foreign [Music]
I am reading the word of God from Luke
chapter 23.
beginning with verse 32 and concluding
and there were also two others malefactors
malefactors
and when they were come to the place
which is called Calvary There They
Crucified him and the malefactors
one on the right hand and the other on
the left
then said Jesus father forgive them
for they know not what they do
and they parted his arraignment and cast lots
lots
and the people stood beholding
and the ruler is also derided him saying
he saved others
let him save himself if he be the Christ
the chosen of God
and the soldiers also mocked him coming
to him and offering him vinegar and saying
saying
if thou be the king of the Jews save thyself
thyself
and a superscription also was written
over him in letters of Greek and Latin
and Hebrew
this is the king of the Jews
and one of the malefactors who were
hanged railed at him saying
if thou be the Christ save thyself and us
us
but the other answering rebuked him saying
saying
thus not thou fear God
seeing Thou Art in the same condemnation
and we indeed justly
for we receive the due reward of our Deeds
Deeds
but this man hath done nothing amiss
and he said unto Jesus Lord
remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom
kingdom
and Jesus said unto him
verily I say unto thee today
the dying Thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day
whenever a person turns to Jesus Christ
in faith
it is an amazing experience because a
miracle takes place in fact many miracles
when a Lost Sinner trusts the Lord Jesus Christ
he is born Anew born from above
when a sinner trusts the Lord Jesus
Christ he is raised from death
into everlasting life he is brought from
Darkness into light
he is set free from the bondage of sin
into the Glorious Liberty of the
children of God
and for that reason every conversion is remarkable
but we must confess that there are some
conversions that have circumstances that
the night that I gave my heart to Jesus
Christ I knew about it and the Lord knew
about it
and a week or so later when I gave my
public testimony other folks knew about it
it
but I was just simply standing at the
back of an auditorium listening to a man preach
preach
and God spoke to my heart
I did not go forward I did not raise my
hand or fill out a card
I just simply lifted my heart to the
but in the Bible there are some
conversions that are quite remarkable
that of the Apostle Paul for example
he saw a light as bright as the sun he
heard a voice from heaven and he was
literally knocked down
that woman at the well in Samaria had a
remarkable conversion she turned the
whole town upside down
when Matthew was converted and gave a
supper in honor of the Lord
it really upset some of the scribes and Pharisees
Pharisees
after all who expects a public and a tax
collector ever to trust Jesus Christ
but I suppose among the great
conversions of the Bible
this one recorded in Luke chapter 23 the
conversion of the thief on the cross
the circumstances that surround this
man's salvation
I had a letter recently from a radio
listener who said she thought a lot of
Christians were like the thief on the
cross they got saved almost too late and then
then
accomplish nothing for the Lord and I
wrote back and said I think more people
have been saved
through the thief on the cross and
we should never think that this man's
life accomplished nothing
because here we have in Luke chapter 23
the record of his conversion
and this record can speak to our hearts
today I want you to notice with me if
you will please three amazing aspects of
those of us who do know Christ is our
savior let's rejoice as we see what God
did for this man those who do not know
Jesus Christ I trust that this message
will speak to your heart and you'll want
to come and receive the Savior even as
this man received the savior
the first aspect that I would notice of
this man's conversion is the amazing situation
situation
the amazing situation when they led the
Lord Jesus to Calvary
and they LED with him to law Breakers
there were several possibilities when it
came to the situation they could have
put the two men together in Jesus on the right
right
they could have put the two men together
and Jesus on the left
now if I had been the governing Soldier
I would have said well here are two men who
who
are friends they've been partners in
crime they have been working together
and disobeying together let's let them
die together so put the two malefactors
over here and let's put Jesus over here
but he didn't do that
the Roman soldier who was in charge of
this crucifixion
knew nothing I'm sure of Old Testament scripture
scripture
and yet led by the Providence of God
when the crosses were placed by that
Roman soldier he put Jesus in the midst
now as you read your gospels Matthew
Mark Luke and John you find that often
it's Jesus in the midst
where two or three are gathered together
in my name there am I in the midst
Jesus came in the midst the door is
being shut
on Calvary the Lord Jesus Christ who was
born for sinners
and who lived for Sinners and who was
the Friend of Sinners and now is dying
for Sinners is in the midst of sinners
and I say to you this is an amazing situation
situation
not an accident an appointment
of course those of you who know your
Bibles immediately think of Isaiah
chapter 53.
where the prophecy is made in verse 12.
that he was numbered with
with
the transgressors
in fact Mark quotes this
Mark chapter 15 and verse 27.
