Fan or Follower: Decision or Commitment? John 3:1-21 March 5, 2017 #2 of series (credit to Kyle Idleman's book, "not a fan" Today is fan appreciation day! You were invited to wear your favorite sports team colors! Many of you have showed up with your favorite team colors. Those of you who were not here the past few weeks didn't get the memo! (Mention the teams that are represented by the fans!) The most basic definition of a fan in the dictionary is: "An enthusiastic admirer." A more colorful description of a fan is the guy who goes to the football game in freezing weather with no shirt. He has painted his chest and belly with the team colors. Sometimes he gets a few of his fellow fans to do the same and together they spell out the team name! A fan is the person who has a team jersey hanging in your house autographed by the player who wears that number...hopefully it's not Tom Brady's Super Bowl jersey that went missing and is valued at over $500K! A fan has stickers or license plates on their car. They know the chant and hand gestures for the team. You know all the key players, their number and position they play. But you don't personally know the players! You can yell and cheer from your season ticket holder seat, but nothing is required of you on the playing field. You have never entered the game. You have never taken a hit or even come close to a concussion unless you slipped walking up the steps to your seat. The truth is there is no real sacrifice to be made as a fan. page 1
Baseball spring training season started last week. We are on the eve of March Madness in College Basketball. MLS Soccer season starts today! There is another season that starts today...the season of Lent. It is a time of 6 weeks leading up to Holy Week that concludes with the big game: Resurrection Sunday! This season of Lent is a time of taking a good look at your relationship with Jesus. It is often a time to go without, or sacrifice something in your life to remind you of the sacrifice Jesus gave for us on the playing field of life here on earth. During the season of Lent and all the way to Resurrection Sunday we will be seeking to answer the most important question : "Are you a fan or follower of Jesus?" Fan or follower? This is the question you will need to answer for yourself. I trust you will make every effort to be at the next 6 home games and right up to Super Resurrection Sunday. It all begins with us losing... "losing our religion!" Have you ever found yourself in a situation of frustration to where you "Almost lost your religion?" Or better yet, "You lost your religion!" One of the first steps in becoming a follower of Jesus is to LOSE YOUR RELIGION! This doesn't mean saying and doing things that get you messed up with the person you are mad at. This means losing your religion! We sit down with Jesus for that cup of coffee we talked about last week. He invites us over to join him and a man he has seated with him by the name of Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a fan of Jesus who became a follower. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council called the Sanhedrin. What all those titles mean is that he was smart, rich, powerful and religious. page 2
The Pharisees was the group Jesus criticized for being hypocritical. (Matthew 3:7). Most members were jealous and angry at Jesus because of his challenging their beliefs and authority. Nicodemus wore the Pharisee jersey but he was searching for more to life than his religion. We first find out about Nicodemus when he went searching for Jesus...under the cover of night. Nicodemus had a dual identity. He was Nicodemus the Pharisee by day and a fan of Jesus at night. He was like a Batman or Superman. Quick quiz! Who was Batman by day? Bruce Wayne. A very wealthy man of power and position with a goofy servant Alfred. Who was Superman? Clark Kent. The geeky newspaper reporter. Nicodemus goes to Jesus at night not as a Pharisee but as a fan. He didn't want any of his crew to know or go with him. He could begin a relationship without any of his friends, family or colleagues knowing. That leads us to an interesting question. Are you such a fan of your favorite team that your friends, family and colleagues know? Now the real tough question...do your friends, family and colleagues know of your connection with Jesus? Are you a fan or follower? An under the radar relationship with Jesus means that it won't affect or bring about any significant change to your current lifestyle of success, comfort and personal desires. After all, if no one really knows of your searching for Jesus then they can't hold you accountable in your relationship with Jesus. Here is the troubling reality when it comes to losing your religion and beginning a relationship with Jesus...it will interfere with your life. page 3
