an ambassador in person. Well, he said, you'll see one at Motherwell. Soon enough, the train was getting nearer to Motherwell, and it got slower and slower and slower. He said, what? It's true. I must look out the window. So I was looking out the window on this car, took his suitcase down, put on his heavy coat, took his briefcase. You might excuse me. I may get up. You're the ambassador? Yes. I'm the ambassador of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Friend, do you get the picture in my mind? There's a dignity about being an ambassador of Jesus Christ. There's no calling so high, there's no profession so noble, than to be the ambassador of a bond slave of Jesus Christ. Remember your high calling. May the wonder it grips your heart with my heart tonight. So I told him, you've got the acrostic on the ambassador, the capital A, an ambassador has an authority. His authority will go forth. In John chapter 17, and I want you to notice this if you will please, in John 17 and verse number 18, John 17 and verse number 18, these wonderful words. Now by the way, don't you try that with some of your railway companies across here. They might not give you the same treatment. 17 of John and verse number 18, this wonderful intercessory prayer of our adorable Lord Jesus, and he says, As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. Now we go forth not of own design or own desire, we have his authority. And just like the ambassador of any government going to a foreign land, they must have this document, they must have the authority, and they must have the seal stamped upon that document that they are authentic, bony parts, ambassadors of the king, the government, the country. Now thanks God tonight from the risen Lord, all we can say is that this is not before the cross. Right? Chapter 20, same book. Chapter 20 please and verse number 21. Verse number 21, The Lord Jesus having shown his disciples the nail prints in his hand and feet, and his spirit of insight says now, Jesus said unto them again, Peace be unto you. As my father sent me, even so send I you. O child of God, do you recognize the great privilege and the great honor? Whether the Sunday school children, whether my friend the children's work, Bible class work, camp work, the grown-ups, whether my friend the teeming, crawling crowds of people, or to the individuals, each and every one of us here tonight, saved by his magnificent grace, we are ambassadors. And it says, As my father sent me, even so send I you. Father, as you sent me into the world, so have I sent them into the world. Remember, we're here for one purpose alone. It is that we might be his ambassadors. We are here as his representatives. We'll come to that a little later in our study tonight. And now knows the message that we've got to proclaim. That message we read in verse number 17. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's name, be you reconciled unto God. Another of the words, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Oh the wonder of that wonderful statement. What a message we've got to proclaim. Reconciliation to God by his beloved son. What is our message? Our message is a message of love. A message of love. I hear my friends, I said this morning, the man who is sent forth as an ambassador, he must know the language of the people to whom he is being sent. Now wherever you go in the world, beloved, we are ambassadors, but there's one language all men and women, boys and girls know, and the response to is the language of love. The language of love. The first Samaritan, the first man on the Samaritan road, the Jericho road, the good Samaritan king, immanence of love to that dear man, and all the crying need for love all around us tonight, ambassadors. May I just bring something before your heart? It means so much to me that sometimes when we sing a hymn, and I said one time earlier in our study, hymnology is not always good theology, and as one hymn we sing, we haven't sung it since coming here, so it's all right, but God and the sinner reconciled. Beloved, God did not need to be a reconciler to the sinner. God's great heart of love is ever towards the sinner, but we have to be a reconciler to God. God has not estranged himself from us, but we because of sin have estranged ourselves from God, and God's great heart of love ever is towards us, and we must be reconciled to God, but notice that only one way is on the merit of the shed blood of his beloved son. Remember the prodigal son, when he was away from the father, the father's heart was ever towards him, and I am quite convinced that dear dad went many a time to the door, on to the top of the house, in the house of flats, looking down the highway when he would come home today. Oh, that father's heart was at breaking point. That father loved his son, loved his son, and he was waiting for the moment when the son would come back to him. The father did not need to be a reconciler to the son, the son had to be a reconciler to the father, and friend, we don't need, God does not need to be a reconciler to us, but we must be a reconciler to God. The message says in Isaiah chapter 59, Your