The Difference Between a Fan and a Follower

Fans are a fickle lot, especially in the world of sports. If we were to look up the word “fickle” in a dictionary, I suspect we’d find a photo of a crazed sports fan next to the definition. That’s because the hot and cold of rapidly changing weather has nothing on the fluctuating temperatures of ‘love you one day, hate you the next’ football, basketball, baseball, soccer or hockey fans.

 

It’s all about expectations. Fans expect their heroes to deliver triumphs without fail, whether it’s a single game or entire season. Failure to do so runs the risk of incurring the wrath of displeased fans.

 

We find this same phenomenon in the spiritual realm. Years ago, Kyle Idleman wrote a book called Not a Fan, differentiating people who are “fans” of Jesus Christ from those who are genuine followers. Fans, according to Idleman, like to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it demands sacrifice. Followers, however, are fully committed to Christ, no matter the cost.

 

With Palm Sunday coming up, the gospel accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the start of Passover week are instructive. They show the sharp distinction between His fans and followers. For centuries the Jews had been anticipating the arrival of the Messiah. Most were expecting a liberator, a strong military leader to deliver them from Roman rule, similar to the revolt of 167-160 B.C., led by the Maccabees against Greek oppression. 

 

Word had spread that Jesus, whom many people were starting to regard as the promised Messiah, was approaching Jerusalem. The throngs of Jews who had gathered in the city were giddy with excitement. We’re told, “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest!’” (Matthew 21:8-9).

 

There was no official flag of Israel back then, but the palm branches were widely recognized as the symbol for the chosen people of God. They were ‘waving the flag’ in hopes of Jesus’ establishing a kingdom that would cast out the Romans.

 

Some in the crowd likely felt surprised Jesus didn’t arrive riding a warhorse or armed for battle. Instead, He was riding a lowly donkey. Their enthusiasm must have been tempered by confusion. They were looking for a militaristic leader, a roaring lion; instead, they were staring at the Lamb of God, unaware He was preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their sins.

 

Pastor and Bible teacher Alistair Begg offers this description: "Christ did not enter Jerusalem as a conquering nationalist, riding a chariot; He came as a peace-bringing internationalist, seated humbly on a donkey. We try to create a Jesus who will fulfill our expectations (as the cheering crowd did then). We want peace, comfort, prosperity – an earthly kingdom. It is not that our expectations are too big – they are too small. It is not about us, but Jesus and His eternal Kingdom.” 

 

Over the next several days there was a dramatic shift in attitude among those “fans” of Jesus. They realized He had no intention of overthrowing Roman rule. Instead, He took on the religious establishment, denouncing the desecration of the temple in Jerusalem. “He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ He said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13).

 

Like disillusioned sports fans who turn against a coach or star player who doesn’t perform to their liking, the Jews in Jerusalem were deciding this Jesus wasn’t living up to their vision of what the Messiah would be. In fact, after Jesus’ sham trial based on false accusations, Pontius Pilate, who didn’t understand what all the fuss was about, gave the riled-up crowd an opportunity to see Jesus freed:

“So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “'Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas [a notorious and murderous prisoner], or Jesus who is called Christ?'” (Matthew 27:17). At the urging of the chief priests and religious elders, the people repeatedly shouted concerning Jesus, “Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:23).

 

In less than a week, the ‘fans’ who had adoringly welcomed Jesus had turned to the dark side. Like jaded sports fans angry because their team had lost the championship game – but much worse – the Jews in Jerusalem revealed their true convictions. They couldn’t wait to see Him hanging from a cross.

 

As Holy Week is upon us, it’s worth considering: Do we trust in the Lord only when He meets our expectations, answers our prayers, and does what we want Him to do? Or are we determined to follow Him even at the cost of our lives, if necessary, as did most of Jesus’ disciples after His resurrection? Today in many parts of the world men, women and children are being martyred for their faith. If it came down to it, would we be willing to do the same? Or are we just “fans” of Christ?

Are You a Follower, or Just a Fan?

Even though I was never much of an athlete, for as long as I can remember I’ve been an avid sports fan. As a boy growing up in New Jersey, I became a New York Yankees fan when the likes of Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Bobby Richardson were taking the field. It was a time when Yogi Berra was reminding us, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” And in those days, there was a lot for a Yankee fan to feel excited about.

