When it comes to being a follower of Christ, most of us are only a fan. Being a follower takes a lot of commitment. Do you go to church and warm a seat each week but don’t volunteer anywhere? Do you read your Bible but then party on the weekends? Do you say you love God and your spouse but still look at porn or lust at women? If you do any of these then you are only a fan. These are ONLY a few examples but you get the point.
You may say that you love Christ but until you live like it you are only a fan of Christ. If you were to really follow Christ your life would be 180 degrees different. Do people who watch you that are non-believers think your life mirrors theirs or do they look at you and say wow there is someone who actually believes what he says?
We all can say we follow Christ but our actions prove whether that is the truth or not. Don’t tell God what you are going to do, get out and show him that he can count on you. Either you are for him or you aren’t. God says:
Revelation 3:16 – So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Being lukewarm actually defeats the whole purpose of Christ. When you are lukewarm and people who are not followers of Christ see this, they ask themselves why should they follow Christ when his followers are only fans?
They have a great point and this is why taking the name of Christ in your mouth is a lot of responsibility. It is your responsibility to show others that you are a follower not just a mere fan.
I have also seen people who say they follow Christ but their actions prove that they aren’t even a fan. How can you be a fan if you don’t love what God loves? Have you pulled so far from God that now you are calling what’s evil as good?
This happens a lot within the Christian community. Many people are saying it is better to live together before marriage so that we can know if we are compatible? Is this what you truly believe? It isn’t what God believes and if you believe this then you are 180 degrees from God. It is the exact opposite of what God believes.
We have watered down the message so much that when you look at the Christian world you can’t even tell the difference anymore! Christians are doing the same things as non-Christians are and calling them in the name of God.
If you are a follower of Christ then you are also willing to be the last one standing for his word. Yes many people will call you radical when you are a true follower but I would rather be called a radical from the world than lukewarm from God.
Today’s Radical is just right in God’s eyes. God needs people to stand up for the truth. He needs people who will say right is right and wrong is wrong. If you are a follower then the issue of right and wrong is a black and white issue. There is no gray area when it comes to what’s right and wrong. Yes there are matters that the bible doesn’t teach on but when it comes to the basic principles from the Bible, God is very clear on how to live your life.
Again I ask you are you a fan or a follower? If you are a follower then are you living as pure minded as possible? Yes we all slip up from time to time that is why Jesus came to save us all but that gives us no excuse to stay living that way.
Whether you are a follower or just a fan, are you ready to go to the next level in Christ? Are you ready to change everything? What if God asked you to sell everything and then follow like Jesus asked his disciples? Would you still be ready? I am not saying God is going to ask this of you but if your stronghold is money, God just might ask something radical of you.
No matter what God asks of you, he only does it because he loves you. Sometimes we may not understand when he first nudges us to do things but later down the road when we can finally see the big picture we will understand. There are things that God asks of me and I am like REALLY God? Then months later something happens that shows me exactly why God asked that of me. It is awesome when that happens but even if God doesn’t show you these things, you still should follow where God leads anyway.
Again, I ask are you ready to take your fellowship of Christ up a notch or two? Are you truly ready? I have to keep asking because God expects a big commitment from you. God has big plans for your life and in order to get to where God wants to lead you, he needs to know that your commitment level is there.
A big question is would you trust you if you were God? That’s a huge one and of course if we are all truly honest, we would say no but that is why God is God and we aren’t because he takes people from where they are (A sinner) and turns them into the person he calls them to be.
Never allow who you think you are to stop you from becoming who God calls you to be. Sometimes we may not feel worthy but God gave us his son so that we can be worthy! We are redeemed by Christ.
Ask God to clear your heart and help you get ready to change everything. Ask him to show you areas where maybe you are only a fan right now so that you can work on those areas. Ask him to give you the courage to stand up as a follower of Christ so that when you are called a radical, you have the full armor of God on and it doesn’t phase you.
Be Inspired or Be Left Behind!
Chris Benton