and with him they crucify two thieves
the one on his right hand and the other
on his left and the scripture was
fulfilled which Seth and he was numbered
with the transgressors that were
numbered is a financial term that means
imputed put to the account he wasn't
just crucified with transgressors he was
you say now what's so amazing about this situation
situation
the Lord Jesus in the midst
a thief on the right a thief on the left
just think about it with the Lord Jesus
Christ in the midst each of these men
had the same opportunity to turn to him
and believe and be saved each of them
could hear him pray father forgive them
for they know not what they do
each of them
could see the title on the cross
in fact using my Sanctified imagination
which I don't think is too far off
I can see the one Thief turning to
address his friend and having to look at Jesus
Jesus
and I can see his friend turning to talk
to his friend and having to look at
Jesus and pilate wrote the first gospel
tract this is Jesus of Nazareth the king
of the Jews and the leaders said don't
write he's the king of the Jews right he
claimed to be the king of the Jews and
pilate said with a burst of Courage
what I have written I have written
and so they put over his head the
inscription this is Jesus of Nazareth
the king of the Jews and when each of
the thieves turned to look at the other
one and to discuss things
they saw Jesus and they saw this First
Gospel tract this is Jesus
Jesus means savior this is the savior
from Nazareth
the king of the Jews how else would this
thief have known that he had a kingdom
some manuscripts read in verse 42 and he
said Jesus
Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom
kingdom
each of them could hear the crowd now if
our Lord's cross had been off to one
side there would have gathered a crowd
at the bottom and they would have mocked
him they would have ridiculed him but
Jesus was in the midst
and the crowd stood there and the crowd
walked by and they looked up and they
wagged their heads at him and some
perhaps shook their fists at him this is
the king of the Jews he saved others
those people who said that had no idea
they were bearing Witness
to the dying Thief
he saved others that's his name Jesus
Savior he saved others let him save
himself if he be the king of the Jews
each of the thieves could hear him pray
each of the thieves could hear the crowd
each of the thieves could see the
inscription and each of the thieves had
the opportunity equally to turn to him
the amazing situation
did you know that God is still doing that
did you know that God today in his
Providence is still a ranging situations
that people might come to know Christ as
their savior
the salvation of a lost soul is Not an
Accident the salvation of a lost soul is
an appointment
chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world
and someone may be listening to my voice
right now who says well Pastor worries
me I'm not a Christian I've never been saved
saved
you are not listening to my voice by
accident God has brought you to listen
to my voice and for me to say to you he
arranges in his Providence the order of
life that man might be saved
and one of the greatest tragedies in all
of life
is the missing of an opportunity
the amazing situation
God is not willing that any should Parry
there's a second aspect of this man's
conversion that strikes me as being amazing
amazing
now you may disagree with this but think
with me
not only the amazing situation but the
amazing supplication
here is a thief
here is a law breaker dying
and he turns to the Lord Jesus Christ
and he says Jesus Lord
Lord
remember me
when you come into your kingdom
that's an amazing prayer
you say what's so amazing about it
anybody could pray that oh
would you notice with me the amazing
confession that preceded that prayer
here was a man who in his dying hour was
doing some deep serious thinking it's
unfortunate that people wait until
his friend
was railing upon the Lord Jesus
now we have no evidence that his friend
was saved
I think the little note that the
Scofield editors put is a good one
Thief was saved so that none needs to despair
despair
he rails Upon Jesus and he says you're a
king where's your army you're a king
come down from the cross and while
I've met multitudes of people in
hospitals unsaved people
and they've said oh preacher would you
pray for me that I'll get well
oh would you pray for me that I'll get
through this surgery and I do but far
more important than that is that they
get saved and here's a man who rails
upon the Lord Jesus and he says if
you're the king of the Jews save
yourself and save us and then his
friends speaks up and it took courage
for him to speak up
he confesses first of all that he fears God
God
he says to his friend Dost thou not fear
God this man was not an atheist or an
agnostic he didn't launch into some
philosophical discussion on whether or
not God is and if he is is he knowable
he just simply says I am in such a
situation that I Fear God
and my Bible tells me the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom you
start to get smart when you fear God
he confessed that he feared God he
confessed that he was guilty
Dost thou not fear God seeing Thou Art
in the same condemnation he's dying
we're dying
if you've ever done any Ministry in
prisons or jails or courts you'll know
it's difficult to find a guilty person
it's always somebody else's fault oh
preacher they framed me preacher I was
running here on a rail I'm not guilty
but here's a man who says I'm here dying
because I deserve to
what a tremendous confession I believe
in God I Fear God I Fear God because I'm guilty
guilty
I deserve judgment
then he goes on to confess that Jesus
Christ is innocent
this man hath done nothing amiss
this thief joined that vast host of
