Jesus

Six Degrees of Jesus

Frank

In the business of the Christmas season, I’ll be reposting some of my favorite posts and scaling back my original content. Reading Multiply by Francis Chan and gearing up for a Multiply Movement study in the New Year, I’m going to select posts on evangelism this week and Christmas next. This particular post was first published in September 2009.

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You’ve probably heard of and likely played the six degrees of Kevin Bacon where the theory goes, you can link any actor to Kevin Bacon in six moves or less. For example try Marilyn Monroe. She was in Some Like it Hot with Jack Lemmon. Jack Lemmon was with Kevin Pollack in Grumpy Old Men. Kevin Pollack was with Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects and Kevin Spacey was in 21 with Laurence Fishburne who was with Kevin Bacon in Mystic River. Fun, isn’t it?

This is based on the theory of the Six Degrees of Separation that holds we’re all separated by everyone else in this world by six people or less. With 8 billion people living on Earth, that seems daunting and may not be practical considering those living in poverty in the Third World. But on the surface, it is a sound theory. Throw in Facebook, Twitter, and the like you might even be able to reduce those six degrees to only three.

Now, apply this theory to the spread of the Gospel and you can easily see how the Early Church was able to spread throughout the entire known world within a generation of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Today, we can apply this theory to the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-21 (go and make disciples of all nations) and we can have hope that “the gospel… be preached to all nations.” (Mark 13:10)

Looking at it numerically, compare a minister who is the only one preaching the Gospel in his church and converts a person a day through his preaching with a disciple of Jesus who only converts one person a year. But that person then goes on and converts one person and so on. Maybe you’ve seen these numbers before. After ten years, the minister has brought 3650 people to Christ while the church that started with one has only grown to 1024. But after twenty years, the first church has grown to 7300 and the second has over 500,000 disciples! Within a generation (say, 30 years) this second church will have converted a billion people.

Now consider the six degrees theory and there’s no reason to not believe that the Gospel cannot be preached to the entire world in our generation. When you pass a stranger on the street, you don’t know who might be connected to him or her within these six degrees. For example he may be within six degrees of a former president (2 or 4 depending on whether you’re considering friends or acquaintances), a movie star (3), a Playboy Playmate (2), a TV star (4), a rock star (4), John F. Kennedy (5) and a former major league baseball player (2). That’s celebrity, but looking at your average joes, this person could also be within six degrees of a kidnap victim (1), a missing person (3), a victim of a school shooting (3), a cancer victim (1), a cancer survivor (2), a victim of spousal abuse (1), a murderer (2), a gunshot victim (1), and a gang member (2). Spiritually, this person could be within six degrees of a minister (1, obviously), a Christian author (1), a Christian recording artist (2), a foreign missionary (1), a renowned Biblical historian (3), and a Christian apologist (3).

If you haven’t guessed, in the numbers I’m talking about myself. I don’t run these out to boast. In fact, I’m pretty convicted because I know for a fact that my Christian influence does not reach as far as most of who I describe above.

Think about your sphere of influence. You never know who you may be linked to. More importantly, you never know who that stranger in the checkout line may be linked to. What’s stopping the Gospel from being spread? Our closed mouths. I rant and rave on this blog that a lack of authentic Christianity hurts the Gospel message and I strive to call us higher to a public authentic Christian life. But it doesn’t matter how we live if our mouths are still closed.

Despite the unlimited reach of the internet, this blog isn’t enough either. Besides the overall lack of traffic, I’m not necessarily sharing the Gospel with anyone. This blog isn’t geared towards unbelievers, but believers. Yet I rely on this blog as an evangelistic crutch. It’s one thing to put these thoughts to paper (or computer screen) but it’s a whole other to share my faith with a stranger, a neighbor, or a co-worker. So this blog is a cop-out for not sharing my own faith. But I’m convicted to change.

