Luke23v32-43Pollofuneral

     FIRST MANCHESTER BAPTIST CHURCH

                                                             Rev. Oscar Ramirez

                                                                October 30, 2009

                                                      PRELIMINARY PAGE

      TEXT: Luke 23:32-43

       C.I.T.: Jesus Christ’s death on the cross brings down God’s forgiveness to man.                THESIS: Faith exercised and faith ignored is contrasted by the two thieves next to our                           Lord Jesus Christ.

  PURPOSE: 

         M.O.: Consecrative

          S.O.: This morning I want you to allow forgiveness to flow through you.

            The Place of Death Turned to Life

I.          We must look to God for the ability to forgive tenaciously.  V. 34

II.        We must look to Jesus and choose to accept our own personal forgiveness.                   Vv. 35-42

III.       To know forgiveness is to be forgiving.  Vv. 43

INTRODUCTION:

The place of death…  Sunday morning began with the sad news of Pollo’s death.  All day the imagination was very active.  What was his last moment like?  It is a situation that nobody would like to be in.  What happened or why it happened doesn’t matter to us.  Nobody deserves to die this way.  What can we say about somebody that dies under these circumstances?  Before you answer, consider the following.

TEXT: Luke 23:32-43

       C.I.T.: Jesus Christ’s death on the cross brings down God’s forgiveness to man.                THESIS: Faith exercised and faith ignored is contrasted by the two thieves next to our                           Lord Jesus Christ.

          S.O.: This morning I want you to allow forgiveness to flow through you.

               TENACIOUS FORGIVENESS

I.          We must look to God for the ability to forgive tenaciously.  V. 34

32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

Contrast: Jesus Christ identifies with sinners.  This is a divine appointment; the sinless with the sinful.
33 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.

Between righteousness and sin there is the Lord Jesus Christ.
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Jesus intercedes for us.  Even if we wanted to work on our own salvation, we wouldn’t know how to do it.  Jesus is the best bet that we have.  We must put all that we have on the Lord Jesus Christ.  …He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him…
II.        We must look to Jesus and choose to accept our own personal forgiveness.                   Vv. 35-42

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.
36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
III.       To know forgiveness is to be forgiving.  Vv. 43

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

CONCLUSION: