Turn with me to Luke 23. Luke chapter 23. Last week we looked at the message,
the thief on the cross heard. This week, I want us to look
at one more thing from this great event. One more thing. I actually hope
that we look at this great event for the rest of our time on this
earth. But while it's fresh on our minds, I want us to learn
and grow in the truth of God's Word. Last week, it was the message
the thief heard. Our title today is, What Did
the Thief Believe and Confess? What did the thief believe and
confess? We know what he heard. He heard
our Lord say from the cross, right here in Luke 23, verse
34, Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.
They're blind, they're ignorant, they're dead, they know not what
they do. Father, forgive them. How? If they truly have sinned against
a holy God, how? That thief heard our Lord say
in Matthew 27, 46, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? How can a sinner be forgiven?
Christ must be forsaken. That's the answer. Then the thief
heard our Lord say in John 19, 28, I thirst. He heard that this savior, this
redeemer is a man. He's a man, a real man, not a
doctrine. You know, we don't worship five
points. You know that we believe them
because they worship a man. It's not a doctrine and it's
not a theory. God was man, if asked, in the
flesh. He didn't just hear about what
he believes. We don't come to a worship service
to hear about what we believe. He heard about who he believes.
Salvation is a person. It's a person. And then he heard
the Lord say in John 19 verse 30, it is finished. It's finished. He didn't hear
do. He heard done. That is restful
good news, isn't it? Forgiveness accomplished. Father,
forgive them. Accomplished. Wrath and punishment
is over. It's over. The work and will of the Father,
totally complete. It's finished. In God the Son,
it's finished. Then he heard the Lord say in
John 19 verses 26 and 27, Woman, behold thy Son. And to His disciple He said,
Behold thy mother. He heard about unity by Him.
He heard about adoption by Him. Provision through Him. Watch care in Him. And that thief thought, Who is
this for? Who is it for? Who all is in
Him? Is there any hope for me? Then that thief heard the glorious
good news of the gospel right here in Luke 23. Verse 43 says,
Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Thou. You. This is all for you. Shout, it
is ordered, ensured. That's the gospel that we preach,
isn't it? You are going to be with me. And the last thing he heard our
Lord say was right here in verse 46. He said, Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit. Because he was forsaken, Because
it is finished, because of union with Christ, God will now receive
my Spirit in Him. That's what the thief heard.
Now here's our question this morning. What did that cause
him to believe and confess? Was God-given faith evident in
him? That's the question. Was God-given
faith evident in him? Here's the answer. Yes. And it
wasn't small faith either. It wasn't small faith. I have
been guilty of a lot of things. One of them
is using the thief on the cross as an example for just how little
faith you have to have. I've been guilty of that. If
a person uses the thief on the cross as an example of how little
a sinner must believe, then he is going in the wrong direction. You know that? He's got the wrong
example. Sorry, but you missed it on that
one. You cannot use the thief for that example. We're about to look at it. This
is what he believed. He believed the truth about God. He believed the truth about man. He believed the truth about Christ. And he believed the truth about
salvation. What Christ has done and where
He is now. Isn't that something? Let's look
at his response to what he heard. Look at Luke 23, verse 35. And the people stood beholding,
and the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved
others, let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of
God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering
him vinegar. and saying, If Thou be the King
of the Jews, save 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 male factors which
were hanged railed on him saying, If Thou be Christ, save Thyself
and us. If. If. That's not God-given faith, is
it? Brother Dwight, you just read
in Hebrews 11, faith is the substance. And if you have a center margin
in your Bible, it will tell you faith is the confidence. Right? That's not the confidence of
God's Holy Spirit speaking. If. Thou be Christ, save Thyself
and us." Clearly, this male factor does not believe. He doesn't believe that He is
who He says He is. If, and up until our Lord preached
this message, the Scripture says both of the male factors were
railing on Him. It's not like one kept his mouth
shut the whole time. They were both doing it. Verse
40 says, But... That's the gospel. But God, who
is rich in mercy, moved. And He made one of these two
thieves to differ. He made one of them different. Go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter
4. 1 Corinthians 4 verse 7 says, For
who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that
thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? Can this
thief say, well you know I just made the choice to turn my life
around right there on the cross. I just decided to start doing
right for Jesus. No. No, man's heart is only evil
continually. Every man in Adam is born dead
in his trespasses and sins. But a difference did take place.