How though? I recently heard a series at Living On The Edge titled “Going Public With Your Faith”. Unfortunately by the time I got around to writing this post, those lessons are no longer archived but you can get the lesson on CD or MP3 by going here.  Some practical advice: write out and practice reciting a short five-minute testimony. Sharing our faith is more than an invite to church, it’s sharing what God has done in our lives. Next, memorize the basic scriptures on salvation. John 3:16 is an easy one, but overused. Revelation 3:20 sounds good, but is out of context and doesn’t apply to non-believers. Romans 3:23 is key for our need of a savior. But if you really want to cut right to it, why not turn to the first sermon ever preached? Everything anyone needs to know is right there.

My church follows a similar outline: establish the Bible as the trustworthy, reliable word of God, define what a disciple of Jesus is versus what the world defines as a Christian, define sin and its consequences and then define grace through Jesus, describe the sacrifice of Jesus and our redemption, and finally what our response should be to the Gospel: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.'” (Acts 2:37-39)

You can trim that down and share it with someone in one sitting. Who knows what that seed may produce and who knows who may hear the same message six connections away?

Jesus the Philosopher

Frank

That Jesus, he’s such a nice guy!

He sure taught a lot of wise things.

Jesus was a great teacher and philosopher, the world would be a better place if we lived out what he taught.

Do any of these sound familiar? I’ve heard those responses, or variations thereof, countless times when talking about the deity of Jesus Christ. My favorite is when someone responds that we should follow his teachings, like to love your neighbor or to turn the other cheek, but that doesn’t mean he’s the Son of God. My response is usually to turn it right back on them- do you love your neighbor? How about your enemies? Do you really turn your cheek when someone is mean to you?

It is easy to pick and choose favorite one-liners from Jesus’ teachings and turn those into a philosophy of how we should live. But no matter how many may say so, few really do. Even among the ranks of Christians are few who can honestly say they are living out every one of Jesus’ commands. I haven’t sold everything I have and then gave it all to the poor, have you? If we take out the hard teachings (eat Jesus’ flesh?) we are usually left with something that looks an awful lot like the Sermon on the Mount.

I guess if we cling to something from the life of Jesus, it might as well be this, right? But even these instructions are hard to keep (cut off my hand?). So Jesus’ teachings are usually boiled down even further to the Beatitudes. Even before I took the Bible seriously, I could recite every one of these. But to live them out? A.W. Tozer writes in A Pursuit of God:

“In the world of men we find nothing approaching the virtues of which Jesus spoke in the opening words of the famous Sermon on the Mount. Instead of poverty of spirit we find the rankest kind of pride; instead of mourners we find pleasure seekers; instead of meekness, arrogance; instead of hunger after righteousness we hear men saying, ‘I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing’; instead of mercy we find cruelty; instead of purity of heart, corrupt imaginings; instead of rejoicing in mistreatment we find them fighting back with every weapon at their command.” (pgs 77-78)

Let’s check our attitudes against the beatitudes: poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted because of righteousness. If I were to measure myself against these I could confidently lay claim to two; on my best days. I’m not going to go into detail defining each of these and writing up a mini-sermon supporting it. Instead I encourage you to check your heart. Do Jesus’ descriptions of a blessed heart match yours, or do you more closely resemble what Tozer describes above?

Do not be discouraged by your conclusion. Instead be inspired by the rewards, the blessings, Jesus promises: the kingdom of heaven, receive comfort, inherit the earth, be filled, be shown mercy, see God, and be called sons of God.

Now can a mere philosopher promise such blessings or can these only come from the Son of God himself?

This blog is part of a book club reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Please join the discussion here and at our hosts, Jason Stasyszen and Sarah Salter. Need a copy of the book? You can get it for free on Kindle.

Jesus Wept

Frank

Where is God when…? Why does God allow…?

The hard questions. Stumbling blocks for many to believe in a benevolent creator, awkward for believers whose faith intentionally ignore the question. The easy answer is to simply say, I don’t know. Truth is, only God knows what and why. But it is foolishness to think we are the first to ask these questions.

