WEBVTT 00:00:19.179 --> 00:00:20.859 Good morning, church. 00:00:21.179 --> 00:00:30.379 Hey, uh, I'm going to invite you to take your copy of God's word and turn with me back to the book of Luke, chapter 23, one more time. 00:00:30.699 --> 00:00:38.140 Next week, we are going to be in Luke chapter 24 as we begin to look at the resurrection together. 00:00:38.379 --> 00:00:42.219 But we're going to spend one final week looking at the crucifixion. 00:00:42.379 --> 00:00:51.500 Because the resurrection, of course, is the power of God exemplified over death, which is our penalty for sin. 00:00:52.060 --> 00:00:58.460 But something had to happen to cover that penalty for sin, and it occurred at the cross. 00:00:58.939 --> 00:01:06.140 So I have a book that I've been reading through and examining for some time now. 00:01:06.539 --> 00:01:15.019 The book is written by a man named Harvey Silvergate, and the book is titled Three Felonies a Day. 00:01:15.099 --> 00:01:31.579 And the premise of the book is that because of the density of federal law and the fact that, well, there's so much there in the annals of what we should and should not be doing at the federal level. 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:39.420 Because of that, that the average American commits three felonies per day. 00:01:40.219 --> 00:01:47.980 Now, you may not feel like a criminal, but what that tells you is that you are a criminal according to someone's record. 00:01:48.140 --> 00:01:57.500 Now, for most of us, uh our rap sheet is not quite that long, but the only reason it's not that long is because we've we've not been caught yet. 00:01:57.659 --> 00:02:12.699 Like we've not been outed, or better yet, our particular sin, our particular uh habits of life aren't illegal according to the state of Virginia or of the United States. 00:02:12.939 --> 00:02:15.579 But rest assured, you are a criminal. 00:02:15.819 --> 00:02:26.379 Now, what I want to do today is I want to spend some time convincing you of that because it's going to become very important for what we read in the text today. 00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:34.459 Because what we're going to see is we're going to witness two individuals who were remarkably similar in their background. 00:02:34.620 --> 00:02:40.139 And both of these individuals were very close to Jesus in proximity. 00:02:40.620 --> 00:02:46.060 But one of them, one of them died separated from God. 00:02:46.459 --> 00:02:57.259 And the other one received the promise, the very first promise, in fact, that today you will be with me in paradise, Jesus says. 00:02:57.500 --> 00:03:06.620 Now, if you don't feel like that you're a criminal, um, I because I want you to see, I want all of us to see our place on the cross. 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:12.220 And so to do that, I just want to dig in a little bit and prove to you that you are a sinner. 00:03:12.379 --> 00:03:16.379 If you're not convinced of it right now, then you are about to be. 00:03:16.540 --> 00:03:19.339 How many of you recognize this image here? 00:03:20.860 --> 00:03:26.220 This image is um the iTunes Terms and Conditions form. 00:03:26.459 --> 00:03:31.420 Now, if you've never completed one of these, you've probably completed something similar to it. 00:03:31.579 --> 00:03:52.699 If you used a smartphone or a computer or a web browser at any point, at some point the company is going to throw one of these at you and it's gonna it's gonna tell you about all the different ways that they're going to, I mean, honestly, to manipulate and to sell your information and to gather details, and they want you to know all about that legally. 00:03:52.779 --> 00:04:03.339 And so at the very bottom, they put this little tick box that says, I have read and understand the terms and conditions. 00:04:03.500 --> 00:04:06.699 Now, the truth is, even if you read it, you probably wouldn't understand it. 00:04:06.779 --> 00:04:10.699 So ticking the box from that standpoint would be, well, a lie. 00:04:10.939 --> 00:04:24.779 But the truth is, how many of you take time every single time you get one of these out of your day, whenever you know, like the only thing you want to do is to like stream the next episode of MacGyver or whatever whatever it is that you're watching? 00:04:24.860 --> 00:04:31.980 And like, so you're just gonna like like how many of you stop and and you read the terms and conditions before you ticket? 00:04:33.180 --> 00:04:36.060 I don't see very many hands going up. 00:04:36.300 --> 00:04:45.340 Well, okay, so there's there's a there's a word for that whenever you whenever you say, yes, I have done something, whenever you know you've not done something, and that word is lie. 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:55.740 And the Bible has a word to describe uh a lie and all such violations of truth, and that word is sin. 00:04:56.620 --> 00:05:02.939 Which means the very first time you open up your web browser and tick one of that, you and I have been guilty of sin. 00:05:03.180 --> 00:05:14.780 Because we are told in Scripture and it's taught to us very clearly, that we exist in the presence of a holy, Almighty God who is deeply concerned about sin. 00:05:15.740 --> 00:05:20.139 And so we are sinners and criminals before a holy God. 00:05:20.460 --> 00:05:22.860 Now the question is, what do we do about it? 00:05:23.100 --> 00:05:35.580 Well, the answer is found specifically this morning in Luke chapter 23, as we see what is happening here at the cross, specifically what the context is. 00:05:36.460 --> 00:05:43.420 Because what what happens here with Luke is Luke is telling us the story of Jesus crucified. 