Fan or Follower
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Today the big question is,
Am I a Fan, or a Follower of Jesus?
Am I a Fan, or a Follower of Jesus?
Pastor Kyle Idleman wrote a book back in 2011 called, not a fan. As I was reading the passage we are looking at today, and thinking about at how many disciples stopped following Jesus, I found this graphic to use with the sermon that I thought captured what is happening in John 6. After finding this graphic, I remembered a book I bought years ago, but did not yet read. It is called, not a fan.
I picked it up and found it interesting that the book came from Pastor Kyle reading this passage in John. I gave a quick read through the book this week, and appreciated some of the ways he expressed things, and examples he used to flesh out this concept of fans or followers. So, I am using his terminology of fans and followers.
What is a fan?
What is a fan?
fan noun
[probably short for fanatic] 1682
1: an enthusiastic devotee (as of a sport or a performing art) usually as a spectator
2: an ardent admirer or enthusiast (as of a celebrity or a pursuit) 〈science-fiction fans〉
A fan is someone who gets excited by something or someone, especially if they are doing something that brings pleasure to them. A fan of a sports team is excited for his team when they do well, but if they have a long streak of doing poorly, they often lose interest in them.
A fan is after what they can get from the one they are watching.
What is a follower?
What is a follower?
fol•low•er \ˈfä-lə-wər\ noun
before 12th century
1 a: one in the service of another: RETAINER
b: one that follows the opinions or teachings of another
c: one that imitates another
A follower is someone who is committed to the one they are following. They don’t just watch. They are involved. They are in service. That means they are doing what the one they are following wants. Or, they are doing what the one they are following is doing.
I think the big difference between a fan and a follower would be two things:
Differences between a fan and a follower:
Focus
Commitment
Action
With this in mind, let’s remember the setting of the passage for today.
Jesus was popular. He was healing people, and doing miracles. He was teaching with authority. He was showing Himself to be wiser than the Pharisees. He was showing Himself to be compassionate.
So, when Jesus and His disciples went off to the Gentile side of Galilee to get away, the people followed.
When they got there, Jesus showed compassion once again, and fed them miraculously from a boy’s lunch of five barley loaves and two fish.
The miracle was so big that after they all ate--and it was no small crowd with 5000 men plus women and children—there were even enough leftovers for the disciples to each pick up a full basket worth!
It was a miracle! It was something only God could do!
That evening, the disciples left in the boat, and Jesus stayed behind and went up on the mountain to pray. In the wee hours of morning, Jesus went to his disciples who were struggling all night against a storm on the lake. He was walking on the water!
He calmed the sea, and they arrived at their destination! More miracles showing who He is, the Almighty God!
The people eventually made it back to the Jewish side of the lake to find Jesus, but they were not there because they understood the signs. Jesus sees the hearts of all men, and he said,
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
The people go on to ask Him for a sign, as if they already forgot the signs He already showed them in the healings, the teaching and the feeding of them. Actually, they didn’t forget, they just wanted more! They were fans! They were enthusiastic when He did the miracles, and both entertained them, and provided for them!
Jesus challenged them that they did not need daily food as much as they needed real eternal life!
What is eternal life? Does anyone remember?
Eternal life is this:
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Eternal life is a relationship with our Creator and source of all life, God! God the Father, and God the Son, and the Holy Spirit!
How does one have this life?
Jesus says one needs to believe. Then, to help them understand, he uses the metaphor of coming for bread.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
But even in this metaphor, He is still meaning we need to believe in Him to have eternal life.
Then, he goes on and uses the example of the Israelites eating manna in the wilderness to have physical life. He uses that imagery then to try to help them understand how to have eternal life.
Let’s read this last section together now.
Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.
Notice, this section begins with the expression Jesus uses to indicate he is about to make a main point. Amen, Amen. It is true, it is true! Listen up, here is the point: whoever believes has eternal life.
Now, I want to point something out here. This word for believes is not written in a past perfect tense. That is, it is not, “anyone who has believed.”
It is written in a present tense. It is ongoing action. The one believing has eternal life.
I think that is one difference between a fan and a follower. A fan looks back at some great moment, some great event. A follower is focused on the present.
A fan says, I decided, or I accepted, or I prayed (none of which is what Jesus says is required).
A follower says, I believe! This is what Jesus says is required.
Are you a fan, or a follower?
Let’s go on...
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.
But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Jesus uses the historical example of the Israelites in the wilderness. They needed what God provided in the manna each and every day to live. So too, we need Jesus as our daily bread each and every day to live! We need his work on our behalf each and every day. How do we receive His work of dying for our every sin and rising to give us new life, and new power to live as Sons of God? By believing… daily!!
A fan focuses on an event.
A follower focuses on the present.
A fan feasts on an event for some time. Just talk to a sports fan, and they will tell you how their team won the world series, or their team won the superbowl. They will tell you how their team were the champs, for years after the event. But they are not living on their team’s daily work.
