Fanatic or Fair Weather Fan
Calvary Presbyterian Church 1/27/2012 Psalm 90:1-12 John 6:22-42
We are in week 4 of our Insanity For Christ series. We have looked at Who Is God--Why Jesus, Who Am I-- Why Am I Here, What’s The Cost, and today we look at Fanatic or Fair Weather Fan. Sometimes when you go to a sporting event, you see the people who are fanatics for their team. They may have their faces and chest painted with no shirts on and the temperature is 40 degrees. They may have large banners that they have constructed at home.
They may wear fancy hats or by sitting together as they spell out certain words. The score may be 45 to 10 with 2 minutes left and it’s freezing cold Then the camera points to two people shivering together with a blanket high in the stands at the stadium and everybody else around them is gone. Everybody knows the game is lost, but not these two. They are there to the very end. Who knows the home team may score one more time and the final score will be 45 to 17.
But at the games you also have fair weather fans. As long as the team is winning, they are yelling and screaming in support. But once the team gets behind it’s another story. They start calling players on the team losers. They begin booing their own team. They demand certain players be taken out of the game.
They complain about coming to the game in the first place. “If I had of known it was going to be like this, I would have stayed home.” If it starts to rain or gets too cold, they head for the exit sign. If the team is down by two scores with 5 minutes to go, they head for the parking lot to make sure they get out of the area before the traffic gets bad. They really think the game is all about them and them having a good time while at the game.
We encouraged you to dress in some way today show that you are a fanatic for Christ. I chose my outfit with this big cross and my wreath, because the first thing I want people to notice is that I have something to do with Jesus Christ. I want them to see I don’t mind them thinking I’m insane or crazy for Christ. I don’t mind the laughs and put downs. I want them to know what team I am on. I want them to know I’m, more than just affair weather fan of Jesus, I’m a fanatic for Christ.
When I was high school on the football team, during my sophomore year, we lost the first four games of our season. Each time I came home from a game my cousins would irritate me with the same question. “Did we win, or did you all lose.” That’s what makes for a fair weather fan. As long as you make me look good, then I am with you. But if I have to pay a price because of you, I’m out of here.
I have a plan for how I can boost attendance at our church each Sunday that I preach. Suppose at the end of my message, I invited people to come down for prayer, and at the end of my prayer for you, no matter what the prayer I gave you a $100.
Would more people come down for prayers? Once the word got out, would more people come to church on my Sundays? Do you think it will be because of my great preaching is getting even better? What if I said that’s it, no more $100 bills after service, would the attendance drop back off? My fair weather fans, would leave as soon as they were no longer getting what they wanted.
Jesus had the problem of fair weather fans. His crowds were getting larger and larger as Jesus preached. They saw some of the miracles that Jesus was doing, and they wanted to see more. Then came a day in which Jesus had been preaching for quite a while. It was getting late in the day and people didn’t have any food. The stores were closing. The disciples suggested to Jesus that he end the meeting and send the people home. Jesus suggested that the disciples give the people something to eat. They let Jesus know that buying that much food was out of the question. There were over 5,000 men besides the women and children present. Not only did they not have that kind of money, the logistics were a nightmare to get that much food out there in the wildereness.
Jesus told them to check and see what was available. Andrew said, “there’s a little boy here with five small barley loaves and two fish, but that’s not going to go very far.” Jesus said, “have the people sit down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Jesus then took the food, looked up toward heaven, gave thanks and broke the loaves. Each of the disciples had a basket. Jesus filled their baskets and sent them out among the people. Instantly when bread was removed, it multiplied itself again.
Everybody ate until they were satisfied and there were still 12 baskets of food left over. It was the best tasting fish sandwiches. As a matter of fact it was so good, that when Jesus left the area and crossed the lake, people went across the lake the next day to find Jesus. They wanted some more of his teachings, or rather should I say they wanted some more of his bread and fish. After all, you could not beat the price. It was free. How long would you have to wait in line if McDonald’s said on Tuesday the food is free?
Well the disciples were glad to see the crowds show up so early that next day. They are more convinced than ever that Jesus is the Son of God. After Jesus had fed the people the disciples left Jesus and went across the lake, but a fierce storm had risen on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had saved them by walking out on the sea , and speaking to the raging storm to simply stop. The boat they were in entered warp speed and they were immediately across the lake where they were going.