Right? Who gets the glory for this work
of grace? God does. God does. Now let's see what God did. God
did something. Let's see what He did. Back over
in our text, Luke 23. Verse 39 says, One of the male
factors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, If Thou be Christ,
save Thyself and us. But the other answering, rebuked
him, saying, Does not thou fear God?" What a good place to start. What
a good place to start. I believe wisdom has begun in
this thief. Does not thou fear God? What a question. What a question. World, you're
going to go meet God. Does not thou fear God? Here's the first thing he believed.
This man is God. He's God. Turn with me over to
Psalm 111. Psalm 111 verse 10 says, The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Who is the Lord? Jesus Christ. What does the word Lord mean? Jehovah, the mighty God. That's who Jesus
Christ is. The fear of the Lord, Jesus Christ,
is the beginning of wisdom. You ask most people, do you fear
Jesus Christ? Do you fear Jesus Christ? Fear Jesus Christ? No. He's my pen pal. He's my sugar daddy. Fear Jesus Christ. He's my good
luck charm. Now, I do fear and respect and
reverence God. But thankfully, I've got Jesus
on my side. No, I don't fear Jesus Christ.
Oh, may God have mercy on your soul. May God have mercy on your soul.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A sinner who goes
to meet God is going to meet God face-to-face. And they're going to realize
Jesus Christ is the God, and He's the judge of the earth,
and He will not clear the guilty, and He's holy, and He's righteous,
and He must punish sin. I was watching a TV show the
other day, and it was just some sitcom. flipping the channels
and I was on it for about 90 seconds, long enough to hear
this person go talk to a priest and said, now I'm an atheist. And the priest said, well, even
God has a soft spot for atheists. He doesn't. He doesn't. The fear of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the beginning. That's the beginning. Go with
me back over to Luke 23. Verse 40 says, But the other
answering rebuked him, saying, Does not thou fear God? seeing thou art in the same condemnation. That thief had some wisdom given
to him. He believed this is God. He believed the truth about God. There he is and he ought to be
feared. That's the truth about God. Verse 41 says, And we indeed Justly, for we receive the due
reward of our deeds. We indeed justly. Isn't that what David said? Look
at Psalm 51 with me. Psalm 51 verse 3 says, For I
acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest
be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive
me. He said, we're receiving this
justly. We've sinned against God and
the wages of sin is death and we deserve to be hanging here.
Verse 3, I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me.
That is the truth about man. You know the only thing we can
say about man? I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin is ever before me. There's nothing good in me. That's
the truth. Most people believe there's a
little bit of good in everybody. I at least throw some change
at the Salvation Army Cup at the mall at Christmas. Pride. There is no good. None good. I acknowledge my transgression. That's the truth about man. Go
back over to Luke 23. Verse 41 says, And we indeed
justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. I am a sinner. I am. From the crown of my head to
the sole of my foot, I'm a sinner. There is no soundness in me.
There is nothing good in me. This flesh is full of nothing
but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. All my righteousnesses
are filthy rags. I'm a wretched man. I'm a diseased man. I'm a convicted
man. And I'm dying in my own sin. Look at our text, verse 41. It
says, But this man... But this man... That's what the
whole book of Hebrews keeps saying. But this man... Everything else
is awful. But this man... That's what the gospel is all
about. But this man, the whole gospel is in one person. He says
in verse 41, hath done nothing amiss. You know what he believed? This man is sinless. We deserve to be hanging here. Jesus Christ is sinless. He is perfect. That's the truth
about Christ. Go with me over to 2 Corinthians
5. 2 Corinthians 5, look at verse
21. For He hath made Him to be sin
for us, look at the next phrase, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. If He traded places with me,
we just talked about that. If He traded places with me,
if I became Him, what does that make me? Sinless. Sinless. He believed this is
God. This is the one I am to fear.
He believed I'm a sinner. And I deserve all the wrath of
God that I have coming to me." But he believed this man is sinless
and he's perfect. This is the sacrifice without
spot or blemish. Back over in our text in Luke
23, verse 42 says, And he said unto Jesus, You notice how really not many people call Him
Lord? You notice that? You notice how most people just
call Him Jesus? And that is His name of humanity.
