WHAT IS THE PAYOFF FOR FOLLOWING JESUS?

Outside of Christ, I am only a sinner, but in Christ, I am saved. Outside of Christ, I am empty; in Christ, I am full. Outside of Christ, I am weak; in Christ, I am strong. Outside of Christ, I cannot; in Christ, I am more than able. Outside of Christ, I have been defeated; in Christ, I am already victorious. How meaningful are the words, “in Christ.” – Watchman Nee.

Have you ever asked yourself, “is it really worth it to follow Christ?” Have you ever compared what you get with following Jesus with what those in the world get? You look around and see people devoting their lives to the things of this world. They seem to be living the dream. They have plenty of money. They take nice vacations. They drive new cars. It is human nature to look at them and ponder whether your life would be similar if you were not a follower of Jesus. You wouldn’t have to give a portion of your income to the Lord’s work. You would have your weekends free to pursue whatever you wanted to do. Is it worth it to follow Christ?  “Am I making a mistake to give up all this to follow Christ?”

The motivation for following Christ should not be to get the benefits. We follow Him because He is who He claimed to be: the Savior and Messiah. But He graciously reassures us by telling us of the promised benefits. The pleasures of this world pale in comparison with the pleasure of knowing the Savior. The sacrifices of time, money, and hardship you encounter in serving Christ are nothing compared to the joy of knowing Him. The beauty of the Gospel is that in trusting Jesus, He pours into us more than we could have expected or hoped for.

Psalm 103:2, for example, says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Psalm 116:12 says, “What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?” The Apostle Paul described a major part of his ministry this way: “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8 NIV).

Jesus does not invite us to follow Him for what we can get, but He invites us to follow Him for what we can give. We can be a part of serving, loving, and reaching the people around us. We need to trust Jesus when He says, “ If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it” (Matthew 10:39).

Christians don’t follow Jesus for the perks. They follow Jesus because He is the risen Son of God. The truth of His resurrection compels us to trust in Him as God and is worthy of our love, worship, and obedience. In Jesus alone, we find counting the cost results in us receiving far more than we could ever repay or earn. That is the beauty of the Gospel. That is the reason Jesus is always worth following.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the payoff in your mind for following Jesus?