I’m a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints. I’ve pulled for the Atlanta Braves and even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I enjoy NASCAR, and now that I live in Georgia, I can even cheer for the Bulldogs.
Fans show up. They wear the shirts and hats, fly the flags, and argue the stats. They talk as if they were part of the team: “We won! We lost!” Devoted fans ride the highs and lows with almost religious fervor—the ritual of showing up, cheering, and belonging is the point.
Our churches are full of fans of Jesus.
Fans who sing the songs, wear the cross necklace, join a class, post the Bible verse, even get loud during worship. For some, the ritual of “doing church” is the point. They’re loyal. They’re sincere. They’re involved.
But I don’t want to be known as a fan of Jesus.
Because Jesus never asked for fans. He calls for followers.
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Followers don’t just cheer from the stands—they step onto the field. They don’t just wear the colors—they carry the cross. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it plainly: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
That’s not fandom. That’s surrender.
To follow Jesus is to give Him your whole self—heart, mind, soul, and strength. It means loving your neighbor without categories, loving your enemies without excuse. It means serving the poor, proclaiming truth, worshipping God in spirit and truth.
It means trading the old life for a new one—being transformed in heart and mind, discovering the Spirit’s gifts in you, and using them for the good of others. It means humility, kindness, patience, forgiveness, joy. It means bearing burdens, giving sacrificially, standing out from the world, even enduring mockery or rejection.
And here’s where the challenge comes home: every member is a minister. The church is not a program to consume but a people who worship and are sent. We are not here to be entertained by the music or inspired by the preaching. We are here to be the Body of Christ in the world—redeemed, Spirit-filled, and sent to serve.
C.S. Lewis once wrote: “Christ says, ‘Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you.’” There are no fans in the kingdom of God. Not really. The price is too high, and the stakes too great. The kingdom does not need spectators—it demands participants.
Jesus is looking for followers. People who will walk with Him into the hard places, who will risk everything to gain everything, who will find their life by giving it up.
Jesus doesn’t need more fans. He’s calling for followers. Which will you be?