Influencer, Pt. 4: What Would Jesus Post // Jamie Nunnally

Good morning, everybody.

Social media has changed a lot in a little bit of time, especially the meanings of certain words.

The sentence, I started following you, and I'm going to post on your wall means something completely different now than it did 25 years ago.

25 years ago, that was definitely trespassing, possibly stalking and vandalism.

I don't even want to think about what it meant 25 years ago if someone were to say, I friended you, tagged you, and poked you.

Today it means they're on Facebook.

25 years ago, it's definitely assault.

We're finishing our series where all this month we've been talking about how our screens guide us, and we've been learning that technology is an opportunity and an obstacle.

It just depends on how you use it.

Week one, we talked about how the war for your attention is really a war for your worship.

Attention leads to affection, and affection leads to action.

In week two, Eric helped us develop a digital rule of life by intentionally ordering our technology around our own discipleship.

And last week we talked about how we can redeem our screens and use technology on purpose for God and for good.

Today the sermon is called What Would Jesus Post?

What would Jesus Post?

Y'all remember the What Would Jesus Do craze?

It started in the mid-90s, it still continues.

People have bracelets and t-shirts that ask, What would Jesus do?

Today we're gonna ask WWJP, what would Jesus post?

Instead of asking the question, how are our screens influencing us?

We're gonna turn it around.

How are we influencing others through our screens?

Specifically through social media.

You don't have to be an influencer to have influence online.

If somebody simply sees what you share, you've influenced them.

Guys, humans, think about this.

Humans are contagious.

We know that when it comes to sickness, when it comes to a virus, we spread what we have.

But we're contagious in other ways as well.

You know, if you're filled with peace and love and joy, others are gonna feel that when they're around you.

But if you're filled with resentment and bitterness and unforgiveness and hatred, people are gonna feel that as well when they're around you.

Paul tells one of his pastors, Titus, he writes him a letter, and he's encouraging him to tell his church to be mindful of how they act for the sake of the gospel.

In Titus 2, 10, he says this once they act right, then they will make the teaching about God, our Savior, attractive in every way.

You know, you're called to make the teaching of Jesus attractive.

Now, that doesn't mean that we water down the truth to make it more palatable.

No, we don't change the message of the gospel.

But what it does mean is that we live in such a way that people can see the beauty of Jesus through us, and that makes the gospel and our faith attractive to the world.

If Jesus has your attention, if Jesus has your affection, if he's leading you in your actions, then that will make Jesus attractive to the world around us.

So, in light of that, I want to make a statement.

I want to make sure that we all agree with this.

Christians should use social media differently.

Aren't we different?

You've got one person who has the Holy Spirit living inside of them, you've got another person who doesn't.

Wouldn't it make sense that they would interact with the world around them differently?

And wouldn't it make sense that social media, our online presence, would be affected as well?

So, who here is on Facebook?

Let me see.

Yeah?

Me too.

So according to Pew Research, 71% of US adults are on Facebook.

I wish I could maybe lower that number a little bit.

Feel like some people are on there that maybe don't need to be on there.

How many of you are on Instagram?

Let me see.

Yeah, me too.

Uh 50% of US adults are on Instagram.

Instagram is fun for me.

Uh it's where if I need a laugh, that's where I go.

How many of you are on TikTok?

Okay, now we know who the Chinese spies are, all right?

37% of US adults are on TikTok.

Anyone on Reddit?

Any Redditors out there?

Yeah, yeah?

Reddit?

See, everyone's like, what's Reddit?

They're the people that see the memes before you do.

All right, that's ground zero for internet culture.

About 26% of US adults are on Reddit.

Anyone on Snapchat?

Yeah?

Snapchat is is um is popular the younger that you are.

Uh I'm on Snapchat.

If you see me, don't bother trying to add me.

I won't respond.

I'm simply on Snapchat for my family.

It's one of the ways that we communicate and share stuff with one another.

25% of US adults are on Snapchat.

Is anyone on X?

Used to be Twitter.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I I can't I don't even know how to log into it anymore.

Uh I do.

There is a Plaid Pastor account out there somewhere.

