Fan or Follower
By Rev. Heidi L. Barham | September 7, 2025
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Read Matthew 16:21 – 27 (NIV)
Several weeks ago, I was reading one of my daily devotionals and came across a question about whether we are simply fans of Jesus or are we true followers. The highlighted verse in the devotional came from today’s New Testament lesson, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).
As I contemplated the question raised in the devotional, I thought to myself, “That will preach...” And so, here we are.
This morning, I want to invite to look at this text from Matthew’s gospel as we contemplate whether we are FAN OR FOLLOWER.
Now, before we take a look at those two terms... FAN and FOLLOWER... as they relate to our walk with Jesus... I want us to first think about what those two words mean in our current context.
When we think of that word FAN, it is actual short for the word “fanatic” which is defined in Webster’s dictionary as 1) a person exhibiting excessive enthusiasm and intense uncritical devotion toward some controversial matter (as in religion or politics) or 2) a person who is extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to some interest or activity.
The image that quickly comes to mind is that of a sports fan... something we are well acquainted with here... between the Guardians, the Cavaliers, and the Browns... we have our fair share of folks who might easily be described as fans.
When we look at the stands in Browns stadium in particular... we see some of the most devoted fans in the entire country. It has been over 60 years since the Browns last won a championship (ironically it was the same day that my younger brother, Steven, was born).
And yet, week after week, those die-hard fans still hold their tailgate celebrations in the muni lot and file into the stadium in their Browns gear... many of them heading for the Dawg Pound filled with folks cheering on the home team.
Those are truly what we call fans... people who are extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to the hope that this will FINALLY be the year.
Now, the other word I want us to think about is the term FOLLOWER.
In this modern age of social media, people have become obsessed with attracting followers to their Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) pages. And it is truly astounding to see how many other social media platforms are popping up... many with the goal of getting people to become followers of various celebrities and influencers.
And when it comes to the world of social media, the more followers one has the better.... now I can’t help but think about the concept of the blind leading the blind... so let me encourage us to be really careful about who and what we follow.
So, as we turn our attention to this morning’s text, let’s consider what it means to identify as FAN OR FOLLOWER when it comes to Jesus the Christ.
In the opening verses of the passage that calls for our attention today, Jesus was explaining to His disciples that He needed to go to Jerusalem and what He told them He would be facing once He got there... suffering, death, and ultimately resurrection.
However, the disciples did not understand all of what it truly meant for Jesus to be the Messiah... as evidenced by Peter’s response to Jesus that what He was telling them was impossible... that the events that Jesus was describing could never happen.
And that is when Jesus offered a rather harsh rebuke to Peter. Telling him, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
It is important to note, that just a few verses earlier in this 16th chapter of Matthew, Peter correctly acknowledged Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” ...to which Jesus responded:
Read Matthew 16:21 – 27 (NIV)
Several weeks ago, I was reading one of my daily devotionals and came across a question about whether we are simply fans of Jesus or are we true followers. The highlighted verse in the devotional came from today’s New Testament lesson, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).
As I contemplated the question raised in the devotional, I thought to myself, “That will preach...” And so, here we are.
This morning, I want to invite to look at this text from Matthew’s gospel as we contemplate whether we are FAN OR FOLLOWER.
Now, before we take a look at those two terms... FAN and FOLLOWER... as they relate to our walk with Jesus... I want us to first think about what those two words mean in our current context.
When we think of that word FAN, it is actual short for the word “fanatic” which is defined in Webster’s dictionary as 1) a person exhibiting excessive enthusiasm and intense uncritical devotion toward some controversial matter (as in religion or politics) or 2) a person who is extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to some interest or activity.
The image that quickly comes to mind is that of a sports fan... something we are well acquainted with here... between the Guardians, the Cavaliers, and the Browns... we have our fair share of folks who might easily be described as fans.
When we look at the stands in Browns stadium in particular... we see some of the most devoted fans in the entire country. It has been over 60 years since the Browns last won a championship (ironically it was the same day that my younger brother, Steven, was born).
