Commentary on Calvary, Part 3

If you have your Bible, turn with me to Luke chapter 23, Luke chapter 23. And we'll find ourselves once again, at the foot of Calvary's cross. I was talking with someone yesterday on the phone and they had asked me where we were on Sunday mornings. And I said, we are still in the gospel of Luke. And they said, you're still there. I said, yep, we're still there. They said, where are you at in the gospel of Luke? I said, we're, we're getting toward the end. We're in, we're in Luke chapter 23. We're at the foot of the cross.

We've been there for several weeks and we'll be there for several weeks more. They said, really? I said, yeah. I said, you just think about it during good Friday services and resurrection Sunday services. You're not able to cover everything you need to cover in that brief amount of time, but on Sunday mornings, we can just go through each and every hour, each and every event in each and every hour that Christ was there on Calvary's Mount and begin to uncover all the golden nuggets of truth that speak to us concerning our lives.

And of course the greatness of the Christ. I said, it is a most fascinating study and I've been overwhelmed by the truth of God's word and all the things that he has taught me during our time together in our, in the study of Luke. And I trust that you have been overwhelmed as well. And today I trust you will be overwhelmed once again, as we look at the conversion of a criminal, looking at the commentary that Luke gives us of Calvary and seeing how this man gives his life to the Lord Jesus.

Let's read verses 33 down through verse number 43. And when they came to the place called the skull there, they crucified him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. And they cast lots, dividing up his garments among themselves. The people stood by looking on and even the rulers were sneering at him saying he saved others. Let him save himself that this is the Christ of God, his chosen one.

And the soldiers also mocked him coming up to him, offering him sour wine and saying, if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself. Now there was also an inscription above him. This is the King of the Jews. And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at him, saying, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. But the other answered and rebuking him said, do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds.

But this man has done nothing wrong. And he was saying, Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom. And he said to him, truly, I say to you today, you shall be with me in paradise. The scene is truly miraculous, to say the least. We have looked at the crucifixion on the cross to help you understand the elements of what it means to be crucified. The Bible doesn't tell us any details concerning the crucifixion nor the scourging. So we have to go back in history to understand the elements surrounding that.

So we spent a week talking to you about the crucifixion on the cross. And then we moved to help you understand the cursing of the crowd. The spectators, the Sanhedrin, the soldiers, the stealers, all of them were involved in blaspheming the name of Christ, cursing Christ as he hung there on Calvary's tree. And it's bad enough to be cursed by your enemies. But Christ was also cursed by his father in heaven, cursed as everyone who hangs on a tree and his own father cursed him so that through his death, he could save those who cursed him.

And so we looked at the cursing of the crowd and then we moved to look at the compassion from the Christ as he hung on the cross.

And he spoke seven times while on the cross and the first words were, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

Exemplifying his compassion, his mercy, his love. Offering them the opportunity for those who repent to be forgiven. And sure enough, we looked and saw that on the day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were saved. A few weeks after that, five thousand were added to the church. We saw in Acts chapter six that even some of the Sanhedrin had given their life to the Lord Jesus as well. And the prayer was answered. But on this day, at this moment, on Calvary's cross, there was a man who gave his life to Jesus.

He happened to be hanging next to Jesus. And what we're going to see in this conversion of a criminal, which is point number four of Luke's commentary on Calvary, is to understand the elements of genuine faith in Christ. What you're going to see is what happens in every single soul that's transformed. What you're going to see in the conversion of a criminal is what everybody needs to see in order to give their life to Jesus. And what you're going to see is a absolute transformation of one man as he hung on a tree.

Destined to death, but receives life, he truly saw Jesus for who he was. When you come to church, we want you to see Jesus. That is the ultimate issue. During the last week of our Lord's life, there was a conversation that took place. It's in John chapter 12. Get your Bible turned there with me, if you would, just for a moment. John chapter 12. Jesus has already entered into Jerusalem. And there's a scenario that only John records. It's important to understand that, you know, you have to read all the Gospels to understand the entire story.