00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:54.060 And you would think, with this moment being as dense and as important as we talked about, that Luke would spend just pages and pages talking about what happens at the cross. 00:05:54.139 --> 00:06:00.699 I mean, after all, Luke was probably a physician, or perhaps was a priest with physician type duties. 00:06:00.939 --> 00:06:06.780 He would have known a lot about the human body and the experience of life and death on a cross. 00:06:06.860 --> 00:06:19.819 So he could have gone into great detail about what was happening there in that moment, but he spends very little parchment talking about that moment that the Son of God is crucified. 00:06:20.060 --> 00:06:22.220 Matthew and Mark give us a lot more detail. 00:06:22.379 --> 00:06:23.020 So does John. 00:06:23.180 --> 00:06:27.100 Luke just gives us this statement that we've been studying. 00:06:27.340 --> 00:06:34.939 And then all around that statement, Luke spends a lot more time talking about the criminals. 00:06:35.819 --> 00:06:38.939 Look with me, if you will, at verse number 32. 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:55.340 Verse 32 tells us as Jesus is on his way to the cross, he has some conversations with some individuals along the roadside who are weeping for him, and he tells them that they shouldn't weep for him, they should weep for one another. 00:06:55.420 --> 00:07:01.500 And then Luke immediately jumps into this narrative about these criminals. 00:07:01.740 --> 00:07:07.900 Verse 32 tells us that two others were criminals, they were led away to be put to death with him. 00:07:08.860 --> 00:07:33.180 He um we are then um by the way, like I I I've got stuck on that verse as we were going through this because like for me, if um if I'm choosing how this whole thing lays out and how I'm going to how I'm going to meet the Father, I don't think I'm going to pick two criminals to go along with me. 00:07:33.420 --> 00:07:35.500 Like I just want a nice private place. 00:07:35.660 --> 00:07:40.540 I don't want to be surrounded by people whose lifestyle has been reprehensible. 00:07:40.780 --> 00:07:42.620 But for Jesus, he he does. 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:49.580 He chooses in the sovereignty of God, God chooses for these two individuals to be with him. 00:07:49.819 --> 00:07:50.379 Why? 00:07:50.620 --> 00:07:52.780 Well, Isaiah gives us some hint of this. 00:07:52.860 --> 00:07:56.860 This is not in on the screen, but I wanted to read this passage to you. 00:07:57.180 --> 00:08:05.420 We're told that Jesus, that the Messiah, poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors. 00:08:05.580 --> 00:08:09.020 How many of you are so glad that the Son of God is numbered with you? 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:15.660 That whenever he died, he died in such a way so that he made it very clear why he was here. 00:08:15.900 --> 00:08:32.220 He brought criminals like you and me into his proximity, and along the way he bore their sins, uh, the sins of many, and made trans made intercession for the transgressors, which is exactly what he does here at the cross. 00:08:34.620 --> 00:08:38.779 Now, here in verse 33 comes this passage that we've been studying. 00:08:39.259 --> 00:08:53.100 When they came to the place that is called the skull, there they crucified him and the criminals, one on the right hand and one on the left. 00:08:53.419 --> 00:08:56.779 Interesting that Jesus did not take a side position. 00:08:57.019 --> 00:08:58.060 He never does. 00:08:58.300 --> 00:09:07.259 Jesus is always the center of attention, and he's always right in the middle of the situation, the human problem. 00:09:07.419 --> 00:09:10.460 He's right there in the center resolving the issue. 00:09:10.620 --> 00:09:15.019 And then Luke begins to tell us sort of what's happening here. 00:09:15.259 --> 00:09:17.980 Now, I want to explain to you why he's doing this. 00:09:18.300 --> 00:09:21.340 He's just introduced us to the criminals. 00:09:21.500 --> 00:09:25.100 And then in the very next verse, he mentions the criminals again. 00:09:25.340 --> 00:09:29.419 And then he paints the scene of what's going on in these moments. 00:09:29.580 --> 00:09:36.300 And the reason that he's doing it is because he wants us to see what the criminals saw. 00:09:37.180 --> 00:09:38.700 Now you know the story. 00:09:38.860 --> 00:09:41.019 Both of these criminals were hanging here. 00:09:41.180 --> 00:09:42.940 Both of them observed Jesus. 00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:48.220 Both of them saw the sign, the title that Carrie talked to you about last week. 00:09:48.460 --> 00:10:04.220 Both of them heard Jesus' words, both of them observed every single moment, but yet only one of them at the end of this experience heard Jesus say the words, today you will be with me in paradise. 00:10:04.779 --> 00:10:07.500 How many of you like that's what you want to hear? 00:10:07.820 --> 00:10:10.139 I mean, no, I know not today. 00:10:10.940 --> 00:10:19.180 But at some point, the the promise that today, this day, that somewhere out there is paradise living. 00:10:19.980 --> 00:10:27.580 Now, for if if we want to if we want to experience that for ourselves, I would suggest to you that this is a great place to look. 00:10:27.899 --> 00:10:33.980 Because that is the very first time Jesus makes this promise to anybody. 00:10:34.300 --> 00:10:39.340 The promise of paradise wasn't first made to Peter or James or John. 00:10:39.980 --> 00:10:44.940 It was first made directly to this criminal on a cross next to him. 00:10:45.740 --> 00:10:50.620 And yet, even though there were two criminals, there was only one promise. 