Text: Matthew 16:24-27- " Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever
will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find
it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall
come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man
according to his works."(KJV)
Introduction:
1. I am going to talk about, "The Great Payday" that is received by every individual
who is wise enough to become a follower of Jesus Christ. The activity involved in
earning a payday may not be so exciting, but receiving the payday is always a
joyous occasion for everyone. I remember as a child my Dad received his pay twice a month. And every pay day was a joyous occasion for me and all of my
brothers and sisters because we would each be given a bag of candy! Yes, there
is something exciting about being rewarded. The Christian life is an exciting
life. It really pays to be a Christian!
2. Our text was written around 80 or 90 A.D. A time of severe persecution for
the early Christians. Therefore Jesus warned his disciples of the foolishness of
pursuing a life of comfort, safety, and ease. He told them that to do so would
result in the end, their losing a new dimension in life here and eternal life in the
world to come.
3. Jesus came to give us abundant life.(John 10:10) In our text He gives us the
formula for living it and promises great rewards to those who follow Him. He is
presenting us with the greatest challenge in the world. A challenge, if accepted,
will not only yield many wonderful compensations in this life, but an abundance
of wonderful compensations in the next life.
4. It is because of the tremendous rewards that are to be gained, that I submit
to you, it is by far better to be an obedient follower of Jesus Christ, than to be
the richest person on earth without Him.
I. WHAT IS GAINED
Permit me to invert the two words; 'Lose' and ' Gain' in verse 26 of our text and
attempt to answer the question thus posed. "For what is a man profited, if he
shall lose the whole world and gain his soul?" At the top of the list of rewards we
receive when we turn from a life of sin to a life of following Christ is the fact of
our;
1. Redemption
What does redeemed mean? It simply means to be set free.
From what has a Christian been redeemed from? First; Christian's have been
redeemed/released from that heavy load of guilt brought on by living a sinful
life.
(Illustration): One day someone asked an old colored fellow what he was so
happy about. The old man replied, "I has had a heavy load of guilt lifted from
my soul since da good Laud done forgive me of alls my terrible sins!" "How do
you know that the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven you?", they asked. He -
explained; "When I's carry a hundred pound sack of potatoes on my back
and sets it down, I's know I'm not carrying it any mo." "So, I knows that da good
Laud done forgive my sins cause I's not carrying dat load no mo!"
Secondly, the follower of Christ has:
2. Power to Conquer Bad Habits
Scripture says that, "He that is in Us (Christ Jesus) is greater than he that is in
the world".(Satan)
Isn't it wonderful to know that there is available, supernatural deliverance from
those health robbing, peace stealing, sorrow giving, tear producing habits that
bind us as a poor slave is bound in shackles and chains!
Thirdly, There is the awesome:
3. Assurance That We Are Members Of God's Family
Our assurance is based wholly upon the Word of God. There is one thing the
heavenly Father cannot do, that is, tell a lie. Many times throughout Scripture,
God promises that if we trust Christ as our savior, and make him the Lord of
our life, we will become one of His very precious children!
* John 6:37, John 1: 12, Romans 10:9, 10, & 13, 1 John 5:13 ,etc.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus said, " Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine
with him." (Rev. 3: 20) Jesus is waiting for your invitation. If you will only open
the door, be assured, He will come in!
Fourthly, the follower of Jesus Christ enjoys:
4. A Deep Settled Peace
The scripture describes this peace as defying understanding unless we
personally experience it. The old gospel song says, "Peace, Peace, wonderful
peace, coming down from the throne of God". Jesus said, "My peace, I give unto
you.." The world cannot give this kind of peace, and the world can't take it away!
Fifthly, the follower of Jesus Christ experiences:
5. Joy
Surrendering all to the Lord will bring great happiness and joy into our hearts.
We cannot help being joyful about the fact that we have been redeemed, all our
sins have been forgiven, we have been adopted into the family of God, and we
know it! Peter calls this joy, "unspeakable", meaning that it is so glorious there
is no words in our vocabulary to describe it! When an individual finds Jesus, he
has found the, "pearl of great price!" No wonder he is full of Joy. More than forty
years ago, I heard someone knocking on my door, and when I opened it, I
discovered that I had just won much, much more than a, 'million dollars sweep-
stake'. And I have been rejoicing ever since!
Yes, blessed assurance, peace of mind, and joy in the soul. Are all a part of
the profits a man receives when he is willing to forsake the world and follow
Christ. If these were the only rewards, It would be enough to convince me that
I have found a mighty good deal! But there is even more to be gained from
following Christ.
Sixth, There is :
6. Freedom From Loneliness
The follower of Jesus Christ need never again experience the terrible feeling of
complete loneliness. Christian's can and do enjoy Christ's constant
companionship. Jesus said that he would always be with us. And He promised
that He would never forsake us. Jesus is always with the Christian in the person
of the Holy Spirit. He is with us in good times as well as in times of sickness,
sorrow, suffering, and need. He is with us when it comes our time to die. So
comforting is the thought that, "we won't have to cross Jordon alone"! The name,
'Jesus' mean's, Emanuel; "God with us". The Lord is with us when we pray, when
we play, when we worship, and when we work. And even when it comes our time
to die. The follower of Jesus Christ sees no fear in death for he knows that, "Even
though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, You(Lord) are with me."
It really pays to serve the Lord! The rewards are wonderful and numerous. It would
take a sermon every week, perhaps for the rest of my life, to preach them all.
I shall mention only one more today, and then we shall close. The follower of
Jesus Christ receives:
7. Escape From Eternal Doom
The scripture plainly teaches that there is eternal damnation for all who reject
God for the love of the world. Torment, Misery, and Woe are the rewards of
all those who harden their hearts to the gospel invitation to be a follower of Jesus.
The Bible calls it the, "second death". It means spending eternity in everlasting
fire. Being totally separated from God.(Read Revelation 20:11-14)
Conclusion:
Think about what I am saying to you, my dear friend, as I bring this message to
an end. If you choose not to turn your back on this world, and continue to live a
life of sin. The pay day will be guilt, loneliness, bondage, misery, and damnation.
If you turn to Christ, trusting Him as your savior, and making Him the Lord of your
life. The rewards will be numerous and wonderful! You will experience forgiveness, freedom from guilt, deliverance from bondage, peace of mind,
assurance that you are a Child of God, joy in your soul, fellowship with the Holy
Spirit, and escape from eternal damnation. Sounds like a great deal to me!
Do you want to trade?
