Growing up, I admired many people, and a lot of them happened to be athletes.
As a kid, I became passionate about baseball while watching the New York Mets. I ate, drank, lived and slept baseball.
My heart would race with excitement when Tom Seaver pitched. I purposed that whatever he had for breakfast, I had to have the same. If he used a certain aftershave, I was going to splash the same lotion on my face.
I threw the ball the way he did, copying every movement. I read articles about him and would repeat his motion over and over. I was great at being like Tom Seaver, and when I listened to the games on the radio, I would be in sync with what he was doing on the mound, even though I couldn’t see him.
I wasn’t only an admirer of him. I was a full-blown disciple. I was an active follower of everything about him.
Most of you are not in that category. Those of you who are older, like me, probably admired Tom Seaver like I used to admire Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Jim Bunning. None of those men truly impacted my life.
Anyone who knew me understood, by my behavior, that I was devoted to number 41, who was known as “The Franchise.”
An admirer is impressed, but a follower is impacted forever. An admirer claps, but a follower is committed.
People admired Martin Luther King, and some marched with him. Not many went to jail with him, and not many got their houses bombed like he did.
A lot of people admired Mother Theresa, but not many people followed her to live among the destitute and dying.
When Jesus taught on earth, there were two groups of people listening to him. Many would be amazed at his teachings because Jesus taught them as one who had authority, not as ordinary teachers of the law.
While Jesus was teaching, something miraculous began to happen in the hearts of a few of them. Suddenly, admiration from a distance was no longer enough.
As Jesus shared words of life, their hearts would pound, their minds would race, and something deep inside them said, “This is it. This is what I have been longing for my whole life, without being able to properly communicate it, without knowing the spiritual name for it.
“I have hungered to be cleansed, yearned to be forgiven of all my sin, and finally get rid of all the junk that, for many years, has weighed me down. Suddenly, I want to know God and not just be content with information about Him. I want to go beyond being informed, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform me.
“I’m weary of worrying and falling into dedicating myself to deeds that I’m not proud of. I know I need more than just stuff. I admit that I need a Savior.
“I long to be rescued, redeemed, and restored. I want to have confidence beyond the grave, not fearing death. I won’t settle for anything less.
“I would rather have Jesus and give up everything in the world, than give up Jesus and have everything the world could offer.
“I don’t care, and I will pay any price. I will do whatever He wants me to do, go wherever he wants me to go, and give whatever He says I should give. I will be whatever He says I should be.
“Today, I am leaving the fickle crowd of admirers, and I’m now a Jesus fanatic. I am ready to love Jesus, regardless of what anybody else says or thinks. I will live as a fully devoted follower of Him.”
This Christmas, are you merely an admirer that doesn’t fully follow Jesus?
Are you holding back from God because you are afraid of losing what you can’t keep? Are you flirting with the Lord, rather than surrendering your whole heart? Are you only dating God when you should commit to Him?
Last week, Terri and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary. We reminisced about a crucial weekend during Easter 1982.
I was preparing to graduate Bible College and begin ministry. Terri was a sophomore, so a big decision had to be made.
Our relationship was at a crossroads. Either I was going to make the commitment and marry Terri, or break up with her. It wasn’t a question of love.
I loved Terri and admired everything about her. Nothing was going to change that. However, if we were going to move forward together, it was going to take a step of movement on my part to make the lifetime commitment of getting married.
Too many people try building a commitment upon love, but that doesn’t work. It must be the other way around.
God didn’t commit to us because He loved us. He loved us because He was already committed to us.
I talked to all my trusted advisors at the time for their opinion. I prayed and asked God to reveal His will. I believe that He said, “It is up to you.” This was not a question of right or wrong, but a matter of going from dating to getting married.
I came back, and on that Easter, I said to Terri, “I’m yours if you want me.” We have been together since.
Jesus didn’t come to be buddies. He longs to be our Savior and Lord, and the choice is yours.
He stands at the door of your heart, knocks, and says, “Let me in, but if I come in, it is to be your God and not another trivial pursuit.”
If you are going to move forward in your faith, you can’t cheer from the crowd only. You must obey and follow the Lord.
Jesus promises that He will lead us into eternal life, but you won’t know that until you take Him at His word, and you can’t do that from a distance.
ED. NOTE: The author is the senior pastor of The Lighthouse Church, 1248 Route 9 South, Court House.
