Are you a Disciple Of Christ or a fan?

James 1:22-25 (ESV)
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

The question you need to ask yourself is: Are you a disciple of Christ or just a fan?

I believe many people sitting in the pews today are nothing more than fans, and that is a very dangerous place to be. Do you go to church, sit in the pew, and maybe even give the preacher an "Amen"? You know all the right lingo to say? But come Monday, are you back to your old self? Have you ever truly died to self?

Christ has called us to be His disciples—doers of His word—taking up our cross and following Him. I often hear people say, "I'm just human; I'm not perfect and won’t be until I get to heaven." While that is true, we shouldn’t let it stop us from becoming more Christ like every day.

We need to be able to say what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV): "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."

Why are we afraid to say this? Is it because we know we haven't completely died to self and are only giving a half-hearted effort in following Christ?

Fans and Players is taken from: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/discipleship-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-disciple-of-jesus.html it's a good article and well worth the time reading.

Fans and Players

In contrast to a disciple is what many call a fan. This is best illustrated by comparing the fan of a sports team with one of the players on the field.

A fan sits on the sideline and cheers on their team. They may invest some time in learning about their team. And they may invest in purchasing some of the appropriate swag so that they can fly the team colors. But the fan watches the performance from the stands or watches the game on TV. But they do not get directly involved. And if their team disappoints them, they may switch their allegiance to one they find more satisfying.

A fan may know a lot about their team and its members. They can rattle off team and player stats. They may have detailed opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of team members. And they enjoy discussing the recent game and player performance with other fans.

A player on that sports team is quite different though. The team and game are their life. They spend time in conditioning, learning the playbook, and in practice. On game day, they are down on the field, executing the plays drawn up for them by their coach. They each have their part to play in the game, and each one is important to the outcome of the game. Unlike the fan who sits and watches, the team player is actively involved in the game.