Fans Or Followers Of Jesus? Series

Fan or Follower?

January 8, 2023

We’re going to jump right into it. Today and for the next 4-5 weeks, we’re going to look at a book which has intrigued me. It’s not a book of the Bible. This series comes from a book by Kyle Idleman called - not a fan.

Basically, we’re gonna talk about whether we’re fans or followers of Jesus. That’s it. The hope is that this will help move us to a deeper place, a deeper, more profound and committed relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Imagine you’re sitting at a coffee shop, reading a book, or watching a youtube video. Your head’s down as you enjoy some quiet time. There’s an open seat across from you and some stranger walks in and sits down. You’re annoyed and as you look up, you realize that without a doubt, it’s Jesus. (I know, play this out with me.)

He’s just sitting there and it feels awkward, so you start to talk, and you know you’re babbling, but you sense you should be the one doing the talking. You tell Him how much you appreciate Him. You let Him know His miracles are pretty cool too. Then your food arrives. You normally don’t pray, but come on, Jesus is there. So you pray out loud . . . your nervous, and you say . . . Oh dear Lord, 3 things I pray, to see thee more clearly, to love thee more dearly, and to follow thee more nearly, day by day. Amen.

Jesus gives you a look, kind of a whatever look, and then Jesus starts talking. He doesn’t ask about your meal, or your off beat prayer, He gets right to the point - - - He asks, “who do you say that I am?” That’s it. Nothing more.

You know He knows what you’re thinking and going to say, so you’ve got to be real. It’s like the most real lie detector test you could ever take. What do you say?

Jesus wants you to define the relationship you have with Him. It’s kind of like dating someone for a period of time. Ultimately, we begin to define the relationship. Is it a casual thing, we see each other periodically, but can see others? Is it exclusive, you’re the one for me?

How would you define your level of commitment to Jesus? Is it a casual thing, weekends only, and that’s if something better doesn’t come up. Or maybe you’re still in that talking stage, trying to figure out if you want to take this to the next level? Or is it exclusive?

That’s kind of what we’re talking about for the next few weeks. It might not be so easy. I’m not sure where this is going to take us. One thing that struck me from reading this book was the fact that Idleman was often concerned with what people thought of him and his preaching, more so than what they thought of Jesus. And I need to tell you, most every preacher deals with those thoughts and the insecurity that comes with preaching.

So, this series is not about entertaining you, there may be no stupid jokes you don’t laugh at. And no silly videos. It’s straight talk about who Jesus is and most importantly who He is to you. It’s about how you define your relationship with Jesus.

So - - - are you a fan or a follower?

Jesus had lots of fans. When you read the Bible, people were always following Him, not so much because they believed in Him, but because of what He offered.

In John 6, the people were flocking to Jesus and He knows why. In 6:2, John tells us - - -

2 And a large crowd was following Him, because they saw the signs that He was doing on the sick. - John 6:2

They were there because they saw miracles being performed and they were intrigued. At this point, there were few followers, they were mostly fans.

Then Jesus fed the 5,000 from 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. The people stayed overnight and searched for Jesus the next morning, but He was on the other side of the sea, so they went there and Jesus told them - - -

26 “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. - John 6:26

Again, the people were filled by the food and they wanted more. They’re fans and weren’t concerned about their spirit, they didn’t get it. So, Jesus told them - - -

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. - John 6:27