sins and your iniquities have separated between you and your God. Thank God tonight, through the cross work of Jesus Christ, this one and you know things, who became sin for us. He removed the great barrier, and the door stands open wide tonight, on the merit of that shed blood we can all draw near, and be a reconciler to God. So tonight, the message of the ambassador I will use right here, if you're so estranged, I beseech you, I pray you, in Christ's name, be reconciled to God, as tonight. Way back on in Scotland some years ago, there was a couple, and they were very happily married, but at the end of their happiness was given to them, a delightful little baby boy. When those boys were eighteen months old, the father began to stay up rather late at night. He said his work was keeping him busy, and he couldn't get home. The story is this, he got into bad company, and began to stay out, until the time came when he was estranged from his wife, and deserted her, and another boy. The boy was about five years of age, and he developed double pneumonia, and in the interview, the mother had been reached from the gospel, reconciled to God, and gloriously converted. The same for the father, telling him about the son being so very, very ill. He thought it was just a gag, to get him to go back. He wouldn't go. The boy died. The Lord took the boy to heaven. The father got the news. He went his way to the house. He knocked at the door. He was brought in, the general of the old country. They've got funeral parlors now, but not the same way you have them across here. It isn't the same number. It was over the day, and the corpse stayed in the house until the day of burial. The father was taken down to the church, left there for the time being. More often than not, he was left in the home, there in the parlour table. There was a white casket, and in that casket, that little body, sitting on the other side of the casket, was the mother and the wife. That man came into that room. Everything was thoughtlessly cleaned. Everything shined. He looked across that casket. On the other side of the casket he saw his wife. There was a tranquillity, a serenity, a glow about her. He could not understand. He broke down and sobbed. He put his hand right across the casket and said, Mary, will you forgive me? She looked up, said, John, you're forgiven already. I never ceased to love you. He got it. Mary did not need to be reconciled to John. It was John who was reconciled to Mary. He said, I never ceased to love you. And he was reconciled to his wife over the body, the death of his own son. Friend, God's great hand of love is toward you. He never ceased to love us as sinners. His hand of pardon and forgiveness is out tonight. He waits for you to come back and say, Lord, accept me. And you will get, you're accepted already in my beloved son. You're reconciled already. I never ceased to love you. Oh, may that love reach your heart. May that love bring us all down tonight. Those of us who know this wonderful reconciliation should we also know the corresponding responsibility that we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Let's go to the next point because we must hurry on. Next to the cross is the word bond. Remember it says in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse number 20 that if Jesus Christ and kids I must call it. You know that it's possible. All men are still frail. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse number 20 For which I am an ambassador in bond. In bond. Now, thank God tonight we are not bound by chains like that dear man was in days gone by. Bound there in that Roman prison. For he says to me, bound the prisoner, but the word of God is not bound. The word of God is free. But we are bound by Jesus Christ. Is it lovely? We're bound by the cords of silken love. My friend, those silken cords will never be snapped. They'll never be severed. And because we're bound to him, may I give you the chorus I quoted this morning? Just where he needs me, my Lord has placed me. Just where he needs me, there would I be. And since he found me, by love he's bound me to serve him joyfully. Where? Just where he needs me. Oh, this turns the drudgery into delight. Turns the rudder of daily routine into wonderful rejoicing and revival, doesn't it? Why, I am in the very place where the Lord placed me. I'm just to serve him joyfully. Every ambassador has to be bonded. And this is a very, very important point. Our son Peter was working in the bank in London, and he was the internal pillar in this particular event. One day a knock came to our door in London, and I happened to be home. Answering the door, a man said, Excuse me, sir, but are you acquainted with Peter Boswell? I said, yes, sir, I know Peter Boswell fairly well. Could you advise for his character, veracity of his words? And I said, yes. Do you know anything that was derogatory or detrimental in his character that would hinder him from being in the bank? I said, no, not as far as I know, and I think I can speak with authority. Well, he said, that's all right, sir, thank you very much. And I said, and he's all shutting it down, wait