00:10:51.500 --> 00:10:54.860 One individual received the promise and the other one did not. 00:10:55.100 --> 00:10:58.139 Let's see what they saw and how it affected them. 00:10:58.460 --> 00:10:59.980 Verse number 34. 00:11:00.940 --> 00:11:10.620 And Jesus said, was saying, this is the idea on the text, was saying to them, um, was saying over and over again is the idea. 00:11:10.779 --> 00:11:15.659 He's repeatedly re restating this phrase over and over again. 00:11:15.740 --> 00:11:17.740 So as they beat him, he's saying this. 00:11:17.899 --> 00:11:19.980 As they mock him, he's saying this. 00:11:20.220 --> 00:11:23.100 As they nail him to the cross, he's saying this. 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:28.220 He is saying, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:29.019 What's he doing? 00:11:29.180 --> 00:11:30.700 He is interceding for them. 00:11:30.860 --> 00:11:47.419 This is a remarkable moment because what it teaches us is at the very moment of crucifixion, when the worst thing possible is happening to the best man who ever lived, that man is calling out intercession for those who are abusing him. 00:11:49.419 --> 00:11:57.580 As man poured out his wrath on God, God poured out his grace on man right here at this moment. 00:11:57.820 --> 00:12:04.060 Now that gives me a lot of promise because for me, I need this prayer prayed for me every single day. 00:12:04.300 --> 00:12:08.940 And here the Son of God is praying it as he is being crucified. 00:12:09.259 --> 00:12:14.860 And I know, based on what Scripture tells us, he is still praying it to this very day. 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:18.940 And they cast lots for his and divided his garments. 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:29.500 Luke 23, verse 35 says, And the people stood by watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, He saved others. 00:12:29.740 --> 00:12:35.419 Let him save himself if he be the Christ of God, his chosen one. 00:12:35.659 --> 00:12:39.419 And you could kind of imagine the air quotes come out at that moment. 00:12:39.740 --> 00:12:55.100 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, which they would often do to further extend the torture of the man being crucified, and saying, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. 00:12:55.419 --> 00:13:04.779 Of course, there was, as Kerry talked about last week, this inscription they were referring to that hung over his head, this is the king of the Jews. 00:13:04.860 --> 00:13:18.139 It was placed there by the Roman officials as mockery, but they could not know that actually what they posted as mockery, what they posted as mockery, God posted as prophecy. 00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:20.700 This is who he was. 00:13:21.580 --> 00:13:24.700 So now we come to the criminals again. 00:13:24.940 --> 00:13:34.220 Verse 28 tells us that one of these criminals who was standing by, hanged with him, joined in the railing with everyone else. 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:36.300 That seems kind of weird, doesn't it? 00:13:36.539 --> 00:13:55.899 That while you're there in the process of being crucified, affixed to this cross, torturously hanging there in mid-air, you take valuable time and spend valuable energy to join in the crowds mocking this man to your left or right. 00:13:56.620 --> 00:14:07.419 But it tells you that I think we all have this heart kind of beating within us, when the crowds begin to rail, that peer pressure pushes forward into dark areas. 00:14:07.580 --> 00:14:08.940 It's tough not to go. 00:14:09.180 --> 00:14:22.060 And so here he is, his anger at his situation and his the pressure he's experiencing from the crowd, he joins in with them and begins to mock and says, Are you the Christ? 00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:26.460 If you are the Christ, save yourself and us. 00:14:27.980 --> 00:14:33.259 Now, you might be saying to yourself at this point, this seems like a reasonable request. 00:14:33.340 --> 00:14:34.620 I mean, why would you not? 00:14:34.860 --> 00:14:42.779 If you are the Christ, the Son of God, if you are God's emissaire, if you really are the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, then get yourself off this cross. 00:14:42.860 --> 00:14:49.580 That seems like a reasonable request or instruction, but it's not about Jesus at this point. 00:14:49.740 --> 00:14:50.700 You get that, right? 00:14:50.940 --> 00:14:52.620 He doesn't care what Jesus does. 00:14:52.779 --> 00:14:54.300 He doesn't care what God does. 00:14:54.460 --> 00:15:00.620 He's only concerned about himself, which is why you have this tagline that says, and us also. 00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:02.779 You can write it down. 00:15:03.019 --> 00:15:21.259 A lot of false altruism, a lot of false care in our society is hidden under plural pronouns, where we act like we're concerned about everybody, we're concerned about them, and we're concerned about us, but in reality, we're only concerned about me. 00:15:21.820 --> 00:15:27.259 That becomes very important here in a moment because this guy is a criminal. 00:15:27.580 --> 00:15:38.060 We don't know exactly what it was that he did, but we know it would have been selfish, we know it would have been, you know, self-lifting, it would have been for his own personal benefit. 00:15:38.220 --> 00:15:39.659 He wasn't Robin Hood. 00:15:39.980 --> 00:15:42.139 He is only seeking himself. 00:15:42.379 --> 00:15:45.980 And hanging here on this cross, that has not changed. 00:15:46.300 --> 00:15:49.340 He is still seeking the benefit of himself. 