And yet, week after week, those die-hard fans still hold their tailgate celebrations in the muni lot and file into the stadium in their Browns gear... many of them heading for the Dawg Pound filled with folks cheering on the home team.
Those are truly what we call fans... people who are extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to the hope that this will FINALLY be the year.
Now, the other word I want us to think about is the term FOLLOWER.
In this modern age of social media, people have become obsessed with attracting followers to their Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) pages. And it is truly astounding to see how many other social media platforms are popping up... many with the goal of getting people to become followers of various celebrities and influencers.
And when it comes to the world of social media, the more followers one has the better.... now I can’t help but think about the concept of the blind leading the blind... so let me encourage us to be really careful about who and what we follow.
So, as we turn our attention to this morning’s text, let’s consider what it means to identify as FAN OR FOLLOWER when it comes to Jesus the Christ.
In the opening verses of the passage that calls for our attention today, Jesus was explaining to His disciples that He needed to go to Jerusalem and what He told them He would be facing once He got there... suffering, death, and ultimately resurrection.
However, the disciples did not understand all of what it truly meant for Jesus to be the Messiah... as evidenced by Peter’s response to Jesus that what He was telling them was impossible... that the events that Jesus was describing could never happen.
And that is when Jesus offered a rather harsh rebuke to Peter. Telling him, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
It is important to note, that just a few verses earlier in this 16th chapter of Matthew, Peter correctly acknowledged Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” ...to which Jesus responded:
God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.
And yet, Jesus was now literally referring to Peter as Satan... some scholars suggest that this hearkens back to the temptations that Satan tried to offer Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1 – 11).
In the same way that Jesus denounced Satan’s suggestions then that He seek glory for Himself... Jesus denounced Peter’s declaration that He would not have to endure the suffering that He was already destined to face.
Then in the next verse our text, which is the key verse for us to consider this morning, Jesus went on to explain, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
It is in that moment that I believe Jesus set the tone for Peter, the disciples and us to make the choice between FAN OR FOLLOWER.
In declaring that Jesus would surely not suffer the hardships that were ordained for Him to face, Peter was acting far more like a fan... focusing only on the glitz and glamour that he believed should be afforded someone of Jesus’ stature... rather than realizing the depth and breadth of what being the Messiah really meant.
But Jesus quickly set the record straight... calling attention to the fact that being a follower of Christ carried much more weight and responsibility than Peter or his fellow disciples had understood up to that point.
Following Jesus back then meant and still means now... making a true commitment, recognizing the risk of death, and understanding that there can be no turning back...
Being a follower... being a real disciple... means being willing to pledge our whole existence to serving Him.
So, what are some of the key differences between being a fan vs. a follower of Jesus?
I’m so glad you asked...
A fan simply admires Jesus for the great things He has done... while a follower is committed to obeying Jesus in order to do great things for His glory.
A fan might best be described as a cheerleader, someone looking on from the sidelines, away from the action... while a follower is actually a cross carrier, one who is at the center of the action.
A fan sees the freedom Jesus offers as a license to do anything and everything... while a follower understands and accepts the call to live as Jesus lived... freely giving to others and blessing them.
A fan looks at what’s in it for them... while a follower seeks what will be for the greater good of others.
A fan is content just to know that Jesus loves them... while a follower understands that we have been commanded to love one another just as Jesus has loved us... yes, there is that love one another thing again...
But the reality is that we cannot be a true disciple and NOT preach Jesus... and we simply cannot preach Jesus and NOT preach His number one command... to love.
Getting back to the subject at hand...
It is the follower... not the fan... who is truly all in for Jesus... dedicated to living a life of surrender... committed to fulfilling the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [He has] commanded [us]” (see Matthew 28:19).
And it is the follower... not the fan... who recognizes that the command to love God and the people of God is at the heart of what the Prophet Micah meant when he wrote, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
We love because God first loved us... and in return, God desires and requires heartfelt love as well as obedience... so, how does that play out?