But it is a holy name. And He said to His disciples,
you call me Master and Lord and you say, well, for so I am. Some of the songs that we sing
I love these songs, but most of them have something in them
that I wish was not in them. And one of the things is when
it just says Jesus by itself. Lord, Lord. He said, Lord. He said, Jehovah,
mighty God of the scriptures. Verse 42, he said unto Jesus,
Lord, remember me. This is what he believed. If
I'm going to be saved, I've got to find mercy. And if I'm going
to find mercy, I need Him to remember me. That's what I need. If I'm going to be saved, I need
Him to remember me. Go over to Psalm 25 with me. Psalm 25, look at verse 6. Remember, O Lord, Thy tender
mercies and Thy loving kindnesses, for they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions, According
to thy mercy, remember thou me, for thy goodness sake, O Lord."
Lord, would you remember me? I need Him to choose me. You know that salvation is not
in my hands. Did you know I have no say in
the matter? I cannot provide any insurance to myself that
God will have mercy on me. It is totally up to Jesus Christ. You know what I need? Lord, I
need you to choose me. Choose me. Love me. Think on me in my afflictions. That's my salvation if you will
remember me. My salvation is right here in
front of me. My salvation is a person. Salvation
is of the Lord. Lord, would you remember me? Thief, how do you know? How do
you know those things? How do you know he's able to
save you? Hebrews 11 ended that reading
in verse 13 by saying, These all died in faith, not having
received the promises, but they saw them afar off and were persuaded
of them. They believed them. How do you
know? How do you know He has done?
He has finished what He says He's finished. How do you know? Look back at our text in Luke
23. Here's what this thief believed. Here's what he said. He said, I believe you're not
going to stay in the ground. That's what I believe. I believe
after you go into that tomb, I believe you're coming out.
Look at verse 42. And he said unto Jesus, Lord,
remember me when Thou comest into thy kingdom." Outside of Christ, if I go into
the ground, I don't think I'm coming back out. He did. You're coming back out. How did He know? The Holy Spirit
put faith in Him. And He said, I am positive that
you're the King of heaven and earth. My prayer and my cry for mercy
is that you would remember me when you defeat death and arise from this grave and
sit back down on your throne in glory. Lord, please remember
this worm. Please remember me. That's what
we all say, isn't it? Lord, remember me. Well, if anybody on this earth
ever received assurance from the Lord. You know, we want assurance. If anybody ever received assurance,
it was this thief. Verse 43 in our text, Luke 23
verse 43 says, And Jesus said unto him. He didn't say this
to everybody. Salvation is a one-on-one, Personal
work. It's a personal work. 43, Jesus
said unto him, Verily, what that means is, I am telling you the
truth. You have God's Word on this. Verse 43 says, Jesus said unto
him, Verily, I say unto thee, Today is the day of salvation. He is a very present help. You know when that thief needed
Christ? Today. I need you today. This is my last day. What if
today is my last day? Lord, I need you today. He's a very present help. Peter,
can I walk out on the water to you? Come. And he turned, save
me. Very present help. Today shalt
thou be with me in paradise. Ask and you shall receive. Ask and you shall receive. God-given
faith to believe what this thief believed. He believed the truth
about God. The truth about man, the truth
about Christ, and the truth about salvation. I need to believe
that. You know that? I must believe that. I must believe like this thief. The other thief didn't and God
didn't say anything to him. Nothing. But if God will give us faith,
then God will reward the faith He gives. If God will give us
faith, then God will reward the faith He gives. What that means
is He's the author of it, and He's the finisher of it. He will. Look at 2 Timothy 3.
Go to 2 Timothy 3. In closing, 2 Timothy 3. 2 Timothy 3 verse 15 says, And
that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are
able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ
Jesus. Brother Dwight read Hebrews 11
verse 6, it says, But without faith, It is impossible to please
Him. For he that cometh to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him. Seek Him. If I go seeking for
Him, He's the one that's drawing me. All glory goes to Him. But Lord, give us this faith.
Give us this faith. Be merciful to us, like you were
to this thief on the cross, Lord. Give us this faith to believe.
We must have it. Ask and you'll receive. If we
ask, it means we already have received. You know that? That's
what faith is. Lord, that was faith. If we ask,
then we already have received. So ask. Ask. All right, let's
stand together.