Luke 23v32to43 We Come To The Cross

I)       When we walk with God, we come to the cross. Luke 23:32-43.

A)    File:  luke 23v32to43 we come to the cross

B)    Audio:  When we walk with God, we come to the cross.

C)    Series:  Walking with God

D)    Preached:  April 1, 2007

II)    Intro to the series:  Walking with God

A)    We can still walk with God by following Jesus.

B)    First: It’s all about the Father’s Business.

C)    Second: We must follow.

D)    Third: He will prepare the way.

E)     Fourth: we will witness division.

F)     Fifth: we will witness miracles.

G)    Sixth:  we will be tested

H)    Seventh: we become insiders 

I)       Eighth:  we become insiders, part 2

J)       Ninth:  it is an eternal walk

K)    Tenth:  we come to the cross

L)     eleventh:  we experience resurrection

M)   twelfth:  we declare the gospel

III) Context.  We’ve been walking through Jesus’ Ministry.

A)    Throughout Jesus’ ministry we have seen people driven to decision.  It all comes to this – embodied in two men.  A graphic depiction of the inevitable crisis we face walking with God – deciding about the cross.

1)      Ministry:  People with Jesus.  Few moments alone.  But, all along – two classes of people becoming increasingly clear:

(a)    Those that were really walking with Him.

(b)   Those that were only tagging along.

(c)    The difference between being a guest and being in the wedding party.  Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt. 22).  Some of the guests were thrown out – not dressed properly.

(d)   True then and true now – many walking along with Him

(e)    He told us it would be this way:

(i)     Parable of wheat and tares, the net, the wedding,

(ii)   false teachers / false Christs among the church

(iii) Division, a previous sermon – even family.

(iv) Matt. 7:  Those who did works / I never knew you.

(f)    Examples: 

(i)     Came to see newborn king / came to kill

(ii)   He told them to / it was the popular thing to do.

(iii) He was the bread of life / filled their stomachs.

(iv) To ask for healing / to demand a sign.

(v)   To ask questions / To entrap Him.

(vi) Freedom from Rome / Freedom from sin.

(vii)           Follow a king for what he could do / who he is.

(g)   But here is the climactic example – two robbers.

IV) READ Luke 23:32-43

A)    So what makes the difference between someone genuinely walking with the Lord and someone who is just tagging along?

1)      The answer is found when they come to the cross of Christ.

2)      What happens at the cross will reveal the difference.

V)    Let’s compare and contrast these two criminals.

A)    Similarities:

1)      Both suffering.  Both guilty.  Both see Jesus, the sign, the crowd.  Both can hear Jesus, “Father forgive…”  Both want saved from death.

2)      Same as us!

B)    Differences:

1)      Lost Man:  Wants only to save his skin – He’ll accept anyone who will get him off the cross.

(a)    Insulted Jesus.  Follows that crowd in mocking and insulting Christ. [We still get this today.]

(b)   Wanted and Expected Christ to serve him.

(c)    Wants to use Christ to meet worldly goals:

(i)     Acts – man offers to by the power of the Holy Spirit

(ii)   Like many today – seek God so far as it serves us.

(d)   Did not acknowledge his sin.  No awareness of his own sinfulness.

(e)    No inclination to serve Christ – on focuses on his need.

2)      Saved Man:

(a)    Not affected by the crowd and the other robber – he does not blindly follow the crowd.

(b)   He feared God understood his mortality.

(i)     Potter and clay, creature vs. creator, ant vs. mountain.

(c)    He confessed his guilt. No defense.  So self-assertion, no excuses, he laid down his own self-righteousness.  Not like some who are constantly trying to devise a strategy to get out of trouble, to distort, to spin, to look justified, cool, in control.

(d)   Accepted his punishment like Job, “Naked I came…?

(e)    He acknowledged Jesus’ innocence / righteousness.

(i)     Indeed He is truth.

(f)    He recognized Jesus as King.

(g)   He recognized that death was not the end for Jesus’ reign.  [How often some will ask Jesus for salvation – the sacrifice on the cross, but then deny walking in a new life with Him – the resurrection and rebirth.]

(h)   And not the end for himself.

(i)     He pleaded for help.  He realized that he was helpless and deserving of death.  We must help others realize this.  Not – get your life cleaned up and go to church.  Instead – give your life completely to Jesus Christ and let Him work it out.

