Let's open our Bibles now to the Gospel of Luke, the third book of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, one of the longest books in the whole Bible, and we're nearing the end. We're in the middle of chapter 23. Luke 23, we'll begin in verse 32. We'll read God's word, and then we'll do some preaching and praying on it. And before I read, let me ask God to open our eyes, to behold wonderful things from out of his word. Luke 23, beginning in verse 32. Two others who were criminals were led away to be put to death with him, with Jesus. And when they came to the place that is called the skull, there they crucified him and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by watching. But the rulers scoffed at him, saying, he saved others. Let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one. The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. There was also an inscription over him, this is the king of the Jews. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him saying, are you not the Christ save yourselves and us. But the other rebuked him saying, do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong. And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And he said to him, truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in paradise. Amen, amen. May God bless the reading, hearing, believing, and obeying of his holy word. Nearing the end of the Gospel of Luke, he tells us plainly about the suffering and now the pending death of Jesus nailed to a cross. I agree with the Puritan preacher, Thomas Manton, who said, the words of the dying are rightly to be much observed. Such men speak with greater weight. Someone's dying words. This text brings us many words from the cross. Jesus, it's well known among Christians who have studied the life and teachings of Jesus know that there are seven important recorded words from Jesus on the cross. This morning, we will look at the first of those words and the second of those words. Powerful things recorded by Luke and Luke alone, but altogether the gospels tell us many of the things. That Jesus said from the cross and we do well to pay attention to his dying words. Indeed, not just to the words of Jesus on his cross, but there was one on the cross next to Jesus. Who spoke? And instructs us even with his words. And his decision. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll hear Jesus say, Father, forgive them. And we'll hear Jesus say, you will be with me. And these things should shape and form our hope as well as our lives as disciples of Christ. And if we're not yet a disciple of Jesus Christ, will you with the converted thief pray that he would remember you? What a marvelous passage we have. Let's study the Word of God together. Let's first look at the prayer from the cross, then we'll pause and look at the mockers, and then we'll look at the convert on the cross. The prayer from the cross, the very first words Jesus forms on the cross are a prayer. I've watched enough movies and read enough literature to know that when someone is about to die, when the bad guys capture the victim and the victim is often screaming, no, no, don't shoot me, no, no, there's argument, there's yelling, there's opposition to one who might take your life. But here, this is a shocking thing to behold, but we're so familiar with it. Jesus does not revile those who are taking his life, but rather he will pray for them, even as he's crucified. Let's talk about crucifixion, but only briefly. You see, he is brought to a place and it's called here in our scriptures, the place of the skull. And if you look at the Greek word, you might think it's almost the same word as the Latin cranium. this rocky outcropping just outside the city. Hundreds of yards, really, from the holy city is this outcropping, which the Romans seized upon which to execute their victims. Why did they seize that spot? Well, it was within view of the city, and it was along the major thoroughfare in and out of the city, because the Romans wanted to provide a great deterrent to criminals and insurrectionists and whoever else by publicly executing their victims. Luke tells us very plainly they were led to this place and there they crucified him. This is not the Hollywood version. We know that many want to know the details. Where's the video? Where's the gore in the blood? Luke does not indulge that, even though Luke, the physician, would have been keenly interested in those details and could have reported them accurately. Some details are reported in other gospels about the water and blood that flowed from the side of Christ. and other physical symptoms, Luke simply says. There they crucified him. It's a simple statement, it's not graphic, and we're studying this inspired book of Luke, and so we're going to pretty much leave it at that this week. Because Luke records it, not for the blood and gore or to provoke our sympathy, but because he's building a case that Jesus is fulfilling scripture. He is the one who would come and lay down his life. He is the suffering servant of Isaiah. Chapters 42, 44, 46, and 53. He is wounded for our transgressions. Luke simply states, because this plays a role in achieving our salvation. The crucifixion, the shedding of blood of the sinless son of God has purpose. Paul would later write about that when he reports the gospel. Do you remember the great chapter? 