BREAKFAST WITH THE DEVIL, SUPPER WITH THE SAVIOR
Mt. 27:38-43; LK. 23:39-43
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Jennifer Johnson told how her Dad began teaching business classes at a local prison through a community college. On his first night of class, he started a chapter on banking.
2. During the course of his lecture, the subject of ATMs came up, and he mentioned that, on average, most machines contain only about $1,500 at a given time.
3. Just then a man in the back raised his hand. "I'm not trying to be disrespectful," he told my father, "but the machine I robbed had about $5,000 in it."
4. We’re going to look at two criminals today and see what they can show us.
B. TEXT
38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” Matt. 27:38-43.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43.
C. THESIS
1. This morning we're looking at someone who's probably the most unusual person to ever make it into heaven.
2. Wouldn't you think it remarkable if a chaplain were to lead an inmate to Christ, who was in the TDCJ (prison) death house, strapped down to a gurney and the I.V. bag was already dripping the poison of the lethal injection? Such is the case of this story.
3. Also, we would find it unusual to discover one in heaven who had never attended church, never been baptized, and never given anything in the offering, and in fact, his last earthly activity had been stealing. But we do!
4. This man began the last day of his life in the service of Satan, but ended that day in Paradise with God! How could this happen? Find out as we look at this message, “Breakfast with the Devil, Supper with the Savior.”
I. THE THIEF’S PLACE OF SALVATION
A. THE CRUCIFIXION
1. We find ourselves in the horrible drama of the crucifixion. Jesus has been betrayed. The Romans have beaten Him and are leading Him away to be crucified with two criminals.
2. A huge mob swirled around the Roman death squad, as they, to the beat of the Roman drums, advanced to the place called “Cranium,” translated "Skull" (Mt. 27:33).
3. The condemned men, at this horrible place of death, faced the sharpest agony of pain: nails were driven with cruel strokes by hammers through quivering flesh. Next, nameless agony engulfed the men as they were hoisted heavenward.
4. As Jesus was lifted up, all hell began to reverberate with loud celebrations. Even on the earthly plane, all the various stratas of people present began to heckle Jesus: the Rulers, the Roman soldiers, and even one of the crucified thieves!
5. If you've ever been insulted in front of a crowd, you know how humiliating it can be. But imagine how terrible if, while you’re dying, your enemies were shouting insults and laughing at you!
B. SNATCHING VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT
1. A more demonic glee is hard to envision.
2. But in the middle of what seemed like Satan's greatest triumph, Christ worked yet another miracle.
3. One of the thieves crucified beside Him "believed" and escaped hell’s clutches. Jesus robbed hell of one more victim!
II. THE DYING THIEF’S REMARKABLE FAITH
Even at this late hour, the destiny of the two thieves was not yet unchangeable. Their destiny hung in the balance, depending on their response to Jesus.
A. HOW THE THIEF CAME TO FAITH IN CHRIST [it's possible he’d never met/heard Christ except for the Final Six Hours.]
1. HEARD WOMEN WEEP (Vs. 27-31). He heard Jesus’ selfless response to the women who wept for Him(vs 28). He wondered in himself whether anyone would ever weep for him.
2. WHEN NAILS DRIVEN. He himself had struggled. It probably took 3 strong soldiers to hold him down. He had cursed and screamed in pain. BUT JESUS did not struggle. He had only prayed; "Father, Forgive them..." He seemed like a lamb led to the slaughter.
3. It was COMMON, according to historians of that time, for crucified persons to shout at and curse the onlookers in their pain. But though the mob and chief priests laughed and jeered, Jesus didn’t revile back, but bore the insults with quiet Majesty.
4. THE INSCRIPTION above Jesus’ cross read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." That was his little Bible.
5. The FACE OF JESUS. His eyes were like none that the thief had ever seen before. Eyes of sorrow, yet full of love. Majesty and misery, suffering and sacredness: the Lamb of God!
B. LESSON FROM THE BELIEVING THIEF
1. NO ONE IS EVER TOO FAR-GONE TO BE SAVED!
a. Story about a man who was an alcoholic. He would do anything to buy his booze. Then one day his son became very sick and if he didn’t receive a certain medicine he would die.
b. So this man begged and pleaded for money to buy his son the medicine he needed, and when he got the money, instead of buying the medicine for his son, he went out and bought liquor.
c. His son died, and at the funeral this man stole his sons’ shoes just so he could sell them and go out and buy more liquor.
d. But eventually he hit rock bottom and God reached down and this man received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. You may have heard of him. His name was Mel Trotter and he became a great preacher, and missionary.
