Imagine for a moment you’re a 13-year-old Chinese child in 2024. You finish school for the day, you head home, and you’re ready to unwind. So you open up Douyin, which is the Chinese version of TikTok (owned by the same company).
You start flipping through videos and you can pretty much guess what you’re going to see. Science experiments you can do at home, museum exhibits, educational videos about math and biology and engineering.
Wait… that doesn’t sound like TikTok to me. What about the goofy dancing and the sexy influencers and blatant consumerism?
Well, it doesn’t sound like TikTok because it’s not. At least, not the TikTok that American teens are served.
Chinese kids are shown educational content. American kids are shown… whatever is going to keep them watching.
American kids are spending, on average, 2 hours on TikTok every day. But in China, until you’re 15, you’re not even able to watch for more than 40 minutes.
Tristan Harris, one of the founders for the Center for Humane Technology, puts it this way:
“[China] recognizes that technology is influencing kids’ development. They make their domestic version a spinach version while they ship the opium version to the rest of the world.” -Tristan Harris, The Center for Humane Technology
Woah. Harris points out that a recent study asked American kids what their most aspirational career is. Do you know what they said? Social media influencer. The same question was asked of Chinese kids and the answer was… astronaut.
It’s almost as if China has recognized a truth that America has yet to grasp: The kind of content we consume has a tremendous effect on the kind of people we become.
Which leads us to the big question for today: what kind of content are you consuming?
SERIES INTRO
Welcome back to “Virtual Reality” - a 5 week series exploring biblical principles for being Christ-followers in the digital world.
Before we dive into today’s topic, I want to remind us of the big picture direction we’re taking in this series.
You might assume that if a church is going to talk about technology, then we’re going to tell you to burn it all to the ground. To avoid all this potentially damaging stuff and get off of social media and TikTok and just avoid it altogether.
But that is not, in fact, what this series is all about.
Last week I introduced you to a concept right from the mouth of Jesus himself: the idea that we are not of this world, but we are sent into it.
In other words, as followers of Christ we are called to be distinct from the world around us. Our thoughts and attitudes and behaviors should look different because of how God’s Spirit has transformed us.
BUT… Being set apart and different and holy does not mean being withdrawn. Jesus prayed this to his Father:
John 17:18
Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.
Yes, this world is broken, but we are the ones sent by God to help heal it. To save it! Even when it comes to the digital revolution of our day.
So, the first principle we established last week when it comes to our brave new technological world is this:
Principle 1: You are on a mission.
When it comes to the technology we use, the content we consume, and the things we say and do as Christians in 2024 America, we have a role to play in healing the lives being chewed up by this brave new world.
Today we’re going to talk about content. The stuff we watch, the things we read, and what we listen to.
Grab a Bible. Turn with me to Colossians 3, Page _____.
While you do that, I’m going to pray.
THE THINGS OF EARTH
A little bit of the world behind the text before we read. The city of Colosse in what is today Western Turkey, was not a particularly big or influential city.
But it was right on a major trading route, so the young church in the city faced a lot of different influences from around the world. Different religious ideas, exotic vices, false teaching about Jesus…
And so the Apostle Paul is very concerned that the Colossian church doesn’t give in to these influences.
You can see why this is relevant to us. As I said last week, technology changes, but human nature doesn’t. We are just as prone today to being led astray by the influences of our world as they were. Let’s read.
Colossians 3:1-10
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
Now I know that it is very easy for your eyes to glaze over when you read a “sin list” in the Bible. “Sexual immorality, lust, greed, slander…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah… got it. Don’t be bad. Thanks, Paul.”
But if that’s how we think about this passage we will likely miss Paul’s point.
He’s not just talking about holier-than-thou behavior modification. Just being nice, tidy, shiny Christians for the sake of moral purity.
No. There’s more at stake here. And I think the key to understanding what that is is back up in verses 1-3.
Listen to the tense Paul uses. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven.” Verse 3. “For you died to this life.”