Although the disciples, were impressed with the early crowds, Jesus was feeling like I was feeling the next time I preached after giving out the $100 bills at the end of my message. The pews may have been packed, but they were not there to hear me preach.
Jesus looked at the people and said, “you’re a bunch of fair weather fans. You didn’t come back because of the teaching I gave. You’re hear looking for some more free food. Quit wasting your time on stuff that spoils, and invest yourself in something that will endure and lead to eternal life.”
The people said, “what must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus told them,” to believe in the one Godhas sent.” The people turned that around very quickly and said, “what miraculous sign will you do that we may see it and believe in you.” In other words, that miracle you did yesterday doesn’t really count, because when Moses fed people with Manna from heaven, he did it for 40 years. Are you willing to feed us for free for 40 years? Now remember they asked Jesus, what must they do to do the works of God, but now they want to know what Jesus is going to do to make them happy.
Jesus told them, “the work of God is to believe in the one God has sent.” The fanatic believes that what Jesus says is true. The fair weather fan believes that what they want to believe at the moment is true. They make a decision for Jesus, but they have not committed themselves to Jesus. Many people have come down an aisle to give themselves to Jesus, but they walked away leaving Jesus nothing to work with except an acknowledgement that Jesus is the Son of God.
To believe in Jesus is the same thing as allowing Jesus to live in you, by following in Jesus’ footsteps. When you say something like , the Lord Jesus Christ. You are not saying “Mr. Jesus Christ.” The word for Lord, literally means Master as in a master/slave relationship. To believe in Jesus is to recognize his complete ownership over every area of your life in the way a master is over his slave.
You have to be a fanatic in order to voluntarily become the slave of Jesus. That’s why we call this series “insanity for Christ.” Can you imagine a slave telling his master, “I’ll be leaving for now. It’s hard being a slave so I’m taking three days off.” Last week when we talked about their being a cost to follow Jesus, part of the cost is humbling yourself to recognize Jesus owns you and your life is no longer your own to live.
So many in the church think the lordship of Jesus is just an option. As long as I simply believe, I’m definitely going to heaven. That’s why so many people will be shocked when Jesus says, “I never knew you.” The issue is not going to be knowing facts about, its going to be how willing were you in allowing Jesus to get involved and mess up the details of your life. How well did you know Jesus on an intimate level.
How many of us serve God, not because of who God is, but simply because of what we intend to get? The people came after Jesus to get them some more bread. Are you here today to get to know Jesus, or to get another blessing, or to get somebody off your back who told you, “ you need to go to church?” Jesus told the bread searchers, look if you don’t want to eat my flesh and drink my blood, you are wasting your time.
To eat his flesh means to get nourishment from Jesus, by putting him inside of you. You put him inside of you, by allowing His Spirit to live inside of you. Every decision has to go through the approval process of Jesus because after all He is your master and you are His slave. We ask, well how do we know what Jesus approves in our lives. How do we know God’s will for our lives?. 95 % of what you need to know for your decisions are already written in the Scriptures.
The Scriptures deal with our attitudes, our friends, our family, our jobs, our education, our money, our future, our love life and our decision making process. So if we are fanatics for Christ, what are we doing to learn how to live our lives? Why would someone be more dedicated to a tv program than to finding a bible study to attend at least once a week?
At some point, everybody confronts the issue of whether they will be a fanatic for Jesus or just a fair weather fan. Most of us don’t mind Jesus making some minor change in our lives, but Jesus wants to turn our lives upside down. We’re thinking if I give Jesus 2 hours a week in church, I’ve done my Christian thing. Jesus is thinking my claim on your life is 24/7 and frankly I don’t like where a lot of your time is going. You are running out of it and don’t even know it.
Fan’s don’t mind him doing a little touch-up work, but Jesus wants complete renovation. We’re thinking if I just be careful with not cussing every once in a while I’ll be doing okay. Jesus is thinking your once in a while in a while cuss is not your only problem with your mouth. I want you to stop gossiping, I want an end to you talking down to people, and I want you to stop turning people against each other by saying things you ought not to say. I want complete control over your tongue.
Fans come to Jesus thinking tune-up, but Jesus is thinking overhaul. We’re thinking I’m not really that bad of a person. If Jesus would just help me cut back on my drinking or how much I’m spending on weed, or help me to cut down on the amount of time I spend on some shows, I’ll be happy. Jesus is thinking, I am to be the Lord of your life. Let go completely of this stuff that’s keeping you from being surrendered to me. That person needs to be out of your life today. That circle of friends is destroying my plans for you. That program keeps your mind from focusing on things that are pure and praise worthy.