Luke is the only one who records the conversion of the criminal. Matthew, Mark and John do not. But Luke is also the only one who says in Luke 19, verse number 10, the son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost. So as Jesus was dying on the cross, he was still seeking and he was still serving and he was still saving because that's what he came to do. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. So even in the final moments of his life, he was still offering salvation to those who would believe and repent of their sins.

So during the last week of our Lord's life, there is a. A conversation that takes place. John 12, verse number 20, there were some certain Greeks among those who are going up to worship at the feast. These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from the state of Galilee and began to ask him, saying, sir, we wish to see Jesus. Philip came and told Andrew and you and Philip told. And I'm sorry, Philip came and told Andrew, Andrew and Philip came and they told Jesus and Jesus answered them, saying. The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life, loses it. He who hates his life in this world shall keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the father will honor, sir, we wish to see Jesus. You must see Jesus for who he is. You must see him as identified as the son of man. The hour is coming where the son of man is to be glorified.

You must see him identified as son of man. You must see him glorified as son of God. In order to see him such, you must see him crucified as the savior of man. And we need to see Jesus for who he is. This thief who hung on the cross next to Jesus saw him for who he was. So many people come to church and they don't see Jesus. Sometimes it's because the pastor doesn't present him properly and he messes up the true image of Christ in his presentation. But when you come to church to worship the king, you must see the king for who he is.

You must see him glorified. You must see him crucified. You must see him as he presents himself in scripture. And something that this one thief saw and heard transformed his life. So what did he see? What do we know about this man and what took place as he hung there next to Jesus? The first thing you need to understand is that he saw the ridicule of the Christ.

Not only did he see the ridicule of the Christ, he was involved in the ridicule of the Christ. The Bible says in verse number 39, and one of the criminals who were hanging there was hurling abuse at him.

But if you read Matthew's account, Matthew tells us and the robbers also who had been crucified with him were casting the same insult at him. So both of the thieves were involved in the mockery. Both both of the thieves were involved in the ridicule and the blasphemy. They all blasphemed his ministry. They all blasphemed his sovereignty. They all blasphemed his identity. Everyone who was there on Calvary's Mount, the soldiers, the stealers, the spectators, the Sanhedrin, all were involved in the insults in the blasphemy.

Now think about it. These two guys have gone through the same scourging that Jesus has gone through and they have gone through the same crucifixion that Jesus has gone through. And these men are hanging, they're dying because no one's ever survived the crucifixion. And so in the midst of all their pain and all of their agony, they muster up enough energy to ridicule and to mock and to blaspheme the Christ who hangs between them. That's how infectious the hatred was on Calvary's Mountain on this day.

And they were involved in the ridicule of the Christ. But the, but all of Jesus scripture, it says these words that one of the criminals who were hanging there was hurting the abuse of them saying, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. But the other answered and rebuking him said something changed. Something has happened. There has already been a transformation of one of the thieves. Something has already taken place. There's been 180 degree turn in this man's life that he would rebuke the other thief.

It's a strong word that there was some kind of comprehension that would lead to a conviction that would lead to a confession that would lead to a confrontation. Something happened in the life of one of the robbers that turned his life around. And the answer to that is God happened. God took over his life, but he says the other answered, rebuking him said, do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? He says something very profound because he now fears God and the other thief does not fear God.

The very first evidence of a genuine conversion is that there is a supreme fear of God in your life because the unbeliever doesn't fear him.

When you get saved, when you are born again, your life is transformed. The Bible says 2 Corinthians 5 17.

If it may be in Christ, he is a new creation. This thief hanging there on the cross, crucified as Jesus and the other thief had a radical transformation in his life because now he fears God and he rebukes the other one for not fearing God, meaning that he has already recognized that Jesus is God. He's recognized that. How did he see that? How did he come to understand that? Only if the Lord removes the blinders from his eyes that he could see who Christ is and make a public confession that would rebuke the other man for not fearing God.