Jesus was confronted with these questions while he was still walking the earth. In John 11, we read of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Most of us easily remember how the story ends, but we forget the suffering that came before. When Jesus was told Lazarus was sick, he waited two days to do anything about it. Ever have a prayer go unanswered? Mary and Martha, friends of Jesus, must have felt like many of us do: maybe Jesus didn’t get the message; maybe Jesus doesn’t care as much as we thought; maybe Jesus is just too busy.

So when Jesus finally does arrive, Lazarus had been dead for four days. How do you think Mary and Martha felt? I can imagine them approaching Jesus and through their exhaustion and tears lashing out at him in despair. The Bible sensitizes the scene with both women stating, at different times, “if only you were here…” as a passive-aggressive rejection of the Lord’s timing.

When we ask the hard questions, we often think God doesn’t understand. But he does, because he went through it himself. While standing before friends and onlookers, hearing the weeping and wailing, Jesus was overcome with emotion. Most Bible translations say Jesus was “moved” but the word in verse 33 describes anger or the snorting of a horse. Jesus was more than moved. As Shelia Walsh puts it in God Loves Broken People, “This was the Son of God raging at the pain that Mary and Martha, that [friends and family], that you and I have faced or are facing right now.”

So how did Jesus respond? With the shortest verse in the Bible. He wept.

Yes, this was a lesson about the resurrection of the dead. Yes, it affirmed Jesus’ authority even over death. But it is something more as well. Jesus is showing us that on the other side of all the suffering, after all the questions, there is life.

Hero

Frank

If you were to write your autobiography would it be thriller or a comedy? If you were the center of your own story, would not every hurt and every wrong would paint you as the victim? Who would be the supporting cast? What role would they play: encourager, enabler, persecutor? In the climactic finale, who would be the hero?

The truth is, if it were up to us we’d be the heroes of our own story. After all, the story is all about us, right?

But we’ve come to learn the story isn’t really all about us, is it? So then, who’s the hero?

The world is in need of a hero. Is it the hero to save us? The hero that is ordinary? The hero of the day? Or is it the hero who was famous for nothing?

(I forgot how much I love that Metallica video. It shows just how desperate the world is for a hero.)

Jesus Wears Rocket Boots

Frank

Last night as I was putting my son to bed, we were tackling all the hard questions in life. My son asked a question about the Bible that I couldn’t answer, so I simply told him that some things in the Bible we can’t explain. They are miracles and we have to take them on faith that they really happened. I said, “take Jesus walking on water. We don’t know how he did that, just that he did.”

“Oh! I know,” my son quickly interrupted. “Jesus was wearing rocket boots, like Iron Man!”

Ok, maybe we can explain everything in the Bible. I suppose when the sun stood still for Joshua, Superman was flying around the Earth so fast that it stopped turning. (It worked in the movie, anyway)

A child’s imagination allows for robot armor, light sabers, men who turn green when angry, and talking animals. There’s room in their little minds to accept raising people from the dead, driving out evil spirits, and.. talking animals. Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when he said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

As we grow older, we also grow more cynical and skeptical. It is harder to accept Jesus walking on water; and even if we can make that logical leap, no way do we allow for Peter to do the same. Feeding 5000 with just a few fish and a couple of loaves of bread? Turning water into wine? These are harder to accept. Driving out demons can be explained away with psychology. We no longer have the faith of a little child.

Yet we spend billions to watch “The Avengers” while eagerly awaiting the next “Batman” and “Spiderman” release and speculating online about what, exactly, “Prometheus” is all about. We go in to the latest blockbusters willing to suspend belief for two hours. And then expect the Sunday morning sermon to be preached from science and history books.

I’m not saying we  should check our brain at the door to our churches. But rather we should allow for our imaginations to do just what God intended them to do- grasp at the unknown, wonder in awe at God’s power and creativity, and maybe in some way be inspired to share our unique insights through art, music, or prose.

If we can be child-like watching our childhood heroes on the big screen, why can’t we be child-like, as Jesus commanded, learning about our ultimate hero in Jesus? Miracles cannot be explained. If they could, they wouldn’t be miracles. And as I had to explain to my son, rocket boots weren’t yet invented when Jesus was alive. But I suppose that would have been a miracle too.