1 Corinthians 15 reports on the resurrection, but it starts out where Paul quickly summarizes the gospel. And key to the gospel is the death of the Savior. Here from 1 Corinthians 15, the first four verses. Now I would remind you brothers of the gospel, the good news that I preached to you, which you received in which you stand and by which you are being saved. This is the message. If you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain for verse three, for I delivered to you as a first importance, what I also received, that Christ died for our sins. in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. The gospel stands upon the death of Christ. So Luke reports that he is being crucified, put to death, and within hours, he will be dead. Crucifixion is the nailing of the arms and the feet to wooden posts across Typically, the nail would be driven through the forearm so that the bones would help hold the body as it sagged and struggled to breathe. And one nail would be put through both feet. That's what they did to Jesus. Peter would write in first Peter two verse 24. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness by his wounds. You have been healed, says Peter. There's purpose in this death. So Luke reports, Jesus was nailed to a cross. on a cross between two criminals, one on his left and one on his right. And in fairly close proximity with their weakened voices, they could speak to one another. What were Jesus's first words from the cross? His first words are those shocking words of a prayer, Father, forgive them. Now, perhaps you've never considered when does Jesus pray that? I recently this week discovered that JC Ryland many believe Jesus prayed that. As the nails. We're being facet. In his blood. Flowed in earnest. JC Ryle says. As soon as the blood of the great sacrifice began to flow, the great high priest began to intercede. Instead of. Resisting, he offers his life. And in those moments of intense pain, Jesus prays, Father, forgive them. So we ask, who does Jesus pray for? He prays for the one with the mallet here, the one with the nail there, the team that hold his feet while the other strikes the nail. He's praying, at least he's praying. for the soldiers that are executing them. And the prayer continues, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Jesus could recognize these soldiers, Roman guards, and more likely some local provincials hired by the Romans for this more menial task of execution. It would be supervised by a Roman officer, but probably local provincials carrying out orders three at least crucifixions on this one Friday alone. Jesus prays for them. They were sinning, killing an innocent man, they're guilty, but Jesus prays for them because their guilt is really of ignorance. We do know that it would be answered in part down in verse 47, coming up next week or so, when the centurion would see Jesus Even through to his death and believe. Surely this was the Son of God. Of course, many see this prayer further answered at Pentecost when thousands in Jerusalem are saved. Peter had preached you guys in Jerusalem. You put him to death Jewish people. Leaders and mobs alike in the crowd. Jesus prayer may have extended to them. There's an openness to this prayer. We know at least it refers to the soldiers because of the context. It was add as they crucified him. The first thing he does is he prays for them. It's amazing. And there on the cross, even as these first words are spoken, scriptures are fulfilled. Luke helps us to see what is happening on this day, not just a sad story for the hero. But the plan of God unfolding as predicted. For instance, even in the simple words that he was crucified with two others. That fulfills scripture. Isaiah 53 verse 12 includes this phrase. He was numbered with the transgressors. He was counted in with those who were guilty. So the fact that he wasn't crucified alone fulfills scripture. And for some in the world, those hardened skeptics who think Jesus manipulated the prophecies so that he could look like he was the Messiah. It's pretty hard to arrange for others to be killed when you're being killed. And it's pretty hard to arrange where you were born. In Bethlehem, so we're not going to indulge those skeptics who think Jesus forced the fulfillment of scriptures, but they are fulfilled because they are God's Word and God is at work on this very dark day. And while we're speaking of scriptures fulfilled, let me look a little bit ahead in our text. Jesus has garments and they will cast lots for the garments because when you were crucified on that public hill alongside the main route, you were crucified naked. So that your humiliation might be complete by those putting you to death and so his garments, especially the long one. They didn't want to tear it, so they cast lots as to who could have it that fulfills some 2218 very explicitly. Perhaps this afternoon you want to reflect on Psalm 22. It's filled with much connected to the death of Christ. In verse 18, it says explicitly, they divide my garments among them. And for my clothing, they cast lots. There's a precision to that prophecy and its fulfillment. And of course, in this scene, in a few moments, we'll see that he was offered sour wine by the ones who were crucifying him. It's the wine vinegar. It was the ordinary stuff that people might be drinking, the soldiers there. So it wasn't anything good. It wasn't, well, it was sour wine, a vinegary