Transforming Society through the Media Presented by Stephen Langa Family Life Network [FLN]

1. Transforming Society through theMediaPresented by Stephen LangaFamily Life Network [FLN]

2. Introduction

3. Goal • To sensitize you about the role of Christians in the media • To challenge you to work more intentionally in using the media to transform society • To come up with strategies to handle key upcoming national issues

4. Situational Analysis • Uganda/Africa endowed with land • Uganda/Africa endowed with minerals • Uganda/Africa endowed with great people and intelligent populations • Uganda/Africa endowed with many Churches & Christian populations • Uganda/Africa has been many revivals but no REFORMATION!

5. And yet ……… . Poverty! . Hunger! . Diseases! . Corruption! . Bad governance! WHY?

6. Do Christians in the MEDIA have the desired impact in the in the MEDIA?

7. Sin Impacts All of Life • Spiritual • Physical • Mental • Social

8. What is the Problem? Church/Christians have mainly dealt with SIN in the SPIRITUAL only - Church/C has forgotten her God given mandate for all of life - Church/C has not realized that she is custodian of society – “Occupy till I come” Luke 19:13 RESULT … Little impact in the real world “Church in Africa is like a river which is one mile wide but only one inch deep” - Theologian

9. God’s Interest in Creation • In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth; Gen 1:1 • He evaluated the goodness of His creation as “Good”, Gen. 1:9, 12, 18, 21, 24 • God’s culminating evaluation—“VERY GOOD”, Gen. 1:31

10. Gods Covenant with All of Life • Genesis 9:8-17 • All creatures [All of life] • The Earth

11. God’s Concern for Nations • Gen 22:18, ALL NATIONS of the earth will be blessed. • Deut 4:5-8, Israel was to be a priest to the NATIONS. • II Chron 7:14, God’s promise to heal the LAND. • Luke 24:47, The Gospel will be preached to ALL NATIONS. Matt 28:19, Make disciples of ALL NATIONS. • Acts 10:34, 35, God accepts men from EVERY NATION.

12. God has a BIG AGENDA Col. 1:20 “and through Him to reconcile all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross”

13. Role of the CHURCH/Christians Eph. 3:9-11 “and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God , should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”

14. Biblical Transformation The process of restoration to God’s intentions of all that was broken when man rebelled against God in the Fall. Biblical transformation is not the same as spiritual conversion, although it begins there. Also, such transformation is God’s work, although He calls His people to participate with Him in that work. And transformation in this world, when and where it occurs, is an ongoing process and not a goal that we will fully achieve this side of Christ’s return. (Bob Moffitt)

15. Transformation of society • Church • Family • Politics/Governance • Economy • Education • Media • Arts/Music/Sports

16. Transformed Church/Christian needs new mindset/paradigm 1. Biblical Worldview

17. REALITY GOD Sacred Secular Evangelical Gnosticism’s view

18. REALITY GOD Spiritual Grace Faith Ethics Missions Theology Evangelism Discipleship Devotions Spiritual Disciplines Spiritual Warfare Sundays Natural Work Reason Business Politics Science Economics Mass Media The Arts Physical Ministries Social Justice Weekdays Biblical worldview

19. Transformed Church/Chriatian needs new mindset/paradigm 2. Discipling the Nation - Matt. 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” - intentionally working towards extending the principles of the Kingdom of God to every sector of society. - Jesus prayed “…let thy kingdom come, let thy will be done here on earth as it is in heaven…”

20. Discipling Nations means going beyond the traditional understanding of discipleship, to having the church intentionally and deliberately introducing the principles of the Kingdom of God to every sphere of life including spheres we traditionally label as unspiritual and secular.

21. - Discipling Nations involves deliberately replacing the evil systems on which the world runs at the moment with a Kingdom system based on the principles of the Word of God. This part of what it means to “…teaching them (the nations and the systems that run them) to obey everything I have commanded you…”

22. Mandate of Christian in Media 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. “This one grants us the right to our good name by forbidding slander, and the right to honest dealing and reporting, by forbidding dishonesty. It does not guarantee “freedom of the press” other than the right and obligation of the press to speak the truth.” - by David Melechinsky

24. Matters where we are free to make personal choices • Non-Foundational • Foundational Matters where God has given His commandment or opinion

25. Growing Healthy Cultures Lies a culture holds to be true Truth the culture embraces Principles of the Development Ethic

26. How will you respond as a Christian in the Media on: - • Important National Issues • On issues you know are out rightly lies?