When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.
Matthew 8:18 (CSB)
By this point a large crowd had gathered around Jesus, after people had seen Him heal the sick. Jesus looked at the crowd and gave the order to cross the Sea of Galilee, the large lake near the town of Capernaum.
Jesus decided where He would go, not the crowd. A few verses later, Matthew tells us that when Jesus got into the boat, His disciples followed Him (Matthew 8:23). A disciple is a follower who goes where the teacher goes, not just someone who watches from the crowd.
It is possible to enjoy being near Jesus, at church or around Christian friends, and still not follow Him. Following Jesus can mean leaving people we are comfortable with, saying no to what everyone else is doing, or doing what He says when it is not popular. When following Jesus costs us like that, we ought to go with Him anyway.
Jesus never let a crowd decide where He would go. Later a crowd shouted for Him to be crucified, and He did not run away. He chose to give His life on the cross for our sins, and He rose again, so that everyone who trusts Him is forgiven.