substance. And it was seen to kind of prolong the suffering of Jesus as one of the other gospels has Jesus saying, I thirst. They wanted to keep him going. That fulfills Psalm 69 verse 21. They gave me poison for food and for my thirst. They gave me sour wine to drink. What is happening as Jesus is crucified is fulfilling scripture. To the piercing of his body. The gambling for his garments. And sour wine for his thirst. All of this is the will of God for our salvation. The testimony of the mockers. Let's take a look at what's said and done at the foot of the cross. First, we see that there's a lot of truth spoken there, and you might scratch your head because it's truths in the mouth of mockers. What an irony. Truth unknowingly asserted and confessed by these mockers. Ralph Davis says in his commentary, clear testimony can come from foul mouths. It happens frequently in the Bible and in the world. People say things like the high priest who was arguing about whether to put Jesus to death. He said, well, it's good for the people for one man to die for the good of all the people. Little did he know the Messiah would die to offer sin. To offer salvation for sinners. So the truth was spoken in this ironic twist by these mockers. What did they say first? He saved others. Do we see that in verse 35? And the people stood by watching, but the ruler scoffed at him saying, he saved others, let him save himself. If he is the Christ of God, his chosen one. The premise is correct. He saved others. So, and we'll get to their expectations, but they speak the truth. Jesus did save others. The Greek verb sozo means to heal or to save. From physical restoration to spiritual forgiveness. And there's some parables and, excuse me, there are some miracles that Jesus did that combine those two. The paralytic who comes to him, Jesus says first, your sins are forgiven, you're healed. But then he says, your body is healed. So they say this, he saved others. And Luke records them. Have you been keeping count back in chapter four? There's several. A demon possessed man is healed. Simon Peter's mother-in-law is raised from her sickbed in chapter four. In chapter five, Jesus touches a leper and heals him. Also in chapter five, the paralytic that's lowered through the roof is forgiven and healed. In Chapter 7, a centurion's dying servant is healed even with the word at a distance by Jesus. He saved others. And in Chapter 7, a widow's son is raised to life. Chapter 8, oh, it gets better. The gathering demoniac, the biggest, baddest guy that gets fixed in the New Testament. He comes to his right mind and wants to follow Jesus because Jesus saves him. And later in Chapter 8, an older, desperate, bleeding woman is healed as well as a young girl. He saved others. Yes, he did. Yes, he did. And another truth that comes out is if you are King of the Jews, the sign that piloted put over the head of Jesus and that's the caption so that everybody passing by would know the crime, murder, theft. What did Pilate put over Jesus? Pilate, in a final dig to the Jews, who had not found any crime in Jesus, simply put their words up above. Jesus, in multiple languages, King of the Jews. And everyone could read it. It was a billboard for all to see. And it was true. So those who mocked him, if you are the King of the Jews, were saying what was true. But Jesus did save others. He did not save himself, as Phil Reichen points out. By not saving himself, he saved sinners. Oh, how careful we must be with our logical arguments. Hear me now, especially those who are outside scoffing and doubters of who Jesus is and what he has done. Do not make your expectations the hoops through which Jesus must jump. You see, there's a falseness to these expectations. The mockers who shouted, shaved, and if you're a king, those are tests, those are hoops. Let's see if you can jump through it. Well, you know what? Their expectations, their conceptions were false. Jesus is the Savior, but the plan is different than what you think. Oh, how we think it has to have a Hollywood ending, how the hero can never die. Ever watch a series with a famous character and you know, it's a weekly serial and and he's in a tough fix He said well, I know he's gonna live somehow because the show's going on next week We put our own conceptions and expectations surely a Savior could save himself What kind of a Messiah doesn't have power to save himself? Their presumptions, their expectations were misguided and false, even though they started with the truth. What kind of king gets nailed to a cross, man? If you're a king, where's your army? If you're a king, where's your power? Come on, show me. These are the same thoughts that people today have about Jesus. Yeah, he talked about love, but you know, I don't get it. He was put to death. He was totally poor. He didn't have a marketing team or whatever they want to put into their conceptions of what success is or what they would expect God to do or not do. Because they have their own litmus test or hoops for Jesus and he doesn't jump. They write him off. It's happening today. We should be aware of that. But what is this testimony? Why record all this? This is kind of painful, Luke. I know you didn't tell us about the blood flowing from the wounds and the bloody details, but you're telling us some painful things here. What's going on, Luke? Luke is giving us the testimony surrounding the death of Jesus