Not and Fan and The Man in the Arena

In 2011, Kyle Idleman wrote a book titled Not A Fan. His content challenged Christians to become a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. For Kyle, this meant that Christian disciples were challenged to define their relationship with Jesus, to consider the cost of actually being a completely committed follower of Jesus and to get out of the stadium seats and onto the playing field of life. Fans can shout, dance and make a lot of noise but they don’t really know what it’s like to be on the field. Anyone can be a self-absorbed know-it-all or a Monday Morning Quarterback who wasn’t even in the game. It takes incredible courage to be Christ-like in the presence of each. If you have not read the book or visited the website notafan.com, I encourage you to learn more.

On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt delivered what became the most widely quoted speeches of his career. The former president—who left office in 1909—took time off and spent a year hunting in Central Africa before commencing on a tour of Northern Africa and Europe in 1910. President Roosevelt attended events and gave speeches in places like Cairo, Berlin, Naples, and Oxford. He stopped in Paris on April 23 and gave the Man in the Arena speech at 3 p.m. at the Sorbonne. Roosevelt railed against cynics who looked down at people who were trying to make the world a better place. “The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer,” he said. “A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticize work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life's realities—all these are marks, not ... of superiority but of weakness.”

President Roosevelt then delivered an inspirational and impassioned message that drew huge applause. I’ve incorporated this speech in leadership seminars or conferences I’ve led all over the world. Below is my favorite quote from his speech:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”*

Don’t be a fan and Don’t be a cynic

Discipleship isn’t for the faint of heart. Full devotion and total commitment to Jesus ebbs and flows for most of us and it’s easy to point out where Christian leaders—especially pastors—are on the spectrum of hot to cold. Christian leaders lead a public life, whether we want to admit it or not. Everything we say and do is evaluated by outsiders, insiders and by the Lord himself. We work for Christ to make his Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. He is the ultimate judge of us all—not the fans nor the ones who will never know triumph or defeat. Jesus knows our heart. He knows our thoughts. He knows our intention. When Jesus said, “Follow me.” He also said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” (Luke 16:24) Courage, friends, is discovered and experienced in the act of following, sacrificing and becoming like Jesus.

As we continue in our Discipleship Explored material, we read of a terrible conflict between two Christian leaders who were women in Philippi. (Philippians 4:2-3) Think about this for a moment. Of all the people named and unnamed in the bible, these two women were clearly identified as Euodia and Syntyche. Are they named and known among us now not for their conflict but for their resolution and unity they provided in their church? Paul implored the Philippian Christians to help them work out their conflict by appealing to them to have the same mind as Christ. Have the same mind of Jesus—in conflict. That is true discipleship—not focusing on the problem but on the solution. These are the signs Paul identified as Christian discipleship:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 NIV)

As we transition through the next few months, I encourage each of you to consider the claims from Kyle Idleman, President Roosevelt and the Apostle Paul. Conflict in the church is inevitable. How we lead through it makes all the difference in the world.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completionuntil the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV)

Pastor Jen

*Citzenship in a Republic speech https://www.leadershipnow.com/tr-citizenship.html