Navigating New Media with Kingdom-Focused Discernment

It was Spurgeon, and I heard it via John MacArthur, who said, “Discernment is not only a matter of discerning truth from falsehood, but also a matter of discerning truth from half-truth.” And discernment has all but disappeared from the landscape today, not only in the world but also in the church. [00:57:38]

The first kingdom focused filter, if you will, is this, as Christians we should strive to use new media to make the most of our time. We need to be both disciplined and deliberate in the use of our time. First of all, Paul teaches in Titus 1:8 regarding elders and qualifications for elders, we are to be hospitable, lovers of good, self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined, and this call and these qualifications aren’t only for elders but for all the people of God to strive. [03:54:07]

Paul writes in Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 15 and 16, that we’re to look carefully then how we walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of our time because the days are evil. Now Paul is addressing both our walk and our time. He says to walk circumspectly, to walk carefully. [07:49:69]

The question is, does our use of new media cause us to set our minds merely on earthly things or on heavenly things as well? Paul writes in Philippians 3:19, speaking of false teachers, “Their end is destruction, whose god is their bellies, whose glory is in their shame, and who set their minds on earthly things.” We as the people of God are to set our minds on heavenly things. [10:57:68]

C.S. Lewis in his classic work, Mere Christianity, writes, “The Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.” It is since Christians have begun thinking less of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this world. [12:20:55]

The third point, as Christians we are to strive to use new media to edify the body of Christ. John Piper really was the inspiration for me getting on Twitter to begin with. I examined it for several months and tried to discern, is this a good use of my time? I’m called to serve God, and as I’m called to serve God, I’m called to serve His people as a pastor in a local community. [12:34:29]

Paul writes in Ephesians 4, “Therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain… striving, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.” We need to be careful to guard our unity and our peace with the brethren. [14:34:32]

Friends, Twitter and the blogosphere is not the primary venue for airing our grievances and our complaints and our criticisms. Thoughtful, careful, Biblically governed and theologically grounded, careful words of challenge and rebuke can appear through these various media. But it is not the primary means, and it’s not the best venue all the time for airing these grievances. [15:04:03]

Now, Mr. Larson, my dear friend, just quoted for us from Genesis, chapter 1 about the business of subduing the earth, taking all that we have whether it’s been invented by Christians or not, and looking at it, examining it and saying discerningly, “Is this something that we can use for the building up of the body and for the fulfillment of the Great Commission that Christ has given us?” [16:51:11]

And by His Holy Spirit and by working in us His great work in our hearts, using us to take His word and His gospel to the ends of the earth. So let us subdue the earth and use all these things for God’s glory. George Downame in the 17th century, a Puritan preacher and Cambridge fellow wrote this, listen carefully, “Let us use worldly things as wise Pilgrims used their staffs and other necessities convenient for their journeys. [19:28:49]

And lastly, as Christians we should strive to use new media for the kingdom of God and not for our own personal kingdoms. Paul writes in 11… Romans 11:36, “For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.” David Livingstone wrote this, “I place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the kingdom of God. [21:30:38]

Everything we do as God’s people should be for His kingdom, and thus according to His standards and His ordinances, His means that He has given us. Because if God is the one to be glorified, then everything we do, everything we say, everything we think, everything we text, everything we tweet, everything we email, everything we blog, everything we write, whether it’s books, articles, whether it’s blog posts, whatever it is, dear ones, let it be for the glory of God. [23:32:46]