“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" is the first interaction we see in the Word concerning the great commission.
The idea of role modeling/ being heart knit with what one is trying to accomplish as a mission or goal or destiny or purpose, no matter how noble is predicated on this principal, follow me and I will make you do the things I do. e said that those who believe in me will do the works that I do and greater (John 14:12) . And therefore it is not farfetched to expect to do the works of Christ and even greater.
The greatest difference between a fan and a follower is his knowledge of the purpose to which he is called to follow or zealous about. We have turned into a community of "fans of Christ" instead of followers of Christ. We claim to be followers of Christ while casually depicting traits of fans and wonder why we are never turning into his image. The follower must be fully expectant to turn into that which he is following.
A football fan no matter his love for the club or players in the game is not expecting that one day he will score a jaw dropping "rabona" goal himself but doesn't mind being the "tell all" of how fantastic the goal was and how the goalkeeper had no chance in the world to save it.
When we talk of financial dominion, what really comes to most of our heads is a Ferrari or Lamborghini etc yet those are effects of money but financial dominion is really money with a mission beyond self-gratification. People who own worldwide news corporations don't start them to benefit their relatives. They have a mission bigger than their immediate family and friends.
People who own dominant airline companies don't start them to have a good cockpit view of the sky and those who own international chain hotels don't start them to have a nice bed to spend the night. you get the point, they already have a mansion at home. That's the difference between a fan and a follower of our message. A follower understands mission and he connects at the level of purpose.
One prolific writer known for his distaste of face masks told me how he met a fan of his writings and told him to his face. " I love your posts and never miss any and even know your distaste for face masks but as for me I will put it on" and he smiled and fist bumped and they walked on. That is exactly who a fan is, he likes what he reads only to the extent that his mind is stimulated and thank God it's that way or else we will have too many wannabes.
The point is, nobody expects a fan actually to be turned into the image of the leader or "star" he is in love with. But sadly this has infiltrated the church. People go for fellowship or church or meet to worship one they don't intend on being like. They are fans and not followers. However, Christ fully intended on turning his followers to become like him, saying;
John 12 (KJV)
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²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
The idea behind his ministry was to turn his followers into himself, as many as believed in his name were given power to become sons of God.
This is exactly what is missing in the house of God. We have too many fans who have forgotten the mission and purpose to which we are called/ the reason we do what we do.
Too many are subscribed to different prayer groups or fellowships and churches as fans and not followers. They will tell you what's happening in every church or fellowship in town, like the football fan, they don't expect and don't intend to ever know the end of the matter to which they claim to follow. They are secret admirers who never reveal their identity because the cost of following to the end of the matter is too high.
The trouble with such people, they lose their conviction faster than they got it, they are
enjoying a journey and have forgotten the destination. Some sing and have forgotten why they sing, some preach and cannot fathom why they preach, some usher and are not nearly aware of the cause, some give and sow and have forgotten why or worse they have mixed up their conviction on why they started doing so in the beginning.
My call for you today is to remember why you are doing what you are doing or else your spiritual life grows cold, be doer's of the word and not hearers only thereby deceiving yourselves.
You who sings do you remember why you started in the first place?
You who ushers do you remember your first convictions or they have since morphed?
You who gives, do you remember your initial convictions on the matter or they have since changed?
There is always a starting point to all relationships the scripture calls it " first Love"
Revelation 2 (KJV)
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² I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
³ And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not
fainted.
⁴ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Shalom! Much love to you.
See you on Sunday 28th. Be there.
Blessings