It is essential that to teach others to obey jesus, we must first be doing obeying him. The dictionary defines a fan as an enthusiastic admirer. So where do we start in determining the answer to the question if we are a fan or follower of jesus. I just got this letter from a physical therapist in alabama. A soldier was frantically digging in during battle as shells fell all around him. Here is the most basic definition of fan in the dictionary. Then maybe, just maybe you are a fan and not a follower of jesus christ. Not a fan has called more than 1 million readers to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple moving from fan to follower in their relationship with god how about you. Not a fan is a christian living book arguing that jesus isnt interested in fans, but in followers. Not a fan will be great for anyone who is on the fence about being a christian. Becoming a completely committed follower of jesus idleman, kyle on.
Becoming a completely committed follower of jesus ebook written by kyle idleman. One day he said to a crowd of people, if any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross and follow me. This is the first qualification to become a follower of jesus. Being a follower doesnt mean that you go to church every week, that you slap a jesus fish on the back of your car, and that you give to charity. Jesus never asked us to sit on the sidelines and cheer for his cause. Being a fan of jesus means you can do what you want. Greetings doves, i have been reading a christian book by author kyle idleman titled not a fan. Go ahead, think honestly about your relationship with god. We look at ourselves and proudly say we dont do some of the things we used to do but neglect to carry out a truly objective selfexamination to make sure we are no longer susceptible to doing some of those not so bad things god is not pleased with. In his latest book, dont give up, he encourages readers to find the. On facebook, more than 900 groups use some variation of follower of jesus. I know this is a tough place to end, but you really need to answer this question for yourself. However, to truly be a christian requires more than being a fan of jesus.
May 06, 2011 the premise of this book is nothing new the distinction between being a nominal christian and being a committed follower of jesus. Hes now challenging us all to be not just fans, but completely committed followers. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Fans want to be close enough to jesus to get all the benefits, but not so. In order to evaluate whether we too are following jesus, we must understand what experiences are true of those who are genuine followers. Craig groeschel senior pastor of and author of the christian atheist. If you are a follower, you will attend each game and follow them when they go on the road. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Fans like jesus, but they dont really know jesus nor have they committed themselves to a life of discipleship. This sermon should challenge each hearer to examine their commitment as a follower of jesus christ. Let s look at some truths that will help you determine your status as a fan or follower of jesus christ. Christine caine, founder of the a21 campaign and author of.
How would things change if you lived as jesus lived, and loved the way he loved. His new book, not a fan, explains the difference between being a fan of jesus and being a devoted follower to him and his gospel. Anyone who doesnt make a personal sacrifice isnt worthy to be a follower of jesusmatt. When you decide to become a follower of christ, youve got to go all in.
Christ follower its all about following jesus am i a true christ follower. Not everyone learns or does things in the same manner. Jesus wants followers not fans sermon by ronnie knight. Lets look at some truths that will help you determine your status as a fan or follower of jesus christ. To all the fans who are worn out on religion, jesus invites you to follow him. Or, you may be just a fan who admires jesus but isnt ready to let him cramp your style. Craig groeschel, senior pastor of are you a fan or a follower. Author kyle idlemans latest book a battle cry to not. In any case, dont take the questionare you a follower of jesus. It means more than wearing an i love jesus tshirt, a wwjd bracelet, or a necklace with a cross on it. To those who have been hauling around a long list of rules.
Sep 19, 2011 if you are a sports fan you will watch most games of your favorite team from the stands or on tv. It challenges the reader to consider what jesus says about himself, and come to grips with what a. Nov 15, 20 not all leaders can lead like gandhi, lincoln, churchill, or jesus. Weather the other people are followers or not is their choice.
Becoming a follower of christ christian bible studies. Do you have a fish bumper sticker on the back of your car. Not a fan by kyle idleman overdrive rakuten overdrive. Jesus was never impressed by the size of the crowd.
Oct 31, 2014 but of course, you must have all of these to be a follower of christ or a christian. And, if youre having a hard time figuring out or discerning how faithful youre being, id invite you on a journey with me as we figure out what we believe and how faithful we are to those beliefs. The main purpose of the book is to encourage all believers in jesus to lives their lives as true followers of christ, not just as fans. To be a follower of jesus means much more than being a member of his fan club. I believe that you can be both a fan and a follower of jesus.
Ken idlemans approach, which you might infer from the title, contrasts being a fan of jesus with being a follower. Theyre not wild about having to make sacrifices, or about having to deny themselves of something they desire or crave. To those who are weighed down with the fear and guilt of religion. We do not need to be exceptionally gifted or passionate, we just need to be real and sincere.
Coming from a family where i could have taken christian as a nominal inheritance but didnt want to i was very interested in this book. In his new book, not a fan zondervan, firsttime author kyle idleman calls you to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple. Fan and follower sound the same, so whats the difference. This book disrupts the status quo and challenges readers to follow christ with. In that sense, all of us could be considered fans of jesus. Before you answer, read this updated edition of idlemans bestseller.
The paperback of the not a fan updated and expanded. Sep 16, 2016 fans of jesus admire him from a distance. In fact, you may want to read this book before you answer at all. He also shares several powerful not a fan storiestestimonies from fellow followers who turned to jesus. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. Fans want to be close enough to jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires sacrifice. The premise of this book is nothing new the distinction between being a nominal christian and being a committed follower of jesus. Go ahead and have a seat and enter this conversation with jesus to find out if you are a fan or follower. Jul 26, 2014 are you a true blue, unashamed, unabashed follower of christ or do you sometimes conveniently leave your faith at the door depending on the circumstance. Not a fan by kyle idleman audiobook download christian. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read not a fan. To those who are pretending to be more than they really are. Not a fan is a book that every christian should read and regularly reread. I would like to share it with you all over the next several weeks.