a minute. Can you tell me why you're doing this because of the point of interest? Oh, yes, he says, Peter is working the bank, and he's come on as a permanent staff, and you know they've got to be bonded, and you being his neighbor, I thought probably you would know. And I said, well, yes, I do know. I'm not his neighbor, I'm his father. Oh, he says, sir, excuse me, excuse me, but it's just routine, it's just routine. We've got to do this, you see, it's supposed to be so secret. You see, sworn to secrecy. That was the word, my friend. Now you want this to get across to your heart. Each one of us and I are bonded, and we're branded by the government of heaven. Now remember, we must be a citizen of heaven before we can be an ambassador in this foreign land, even in a beautiful part of the park. Isn't that true? So one of it all, we are bonded. Go to the Father, shall we, in meditation, because time is going so fast. We must be above reproach. We must be above reproach. He must be a man of diplomacy. He must be a real diplomat in every sense of the word. Remember it says in Philippians 2, verse number 15, Ye are as light shining in the midst of a crookage, and for birth, generation. Remember as I said this morning, I'll repeat it, those people, those governments in foreign lands, the peoples in foreign lands, they judge your country, they judge your government, they judge your royal family, by you and by me. And tonight we are representatives of the heavenly government who represented my friend, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we must be above reproach. Beloved, the word is very clear, we must abstain from all appearance of evil. Now isn't that vital? May God, by His Holy Spirit, touch your heart and touch my heart tonight as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. In a word, our words must be our bonds. All the danger, someone coming and confiding in another, and what they've confided in that other person has come back to them through some other force. When you do that with teenagers, you'll never gain that teenager again. When you do that with anyone, if someone comes and confides in you, my friend, you say you won't repeat that to anyone else, then please, for God's sake, don't repeat it. Remember, our words should be our bonds, whether in the home, in the business, in the church, in the college, wherever we may be, remember we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ. What a high honor. What a degree. Go to the next point, please. Men must be selfless. He is selfless. My friend, an ambassador leaves home, and there this man must live. His life is not his own. He's got no opinion. Dear John McClendon said to me this morning, he's got no opinion of his own. He can't even voice his opinion. My friend, he must give the opinion of his government. Nothing at all. A chap is applying for a job in civil service. He got passed by the other. He said, no, you're in. Just before you leave, go up to the head man, Mr. Smith upstairs. Start things over with him. So there goes the conversation. The man applying for the job volunteered a suggestion. He said, oh, Mr. Smith, I was just thinking. Pardon? You think? You're no use for civil service. All the thinking's done for you. There's the whole thing, my friend, and an ambassador has no opinion of his own. An ambassador has no will of his own. He is a born slave of his government and of his majesty. So are we. What an honor we've got. The will of the master is our will. And our will is lost in his will. His opinion should be our opinion. May God give us grace. And that seems to be the next point. We should live in constant touch with the throne. My friend, having a clear way between your heart and the throne of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Then the next point is that not only must he be selfless, the verse I want to give you for this is verse 15. Of the chapter 5. Dear child of God, get this. The ambassador's life must be a selfless life. It must be unselfish. It must be sacrificial. May God give us grace to recognize this. I will tell you if you are a servant of Jesus Christ, your life is not your own. Bob Willey will tell you that. Our lives are not our own. We're at the beck and call any time of the day or hour. We're at the Lord's disposal. Because of this, Christian life is a selfless life. My friend, when you begin to consider your own rights and consider your own comfort, my friend, you'll cease to be a good ambassador. We're at the Lord's disposal. And we should always be adaptable and approachable at all times. John 12, 24. Except the corn of which fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, the same bringeth forth much fruit. Galatians 2, 20. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live yet, not I. Christ liveth in me, the life which I now live, and the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loveth me and giveth himself for me. Henceforth, we should not live unto ourselves, but unto him who giveth himself for us. Next point is steadfast. An ambassador must not only be selfless, he must be steadfast and loyal. Marked by steadfastness and by loyalty. Remember the verse 1 Corinthians 15, verse number 58. Therefore, brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as ye know, your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Then the ambassador must be ever attentive, attentive. He must be alert. Attentive and alert. 