C)    To summarize:  Salvation is in accepting Christ’s work on the cross as payment for your own sins.  You deserve it, He did not!  But further than that – it is also acknowledging Jesus as Lord – as king, not only over some heavenly Kingdom – but over you as well.  To put our lives into His hands, where it belongs.

VI) The motivation for all this:

A)    “today you will be with Me in paradise.”

1)      Paradise:  2 Cor. 12:3. (1 Cor. 2:9), Rev. 2:7 (Rev 22:1) “Paradise is the heavenly abode of God where there are found things prepared by God for those who love him, which are utterly indescribable.”

2)      And paradise does not wait for death.  Already seated in the heavenlies.  rebirth.  walk in Newness of life (Rom. on baptism)  eternal life = knowing God, my peace I give to you.  The Holy Spirit.  The mission.  The desires of the heart.  

VII)          Invitation:

A)    One accepted, the other rejected.  No in-betweens.

B)    Have you come seeking only your own gain?

C)    Have you come to follow the king?

D)    Are you absolutely certain that you will be in Paradise with Jesus the day you die?

VIII)       Lord’s supper:  an expression of total acceptance, total faith in Jesus Christ.

A)    Cup – the invitation to the wedding, drinking = accepting.

B)    Bread – accepting Jesus as the source of life.  Such complete acceptance as to eat His flesh.

IX) Order of service for Lord’s supper:

A)    Prepare the table.

B)    Prepare our hearts:  Unity, prejudice, unfairness.  Scripture – 1 Cor. 11:27-28, “27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

C)    Prayer – pastor, self-exam.

D)    Scripture – Bread 1 Cor. 11:23-24, “23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

E)     Deacon prayer - bread

F)     Scripture – Wine 1 Cor. 11:25-26 “25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

G)    Deacon prayer - wine

H)    End / dismiss with song.

X)    Notes:

A)    John Piper: 

1)      How the two men are similar:  suffering, guilty, see Jesus, see the sign, crowd, etc., hear the words “Father, forgive them…”  want saved from death.  We also have all these.

2)      One:  wants only to save his skin.  He’ll accept anybody that will get him off that cross.  Wants a Christ to serve him.

(a)    Try God to meet worldly goals.  Bless me!

(b)   No awareness of his own sinfulness.

(c)    No awareness of the need to serve Christ – not vice versa.

3)      The other:

(a)    Not affected or swayed by the first.  Not deceived by his ignorant dribble.  Like, “If God is so good…?”

(b)   He feared God.  Like pot vs. the potter.  It is creature vs. Creator.  Like an ant commanding Mt. everest to lie flat so he can cross.

(c)    He admitted he did wrong.

(d)   He accepted deserved punishment.  Like Job, “Naked I came…blessed be the name of the Lord”  He took suffering without complaint and feared God.

(e)    He acknowledged Jesus’ righteousness – seeing no wrong in Him.  He is truth.

(f)    He acknowledged Jesus as king.  Recognizing that this death was not the end of His reign. 

(g)   He pleads for help. 

4)      The motivation – today you will be with me in paradise.

April 1, 2007

Sermon Series:  Walking with God.  Learning what it means to walk with God by walking with Jesus through His ministry.

Today’s Message:  When we walk with God, we come to the cross.  Luke 23:32-43.

This Easter, take yourself and your family on a trip to the cross.  Here are the pertinent scripture passages:  Matthew 26:1 to 28:20; Mark 14:26 to 16:20; Luke 22:47 to 24:53; John 18:1 to 20:31.

One Criminal:

1.      _______________________ Jesus

2.      Expected Christ to ____________________ him.

3.      Did not acknowledge his _______________________.

The Other Criminal:

4.      _____________________ God.

5.      _________________________ his guilt.

6.      ____________________________ his punishment.

7.      Acknowledged Jesus’ __________________________.

8.      Recognized Jesus as __________________________.

9.      _____________________ for help. [1]

Word Find Luke 23:32-43

Luke 23:32-43 (ESV): Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33And 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. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 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!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

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[1] 1) Insulted; 2) serve; 3) sin; 4) feared; 5) confessed; 6) accepted; 7) innocence; 8) King; 9) pleaded.