He’s talking about something that has already happened. Because of who we have already become in Jesus. That’s why we need to be intentional in what we think about.
The word for “think about” in Greek is,
phroneō - to think, to be set upon, to have inclinations toward
It’s more than just having an idea in your mind. Phroneō is active thought. It’s thinking about something in such a way that it moves you towards it.
Paul is saying that we can choose to “think towards” the things of heaven - a.k.a. the kingdom of God, the purposes of God, the character of Christ, New Creation - we can think in that direction in a way that moves us towards it.
Or, we can think towards the things of this earth. The stuff of our broken, sin- and death-filled world.
Why does it matter which one we think towards?
Because of that past tense. Because of who we already are. “You died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
In other words, when you surrendered your life to Jesus, your old self was dead and buried. You became a New Creation. You are now in Christ. It’s who you are.
Verse 10. When you “put on” that new nature, you are “renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” That’s how this works. You phroneō - you think towards the things of heaven and you start to look like Jesus.
Set your thoughts on the things of earth on the other hand - on the stuff that used to define your old self - and guess what? You start to look again just like the rest of this broken, anxious, rage-filled world.
Thinking about the things of earth inevitably drags you away from who you really are. Thoughts have power.
It matters what you set your mind on. Because it shapes the kind of person you become.
GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT
I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to see how this same concept applies to the technological world we live in today or the content that we consume online.
The digital world is saturated with the things of this earth. All the stuff Paul just talked about.
Lust and greed and rage and lies… and all of it just waiting to turn us into lustful, greedy, rage-filled liars! Why do you think our culture is such a mess these days?
Let me be clear: that is not an option for us if we’re on a mission to heal this broken world. We can’t be breaking it further. That’s not who we are in Jesus.
What we set our minds on changes who we are. Which is why our second major principle for this series is this:
Principle 2: Garbage in, garbage out.
This phrase was originally a computer science term. When you feed a computer garbage data, it’s going to give you garbage results.
We’re seeing this happen with AI chatbots right now. When they first started coming out, these programs were startlingly racist and misogynistic. It didn’t take long to figure out why.
Because the training data we gave them was the Internet, a place not exactly known for its fair-minded, loving content.
We fed garbage in, and garbage came out.
This is why Paul says it matters what we fill our minds with. We’re not computer programs, but if you’re shoveling garbage into your mind day in and day out, it is a bit of a stretch to think that beautiful things are coming back out.
You are what you eat. Garbage in, garbage out.
And in a world desperately in need of healing and life, if all Christ-followers today have to offer is more garbage to add to the pile… Well, I’ve got news for you. Things aren’t going to get better.
THE THINGS OF HEAVEN
So what do we do? Our world is filled with garbage but we’re called to set our minds on the things of heaven.
We can’t withdraw because we’ve been sent into this world on a mission to heal it. God sends us into the filth.
So how do we stay engaged in this technological reality without getting dragged back down?
Well, as I said last week, this is uncharted territory. We are the first Christians in human history to have to figure out our faith in a digital world.
But I believe God’s Spirit will guide us as we attempt to chart a path.
So, with Colossians 3 as our guide, let’s talk through some basic steps we can all be taking to reshape the content that fills our minds.
Step 1: Know yourself.
Paul says in verse 5, “Put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.” Let’s start there. It’s not just about what’s out there. It’s about what’s in here.
Each one of us is different. We all face different temptations. We all have different hang-ups and addictions. What are yours? Know yourself.
Because if you can understand your own brokenness, you’ll have a much better chance of understanding the garbage you’ll be tempted to shovel in.
For me, I know one of my core areas of brokenness could be called “too much of a good thing.” Take video games for example. I love playing games, I’m good at first person shooters, they’re a fun diversion for me.
But if I’m not careful, they can take over my free time. I can pour hours and hours of my life into what is essentially junk food for the mind. It dulls my thinking, it makes me stay up too late, and, ultimately, it affects my capacity for mission. Garbage in, garbage out.
Now, that’s just one small example, but that’s why I say knowing yourself is so important. What is your brokenness?
