A Fan, A Follower, or A Fraud
Matthew 4:18-22
* In 2007 over 100 million people watched the Super Bowl. This afternoon that number will, quite likely, eclipse every record that has been previously established. Why is that? Today the New England Patriots is putting their historic run on the line and people all around the world are interested. Some are cheering them on while many are simply pulling for the “underdog” New York Giants, because many want whoever is on top to be brought down. These folk who cheer and watch are called fans. In this congregation we have fans, and fans of all kinds. Certainly, we have those who are fans of football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, hockey, and many other sports. But we also have those who are fans of music, arts, shows, movie stars, and the like. Consider with me the characteristic of a fan.
* A fan defined is one who is an enthusiastic devotee of “sports.” I am not sure why this would be limited to sports as it could just as easily be the theatre, music, or the like.
* Let me give you four characteristics (that I have identified) of a fan.
1) EXCLUSIVE – It takes no imagination to recognize that fans have ONE focus. It can be their team, players, sport, or the like. But make no mistake, they don’t switch.
* Last week I mentioned Alabama as trying to win and all the Auburn (as well as the rest) enjoyed the funny as the expense of the Tide. But it matters not, Tide, Tigers, Rebels, Gators, Volunteers, Bulldogs, or the rest, we tend to stick to our favorite and NEVER CHANGE!! Whether one sport, one team, one artist, or one “something else”, the fan is, quite likely, exclusive.
2) EXTRAVAGANT – It takes no imagination to know that fans are big spenders. The last time I checked tickets to the Super Bowl ranged from $1900 to $5,000. College, High School, and professional games are regularly attended and cost hundreds of dollars. Is this wrong? No, not if you have the discretionary income to spend. But the point is this, for the fan, if they don’t have the money, they have the plastic and will stop at (almost) nothing to see their team.
3) EXPRESSIVE – Of all things a fan is expressive. Watch the ballgame on TV and you’ll see a wave, hollering, screaming, jumping up and down, and even yelling at the officials. Instead of the ballgame on TV, watch those who watch the ballgame on TV. They’ll stand on the couch, shout at the deaf TV, jump up with their hands raised like a referee signaling a touchdown, and even boo the opponent. Can you imagine when Tom Brady throws a TD pass the crowd whispering, “Yes,” or “amen”? Can you imagine the New England fans “if” the Patriots actually go 19-0?
4) EXHAUSTING – The fan NEVER GIVES UP OR IN!! They will wear you out!! I am still holding out hope that one of these Super Bowl Days, the New Orleans Saints will not only PLAY, but WIN!! Listen, fans will wear you out!! They are always talking about the team. They know who’s been recruited or signed. They know everything possible about “their team.” To be around them is exhausting and sometimes frustrating because they are so given to their team that they just won’t let it go.
* At about this point, many are saying, “Preacher, you have just ran all the way through your outline and you have only preached about being a ‘fan’, are you going to give us any word from God today?” Please consider all the things that I have just said, roll them over in your mind, add your own comment and then consider this statement.
* Jesus has not called us only to be, nor does He desire to have fans, His call is as simple today as it was in the first century. He calls us to be followers. To everyone He called, the same message was given, many times the same words were spoken, and no doubt the same expectation and invitation extended. He calls, expects, and desires followers. For the next few minutes, will you consider with me this question, “Am I a fan, a follower, or a fraud of and for Jesus Christ?” Turn with me to Matthew 4 and we’ll read verses 18-22. As you turn, we have started this year with a call to be a fellowship willing to “change” in order to become a “Jesus Church”, that is, a church filled up with Healthy Believers who have dealt with and demolished the strongholds which Satan has successfully built in our lives. Every message we hear and every step we take will be an intentional effort to lead us toward this.
* (TEXT) Let me direct your attention to the last 3 words of verse 21 and verse 22 which say, “He called them. Immediately they left the boat, their father, and followed Him.” The call of Christ is all or nothing. In Luke 9 Jesus extended the call of “follow me” to several unnamed people. All of these had their own request “first let me go bury my father”, “let me go and say good-bye..” and Jesus’ response was this, “follow me”. Now He gave some other words about the ‘dead burying the dead’ and ‘don’t look back’, but the impetus of His words were FOLLOW ME.
* When I contrast the characteristics of a fan versus the characteristics of the follower, it seems to me that the call of the follower resembles that of a fan except that this call raises the commitment to a higher level. It requires more of a person, his life, her resources, time, talent, energy, and talk. It requires all they are.
* So now, let’s walk by through those same characteristics we of a fan and let’s see how the divine call is different.
1) EXCLUSIVE – Over this past month we have been reminded of Jesus’ response to the question, “what is the greatest commandment?” Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. There is no room for anyone else.
* By the way, Jesus is pretty exclusive Himself. He asks, “You want to know God? Then you must know me.” In the upper room Jesus was less than 18 hours from being nailed to the cross and with a sense of urgency and passion He was intent on conveying the reason He was even on earth. He told the disciples, “I am THE way, THE truth, THE life, and no one gets to God except through me.
