When Jesus called Peter and Andrew in Matthew 4:19, he told them 'follow me and I will make you fishers of men.' He did not say he would make them healthy, or prosperous, or lucky or even blessed. He said he would make them fishers of men.
So, if this was Jesus' call, to them and to us, why are we not more focused on making new disciples? Why are we so content with going to church once or twice a week? Or even spending time in prayer and reading? Why aren't our energies targeting those who are not Jesus' followers?
Are you a follower of Jesus, or a fan? *Are you willing to go anywhere he leads? Are you willing and ready to go 'fish for men'? Or a fan who shows up on Sundays, roots passively for Jesus and for missions? Do you, subconsciously even, think that the more services you attend, the better fan you are, the more perks you will get? Jesus never promised Frequent Flier Miles.
We tend to give the Israelites a hard time about crying 'Hosanna, Hosanna!' and worshiping Jesus on 'Palm Sunday', and then crying 'crucify him!' on Friday because he wasn't doing what they thought he should be doing. But, honestly, how different are we? Singing songs and worshiping and gathering in God's name on Sunday, and then crucifying Christ with our words and actions during the week. The Jews did it once- we do it week in and week out. ***
The difference between a fan and a follower, in this case, is that a follower is in it through the thick and thin, and a follower lives and speaks and acts in a way that lures others in.
* I first heard this phrase at my aunt's church. This Link will take you to the text of the first sermon in the series through sermoncentral.com
*** I first heard the ideas presented in this paragraph at Bible Study last week
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