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I was asked to preach yesterday, in ‘A town’. As I started, I asked people “What are you thankful for?” A couple of people responded quickly. Then I asked, “What has been stressing you out?” Several wanted to answer and I asked two to share. I then asked, “What is something you did this week in obedience to Jesus?” Nothing! No one wanted to volunteer an answer. Finally, the pastor’s wife shared something that she sensed the Lord had asked her to do and what had resulted.

This introduction was an immediate attention-getter. I began to preach about disciples being imitators of Christ and imitators of the FAITH of those who lead us: not their personalities, style, gestures, or methods. I don’t think I have ever preached where everyone was paying such close attention throughout the sermon. Afterwards, a man I don’t even know came up and hugged me and thanked me.

How this relates to the topic is that people listening to me realized they were fans of Jesus, rather than followers of Jesus. In this particular church, like many others, the people applaud Jesus and they are more expressive than in most churches. But it is easy to support Jesus as if he were a political candidate, or applaud Him as if He were a rock star, than to obey Him as the Son of GOD. I also know as a teacher of others, that I must chisel away at the things that keep me from being a disciple if I want to expect others to do the same. I too, must be able to answer the same question that I ask them every week. We have nuanced Christianity into a club where we all agree with each other’s ideas ABOUT Jesus, instead of encouraging each other to do what Christ asks us to do…even if it means leaving our “club”.

* For security reasons we have not identified the missionary as per their request.