Are We Admirers or Followers of Christ?

An enthusiastic admirer is the guy who goes to the football game with no shirt and a painted chest. He sits in the stands and cheers for his team. He’s got a signed jersey hanging on his wall at home and multiple bumper stickers on the back of his car. But he’s never in the game. He never breaks a sweat or takes a hard hit in the open field. He knows all about the players and can rattle off their latest stats, but he doesn’t personally know the players. He yells and cheers, but nothing is really required of him. There is no sacrifice he must make. And the truth is, as excited as he seems, if the team he’s cheering for starts to let him down and has a few off seasons, his passion will wane quickly. After several losing seasons you can expect him to jump off the fan wagon and begin cheering for some other team.

I think Jesus has a lot of fans these days. Fans who cheer for him when things are going well, but who walk away when it’s a difficult season. Fans who sit safely in the stands cheering, but they know nothing of the sacrifice and pain of the field. Fans of Jesus who know all about him, but they don’t know him personally.

But Jesus was never interested in having fans. When he defines what kind of relationship he wants, “Enthusiastic Admirer” isn’t an option. My concern is that many of our churches in America have gone from being sanctuaries to becoming stadiums. And every week all the fans come to the stadium where they cheer for Jesus but have no interest in truly knowing and following him. The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them.

Admirers (Fans) of Christ:

These individuals appreciate and respect Jesus' teachings and may see Him as an inspirational figure or moral example.

They might attend church services occasionally, celebrate Christian holidays, and hold a positive view of Christianity, but their commitment to living according to Christ's teachings may not be deeply integrated into their daily lives.

They might not necessarily identify as devout Christians or actively participate in a Christian community.

They often confuse their admiration for devotion.

They mistake their head knowledge of Jesus for a heart knowledge of intimacy with Jesus.

They assume their good intentions make up for their apathetic faith. 

They compare themselves to the spiritually anemic as a way to measure and rationalize their relationship with Christ.

Followers of Christ:

Followers are those who actively seek to live according to the teachings of Jesus and consider Him their Lord and Savior.

They engage in regular practices such as prayer, Bible study, attending church, and participating in Christian fellowship.

Followers strive to embody Christ's principles in their daily actions, decisions, and interactions with others.

They often see their faith as central to their identity and life purpose, and they make a conscious effort to grow spiritually and deepen their intimate relationship with God.

They strive to embody the teachings and life of Jesus, making sacrifices and changes in their own lives to align with His example.

They witness to others about salvation in Christ and encourage them to become believers and followers.

They live in the reality that they are indwelled with the Holy Spirit and strive to be controlled by Him.

They have an intimate heart knowledge of Christ, not just a head knowledge.

Søren Kierkegaard, Danish theologian and philosopher exclaims, "The difference between an admirer and a follower still remains, no matter where you are. The admirer never makes any true sacrifices. He always plays it safe. Though in words, phrases, songs, he is inexhaustible about how highly he prizes Christ, he renounces nothing, gives up nothing, will not reconstruct his life, will not be what he admires, and will not let his life express what it is he supposedly admires."

Are you an admirer (fan) of Christ or are you a follower of Christ?