Let me suggest that as followers of Christ, we really are called, as Micah said, to act justly... to be fair in our dealings with other people... we should not look to make gains for ourselves at the expense of others... we must recognize that being in relationship with God means being in relationship with the children of God... in other words, to love God means to love the people of God... even when they make it hard.
That is why followers of Christ are also called to love mercy or as it says in some translations to love kindness... even in those moments when people have done wrong to us, followers of Christ are still called to be merciful... not seeking retribution for the wrongs done to us... but heeding the command to forgive even as we have been forgiven.
And yes, I know that can be a really tall order... forgiving as we have been forgiven is not always the easiest thing to do but it is absolutely always the right thing to do... otherwise, Jesus would not have told us to do it.
Perhaps you may have heard me say in a past sermon or two that holding on to unforgiveness is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the other person to die... it is literally toxic to our system... and yet, how easy it is for us to get comfortable sitting in our seats of righteous indignation.
But let me assure you, that is not where Jesus would have us to sit...
Just ask the crowd that gathered... ready to stone a woman who was caught in adultery... you know, the same ones who all left the scene when Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7b).
Not one of them was able to even look at a stone... much less think that they had earned the right to pick one up and throw it.
And that brings us back to the call, “to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Followers of Christ are called to walk humbly with God... to walk in true humility and recognition of the fact that we have all sinned... we have all fallen short of the glory of God... and yet... Jesus was still willing to give His life for us... as Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
The difference between fan and follower is not that one is perfect, and one is not... no, the difference is that both are forgiven but only one lives in gratitude for the forgiveness... only one understands what that forgiveness cost... and only one understands that we can never repay Jesus for making that sacrifice on our behalf.
But what we can do is follow the example that Jesus set for us... by taking up our own cross... to follow Him.
We must be willing to sacrifice everything for God’s glory... it is not about the houses, or the cars, or the big bank accounts... all of that “stuff” may be nice to have, but it is all meaningless in the grand scheme of things...
As they saying goes, only what we do for Christ will last...
And that is why in the last verses of the text we read:
In the same way that Jesus denounced Satan’s suggestions then that He seek glory for Himself... Jesus denounced Peter’s declaration that He would not have to endure the suffering that He was already destined to face.
Then in the next verse our text, which is the key verse for us to consider this morning, Jesus went on to explain, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
It is in that moment that I believe Jesus set the tone for Peter, the disciples and us to make the choice between FAN OR FOLLOWER.
In declaring that Jesus would surely not suffer the hardships that were ordained for Him to face, Peter was acting far more like a fan... focusing only on the glitz and glamour that he believed should be afforded someone of Jesus’ stature... rather than realizing the depth and breadth of what being the Messiah really meant.
But Jesus quickly set the record straight... calling attention to the fact that being a follower of Christ carried much more weight and responsibility than Peter or his fellow disciples had understood up to that point.
Following Jesus back then meant and still means now... making a true commitment, recognizing the risk of death, and understanding that there can be no turning back...
Being a follower... being a real disciple... means being willing to pledge our whole existence to serving Him.
So, what are some of the key differences between being a fan vs. a follower of Jesus?
I’m so glad you asked...
A fan simply admires Jesus for the great things He has done... while a follower is committed to obeying Jesus in order to do great things for His glory.
A fan might best be described as a cheerleader, someone looking on from the sidelines, away from the action... while a follower is actually a cross carrier, one who is at the center of the action.
A fan sees the freedom Jesus offers as a license to do anything and everything... while a follower understands and accepts the call to live as Jesus lived... freely giving to others and blessing them.
A fan looks at what’s in it for them... while a follower seeks what will be for the greater good of others.
A fan is content just to know that Jesus loves them... while a follower understands that we have been commanded to love one another just as Jesus has loved us... yes, there is that love one another thing again...
