I'm Not a Fan of Jesus

SO....Let's kick things off, we are doing a Not a Fan series at our Church.  In a nutshell it is all about not being a fan of Jesus, but rather a Completely, Committed, Follower of Him!  It not only is a powerful message, but it is also a movement/revival that is taking place.  Below I have placed my own Not a Fan story that is full of my confessions.  It may leave you scratching your head in some areas, but no worries I will expound in the near future!
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I’m not going to lie, being raised in church my whole life was a huge blessing, it gave me a foundation and some good Biblical knowledge, at the same time, though, it was also a problem. My problem was that I was raised in church, but I was not raised in Jesus.  I learned very early in life how to follow all the rules, most of which were man made.  I was bilingual in Christianese and I had mastered what I like to call “motionology”, the art of going through all the churchy motions and doing it in a public manner, which would make me look spiritual to those around me.  I was under the impression that I was working my way to Heaven, I was doing it all on my own, and I was applauded for it by those around me. I had become a professional fan, and just like the religious rulers of Jesus’s day, I couldn’t have been more proud.


The Bible says that “pride comes before a great fall,” and how true that is.  I will never forget the day my religious balancing act collapsed from the load I was carrying.  The final straw that broke my back came, my castle in the sand crumbled, and I was crushed underneath it.  I was certain Jesus was disgusted with me, that I had brought Him shame and I had merely earned myself a one-way ticket to hell.  That day placed me on a journey in which I learned the very thing that broke me was also the very thing that saved me from myself.  

I was nothing more than a fan of Jesus.  I heard His words, but I didn’t listen to them.  I came to church to support Jesus, as if He needed it, but I never allowed Him to support me.  I had to unplug my former view of Christianity, and I had to learn who Jesus Christ really was.  What I found was a Jesus I didn’t recognize.  I found a Jesus who wasn’t waiting to beat me up and punish me for every small thing, but rather, a Jesus who would pick me up when I would fall.  When I truly experienced Jesus, I also experienced a complete overhaul in my life that brought a freedom exceeding my understanding. I found a Jesus I had never known before, and that same Jesus is the one I have picked up my cross to follow. 

He has never left me, but once I have started following Him, He put me in places where I never dreamed I could be. I am currently a Student Pastor who gets to weekly invite my students to be Completely, Committed, Followers of Christ. I also have the opportunity to be a host on a Christian radio station that issues that same invitation on a daily basis.  It’s amazing what happens on this Journey once you decide to follow Jesus, it’s not a perfect life, but it is a blessed life.

My name is Michael Booth, and I am not a fan.