* The follower of Jesus Christ is the one who cannot be deterred regardless of the circumstances. Burned into the heart of the follower is the first commandment of “no other gods” and “no one can serve two masters.” His or her life is all about pleasing the master. He is exclusive in his allegiance, his focus, his behavior, and His very life.
* The reason the follower is so exclusive is that they have heard His call, left it all, and followed Him
2) EXTRAVAGANT – When I think of this term, I am reminded of Mary, the sister of Lazarus, who was criticized for anointing the feet of Jesus with “priceless” oil. Why is it that for our desires, we use one standard of “extravagant” and another for the Lord? Oh, by the way, do you remember who criticized Mary for her actions. It was the treasurer, Judas. He called pouring out money on the Lord being wasteful and then attempted to make a sociological and emotional appeal about taking care of the poor. Isn’t interesting that when the time is convenient for us we use everything in our reach, every weapon we have, to be less than extravagant for the Lord.
* Mary not only gave the oil, but she gave herself, totally and completely. For the follower of Christ, nothing is too good. Our best is not good enough. But we keep on giving because we know that we cannot out give our Lord Jesus. He gave His all for us.
3) EXPRESSIVE – Seems to me that we have much backwards in this world. Today, bad is good. In fact, in the not too distant past a song was popular that spoke of “Living Life Upside Down.” In this thing of being expressive, it just seems to me that we get excited about things that don’t matter while we remain sedate, quiet, and reserved about the things that are of “life and death.” As we believers, we have so much more to celebrate than the winning of a ballgame, yet do we?
* Consider this; the Bible does not teach us to be “restrained!!” Yes, God is the God of ORDER, but not paralysis. In the Old Testament we read words like shouts, shouts of praise, 120 trumpets, cymbals, clapping your hands, dancing, singing and more. To truly be a fan of a ball team you will be known as being expressive. Jesus, God incarnate, died for you and me to escape the punishment of hell and then ROSE FROM THE DEAD to give us life everlasting. Seems to me, that this truth is a HUGE reason to be excited and celebrate, if we rise to the level of being followers
4) EXHAUSTING – In the same way a fan never quits a true follower never quits. You see, he has left his boat, his nets, his father, and his past, to follow Christ. Several things are of interest at this point; a fan of a sports team can tell you “who the coach is”, who plays, who’s going to be signed, and even next year’s schedule – without looking at any cue card. They have all this in memory (this is the same memory that can’t seem to remember Bible verses, to read the Sunday school lesson, or the revival meeting). A follower of Christ is exhausting in his approach to knowing Christ. He never gives it up or gives in.
a) Are you a fan or a follower? Think about this; can you imagine it getting to game day and the wife says, “I have a headache, don’t think I’ll go to the game” only to have the husband respond, “If you don’t go, I won’t, because of the crowds”
b) While we laugh at this, it is sad how many times that happens when the issue is an assembly of the church family. Here is the crux of our message today; In our modern day, USA, easy does it about our faith culture, it would seem we have reduced the status of a follower below that of a fan.
* Jesus said, “Follow me” and those men didn’t have to say, “What do you mean?” or “what does this require?” – They knew. It was all or nothing. The fishermen left their nets, their boats, the fish, their partners, and the tax collector left his money tables, the physician left his practice, and each person followed.
* When you follow Jesus, it will ultimately lead to a crown. We like that. But the path of Jesus which leads to a crown leads us by the cross. “If any man would come after me, he must, deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” It is only in the experience of the cross that we are made fit for the kingdom of God. It takes a cross to handle our sin and lovingly, God has given us a way come to the cross, have our sin forgiven, and become justified (made right) before Him.
* Romans 5:8 paint this picture perfectly. It begins, “God demonstrated His own love…” My question for years was “how did God demonstrate love?” And I discovered that the word LOVE used as an acrostic tells the story very clearly.
* The L stands for LAW, God has a law. We call this law the 10 commandments. This law reveals to us how sinful we are and it never changes. Candidly, no one has ever been “saved” by this law, but by this law many have seen the need to be saved. Psalms 19 says, “the law of God is perfect for reviving the soul.”
* The O represents the OFFENSE. The Bible tells us that “no one is righteous and all have sinned.” The means every person has broken God’s law and is separated from God by their sin.
* The V reminds us of the VERDICT. Romans 3:19 tells us that the whole world stands guilty before God. In the court room of eternity all have sinned and must face the consequences, which are death. While this doesn’t sound like LOVE to you, but there is one more;
* The E signifies ESCAPE. The Bible asks, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” And the answer is ‘we won’t’. Remember Romans 5:8 that God demonstrated His own love toward us, here is the rest, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ died once and for all to forgive your sin and now He asks us to FOLLOW.
* Are you a fan or a follower? Or are you a fraud? He knows. He calls.
