Are You A Fan Of Jeremy Lin Or Follower Of Jesus Christ

To start, I just want to say that I am a fan of Jeremy Lin. Because of Jeremy, he got me interested in watching basketball again. There is nothing wrong being a fan of someone you admire – just don’t make him an idol in your life.

My main point today is about: Are we a FAN or FOLLOWER of Jesus? There is a difference. What it really means to be a Christian? Now that you are born again, what is next? How does God and Bible expect our lives to be different?

In our passage today in Philippians, Paul says in order for him to know Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering…He is saying “I am a follower of Jesus and not just a fan of Him.

Interestingly, Paul uses this analogy of “Profit & Loss” and “Gain & Lost” to show what following Jesus and living a transformed life is. In other words, we have to renew our minds and re-evaluate our choices in life on what is considered as “Profit & Loss”, so that we can truly follow Christ.

So my message today is not about trying to understand this whole Linsanity Resurrection of Jeremy Lin saving the Knicks franchise and winning fans all over the world.

Today, I want to win your heart to understand this Crazy Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Crazy Love of God. The God Almighty of this Universe would love this world so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.

Jesus Christ was CRAZY to come down from his throne in heaven and became a man – but he did! At first, Jesus was winning the crowds by performing all those miracles of healing, feeding, caring. But all of a sudden, the final week, the Holy Week leading to the Cross, in His disciples’ eyes, Jesus was losing.

It seemed, Heaven was being defeated, hell was winning. Jesus cried: “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?.. It is finished!” God was being silent, Satan was shouting victory... “Crucify Him, We won!” And as Jesus died on the Cross, for a moment, all of Christ’s followers were distressed. Some of them went back to their old life business and occupation. They went back to fishing. If there was a “Win & Lost” score board it seemed that Satan has won and God has lost. And most of the followers of Jesus were no longer following Him, but a disappointed fan. But you know what happened next!!!!

BUT ON THE THIRD DAY! (Hallelujah) The stone was rolled out! The tomb was empty! Jesus is no longer dead! Jesus is alive! Jesus has resurrected!

Phil 3:10: That is why Paul passionately said: “I want to know Christ, more and more, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”

The Resurrection happened; it was real! Do you believe that? Then you are CRAZY for Jesus! Say I’m Crazy for Jesus!

Paul knew people would think we’re nuts; so he wrote in: 1 Corinthians 15:14 - And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

We have an useless faith with out an empty tomb! Crazy!

1 Corinthians 15:15 - Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.

We are liars if He still lies in the grave! Crazy!

1 Corinthians 15:19 - If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

We are stupid if He’s still a stiff!! We got PUNK’D! Crazy!

If Jesus Christ is just fertilizer for Easter lilies outside of Jerusalem then we are wasting our time, talents and treasures. We are fooling ourselves, lying to others and wasting our lives. The rest of the world should check us in to the nearest mental hospital and rescue us from our deranged selves.

But we are not insane; we’re just CRAZY for Jesus! Because the Bible tells us…

1 Corinthians 15:20 - But now Christ is risen from the dead…..

John 11:25 - “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

And here is a crucial step for all of us to be a Christian…Rom: 10:9-10:

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”