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.

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?