A Fan or a Follower? Part 2

DFR—Define the Relationship

I haven’t reached the stage of life yet when young men who are interested in the company of one of my daughters start knocking on my door. I’m sure that day is coming sooner than I would like to admit.

Many of you have been there. And I’ve heard tell that a common question for the father of the young lady to ask is, “Young man, what are your intentions with my daughter?”

And that question might come right at the very beginning when the young man is met at the door with a shotgun—toting protective male lion.

Or the question might come after the young man has been given a chance to prove himself that he is honorable and responsible.

Either way, if the father cares about his daughter at all, he is probably going to have this conversation with this young suitor at some point.

And however he asks the question, there is only one purpose behind the conversation: It’s time to define the relationship.

In other words, what are your intentions? Why are you in this relationship? It is just because she is cute? Is it because she is well-liked and by dating her it improves your social standing? Or are you ready to lay it all on the line for her? Why are you interested anyway?

Or maybe the young couple has the conversation as well.

I remember after Heidi and I had been dating for about 2 years, we had such a conversation in which we had to take a hard look at what each of our expectations were in the relationship.

We had to DTR

Even though I’ve never been a young lady, it would be my belief or expectation that a young lady is not interested in continuing a relationship with a young man who is in it for the reasons that I listed above. She isn’t interested in his popularity or that she validates him somehow.

The only reason that she will allow him to come pursue a relationship wtih her is if she believes that he really loves her: that he is in it because he loves her. That she is his main focus, when it comes to earthly relationships

Turn with me again to .

Last week we looked at an overview of this chapter that we said is a significant point in the ministry of Jesus.

It’s at this point where His followers realized that it was time to Define The Relationship.

They had to decide, Am I a fan or a follow? Why am I in this anyway?

And in this chapter, we are going to see how a FAN responds to Jesus as opposed to a FOLLOWER.

and before we get into it, there are a few things that I want to say:

This is one of those intstances when you might feel that I am talking down to you instead of talking with you. Or preaching at you instead of teaching.

But I want to assure you that all of the things we will be talking about are things that are temptations for me, and some of these temptations I have fallen to at one time or another in my life.

The reason that I want to look at this more closely is that I believe that there are folks who have grown up in the church and have identified as disciples of Jesus but have never serioulsy sat down and defined the relationship!

Maybe another way of stating it is, they have never counted the cost. Because ultimately, that is what we are talking about here.

So as we look at this more closely, I urge us to be open and humble before the Lord and ask HIm to work in our lives and show us if any of this is true of me or you. And if it is, what are we going to do about it?

Now we read the entire chapter last Sunday so I won’t take the time to do it again.

Or maybe another way of stating this is that many people who identify as followers of Jesus have never counted the cost of being a disciple

We have a lot of ground to cover this morning so I’m not going to take the time to read this entire chapter

But as we said last Sunday, this chapter deals with a very crucial subject: Are you a fan or a follower?

A fan is drawn by the crowds

the beginning of chapter 6 says that large crowds followed Him.

It says that crowds followed him because of the signs that they had seen him perform.

But my guess is that not all of them were there for that reason. Some of them were there simply because there was a crowd.

it seems that humans have this “flocking” tendency

Who hasn’t been out in public and minding your own business. Then you see a group of people gathered around something or looking at something

Wouldn’t you be drawn to going over and seeing what is going on? There’s something going on over there! I have to be in on it.

In our society and in our church, we are being drawn to the popular. We have to know what everyone else is doing.

Social media has elevated this in our society. There are people who are literally addicted to their social media accounts.

And we have become more flighty than ever. We have to know what is going on over there or at that church

And if we don’t know, we become anxious. (I know that the older ones among us can’t understand this, but it’s a reality)

It’s not a new reality, just one that has become more intense for us

It has become such a problem that pschiatrists have even coined a term for it: FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

People are deeply worried that they are going to miss out on something fun or miss out on something that will make them unpopular if they don’t know it. If they aren’t on the forefront of the next best thing.

And unfortunately, we in the church are not immune to it. We are seeing this in our church circles.

We are constantly running to the next best thing. We are scared that we are going to miss out on something. We constantly have our eyes roaming around looking around for the crowds.

Where are the crowds gathering? Because that’s where all the action is. I’m gonna go to THAT church because that’s where the crowds are gathering

For a FAN, that is the priority. If I’m where the crowd is, then I must be in the right place.

A FOLLOWER, on the other hand, doesn’t have his eyes on the crowd. He doesn’t have his eye on the next greatest movement, or fad. He has his eyes on one man: Jesus.

A follower says, “Jesus, where ever you are, that’s where I want to be. I don’t care where the crowds are. I don’t care what culture says or what my family says. I just want to be with you.”

