What I’m Reading: not a fan.
Alright, so this post is actually going to start with a confession: I should have finished this book a while ago. We heard a series of messages of the same title last year at Access, and were all gifted with a copy of this book to read as we went through the series. I, obviously, did not finish the book in time with the end date of the message series. But I am finishing it now! And it is so incredibly substantial and good, that I regret not finishing it earlier.
The premise is that many people who claim to be followers of Christ are really nothing more than fans. What is the difference between a follower and a fan? A follower truly lets God’s commands become their life, living them out to the fullest and seeing the impact of those decisions as a result. They know God. A fan is someone who may cheer for Christ and claim to be a real supporter, but when it comes down to it, they aren’t participants in the Kingdom, but mere spectators. They know about God, but they don’t really know Him.
This book is challenging, I won’t lie to you. Before reading, prepare to have your faith shaken. I can recall, in fact, several friends of mine coming to me while reading the book, explaining that this was challenging so many things about what their faith looked like altogether.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
“Instead of identifying myself as a follower because I know about Jesus, I understand that I am a follower because I know Jesus.”
“Many have made a decision to believe in Jesus without making a commitment to follow Jesus.”
“When we try to follow Jesus without being filled daily with the Spirit we find ourselves frustrated by our failures and exhausted by our efforts.”
I highly recommend this book. Perfect for those whose faith needs a wake up jolt and an aggressive reality check.