Listen, there are many conversions in scripture. Very few of the conversions in scripture give us the details surrounding the conversion. There are two in particular that are radical. They're all radical, but two are recorded in scripture. One is the apostle Paul. He's on the road to Damascus. He has in his hands the papers to crucify Jews. He is a hater of Christians. I mean, persecute Jewish Christians. He is a hater of Christians. He's a hater of God and he is stopped dead in his tracks by the Lord God himself.

And that man's life is radically transformed, radically turned around. And the Bible records that testimony in 1st Timothy chapter 1 when it says this. Paul says, I think Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has strengthened me because he considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

I was a persecutor. I was a blasphemer. I was one who was against the Christ and I was transformed. Same is true for one of the thieves who hung next to Jesus. He was a violent aggressor. He was an abuser. He was a blasphemer, but something happened. Do you not fear God? Now you must understand that the fear of God in the life of an individual is the number one characteristic of genuine conversion.

Listen to what the Bible says. Isaiah chapter eight, Isaiah chapter eight, verse 13. It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. He shall be your fear and he shall be your dread. He shall be your fear. He shall be your dread because right now, Isaiah says he is not. But once converted, once saved, there is a tremendous fear of God. Turn with me to Psalm 130, Psalm 130, verse number one.

Oh, out of the depths, I've cried to thee, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou Lord should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be forgiven. Feared. It doesn't say there is forgiveness with thee so I can be happy. There is forgiveness with thee so I can have a good life. There's forgiveness with these. So all things will be made. Well, why does God forgive you of your sins so that you will fear his holy name?

Romans three, verse number 18 tells us that in the eye of the unbeliever, there is no fear of God before them. They do not fear the true and living God. It's evident that one thief feared God and the other one didn't for the one to rebuke him saying, do you not even fear God that you would say such things against the Christ? The Bible says these words, Psalm 33, verse six, by the word of the Lord, the heavens were made and by the breath of his mouth, all of our hosts, he gathered the waters of the sea together as a heap.

He lays up the deeps in storehouses that all the earth fear the Lord, that all the inhabitants of the world stand in all of him for he spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. In other words, God speaks everything into existence. He does it so that you will learn to fear his name because once you understand the power of his word, you stand in all of him. You stand fearing him. The Bible says these words in the book of Proverbs, Proverbs chapter one, after speaking about the fool and how he scoffs at knowledge and hates the reproof of God.

He says, then they will call upon me and I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they should not find me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. The reason I will mock them is because they chose to be foolish instead of choosing to fear me. He goes on to say, they would not accept my counsel. They spurned all my reproof, so they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices for the waywardness of the naive shall kill them.

And the complacency of fools shall destroy him. But he who listens to me shall live securely and shall be at ease from the dread of evil. You see, God does something in the life of an individual that he saves. He causes them to fear his name. Fear his name. Listen to what the Bible says in the book of Proverbs, Proverbs chapter 14.

Proverbs chapter 14. In verse number 26. In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence and his children will have refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life that one may avoid the snares of death. The fear of the Lord in the book of Proverbs is equivalent equivalent to saving faith. Because there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. The Lord God of hosts, he shall be the one that you fear. He shall be your dread. And some will say, that just seems to be so unhealthy that we should fear a loving God, a kind and merciful God that just seems so unhealthy.

Let me tell you something. I'll tell you what's unhealthy. Not to fear God and perish in eternal damnation forever. That's unhealthy. Okay. What is healthy is to understand what the Bible says concerning the fear of the Lord.

To this man will I look to him who is broken and of a contrite heart and who trembles at my word, who fears everything I say. I only look to one man, the man who's absolutely afraid of everything I say. God says.

But yet the fear of the Lord is not what is preached today. You have a booklet written on the fear of God. He wrote a book. It's a booklet on the fear of God. We tried to give it away on the radio and we couldn't even give it away. We offered it for free to anybody who asked for it, but nobody wanted it. Who wants to hear about the fear of God? Well, this thief came to fear God and rebuked the other man. See, he was involved in ridiculing the Christ. He was involved in the ridicule. He was involved in the blasphemy.