Hopefully it hadn't been taken over uh by a bot uh posting all kinds of stuff that misrepresents me.

21%.

That's a little low.

I think it's gone down over the years.

21% of U.S.

adults are on X.

And then maybe the original social media was actually YouTube.

Uh anyone frequent YouTube?

Yeah, I do too, a lot.

Uh 84% of US adults uh are on YouTube on a regular basis.

And uh, if you just want to lose your hope for humanity, just read the comments.

Uh it's they're the worst.

They're the absolute worst.

It's wild.

Look, let me be really clear.

Social media can be great.

I really enjoy being on social media.

I really enjoy keeping up with people.

You can instantly share your thoughts and communicate with a large amount of your friends, your family, your community, your neighbors, even the country and even the world.

We can encourage people, we can share helpful information, we can sell things, we can find lost pets.

There's all things that you can do that are great.

You can enjoy people's vacation photos, you can celebrate people's important moments, keep up with old friends.

It's great.

But you can also embarrass people, spread misinformation, create arguments, you can breed competition, you can produce lust and feed greed in your life and in the lives of others.

Social media, now listen, is simply going to amplify what's already in your heart.

It's giving your thoughts a megaphone.

So we need to be careful and consider how we use it.

Ephesians 5, 8 through 10.

I love this verse.

Paul says, For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord.

So live as people of light.

For this light within you produces only what's good and right and true.

And I love how he ends.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

Carefully determine, carefully, not carelessly.

So you were one way that caused you to do things a certain way, and now you're a new way, and so that should cause you to do things another way.

Well, how can we apply that to social media?

As we ask ourselves, what would Jesus post?

I want to share with you three questions I want you to adopt.

And these questions are going to filter your activity online.

Not just on social media, but any activity online, before you share something, see if it makes it through these three questions.

Are you guys ready?

All right, here's the first one.

Is it true?

Is it true?

Jesus said, John 14, 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

Since we follow the truth, the truth should matter to us.

The best lie detector isn't a fact checker, it's intimacy with Jesus, who is the truth.

This is important, guys.

You're a Christian, right?

Am I talking to the right people?

Yeah, you're a Christian.

But why would someone listen to you about your faith if you don't care about the truth in other areas of your life?

If we're people of the truth, we need to respect the truth in all areas.

This causes the problem.

There's some problems when it comes to the truth and social media.

Let me share a few with you.

Here's the first one.

Social media is not all real.

Did you know that?

I mean, I feel I feel like we know that instinctually, that's not all real, but then we see stuff when we act like it is.

You're looking at filtered lives, edited photos, clickbait articles, misinformation, AI-generated pictures, audio, and video.

Your feed is going to tempt you to sacrifice what's real for what's rehearsed, what's factual for what's fake.

That means we have to do a really good job of paying attention.

AI has gotten amazingly better.

Not too long ago, it was pretty easy to tell what was AI.

I mean, you look at a family photo, if the guy's got six fingers, it's AI, right?

Or if you saw that incredibly creepy video in the beginning of Will Smith eating spaghetti, anyone know what I'm talking about?

Look, don't look it up.

You'll have nightmares for years.

It was the beginning of AI trying to generate uh realistic content, but now, I mean, it's hard to tell.

Because of that, do we just go into a corner, lock ourselves in a closet, and cry ourselves to sleep?

No.

It just means we have to require more of ourselves.

We have to ask ourselves, is this possibly fake?

And if there's any question, don't we share it?

If there's any question, just keep scrolling.

So well, I don't know.

I don't know if that's true or not.

Live in that tension.

I need you to understand, though, it's not all real.

Here's another thing, though, about social media and the truth.

Social media makes it easier to bear false witness against your neighbor.

This is literally one of the Ten Commandments.

Do not bear false witness.

What does that mean?

Bearing false witness is to say something untrue about someone else.

And so, because of social media, it's just a lot easier.

And guys, this is a big deal.

In Proverbs 6, verse 16, it says, There are six things the Lord hates, no seven things he detests.

Proverbs 6:16

Okay, so that's a big deal.