This is my first time joining my friend Duane Scott’s blog-carnival “unwrapping His promises”. Click the button below for more.

Two Thieves

Frank

What do your prayers sound like? When the pressures of life are pressing you down, when it feels like there is no hope at all, when there is no other place to turn do you pray, “aren’t you the Messiah? I need to you get me out of this. Save me”? Or instead do you simply pray, “Jesus, remember me”?

I don’t know why, but when I read the account of Jesus on the cross in Luke 23 and reflected on the words of the two thieves crucified with him, I couldn’t help but think of myself. I thought about how I approach God with the attitude, “you created the universe, you can fix this!” as though God owes me something. It convicted me to think of the second thief and his response, “don’t you fear God?” (v 40) as I ask myself the same question. I thought about how Jesus instructed not to pray by rambling on and on and how simple a prayer it is to surrender what I want and just say “Jesus, remember me.” (v 42)

I thought of how God is just and by his grace he saves me from all that I deserve. Yet there are times I deserve what I get. When I make my job the most important thing in my life and am later all stressed out. When I stop being giving to my family and act surprised when my children stop obeying. When I fail to ask the simple request for Jesus to remember me and wonder why life seems so hard. Then the second thief replies, “we are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man [Jesus] has done nothing wrong.” (v 41)

No, Jesus did not deserve to die like he did. And he does not deserve to be treated like a cosmic vending machine, or some strip mall self-help guru. Sure, he can get me off this tree, but I need to be honest and ask myself do I want this for me, or for him?

Lord Jesus, remember me.

Slave to the Grind

Frank

It is common to hear, when an athlete tests positive for performance enhancing drugs, that there was no way it could have been an accident. When competing at such an elite level, these athletes are meticulous in what they ingest into their bodies. My favorite example is when Manny Ramirez tested positive… for a fertility drug used by women! (It masks synthetic testosterone, in case you were wondering) To say he could have taken such a drug by accident is absurd. These athletes depend not only on their skill, but most importantly on their health. If they are out of shape or sickly, their performance suffers and ultimately so does their paycheck.

Ever wonder how movie stars stay so fit and trim? They make enough money to hire personal chefs and personal trainers to ensure their fitness. And their lifestyles afford them the luxury to take as much time as they need to get in shape for that next big role. Like the athlete, their livelihoods depend on their health and appearance.

Simply put, at the superstar level, these people make their bodies their slave.

Paul wrote about this in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Or without the religious jargon, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. So I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Every detail controlled. Every minute of training accounted for. Every calorie counted. The elite makes his and or her body their slave.

Slave isn’t a word we use a lot these days. There’s just too much baggage that loads the term. Even New Testament scriptures about slaves obeying their masters get a 20th Century gloss-over to apply to employee-boss relationships. Never mind the fine print that follows, “as if you are serving God, not men.” But lets call it what it is. Slavery. Bondage. No rights. No freedom. Slavery.

We are all slaves to something. We might be slaves to our jobs. We might be slaving over housework. We have all been, and may continue to be, slaves to sin. We are slaves to the grind.

But are you a slave to Christ? In the tenth chapter of Kyle Idleman’s book Not a Fan, Kyle talks about slavery. Not the whips and chains version. Or the kidnapped and shipped overseas to be sold at auction version. But the slavery where we give up all our rights, all our privileges, and make Jesus Christ our master. He makes the contrast that fans of Jesus never become his slave. They cry out to defend their freedoms: my pastor said this, but I think… our church voted to have… I know the Bible says, but… What we think what we want is more important than what Jesus commands. Oh yeah, and majority rules. The twelve Apostles could have out-voted Jesus anytime, but they functioned like a consensus group.