Then after a year of college in Houston, Texas, I transferred to THE Ohio State University and instantly became a Buckeyes fan. The year after I arrived on campus, some guys named Rex Kern, Jack Tatum, Jim Otis, Jim Stillwagon and others led the Bucks to a national championship under Woody Hayes. Again, a great time to be a fan – if your team was OSU. When I was a blood donor, the phlebotomists were always amazed when it came out scarlet and gray.

In both cases, however, I was just a a fan. I wasn’t a follower. After decades of dominance in Major League Baseball, the Yankees fell on hard times and started losing more than they won. My life was getting busier in those days, so I lost interest and ceased being the fervent fan I once had been. Even with the Buckeyes, I have watched every game that I could and reveled in their victories. But during the week, I discovered life could proceed quite well whether Ohio State won or lost.

It’s kind of like that for some people who profess to be Christians. They go to church, sing, maybe raise a hand or two once in a while, and if the message really moves them, they utter an approving “Amen.” But during the week, whether at work, at school or in their homes, there’s not much evidence of Jesus Christ in how they act or what they say. They might be fans of Jesus, but definitely not His followers.

A few years ago, a pastor named Kyle Idleman wrote a book, Not a Fan, in which he addressed this phenomenon. He proposed a distinctively different slant from the type of response offered by people who are asked, for instance, “Do you like peanut butter?” and respond, “Nope. Not a fan.” Jesus doesn’t want fans, Idleman explained. He wants followers.

The Lord made clear there are no shortcuts to being among His faithful followers. There’s a cost involved, one that requires sacrifice. He said, “If anyone who come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). He wasn’t talking about a mother with a lazy son who comments, “He’s the cross I have to bear.” No, Jesus meant we must be willing to die to ourselves every day – to our own ambitions, goals and desires – and be willing to go and do as He directs instead.

When the apostle Paul wrote, “...I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31), he wasn’t referring to a succession of near-death experiences. He was referring to facing constant opposition and enduring a variety of difficult trials and challenges, all for the sake of Jesus Christ and the gospel. 

In a verse I have cited before, we see that Jesus had lots of fans. Multitudes who eagerly chased after Him and hung on His every word. He was by far the best entertainment available. But when the Lord uttered some very difficult teachings, they suddenly remembered some other things they would rather be doing: “From that time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). 

They were avid fans, but not true followers.

To me, this is one explanation for why, in a nation where polls show a majority of people professing to be Christians, our society is overwhelmed by immorality, violence, hatred and conflict. Sunday morning fans go home, then turn on the afternoon football game or take part in the family picnic or some other diversion, and when Monday morning arrives, it’s like they left Jesus behind in the sanctuary. “See ya next Sunday, Jesus!”

So the question arises. Can we honestly declare, as Idleman wrote, that we’re “Not a Fan”? That instead, we are genuine, willing-to-take-up-our-cross-daily followers of Jesus Christ?

I’m reminded of Robert Frost’s well-known poem, “The Road Not Taken.” In the final stanza he wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” The same applies for us. We can be fans, cheering for Jesus whenever it’s convenient while taking the more heavily traveled course society and culture have paved, or we can take the one “less traveled by,” as true followers of Christ. That indeed will make all the difference.

Faith is More Than Being a Fan

Every Saturday during the fall, millions of fans crowd America's
football stadiums. But the commitment level of fickle fans can waver.

If you’re into spectator sports, chances are you’re a fan of a particular team, maybe several. How did you choose which teams to cheer for?

Sometimes being a fan is “inherited,” as in “my family has always rooted for XYZ team, so I do, too.” Maybe it’s because of where you have lived. Growing up near New York City, I became a Yankee fan, and later I also rooted for the Mets. Or perhaps it’s because of your alma mater – the high school or college you attended. My family and friends know I’m an avid Ohio State fan, and I’ve been one from the time I enrolled in 1967 and later received two degrees there.

Not everyone’s a big sports fan, of course. But chances are you’re a fan of some entity  – it could be an actor or artist, some other kind of celebrity, a political party, or even a car manufacturer. And in all likelihood, if you’re a fan you feel very strongly about it.

The point is, being a fan, supporter or advocate of someone or something is largely a matter of choice. Even though I’ve live in SEC country for more than 35 years, I’m not a big fan of the Southeastern Conference. Even though I lived in the Northeast as a boy, I didn’t have to become a fan of any of the New York sports teams. And there are particular entertainers I really like, and others I don’t, but no one is forcing me to give them my unquestioned allegiance.

