ALIENS

AMERICA has ambassadors. Ambassadors are in a foreign land that is not their own. They go away temporarily to a foreign land to spend time away from home. Ambassadors have to learn the language and learn the customs, but they’re never to belong there. They are just to live there in order to carry out their mission.

In order to carry it out, they’ve got to live there. In order to carry it out, they’ve got to talk the language. To carry it out, they’ve got to function in the context of the people, but they are to never forget it’s not where they belong. The Bible says your citizenship is in heaven.

What good is an ambassador who doesn’t represent the homeland? The problem is that today we’ve got a generation of ambassadors who like the foreign country. In fact, they have fallen in love with the foreign country.13

[Ambassadors, for Christ]

Phil. 3:17–21; 1 Peter 2:11

WHEN HURRICANE Katrina hit New Orleans, thousands of people were displaced. Thousands of people had to leave their homes and move to other places. Some moved to other cities in Louisiana, others moved to Houston, other people moved to Dallas, not knowing when they could return home.

Months later, many people could still not return home and they were frustrated. Although they had places to sleep, food to eat, and clothes on their backs, they were not happy. Although they had opportunities for new lives, new jobs, and a new start, they were not excited. Although the victims of Katrina had the ability to send their kids to new schools, to see new places, and to do new things, they were not thrilled. No matter how great the new places were, many Americans displaced from New Orleans were frustrated. Why? Because they were not home. It didn’t matter how wonderful Dallas or Houston could be, these cities were not New Orleans.

As Christians, we should never be satisfied with the things that this world holds. We should never be thrilled with the things this world has to offer. No matter how wonderful this world is, for the Christian, it will never be home. We are aliens in this world.14

[Ambassadors, for Christ]

Heb. 11:12–14