Jesus Needs Followers not Fans

Who is a fan? An enthusiastic supporter of a celebrity or a sports team. They go to the games. Paint their faces. Buy all sorts of sport paraphernalia. Put posters of their favorite player on the wall. Wear their sports jerseys.

Fan is short for fanatic.

Fans watch the game from the bleachers or on TV and cheer their team. They are never in the game.

Most Christians are like fans of Jesus. They have fish emblem on their cars. They hang a cross on their chains. They can quote scripture verses. They put John 3.16 bumper stickers on their cars. They sing praise songs with arms raised especially in mega churches in big arenas.

When I study the history of Christianity and observe its current status, one thing is very clear: Jesus has more fans than followers. There are three billion Christians in this world, but only a tiny minority are true followers of Jesus.

What is the difference between a follower of Jesus and a fan of Jesus?

The differences is huge. Let me illustrate the difference by telling you a story.

It is the story of the genocide in Rwanda. Rwanda is a small country in Africa with a population of about twelve million people. The two major tribes in that country are the Tutsis and the Hutus. In 1994, ethnic tensions between these two tribes erupted into widespread slaughter, with neighbors killing neighbors.

The national army, vigilante groups and average citizens hunted those of different ethnic identity and their enemies were hacked to death using machetes. Thus Rwanda became the cite of a genocide unlike any in recent history. As many as 800,000 men, women and children were slaughtered within a period of three months.

There is one piece of information I haven’t told you about Rwanda. And that is: Rwanda is the most Christian country in Africa.

94 percent of its population claims church affiliation. 56.7 percent are Catholics and 37.1 percent are protestants. It is not like the Tutsis were Muslims killing the Hutus who were Christians. Or vice verse. Both tribes are Christians.

Rwanda was often cited as a case study for the Success of Christian Missions. In the 1930s, Western missionaries preached Christianity there, and converted the tribes and made them Christians.

But the genocide demonstrated in a horrific and graphic way that the western Christianity imported in to the heart of Africa, failed to create communities of DISCIPLES.

When push came to shove, the Jesus who taught his disciples to “love your neighbor” was missing. Even churches were used to lure members of rival tribe into them and they were massacred inside the sanctuary.

The fact of the matter is that the “gospel” imported into Rwanda failed to challenge the ethnic identities of its “converts.” They became Christians, or fans of Jesus, but mostly remained first and foremost a Hutu or a Tutsi.

I see the same scenario when I look the state of our country. Our country is 75 percent Christian, but people remain Democrat or Republican. Liberals or conservatives. Residents of red states or blue states. Supporters of the president or detractors of the president. Issues related to abortion, gun control or immigration can raise the blood levels of so many Christians in this country and they will engage in purely partisan fights. Discipleship is rarely factor in any political discussions.

They will say, discipleship is a private and personal. It should have no bearing on public life. I disagree.

You are either a disciple or you are not. Discipleship is not a part time job or a territorial enterprise. It is a life time calling and and way of life.

Had the Hutus and the Tutsis transcended their tribal triangle and become disciples, the genocide would not have happened. Because, a disciple of Jesus cannot kill another human being. Similarly, if the Christians in this country become followers of Jesus, we would be living in a very different country than we have today.

Jesus did not use the word Christian to describe his followers. In fact, you don’t find the word Christian in the gospels.

Today, the word Christian is more of an an organizational membership than a way of life.

So the question is: Are you Follower of Jesus or a mere fan?

As I said before, fans are spectators. They sit on the bleachers, eat their nachos, drink beer and cheer. They are not in the game. So, are you in?