Nicodemus' life got messed up with one of the most quoted two word statements of Jesus. We all look at these two words and move on. Nicodemus heard them and was in shock. Jesus told him: "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is BORN AGAIN." Vs. 3 NIV How can a person be born again? Nicodemus was confused. Jesus was telling him his life was about to be interfered with instead of simply inspired. Fans want to be inspired with the "feel good W!" Fans desire the "feel good" without the "do good!" To have your life interfered by Jesus means all areas of your life. Followers of Jesus begin a new life. All aspects of their lives are interfered by the truths of Jesus. His truths interfere with our schedules, family relationships, finances, worship, making time to read His Word, the bible, our attitudes, spoken words, values etc. Two other words speak about this interference: Deny yourself! (Luke 9:23) To be born again begins with a decision Jesus gives to us: denying yourself. Jesus spoke about that decision with Nicodemus when he said, "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, (come on most of you know the team chant here)... That whoever BELIEVES in him shall not perish but have eternal life..." John 3:16NIV Belief must also be accompanied with Behavior! B&B! Belief is more than an intellectual knowledge or head trip acceptance...it's putting the called play into action on the playing field. Belief is more than a mere emotional acknowledgement of the heart from the safety of your stadium seat. Belief is a decision to commit to following. Jesus talked about making the decision to believe the truth of Jesus and then put it into practice. (Matthew 7:21-27) page 4
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and German martyr under Hitler's rule, made this statement of a follower of Jesus: "Only one who believes truly obeys, and only one who obeys truly believes." Being a disciple or follower of Jesus is not a program or a Sunday School curriculum. It is a major interference into one's life. It is a decision to follow Jesus in all you do and say each and every day. Every day becomes game day, not just Sunday. Belief Behavior No forgiveness of sins Without repentance No salvation Without denying of self No life Without death, born again No decision Without commitment Nicodemus began to realize this change of behavior in himself. Later on the Pharisees were really getting frustrated with Jesus and went to have him arrested. In the heat of the discussion Nicodemus stood up and spoke up for Jesus. He risked his reputation. His colleagues ridiculed him and asked if he, like Jesus, was from Galilee. (John 7:46-52) Nicodemus removed his Pharisaical robe in a sense to reveal his true identity...a follower of Jesus. His statement was bold and his decision to follow Jesus became evident in his words. He was no longer an undercover fan. He was now a bold follower! A follower stands up and speaks up for Jesus when others are ridiculing him. Even if friends ridicule you with statements like, "Are you one of those Jesus freaks?" "I know what you are like. You telling me you are no longer going to behave like your old self?" "Have you lost your mind?" A follower loses his religion...is born again...lives a new life...one in which one's beliefs match one's behavior. page 5
One's faith becomes a "Hands on" experience. The last time we hear about Nicodemus is the Friday Jesus died. Nicodemus and a friend, with their own hands, took down the dead, beaten and bloodied body of Jesus from the cross. They quickly prepared his body for burial and placed it in the tomb, with their own hands. (John 19:38-42) Jesus interfered in Nicodemus' life. He risked his reputation. He risked his power and wealth. Nicodemus spent a good fortune on the 75 pounds of the mixture of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus' body for burial. When most others, the fans, had abandoned Jesus, or were hiding in fear, Nicodemus steps up as a follower and makes a great hands on gesture of affection and complete devotion. He was no longer a secret admirer. He wasn't just an enthusiastic admirer. Nicodemus had allowed Jesus to interfere in his life and to have his beliefs match his behavior. Nicodemus became a follower of Jesus. That's the last time we read of Nicodemus in Scripture. Christian tradition asserts that he was martyred sometime in the first century because he had made the commitment to be a follower of Jesus. Fan or follower? How do you answer this most important question? Jesus doesn't desire a sold out stadium full of dressed up fans! He is looking for those who are willing to lose their religion, be sold out for Him, and follow him on the playing field of life! Have you made that decision to risk your reputation to let others know of your love for Jesus? Have you been born again through your commitment to follow Jesus as your personal Savior? Are you allowing Jesus to interfere in all areas of your life as you deny yourself and follow him? Fan or follower? It's not just a belief or decision. Fan or follower? It's a commitment of life for life! page 6