In some ways it’s similar spiritually. Geography might play a role in what we believe. If raised in the Middle East, one’s definitely going to be exposed more to Islam than any other religion. People in the Far East are more typically oriented toward Buddhism, Shintoism or Hinduism, again depending on the nation and culture in which they live. But since faith is a matter of the heart, as well as the head, no one can coerce a person to believe one way or another.

This, however, is where the similarity between sports fandom and spiritual faith ends. Because if my beloved Buckeyes win, I’ll feel happy, and if they lose, I’ll feel sad. I could even choose to no longer root for them. Nevertheless, their successes and failures don’t define who I am or how I live. My faith, on the other hand, does.

Kyle Idleman wrote a book called Not a Fan, in which he explained the difference between being a nominal, once-a-week “fan” of Jesus Christ and being a committed, 24/7 follower. As we survey the contemporary church scene across America, it appears there are many fans of Jesus, but not nearly as many true disciples. This is one reason He cautioned, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

A “warm fuzzy” form of faith, one that’s not too demanding and doesn’t require much of us, has a certain appeal. We can check into the sanctuary periodically, even spend a few minutes in the Bible once in a while, as long as we’re not asked to alter our lives or priorities too much.

But “warm fuzzy” is anathema to the calling God places on each of His children. We see this repeatedly in the Old Testament, when superficial belief – being a “fan” – is dismissed. Deuteronomy 6:4-5, for instance, says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

As his leadership of the Israelites was coming to an end, Joshua declared to the people, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

The world around us presents a multitude of “god” options – possessions, power, status, careers, ideologies, hobbies, family, even sports teams. Any of them can consume our lives and thoughts.

So we have a choice. We can be a fan of Jesus, turning to Him in times of crisis or when seeking specific blessings, while continuing to conduct our lives independently, or choose to follow and serve Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24). Because as God instructed the Israelites upon giving them the Ten Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3)

As Joshua and his family did, we also must choose this day whom we are willing to serve.

The REAL American Idol

Do you miss “American Idol”? TV’s classic reality-talent show came to a relatively quiet ending earlier this year, culminating 15 years of good, bad, and occasionally ugly singing by eager and ambitious young men and women. From the show some real stars were born, and it inspired a horde of similar programs, such as “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent.”

But from the start, they got it wrong. Because the real American idol is still very much with us. It just doesn’t sing. It’s adorned by images of Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson (for now – soon to be replaced by Harriet Tubman), Grant, Franklin, and others. Yes, it’s Money.

It’s ironic that our currency and coins bear the motto, “In God We Trust,” because judging by our materialistic, consumerism-driven society, if there’s anything we really trust in, it’s not almighty God but the “almighty dollar.”

A couple weeks ago we commemorated the 15^th anniversary of what we all now identify as “9/11,” when terrorist-commandeered commercial airliners targeted the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, turning them into infernos. Perhaps you recall the days after the horrific events, when then-President George W. Bush sought to restore calm, promising “we will rebuild,” and that the entities responsible would be punished severely.

Do we carry our "god" in our wallets?

Toward the end of his speech, Bush offered a subtle reminder: “We cannot let the terrorists achieve the objective of frightening our nation to the point where we don’t conduct business, where people don’t shop….” He also urged Americans to continue traveling without fear, taking family vacations, and maintaining their spending practices.

Without question, the President was seeking to offer reassurance that life as we knew it wasn’t coming to an end. But he also was acknowledging the wheels of the USA are greased by free spending; to cease doing so would have lasting, disastrous effects on the economy. Fifteen years later, nothing’s changed.

I’ve been participating in a series called “Gods at War,” examining false gods or “idols” that compete with the true God for allegiance. Money – or wealth – is one of those “gods.” Thinking about idols, we envision people worshiping icons or statues in various forms and sizes. But idolatry requires no religious context. To venerate money, we need only go to a bank, an ATM, a card-swiping machine at a retail checkout counter, or even a computer where we enter credit card numbers to buy what we need – or think we need.

Author Kyle Idleman states money becomes an idol when it shifts our focus from God. Or when we assess our value based on our valuables. Money – or the things it can provide – takes on god-like proportions when it becomes one’s purpose for living, as has been the case for many men and women. You might know some of them.