A follower is walking with their Lord daily. A follower daily remembers and receives forgiveness and power to live by faith in the Lord they are following. Daily.
Well, Jesus example was repulsive to those who were not believing He was the lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. They wanted no part of ‘eating’ his flesh.
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus goes on to restate the truth.
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.
Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Once again, the verbs in verses 54, 56, 57, and 58 are present tense. Jesus is not speaking of some ritual that takes place once, or occasionally. He is speaking of our need for Him daily!
I think this is another difference between a fan and a follower.
A fan wants entertainment. He wants what He can get.
A follower wants more of the one they are following.
These people wanted more bread. Jesus said, not more bread. Just me. Come to me for life.
When Jesus was done giving them what they wanted, and told them He was the only truly satisfaction, they didn’t like it.
A fan wants the goodies Jesus can give.
A follower wants Jesus.
Am I a fan or a follower?
He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Notice here who is saying this. Many of his… disciples. These were the ones who said they wanted to learn from Jesus. They had started to ‘follow’ Jesus. But when He said what they didn’t want to hear, they grumbled.
A fan is after what the fan wants.
A follower is after what the Lord wants.
Am I a fan or a follower?
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?
Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.
Jesus knew that they wanted Him to establish a kingdom and provide for them daily food right now. What would they do if He returned to Heaven and put off establishing an earthly kingdom?
A fan wants earthly things.
A follower wants spiritual things.
Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
Jesus knew their hearts. He knew which ones were fans, and which were followers. He knew which fan was going to hang around even longer, and eventually betray Him.
Fans sometimes may look like followers, but in the end, it will be seen.
A fan has interest.
A followers has commitment.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
I love Peter’s response. Peter was no fan. Peter was a follower. He was not perfect, but he was a follower.
I think Peter’s response shows us one more difference between a fan and a follower.
A fan knows stats and facts.
A follower knows the Lord.
The fan is committed to know about the Lord.
The follower is committed to knowing intimately the Lord.
I think another way to say this is:
A fan is commited to themselves.
A follower is committed to the Lord.
Think about is. A fan learns all of the stats and facts. Why? To impress other fans. They want to know more than the next person so they can be the better fan. Why? Does this in any way help the team? Does this do anything for anyone? Well, it does. It builds the ego of the fan.
A fan learns facts and about the Lord so he can look good before others. He can quote verses. He can recite the books of the bible. He can find verses faster than anyone else. He can list off the things God has done for us. He can possibly list off the things He has done for the Lord. He may even have things he is doing “for the Lord”. But why? To know the Lord? No. More often than not, it is to impress others.
A follower is committed to knowing the Lord. He doesn’t have to be the one quoting the verses, though he could. He doesn’t have to find the verses faster. He just wants to find and know them because they help him know the Lord! He doesn’t just list what the Lord has done as facts, but He adoringly can recall His wonderful Lord’s works! He doesn’t go off on all he has done for the Lord. Rather, a follower is thankful for what the Lord is doing through him so he gets to experience more of his Lord.
Am I a fan or a follower?
Am I a fan or a follower?
A fan focuses on an event.
A follower focuses on the present.
A fan wants the goodies Jesus can give.
A follower wants Jesus.
A fan is after what the fan wants.
A follower is after what the Lord wants.
A fan wants earthly things.
A follower wants spiritual things.
A fan has interest.
A followers has commitment.
A fan knows stats and facts.
A follower knows the Lord.
A fan is commited to themselves.
A follower is committed to the Lord.
Homework:
Look up the definition of a fan, and the definition of a follower. Write out the difference you see between the two. Read Psalm 139. The Psalmist knows that the Lord knows us thoroughly. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Read this Psalm as a prayer to the Lord, both praising Him for His wonderful concern and care for you, and as a pray to expose your heart to you. Ask the Lord, “Am I a fan, or a follower?”
Read John 6. Knowing that Jesus says the one believing (present tense, meaning on-going action) has eternal life, what does that mean? Why did Jesus use the present tense? Is the emphasis on a moment in time? What is the emphasis? Why is that significant?
Read John 6. Notice that there were many disciples in this crowd. What is a disciple? We often use that term today, but what really is a disciple? Notice that many disciples turned away. Why did they turn away? Were they fans, or followers? What was their focus? What was their commitment?
Look over the comparisons of a fan and a follower. If you were to ask Jesus if you were a fan or a follower, what would He say? How are you like a fan? How are you like a follower?
If you have not already done so, start reading through the Bible for the year. You can use the plan on the church Faithlife group online or in the Faithlife/Logos Bible apps. Or, you can use a printout with your own bible. Look at the characters in the Bible. Are they fans? Are they followers? What is their focus? What is their commitment? What are their actions? What is the basis for their actions? Why do they do what they do?