Three
years ago I published a book review of the book called, “Not a Fan” by Kyle
Idleman. Observing believers in Christ
in my Church and Community lately made me think about this book and I think it
is time a larger portion of the Body of Christ read it as well. There is a difference between being a “fan”
or “fanatic” of Christ and being a “follower” and it is time the Body of Christ
grasps that. The following is the review
I published:
Do
you wish you had something more in life?
Are you finding your Christian walk has settled into a comfortable
rut? If these things are not how you
feel then ask yourself (and be honest
with yourself) “Is my life with God perfect?”
Whether you are doing great or struggling as a Christian I recommend Not a Fan.
I
was cruising the internet last summer and came across a strikingly simple black
website with clear lower case white letters that said, not a fan with the sub-caption:
completely. committed. follower. This intrigued me so I read the short notes
on the website and decided I wanted to give this book a try. I sent away for the book and was excited to
start reading when it came.
Let
me preface the next statement by stating that I love to read, have a very high
comprehension rate, and can usually finish a 200 page book in a couple
hours. It took me almost a month to
finish the book. It is not a hard book
to read and is filled with humor, amusing antidotes and clear object lesions,
but when you read it with the intent to let it change your life then you
sometimes have to give the Holy Spirit time to make the changes in you.
I
discovered that I was an avid fan of Jesus, but not a committed follower. Let me show you the difference by using this
brief quotation by Pastor Idleman from the book:
“I was born into a
Christian home and rarely missed a weekend of church. From before I can remember I could quote the
Lord’s Prayer, John 3:16, and the 23rd Psalm. When I was around five years old I threw a
fit because my mom was making me wear a tie to church. She was trying to understand why I was so
upset, and through my tears I explained, “If I wear a tie they might make me
preach!” By the age of thirteen I felt
pressure to have the “Baptist blow-dry” hairstyle that my father was somewhat
of a legend for perfecting. I would
regularly model the latest “witness wear.”
My collection was impressive.
God’s Gym; Jesus, The Real Thing; This blood’s for you…I had them
all. When I was in junior high I even
had a picture of Jesus hanging on my wall right next to the poster of Michael
Jordan. In some ways that is a visual
example of how I would define my relationship with Jesus at the time. I was a fan of Jesus, like I was a fan of
Mike. I had memorized and knew his
stats, but I did not know him.”
After
reading the book Rev. Jon Kulaga Ph.D., Provost, Asbury University described
the difference between a fan and a committed follower as follows:
“Football
has been described as 22 men on the field in desperate need of rest, and 60,000
fans in the stands in desperate need of exercise. In the spirit of
Trueblood and Bonhoeffer, Not A Fan challenges believers to get out of their
seats, strap on the gear and get in the game. Not A Fan is not for
the faint of heart… it’s for those who want to join a company of the committed,
and to obey what they claim to believe."
Are you tired of being a fan? Are you ready to get off of the sidelines and
into the game? I wholeheartedly
recommend you get Not a Fan and read
it. It will change your life!
Not a Fan website:
http://www.notafan.com/