Now, knowing yourself is not just negative. It’s not just avoiding temptations. It’s also about knowing the person God has made you to be.
Take a look at what Paul says next in Colossians 3.
Colossians 3:12-15
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Again, think about the tense of this passage. We’re talking about what has already been accomplished and who you now are in God’s eyes. Merciful, kind, humble, gentle, forgiving, loving, peaceful, thankful...
That’s you in Christ. Add in your own unique spiritual gifts and the God-given passions that drive you, and you are something special. It’s no surprise that God has given you a mission.
Know yourself. Know who you are becoming in Christ. That’s when you can start setting your mind on the things of heaven… even in the digital world.
Step 2: Know your enemy.
Yes, your ultimate enemy is the evil one and he wants nothing more than to drag you down and make your mission a failure. But in the context of this sermon, I want to talk about a more specific enemy: the almighty algorithm.
Algorithms are the bits of code behind all the online platforms that we interact with. Put simply, these algorithms decide what to show us next.
Facebook, Google, TikTok, YouTube, silly little games on your phone… the powerful algorithms behind them all a single job to do: keep you engaged.
These programs don’t care about the content they show you. They just want you to watch longer. To keep clicking. To keep scrolling. To comment more. To share.
And these algorithms - trained on human behavior - have figured out pretty quickly what keeps us the most engaged: outrage, lust, greed, consumerism… It’s a race to the bottom of the brain stem.
The algorithms know that if they show you a video about Republicans and Democrats finding common ground you’re probably going to skip it.
But if they show you a video that makes people on the other side than you look like failing, flailing idiots, you’re going to want to keep watching. Hate and outrage are engaging!
And guess what? If that second video keeps you engaged, you’ve just taught the algorithm to feed you more of the same.
This, again, is why it’s so important to know yourself, because these algorithms know you too.
And listen to me when I say this: they will bring out all the “earthy things lurking within you” (as Paul says) if you give them the power to decide what you set your mind on. They’ll shape the person you become.
Garbage in, garbage out.
Know yourself. Know your enemy. Finally,
Step 3: Be Intentional.
And this is really where the rubber meets the road. Once you know yourself and you know your enemy, you can start to make some choices, specifically around the question, “Who do I want to be in this digital world? Who is God calling me to be? Who am I in Christ?”
If you can identify that person - that version of you: loving, compassionate, humble, on a one-of-a-kind mission - you can start to set your mind on becoming it.
Be intentional. In what you watch, in what you read, in what you allow yourself to be shaped by. Ask yourself: “does this content or game or platform make me more like Jesus, or less like him?”
It may seem like there is only garbage out there, but that’s not true.
• There are TikTok and YouTube accounts dedicated to love and compassion and bridging cultural divides.
• There are Christ-following scholars and artists and writers and musicians who are using their gifts online.
• All of our partner ministries around the world are on Facebook and Instagram, telling stories of life change in Jesus.
• The Bible Project makes amazing content to help Scripture come alive for you.
• We have our own Between Sundays podcast (which re-launched this past week!) where we dig deeper into the weekend’s sermon.
This stuff is out there, and it will help you grow, but you have to be intentional.
The same goes for the things you post. Ask yourself, “as I’m about to share this article, or post this comment, or re-tweet this blog … does this make my world more like the kingdom of God and New Creation? Or is it indistinguishable from the things of this earth?”
Remember I said, “know your enemy” before? Well, here’s the trick about algorithms. You can teach them what you want to see by the things you watch and post and share with.
Engage with the things of heaven and the algorithms will show you more of it.
When you encounter those things on your feed that want to drag you down to the earth, you teach the algorithm that you’re done with the garbage by skipping right on by.
It takes discipline. It takes intentionality. But it is not - I repeat - it is not impossible to game the system and start letting this digital world shape you into the new creation that you already are in Jesus.
Garbage in, garbage out.
But the opposite is also true. As Paul says in verse 10, “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”
Where are you setting your mind? Because on a mission like ours it really, really matters.