Engage! Part 1

1. Engage!Part 1 “We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you.” 2 Corinthians 5:20a

2. THEME ROH is committed to represent, reveal and intervene in our culture on behalf of the Lord.

3. ENGAGE! To impact our culture with the love & message of Christ is our noblest task. • We engage people on their turf to share the Kingdom presence in their world. • We engage in conversations about Christ and the need for salvation. • We engage ourselves in the cultural conversations of our times. • We engage actively in the fight against evils that assault humanity.

4. “Engage!”

5. 1. Represent The Lord 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

6. 2 Corinthians 5:16b Once I mistakenly thought of Christ…as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! 17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! 18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. 20 We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!”

7. Ambassador… • Knows the laws, rules, regulations and customs of their home nation • Reflects the character of the one being represented • Cares for everyone that comes to their door • Is particularly helpful to citizens of their own nation • Is the face refuge of the home nation in a crisis

8. THEME ROH is committed to represent, reveal and intervene in our culture on behalf of the Lord.

9. Who Are They? For 10 years, Carolyn L. Oakley served as the 36th District State Representative in the Oregon House of Representatives. A word aptly spoken Be God’s representative. Cut the bitterness and rancor. Cut the hypocrisy.

10. “I do my best every day. My father taught me about integrityand faith.”

11. “How will you perform under pressure?”

12. 2a. Reveal The Lord Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 

15. 2b. Reveal The Lord What do they see? • They see good deeds • They notice wise and good action • They value partnerships for good • They are willing to help doing good 

17. 3. Intervene On Behalf Of The Lord Col 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. NIV 6 Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone. NLT Level 1: Manners Level 2: Specific Compliments Level 3: Practiced answers Level 4: Dealing with evil speech Level 5: Confronting evil behavior

18. THEME ROH is committed to represent, reveal and intervene in our culture on behalf of the Lord.

19. Summary and Challenge Be the LIGHT for Him.