Fans think a little make up is fine, but Jesus is thinking makeover. We sometimes have an outward appearance of holiness. We treat the church building as though God made it a holy place. We then come up with our own rules. Talk softly in the sanctuary. Dress this way in the sanctuary. No food in the sanctuary. No placing items here or there in the sanctuary. Jesus is thinking, it’s not what’s in the sanctuary of a building I’m concerned with. I’m concerned with what is coming out of the sanctuary of your heart.
We bring unforgiveness, envy, jealousy, and lust in our hearts directly into the sanctuary with no problem , but if someone brings in a cup of coffee, we swell up with righteous indignation. We threaten to leave the church. How holy is one suppose to be to enter the sanctuary and what makes something holy or unholy?
Fans think a little decorating is required. We allow Jesus to work in the living room in our lives and maybe even in the dining room. But we will not allow any changes in the bedroom, the closets or the basement of our lives.
But Jesus wants a wants a complete remodeling. He says, we are turning on the lights in every room, and we are cleaning house and repainting. Some of the closets are going to have the doors taken off so that everybody can see what’s in there at all times. We are going to throw away some of the music you have regardless of the price paid for it. By the way, how did you spend more for this music than you put in the offering.
Fans want Jesus to inspire them. Give us messages that tell us how we can believe and achieve. Tell us how God wants to bless us. Preach on how to be happy. Give us more motivational stories. Show us miracles that we can tell others about. But Jesus wants to interfere with our lives. There is no such thing as giving your life to Jesus and still living the same way you use to live. If you’re thinking, there’s nothing I need to change, it’s only because you do not realize how far away you really are from giving God your all. God put it this way, these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Fans will throw Jesus to the side, the moment a sign of trouble or difficutly shows up. When Jesus let the people know, they could only follow him on his terms, they got mad. They basically told him, “what right do you have to tell us how to live our lives. You are no better than the rest of us. We know who your parents are. How can you tell us, you have come down from heaven.”
They made the decision to not to trust and believe that Jesus was who he said he was. We then find the words “from this time, many of the disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” The moment we cease to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, “ we also turn back and live for ourselves.” We may still be in the church, but that does not mean we are attempting to follow Jesus.
Jesus did not go running after those who turned away. It’s interesting that in the gospels, Jesus says “believe in me” about five times. He says “follow me” about 20 times. To believe Jesu, s is to follow Jesus. We like to try to pick and choose our belief system. But Jesus is not asking us to put our faith in a system. He’s saying be a fanatic and put all your hope and trust in me.
There is no forgiveness without genuine repentance. You demonstrate repentance not by the amount of tears you shed in service, but by the steps you take when the service is over. There is no salvation without surrender. You cannot say I accept you as my Lord, and then live as though you are the master. There is no life without death. If you insisting on trying to live as you please, you will never experience eternal life.
There is no believing without committing. So many people put their trust in simply saying, well the Lord knows my heart. Jesus knows all of our hearts better than we do. He knows when we refuse to give him first place in our lives. He’s not interested in serving somewhere down the line in our list of priorities.
One thing we all have in common is that we have one less hour to live than we did an hour ago. That means we all moved closer to our day of death, but even more importantly we moved closer to standing in the presence of God to give an account for the decisions that we are making today.
Most of us live as though we have all the time left in the world. That’s why in our Old Testament reading we say the words, “ teach us to number our days, so that we might gain a heart of wisdom.” The word teach us is there, because we don’t really want to think about how many days we actually have left. But when we seriously take time into account, it affects the decisions that we make.
How many of you have some sort of plans for this week. If an angel came tonight and told you “God wants you to know you only have a week left” how many of you would most likely make changes in your plans for the week. All of a sudden what seemed so important before, isn’t that important after all. Now we wish to get back some of that time that we wasted. Regrets of what we didn’t do come into play. We start to see life a whole lot clearer.
The more we recognize we have a limited amount of days left, the wiser we become with the choices that we make with our time. Fanatics realize that if they do not use today to allow Christ to live in them, they will not get the exact same opportunity to make up for it in the future. It’s a lost day. How many of us are living lost days? What are you giving in exchange for your time, because that’s what is you are feeding upon with your life. Wouldn’t it be better to be a fanatic and choose to feed upon Jesus. Jesus certainly thinks so.
