Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman draws a sharp distinction between being a fan of Jesus and being a follower of Jesus. A fan may cheer for and know a lot about Jesus, but a fan is not required to make a commitment to Jesus or to sacrifice for Him.

Are you a follower of Jesus or just a fan – or do you even know the difference?

In Not a Fan, Kyle Idleman wants you to define your relationship with Jesus. The author details two possible categories: a fan or a follower. As he points out, there are tell-tale differences between fans and followers.

Fans are enthusiastic admirers. They observe, cheer, and may be filled with a wealth of knowledge, but they do not know Jesus personally, and little commitment is required of fans. Followers, by contrast, know Jesus personally, in a loving and intimate way. And followers pursue a committed relationship with Jesus that forces them to sacrifice for Him.

In this summary, you will learn:

  • how to define your relationship with Christ;
  • what it means to be a true follower; and
  • the steps necessary to become a follower.

A decision to believe is not a commitment to follow.

The Gospel of John tells us a story about Nicodemus. Nicodemus is a respected religious leader that comes to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was a fan who did not want everyone to know he was chatting with Jesus. Arriving to speak with Jesus at night indicates he did not want to upset the status quo. Nicodemus believes Jesus has been sent from God. During their secret meeting, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that he must be born again, which means things are going to change. To follow Jesus, we cannot just come to him at night; it is a full-time commitment. Fans do not work full-time, but followers do.

We frequently hear about people deciding for Christ, but is that the same as following Christ? In current church culture, we have managed to make these two different components. Raise your hand, come to the altar, and say the prayer is professing your belief. But belief alone does not make you a follower.

When you read the Gospels, Jesus instructs people to follow Him four times as often as He tells someone to believe in Him. You are not going to follow if you do not believe. Unfortunately, many people call themselves Christians because they believe and have made a decision for Christ, yet there is no indication in their lives that they follow.

In contrast to the teaching of Jesus, the modern church finds itself marketing Jesus. We are happy to talk about the love of Jesus and God’s grace, but we are often shy about explaining the cost associated with those gifts of love and grace. It’s like a late-night infomercial for a product that is too good to be true, but they waive shipping, or it is “buy one get one free,” so you can’t resist. When we promote the gospel in this manner, we do the gospel a great disservice. It is the best thing we can ever receive, and it is freely given, but to follow Christ in a fallen world does have a cost.

Nicodemus initially sought Jesus out at night. He did not want to risk his career and the surety of his position. Later, in John 7:51, Nicodemus speaks up. He does not profess his belief to his peers, but his interruption in defense of Jesus brought the rebuke of the Sanhedrin and could have cost him everything. The same ridicule they gave Jesus for being from Galilee was now directed at Nicodemus as well. It was becoming clear that Nicodemus had some connection to Jesus.

When Jesus was crucified, it became clear that Nicodemus was a follower, not a fan. This was announced not by word but through his actions. Nicodemus brought approximately 75 pounds of spices for the burial preparation. This is not something you could sneak around with; it was expensive to both his finances and his standing with the Sanhedrin. When those closest to Jesus were in hiding, Nicodemus made his love and affection known. Nicodemus went from fan to follower. He risked everything to express his love for Jesus. That is commitment.

Intimacy with Christ is knowing Him and being completely known by Him.

The Pharisees of the New Testament are a lot like avid sports or television fans. Sports and television fans can recite statistics, memorable plays, or roles, and they know the answers to the trivia questions. The Pharisees knew about God. They knew His miracles, His laws, and all the trivia answers.  Knowledge is powerful and important, but knowledge does not equal intimacy.

When the Pharisee Simon invites Jesus to a meal in Luke 7, it is evident that Simon has knowledge of the messianic prophecies but is unable to recognize the Messiah before him. He failed to engage in even the most basic of hospitality customs, such as providing Jesus with water to wash His feet or to anoint Him with oil. In the society of the time, this was equivalent to insulting Jesus. Simon knew, but the lack of intimacy stopped him from giving proper honor and recognition to Jesus.

As this dinner unfolds in Simon’s home, a woman who is a prostitute enters with an alabaster jar and anoints Jesus. She washes the feet of Jesus with her tears. She uses her hair to dry His feet. She was not a guest. She probably had little knowledge of the messianic prophecies and limited knowledge of Jesus, but her actions were intimate. She is remembered for her selfless expression of devotion to Jesus. She showed great honor to Jesus, at great risk to herself, whereas the Pharisee chose to ignore Jesus.

Intimacy is knowing and being known, as the intimate relationship between husband and wife.  Fans, regardless of knowledge, are not known by those they admire. The difference between the fan and the follower is that the fan knows information about their hero, but a follower knows their leader intimately. Out of love, they empty all they have at the feet of Jesus like the woman with her alabaster jar…

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