Scripture is giving us seven things, God's like, I don't like that.

And one of them in verse 19 is a false witness who pours out lies.

Saying the wrong thing about somebody is something God hates.

So we should hate it too.

But how many times do we share something?

Well, I didn't write it.

I just think it might be true.

But we shared it.

Guys, sharing false witness is participating and bearing false witness.

It's the same thing.

Do you guys know that Satan is called the accuser of the brethren?

It's in the book of Revelation.

He's called the accuser of the brethren.

He day and night it says he accuses you and me to the Lord.

Brings up our sin.

Says, Lord, do you come on, you know those people.

Why did you save those people?

But yet we have an advocate, Jesus, who pleads our case.

So that means if you're accusing people, if you're sharing false information, whether intentional or not, you're helping the devil do his dirty work.

You're joining him in his mission.

Guys, before you share it, verify it.

And if you've already shared something and found out that it wasn't true, have the integrity to apologize and take it down.

I've had to do that, by the way.

I reacted quickly to something that was out there on the interwebs.

And then the next day I found out that it wasn't quite what it had been made to appear.

And so I apologized, took it down, said, hey, my take on this was right if that was true, but it wasn't true.

So I removed my take on it.

We need to have integrity.

Which brings me to my next point about the truth in social media.

Social media feeds confirmation bias.

Now, confirmation bias is our tendency to want to hear whatever supports what we already believe.

So if you already believe it, you're going to have a tendency towards wanting to hear more of it.

Does that make sense?

And it also means if you come across something that disagrees with what you already believe, you're going to have a tendency to ignore that.

For instance, we tend to believe any accusation against someone we dislike.

You dislike someone and you see an accusation, whether true or not, you see the accusation, you're like, well, of course it's true.

Yeah, that person's terrible.

You also tend to ignore accusations against people that you do like.

You like someone, you hear an accusation, you go, no, that's not true.

This is confirmation bias.

And it's natural, it's how the human brain works, but you just have to be careful.

The more you want something to be true, the easier it is to believe it if it's a lie.

Because you want it to be true.

So before you post, before you share, before you comment, ask is this true?

Or do I just want it to be true?

Is it feeding what I already believe?

Check the facts, but also check your heart.

Because an offended heart is open to deception.

An offended heart is open to deception.

Offense doesn't just make you harsh, it makes you gullible.

You'll be more likely to believe the wrong thing when there's unforgiveness and resentment in your heart.

Amen?

Last thing I want to share about is it true?

Is that social media gives unequal opinions an equal platform.

Think about that.

We used to go to experts, we used to go to subject matter experts, we used to go to people who spent significant time studying something.

But now that everyone has a platform, social media came on the scene, gave us all a platform and a microphone.

People have equal value, but opinions do not have equal validity.

And we have to be discerning about who we listen to.

And you've seen there's a hot topic, it's going on Facebook or X or one of these places, and people are arguing about it, and someone just goes, Well, do your own research.

I did my own research.

That meant they Googled something while sitting on the toilet.

Right?

Do your own research.

And look, so having a platform in and of itself doesn't make you an expert.

See, here's what's happened with social media.

We used to have what's called acquaintances.

These are people that we didn't really know.

So we walk into the hardware store and we see the same guy we've seen for the last 10 years.

Let's just say his name is Dale.

I don't think anyone named Dale goes here.

You see Dale, you go, hey Dale, what's up, man?

He goes, man, if I was any better, hurt, right?

And he makes a joke and you laugh, yeah.

How about that weather?

Man, it was so good.

Yeah, yeah.

How about our football team?

You know, they're they're gonna be good this year.

And then you're man, I like Dale.

Dale's a good guy.

And then you become Facebook friends with Dale.

And the guy is a lunatic.

You didn't know that because you were simply an acquaintance at the hardware store.

So what's happened is we made ourselves available to people we don't even really know.

We've attached ourselves, we've given ourselves access to the thoughts of people that we shouldn't have access to their thoughts.

Some people have something to say, some people just have to say something.

Know the difference.

Some people just gotta comment on everything, right?

Okay?

Cool.