00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:55.580 And at this moment, he turns to God and tries to manipulate God to accomplish it. 00:15:55.899 --> 00:15:57.180 You ever do that? 00:15:57.659 --> 00:16:04.220 Where, like, you're just trying to twist God's arm to do what you want him to do. 00:16:04.300 --> 00:16:15.180 And so instead of turning to God for him to use his power and wisdom to help you, we treat God as though he is some sort of genie there only to do our bidding and our will. 00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:16.860 That's what this guy is doing. 00:16:17.019 --> 00:16:21.980 But across from him, there is another individual who is doing something entirely different. 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:27.180 Now keep in mind, again, they read the same plaque. 00:16:27.659 --> 00:16:44.060 They heard the same words, they smelled the same blood shed on the same cross, and yet one person is railing, but the other individual turns to him and says these very familiar words Do you not fear God? 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:49.980 Pretty good question for one dying man to ask another dying man. 00:16:51.659 --> 00:16:53.899 That's that's us, isn't it? 00:16:55.180 --> 00:16:58.940 See, both of these individuals are on their way to death. 00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:01.259 And they both know it's coming. 00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:03.980 It's probably only hours away. 00:17:04.299 --> 00:17:15.099 If they survive the beatings and the hanging there and they don't suffocate on their own, by the end of the afternoon, someone's going to come by and break their legs. 00:17:15.659 --> 00:17:28.859 And with their hands outstretched, affixed to the cross and their legs being broken, no longer able to push themselves up very soon, their arms will give away and they will not be able to pull themselves up and they will hang there and suffocate. 00:17:29.819 --> 00:17:33.819 That would be not on my top ten list of ways to go. 00:17:34.619 --> 00:17:36.219 It's how he was going to die. 00:17:36.459 --> 00:17:37.819 And he knew it was coming. 00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:42.459 And you and I, we don't know how it's coming, we don't know when it's coming, but we know it's coming. 00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:44.939 Like we aren't going to live forever. 00:17:45.179 --> 00:17:53.740 And the longer I live, like the difference, the longer I live, the difference between hours and days blurs into nothingness. 00:17:54.219 --> 00:17:56.219 It's a short period of time. 00:17:57.740 --> 00:17:59.259 We have to make a choice. 00:17:59.899 --> 00:18:06.379 In the time that we have left here, how are we going to respond to this God who's hanging on a cross? 00:18:07.339 --> 00:18:13.099 Listen to what he says, and then we're going to spend just a few minutes talking about why he says it. 00:18:13.899 --> 00:18:15.179 Do you not fear God? 00:18:15.339 --> 00:18:19.899 It's appropriate to fear God, especially when we consider our own mortality. 00:18:20.139 --> 00:18:21.179 Do you not fear God? 00:18:21.339 --> 00:18:41.259 And then he moves forward since we are under the same sentence of condemnation, and we indeed justly, for we are we are receiving the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong. 00:18:41.819 --> 00:18:43.500 Completely different contrast. 00:18:43.979 --> 00:18:47.419 Do you ever notice how that you can have you can have two kids? 00:18:47.579 --> 00:18:59.500 Some of you have seen this in your own household, how that you have two kids that they're raised with the same rules, down the same hallway, they're sharing the same bathroom, they're going to the same school, and they are radically different. 00:18:59.819 --> 00:19:06.619 That they've responded to the instruction differently, they've taken different courses, they right, they they think different ways. 00:19:06.699 --> 00:19:12.059 They they're totally the radically like Kim and I have talked often about how different our two boys are. 00:19:12.219 --> 00:19:14.059 I mean, radically different. 00:19:14.139 --> 00:19:15.819 And we raise them the same. 00:19:15.899 --> 00:19:21.979 Now it is true we love one of them more than the other, but that's beside the point that they didn't know that. 00:19:22.139 --> 00:19:25.099 We raised them up exactly the same, and yet they're totally different. 00:19:25.259 --> 00:19:35.259 Here are these two guys, both of them hanging on this cross, one on Jesus' left hand and one on his right hand, experiencing the same reality. 00:19:35.899 --> 00:19:40.459 And yet they don't come to the same conclusion. 00:19:41.179 --> 00:19:42.779 What's happening here? 00:19:43.019 --> 00:19:50.459 Now, what I want to talk to you about for the next very few short minutes is the importance of having a soul that's honest. 00:19:51.179 --> 00:19:58.139 Because as I've studied this passage, this is what gripped me about the words of criminal number two. 00:19:59.339 --> 00:20:05.979 What he shared was deeply transparent for all the world to hear and deeply honest. 00:20:07.099 --> 00:20:12.139 The other criminal, the other criminal is not an honest soul. 00:20:12.459 --> 00:20:15.339 He is a self-deluded soul. 00:20:16.699 --> 00:20:24.379 Now, I'm telling you, there is no torture in this world like having a self-diluted soul. 00:20:25.259 --> 00:20:33.899 A soul that is convinced that you're worth more than you think you are, that you deserve more than you think you've gotten. 00:20:34.139 --> 00:20:35.899 That is torturous. 