Are You a Christian, or follower of Jesus?
Here is an interesting article on following Jesus from Scott Camp…
“So, I have a question for you. Are you a Christian, or are you a follower of Jesus?
Odd question, huh? When we tell others we’re a Christian, we know what we mean, but do they know? In a recent article in the Christian and Missionary Alliance magazine, a missionary to the Muslims had the following thoughts about evangelizing Arabs.
Sometimes telling a Muslim you’re a Christian means you’re materialistic, dress immodestly, drink alcohol, watch porn, and eat pork. That isn’t what you mean, but that’s what they hear. Any efforts to get through to them about the beauty and brilliance of Jesus must pass through those filters, and it usually doesn’t work.
What about us? We’re not missionaries to Muslims, we live in Red Bluff! Well, think about it; when you talk to a stranger or an unbelieving acquaintance and you feel led to tell them about Jesus “I’m a Christian,” what do you think their filters, their pre-conceived notions are?
Think about it. Survey after survey says most American unbelievers think these things about Christians: “Christians are anti-gay, anti-women, and intolerant of people that aren’t like them.” Think about this for a moment. Here’s what the missionary to the Muslims figured out. “Christian” is not a particularly important biblical term. It shows up in the New Testament only three times: in Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16. That’s it, three times in the entire New Testament. However, “disciples” shows up almost 300 times, in the Gospels, we’re told to “follow” Jesus 30 times.
So, the missionary decided to tell Muslims he was a “disciple…a follower of Jesus.” What happened? The barriers to engagement were lowered. But as the missionary prayed and thought about this dilemma, he realized that the way he and other Christians see themselves has huge importance in many areas. When he thought of himself as a Christian, he realized that this led him to believe he needed more; more knowledge, more prayer, more of “read the Bible, learn more about your faith.” However, when he thought of himself as a “disciple, a follower of Jesus,” he thought differently. He found himself needing to grow more in humility and obedience. He realized that often happens outside the church, engaging outside the church.
He ran into a second problem in his “figuring this out.” When he thought of himself as a Christian, he saw himself as a “finished product.” “I’ve prayed the prayer; I’ve been baptized; I’m part of a group.” As a “follower of Jesus, a disciple,” different questions came up. “Where will my master lead me today? Who will we meet?”
How we see ourselves also frames how we talk to those who are not following Jesus. If I’m a “Christian,” I’m inviting others to my religion. I argue for the virtues of my faith. I’m trying to make a convert. It’s too easy to get involved in cultural or political battles such as abortion, homosexuality, and the role of women in the world.
If I’m a follower of Jesus, a disciple, I’m inviting them to get started on the road with Jesus. I’m inviting them to join me in following Him, not in praying a prayer.
When I preached these thoughts at three different churches here in Red Bluff, my text was Matthew 26:58, about Peter after the arrest of Jesus. “But Peter was following Him at a distance…” You see, there’s a difference between having Jesus solely as “Savior” and having Him also as “Lord.” Too many “Christians” are “following at a distance.” They’re unengaged.
What did the early church believe and teach? Look at the preaching history of the church in Acts. “Savior” is there twice and “Lord” is there 106 times! What conclusions do you draw from this? What about you? Are you relying on Jesus as “Savior” and rejecting Him as “Lord?” It’s too easy to “follow at a distance.”
Are you a Christian, or are you a follower of Jesus?”
Image courtesy of: Jojoxai
About Author
“It’s too easy to get involved in cultural or political battles and arguments that serve no purpose (other than trying to convince someone). Staying away from these topics completely, however, would be just like “following at a distance”. Rather than stay clear of uncomfortable situations, Paul walked right into the synagogue to preach the words of Yeshua. If our opinion on a topic is anything other than the truth of what God laid out, we should seek to understand that. A person isn’t forced to change their opinion, but they can’t act like they are following Christ and go against God’s word at the same time. As Christians we need to make sure that we are following God through Christ and not making up our own religion.
I believe that as a Disciple of Christ we are not in a religion instead we are in a daily relationship with God who is God the Father, Jesus the Son and The Holy Spirit, second I believe that once the person has been converted we should continue to disciple them and making sure they are following God by praying, reading God’s word, attending church, listening to praise and worship daily, getting baptized in water and in the spirit. However we should stand up for justice such as abortion, homosexuality and Women’s rights expressing God’s love and the knowledge of the truth
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and not following at a distance spiritually and politically because all the issues matter to us and our children. Keeping the church separated from the government means that we Christians God’s Disciples do not let the government rule or make decisions with our faith and beliefs.