Sermon Illustration: Facebook and the Awkward Leak

Last updated on: April 13, 2018 at 2:00 pm by Matt Pearson

Sermon Illustration: Facebook and the Awkward Leak 2018-04-07T01:49:45-05:00 Matt Pearson

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In a recent sermon from John 21, I wanted to set up a situation to getÂ my hearers thinking about being “caught” in an awkward situation. Being that Facebook has been in the news a lot, I decided picked on this social media giant.

Here was my approach…

For once in my life, I am glad I’m not Mark Zuckerberg. The head honcho at Facebook is going to have to answer some seriousÂ questions before congress about leaked information. Not onlyÂ was itÂ determined that millions of Facebook users’ private informationÂ leaked in 2014; we now know thatÂ Facebook leadersÂ knew about it and decided to stay quiet. Oops.

It stinks having to answer to authorities when you are caught.

It can be…well, awkward.

It’s one thing to pick on Zuckerberg. Poor guy.

But what if your information was leaked? I don’t mean financial card numbers or your social security number. I mean, what if your searches and your conversations and your electronic relationships and the images you sent and/or viewed got into the wrong hands?

What if conversations you were having with others four years ago got out?

It stinks to have to answer to people in authority when you are caught.

It can be…well, awkward.

The feeling I get when I know I am caught for something I didÂ that worked its wayÂ into the wrong hands (or the right hands, depending on the situation) is exactly the emotion I believe the disciples were experiencing in our text…

Think about who Jesus was/is (Lord and God over the universe).

Think about what the disciples did the night Jesus needed them most (abandoned Him).

Think about how the disciples assumed Jesus was to be the political Messiah of the Jews right up until His ascension (see Acts 1:1-7).

Now think about the fact that they hadn’t seen Him in a week (they had to assume He was building a new team of men to help govern), andÂ is nowÂ waiting for them on the shore after a long night fishing (John 21).

It stinks to have to answer to people in authorityÂ when you are caught.

It can be…well, awkward.

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