Jesus takes ordinary people, so that he can do extraordinary things through them. Not a fan is a christian living book arguing that jesus isnt interested in fans, but. Truly, truly, i say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of god john 3. Consider it a define the relationship conversation to determine exactly where you stand.
You may indeed be a passionate, fully devoted follower of jesus. Jun 05, 2011 idleman asks, are you a fan of jesus, or a follower. Jeff cavins walks this talk by living out the christ in him and follows the lord intimately. Perhaps posters of christian artists plastered on your room walls. That is nice and even flattering, but followers of jesus are needed on the streets of americanot fans of mark cahill. In other words, in a football game you have the fans in the seats cheering on the players on the field. With frankness sprinkled with humor, idleman invites you to live the way jesus lived, love the way he loved, pray the way he prayed, and never give up living for the one who gave his all for you. One of the symptoms of a fan is that you think you are a follower, pastor kyle idleman shared with the christian post.
There is no such thing as a sorta follower of jesus. Im certain there are thousands of books on the subject. Kyle talks about growing up as just another fan of jesus christ. Fans say jesus was a great teacher who taught valuable lessons. However, followers of jesus are all in, and they worship him in a personal relationship. This thoughtprovoking question was asked on a program on the trinity broadcasting network. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read not a fan updated and expanded. Apr 18, 2017 6 signs you are a fan not a follower of jesus christ motivating u2win.
Ken idleman s approach, which you might infer from the title, contrasts being a fan of jesus with being a follower. Dfd 4 the character of a follower of jesus 9781600060076. I started to read the manuscript and could not stop until i finished. To find out if you are a fan or follower of jesus, serious selfexamination is necessary. Discover how to love, pray, and give your all for your lord and savior. And, if you re having a hard time figuring out or discerning how faithful you re being, id invite you on a journey with me as we figure out what we believe and how faithful we are to those beliefs. You did not choose me, but i chose you so that you might go and bear fruit. I just went to the alabama chapter meeting of the american physical therapy association and took some of your books with me in my bag. Fans may be fine with repeating a prayer, attending church on the weekend, and slapping a jesus. Surprisingly, jesus described himself as a follower. But is that really the extent of the relationship jesus wants. In this three part book idleman helps you to discover whether you are a fan or a follower, how to recognize the invitation jesus has given, and what following jesus looks like in your daily life. Jesus said those who follow him must deny themselves and take up their crossmatt.
Becoming a completely committed follower of jesus by. Program director chris carpenter recently sat down with idleman to discuss the difference between being a fan vs. Idleman asks, are you a fan of jesus, or a follower. The tag is also popular among people in the socalled fellowship movementsmall, collegial groups that regularly meet. If you consider yourself a christian, it is important to read this book. The man who introduced the idea of fan and follower, kyle idleman in his provocative book, not a fan, said, in a large part, we confuse knowing about jesus with knowing jesus. Not a fan calls you to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple. Every follower of jesus is by nature a leader we are to lead others into obeying jesus and surrendering to his way of life which is the best and most fabulous way to live.
A true follower goes beyond a fan by making sacrifices to follow jesus. You can be a follower that enjoys going to the christian conventions and see everyone cheer and get all excited about christ. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read not a fan student edition. Fans may be fine with repeating a prayer, attending church on the weekend, and slapping a jesus fish on their bumpers. A follower of jesus will take joy and great delight in obeying jesus teachings. I do not seek my own will but the will of the father. Theyll stay as long as it benefits them, but if it doesnt benefit them to hang around they usually dont. Jul 10, 2015 being a fan of jesus means you can do what you want. This is a now message for the church and my hope is that every believer who reads this will become an authentic follower of christ. Jesus has many casual fans, but he asked us to take up our cross and be a follower. Follow the journey of eric nelson, a man leading a compartmentalized triple life as a pleasureseeking rebel, a cutthroat corporate executive, and a nominal christian.
God often meets peoples needs through his followers. But of course, you must have all of these to be a follower of christ or a christian. Becoming a completely committed follower of jesus kindle edition by idleman, kyle. An enthusiastic admirer its the guy who goes to the football game with no shirt and a painted chest. Jun 07, 2011 in not a fan idleman uses biblical examples to show how the people who met jesus also had to decide if they were fans or followers, and what it meant for them to then become followers. Availability based on publisher status and quantity being ordered. In not a fan idleman uses biblical examples to show how the people who met jesus also had to decide if they were fans or followers, and what it meant for them to then become followers. The title of your book, not a fan, is really quite an eye catcher. The book offers a diagnostic to see whether or not a person is a fan something most. Not a fan invites you to make jesus not merely the object of your admiration, but the very center of your life. The series, journal, leaders guide, small group study, pastors kit and movie. I have heard of followers who have not missed a single game in twentyfive years and longer. Free shipping due to covid19, orders may be delayed. Thats the difference between a between a fan and follower.
In idlemans book, not a fan, kyle will challenge you to grow from a fair weather fan to a fulltime follower of christ. Caroline kuala lumpur, malaysia what a great talk and a wonderful reminder for all of us to be sure we truly behave as a follower of jesus and not just a fan of jesus. Through biblical teaching, anecdotes, and humor, kyle idleman explores what it means to truly be a follower of christ. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But when jesus called peter and andrew and james and john and matthew, it says, and they left everything and followed him. Ten characteristics of a false follower of jesus christ. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading not a fan updated and expanded.
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