NO! Jesus’ Apostles may not have known what they were getting themselves into, but they knew they were giving up everything. Oh yeah, that’s a popular Bible verse: “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33) Anyone. Everything. Or you cannot. There is no grey area of compromise here. There is no voting. There is no sensitivity to your rights as an individual. No, Jesus is you master and you are his slave.

If you were to give up drinking on the weekends because you were training for a marathon, you would probably be encouraged by your friends. But if you gave up drinking because you are a slave to Jesus, you should expect to be mocked. If you go on a diet at the beginning of the year because losing weight was a New Year’s resolution, most would relate and say they’re doing the same thing. But fast from something for 40 days to draw closer to God (when it’s not prescribed on a church calendar to do so) and few would understand. A friend invites you to an R-rated movie and you turn it down because you can’t afford it, your friend would understand. But try and explain to someone that you don’t have cable at home because of the filth that permeates every station. Cutting back on expenses because times are tough? Sure, why not? Cutting back on expenses because you give at least 10% of what you earn back to God, and you’re part of a legalistic church.

Which of those examples did you relate most to? As you go about your walk with Jesus are you really submitting to him as a slave? Or are you twisting his teaching to suit your wants and needs and making Jesus your slave?

This post continues my series blogging through the book, Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman. I encourage you to follow along by clicking on the Not A Fan label to the right. And I urge you to pick up a copy of this book for yourself.

How Far Would You Go?

Frank

If you call someone and ask them to meet you at 5:00 AM to pray, they are likely to think you’re crazy. If you call the same person and ask them to meet you at the gym, that would be normal. If you were to move across the country to plant a church in a city you’ve never been, your family would probably raise their eyebrows. But if you made the same decision, but instead in order to go to college or for a job, most would be joyful for your decision.

The standard of how far is far enough moves depending on what we’re talking about. In the current economic climate, uprooting your family for a job isn’t unreasonable. But to uproot your family and serve in the Third World would seem strange. If you ask a stranger in the grocery store parking lot about their new car, it’s not at all awkward. But stop that same person in the parking lot and ask them about Jesus and expect a cold response. It might be ok to your friends if you tell them you can’t stay out as late Saturday night because you have church that morning. Unless the big game is on early and you’d miss it for church.

So how far would you go to follow Jesus?

The name Aron Ralston may not be familiar, but I’m sure you’ve heard his story. He is the hiker and climber whose arm got stuck behind a rock and had to cut it off in order to survive. He is the subject of the movie 127 Hours. Before the book and the movie, I saw his story on the Today Show. My eyes could have fallen out of my head they were open so wide as I heard his story of survival. In a nutshell: he went hiking, didn’t tell anyone where he was going, and while working through a crevice a boulder dislodged and rolled over his arm trapping him. After five days, delirious and out of water, he amputated his arm with a dull knife from his multi-tool. Let me say that again so it can sink in, he cut off his arm with a dull knife.

As dramatic as that sounds, the simple fact of the matter is if he hadn’t, he would not have survived. As if that weren’t enough, he then had to repel down a 65 foot rock face, and hike 8 miles back to his truck. All while dehydrated and bleeding to death. He mentioned in one interview, “I had amputated my arm within minutes of when they had found the truck. If I hadn’t chopped off my arm they would have found me but I would have been dead. It would have been days later. Had I chopped off my arm earlier, then the helicopter wouldn’t have been there and I would have bled to death.” Impeccable timing, or something more divine?

The first reaction to that story is to put yourself in his shoes and ask yourself if you could have done the same thing. It is hard to imagine myself, stuck like that in the same spot, breaking my arm in order to get through the bone and having to sever nerves in order to pull myself away. In fact, even typing this, I shudder. But how far would you go to survive?

Now how do we make the leap from this true story to our pursuit of Jesus? Again I ask, how far would you go to survive? Jesus relates in a parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46)

The man sold all he had with joy because he knew what he was getting was worth so much more. The life and death implication may not be obvious, so let me add, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.’“(Matthew 16:24-25, emphasis added)

Following Jesus is a matter of life and death. So if you are trapped in your sin, how far would you go? To further drive the point, “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matthew 5:30, emphasis added)

So one last time, how far would you go?

