John 1.29-42

We live in a world of technology where thousands of people make a living by getting others to click a button that says “Follow.” Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, the list goes on and on of social media sites trying to get you to follow them. I myself have a this blog and I am excited to report when I wrote this sermon I had 9 followers. 15 people clicked on my last message. It was viewed 21 times. 1 liked it. None commented on it.

One of the things that I have found amusing while preparing to write this sermon is that following now means just about as much as it did in Jesus’ day. As you might recall, Jesus amassed thousands of followers. We know this because at one point he fed over 5000 men, which did not include the women and children present, so the number was actually much more than that. People gathered together some of them traveling for days away from their jobs and families to hear him speak. To follow him.

When he tried to escape and get a little peace and quiet, they followed him like the paparazzi. Listen to John’s response as he approached “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Not really much different than “Look! Hugh Jackman! The Wolverine!” “Look it’s Joshua Redwine, the WBOY Weatherman! Not the one whose name I can’t pronounce, the other guy who is there on the weekend.”

Pretty sure they all have more followers than I do.

But what does it mean to be a follower? Is it as simple as clicking a button, reading a post, taking a selfie with someone? By societal standards yes, but by Jesus standards? Not even close.

“Look the lamb of God!”

Of all those who followed Jesus, he referred to only 12 as his disciples. 12 individuals who demonstrated a higher level of following than the thousands who heard, listened, clicked the follow button, stalked him for a few days or weeks until he said or did something they didn’t like and then went back to their normal lives.

John and Andrew are doing what good followers are supposed to do. Not only are they following, but they recruited other followers! John shouted out whenever he saw Jesus in public, who he was and gave a short testimony about why they should follow him too. “This is the one I meant when I said “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me. I saw the spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.”

So, we go from John seeing Jesus coming toward him to the next day, John was there again with two of his disciples. They are multiplying, look at that? Why, because they are telling people about what they see and hear and experience! It’s amazing! It’s like when you share a Facebook post instead of just clicking the like button. It’s great that you like it but do you like it so much that you need to share the message with others? To shout out into the world “Look the lamb of God! You’ve got to see this too!”

And, when Jesus says “Come” they follow. They go with him. They don’t ask him where he is going first. They trust him and they go.

Then, Andrew, the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him “We have found the Messiah” and he brought him to Jesus. Andrew clicked like, then shared. He was truly a follower. Things haven’t changed a whole lot in a few thousand years. Different modality, different venue, different platforms but still like, share, follow. It’s how information gets disseminated into the world. Always has been.

You hear something that interests you so you go and investigate. If you like it, you share it with others, you tell them about it. If you don’t, the relationship ends there but, if you really like it not only do you share that information with others but you follow. You put yourself into a position to easily access more information, future events, and be able to track what this thing that has caught your attention is doing. You click the follow button and forever receive text notification, emails, and alerts to the whereabouts of your target. How awesome would that have been in Jesus’ day?

But, just as in Jesus’ day, following is shallow. People do not follow like God wants them to follow. They want to be back seat drivers on the road to salvation. They want to follow just so they can criticize, gossip amongst one another that the leader isn’t leading them well or not doing what they think they should be doing. They aren’t really following at all. Following takes guts. Following is a commitment. Following involves further action.

The disciples didn’t just sit back and criticize Jesus for what he was doing. Sometimes they engaged in outright arguments with him which is great! They spoke their opinions and Jesus responded to them. “You can’t feed all these people with just five loaves of bread and two fish!” And, Jesus engaged back with them “Come and you will see.” And as good followers, they listened, they did, they clicked like, they shared their testimony and they shared what had so captivated their attention in the first place. Their faith grew. Others faith grew. The following grew. They grew together.

You can argue all you want that the world is a different place but I’m going to tell you, no, not really, it isn’t. That’s why we are still reading a book written thousands of years ago. It is relevant. Now, it’s digitized. If you’re not on Facebook, TikTok, whatever that’s up to you but you should still be clicking that like button when you hear something you like, you should still be sharing what you like with others, and if you find something that moves you spiritually you should be bearing witness and testimony to what it is that is guiding and changing your life and the things that you have found that grow and strengthen your faith with others because communication has not changed. Human beings still function through the dissemination of information that’s why God gave us voices!

Your voice is not just there to complain from the backseat. Following is a commitment. Following is saying I WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH not just someone who sits back and clicks the like button once in a while. I want to be a part of the driving force. I want to be a follower. You’re not following me, you are following God, doing what He asks what he wants. And yes, questioning Him, questioning your leadership, it’s okay, it is better to have answers. Dissemination of information goes both ways in EVERY relationship including the one we have with God.

And so, I encourage you to not just like God, or share once in awhile but to truly follow Him. Commit to him. Stalk him on a regular basis. Read about him. Read what others say about Him. Share what you learn. Share your own experiences. Click the follow button in your life! And mine. Click the Subscribe button, please.

May, the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious to you;
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you
And give you peace.