He was involved in the abuse. And all of a sudden, everything changed for him because when someone's born again, listen, everything changes, nothing remains the same. Again, you see, we have misunderstood conversion. We have misunderstood what it means to be born again. We have misunderstood what it means to be a Christ follower. This man's life changed. The apostle Paul's life changed. If there is no change, there is no conversion. Nothing is ever the same again. That's why we have so many pretenders in the church, because we convince them that they're OK, even though there's not been a change and they're still going to go to heaven anyway, and they're complacent with that.

But the bottom line is, this man's whole life just changed as he was dying, as he hung on the cross. This was a genuine conversion. God did something in his life. You see, when you're saved, God does something. That is a miracle. To be born again, to be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son is a miracle, is a supernatural work of a gracious God who takes people and moves their life in such a way that they can be saved. That nothing is the same again. We must stop convincing people that they are OK the way they are because they're not.

And this man recognized he was not OK the way he was. And God changed his life. God intruded on this man's life and changed what he saw, changed what he did, changed who he was. Says, do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? He knew he was a sinner. He knew he was separated from God. He knew he was involved in a life sentence of death. He knew that. Don't you fear God? Don't you know? You see, when you fear God, what do you know? You know you're a sinner. When you fear God, you know you've sinned.

You violated a holy God. This man hanging next to him is a Jewish man. He knows the law of God. He was raised in the synagogue. He knows about what it means to violate the law of God. He knows what it means to walk away from God. He knows it because he learned it from his early childhood. He knows what the scriptures say. And don't you know that you are under the same condemnation? But this man is different. He says, we indeed justly for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds. He wasn't hanging there saying, you know, I wouldn't be hanging here if it wasn't for how I was raised.

I wouldn't be hanging here if my father wouldn't have abused me. I wouldn't be hanging here if things had went better in my family. I wouldn't be hanging here if things would have turned out differently. If things would have turned out better for me. No, there are no excuses. No excuses. He offers up none. We are getting exactly what we deserve. Death for the wages of sin is death. And we're getting exactly what's been ordained by the law of God. See, every believer understands that. The unbeliever says, or gives an excuse for his sin.

He likes to excuse away. Well, I'm this way because of this. Or I'm this way because of how I was raised. Or I'm this way because of my family. Or I'm this way because of my environment. But the believer says, I get what I deserve. I'm a sinner. And I deserve to be treated justly. Justly. And so he comes out and rebukes the man. He rebukes him. Because he sees the ridicule of the Christ. He sees the name of Christ blasphemed. And every true believer will not let that happen. We'll not let that continue in his family with his friends.

He will speak up, he will stand up and he will confront the blasphemy coming against his Christ because he fears God. He does not fear man. And that's what this man did. He saw the ridicule of Christ. He saw the righteousness of Christ. He says, but this man has done nothing wrong. He saw the righteousness of Christ. You see, when you see the righteousness of Christ, what do you see? You see all of your sin, all of your unrighteousness. When you see the holiness of Christ, you see all of your unholiness.

The closer you get to God, the more acutely aware you are of all your sin. The closer you get to God, the more you realize that the words you say, the things you do, the actions that you, that you portray when they are sinful, your conscience is pricked because you're so close to God. This man was hanging next to God. But God had done a work in his heart and he realized that the one hanging next to him was sinless, he's done nothing wrong. He is spotless. He is sinless. We are sinful. Now remember pilot said Jesus was innocent.

Pilot's wife said that he was a righteous man. Judas said that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Herod said he had done nothing wrong and yet they were not converted. Converted. See, but this man was because you see, he acted upon the sinlessness of Christ. He acted upon the perfection of the Christ. He responded to the perfection of Christ because he was convicted over his sinful life. He saw the ridicule of Christ. He saw the righteousness of Christ. He saw the redemption of Christ. What'd he say? He says, he was saying to him, Jesus, remember me, Jesus, remember me.

How do you know his name? Well, it was written on the placard above him, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, but there is no other name in the heaven given among men whereby you must be saved. It is the name of Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, right? No one comes to the father except by me. The Bible tells us in Matthew 1 21, God named his son. You should call his name Jesus for each. I'll save his people from their sins. Jehovah is savior. That's what Jesus means. Jesus remember me, not, can you remember all the good I've done?