This post continues my series blogging through the book, Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman. I encourage you to follow along by clicking on the Not A Fan label to the right. And I urge you to pick up a copy of this book for yourself.

You’re an All Star

Frank

So far blogging through Kyle Idelman’s book Not a Fan, I’ve drawn spiritual lessons from Tim Tebow, John Wall, and Josh Hamilton. At some point I plan on writing about Jeremy Lin, Rulon Gardner, Billy Beane and others if the opportunity presents itself. It’s nice to look at these superstars and draw encouragement and inspiration from their lives or their play on the field/court/mat. But these athletes represent the cream of the crop, the top percent of athletic skill. Let’s face it, it is unlikely you or I will ever play in the Super Bowl or run in the Olympics. These athletes are in exclusive company.

Just how exclusive? According to the NCAA only 0.03% of high school boys who play basketball go on to play professionally, 0.02% of women. Football is slightly better with 0.09% of high school players making the pros. If you are living vicariously through your children and dream of them making the big time, your best bet is to steer them towards baseball where 0.5% of high school players go on to play in the pros. (But note that last number does not mean the Major Leagues; baseball has an expansive minor league system where most players never see a pitch above single A).

What is even more exclusive than being the pros is being an All Star. Headlines were made last week noting that Blake Griffin is not in the NBA slam dunk competition and that Jeremy Lin isn’t in the three-point shootout. There are omissions to the All Star team every year in every sport that leave fans scratching their heads.

But imagine you or I making the All Star team. How out of place would we be? The college hoops team I root for shot 1-10 the last nine minutes of their game last weekend. They lost the lead against their arch-rivals the first and only time with three minutes left and never recovered. A fan might call that a choke. Now picture that team suiting up for the All Star game, practicing jump shots for the three-pointer competition. Yet even those players are better than most of us watching the game from our Lay-Z-Boy.

Another exclusive crowd were the young men in Jesus’ day who were selected to learn under a Rabbi. It was an honor and source of familial pride. A Rabbi didn’t pick just anyone. It was the equivalent of being chosen to suit up in the NFL. But that’s not how Jesus operated. He hand-picked the rejected. In fact, instead of waiting for others to ask to follow him he went out and asked fishermen, tax collectors and political rebels to follow him. And when he taught to the crowds he was explicit in his invitation “if anyone would follow me…”

Kyle uses the example of Matthew the tax collector in chapter 8 to emphasize Jesus’ open invitation. The application for you and me is that we have a better chance of being chosen to follow Jesus than to be a professional athlete. Based on the numbers above, that doesn’t say much. But Jesus’ invitation to follow him is all-inclusive.

The word sin is used in archery to describe when one misses the target. Me, I’ve missed the target a lot. I’ve bricked the wide open jumper, whiffed at the [slow pitch softball] pitch, dropped the pass. I’m not going to make any All Star team. But Jesus invites me to play for him anyway. Let that sink in. Jesus actually wants me to be on his team. Ever been picked last on the playground wondering whether you’ll get to play at all? Jesus picks you first. Ever miss the crucial play and hang your head in embarrassment? Jesus just selected you to be an All Star.

Kyle offers the challenge to those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus rather than just fans: are we as inclusive as Jesus? Or do we consciously pick our teams based on appearance? Our church, our demographic, our neighborhood, our ministry… how inclusive are you? Don’t get me wrong, there is fine print here. Following every invitation from Jesus is the call “you must…” But do we close the door on people’s faces before ever getting to that point?

The next time you stumble on the playing field of life remember that Jesus wants you on his team. And that neighbor, coworker, friend that is even a worse player than you? Jesus wants him and her on his team too.

This post continues my series blogging through the book, Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman. I encourage you to follow along by clicking on the Not A Fan label to the right. And I urge you to pick up a copy of this book for yourself.

Do I Know You?

