You Are an Embassy

There is a fascinating principle in international law called extraterritoriality that most people rarely think about. In simple terms, when you step through the doors of an embassy, you are no longer under the authority of the country around it. Step into the French embassy in Ottawa, and you have, in effect, left Canada. Canadian authority stops at the door, and inside, French authority governs. The flag outside is not merely decorative; it is declarative. It announces that a small piece of one nation has been established in the middle of another. Within those walls, a different kingdom’s rule applies.

Having lived in several countries (I was born in England, raised in France and Rwanda, and now live in Canada) I have seen my share of flags. The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I see that the embassy is one of the clearest pictures of the Christian life. If you have welcomed King Jesus into your life, you are not only a citizen of Heaven, but a carrier of His Kingdom.

You are an embassy of Heaven.

A Kingdom Without Borders

When the Pharisees asked Jesus when His Kingdom would arrive, He answered, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, ²¹ nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

The Pharisees were looking for armies, thrones, walls, and borders, but Jesus told them to look elsewhere: within. At this present moment, the Kingdom of God does not have border crossings or capital cities you can visit. It dwells in everyone who has invited the King into their lives. It is in you and me.

That means everywhere you go, be it your workplace, your home, your gym, your classroom, you have an opportunity to establish His Kingdom there. God has uniquely positioned you where you live, work, and serve so that His rule and reign can be made visible through your life.

What Happens when the Kingdom Shows Up

The word kingdom comes from two ideas: king and dominion. Simply put, a kingdom is the place where the will of the king is done. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He told them to ask that His Kingdom would come and His will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” In Heaven, God’s will is done fully. There is no sickness, fear, torment, or oppression. And when the Kingdom of Heaven breaks into earth, the will of God is made known here as well.

In Matthew 10:7–8, Jesus gave His disciples clear instructions for when they were sent out: “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Wherever the Kingdom arrives, things begin to come back under the King’s culture. Sick bodies are healed. Tormented minds are set free. Broken people hear good news.

The Kingdom Pushes Back Darkness

Several years ago, I was invited into the home of a city planner in North Vancouver. He had recently purchased a house with a dark past, and every time he or his family walked through the door, they sensed spiritual darkness and the presence of evil. It became unbearable, and they were reaching a breaking point.

When he reached out to a pastor, I went to visit him and shared the good news of God’s Kingdom and of its King, Jesus. Then, through prayer and worship, we invited the Kingdom of God to fill that home. From that moment on, the peace of God rested there, and the evil presence that had once troubled them left.

Three Marks of a Faithful Embassy

So what marks a faithful ambassador?

1. An ambassador represents their home country. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul writes, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us.” A faithful ambassador does not promote personal opinions but speaks on behalf of their kingdom. When you pray for those who persecute you, forgive what seems unforgivable, and love others as yourself, you reflect heaven’s culture in a foreign land. Your life should make it clear where your allegiance lies.
   
   
2. An embassy serves the people around it. From issuing visas to offering refuge, embassies are there to help. Our faith is not meant to be a bunker; it’s a consulate. That coworker battling pain? We are to offer to pray for them. That neighbour battling anxiety? We are to bring them peace, a meal, and good news. Freely we received. Freely we give.
   
   
3. An embassy stays in constant contact with home. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Just as an ambassador would call his nation, prayer is how we call our home and ask for heaven’s resources to come to Earth. In Matthew 16, Jesus gave us the keys of the kingdom and declared that “Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Prayer is how we use our keys.

This past weekend, Pastor Dave taught us about the unshakeable Kingdom we belong to. If there is any area of your life that has not yet been brought under the rule of King Jesus, use the keys of the Kingdom. As an ambassador of Christ, invite His reign into that place and watch His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.