SOME HAVE CONFUSED THE TARGET

In his book "Not A Fan", Kyle Idleman poses the question, "Are you following Jesus or following Rules'?

"Do you remember the story of Matt Emmons? He was one shot away from claiming victory in the 2004 Olympics. He was competing in the 50-meter three-position rifle event and didn’t even need a bull’s-eye to win. His final shot merely needed to be on target. 

Normally, the shot he made would have received a score of 8.1, more than enough for a gold medal. But in what was described as “an extremely rare mistake in elite competition,” Emmons fired at the wrong target. Standing in lane two, he fired at the target in lane three. His score for a good shot at the wrong target: 0. So instead of a medal, Emmons ended up in eighth place.

That’s a picture of what happens to a lot of fans. If you asked them, “Are you a fan or a follower?” they would confidently respond “follower”. It’s not a question of their effort or desire. They are following hard. Here is the problem; it’s not Jesus they are following. Without realizing it, they are aiming at the wrong target. Instead of following Jesus they are following religious rules and rituals.

They have confused the target.