Facebook Baptist Church

To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;  to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some (1 Corinthians 9:20-22 NASB).

How would the Apostles have spread the Good News if Jesus had been crucified in the 21st Century instead of the First?  Would Paul have subscribed to GoToMeeting.com?  Would Peter have carried a Blackberry to check his email?  Would John have had an iPhone?

How do we share the Gospel today?  The Message we share has not changed in 2000 years, but the media available to spread the Good News are more varied, more convenient, and more effective.  Paul wrote letters to the various churches, today he would be blogger.  James oversaw the congregation in Jerusalem, today he would be forum administrator on some message board (can you say “mylifeministries.com”?)  Stephen was stoned, today he would be unfriended, or de-followed.

There are churches that have become so focused on being “seeker-friendly” that they have misplaced the Gospel.  They spend more time and money on their websites than on their neighbors.

Do you have a Facebook account?  Does it take you away from sharing the Good News with your neighbor?  Do you spend more time reading your twitter stream than your Bible?

Paul became all things to all people so that he “might by all means save some.”  Facebook would have been one of his tools.  Twitter would have carried the Good News.  But neither would have become the Mission.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10:23-25).”

Remember the Mission.  Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.  Don’t let the tools become the message.  The Gospel is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Use the tools, but don’t lose the truth.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things (Philippians 4:8 NASB)

Do you Twitter in Church?  Or send text messages, or update your Facebook status?

I am unable to sit still for any length of time.  If I try, I will begin to figit, or wiggle, or else fall asleep.  Or post to Twitter and Facebook.  None of these helps me follow the sermon.

What I have found is that active engagement is the key.  I need to take notes, detailed notes so that most of the preacher’s comments are on my note page.  Or simultaneous following of scripture links.

With my beloved Treo smartphone, I am able to follow whatever rabbit trails come to mind from the preacher’s message.  Listening to a good message always leads me to other questions.  Google helps me find references, and blog posts on those references.  Crosswalk.com gives me mobile bible study tools for jumping down rabbit holes.

Sometimes I worry about not listening carefully to the message, but I remember Paul’s message in Philippians: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” It’s the process of dwelling on these things that sends me off on rabbit trails.

Sometimes I go back and download the message so I can listen to it while I’m driving.  Then I can’t Google, or Twitter, or Facebook,

or Fidgit!