Sermon Tone Analysis

Fake News!

Wag the Dog

1997 film where PR men start a fake war to get the president re-elected after a scandal

At the Time seemed like a cynical caricature - All too close to the way our world has become

Video Slide

Conspiracy theories

Moon Landing

Anti-Vax

Flat-Earthers

Rocket launch

All involve misleading people who are all too willing to be misled

The Temptation to Twist the Truth

Trump Slide

Trumpian Politics

Pewdiepie slide

Social Celebrities - Pewdiepie

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, known online as PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTuber, comedian, musician and gamer–commentator known for his YouTube video content, which mainly consists of Let's Play videos and comedic formatted shows.

WikipediaBorn: 24 October 1989 (age 29 years), Gothenburg, SwedenHeight: 1.81 mSubscribers: 101 millionSpouse: Marzia Kjellberg (m.

2019)Network: None (formerly Machinima and later Maker Studios)Total views: 23.5 billion

Donald Trump 66m Twitter followers

“Weird Kid with no friends”

2017 “Death to all Jews”, N-word

Dec 2018 Endorsed far right YT channel

Not even a drop in the bucket, more of a grain of sand on the beach.

Vlogs every single day.

He is the biggest thing on YT, would be more of a surprise if there was no-one trying to piggy-back off his success.

“Subscribe to PewDiePie” is this generation’s “What you talkin’ about Willis?” or “Play it again Sam” - ubiquitous cultural reference.

So easy to cast doubt

Doesn’t take much to sound plausible

We’re Not Always Right

The world doesn’t revolve around me

Hostile to the Gospel?

Many ways in which Christians from all parts of the spectrum have twisted our theologies to suit our own view of the world

Sola Scriptura -> Sola Doctrina

Paul’s Last Testament - Hold Fast

Brian McLaren - Protesting Protestant protesting

“Protestants have paid more attention to the Bible than any other group, but sadly, much of their Bible study was undertaken to fuel their efforts to prove themselves right and others wrong (and therefore worthy of protest”

“So what happens when Protestants get tired of protesting?

What happens when they want to protest their own protesting?”

Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy

Pro-testifying

“What if we were to redefine protestant as "pro-testifying," pro meaning "for" and testify meaning "telling our story?”

What is Paul’s Good News?

The Elect/the Tree of Life

Tree of Life slide

Creation chosen by God the Father, spoken into being by through the Word, in the power of the Spirit who hovers over the waters

God chooses humanity in Adam and Eve

God chooses Abraham and his children

God chooses David

Through the power of hte Holys Spirit, the Father speaks the Words into creation in Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, God’s Chosen One.

We are born anew into the Church, the Body of Christ

Our life is destined for its fulfilment in Jesus Christ, the Risen One, the coming One, the fulfillment of all creation

All of Creation is chosen by God to have the opportunity for life and eternal Glory, the Elect of God, chosen in and through Christ our saviour

Hebrews 11:13-16, 39-40

Begins with Jesus, ends with Jesus, catches us all up along the way.

This is the Good News.

This is the Gospel which Paul calls Timothy to cling to.

This is the antidote to Fake News within the Church, and without.

This is Good News.