They're out there, love them, but don't listen to them.

Some people actually have something to say.

You should listen to them.

Bottom line.

Before you post, before you interact online, ask yourself, is it true?

Amen?

Here's the next question that serves as a filter for us.

Is it loving?

Is it loving?

John 13, 35, Jesus tells his disciples, your love for one another, your love for one another will prove to the world that you're my disciples.

It's your love, not your not how sure you are about your opinion, not your knowledge on a certain subject, not your even your dedication.

It's your love that will prove to the world that you belong to Jesus.

Hey Christians, y'all out there?

Okay.

Your online presence is a part of your Christian witness.

It's a part of it.

You cannot separate the two.

People shouldn't have to meet you in person to discover that you're nicer than your Facebook account.

You know those people?

Dude, I'll be honest, there's some people, I'm like, I don't like you online.

You're mean.

Like you're just some of y'all thinking about some, we're probably thinking about some of the same people.

Like, like you, like you don't seem to care about anything online.

You meet them in person, they're good people.

But their their Facebook, their Instagram, their ex, it hasn't been surrendered to the Lord.

And they act like two different people.

Hey, don't do that.

Don't be like that.

Here's how that happens.

Let me explain a few things about why social media can sometimes not be very loving.

First of all, social media removes face-to-face empathy.

There's something called online disinhibition.

This is the idea that when we type things through a screen with like a nameless and faceless person, we'll say things we would never say to someone if they were seated across from us in a coffee shop.

Because meeting with someone face to face creates empathy, and empathy creates restraint.

But without that face-to-face conversation, we don't show restraint.

We're like, you are just uh you're right.

We used to start typing, or you know, on your phone typing.

And so that online dish in disinhibition kicks in, and you say things you wouldn't normally say.

Guys, uh screens all too easily dehumanize people and turn them into usernames, turn them into political parties, turn them into theological positions, turn them into demographics, age, race, gender.

And we're relating to them, we're communicating to them based on just those things instead of who they are.

Guys, Jesus never saw a demographic.

He broke all of the social barriers of his time, he saw people.

Not labels.

He talked to Samaritans when he wasn't supposed to.

Did you know that?

Jews were not supposed to talk to Samaritans.

Yet the woman at the well, he's chatting it up with her.

He was not supposed to touch a leper.

It was against the Old Testament law.

So guess what he did?

He prayed for him, he laid his hands on him.

And guess what?

He was healed.

Everyone else was afraid of contracting what the leper had.

Jesus wanted to give the leper what he had.

So he didn't see these people.

Like, do you know that in Jesus' group of 12 disciples, there was a Roman loyalist, Matthew the tax collector, someone who had betrayed his own country for the invading country?

There was also a pro-Israel nationalist, Simon the Zealot.

The zealot, that actually means that's what he did.

He was, they planned and plotted terroristic attacks against the invading and occupying country.

They're on the same team.

They followed Jesus together, and I'm sure once he went to bed, they had some conversations around the campfire.

But notice he didn't, he didn't deal with them according to that.

He dealt with them according to the fact that they are image bearers.

Hey, online, you were going to run into MAGA Mom 1776.

You are going to run into progressive pastor they then.

Remember, that person is an image bearer of God.

Be careful.

You don't have to agree with them.

You probably shouldn't.

But you cannot ignore that they're gods.

And if you're not careful, he may have to defend them against you.

Be careful.

Be careful.

Here's another issue when it comes to is it loving, is that social media often causes us to prioritize politics over people.

Let's just go there.

Is that cool?

Okay.

Everyone wants to hijack Jesus for their politics.

Everyone says, hey, the way I vote, that's how Jesus would vote.

I don't think so, Buckaroo.

And I think it's pretty arrogant to make that claim.

But do you know they were doing this even 2,000 years ago when he was on the earth?

They did.

John 6, 15, he had just fed a bunch of people.

When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

They're like, you're awesome.

We're going to make you our political leader.

And he's like, nah, I'm good.

And he runs away.

He's still doing that today, by the way.

Guys, Jesus is not your political mascot.

He is God.

He doesn't work for you.

You work for him.

