The Social Media Evangelist

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15 (NKJV)

Everyone wants to be the next Billy Graham. The evangelist that God uses to ignite a revival throughout the land. Can you imagine the social recognition, honour and fame all rolled up into one packaged name, yours! The more you advocate the gospel of salvation in the name of Jesus, the more people encounter the love of God, the saving grace of Jesus Christ, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and You! Sounds like a secret desire found in the heart of some of today’s modern day evangelists, right? Everyone wants to be seen preaching the gospel.

But what if you preached the gospel and no one knew your name, would you be content?

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be used by God and be known for it. But what you should be cautious of, is the snare that is waiting to entrap you as you pursue your evangelical desires. This snare as subtle as it is, will cause you to covert the fame, the worship and prosperity of this world. This snare if you are not careful, will cause you to use Jesus to promote yourself.

Ensnared by Money and Power.

Ecclesiastes 7:12

Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.

No one can deny that money can help an evangelist minister the gospel of Jesus Christ to souls in different locations. Which is why, It is not unusual to see an evangelist, gratefully receive and then gradually become more dependent on the financial aid that believers give via their social media accounts. Yet, what is disputable is not the monetary gain, but the response of the evangelist after a person has sowed into their ministry. Sometimes, as ministers of God our spiritual attitude and physical appearance changes (for better or for worse), when we realise that ministerial visibility is garnering the attention of men. Some believers become more arrogant and others increasingly confident when publicly asserting their authority in Christ before others.

Transitions usually brings to light our strengths and weaknesses. Which is why, I believe that all evangelist’s should take an introspective glance at their spiritual condition during seasons of change and elevation. Evangelist’s should ask themselves questions like: What has people’s sudden interest in my ministry provoked in my soul? Is it self-belief and self -reliance? Pride and a desire to control? Or faith or fear? When an evangelist begins to gradually depend more on human strength and activities, rather than the divine role of God and his ability to minister to his people , that evangelist becomes at risk of serving God’s will without God’s governing counsel.

Fame: Social media addict? or just a humble servant of God.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10 ESV

Sometimes in our aim to obey God in all our excellency, we overlook his appeal for us to work in humility. We often ignore the caution given in Proverbs 3:5-6, which is against us ‘leaning on our own understanding’. Our tendency to run things ‘our way’, without humbling ourselves and depending upon the Holy Spirit for every decision we make, can affect how we propagate the gospel from a social media platform. Think about it. It is easy to add a section on your website, just because you have seen it work for another minister of God, but what if that online ministerial direction you are taking, is not exalting Christ in the way you think? When you get caught up with what other people think, their opinions, their likes and shares, you may miss what God is saying in the midst of the noise. You may overlook the importance of maintaining a stillness in his presence so that you can hear his voice and allow him to direct your ways. Remember evangelism is not about you, but centred solely on Jesus Christ and his ability to save God’s people from the nature of sin and it judgement of death.

“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Psalm 25:9)

To help you determine whether or not your Christian social media account is affecting how you follow and depend upon Jesus in everything you do, why don’t you ask yourself the following questions:

1. Have you stopped praying to God about how he wants you to share the love of Jesus on social media? If so why?
2. Are you comparing yourself to other social media evangelists? If your answer is yes, why have you forgotten to obey Galatians 5:25-26 and Colossians 3:12?
3. Is your social media audience, defining your value in society? Do you rely on social media likes and followers to define your worth? Remember, God should be the definer of your worth, and no one else.
4. Do you have an unhealthy investment in the ‘ideal’ social image of evangelism, to the extent that God’s input has taken second place?
5. Is the fear of losing your place in a social media culture, replacing the Fear of God before your eyes.
6. Is the praise and worship of men making you prideful? Luke 9:23-25
7. Are you spending too much time on social media? Does your day revolve around posting on social media and responding to comments? Can you really get through a day without being on social media at all?

Social Media can be good, but idolatry is bad!

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:38 (KJV)

There is no denying that in today’s society, social media has become an essential tool for propagating the gospel to the world. For you and your ministry, social media platforms, can create for you the ideal social image for evangelism, a social identity where the gospel can minister to souls and provide a user friendly experience that can shelter your social presence. For the user, it can help them to connect with others, promote and share biblical knowledge and keep believers up to date with biblical news and events. Yet, the more social input you have the more easy it is to become addicted to the very platform or ministry God gave you.

For they provoked Him with their high places, And aroused His jealousy with their graven images. Psalm 78:58

The bible makes it clear that God hates idolatry. He detests any idea of you transferring your admiration, love or reverence for him, to anything or someone other than him. To clarify, ‘anything’ can become your idol, your job, your ministry, even your social media account ( financial support and all).

So how can you escape this snare of becoming an idol in your own eyes or making an idol of social media?

• Recognize what counts as an idol. You cannot stop worshipping an idol, if you have not recognised that you are serving one. Remember, people can make an idol of anything, social media, mobile phones, our children, ministry and even our jobs can become idols in our heart.
• Pray and consult the Lord in all things and for all things. When you lean not on your own understanding, the Lord himself begins to direct your ways. He will show you what you should do, say, refuse and accept when propagating the gospel to the world. Proverbs 3:5-6
• Daily examinate yourself. It is essential that we search our hearts daily. We should ask ourselves questions such as : Who or what am I giving my time to ? my attention? my efforts? And why? We should make sure that there is no iniquity in the heart.
• Stop worshipping the idol. Here is the hard part. Transfer your affections from that idol you have grown accustomed to, back to God. You don’t have to shut down your social media account. But, I do advise you to do a social media fast once in a while. Spend more time in the secret place praying and studying the word, This may be for a few days, a week, even a month. All I ask is that you make sure that you spend time with God in prayer.
• Allow the Holy Spirit to purge your heart: As you read the word of God, allow it to be a mirror to your soul. Let the Holy Spirit highlight to you any contaminations you have allowed into your heart and renounce them.
• Rededicate your life to God: What is your altar for the lord like? If it is broken, It is time to rebuild it. Offer your life as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, by committing your life to him and spending more time in his presence.

Finally,

In a social media obsessed world, it is important that you do not lose your ‘identity in Christ ’in the process of trying to find a ‘social identity’, on social media platforms. It is time to stop questioning why someone has not clicked ‘like’ on your post, and start looking at what God is saying concerning the salvation of souls. Remember, you are not on social media to promote what you can do and the power of God flowing through you, but you are using this evangelical tool because you want people to know that they too can have a reconciled relationship with God, in the life of Jesus Christ. Evangelism whether on social media or not, is about sharing Jesus Christ with people who do not know Him yet. Jesus is the greatest evangelist we know.