{"id":45083,"date":"2009-05-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-05-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/sren-kierkegaard-on-difference-between-admirers-and-followe\/"},"modified":"2009-05-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-05-25T00:00:00","slug":"sren-kierkegaard-on-difference-between-admirers-and-followe","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/sren-kierkegaard-on-difference-between-admirers-and-followe\/","title":{"rendered":"S\u00f8ren Kierkegaard on the Difference Between Admirers and Followers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you have any knowledge at all of human nature, you know that those who only admire the truth will, when danger appears, become traitors. The admirer is infatuated with the false security of greatness; but if there is any inconvenience or trouble, he pulls back. Admiring the truth, instead of following it, is just as dubious a fire as the fire of erotic love, which at the turn of the hand can be changed into exactly the opposite&mdash;to hate, jealousy, and revenge. Christ, however, never asked for admirers, worshipers, or adherents. He consistently spoke of &quot;followers&quot; and &quot;disciples.&quot;<\/p>\n\n<p><em>&mdash;S&oslash;ren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher and theologian (1813&ndash;1855)<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[405,409],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3557,3592,3640,3689,3749,3776,3793,3833,4191,4388,4389,4537,4560,4803,4869,4882,4914,4916,4931,4938,5100,5115,5199,5305],"tax_ctp_topics":[378],"class_list":["post-45083","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-change","tax_ctp_tags-christian-life","tax_ctp_tags-commitment","tax_ctp_tags-conversion","tax_ctp_tags-dedication","tax_ctp_tags-devotion","tax_ctp_tags-discipleship","tax_ctp_tags-dying-to-self","tax_ctp_tags-humiliation","tax_ctp_tags-lordship","tax_ctp_tags-lordship-of-christ","tax_ctp_tags-new-birth","tax_ctp_tags-old-man","tax_ctp_tags-renewing-the-mind","tax_ctp_tags-sacrifice","tax_ctp_tags-sanctification","tax_ctp_tags-self-denial","tax_ctp_tags-self-discipline","tax_ctp_tags-self-sacrifice","tax_ctp_tags-selflessness","tax_ctp_tags-submission","tax_ctp_tags-surrender","tax_ctp_tags-truth","tax_ctp_tags-worship"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>S\u00f8ren Kierkegaard on the Difference Between Admirers and Followers - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/sren-kierkegaard-on-difference-between-admirers-and-followe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"S\u00f8ren Kierkegaard on the Difference Between Admirers and Followers - CT Pastors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you have any knowledge at all of human nature, you know that those who only admire the truth will, when danger appears, become traitors. 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