But the reality is that we cannot be a true disciple and NOT preach Jesus... and we simply cannot preach Jesus and NOT preach His number one command... to love.
Getting back to the subject at hand...
It is the follower... not the fan... who is truly all in for Jesus... dedicated to living a life of surrender... committed to fulfilling the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [He has] commanded [us]” (see Matthew 28:19).
And it is the follower... not the fan... who recognizes that the command to love God and the people of God is at the heart of what the Prophet Micah meant when he wrote, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
We love because God first loved us... and in return, God desires and requires heartfelt love as well as obedience... so, how does that play out?
Let me suggest that as followers of Christ, we really are called, as Micah said, to act justly... to be fair in our dealings with other people... we should not look to make gains for ourselves at the expense of others... we must recognize that being in relationship with God means being in relationship with the children of God... in other words, to love God means to love the people of God... even when they make it hard.
That is why followers of Christ are also called to love mercy or as it says in some translations to love kindness... even in those moments when people have done wrong to us, followers of Christ are still called to be merciful... not seeking retribution for the wrongs done to us... but heeding the command to forgive even as we have been forgiven.
And yes, I know that can be a really tall order... forgiving as we have been forgiven is not always the easiest thing to do but it is absolutely always the right thing to do... otherwise, Jesus would not have told us to do it.
Perhaps you may have heard me say in a past sermon or two that holding on to unforgiveness is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the other person to die... it is literally toxic to our system... and yet, how easy it is for us to get comfortable sitting in our seats of righteous indignation.
But let me assure you, that is not where Jesus would have us to sit...
Just ask the crowd that gathered... ready to stone a woman who was caught in adultery... you know, the same ones who all left the scene when Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7b).
Not one of them was able to even look at a stone... much less think that they had earned the right to pick one up and throw it.
And that brings us back to the call, “to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Followers of Christ are called to walk humbly with God... to walk in true humility and recognition of the fact that we have all sinned... we have all fallen short of the glory of God... and yet... Jesus was still willing to give His life for us... as Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
The difference between fan and follower is not that one is perfect, and one is not... no, the difference is that both are forgiven but only one lives in gratitude for the forgiveness... only one understands what that forgiveness cost... and only one understands that we can never repay Jesus for making that sacrifice on our behalf.
But what we can do is follow the example that Jesus set for us... by taking up our own cross... to follow Him.
We must be willing to sacrifice everything for God’s glory... it is not about the houses, or the cars, or the big bank accounts... all of that “stuff” may be nice to have, but it is all meaningless in the grand scheme of things...
As they saying goes, only what we do for Christ will last...
And that is why in the last verses of the text we read:
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
So, the question that we need to ask ourselves is simply this... who will we be? FAN OR FOLLOWER?
Will we be the fan looking for what brings temporary moments of happiness... or will we be the follower looking to make a lasting impact on the lives of others?
Will we be the fan consumed by the question of “What’s in it for me?” ...or will we be the follower who asks who can I help today?
Will we be the fan wearing the WWJD bracelets and T-shirts with a matching bumper sticker on our car... or will we be the follower out there actually doing what Jesus did... feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty... and all the other things He did to show love for the hurting and the helpless.
It is up to us to choose... FAN OR FOLLOWER...
So, as they say in the NFL, “You make the call.”
And with that thought in mind, I want to invite us to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus #344.
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Will we be the fan looking for what brings temporary moments of happiness... or will we be the follower looking to make a lasting impact on the lives of others?
Will we be the fan consumed by the question of “What’s in it for me?” ...or will we be the follower who asks who can I help today?
Will we be the fan wearing the WWJD bracelets and T-shirts with a matching bumper sticker on our car... or will we be the follower out there actually doing what Jesus did... feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty... and all the other things He did to show love for the hurting and the helpless.
It is up to us to choose... FAN OR FOLLOWER...
So, as they say in the NFL, “You make the call.”
And with that thought in mind, I want to invite us to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus #344.