Materialism and greed aren’t unique to the United States. Even in primitive societies, the person with the straw-topped hut will envy someone with a tin roof. But in America, where most of our poor would still be regarded as affluent in many Third World lands, money has dominating influence.

Part of the problem is our inability to answer the question, “How much is enough?” Because most of us, if we’re honest, would respond, “I don’t know, but I’m sure I don’t have it yet.”

We can blame the media, advertising, or our “I’ve got to have it, and I’ve got to have it now!” culture. But ultimately we must confess that too often we’ve let money and its offspring command the throne of our hearts.

So what’s the solution? Maybe we simply need to get back to basics. When Jesus declared, “You cannot serve both God and money (mammon)” (Matthew 6:24), He wasn’t speaking idealistically or euphemistically. He was saying we should recalibrate our priorities. Who or what are we going to serve? Which gets our worship and adoration?

The gospel of Mark tells of a rich young man who approached Jesus asking, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). He told Jesus he had faithfully observed the commandments throughout his life – at least he thought he had. Jesus responded with what we might call “tough love.” He said, “Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21).

If you’d been in that situation, how would you have responded? It’s easy to declare, “My money and my stuff have no hold on me.” But if someone insisted we demonstrate our loyalty – God or possessions – which would we choose? God, the Creator of the universe, or money, the designer of our particular “universe”?

In His “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus was straight-forward: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Do we worship gods that moths and vermin and thieves can take from us? Or do we worship and obey the God who provides treasures this world can’t touch or snatch from us?

A Fan…Or A Follower?

For ducks, and people, being a fan is different from being a follower. 

A few years ago Kyle Idleman wrote Not a Fan. In this book he explains the difference between being a fan of something and being a follower. The distinction, as Idleman points out, is critical.

Most of us consider ourselves fans of someone or something. We might have a favorite author whose books we avidly read, or a singer or musical group whose recordings we buy as soon as they’re released. We might be a fan of a comic strip that makes us chuckle each day. We can be fans of specific media celebrities, fashion designers, politicians, TV shows, even restaurants.

Of course, many of us are ardent, even diehard, fans of one or more sports teams. People that know me have no doubt I’m a fan – bordering on “fanatic” – of the Ohio State Buckeyes, especially during football and basketball seasons. I’ve also been a fan of various pro sports teams through the years, although my devotion toward those hasn’t been nearly as constant.

And that’s the point: A fan might be an enthusiastic admirer, but that can change over time. Rooting for a certain NFL team, for example, doesn’t require a lifetime commitment. You might like the team because of a particular player, but when that player leaves the team, you abandon it to cheer for another. Or if the team fails to meet your expectations, you can easily jump off the bandwagon and root for another.

To be a follower, on the other hand, involves more than being passionate, since passion can fade. It requires being fully devoted, completely committed to what the one you’re following stands for, whether it be an individual, institution or ideology, even willing to submit to a higher authority.

This is why Idleman posed the question to people professing to be Christians: Are you a follower of Jesus, or just a fan?

We live in a society where many people express admiration for Jesus Christ, the model He provided through His life, along with the principles and values He taught. Mahatma Gandhi was a great fan of Christ, but not one of His followers. Gandhi famously commented, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Frankly, Gandhi had a good point. In his day, as well as today, many that have claimed to be Christians demonstrate by their lives they are fans, but not followers. Because Jesus calls His followers to radical devotion and commitment, not merely cheering from the sidelines. 

Jesus often said outrageous, even perplexing things, once telling a self-assured, rich young ruler that if he wanted to be His follower, first he had to sell all of his worldly possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. “Then you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). This young man, whom the passage describes as having “great possessions,” didn’t like this idea, so he left Jesus and went away sorrowful.  

After another series of challenging statements, Jesus found a number of curious hangers-on reconsidering the value of following Him. “From that time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). (Isn’t it interesting that the numbers of this verse are 6-6-6?)

But Jesus never wavered in the demands He made of those desiring to be with Him. He wasn’t recruiting Facebook “friends” or trying to see how many “likes” He could collect. Jesus was straight-forward, insisting that His followers die to themselves, their desires and aspirations, and go as He led them: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

The question I’ve asked myself, one worth asking again from time to time, is simple: When it comes to Jesus, am I a follower – or just a fan?