because someone in the scene is listening acutely. And we're going to hear from him in just a moment. The thief on the cross is seeing, he's hearing. Did he just pray for that soldier? The thief on the cross is listening to the testimony, the mocking. And so over the course of hours, He's thinking and God is at work. The prayer of Jesus and even the testimony of the mockers is at work. So let's look at the convert on a cross. I was encouraged by one of the sermons I read this week and in talking about this man on the cross. We call him the thief on the cross. Very famous, well known around the world. Let's maybe call him the convert on the cross because that's really his legacy to us, isn't it? And yes, a thief and a robber. The word is used for there, even as it was used for others. He was a guilty man, but he's converted. You might be one of those who doubts that sudden conversions are possible. This is a fairly sudden conversion and it's rich with purpose. If we're gonna have a bare bones, sudden, powerful conversion, why not at the pinnacle of the story of the whole Bible? It is such a good thing that the thief, the convert on the cross, is so well known because isn't he the greatest example of the simplicity of the gospel and the power of Jesus to save? Oh, it is. It is. And if you're ever in a conversation, you're wondering, how do I get to the gospel? If there's any way to talk about this thief, Whether you're talking about law and order or somebody died, bring the thief to their remembrance, because it's the simplest conversion story I know. But we point out that it's only one. There are two thieves present, but only one is converted. The first thief, we're told, what, down in verse, One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him. That's not a nice word, by the way. They railed at him saying, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. It's not really a prayer as we see the language of the other thief. He's yelling at Jesus. He's in pain. He's in crisis. He's a man who is about to die. And many who are about to die cry out in fear. You want some interesting reading? Google famous last words. Some people say the stupidest things and some people cry out in fear. It's been reported that even Thomas Paine, the great American patriot who wrote some things that were not kind to Christianity, on his deathbed saying, oh, that it was never as that day approach. The first thief, he just reviles, he slanders, he uses impious irreverence. No petitions here really, only some commands. Come on, man, do something for me. There's no saving faith there, there's no repentance, nothing that we would look for, but the cries of a dying man. It's the second thief. We don't know his name. The convert on the cross who displays incredible faith. And as one preacher said, it takes faith to see Jesus crucified and believe. That he's going to help you that your sins will be forgiven. That takes faith. It's not by sight. Let's look at the converts faith. And you know, in its simplicity and it's very little, very few words, it gives us the biblical pattern for faith. Most of those ingredients, the essential ingredients are all here. So let's learn them. First, he has a right view of sin. He has a right view of sin. There's just four sub points here to his faith, a right view of sin. The other thief rebuked the first saying, do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly for we are receiving the due reward for our deeds. He has a right grasp of sin. We're sinners and we're about to meet our maker. Don't you fear God? He has this right view of sin. It's like a confession of his sin. I'm getting what I deserve. I don't merit anything. You, you should fear God, he says to his brother. He admits and confesses his sin and guilt. The first man was just demanding as though he deserved some help. This man knows his guilt. He owns his guilt. He accepts that he's brought under conviction. He had been guilty. And I think his heart and mind were changed. In those hours of encounter with Jesus. Not only listening and seeing the events of the cross, but hear me, this man most likely walked with Jesus from the courtyard to the cross down the Via Dolorosa. What else would he have heard and seen when women were calling out to Jesus last last week's text? Jesus say don't weep for me, weep for yourselves. And he gave that warning. The thief on the cross. We don't know how strong or weak if he had been beaten at all yet. He's right there with Jesus being herded to Calvary. He hears that as well. And his mind is working. How focused is the mind of a dying man? And sometimes that focus is the. Is the hope of a family where a loved one is? Still lingering and not yet received Christ a focused mind. He has a right view of his sin. Secondly, he has a right grasp of Jesus. It's a simple grasp of Jesus, but he has the right grasp of Jesus. He doesn't say Brother Jesus, pray to Moses for me. No, he goes to Jesus. In fact. He first says, I know this man is innocent. Don't we see that at the end of verse 41? This man has done nothing wrong. He's seen that. He knows that this is a righteous man, if not more. And for one of the few times in the Bible, someone addresses the Lord by his given name, Jesus. Interesting. Oh, so interesting. Luke began his gospel, didn't he, telling us that this baby to be born would have the name Jesus. And the angel explained in the prophecy in