Can you remember how much I gave in the synagogue? Can you remember how much I served in the temple? Can you remember anything good that just remember some of the good things I've done? Remember that the good will outweigh the bad of the end. Lord, please remember something about me. No, just remember me to plead for mercy. It's, it's a cry. It's a cry for redemption. It's a cry for God to do a work. I have nothing to offer. I have nothing to give Jesus. Could you remember me? He's heard the prayer father.

Forgive them for they know not what they do. He's, he's hanging next to Jesus. He's heard the prayer. He's heard the word of, of, of, uh, of pardon that crisis offered. He has heard the word of, of provision because in the order of the words of the cross, the second word was the fact that he, he told John to take care of his mother and his mother, that she would be under the care of John.

He's seen this man in his suffering, continue to serve and to save because that's who he is. He's a savior. He's a King. And yet he came to serve his fellow man. And so he says to Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. I didn't say Lord, you know, I'd offer a sacrifice. If I could, but I can't get down off the cross. Can't offer one today. I know it's Passover, but I can't do it today because there is no sacrifice to offer because the sacrifice is hanging next to him. The lamb of God who was slain for the sins of the world.

So what does he see? What does he see? What is that he believes in? What is his plea? He sees the ridicule of the Christ. He sees the righteousness of the Christ. He sees the redemption of the Christ and he sees the resurrection of the Christ. Remember me when you come in your kingdom. Wait a minute. This is a crucifixion. Dead men don't have kingdoms. So he sees something that the other thief doesn't see. He sees something that the crowd doesn't see. He sees and believes in the resurrection of the Christ.

He understands that. How did he understand that? How did he get that? Because they've been revealed to him by his father in heaven. God had removed the blinders from his eyes. If the one hanging next to him is the Christ, is the Messiah, is the king of the Jews. That means there's going to be a resurrection because the Old Testament taught the resurrection of the Messiah in Psalm 22 and Isaiah chapter 53. And he was a Jew raised in a synagogue. And if this is the Messiah, it teaches about a resurrection.

And so he saw supernaturally the resurrection of the Messiah. That's what a Bible says. If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, he said to the other thief, he rebuked him by saying, do you not fear God, realizing that the one hanging next to them is God? If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. He believed in the resurrection of the Messiah. He believed that he saw it. He understood it with the little knowledge, the limited knowledge that he had.

So what did he see? What did he believe? And what was his plea? He saw the ridicule of Christ. He was involved in the ridicule of the Christ. But God intervened, turned his life around. There is true repentance in the life of this man, as evidenced by his rebuking the other thief. He saw the ridicule of Christ. He saw the righteousness of Christ. He saw the redemption of Christ. He saw the resurrection of Christ. He saw the royalty of Christ. Jesus, remember me when you come, listen, in your kingdom, this man's eschatology was right on.

He understood that upon the resurrection of the Messiah, he was going to come in his kingdom and he was going to establish his kingdom and he would fill, fulfill Abraham's kingdom. Abrahamic covenant, the Davidic covenant, new covenant. He knew that because God had revealed it to him. He understood that. He believed that in his heart. Remember me when you come in your kingdom. Listen, dead men are not kings, but this man was going to be a resurrected king. He saw the royalty of Christ. It hadn't been seen, it hadn't been seen since those Magi had come and bowed before him and offered him gold, frankincense and myrrh about the age of two years of two years of age when he was in his house in Matthew chapter two.

And they came and bowed before him and they honored him as a king. Only thing that was said up to then was that we will not have this king rule over us because he's not the king that we want to rule over us. But this man saw him as a king, as the king of the Jews, as his king. And said, would you remember me when you come in your kingdom? The contrition of this man, the conviction of this man, the confession of this man, rings of a true conversion of a soul. He saw the ridicule of the Christ. He saw the righteousness of Christ.