Political convictions are good.

Political participation is even better.

But political idolatry is a sin.

We need to be very, very careful.

If God always agrees with your politics, maybe your political opinions are your God.

Have the opinion.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having the opinion.

But I am saying don't sacrifice a person you're called to love for an opinion you're allowed to have.

You can have the opinion.

But prefer the person over the opinion.

It's about priority.

Amen?

Here's another one.

Y'all know this one.

Social media makes it easy to get sucked into pointless arguments.

Has anyone here ever changed their mind from reading a Facebook comment?

I mean, no?

I mean, I mean, I hope not.

I mean, that's not how understanding works.

Titus 3.9, Paul is warning Titus.

He says, do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees.

That's like who has the right to say something?

Who should we listen to?

Spiritual pedigrees or quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws.

These things are useless and a waste of time.

Paul doesn't really mean words.

I love it.

These things are useless and a waste of time.

Now, it may not be spiritual pedigrees or it may not be about obedience to Jewish laws.

But when a fight breaks out online, can I just tell you these things are useless and a waste of time?

Now, look, I love a good debate.

And sometimes I have to drag myself away from it.

But we've got to be super careful.

Like it's just easy to get in every moment that you're involved in an online argument is a moment you're not sharing your faith with someone.

You're not displaying Christ to the world around you.

Don't win the argument and lose your influence.

That's not a good trade-off.

The goal for the Christian isn't just to make a point.

Our goal is to make a difference.

And then sometimes I feel like we're too busy making points.

We're really not making much of a difference.

So bottom line, before you post, ask yourself, is it loving?

Amen?

Third question that serves as a filter for us online.

Is it wise?

Is it wise?

James 3.13.

James says, Who is wise in understanding among you?

Hey, where are the wise people at?

He goes, Who is wise?

Anyone wise, understanding?

You know a lot?

Okay, cool.

Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

In other words, you reveal your wisdom through your behavior.

Like prove it.

Prove your wisdom.

Prove that you are wise and knowledgeable by the meekness of wisdom, by your good works, and particularly through meekness.

Now, what is meekness?

Meekness is power under restraint.

Meekness is I could, but I won't.

I have every right to, but for the sake of someone else, I refuse to.

That's what meekness is.

Guys, I so I have a superpower.

Many of y'all don't know about this.

I am really good at insulting people.

Some of y'all are like, yeah, me too.

I have a fast mind.

It's not always accurate, but it's quick.

And I have the ability to just roast someone, trash them, embarrass them.

I mean, it just comes quickly.

And when I was in my early 20s, I was finishing up college, the Holy Spirit had to deal with me about this.

Because I would use my ability to think quick, my ability to insult, and it'd make people laugh, and the person who just got sliced up would be like, ha ha ha ha.

I mean, like.

And the Holy Spirit was like, look, I need your mouth.

I need your ability to think on your feet.

I need your ability to talk.

But if you're gonna use it on yourself, if you're gonna use it, if you're gonna weaponize it against others, I can't use you.

He just convicted me.

And said, if you if you refuse to get a hold of this part of your life, I can't use you like I want.

And you can ask Tiff, she knew me back then.

I mean, I worked hard.

And now the thoughts don't even really come.

I mean, they do sometimes.

But like, but the filter's there now.

Because guys, I don't.

It's not why just because I can do something doesn't mean that I should do something.

Something can be true, something may even be loving according to you.

But that doesn't mean it's wise to share it.

It doesn't mean that there's wisdom.

Why?

Well, let me show you a couple reasons.

Social media is immediate communication.

It's immediate communication.

You can broadcast your thoughts.

This is wild.

You can broadcast your thoughts to hundreds of people instantly, in some cases thousands.

But when was the last time your first thought was your best thought?

Usually we need time to process and think through stuff, right?

James 1.19 says you must all, that's all of us, you must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Well, that's the opposite of what we see online.

I think we're quick to speak, quick to get angry.

By the way, let me just say this: there is an outrage machine.

This is how it works.

You're scrolling whatever social media you use, and you find out about something someone did, and they're telling you, you need to be, you should be outraged.

