Introduction
This sermon is not for my cousin Marie McNeill because her book of life is closed. She had her opportunity to establish a relationship with Jesus the Christ. This sermon is for those of you that don’t know Jesus the Christ for yourself. This sermon is for those of you that do not have a defined and intimate relationship with my Lord and Savior who is Jesus the Christ.
I’m not going to be long winded this afternoon, but my question to is Where are you with Jesus the Christ? Stopping here with that, that brings me to my first and only point.
Development
Point Number1: Instructions on How To Get Jesus To Meet You Where You Are
I want you to go back in your minds to the crucifixion. Preacher, how can you give us some encouragement from the crucifixion? Just what does the crucifixion have to do with Jesus meeting me where I am? Just give me a minute because I’m going somewhere with this.
On Calvary there were three persons hanging on a cross. There was a thief on the left, a thief on the right, and Jesus the Christ was hanging in the middle. Now keep in mind that the thief on the left, the thief on the right, and Jesus the Christ heard the crowd mocking Jesus about being the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Some theologians feel that Jesus was not fully aware of what was going on during His crucifixion. While Jesus was hanging on that old rugged cross, He looked down at the foot of the cross, He saw the soldiers gambling for his garments. He heard the shouts and cries of the crowd. Some shouts were those of disbelief and mockery, and some where cries of anger and sadness because of what was happening to our Lord.
When I look at the two thieves, they were the same but yet they were different. Preacher you are talking crazy. I know that these two men are males, I know that these two men have different names, I know that these two men are thieves, but how in the world can both of these thieves be the same but yet they are different? Preacher you’re not making much sense.
Just hold on, because your answer is on the way. The thief on the left was an unrepentative man. He had an unrepentative spirit. His spirit was hard and cold. His spirit was hard even unto death. He did not even believe that Jesus the Christ was who he said he was. He was hard and his heart was hard. Luke 23:39 says, One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!
There was the unrepentant thief—a picture of hardness even in death. The thieves heard the crowd mock Jesus about being the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Hanging there as criminals, guilty before God and men, they should have been searching to see if there was any chance that Jesus could have been who He claimed. They needed to be saved and forgiven. One criminal showed enormous hardness of heart. He mocked the very thought that Jesus was the Christ.
But it was his own unbelief caused his heart to be hard. The thief on the left showed an enormous hardness of his heart. He mocked the very thought that Jesus was the Christ.
John 3:16-18 says, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The thief on the left was already condemned because of his unbelief. He mocked Jesus just like the rest of the crowd.
The thief on the right had sense. He had sense. He was willing to repent. He gives us a picture of true repentance. He demonstrated the steps to salvation and true repentance.
First of all he feared God. Luke 23:40 clearly says, But the other criminal rebuked him. Don’t you fear God, he said, since you are under the same sentence?
Secondly He declared that Jesus was righteous. Luke 23:41 says, We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. This was his confession of sins.
And thirdly, he asked Jesus to remember him. Luke 23:42 says, Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Conclusion
Just before I take my seat, I see by the look some of you have on your faces that you still don’t get it. You are saying in your minds, How can God meet me where I am because I have done some horrible things in my life? I just can’t go to God because my life is so out of wack.
Well I spoke on the fear of God, I spoke of having a repentative spirit, and I also spoke of the confession of sins. That’s all you need. Some people don’t fear God. They curse God and his servants. Some people don’t repent or confess their sins.
1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us ours sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
I know this is true because if you read down to Luke 23: 43 it says, Jesus answered him, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.
If he said it, I’ll believe it. I believe this because Jesus died on that old rugged cross on that dreary Friday afternoon. They put Him in that old barred tomb. But early Sunday morning, He got up with all power in His hands.
Amen.