2. We should never give up on anyone. This man hanging next to Jesus was a thief and a murderer, and who knows what else. The Apostle Paul persecuted and murdered Christians, and Peter denied the Lord three times, and yet God saved them all.
3. And God can save you. It doesn’t matter what you may have done or been in your life. Jesus Christ came to save sinners!
III. A REVELATION OF GOD’S GRACE
A. THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH
1. WE'RE ALL SINNERS. He had to pay for his sins (wrongdoings). Some think they'll get away with their wrongs. No! Reader's Digest told the story of a man who eluded police for 27 years. But finally he was caught. You will never be able to elude God!
2. Christ was crucified between two thieves and in them are represented the two responses of men and women to the Gospel.
3. Here at the Cross of Jesus, all humanity is divided. On one side you hear the cursing of those who reject Christ and go down into hell. On the other side, the humble confession of those who trust in Him and are saved.
B. ILLUSTRATION
1. The Barbers of America once held a convention in New York. They wanted to make the nation conscious of their meeting and their contribution to society.
2. Their agent went into the ghetto and found a young vagrant who was sleeping on a park bench. He offered him some easy money.
3. He made pictures of the young man with his tattered clothes, unshaven & dirty face, and ragged hair. He got him a haircut, then a shave.
4. They got him a complete bath, shampooed his hair, and got him a massage. They bought him a beautiful silk suit, shirt, and tie and fine leather shoes and socks.
5. The agent put up life-size pictures showing the man's progress in being cleaned up. At the end were the words, "This is what the barbers of America can do for a man."
6. The scheme worked. The story was picked up and got nationwide coverage. A hotel offered the young man a job to start the next Monday, but he never showed up.
7. Weeks later the young man was found in a drunken stupor. His suit was torn and filthy; his face unshaven. He'd gone back to his old ways!
8. The barbers CAN do wonders for man on the outside, but it takes God to do something for man on the inside. That's why we must be born again and take into us the nature of Jesus Christ! Only He can really change you!
C. WHAT DID THE DYING THIEF DISCOVER? GRACE!
1. That thief knows more about grace than 1,000 theologians! He was worthless, a loser. But now he’s in heaven!
2. If ever someone didn't deserve to go to heaven, it was him! If ever someone lived for the devil till the end, it was him!
3. But one request to Jesus, threw wide heaven's Gates. You too can say, "Lord, remember me today!" "Let me today receive a passport to heaven!"
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. There was once a young man who was about to graduate from high school. He was the valedictorian and he had a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
2. The day before the graduation took place, the principal of the high school called the young man into his office, and said to him, “Well you’ve done it, you made valedictorian. Congratulations. So what are your plans for the future?”
3. The young man said, “Well I plan to go on to college and get my Bachelors degree.” “Great,” said the principal, “What then?” “I guess then I’ll go on to med. school and become a Dr.”
4. “What then?” said the principal. “Well then I plan on getting married, having children and pursuing my career”. “What then?” “I guess I’ll retire.”
5. “What then?” “I would like to travel all around the world” “What then?” And the young man thought for a few seconds and said, “Well… I guess then I’ll die.”
6. And the principal looked him right in the eyes and said, “What then?” Where will YOU spend eternity?
7. The seventy, eighty, or ninety years you live on this earth are nothing compared to eternity. Eternity is not just a very long time; it’s forever.
B. THE CALL
1. Three crosses on a lonely hill, A thief on either side, And, in between, the Son of God... How wide a gulf -- how wide! Yet one thief spanned it with the words, "O Lord, remember me;" The other scoffed and turned aside, To lost eternity.
2. Forsaken is the hilltop now, And all the crosses gone, But in believing hearts of men, The center cross lives on. And still, as when these sentinels first met Earth's wondering view, the presence of the Lord divides -- Upon which side are you?" [Helen Franzee Bower].
3. We all have to choose: to accept or reject Christ’s offer of forgiveness and salvation. The unbelieving thief never said, “I reject Christ,” but by not accepting Christ, he did reject Him.
4. Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.” Jesus is the only way to get to heaven. Have you surrendered your life to Jesus?
