Book of the Month: Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

Followers, Not a Fan

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! - 2 Corinthians 13:5

Are you a follower of Jesus? Don't answer too quickly. In fact, you may want to read this book before you answer at all. Consider it a 'Define the Relationship' conversation to determine exactly where you stand.

You may indeed be a passionate, fully devoted follower of Jesus. Or, you may be just a fan who admires Jesus but isn't ready to let him cramp your style. Then again, maybe you're not into Jesus, period. In any case, don't take the question---Are you a follower of Jesus?---lightly.

“My concern is that many of our churches in America have gone from being sanctuaries to becoming stadiums. And every week all the fans come to the stadium where they cheer for Jesus but have no interest in truly following him. 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, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus

The dictionary defines a fan as “an enthusiastic admirer.” Fans want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires sacrifice. Fans may be fine with repeating a prayer, attending church on the weekend, and slapping a Jesus fish on their bumpers. But is that really the extent of the relationship Jesus wants? There are far too many church-goers who knows everything about Jesus's biography and love what Jesus does for them or how Jesus makes them feel. The author asked these questions to help us to investigate our relationship with God.

• Have you made a decision for Jesus or have you committed to Jesus?

• Do you just know about Jesus, or do you really know him?

• Is Jesus one of many or is he your one and only?

• Are you more focused on the outside than the inside?

• Are you a self-empowered fan or a Spirit-filled follower?

Not a Fan challenges you to consider what it really means to call yourself a Christian.

About the author

Kyle Idleman - a graduate of Ozark Christian College, his full-time ministry began as a church planter in Los Angeles, CA. After a fruitful season in southern California, he and his family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he has served in his current role at Southeast Christian Church since 2003. Kyle and his wife DesiRae have four children.