He saw the redemption of Christ. He saw the resurrection of Christ. He saw the royalty of Christ and he believed it all. So we make this plea. Remember me. When you come into your kingdom. That's what he saw. What did Jesus say? This is what he believed. What did Jesus bestow? This was his plea. Now, Jesus's promise was Jesus saying, truly, I say. Truly, I say to you today, you shall be with me in paradise. Truly. Truly. Truly. Maybe your version says, verily, verily, it's the word, I mean, I mean, OK.

It's used 151 times. In the New Testament. Every time it comes before sentence, it's only used by Christ. Every time it comes after a sentence, it's only used by man. Because man is in agreement with what God says.

God says at the outset, what I'm telling you is absolute truth. He gives him a promise. Truly, it's based on my word. Truly, I say to you, nobody else, but you. I'm saying this to you. This is personal. This is directly at you, my man. This is for your eternal benefits. Promise was given to the repentant thief. Truly, I say to you, salvation is offered to everyone. The sacrifice was offered to everyone. But it's limited only to those who repent and believe. And this man repented. This man believed.

Truly, I say to you today. Today, you shall be with me in paradise. Today, that means there's no purgatory. Today, you shall be with me in paradise. There's no holding tank. There's no soul sleep. Today, you shall be with me in paradise. Very important to understand that. The Bible says today.

It refutes baptismal regeneration. You don't have to be baptized to be saved. Today, you shall be with me in paradise. Here is my promise. It is a true promise. It's based on my word. Truly, I say to you today, not tomorrow, not the next day, not sometime after somebody prays you out of a holding tank. No, today, you will be with me in paradise. Because absent from the body means presence with the Lord. That's what it means. And the Bible says over in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse number 17.

So shall we ever be with the Lord. So Christ gives the promise today, you shall be with me. Listen, when you get to heaven, it's not about seeing Jesus. When you get to heaven, it's about being with Jesus. That's the promise. You will be with me in paradise because what you have seen, you have seen. And what you have seen, I've allowed you to see. But now you're going to be with me in paradise. Paradise, what's that? That's heaven. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12, that he was caught up to the third heaven.

And the third heaven, he would go on to say is, is the paradise of God. Paradise of God. It's where the tree of life is according to Revelation 2 and Revelation 22. The tree of life is in the, in the heavens, in the paradise of God. On this day on Mount Calvary. This thief was born again. He was about to die. He was just about, he lived his whole life in rebellion against God. And so the last few hours of his life. And he marks for us the elements of a true conversion. Someone who's given his life to Jesus, that the Lord God would transform his life.

He did, he did, he became a hanging testimony to the truth of the living God. Listen, paradise was lost when one man, Adam rebelled. Paradise would be regained for this man, because he repented of a sin. Paradise was lost because one man rebelled against God when he said, do not partake of that, which hangs on this one tree, do not do it. Paradise would be regained by this man who would partake of that one who did hang on this tree on Mount Calvary on this day. And he would give his life to him. And he received the promise that he would be forever with Christ in paradise.

Do you have that promise? Do you have that assurance that you'll be reunited with the king when he comes again? Do you know for certain that you're born again? Is there an overwhelming fear of God in your life? That you fear his word and you fear his person because you stand in awe of his holy presence? Are you willing to confess him as your God, confess him as the Christ, confess him as the king? Are you willing to rebuke those who blaspheme his name because there's been a true conversion, a true turnabout, 180 degree change in your life because you are a believer in Christ?

Do you have that ironclad assurance that if you die today, you would go home to be with Jesus? If not, you need to give your life to Christ today. Don't wait. Don't delay. Don't delay. If this man would have delayed, he'd have perished forever. But he saw the opportunity and God changed his life. And so on that day, Christ died for that man, that he might be forgiven all of his sins. Today, he's with the Lord. Today, he stands in the presence of almighty God. The question is, will you? Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for today and a chance to look into your word once again and to realize the beauty of conversion and to realize what you did on this man whose whole life had been a rebellion against God. But he repented. But he changed because you had done a work. You had transformed his life. You had made him into a new creation. And he evidenced that. And you promised him paradise with you. With you forever and ever and ever. Our prayer, Lord, is that there'd be no one today who's among us who's never given their life to Christ, but would truly repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

We pray in Jesus name. Amen.