2 Samuel, chapter 15, verse number 50. Do you remember the words? I quote them so often you join these fast days. We are now ready. We will stand before thee, we are now ready to do whatsoever our Lord the King shall command. We are now ready to do. Are we? Another verse I want to give you in this connection though. Turn to the time, 1 Kings chapter 10, verse number 8. 1 Kings 10, verse number 8. This is a very lovely verse and I like it immensely. I just want to share it with you. Happier thy men, happier be thy servants, who stand continually before thee, and who hear thy wisdom. These were the words of my friend the Queen of Sheba as she came before Solomon. She gazed upon those in attendance and what did she say? She recognized something. Happiest are thy men. Someone said today, Are you always happy? Are you always joyful? Notice what it says. Happier are thy men, happier be thy servants, who stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. As we learn the secret, my friend, of waiting daily at his gate, with the open ear, the attentive ear, a verse to his voice, we too shall be attentive and always alert. But then we must be diligent. The ambassador must be diligent. No room for sluggishness, no laziness. And it says in Romans 12, verse number 8. He that exulteth on exhortation, he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity, liberally, cheerfully, however it may be, he that doeth it with diligence, he that shows mercy with cheerfulness, verse number 11. Not slothful in business. The law never encourages laziness, whether in the spiritual or in the physical. We must not be slothful in the business, whereby virtue is the definite article contained. Then it says, servant in spirit. What does we must say? Let us maintain the spiritual goal. Isn't that lovely? Servant in spirit. Maintaining the spiritual goal. And then it says these words, serving the Lord. So an ambassador must be diligent. Servant in spirit. Maintaining the spiritual goal. Recognizing he's serving his Lord. Since O-H-M-S. He recognizes it is on His Majesty's service. Isn't that just wonderful? Oh, just to think tonight we are the servants, the ambassadors of the highest realm of all. The realm of the kingdom of kings and Lord of Lords. And we are here on Our Majesty's service. Isn't that just wonderful? Amen? Still with me? That's all right then. A little verse of scripture. Luke chapter 1 and verse number 19. Keep rejoicing friends, we're almost finished. That's right. Luke 1-19. Think of the great Gabriel, what he said. The angel entering said unto him, I am Gabriel. Now notice that stand. Notice three S's, four S's here. I mean the letter S. That stand in the presence of God. And I'm sent to speak unto thee and to show thee these glad tidings. Oh, what a privilege. Notice that stand. I'm sent to speak and to show. Beautiful words. What an outline for any preacher. May I give them again? Stand where? In the presence of God. Remember, we must know what it means to be in His presence before we can go and show and speak. Oh, I love this. Peter, remember first, had an interview with the Lord before he went up to Jerusalem. Many ever have an interview with the Lord before we go to our Sunday school class, to our Bible class, in our gospel activity, in our ministry to God's people, or in visitation work. Be sure you know what it means to stand in the presence of the Lord. Know His mind. Have His sweet smile of approval before you go forth. Remember what the Lord said to Elijah, go hide yourself. Then the Lord said, go show yourself. We must know what it means to hide ourselves first before we can go and show ourselves. Not I, but Christ. May I follow? Remember that verse in John chapter 1 which says, I am a man. John was a man sent from God. I need a message from God to the people. As I stand before you tonight, my heart is challenged. I pray God you'll recognize something of that challenge. As I'm standing here as a man sent from God with a message from God for God's people tonight, my true ambassador, my early mis-teaching in the name of the Lord, for as there's some ulterior motive, oh I pray God it's crystal clear that He is Lord, that you take a place in that class, take a place before that group. Can you truthfully say dear one, I am a teacher sent from God. You wonder why your class is restless. You wonder why you don't get the attention. Now the reverence in your class, is it because of a badly prepared message? Is it just because you're going according to routine and habit and you're not day by day, week by week, a man, a woman, a young person sent from God with a message from God? You've never been in His presence. Your class knows that. The class knows you can get a lot over my friend, grown-ups. You can pull the wool over grown-ups' eyes, but you'll never do it over children, nor teenagers. They can