Consider Another Perspective About Being a Disciple – A Deeper Dive

There is a vast difference between a disciple and a follower.  Let’s try a team sports analogy (like football, soccer, baseball, it doesn’t matter) – an imperfect, but a good mental picture.

• Followers (also known as a Fans or Spectators):
  • Enthusiastically yells, screams, and cheers for their team at the games.
  • Loosely or rabidly tracks the team – goes to games, reads or listens to reports about the team, and keeps track of statistics, scores, and standings.
  • But is always a SPECTATOR (sits in the stands and observes or watches) – just like most Christians in the church today!
  • They are NOT on the team but perhaps supporters of the team at one level or another.
  • Easy to abandon or lose interest in their team when the team is consistently losing, trades a favorite player, changes coaches, adopts different team strategies, you name it (people can be very fickle).
  • Churches in America – and around the world, for that matter – are full of spectators.  Those who show up out of a sense of obligation or curiosity, but they never really make a commitment to Jesus and therefore never experience transformation or get actively involved with the congregation. For sure, they don’t get involved in the Great Commission!
  • Question: are they really saved?

• Disciples (Committed Team Members):
  • Firmly understand and study the belief system, principles, characteristics, and actions/reactions of the leader they have chosen to submit to.
  • Have decided and purposed in their minds and hearts to commit themselves faithfully and completely to the leader they believe and trust in (a covenant relationship at every level).
  • Aggressively, deliberately, and consistently want to think, believe, respond, and act the way their leader has called them to be and do.
  • Faithful and dependable members of the team – no matter what price must be paid or what challenges or obstacles must be encountered and overcome.
  • Have willingly decided (CONVICTION) to link their destiny to the promises and sacrifices required by their leader.