Matthew's version, he shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. The name Jesus is related to the name for Joshua. Jehovah saves. That's the name on the lips of the convert on the cross. Oh, Yeshua, remember me. He makes that confession of faith in Christ. And he prays, he asks for forgiveness and salvation. The verb he uses is very simple, common verb. He says, remember me. Well, what else can he mean other than asking for gracious consideration and favor? Not only in the moment of death, but whatever comes next as I stand before God, I fear God, my friend over here. Don't you fear God? You should. I fear God. Remember me. I would like your help when I stand guilty before my God. He's asking. For saviors help. Remember me. Make no mistake, this is a sinner's prayer for salvation. They may not recite after you the words of a tract or your preferred term, but this is a sinner's heartfelt cry to Christ. Praise God for this. And in it, his faith is revealed. He says, remember me when you come into your kingdom. This guy has a budding theology here. And he puts a few of us to shame. He knows there's something after death. He has this sense, Jesus is king of the Jews. Is he the Messiah? Maybe this Jewish man who's being killed, we don't know any of his background. Maybe he knew Isaiah 53. Maybe he's getting sophisticated, but nonetheless, He entrusts himself to Jesus and refers to the kingdom of Jesus in your kingdom. He's looking beyond death. He's looking to Jesus. This is remarkable faith, incredible faith. But it's saving faith, the kernel of saving faith. Sin, Savior, ask. And exercise faith. Well, this convert on the cross is clearly come to faith in Christ. What does Jesus say in response? Typically, as a pastor, I see a deathbed conversion. You know, it leaves a question mark or two. Why would I say that? Because a typical conversion is followed by what? Faith without works is dead. It's followed by a changed life. There's a new heart, there's a new mind. There are fruits that are grown, the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control. The life has changed. If anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. The old is gone, the new has come. So we accept the sudden confession as we see its fruitfulness, but this man dies. What do we make of sudden conversions? It's very possible. This man dies. The sudden conversion of Saul of Tarsus, you tell me what? He was on a road trip, he was blinded, and now he's preaching Jesus? He was putting Christians to death. Come on. Saul, who became Paul, lived to show the fruit. Of his sudden conversion. All too often, a foxhole conversion is found. Lacking We want to encourage anyone in a foxhole, pray, seek the Lord while he may be found calling him while he is near. That is gospel good news. But this man died, so what Jesus says is profound. Jesus gives witness that this man. Is now say. What does Jesus say in verse 43? He says four or five things really boy is it compact, but let's look at each word. And he, Jesus, said to him, the convert, truly, I say to you, today, you will be with me in paradise. Truly, he says something certain. Doesn't Jesus often teach, verily, verily, I say to you? The Aramaic, ahmein, ahmein, lego, atois. Ben amen verily verily he's making that sober pronouncement of truth hear this now. This is true So he says something certain to the man, and then he says something immediate today Today And as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I can say to anyone in this room or anyone listening, if you bow to Christ today and ask him for cleansing from your sins, this very day, you will have an inheritance in heaven. It's gospel good news. Jesus gives it to this man. Jesus says something personal. You will be with me. You with me. I'm always saddened that some have created and indulged a doctrine of purgatory that, yeah, we can come to Christ, but it's too good to be true. I'm going to need some fixing up between here and heaven. The doctrine of purgatory is not found in the scriptures and what it does is it really says you have work to do when Christ said later from the cross it's finished. He could say to this man on the cross today you'll be with me. In paradise now that guy had a lot of tidying up to do. He probably hadn't bathed. He had a crime record he needed to really get his. Does it matter? Doesn't matter. I think one of the, I think the greatest video clip on YouTube. I've seen a few. Some of them are stupid. The greatest is a sermon clip from Alistair Begg of Cleveland, Ohio. If you look it up, bring a box of tissues. He's speaking about the thief on the cross. And he has a beautiful, soft sense of humor. And he talks about the thief showing up at the pearly gates. OK, step forward next. OK, why are you here? Did you take a membership class at a church? No. Did you bring anyone to Christ? No. Were you baptized? Of course you know you weren't baptized and it goes through a list of things that we typically expect. And it's drawn out and Alistair does a beautiful job with it in in true earnestness from a pulpit. And finally, the question is asked of these. Well, why are you here? How dare you present yourself to come to heaven? Why should we let you in? And in the story. Preacher says for the thief on the cross. The man on the middle cross said I could come. Oh Alistair does it so much better because it's true and we're given this