see through you as quick as lightning. So next time your class is irreverent, next time your class is unruly, unattentive, examine your heart. Have I been in the presence of God? Have I got the God's message for this class? Am I God's servant for this class, for this congregation? This is vital. For as ambassadors, we must know what it is to stand in the presence of God and know we are sent to speak and to show. Why I say all that, I don't know. The last point is very important. An ambassador may be recalled, an ambassador can be rewarded. Remember 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 30? This calls for some weak and sickly and some free. Sometimes because an ambassador has regretted the disgrace of his honor upon the name of his country and his government, he's been withdrawn and often discharged. Many ambassadors, I pray, because of the stand taken and because the true representation of the government and the royal family, they have been decorated and they have been rewarded. May we never be recalled as ambassadors or as true servants of Jesus Christ. May we know no other motive than the constraining love of Christ, have no other objective in our ministry than the glory of God, with one purpose, that He is Lord, He alone must be exalted, not I, but Christ. Then in that coming day, we shall hear the well done good and perfect servant enter into the joy of thy Lord. Now the verse I quoted with last night, Deuteronomy 40, verse 7 says, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the cause, I have kept the peace, hedged forth the crown. And I want to give you one verse and I want you to look at it with me. Luke's Gospel please, and chapter 6, and verse 23 is the closing text tonight. Then we go on tomorrow morning to the letter N, and finish it tomorrow evening, God willing. If you can come out tomorrow morning, whatever you intended doing, then don't you do that, because Jim Marston's got to do some work. Hey buddy, chapter 6 please, and verse 23, we'd love to have you tomorrow morning, and then there's the closing meeting tomorrow. You get on the phone, tell your friends about the closing service. I remember two years ago, this place was packed to capacity on that last night we were here. I'll never forget that in all my life, what God did that closing night. I'm still hearing reports from that particular night. I rejoiced, and God's able to do this tonight. He has been working. He's trying to do even greater things, don't we? Let us do all in our power. Verse 23 please, The ambassadors returned, one saying, Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven. For in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. Words now I pray me, I repeat them. As ambassadors see the Lord saying to you tonight, if you're having it difficult in your short and small corner, ways not easy, rather uphill, very difficult, not seeing too much fruit from your faithful sowing, you shall reap if your faith not. Never grow weary in well doing, press on, for the single eye to God's glory, the body will be full of life. Listen to what he says, Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy. Why not do it now? For behold your reward is great in heaven. Your reward is great in heaven. It is great right here, now. May God bless it with us. As we sing together, number 400, and I think it is 86. Four, eight, six. Yes. 386. The reason why my friends were whispering in the back, they've had to go, because we're all going down to the Lamb, aren't we? A little time of reflection, and perish it, and I'm sure the Lord will bless you. 486. Rescue the perishing. Sing the words again. We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Grand old hymns. 486. Rescue the perishing. He cares for us. Isn't it ironic, though, that this great group of full-blooded young people, sitting there with their feet up on palms and chairs, just lazing around singing, Rescue the perishing. It seems to me a real contradiction. There they were, so smug and so comfortable, and here we sing tonight, Rescue the perishing. Eh? God bless your heart and mind. Verse number two. And all the unrighteousness, here he is waiting, waiting on heaven. Father Nico, in hearts here tonight, the third verse, just as the third. God save us. Holy Father, Thou ownest the hearts of all mankind. Now we're searching into our hearts, here and now. I forgive us for knowing so much theoretically, and for practicing so little day by day. Help us, O God, to practice just what we preach. Help us, O God, to live just as we pray. And grant, O God, tonight we may be true ambassadors, representing our absent, yet soon coming Lord. Grant, O God, it may be ours in the coming days, as we hear the martyred shout the rise up of the medium in the air. Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Holy Father, should it be someone here tonight who is not yet reconciled to Thee, O may that reconciliation take place tonight, that glory may be brought to thy wonderful name, and join to the heart of the ones reconciled, and rejoicing in the presence of angels, and join the hearts that accompany here, for Christ our Redeemer's sake. Amen.