“Where ever you lead me, Jesus, that’s where I want to go. It might not be the most popular choice. It might make people ask difficult questions. But that’s ok. I want to go where you are going”

And a FOLLOWER might find himself or herself in a very small group. Just as Jesus’s disciples did. The ones who were in it for the long haul

Jesus says,  “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell[f] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. (NLT)

A FOLLOWER is in it, not for the crowds, but for ONE Person: That is Jesus Himself

A fan is drawn by the supernatural

Why were these large crowds following Jesus?

Because they saw the signs which he was doing on the sick. vs 2

We have dealt with this in the past so I won’t spend a lot of time on it. But it does bare repeating:

A fan is drawn to Jesus because of the “WOW” moments.

A fan loves his team or his quarterback because of those WOW moments: when they run that awesome trick play or when the quarterback throws that impossible pass, or when the defense comes up with a huge stop on 4th and goal.

When that happens, “WOW! These guys are awesome! And we tune in again next week to see if they do something incredible again.

And so it is with many people who call themselves disciples.

They love the WOW moments with Jesus.

Simon the Magician was one such person in . We read there how Philip went to Samaria to preach the Gospel

Have you ever cried out and said, “God, why don’t you DO something?!”

And there were amazing things being done: healings and unclean spirits being thrown out.

I remember clearly doing that a time or two. One time was in Portugal. We had two sick kids and we desperately needed the advice of a doctor and some medicine. We didn’t have a car and it was a long trip to the doctor on public transportation.

And because of that, many believed. including a man named Simon: one who used to amaze people with his magic.

And we were both feeling slightly overwhelmed by the stress of living in a different culture and language.

And I remember crying out, “God, why don’t you DO something?”

It says that he believed and began to go around with Philip as he preached.

We think that perhaps he became a true disciple. But then we start to have our doubts when we see what happens next.

Peter and John are sent to Samaria to pray for folks to receive the Holy Spirit

And when Simon sees this, he gets excited

And he gets out a wad of bills and thumbs off a couple of hundreds and says, “Hey fellows, I’d like to purchase some of that!”

And we know what Peter’s response was: May your money perish with you! Your heart isn’t right before God! You need to repent!

Whether or not Simon had a genuine saving faith, I don’t know and commentaries differ on this point. But what is clear is that Simon was “WOWED” by the power of God and that was a significant reason why he had believed and was following Philip.

We see this so much in our church culture. We love our WOW moments.

And in many cases our churches strive to make Sunday mornings our WOW moments

We see churches getting bigger and fancier and more modern with huge stages, lights, production techniques, we want the preacher who can bring the most dynamic sermons, the coolest, most relatable youth pastor, the most hip worship band,

all in an attempt to make people go “WOW! They’ve got things happening at THAT church.

They folks go there every Sunday to get their weekly “fix” of the amazing.

And we train people to think that Sunday morning have to include these wow moments. And if that doesn’t happen, they start to lose interest and fall away.

We hear about these amazing worship experiences!

WE have faith healers going around with huge followings, massive crowds turning out to see what this guy is going to do next.

We just love the supernatural and the incredible.

And we train people to think that Sunday morning have to include these wow moments. And if that doesn’t happen, they start to lose interest and fall away.

a FOLLOWER, on the other hand, doesn’t need those emotional highs to stick with Jesus.

Whether or not Jesus continually amazes him with a new miracle, a follower is convinced of whom he is following.

Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo, a true follower says, whether or not He delivers us, or blows us away with a miracle, we won’t bow down.

Whether or not Jesus does something amazing for me, I’m going to still worship Him.

A fan thinks only of the earthly benefits of the kingdom

Very closely tied with the previous one is this: A fan thinks only of the earthly benefits of the Kingdom.

We have churches in America who thr

We see this in verses 14-15. When the people saw what JEsus did, they said, “Here is the Prophet!”

Jesus knew that they were about to come and seize him and set him up as their king.

Here at last was someone who could maybe get them out from under the thumb of Rome!

A fan thinks, hey if I follow Jesus, maybe he can get me out of this jam that I’m in.

Hey if I follow Jesus, maybe he can get me out of debt

Hey if I follow Jesus, maybe he can help me get my life back in order

Hey maybe he can help me mend my relationships

You know with Jesus on MY side, life should just be better! I can conquer anything that I set my heart to.

You remember the story of the Israelites fighting the Philistines. And they were getting kicked around pretty good so they said, “Hey, let’s go get the Ark of the Covenant! If we bring it into battle, we can’t lose!”

And so they went and got the Ark. And the Philistines heard them shouting and celebrating and wondered what was up. And someone told them, they have the Ark of the Covenanat in their camp.

And so the Philistines said to each other, “Man up! Sharpen your swords, and be strong! We’re going to have a fight tomorrow!”

And the battle was joined and the Philistines came out and slaughtered the Israelites and captured the Ark.

