WHAT WILL WE GET? (11)

TEXT:  MATTHEW: 19:27-29

“Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”  Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit

eternal life.

The high cost of following Jesus have made many people in the world to remain in sin because they lack the understanding of knowing why they must do all these “just” to follow Jesus. The fear of letting go of all they have to follow Jesus seem too much to bear to them. This is so because they are ignorant of what their reward would be if they leave all to follow Jesus. In ignorance Peter asked Jesus ““We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” Peter asked this question because he knew who he was before he became one of the disciples. He was an active fisherman; he left his job and family to follow Jesus. Maybe on the day he asked that question, he might have thought of how he used to go fishing and selling them to make money, and looking at himself following Jesus without being paid. “Many yet to be saved” are like Peter, thinking “what will I gain from following Jesus?” some refused to follow Jesus while some gave up following him because they find the price too difficult to pay.

They believe that it does not worth it to leave their wealth, material things of convenience, friends and families to follow Christ, when they are not sure of what will be their gain. When Peter asked that question he wanted to be sure that he was not doing all in vain, like Peter; we all love rewards. Jesus replied Peter in verses 28 and 29 “And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.…

The lesson in this message is that when you leave everything to follow Jesus, you will not regret it, he will not forsake you, your rewards for leaving everything to follow him exceeds what you are leaving to follow him. Whatever you leave to follow Christ will be given back to you in hundred folds. And above all you will have eternal life. Remember that the Lord did not call you to serve Him in vain (Isaiah 45:19). Count the cost today, look at the rewards in following him, take up your cross and follow him.