example of the convert on the cross to see that faith in Christ is this simple transaction. Nothing in my hands I bring simply to the cross. I cling Jesus. Now I get it. You save us. Jesus paid it all all to him I owe. And so this man hears this news today. And it's personalized. You will be with me. And the last thing Jesus says is something wonderful in paradise. Not the word the theologians would have picked. It opens a can of worms. But we know this. It says, you'll be with me. And it brings back a memory of the Garden of Eden, where the creator God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening in the garden, where all was provided. Today, many people only think of paradise in terms of bodily pleasures, but it is a place of complete satisfaction, heart, mind, soul, and body, as was the garden, all provided for, and a relationship with your maker. And it doesn't get any better than that. Jesus, in one word, was trying to give him that hope. Your pain will be over. You'll be restored. We'll be together like in the garden. Words of assurance. And you know, Jesus said all that because he will not forget that man. If you call out to Jesus, he will not forget you. Let's look at a few exhortations here at the end. Came up with four, but there's so many. With these scriptures in mind, let me first say, behold, Christ's power to save and Christ's willingness to save. This scene is so surprising, it's beyond words. The power of our savior and the willingness He prays for his executioners, and he gives good news to the repentant thief. Second exhortation, be forgiving. Christians, we've heard the story, we're in awe of our Savior, but let me remind you, Jesus lived so that we would have an example of how to deal with those who would abuse and accuse us. Be forgiving. Stephen the first martyr of the church learned this lesson. Do you know what happened to Stephen? He loved Jesus and he gets stoned for it stories told in Acts chapter 7 and at the end of Acts chapter 7 we have this testimony verse 58 they cast him out of the city and stoned him and the Witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul more about him later And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit and falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Where did he learn that? From the words of the cross. Any any disciples of Jesus here today? Have we learned that lesson? Lord, forgive me my debts as I forgive my debtors. It's right up there on the job description. You're not forgiving, you're not much of a disciple. And forgiveness can be costly. Behold Christ's power, be forgiving. Thirdly, never despair. Never despair. Even the greatest sin is pardonable. Jesus prayed to the guys with the hammers and the nails at the cross, forgive them. Is that possible? It is. It is. Hope in Christ. There is hope in Christ for the worst of sinners. Oh, you don't know what I've done. God knows. And the gospel goes out. Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And we don't have time, but we can read what Paul wrote to the Corinthians. He gives a long list of crimes, you know, murder, adultery, liars, all these names. And he says, such were some of you. Why would he write that? Because the power of the gospel can give hope to such as those. So never despair. Where there is life, there is hope. You have a loved one on their deathbed. Do not despair. Keep praying for that focused mind. Perhaps in their last hours, they'll see and believe in Christ. And the final word is a word of caution. Do not presume or delay. Don't presume or delay. Don't take the thief on this cross story as your get out of hell free card. Oh yeah, I'm just gonna live it up for a while and I don't need to go to church because you know what? If I'm in a car accident and I think I'm dying, I'll just pray right then. I'll get in at the end so I can have my cake and eat it too. There are people that talk this way. Well, if you're convinced that it's true now, you're accountable now. There's a whole sermon, I think it's the one I read by John Flavel, the whole sermon just attacks that awful way of thinking, I can get in later. Now, remember there were two thieves on that cross, but only one was saved. We're told by many preachers, I don't know where this quote originated, one thief was saved so that no sinner might despair, but only one so that no sinner might presume. Don't delay, don't presume. Ask Jesus to remember you and then live for him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do thank you for your mighty word. We thank you for the gospel, which is not simply a philosophy or a proverb. It is based on historical events that you put in motion to provide a blood sacrifice for your people for all times, once for all. in the cross of Christ we glory. We thank you that Jesus is a merciful, compassionate Savior. We're thankful for the example of the thief on the cross. Father, give us hearts to believe and give us a will to follow Christ whatever the cost, that we might take up our cross as we love you and as we love our neighbor as ourselves. Oh, Father, bless the preaching of the gospel across the world. Bring about a revival among your people and bring many to faith in Christ, from the young, from the old, from the near to the far, and do a work that will cause the world to give you praise and glory all the more. And begin here, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.