I
heard a teacher on the radio years ago who spoke about the ‘add on Jesus’. What
he meant by this was that many people were saying they had Jesus in their life
but they weren’t acting like he was anything more than just another ‘thing’
that they had going on. In other words, you may be a sports fan, a fan of some
movie star, you are a fan of Facebook, a fan of some singer, a fan of Jesus:
you may go to church, go to work, go shopping, go to a movie or go out to eat.
In all of these things, Jesus just becomes another ‘thing’ in your life. You
say you are a Christian, you may go to church as long as there isn’t something
better to do and the music is ‘your kind’ of music; the preaching is ‘your
kind’ of preaching and the people are ‘your kind’ of people. You see, as long
as Jesus ‘fits’ into your life, he’s welcome. You may even know some of the
catchy verses in the Bible and once in a while if you need an answer to
something you open the Bible and read it like you would a fortune cookie so you
can find the magical answer that you need. You will even give him some credit
for the things in your life that you don’t need or want the credit for; you may
pray to him when there is a ‘need’ that you can’t handle. This is the ‘add’ on’
Jesus that many are ‘fans’ of today.
There
is a difference between being a fan and being a follower of Jesus. You see,
being a follower of Jesus means that Jesus becomes not just a part of your life
along with everything else, but he ‘is’ your life. You don’t go to Jesus only
when you need an answer or are at the end of your rope; you go to him every day
for everything: it is all his, all in his control and you know it. Your prayers
aren’t about ‘getting something’ they are about bringing everything in your
life to him; about talking to the only one who is in control of all things; about
thanking him for all things- good and bad. Going to church isn’t about doing
something because it makes you feel good, or to meet your weekly obligation,
it’s about obeying him and his word; it’s about being part of a ‘body’ and
letting him place you in that body where you will function to bring glory to
him. You will read the bible, his word, because you know this is where he has
spoken and revealed his will for us; because you want to obey him; because it
brings you more in line with him not because you want him to come in line with
you. We follow him to bring him glory, to obey him, to love him, good or bad
not only when it is convenient for us.
I
hope you understand the difference between being a fan and a follower of Jesus;
what it means to have him in control of your life. It just seems that in most
lives this just isn’t the case. You see people who are going to church and
living in sin, seemingly without seeing the conflict. People are justifying
lifestyles and language that Jesus’ word specifically says are wrong, yet they
won’t let go of these things because they have their own ‘belief’ about the
things they think Jesus ‘really’ cares about even though he has already told
them in his word what their belief should be. But, they don’t want ‘that’ Jesus
they want their ‘add on’ Jesus that follows them and not the other way around.
They seem inclined to follow that old sage W.C. Fields: when asked why he was
reading the bible, he said, “Just trying to find a loophole.” Most of the time
they wouldn’t say loophole, they would say ‘that Jesus never said anything
about it’ or ‘a loving Jesus loves everyone’, forgetting that a loving Jesus
can’t let wrong go unpunished, “but is patient, not wanting any to perish, but
all to come to repentance”, see 2 Peter 3:9, but you see, there is still that
choice you must make to follow him or you will perish. Remember the excuse the
Romans were using to justify living how they wanted even though it was
contradictory to the message that Jesus and his followers were teaching: “What
should we do then, should we go on sinning so that grace can abound?” Romans
6:1. You see, they liked the message of God’s grace and forgiveness so they
started making up their own set of beliefs such as ‘if God’s grace is shown by
his forgiveness then we shouldn’t worry about sinning or approving of those
that do, because his grace will cover it’. But when they said this the apostle
Paul had to correct them and say, “By no means! We are those who have died to
sin, how can we live in it any longer?” Romans 6:2 NIV. If you need more
evidence of what is meant by follower of Jesus, go back to Romans 1 and just
read it starting at verse 18. People tried to justify everything from
worshipping things and people; homosexuality (Gay and Lesbian), all the way to
greed and envy! Paul ends the chapter by giving this conclusion in verse 32,
“Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things
deserve death, they not only continue to do those very things but also approve
of those who practice them.” Fans. People were just living how they chose,
approving of others that did the same, and justifying it all to themselves: but
not to Jesus.
So,
what are you? A fan or a follower. If you have made Jesus just a part of your
life that you choose when and where he can ‘fit’ in, then you are a fan. If you
are somehow ‘justifying’ things that you are doing in your life or believing
even though you know ‘the righteous decrees’, then you are a fan. We all need
to be honest with ourselves and decide if we are living as a fan or follower of
Jesus. Today is the day,
Are
you a fan or a follower?
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