Followers or Fans?

“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

"If our lives do not reflect the fruit of following Jesus, then we are foolish to think that we are actually followers of Jesus in the first place." - David Platt, Radical

Reducing a complex idea into more understandable terms is helpful. Reducing a sauce in cooking is tasty as the flavors intensify. Reductionism on the other hand is dangerous. The Oxford Dictionary defines reductionism this way: the practice of analyzing and describing a complex phenomenon in terms of phenomena that are held to represent a simpler or more fundamental level, especially when this is said to provide a sufficient explanation. I would argue that in an attempt to make the complex simple and more understandable (maybe even palatable) we have done great harm to ourselves. All too often, Christianity and especially the idea of becoming a Christian has been reduced to a prayer we pray inviting Jesus into our lives. This is reductionism. Jesus never asks us to pray a prayer inviting Him into our lives. Ever. The Bible doesn’t either. Anywhere. Jesus’ own words tend far more to the uncomfortable side of things: take up your cross, die, lose your life. That sounds a lot steeper than praying a prayer and rightly so. Jesus did not intend for anyone to become a fan of His teaching or His ethics or His anti-religious establishment bent. Jesus continued to drive home one central idea; if you want to be His follower, it is an all or nothing proposition. It doesn’t surprise then that given a false starting point, many never end up on the path of true followership. Followers are obedient to Jesus’ teachings out of a love for and devotion to Jesus. Fans have a great affection for all Jesus can do for them. Followers have great affection for Jesus. The soul-deep gut check of Luke 6:46 pin-points the difference with a question, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Jesus isn’t looking for fans. He is calling followers.

Be careful here though. There is a kind of obedience that leads to life; it stems from a life-giving connection with Jesus and there is a kind of external only obedience that leads to soul-deadening legalism. In our obedience, we must look at our motives. If we waver from an affection for Jesus fueled obedience, we can fall into an erroneous affection earning obedience. The mindset shifts from, “Jesus loves me and I love Him so I will follow Him.” To “I will follow Jesus so that He loves me.” This is wrong-headed twice over. First, we cannot do enough to earn God’s affection. It is given as a free gift. Second, we cannot follow Jesus on our own power. And once we start down this path our perceived success will only fill us with pride. Our more certain and true to life failure will fill us with despair and shame as we believe the lie that God certainly couldn’t love such a disaster. Jesus came to save us from this soul crushing conundrum. He came to make our hearts alive with affection for Him. He came to call followers who will abandon all else to find this kind of life.

Here is a great video explaining how obedience works in the Christian life as fundamental to all true success.

WEDnesday Discussion Questions:

Think of a specific area of your life where for a season you choose disobedience to what God commands. What motives did you have in that disobedience? How did you justify/rationalize your disobedience? What happened to bring about obedience?

What robs you of your affection for Jesus? How do you fuel that affection?

Are there key warning lights that alert you to a shift into an attempt to earn Jesus’ affection by your obedience? What helps you out of the dead end of legalism?

Further Resources: Not a Fan Kyle Idleman, Radical David Platt