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LESSON 6

SOCIAL MEDIA AND QUICK INFORMATION DELIVERY

Devotional Reading: Eccl. 1:1-11
Topic For Adults: Knowledge Is Increasing
Topic For Youths: Lawful But Not Helpful
Topic For Intermediates: New Things Under The Sun
Lesson Scriptures: Mk. 16:15-20; Acts 16:6-10, 17:10-11; Isa. 6:8-9

Memory Verse

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) NKJV.

BACKGROUND

Before the advent of the internet and social media, nations used to operate in silos. People had to smuggle Bibles to closed nations. They had to physically go to those nations in order to reach them, sometimes at the risk of their lives. Advancement in technology provided some relief, first through the usage of broadcasting via satellite technology and now through the use of internet and social media networks. These have made some walls to crumble.

NOTES ON THE LESSON

PART 1: SOCIAL MEDIA ENHANCES THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL - MK. 16:15-20

Miriam Webster defined social media as “forms of electronic communication such as websites for social networking and microblogging through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content such as videos and photographs”. Today, social media is changing the way we communicate. It has become a powerful tool of communication worldwide. The Great Commission is an enormous, difficult, dangerous and demanding task. However, social media allows you from anywhere to reach people with the gospel message everywhere around the world. It is cheaper than any form of outreach and even cheaper than printing flyers and posters. The coverage is also wide-wider than you can imagine. Social media has become an integral part of our lives and today, people spend more time on social media than in the Church. Many lives are constantly influenced by social media than any other thing, Through social media, our Lord can now walk the streets of our cities without any disturbance or challenge, stooping before the threshold of our homes and our hearts and say once more, “Son, give your heart to Me”. Therefore, social media presence is not optional but mandatory to the health and vitality of every Church or ministry organisation in today’s world.

PART 2: SOCIAL MEDIA ENCOURAGES GLOBALISATION - ACTS 16:6-10

Technology and social media have made the entire world a global village. They are playing a major role to replace the absence of face-to-face interaction during our evangelistic activities. For instance, Facebook is about the most popularly used social media for interaction, building and sustaining relationship. It is one of the fastest ways to connect and contact people and to stay in contact with people making connections, sharing interests and information. Facebook has more than 1.94 billion global monthly active users and is the king of social media. The internet and mobile phones have made it easier to buy, sell and deliver goods and services on a global scale. Many goods have also become digital such as books and movies. Digital trade represented an estimated 24 percent of global trade in 2018, up from 19 percent in 1995. Through digital trade (which is trade in goods and services that are digitally ordered or delivered), global foreign direct investment has grown by over one trillion dollars since 1990. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which is when a Company or individual establishes ownership or controls the interest of a business in another country, is also an important part of globalisation, enabling manufacturing and production across countries and infrastructure development.

Therefore, the Church of our day can make use of advances in technology, digitalisation, transportation and international cooperations that have produced a world that is more connected than at any time in history to preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and bring people into the membership of God’s family worldwide. We can use:

  • Facebook to reach over 1.94 billion monthly active users.

  • WhatsApp to reach over 1 billion monthly active users.

  • Facebook Messenger to reach over
800 million active users.

  • Instagram to reach 400 million active users and,

  • YouTube, which is the second-largest search engine and the third most visited website on the internet.

If Facebook were to be a country, it will be the most popular in the world and will have the most representation of people from every part of the country at almost zero loss.

PART 3: FASTER DISSEMINATION OF THE TRUTH - ACTS 17:10-11; ISA. 6:8-9

Just like God sent Isaiah in the Old Testament and Apostle Paul and his team in the New Testament, He is sending us today to go to the utmost part of the world and proclaim the gospel of the salvation of Christ. Social media platforms are there for our usage. People share 1.3 million pieces of content on Facebook every minute. 300 billion tweets have been sent since the beginning of Twitter There are over 100 million active users of Pinterest. WhatsApp is readily available on most smartphones and allows multiple channels of communication whereas Instagram is a photo and video sharing site with 400 million active users per month. Social media of any type can be used for conversation, contribution, collaboration, connection and the creation of community – a fellowship and relationship with others who share common attitudes, interests such as friendship, professionalism, politics and religions for quick and effective communications.

While using social media for spreading the truth of the gospel very fast, we must bear in mind that the people on social media want to have a say, meaningful dialogue, personal interactions with others who engage in similar business and activities. Therefore, let us use these platforms to interact, connect, inspire, motivate, build relationship, evangelise and create awareness of our Church and the body of Christ at large.

CONCLUSION

We must engage in social media ministry to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people who need it, encourage one another with various glimpses of what God is doing within the body of Christ as we collaborate and share resources, insight, Scripture, message etc.

SENTENCE SERMON

“Thanks to the new communication media, the Lord can walk the streets of our cities and stopping before the threshold of our homes and hearts, say once more; Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him and he with me” (Rev. 3:20)

MORAL LESSON

FOR ADULTS: Every member of the church should be faithful, fruitful, fulfilling in making God’s famous through social media.

FOR YOUTHS: You were called and commissioned by Christ to make Him famous all over the world. Use the opportunities provided by social media to accomplish this great task.

FOR INTERMEDIATES: To be a faithful, fruitful and fulfilling child of God, you must make our God famous through every means possible, including social media.

QUESTIONS

  1. What is social media? How can you use it for global evangelisation?

  2. “The presence of social media in our Church is not optional but mandatory”. Do you believe this?
Explain.

  3. Mention some social media platforms that can help the Church disseminate messages and information faster and more effective.

  4. What are the five Cs of social media?

  5. How can a Church or group of people benefit from the usage of social media?