Are You a Jesus Follower?

We had a great instructor last night at our Perspectives class.  His topic regarded church planting in parts of the world with zero exposure to Christ.  

In that discussion he brought something to our attention:

U.S. citizens often travel outside our borders - say, to the east - where the assumption is we are Christian.  Go to China and they will ask openly, "Are you Christian?"  They ask because they are interested in our culture. Travel to Central Asia and they will look upon you with suspicion because you are from the west, a Christian.  U.S. citizens, Christian or not - are labeled Christian because it's our culture.

In most parts of the world, religion identifies your culture.  To be Thai is to be Buddhist, to be Indian is to be Hindu, to be Afghan is to be Muslim, and to be Chinese - well, you are Communist.

So, when our instructor shared about a particular conversation with a Muslim, he told the man he was a follower of Jesus.

This caught in his throat.


It's one thing to say, yes, I'm a Christian.  But, quite another to say, I'm a follower of Jesus.  Just that small phrase applies a stronger conviction.  Saying we are Christian brings images of a church-goer, an evil crusader, a hypocrite, a person of hate, rules, legalism.  Not many good adjectives.  But, try telling someone you are a follower of Jesus.  What happens to you?  To your audience?

Do I follow Jesus?  Really?

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Matthew 16:24

Crucifixion is a shocking metaphor for discipleship, isn't it? 

A disciple must deny himself, take up his cross - embrace God's will, no matter the cost - and follow Christ.

When our instructor explained the difference between being a Christian and a follower of Jesus to his Muslim friend, a miraculous thing happened - this Muslim began sharing with his suspicious friends, in their language,  - the difference!  All this before he even embraced Christ as his own.

I want to be a follower of Jesus - to see lives transformed - including mine.