witnesses pointing to Jesus and saying
he's innocent even Judah said I have
sinned in that I have betrayed innocent
blood even pilate said I find no fault
in this man Herod sent Jesus back to
pilate because Herod could find no fault
God the Father spoke from heaven and
said this is my beloved Son in whom I'm
well pleased
this man has done nothing amidst I'm
guilty he's innocent I deserve to die he
doesn't deserve to die then why is he
dying he's being numbered with the
transgressors he's being accounted as a sinner
Jesus Lord
remember me
off there in the future when you come
into your kingdom
now here is an amazing confession confessing
confessing
he believes in God he fears God because
he's guilty before God he deserves
judgment before God and yet here is one
who is innocent who has a kingdom and
there's a future life and in that future
I fear that one of the sad byproducts
of recent research into Life After Life
is going to be a false confidence many
they read a book that says when you die
no matter what your religious faith is
when you die you see a bright light you
feel a softness and a warmth and there's
someone who welcomes you and some sinner
is going to say well if that's what it
is to die why worry
I fear there are many people having a
false confidence about Life After Life
who have no basis for confidence
I'm impressed too with the courage that
this man had
I mentioned this to my correspondent who
wrote and said that she thought the
conversion of the thief on the cross was
like blowing out a candle in God's face
and letting him smell the smoke
but think of the courage that it took
for this thief to claim Jesus Christ
here was his friend opposing him
here were the rulers of the Jews mocking Jesus
Jesus
here were the priests and the scribes
and the Pharisees ridiculing him here
were the Roman soldiers mocking him and
where were his followers
oh there were a few women there at the
cross Peter was a witness of his
suffering John was a witness of his
suffering but no one was standing there
acclaiming him King nobody was standing
there proclaiming him savior
the courage that it took for one man to
face the crowd to face his friend to
stand as it were
on very little ground
and asked Jesus to save him
I suppose that more people
reject Jesus Christ because of fear
than for any other reason that's why in
The Book of Revelation when the Apostle
John describes the people who are going
to hell
the crowd that's going to be in hell he
lists them like this but the fearful
and the unbelieving and those go together
together
there are some people hearing me right
now who would believe on Jesus Christ
except you're afraid this man was not
afraid of his friend
this man was not afraid of the Crowd Oh
you say but he was dying he didn't have
to face them again I want you to know
that suffering and death by themselves
never draw a person to God I have seen
people suffering excruciating pain who
have cursed God who have never had the
courage to step out and trust God don't
say because this man was suffering and
dying it was easy for him quite the
it was a man who had some convictions
and he confessed them here was a man who
had some courage and he openly took his
stand but the thing that amazes me more
than anything else
you see today when I invite you to trust
Jesus Christ as your savior
I hand you a Bible
we start in the book of Genesis and we
can work our way through to Revelation
and I can show you verse after verse
after verse about Jesus the savior he
we have two thousand years of church
history to back us up he didn't have that
that
when you were saved you did not look to
a dying bleeding body on a tree when you
were saved you came to a risen glorified
savior I've never asked any of you to
believe on a Christ who is hanging on a cross
cross
way of the Evangelical Faith have an
empty cross and an empty tomb
he's no longer dying and he's no longer
dead we have a Christ who's on the
throne of the Majesty on high where he
is glorified and I say to you put your
faith in the Risen glorified Christ who
died for you when this man turned and
looked at Jesus
the spittle of mocking man on his face
nailed through his hands and his feet
shamefully exposed hanging Between
could you trust that kind of a savior
I say to you this man's Faith was
absolutely amazing he put his faith in a
savior who did not look like a savior
and all he had to go on was this is
Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews
father forgive them they know not what
the holy spirit of God took the witness
of that tract and the witness of that
prayer and the witness of that angry mob
and that witness went to work in the
and I say to you his faith is an amazing faith
faith his
his
supplication is an amazing supplication
because he had so little to go on and
what he did have to go on didn't look
every once in a while in witnessing I'll
hear someone say
well you tell me I need to be saved now
what about all the Heathen out there in
the world what about the people in
Africa and all the people who have never
heard about Jesus
and my answer to that is this
to whom much is given much is going to
be required the people of the city of
Chicago are going to have more to answer
for at the Judgment than the people who
have never heard the word of God because
in Chicago you can turn on your radio
and hear the word of God you can walk
into a drugstore and find the word of
and I say to you if you know how to be
saved and you've heard the word of God
and God spoken to your heart and you say
no no no no you are going to face a
greater judgment than some poor soul in
some dark corner of the world who's
never had that opportunity this man's
Faith was absolutely amazing
the amazing supplication
we have time now to look at a third
aspect of this it is that is just amazing
amazing