00:20:36.219 --> 00:20:47.099 In times in my life, whenever I've been upset because I didn't have what another friend have, or I didn't have the kind of church that another fellow pastor have. 00:21:06.939 --> 00:21:12.459 And that was brought about because I had a self-deluded soul. 00:21:13.259 --> 00:21:15.979 Let me tell you what, uh, it's still true. 00:21:16.139 --> 00:21:17.979 The truth will set you free. 00:21:18.299 --> 00:21:21.579 Some of you today, like you want to be set free. 00:21:22.219 --> 00:21:28.059 I mean, I I know, like, we're talking about paradise here, and we're all on our way to paradise. 00:21:28.219 --> 00:21:33.339 We hope as followers of Christ, or we're on our way away from paradise, separated from God. 00:21:33.819 --> 00:21:37.179 But I want you to know that that paradise is also a journey. 00:21:37.419 --> 00:21:42.219 That life becomes a lot easier to live whenever you know you're heading to a place where God is. 00:21:42.699 --> 00:21:50.299 And so this isn't just about, as we're about to cover these, this isn't simply about salvation, although it is about that. 00:21:50.859 --> 00:22:11.179 If you're here this morning and and you're you've not been honest with your soul, and you have this self-deluded soul that thinks you have it all figured out, and you've written your rules for how you think God up there is going to judge you, um, I'm here to tell you there is freedom in knowing, in knowing the truth. 00:22:11.500 --> 00:22:18.379 But for the rest of us, these two experiences, these two directions that these criminals take. 00:22:19.099 --> 00:22:19.899 These criminals take. 00:22:21.339 --> 00:22:23.500 They're not just directions about salvation. 00:22:23.659 --> 00:22:26.139 They are they are manners of living. 00:22:26.459 --> 00:22:34.779 I mean, uh, you're you're going to see here in the next few minutes that these are these are experiences that we all have every every single day. 00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:40.139 There are some days where I'm like criminal one, and other days where I'm like criminal two. 00:22:40.619 --> 00:22:50.779 That there are some moments in the same prayer where I'm like criminal one, and other days where the words of criminal two come spilling out of me. 00:22:51.500 --> 00:22:53.019 What do they look like? 00:22:54.059 --> 00:23:05.899 What does it mean to have an honest soul and to experience paradise one day when we leave this world and the hope of paradise on our way there? 00:23:06.619 --> 00:23:09.899 I've got two principles for you. 00:23:10.139 --> 00:23:14.779 Number one, see Jesus without distortion. 00:23:15.259 --> 00:23:18.699 Number one, see Jesus without distortion. 00:23:19.179 --> 00:23:27.179 Criminal number one saw Jesus the same way criminal number two did, but his view of Jesus was a distorted view. 00:23:27.419 --> 00:23:33.500 His view of Jesus was one that said, You, you, you, you're here to help me. 00:23:33.979 --> 00:23:36.299 You exist to do my will. 00:23:37.579 --> 00:23:39.099 What causes this? 00:23:39.740 --> 00:23:47.899 I was talking to my family uh earlier and kind of wrestling this out of my mind of what does it mean to have a distorted view of God? 00:23:48.059 --> 00:23:53.259 How do we, how do we, how do we experience, how do people get a distorted view of God? 00:23:53.339 --> 00:24:04.779 And and I and I think I really boiled it down to just two truths, two reasons that we have a distorted view of God, a view of God that says, you are here for me. 00:24:05.099 --> 00:24:08.459 And if you're not serving me, it's because you don't love me. 00:24:09.019 --> 00:24:20.219 I think it comes, number one, from either us believing that or distorted views of God come from either good people doing bad things. 00:24:20.459 --> 00:24:21.979 That's tough, isn't it? 00:24:22.219 --> 00:24:27.500 I mean, it's it's tough when we see good people, air quotes, right? 00:24:27.740 --> 00:24:30.219 God's people doing bad things. 00:24:30.379 --> 00:24:39.099 And a lot of I mean, I've had a lot of conversations with people whose problem with Christianity isn't Christ, it's the people who follow him. 00:24:39.659 --> 00:24:41.259 That's tough, isn't it? 00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:45.979 And it leads to them having a distorted view of God. 00:24:46.619 --> 00:24:48.699 Good people doing bad things. 00:24:48.939 --> 00:24:52.299 This criminal, criminal number number one, had saw it. 00:24:52.379 --> 00:24:53.419 They both had saw it. 00:24:53.659 --> 00:25:10.779 While they're hanging here on the cross, the good people, the teachers of scripture, those who knew the law and knew what was right and wrong, even if they didn't, like, even if they didn't believe that Jesus was who he said he was, the way they were acting did not align with the teachings from Leviticus and Deuteronomy. 00:25:10.939 --> 00:25:13.819 They were good people doing bad things. 00:25:14.539 --> 00:25:16.859 That can give us a distorted view of God. 00:25:17.099 --> 00:25:23.579 Another way we get a distorted view of God is not necessarily when good people do bad things, but when bad things happen to good people. 00:25:23.819 --> 00:25:25.339 Again, air quotes. 00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:40.699 When bad things happen to good people, when circumstances don't match with our perception of how we should be experiencing life, when we don't get what we think we deserve, when we feel like we've been good, but bad has come back to us. 00:25:41.019 --> 00:25:43.259 That gives us a distorted view of God. 00:25:43.419 --> 00:25:51.419 No doubt at some point these individuals hanging on these crosses have the same perception of God and life. 00:25:51.579 --> 00:25:52.939 Bad things happen to good people. 00:25:53.099 --> 00:25:56.619 You know, it's important for every single one of us to believe that we're good people. 00:25:56.939 --> 00:26:01.099 I mean, it's it's essential that we we do so. 00:26:01.419 --> 00:26:03.419 And that's why we justify. 