From Fans to Followers: Pursuing True Relationship with Jesus

Today’s focus was on the difference between being a fan of Jesus and being a true follower. Using John 6 as our foundation, we explored how easy it is to be drawn to Jesus for what He gives—miracles, provision, comfort—without actually seeking Him for who He is. The crowd that followed Jesus after the feeding of the 5,000 wanted more bread, but missed the deeper invitation: to know and trust the One who is the Bread of Life. Jesus challenged them, and us, not to settle for a transactional relationship, but to pursue a real, personal connection with Him.

We saw that fans are content to know about Jesus, to enjoy the benefits of His presence, and to walk away when things get uncomfortable or confusing. Followers, on the other hand, stick with Jesus even when His words are hard to understand or when obedience is costly. The disciples’ response—“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”—shows the heart of a follower: a commitment to Jesus Himself, not just His gifts.

It’s easy, especially in seasons of busyness or spiritual routine, to slip into fan behavior. We can treat Jesus like a vending machine, coming to Him only when we need something, or hide behind Bible knowledge and church activity without actually spending time with Him. The challenge is to examine our hearts honestly: Do we want Jesus, or just what He can do for us? Do we know Him, or just know about Him? And when following gets uncomfortable, do we stick around or do we run?

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 remind us that it’s not enough to do things for Him or to know facts about Him—He desires relationship. The invitation is to move from fan to follower, to spend time with Him, to listen, to be open, and to let Him shape us even when it’s hard. There’s grace for us when we realize we’ve been fans, and there’s always an open door to repentance and deeper relationship. The call is to pursue Jesus Himself, to know Him, and to follow wherever He leads.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Fans Want the Gifts; Followers Want the Giver It’s easy to approach Jesus for what He can provide—answers to prayer, comfort, provision—without actually desiring Him. The crowd in John 6 wanted more bread, but missed the invitation to know the Bread of Life Himself. True spiritual hunger is satisfied not by what Jesus gives, but by Jesus Himself. The challenge is to examine whether our prayers and pursuits are about getting things from God or getting God Himself. [49:20]
• 2. Knowing About Jesus Is Not the Same as Knowing Jesus There’s a difference between being able to recite facts about Jesus and actually having a relationship with Him. Like superfans who know every detail about a celebrity but have never met them, we can know Bible trivia, attend church, and still not know Jesus personally. Followers spend time with Him, listen, and let their lives be shaped by His presence, not just His teachings. [54:39]
• 3. Followers Stay When It Gets Uncomfortable When Jesus’ words or ways become confusing or challenging, fans walk away, but followers stay. The disciples didn’t understand everything Jesus said, but they knew who He was and trusted Him enough to stick around. Faithfulness is proven not in comfort, but in commitment—staying with Jesus even when it’s hard or when we don’t have all the answers. [58:44]
• 4. It’s Easy to Slip Into Fan Behavior—Even for Leaders Busyness, routine, and even ministry can lead us to treat Jesus like a spiritual vending machine, coming to Him only when we need something. It’s possible to hide behind spiritual activity or knowledge and miss real relationship. Recognizing this tendency is the first step toward repentance and renewal, moving from transactional faith to transformational friendship with Jesus. [61:29]
• 5. Jesus Desires Relationship, Not Just Religious Activity In Matthew 7, Jesus warns that many will do things in His name but never actually know Him. The invitation is to pursue a relationship where we listen, respond, and spend time with Him—not just check spiritual boxes. There’s grace to start fresh, to repent, and to intentionally seek Jesus for who He is, not just what He can do. [64:48]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:45] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
• [05:30] - Student Ministry Updates
• [08:40] - Missionary Introduction: Tomáš
• [13:00] - Missionary Q&A and Prayer
• [17:30] - Deacon of the Week Introduction
• [19:00] - Introduction to John 6: Fans vs. Followers
• [25:00] - Context: Feeding the 5,000 and Walking on Water
• [28:30] - Reading John 6:25-34
• [32:00] - Fans Want Bread, Followers Want Jesus
• [36:00] - Knowing About Jesus vs. Knowing Jesus
• [41:00] - When Following Gets Uncomfortable
• [46:00] - The Disciples’ Response: “To Whom Shall We Go?”
• [50:00] - Personal Reflection: Fan Behavior in Our Lives
• [56:00] - Application: Honest Questions for Self-Examination
• [69:47] - Closing Prayer and Sending

Bible Reading

John 6:25-34, 35, 41-42, 60-69 (ESV) —
> 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
> 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
> 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
> 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
> 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
> 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
> 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
> 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
> 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
> 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
> 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
> 41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
> 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
> 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”
> 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
> 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
> 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
> 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) —
> 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
> 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
> 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Observation Questions

1. In John 6, what did the crowd want from Jesus after the feeding of the 5,000, and how did Jesus respond to their request?
2. What is the difference between how the crowd and how the disciples responded when Jesus’ teaching became hard to understand or accept?
3. According to Matthew 7:21-23, what does Jesus say is not enough for entering the kingdom of heaven? What does He say is required?
4. What are some examples from the sermon of “fan behavior” versus “follower behavior”?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus challenged the crowd’s motives for following Him after the miracle of the bread? What does this reveal about what He values most in our relationship with Him?
2. The sermon compared knowing about Jesus to being a superfan of a celebrity. Why is it possible to know a lot about Jesus and still not actually know Him?
3. When Jesus’ words or ways become confusing or uncomfortable, why do some people walk away while others stay? What does this say about the difference between fans and followers?
4. According to Matthew 7, why is it dangerous to rely on religious activity or spiritual accomplishments instead of a real relationship with Jesus?

Application Questions

1. The sermon talked about treating Jesus like a “spiritual vending machine”—coming to Him only when we need something. In what ways have you found yourself doing this? What would it look like to pursue Jesus Himself, not just His gifts, in your daily life?
2. Think about your prayer life and spiritual habits. Are they more about getting things from God, or about getting to know God Himself? What is one small change you could make this week to focus more on relationship than requests?
3. The sermon mentioned that it’s easy to hide behind Bible knowledge, church attendance, or ministry activity. How can you tell if you’re just “knowing about” Jesus instead of actually knowing Him? What would be a sign in your own life?
4. When following Jesus gets uncomfortable or confusing, what is your usual response? Can you think of a time when you were tempted to walk away or ignore what God was saying because it was hard? What helped you stick with Him, or what might help you next time?
5. The disciples said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” What would it look like for you to have that kind of commitment to Jesus, even when you don’t have all the answers?
6. The sermon challenged us to set aside time to be with Jesus with “no agenda”—just to listen and be open. What is one practical way you could do this in the coming week? (For example: setting a timer, going for a walk, or doing chores while praying.)
7. Is there an area of your life where you realize you’ve been more of a fan than a follower? What would repentance and a fresh start look like for you in that area?