And even though you didn't know about it five seconds ago, now you adopt their outrage.

Man, I can't, can you believe?

And then you share it with a friend, or you share it on your, and you're like, can you believe those idiots are doing that?

And now you're working for their cause, and your outrage was how they adopted you into their group.

You've done that before.

And you've seen other people do that.

It's an outrage machine.

Hey, be above that.

Be above that.

Don't automatically believe it and don't be quick to share it.

Here's my rule: I usually wait 24 hours before I share something.

If it's a hot topic, if it's breaking news, especially if it makes me angry, if it's controversial, I give myself 24 hours before I share about it.

Because wisdom often waits.

It's still going to be there in 24 hours.

If it's not, you shouldn't have commented anyway.

I give myself a 24-hour rule.

Proverbs 29, 20 clears it up for us pretty easily.

There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.

More hope for a fool than someone who speaks without thinking.

The algorithm of social media rewards speed, but wisdom requires patience.

The algorithm wants your first reaction, but wisdom wants your best reaction.

Slow down, take a breath, recognize there's an outrage machine.

It's using you to weaponize your own platform for their gain.

Don't give in.

Here's another reason.

Sometimes it's not wise.

Social media makes venting too easy.

Oh, y'all know the ventors?

It's like some people, right?

You know, it's not like you got 500 Facebook friends, but you're talking about one, but you're telling all 500 without naming the one.

Right?

Can you imagine Jesus venting on Facebook?

Not naming names, but some people can watch you heal a blind man and still have something negative to say.

You know who you are.

Hashtag Pharisees.

Hashtag son of God.

Hashtag my real ones know.

Would Jesus do that?

Come on.

Of course not.

Proverbs 29, 11.

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.

Ooh.

Okay, Proverbs.

One translation says, fools give full vent to their anger.

Now, look, there are times when we need to talk things out, but you do that with an individual or a small group of people you trust, and people who are willing to call you out and say, hey, you're not processing this right.

Certain things are gonna make you mad.

If you don't get mad, you're not paying attention.

But don't vent about it, pray about it.

That's what God's given you.

Venting may give you sympathy, but praying will give you power.

Hey, not every emotion you feel should get an audience.

Not everything you feel needs to become content for others to consume.

It's okay to feel what you're feeling, but don't treat tomorrow's credibility for today's emotional release.

I just gotta get this out.

Okay, but what did that do for your witness?

Let's not be people that vent, amen.

Here's another one.

Social media makes it easy to brag.

Right?

There's a lot of humble bragging going on.

Where you're bragging, but you're acting like you're not.

You imagine Jesus doing that on Facebook.

Can you imagine him going online, being like humbled to announce that today I was just transfigured?

Moses and Elijah were there, and dad told me he was proud.

Hashtag blessed.

Hashtag butt God.

Of course not.

No, that's not what Jesus would post.

Galatians 6, 4 says, pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done.

And notice that's not from others, it's an internal satisfaction.

And then you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.

I love that.

You know, look, share good things.

I love it when you share good things.

When your kid graduates, when you go on vacation, post those pictures, get a promotion.

Hey, tell it, that's great.

But just make sure you're doing it with the right heart.

I struggle with this sometimes, especially the church, because we want to share with people what the Lord's doing through us, but also Jesus says, don't let your right hand know what your left hand's doing.

And so we're like, okay, how do we let the people know, hey, yay, Jesus, we something good happened, but how do we not like brag?

It's hard, and that's something that our team we work through on a regular basis.

Is it like what should we share?

Social media makes it easy to curate success, make your life look better than it really is.

And it's a public space.

In public places, you don't tell everyone everything.

But just again, be careful, not careless.

Christians are called to build bridges with other people, and bragging creates a barrier.

Not everything needs to be said publicly.

So before you post, ask, does it need to be said?

Does it need to be said by me?

Does it need to be said here?

Does it need to be said now?

Some things belong in a conversation, not a comment section.

Some things belong with a friend, not your followers.

Some things need to be prayed about instead of posted about.

So the bottom line, before you post, ask yourself, is it wise?

So what would Jesus post?