00:26:03.659 --> 00:26:10.939 Like if I do something bad, do you think while I'm doing that bad thing, I'm just like, okay, I'm just doing a bad thing here? 00:26:11.339 --> 00:26:12.539 I'm not, right? 00:26:12.699 --> 00:26:13.500 You know what I'm doing? 00:26:13.659 --> 00:26:14.619 I'm justifying. 00:26:14.859 --> 00:26:24.859 I'm just I'm like, you know, I wouldn't be doing this, but I wouldn't be saying that, but she said, I wouldn't be doing this, but you know, these circumstances and what am I supposed to do? 00:26:24.939 --> 00:26:25.979 And I'm justifying it. 00:26:26.139 --> 00:26:29.019 Do you think these guys justified their criminal actions? 00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:30.139 You know they did. 00:26:30.299 --> 00:26:33.019 You know they did because you and I did. 00:26:33.259 --> 00:26:36.219 They had a distorted view of God. 00:26:37.339 --> 00:26:38.619 Now, here's the thing. 00:26:38.779 --> 00:27:01.339 We, this is very important because without us seeing God for who he is, then the second thing is not at all possible to recognize God's sovereignty and control over everything, and then to recognize his boundless love as illustrated by what he did here in this space. 00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:16.779 When we hold these two things up and say God is in control of all things, and he is so loving that I know, I know he's got his glory and my best in his mind while he does it. 00:27:16.859 --> 00:27:28.939 If we hold those two things up, then all of the world may not make sense, but it becomes something that we can have faith in because we know he is in control and he is love. 00:27:29.899 --> 00:27:35.339 This is us, this is the criminals having this view of God. 00:27:35.500 --> 00:27:39.099 The first criminal's view of God was, do for me. 00:27:39.740 --> 00:27:40.939 Help yourself. 00:27:41.099 --> 00:27:43.899 And while you're helping yourself, help me. 00:27:44.459 --> 00:27:51.579 The second criminal's view of God was entirely different as he turned to the first criminal and said, Do you not fear God at all? 00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:53.819 It's going through your mind, man. 00:27:55.819 --> 00:28:02.459 And he points out the fact that hey, we're here because we're supposed to be here, but this guy has done nothing wrong. 00:28:02.619 --> 00:28:04.219 There's no reason for him to be here. 00:28:04.379 --> 00:28:09.819 Literally, in the Greek, it is atopos, which is the it's a philosophical term. 00:28:10.059 --> 00:28:16.619 This guy was probably pretty smart, which means that this does not align with reason. 00:28:17.099 --> 00:28:19.899 He is out of place up here on this cross. 00:28:20.139 --> 00:28:24.379 He doesn't belong on this cross, and yet he's here anyways. 00:28:24.779 --> 00:28:28.139 He had this entirely different view of who God was. 00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:36.699 It's interesting that while you know his view was accurate as far as it went, it wasn't greatly detailed, was it? 00:28:37.179 --> 00:28:41.979 Like if you if you stopped it for a minute and said, hey, give me uh give me an explanation of the Trinity. 00:28:42.059 --> 00:28:43.419 Do you know what he's going to say? 00:28:43.740 --> 00:28:44.939 What are you talking about? 00:28:45.179 --> 00:28:46.379 I don't I don't know. 00:28:46.539 --> 00:29:01.179 Like, like, like if you if you stopped him and talked about uh epistemologies and cosmologies and and maybe you know started digging into Genesis chapter one or you know, whatever, like he's probably not going into a lot of detail with you. 00:29:01.339 --> 00:29:05.179 There's a lot he doesn't know about God, but he knows this. 00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:06.939 He knows this. 00:29:07.339 --> 00:29:11.179 God is righteous and he didn't need to be on that cross. 00:29:11.419 --> 00:29:17.979 Ladies and gentlemen, that is a proper view of God to see Jesus without distortion. 00:29:18.299 --> 00:29:24.619 Number two, in addition to seeing Jesus without distortion, we see ourselves excuse. 00:29:25.179 --> 00:29:27.259 We see ourselves without excuse. 00:29:27.500 --> 00:29:29.339 Man, I'm an excuse-making machine. 00:29:29.419 --> 00:29:36.939 In fact, I'm just going to tell you like I think it is the spiritual gift that all humans have to make excuses. 00:29:37.099 --> 00:29:54.699 I can't tell you the number of times that I have done something totally berserk and been able to justify it and occasionally sell people on the fact that I did it for a logical reason, knowing full well that really what I'm doing is I'm just making an excuse, justifying, as we just talked about, why it is that I'm here in this situation. 00:29:54.859 --> 00:29:58.219 But for the first criminal, like he didn't get it. 00:29:59.179 --> 00:30:04.699 Like he, I'd save yourself and us to get me off this cross. 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:08.699 I don't want to pay the penalty for the crime that I have committed. 00:30:09.019 --> 00:30:14.379 But the second criminal, the second criminal saw himself without excuse. 00:30:15.500 --> 00:30:16.699 We are here. 00:30:17.500 --> 00:30:20.619 We are here because we deserve to be here. 00:30:20.859 --> 00:30:24.859 I've committed the crime, and like this is worthy of death. 00:30:25.099 --> 00:30:30.059 That is a moment of transparency that rarely comes. 