Frank

On one of my recent business trips I was returning from Washington, DC and waiting in line on the jetway when I started small talk with the person next to me. He was a big guy and looked pretty young. We were talking about the weather in LA when I asked him what he was going out there for. “Oh, I’m going to go work out, work on my game” he replied. Since he looked so young, and it was that time of year, I figured it might have been a workout for a school. “Nah,” he laughed, “I’m in the NBA, I play for the Washington Wizards.” Now feeling foolish I try and backpeddle, “Oh, I don’t watch too much of the pros. I’m more a college hoops fan.” And realizing I was digging myself further into a hole, I changed subject to the NBA lockout which was still going on at the time. Then the line started to move, we got on board, wished each other well, and took our seats; his in first class of course. But before we parted ways I noticed his bags were monogramed with JW. So once in my seat I quickly did a Google search of JW Washington Wizards before the flight attendant could stop me and throw me in a cell with Alec Baldwin.

Now there are a couple of things wrong with the story above. First, my description of “young”. Ok, so this “kid” was 20 at the time. But my excuse of being a college hoops fan didn’t help my cause. Because JW for the Washington Wizards was none other than John Wall, first overall draft pick in the 2010 NBA draft, and arguably the best player in college basketball that year. And it’s not like he played for some obscure school either; he played for the Kentucky Wildcats, one of college basketball’s elite powerhouses. So of course I did a facepalm there in my seat and vowed if I saw him as we were getting off the plane, I would apologize and try and get my story straight.

You see, the problem was I was standing right next to one of the best basketball players in the world and I didn’t know it. But if he had told me his name I could have spouted off stats, key plays, and otherwise acted like I knew what I was talking about. I knew about John Wall, but I didn’t know John Wall.

Does that describe your relationship with Jesus? Do you know a lot about Jesus without actually knowing Him? That is the topic of chapter 3 of Kyle Idleman’s book Not a Fan, “knowledge about him or intimacy with him?” Kyle uses the example of the Pharisee in Luke 7 who invites Jesus over for dinner, yet doesn’t even acknowledge him as a guest. The irony, Kyle points out, is that this man has spent his life studying the scriptures and likely had all the messianic prophecies memorized, but he couldn’t recognize the Messiah sitting right in front of him. I am reminded of this verse:

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40)

Further, Kyle suggests that our church culture actually encourages knowledge without intimacy. Consider:

We love having Bible studies, many of which include some kind of workbook. We go through a Bible curriculum that often has homework. Sermons are often accompanied by an outline where members can take notes and fill in the blanks. Many preachers refer to their sermons as a lesson or a lecture. If you grew up in the church, then you probably went to Sunday school, where you had a teacher. In the summer you may have gone to Vacation Bible School. Maybe you even competed in Bible Bowl competitions, all of which are won or lost depending on how much biblical knowledge you’ve accumulated and how fast you can raise your hand or hit a button. (pg 44)

The other night at Midweek we had a trivia competition. I love these, but mostly because I usually do really well. It is so bad (and yes, I said bad) that if we picked teams, I know a lot of people would pick to be on mine (which is completely different than kickball, but I digress). There are a handful of us at church who are usually the last ones standing and that night was no exception. In the end it came down to two of us, and I walked away victorious because I was able to figure out a trick math question. Of course, Jesus doesn’t care about any of that. And that scares me.

I confess I know a lot about Jesus and I know a lot about the Bible. But I have to honestly assess myself and ask how intimately I really know Jesus. One of my greatest fears is to reach the end of my life and hear Jesus say, “I never knew you, away from me you evildoer!” (Matthew 7:23) Most of us would rather hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21, 23) Yet doesn’t Jesus tell his disciples “I no longer call you servants… instead I have called you friends…” (John 15:15) Isn’t that the level of intimacy we want to have with Jesus and He with us? Can you honestly describe your relationship with Jesus that way?

Evildoer. Servant. Or friend. What will Jesus call you? Or will he call you “just a fan”?

This post continues my series blogging through the book, Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman. I encourage you to follow along by clicking on the Not A Fan label to the right. And I urge you to pick up a copy of this book for yourself.