Kyle Idleman - Follower: Becoming More than Just a Fan of Jesus

ZONDERVAN

Follower

Copyright 2011, 2016 by City on a Hill Studio, LLC

Derived from material previously published in Not a Fan.

Abridged by Kyle Idleman.

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ISBN 978-0-310-10808-5 (hardcover)

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Epub Edition November 2019 9780310108245

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To my dad
Following you taught me to follow Jesus

Contents

Some of you will recognize what the letters D.T.R. stand for. If youre not sure, let me give you a hint. For a young man involved in a romantic relationship, these letters can be enough to strike fear into his heart. He likely dreads the D.T.R. talk. In fact, many young men will postpone, run away from, and put off the D.T.R. talk for as long as possible. I have even known a few guys who have terminated the relationship when they sensed that the D.T.R. talk was imminent.

Now do you want to guess what D.T.R. stands for?

Define the relationship.

This is the official talk that takes place at some point in a romantic relationship to determine the level of commitment. You want to see where things stand and find out if what you have is real.

In high school I went out on a first date with a girl that I really didnt know very well. We sat down in a booth at a restaurant and began the awkward first date conversation. During the appetizer I learned a little bit about her family. While we enjoyed the main course, she told me about her favorite movie. And then it happened. While we were eating our dessert she asked me, and I quote: Where do you see this relationship going? On the very first date she was trying to have the D.T.R. talk. I got out of there P.D.Q. That was the first and the last date.

I wasnt ready for that moment, but there comes a time when you need to define the relationship. It can be awkward. It can be uncomfortable. But eventually every healthy relationship reaches a point when the D.T.R. talk is needed. Is it casual, or is it committed? Have things moved past infatuation and admiration and towards deeper devotion and dedication? You need to intentionally evaluate the state of the relationship and your level of commitment to the person.

So heres what I want to ask you to do. In your mind picture yourself walking into a local coffee shop. You grab a snack and get a drink and then walk towards the back where it isnt crowded, and you find a seat at a small table. You take a sip of your drink and enjoy a few quiet minutes. Now, imagine that Jesus comes in and sits down next to you. You know its him because of the blue sash. Youre unsure what to say. In an awkward moment you try to break the silence by asking him to turn your drink into wine. He gives you the same look he used to give Peter. Before he has a chance to respond, you suddenly realize you havent prayed for your food. You decide to say your prayer out loud, hoping that Jesus will be impressed. You start off okay, but understandably you get nervous and pray Three things we pray: to love thee more dearly, to see thee more clearly, to follow thee more nearly, day, by day, by day. You quickly say Amen when you realize youre quoting Ben Stillers prayer from Meet the Parents.

Before you have a chance to make things more awkward, Jesus skips past the small talk and gets right to the point. He looks you in the eye and says, Its time we define this relationship. He wants to know how you feel about him. Is your relationship with Jesus exclusive? Is it just a casual weekend thing, or has it moved past that? How would your relationship with him be defined? What exactly is your level of commitment?

Whether youve called yourself a Christian since childhood, or all of this is new to you, Jesus would clearly define what kind of relationship he wants to have with you. He wouldnt sugarcoat it or dress it up. He would tell you exactly what it means to follow him. As youre sitting in that coffee shop listening to Jesus give you the unedited version of what kind of relationship he wants with you, I cant help but wonder if the question, Are you a follower of Jesus? would be a challenging one to answer.

It may seem that there are many followers of Jesus, but if they were to honestly define the relationship they have with him, I am not sure it would be accurate to describe them as followers. It seems to me that there is a more suitable word to describe them. They are not followers of Jesus. They are fans of Jesus.

Here is the most basic definition of fan in the dictionary: an enthusiastic admirer.

Its the guy who goes to the football game with no shirt and a painted chest. He sits in the stands and cheers for his team. Hes got a signed jersey hanging on his wall at home and multiple bumper stickers on the back of his car. But hes never in the game. He never breaks a sweat or takes a hard hit in the open field. He knows all about the players and can rattle off their latest stats, but he doesnt know the players. He yells and cheers, but nothing is really required of him. There is no sacrifice he has to make. And the truth is, as excited as he seems, if the team hes cheering for starts to let him down and has a few off seasons, his passion will wane pretty quickly. After several losing seasons you can expect him to jump off the fan wagon and begin cheering for some other team. He is an enthusiastic admirer.

And I think Jesus has a lot of fans these days. Fans who cheer for him when things are going well, but who walk away when its a difficult season. Fans who sit safely in the stands cheering, but they know nothing of the sacrifice and pain of the field. Fans who know all about Jesus, but they dont