00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:55.579 And unfortunately, it seems like it often only comes near the point of death when we're here, and if we're aware of the state and the direction that we're heading, and we're able to map back over our life and to see how fallen we were and broken we were, and how gracious God was along the way. 00:30:55.740 --> 00:31:16.939 We become like Ivan Ilowich in that story I referenced about a year ago, uh, the death of Ivan Ilyowich, told by Leo Tostoy, where he says, Maybe it's the case that all of the things that I used to believe were the lie, and this thing that I'm heading towards is the truth. 00:31:17.899 --> 00:31:18.779 He's so rot. 00:31:19.099 --> 00:31:24.619 Tostoy was putting that together, to perceive ourselves without excuse. 00:31:25.579 --> 00:31:27.740 I am a sinner. 00:31:28.539 --> 00:31:37.339 Now, you may be thinking to yourself, you look at these things, okay, step one, Major, step one, see Jesus without distortion. 00:31:37.579 --> 00:31:40.859 And step two, see myself without excuse. 00:31:40.939 --> 00:31:45.579 And you may think to yourself, these are two separate things, maybe like steps, but they're not. 00:31:45.740 --> 00:31:48.939 They are interlinked, and one does require the other. 00:31:49.500 --> 00:31:57.579 That as we see Jesus for who he is, it's really the only way that we can see ourselves for who we are. 00:31:57.979 --> 00:32:06.619 And as we see ourselves for all that we are and all that we are not, it's really the only way that we can see God for who he is. 00:32:07.659 --> 00:32:17.019 Now, I know that doesn't, like that doesn't sell in this culture because this culture is all about man's self-affirmation and positivity. 00:32:17.099 --> 00:32:18.299 And I'm like, I'm for that. 00:32:18.459 --> 00:32:25.819 I'm I'm not for, you know, I'm not for pessimism, I'm I'm for reality, uh, which is usually pessimism, but that's beside the point. 00:32:25.979 --> 00:32:30.299 Uh, you know, I'm I'm for positive thinking, but the truth is it's kind of weird. 00:32:30.539 --> 00:32:39.339 It's kind of weird that we have more ways of diagnosing ourselves than ever in human history. 00:32:39.659 --> 00:32:50.859 Personality types, trait tests, you know, um DNA tests, ways to examine how you think and why you think that way. 00:32:51.019 --> 00:33:00.539 But in the middle of all that, we don't have the mechanism to change how we think outside of this. 00:33:01.819 --> 00:33:07.019 We have to see ourselves for who we are, and that allows us to see God for who he is. 00:33:07.179 --> 00:33:09.500 It's it's Isaiah chapter 6, right? 00:33:09.899 --> 00:33:36.059 It's it's the Isaiah coming in, and and he's he's been a he's been a preacher for a while and a and a minister of God's word for a while, but at that moment when he when he after the death of Uzziah, God shows himself to the prophet, and Isaiah sees the Lord high and lifted up, and the and the train of his robe filled the temple. 00:33:36.299 --> 00:33:41.339 And Isaiah gets this glimpse of God, this epiphany of who God is. 00:33:41.579 --> 00:33:43.419 You know what his first response is? 00:33:43.659 --> 00:33:47.500 It's not to sit down and take notes for the next theology class he's going to teach. 00:33:47.740 --> 00:33:48.539 No, no, no. 00:33:48.619 --> 00:33:54.459 He becomes undone, announces it, woe is me. 00:33:55.500 --> 00:33:57.579 I am a man of unclean lips. 00:33:57.740 --> 00:33:58.539 What was his job? 00:33:58.619 --> 00:33:59.899 He was a preacher. 00:34:00.139 --> 00:34:03.019 I mean, his lips above all things must have been pure. 00:34:03.179 --> 00:34:04.539 He must have thought them pure. 00:34:04.619 --> 00:34:08.460 But standing before a holy God, he knows, I, no, no, I'm not. 00:34:09.019 --> 00:34:14.219 And in the vision of who God is, he's able to see himself for who he was. 00:34:14.619 --> 00:34:18.059 He sees Jesus without distortion. 00:34:18.219 --> 00:34:22.780 He sees, he sees himself without excuse. 00:34:23.579 --> 00:34:26.380 Ladies and gentlemen, that's an honest soul. 00:34:26.940 --> 00:34:38.539 That the liberty that comes with recognizing that, look, I look, I need to be, there are things I need to be doing and work that I need to be doing, but at the end of the day, this is the reality. 00:34:39.420 --> 00:34:42.700 Jesus is the undistorted God of grace. 00:34:42.940 --> 00:34:44.539 I am a sinner. 00:34:44.940 --> 00:34:53.579 And there's a freedom that comes with knowing that it's only by his power that I'm able to do anything that might even resemble good. 00:34:54.539 --> 00:34:56.620 It takes the pressure off of me. 00:34:57.820 --> 00:35:02.059 By the way, it also helps to guide my prayer life. 00:35:03.340 --> 00:35:08.059 See, when we talk about how do we see this and how do we get this heart? 00:35:08.140 --> 00:35:09.180 How does this work? 00:35:10.539 --> 00:35:16.620 How does it, how does it become the case that I'm able to see God undistorted and see myself without excuse? 00:35:17.180 --> 00:35:23.260 I I think it I think there's a number of suggestions that can be made here, but two come to mind in particular. 00:35:23.420 --> 00:35:25.660 Number one, confession. 00:35:27.260 --> 00:35:28.940 To confess who we are. 00:35:29.820 --> 00:35:38.140 I knew someone in my earlier years who would constantly acknowledge that they made mistakes. 00:35:38.460 --> 00:35:42.300 That they were like the congressman, you know, who would say, mistakes were made. 00:35:42.539 --> 00:35:43.579 Mistakes were made. 00:35:43.820 --> 00:35:49.820 But while the mistakes were being made, nobody was acknowledging it, and nobody's going to identify the specific mistake. 00:35:50.059 --> 00:35:51.740 That's not confession. 00:35:52.059 --> 00:36:00.140 Confession is the verbal speak that says I am here justly. 00:36:01.820 --> 00:36:07.660 I'm not happy about it, I'm not eager to go through it, life is tough and I'm frustrated. 00:36:07.980 --> 00:36:14.539 But the truth is, wherever I'm hanging, wherever I'm affixed to, I deserve this, and far worse. 