This is easy.

You know the answer.

His online life would perfectly match his in-person life.

He would encourage people, he would DM that person that's hurting.

He'd leave a comment that builds somebody up.

He'd celebrate people.

The Bible says to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.

He would do those things.

He'd build relationships, not just a following.

He'd use the platform to honor his father, draw people closer to him, not just draw a crowd.

And he'd share the good news.

And we talked about this last week.

Someone tonight, 2 a.m., is going to be up.

They can't sleep because they're wounded, they're lonely, they're in pain, and they're going to be scrolling.

They could potentially, instead of hearing another political argument, they could hear you say something positive.

This is a funny story.

I want to end it with this.

In 2017, Pete Hoekstra was about to become the U.S.

ambassador to the Netherlands.

Before taking office, he had publicly made dramatic, incorrect statements about the Netherlands.

He said that there was chaos there.

There was no go zones.

Cars were burning and politicians were being set on fire.

The problem was there was no evidence to back any of those claims.

It simply wasn't true.

A Dutch journalist confronted him about it in an interview.

Hookstra denied saying it and said, No, that's fake news.

I didn't say those things.

But the reporter had a video of it and played it for him.

He goes, Well, I didn't say that it was fake news.

That was on camera too, so the reporter played that for him as well, where he said it was fake news.

That engagement, it went viral.

Because it was just, it was, it was a dumpster fire.

And then Hookstra had to begin his new job as the U.S.

ambassador to the country he publicly lied about.

So at the first press conference, the Dutch reporters hammered him about the statements that he made.

Eventually he acknowledged he was wrong.

He apologized.

But this was only after the U.S.

State Department had distanced themselves from him.

It had become a huge controversy already.

Now, here's the problem.

Pete Hookstra wasn't just Pete Hookstra anymore.

He was an ambassador.

His words didn't represent only himself, they reflected on the country that sent him.

And you are an ambassador too.

2 Corinthians 5.20 says, so we are Christ's ambassadors.

God is making his appeal through us.

An ambassador doesn't only ask, do I have the right to say this?

An ambassador asks, Does this accurately represent the one who sent me?

God wants to use you to speak his truth, to show his love, and display his wisdom to the world.

Are you doing that?

Social media is fun.

I'm not saying don't use it.

I'll be on there.

I'll probably check it this afternoon.

Share the meme, post the picture, comment on the question.

But ask, is it true?

Because you represent the one who is the truth.

Ask, is it loving?

Because you represent the God who is love.

Ask, is it wise?

Because God is making his appeal to the world through you.

When you post, when you comment, when you share.

When you're angry, when you're talking politics, when someone insults you, you are still an ambassador.

You never stop being an ambassador.

Your name may be on the social media account, but his name is on you.

So let's represent him well.

Amen.

That's my question to you.

Are you representing Jesus accurately online?

Let's stand for prayer.

I hope y'all have enjoyed this series.

I've enjoyed sharing it.

There is an influencer, our screens that are trying to get our attention, our affection, and our action.

But also, you are an influencer.

Use those screens.

They're not going away.

Screens aren't going away.

So use them, learn how to use them for the kingdom.

Post what Jesus would post.

Say what Jesus would say.

Do what Jesus would do.

Because we bear his name.

Amen.

Close your eyes.

Take a moment.

Ask the Holy Spirit the question I just asked you.

Lord, am I representing you well?

Am I representing you accurately online?

Hey, maybe you're not on social media.

That's fine.

What about your life?

What about at work?

What about at home?

Are you representing Christ well?

Are you making excuses for yourself?

You're making yourself an exception.

Come on, listen for the voice of the Lord.

He'll probably be a thought that occurs to you.

Speak to us, Lord.

I want to invite us to pray a final prayer.

If you would just pray this after me.

Say, Lord Jesus, thank you for saving me.

I want to represent you well.

So before I speak, post or comment or share.

Remind me to ask, is it true?

Is it loving?

And is it wise?

Holy Spirit, I give you permission to convict me and correct me when my words don't represent you accurately.

Use my influence to draw people to you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Awesome.

Good deal.