I am currently reading a book entitled, “Not a Fan” written
by Kyle Idleman. It’s riveting. The premise is that too often we are only fans
of Jesus, when instead we are called to be a completely committed follower of
Jesus. There is a big difference. A fan is “an enthusiastic admirer”. Idleman
says it’s “the guy who goes to the football game with no shirt and a painted
chest. He sits in the stands and cheers for his team, but he’s never in the
game. He knows the stats of all the players but he doesn't know the players. He
yells and cheers, but nothing is really required of him. There is no sacrifice
he has to make. And if the team starts to let him down by having a few off
seasons, you can expect him to jump off the fan wagon and start cheering for
some other team.”
Jesus has a lot of fans today. Fans who cheer for him when
things are going well, but walk away when it’s a difficult season. Fans who sit
safely in the stands cheering, but they know nothing of the sacrifice and pain
of the field. Fans of Jesus who know all about him, but they don’t know Him.
Idleman says, “My concern is that many of our churches in America have gone
from being sanctuaries to becoming stadiums. 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”.
Jesus was never interested in having fans. In fact, one of
the most sobering passages of Scripture is Matthew 7. Jesus tells of a day when everyone who has
ever lived will stand before God. Many who call themselves Christians and
identify themselves as followers will
stand and say to him, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and
cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Then His
response will be 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.' Ouch.
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