the amazing situation Jesus in the myths
available to both
the amazing supplication Jesus Lord
remember me when you come into your kingdom
kingdom finally
finally
the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to this man
and said truly
I say unto thee today
today
shalt thou be with me
in Paradise
this salvation was Holy by grace
the first Adam
was a thief
and because he was a thief and partook
of a tree he was cast out of paradise
the last Adam turned to a thief on a
tree and said today you'll be with me in
this man was not baptized
this man did not receive Holy Communion
this man did not go through Catechism classes
classes
he had no opportunity to do any good works
works
he enrolled in nothing he joined nothing
he gave nothing he was saved purely by
the grace of God he didn't deserve it
but he was saved he didn't earn it but
he was saved
oh if only people could understand the
the Salvation was certain and secure
truly I say unto you how did this man
know he was saved God told him in the
word I say unto you or you say if Jesus
were here right now and he said to me
you're going to go to heaven I'd believe
it he does say it and he is here right now
we have verse after verse after verse in
the word of God where Jesus speaks to us
just as he spoke to that man and he
speaks confidently and assuredly the
Salvation that we have is Holy by grace
and it is a certain and a secure
salvation you say that man didn't feel
saved I'm sure he didn't
I'm sure that with nails through his
hands and his feet I'm sure that with
the excruciating pain of crucifixion he
didn't feel like it but he was
because Jesus said so
it was a personal salvation
Jesus didn't speak to the crowd
he spoke to one man
Zacchaeus
one man
one lost sheep one lost coin one lost son
son
and our Lord spoke to him personally in
Jesus Christ still speaks to people personally
personally
he knows your name and he knows your
nature and he knows your needs and he
it was a present salvation today
this man got much more than he asked for
Lord sometime in the future when you
come into your kingdom would you
Jesus said no not sometime in the future
you may be one of those who believes you
can't know if you're saved until the future
future
our Lord wasn't like that
our lord said today
you'll be with me in Paradise behold now
is the accepted time behold now is the
day of salvation today while you hear
his voice Harden not your heart
you can go away from this service today
knowing that you're saved
a present salvation
a christ-centered Salvation
you'll be with me
Emmanuel God With Us he was with us in
our condemnation we will be with him in
his salvation and his glorification
you're going to be with me
and this thief couldn't believe it with
you if I'm going to be with you that
except a man be born from above he
cannot enter
the kingdom of God
it was a glorious salvation you'll be
with me and Paradise
oh they're going to put your body in a tomb
tomb
but you'll be with me in Paradise
but God's word abides still
and we can trust his word today with me
an amazing salvation
the Pharisees could never have given
this salvation if he had called to a
Pharisee and said what must I do to be
it's too late I can't do that
there's a priest oh priest what must I
oh Lord Jesus what must I do to be saved
for whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord
shall be saved and then
then that thick Darkness moved on to
Calvary and the thief could no longer
see the Savior could no longer read the
inscription and out of that Darkness
came that cry my God my God why is Thou
forsaken me and the thief thought oh
and then he heard
it is finished father
father
and Jesus died he died before the other
thiefs died before the other two men died
died
because nobody ever died in the presence
of the Prince of Life
and so Jesus gave up the ghost he
offered himself up as a sacrifice and
and as far as the record is concerned
one of them
the other
unless something happened that is not
recorded here
now let me take one more little nail and
pound it in today because I don't want
anyone to go home with a false assurance
someone is saying to himself at this
point well
that man waited until the very last
minute and he was saved
therefore I shall wait until my last
opportunity and then I'll be saved
but my friend I have some shattering
news for you this man was not saved his
last opportunity he was saved his first opportunity
opportunity
we have no evidence anywhere
that he had ever heard Jesus before that
anyone had ever talked to him about
salvation here was a man who when he had
I will trust him
a Jewish rabbi used to say to his
students repent
and the students would say but Rabbi we
don't know the day of our death
you don't know the day of your death you
don't know when your last opportunity
will be but I say to you today is a day
of opportunity
this man is not an excuse to wait
he is an encouragement to act he says to
you there is no fear of man that should
keep you from coming to Christ there is
no lack of knowledge that should keep
you from coming to Christ this man faced
an impossible situation but it became an
amazing situation because God was working
he knew very little but he uttered an
amazing supplication and he received by
God's grace and amazing salvation and so
can you today
the dying Thief rejoiced to see that
fountain in his day and there may I
though vile as he wash all my sins away
my friend you and I are thieves we have
robbed god of what belongs to him and we
I wonder if you will turn to Christ
today and say Lord
gracious father
only the spirit of God through the word
of God can convict the heart and save
the soul
and I pray that today your spirit might
use this message
to bring dying Sinners to a living savior
thank you [Music]
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