I enjoy sports like many if not most Americans. I am a fan but also admit I am a fickle one.

Win or lose I have neither gained or lost anything. For me it’s simply entertainment. I can take it or leave it. If my team is winning I tend to follow them more, if they lose I watch them less. I am a Detroit Lions fan but become quickly disinterested every year.

I am a fickle fan. A bandwagon fan you might say and not a tailgater.

Can this be the spirit of the age in post modern Christian Americans? Can we be fickle admirers of Jesus but not truly committed disciples?

There is a huge difference between an admirer of Jesus and a disciple of Jesus willing to follow him to the end.

It’s so easy in our common circles of non conflicting views to talk about the evils happening in woke culture in our highest institutions and churches.

But will we speak into hostile circles confronting the present evil of this age? This in my view is the difference between an admirer and a disciple.

The good deeds of Jesus gained him many bandwagon admirers but it was his words that pared down this crowd to the core group of true disciples. Committed tailgaters.

There are admirers of Jesus in many American pulpits and pews but I’m afraid many are not disciples.

Jesus said to his brothers. “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.” John 7:7

As disciples we testify of evil and call people to repentance through the gospel. We are to speak against the evil in the world that much clergy practices and preaches.

Admirers walk away from this but disciples don’t regardless of the consequences. We speak the truth in love regardless of cost.

Jesus said this to his tailgaters.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:18-19

I’m not interested in bandwagon faith. I admire Jesus but he wants much more than my admiration. He calls for a committed tailgaters faith.

What about you? Are you a admirer or a disciple?