Christian Living: Are You A Fan OR A DISCIPLE?

I read the following portion of a book by Kyle Idleman entitled Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus

I was really moved at how on point I thought his analysis was. 

So the question on today's menu is "Are You A Fan OR A Disciple"?

The word fan is most simply defined as, an enthusiastic admirer. And I think Jesus has a lot of fans these days. Some fans may even get dressed up for church on Sunday and make their ringtone a worship song. They like being associated with Jesus.

Fans want to be close enough to Jesus to get the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them. They want a no-strings-attached relationship with Jesus. So a fan says, I like Jesus but don't ask me to serve the poor. I like Jesus, but I'm not going to give my money to people who are in need. I like Jesus, but don't ask me to forgive the person who hurt me. I like Jesus, but don't talk to me about money or sex – that's off limits. 
 
Fans like Jesus just fine, but they don't want to give up the bacon.  

 

Fans tend to identify themselves as Christians not because they are committed to following Jesus, but for a number of other reasons. They might point to their family heritage thinking that being a Christian is in their DNA. Like a pug nose or a unibrow, it was somehow passed down from mom and dad. Fans might identify themselves as Christians by pointing to religious rituals they've kept and rules they've followed. 

We are to be disciples of Jesus!

Jesus was never interested in having fans. When he defines what kind of relationship he wants, 'Enthusiastic Admirer' isn't an option. 

The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren't actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them."

– Kyle Idleman, from his book Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus 

The book is really deep and gives every believer a refresher in what it really means to be a believer.

I must confess in far to many ways, I find myself to be more of a fan than a disciple. Nonetheless, I know I can and must do better service to the Kingdom.

How do you measure up?

 

 

In Him,
JMb <><

Bishop James 'I Feel God' Brown
The Internet's Favorite Pastor
Visit My Blog http://www.ifeelgod.org
http://www.1000churches.org – Kingdom Ministry 

Stay In Contact with me
twitter: http://twitter.com/ifeelgod
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ifeelgod
Facebook: http://facebook.com/bishopifeelgod
myspace: http://myspace.com/ifeelgod