A FAN says, if I take God with me into any situation, I can’t help but win. It’s like the golden touch! Life will be golden!

He has a very near-sighted view of things. He can only see the situation right in front of him and think that he can use God like a good-luck charm.

A FOLLOWER, on the other hand says, “LORD, your Kingdom is not of this world. May your Kingdom come, may your will be done on earth, just like it is in heaven. Work in me what is good, according to your will”

I may continue to be poor in earthly possessions.

I may continue to battle health issues

I may find relationships to be a struggle.

But LORD, I desire your blessing. I want you to bless me with every spiritual blessing.

I desire reconciliation with God

I desire all the fruit of the Spirit

I desire to love like I should which binds everything together in the bonds of perfection

I desire an inheritance which doesn’t spoil or fade. That inheritance which is being kept in heaven for me.

A fan has no desire for worship

After Jesus fed the multitude, He sent his disciples down to the sea and they got in a boat and started for the other side

And we know the story about how the wind turned against them and how the waves began to get rough.

If we use Matthew’s account and John’s account, we know that they rowed all night until just before dawn and still they only went about 3 or 4 miles.

And when things seemed desperate, Jesus came to them walking on the water.

We know from Matthew that Peter said, Lord if it really is you, tell me to come to you on the water, out in the storm.

and how he became afraid and started to sink and how Jesus reached out his hand and pulled him back up

and how they got into the boat together and immediately the sea was calm.

But it’s what happens next that is the most significant thing.

The disciples WORSHIPED Him.

Compare that to a few chapters earlier when Jesus was with them in the storm and sleeping in the back of the boat.

And when He woke up and calmed things down, it doesn’t say that the disciples worshiped him. It just says that they marveled and were astonished and said, “What kind of a man is this?”

But by the time they had reached this point in ministry, I think they had learned some things about Jesus. They had learned who He truly was.

When He calmed the sea this time, they worshiped Him.

And this worship came out of a transformed heart. And we see from then on how the lives of the 12 was transformed into living for their King alone.

Many of them gave up their lives for His glory.

All that Jesus does in our lives is aimed at one thing: His glory. Everything that He does is for His glory. And our worship recognizes that.

A FAN on the other hand doesn’t get it. A FAN is like the disciples were the first time that Jesus calmed the storm. “Wow, what kind of a man is this?”

They may be astonished by what He can do, but their lives remain inward focused.

in reality, they don’t welcome any heart change that comes from true worship

A FAN acts like the folks in chapter 6 who again saw first-hand who Jesus is, and who heard with their own ears as He proclaimed His deity, and His sufficiency.

And instead of worshiping, they were more inclined to argue with Him than anything else.

In fact, they were so far from worship, that when Jesus said things that was so far from anything else that they had ever heard, they turned and left.

Because their own comfort was more important than laying it all on the line for the glory of their King.

Their hearts were not tuned to worship

A fan seeks personal prosperity

A FAN thinks only of His personal prosperity in following Jesus

Jesus told the crowd, “You are seeking me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”

The Prosperity “gospel” as we call it. Which really is a misnomer because it really isn’t the gospel at all.

The idea that if you follow Jesus, you will prosper financially. Because after all, Jesus doesn’t want you to be poor and hungry, does he?

This idea is used by so-called preachers all over the world to manipulate the thousands who follow them

Because in order to receive those blessings, you have to be willing to give generously. To THEM.

Modern preachers like Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland rake in millions by preaching about a God who wants to make you happy and rich

While claiming to follow Jesus who said, “Foxes have holes and the birds have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

This Jesus who gave warnings to the rich and who spent His time with the sinners and tax collectors.

And it’s not just in America. It’s all over the world.

In Mozambique we learned to know a young couple who came to lead the Wesleyan mission in our city.

They didn’t stay very long. They struggled on many fronts. But one of the things that he didn’t know how to deal with was the state in which he found the Wesleyan church there.

Pastors were telling him that they had been promised a bicycle if they would become pastors. They hadn’t received their bicycle yet and were tired of waiting. “Where are our bicycles?”

This is a universal issue because of our focus on our personal wants.

The focus on and desire for wealth creeps into our Christian world and somehow we get the wacky idea that God really wants us to be happy and so he will give us that house, that new car, that

In our story today, Jesus identified the reason that this particular group had followed him to the other side of the sea.

They had originally followed him because of the signs that He was doing on the sick.

Now they are following Him because He satisfied THEIR hunger. He took care of THEIR physical cravings.

They completely missed that just like Nicodemus, just like the woman at the well, their real longings and cravings were not physical, they were spiritual.

Jesus tells them, stop looking for food that will rot. Search instead for the food that endures for eternal life

A fan makes demands on God

A fan does not find his satisfaction in Jesus