Harvesters’ Pastor Bolaji Idowu’s Sermon On Football Passion, Faith Sparks Mixed Reactions  

A viral video clip of Bolaji Idowu, Lead Pastor of Harvesters International Christian Centre, has ignited widespread debate across social media platforms, following his remarks comparing Nigerians’ passion for football with their response to the ‘Word of God’.

The sermon, which has gained traction online, captures the cleric—popularly known as Pastor B—challenging Christians to reflect on their priorities and level of enthusiasm for spiritual matters.

In the clip, Idowu draws a direct comparison between football fandom and religious devotion, referencing popular English Premier clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal.

“When you are watching Man Utd, you are shouting. When they win, they will not give you money. They will not give you ordinary silver,” he said.

He then shifted focus to faith, emphasising the importance of passion for spiritual growth.

The pastor anchored his message on the idea that passion is cultivated through consistent attention, rather than being innate.

“Were you born passionate about Man Utd?” he asked. “The more you pay attention, what happen? You caught the passion. When you become a Christian, you must be full of zeal and passion.”

Quoting tge scripture, he said: “The Bible says, ‘And the zeal of the Lord had consumed me.’ Someone says, ‘But me, I don’t have zeal and passion.’ The reason why you don’t have it is because you’ve not put your attention on it. The more you pay attention to the things of God, you’ll get the passion for the things of God.”

He further challenged perceptions around expressions of worship.

“Some of you, when the word of God is going on, you see someone shouting, you say they are strange. You are the one that is strange,” he said. “When you are watching Man Utd, you are shouting… but when we hear the word…”

The congregation responded with enthusiastic chants of “Hallelujah,” moments that have contributed to the clip’s viral appeal online.

Reactions online among netizens were, however, divided. While some social media users praised the cleric for simplifying biblical teachings, others questioned the comparison between football and faith, describing it as overly simplistic.

Reacting on Instagram, a user, @cos_am_a_sunshine, wrote: “Well done, Pastor B. How I love the way you preach for one to understand, plus your illustration that crowns it all. So grateful for the gift of you.”

However, another user, @mrmiyagi_og, dismissed the message, stating: “What is this word of God? Stories about some people who died centuries ago in the Middle East… The Bible is just a compilation of stories about other people’s ancestors. Is not a word of God.”

Similarly, @temityarewa questioned the emotional and material benefits of religious engagement compared to football entertainment, asking: “Their winning is mind lifting as a fan and does the church give money and silver always????”

Despite the divergent views, the viral clip has extended a sermon delivered within church walls into a broader national conversation on faith, attention, and personal priorities.