00:36:16.780 --> 00:36:17.820 Confession. 00:36:18.300 --> 00:36:22.780 Secondly, coupled with that is prayer. 00:36:24.059 --> 00:36:35.660 To turn to God as we're speaking to him and to acknowledge with dominant force who he is and how gracious he has been to us. 00:36:37.820 --> 00:36:40.539 Take inventory of your next prayer time. 00:36:41.660 --> 00:36:55.740 Determine how much how much your of our prayers are dedicated towards the Lord, do yourself a favor and save me type prayer, which is criminal number one attitude. 00:36:55.900 --> 00:37:00.700 Hey, and listen, there's nothing wrong with turning to God and asking for help with things. 00:37:00.780 --> 00:37:01.980 That's exactly what he wants. 00:37:02.140 --> 00:37:03.820 He wants that level of dependence. 00:37:03.900 --> 00:37:11.019 But if that is the scope of our prayer, if the scope of our prayer is help yourself out and do this thing for me. 00:37:11.260 --> 00:37:13.019 Get glory and do this thing for me. 00:37:13.180 --> 00:37:20.460 If that's your the dominance of your prayer, the dominant tone of your prayer, then you are you're in criminal number one territory. 00:37:20.539 --> 00:37:21.579 I've been there. 00:37:21.820 --> 00:37:33.180 Sometimes I'm praying that way and I realize it, man, and I got to stop and I got to fall into criminal number two territory and begin to call out to God, God, I look, I'm a sinner and I know I don't deserve this. 00:37:33.260 --> 00:37:35.820 And you gave so much for me and you're so glorious. 00:37:35.980 --> 00:37:45.900 And to in that place to focus in on my conversation with God because He is God and He's my Father and not because I'm looking for a handout. 00:37:47.180 --> 00:37:49.660 Well, that's piercing to me, is it to you? 00:37:50.780 --> 00:37:55.420 Finally, I would suggest take inventory of your days. 00:37:56.300 --> 00:37:57.980 Take inventory of your days. 00:37:58.140 --> 00:38:03.660 It's easier for me to recognize the kind of bum problems I have. 00:38:03.980 --> 00:38:09.900 Whenever I pause and in silence I stop and then turn off the noise and I just inventory. 00:38:10.380 --> 00:38:12.059 What kind of day was this? 00:38:13.579 --> 00:38:14.940 You do this anyways. 00:38:15.099 --> 00:38:20.220 You lay your head on your pillow at night and you're you're cycling back through the day. 00:38:20.460 --> 00:38:24.700 You're just gathering through and figuring out, okay, what I did, what was left undone. 00:38:24.780 --> 00:38:30.539 And, you know, as your mind rolls through all of that, just pause and ask yourself one question. 00:38:30.860 --> 00:38:34.300 Where have I seen God work and was I a part of it? 00:38:34.539 --> 00:38:36.059 Was I a willing part of it? 00:38:36.300 --> 00:38:40.460 Where have I seen God work and was I a willing part of it? 00:38:40.620 --> 00:38:42.620 That's criminal number two territory. 00:38:42.860 --> 00:39:04.059 That's recognizing, hey, I'm up here on my own accord, and I need someone to help me with it, which is where the back half of this prayer comes when he turns to Jesus directly and he said, Jesus, I'm at verse number 42 now, Jesus, remember me whenever you come into your kingdom. 00:39:05.740 --> 00:39:13.579 Not get me off this cross, not undo this, not make this better, not give me another day on this earth. 00:39:13.820 --> 00:39:19.420 I'm sure if Jesus had done this for this criminal, the criminal would have been fine with it. 00:39:19.740 --> 00:39:21.579 But he's not seeking that. 00:39:21.660 --> 00:39:28.539 He's seeking something more permanent, he's not seeking what Jesus can provide for him. 00:39:28.860 --> 00:39:31.260 He is seeking Jesus' presence. 00:39:31.660 --> 00:39:36.860 Remember me when you're whenever you come into your kingdom, and it's at this point, right? 00:39:37.180 --> 00:39:45.260 The criminal has this undistorted view of Jesus and this view of himself without excuse. 00:39:45.900 --> 00:39:51.420 Jesus turns to him and says, for the very first time, truly, Amen, Amen. 00:39:51.660 --> 00:39:58.620 I say to you, today, this very day, a little bit later this afternoon, I'm gonna see you again. 00:39:58.940 --> 00:40:01.900 You're gonna be with me in paradise. 00:40:02.059 --> 00:40:06.140 The idea of paradise there, we we don't have a real concept of it. 00:40:06.380 --> 00:40:13.099 We have an image of paradise, like, I don't know, Disney Disney World or in a park somewhere, or maybe out in the woods. 00:40:13.180 --> 00:40:17.420 The idea of paradise for them, it was a of Persian origin. 00:40:18.059 --> 00:40:24.780 It was like the palace retreat of the king, and you could only go there by invitation. 00:40:25.820 --> 00:40:30.940 And while you were there, you were in the presence of the king and right, and you were in his space. 00:40:31.180 --> 00:40:32.940 That's what paradise is. 00:40:33.260 --> 00:40:37.980 Paradise isn't us being separated from all the woes and worries of society. 00:40:38.140 --> 00:40:39.180 I'm looking forward to that. 00:40:39.660 --> 00:40:48.380 Anyone else tired of geopolitical conflict or you know, some earth-shattering culture reshaping event every five years? 00:40:48.460 --> 00:40:49.900 I'm weary of it. 00:40:50.140 --> 00:40:56.940 I mean, I get it's necessary from time to time because of the brokenness of society, but boy, it's exhausting. 00:40:57.180 --> 00:41:00.620 I just, man, I just I just want to be in the presence of the king. 00:41:01.180 --> 00:41:02.380 I just want to be with the father. 00:41:02.460 --> 00:41:10.940 I just want to be able to see him undistorted and recognize who I was without excuse so that he alone can get the glory. 00:41:12.300 --> 00:41:13.500 Are you ready for that?