When I was a 13-year-old boy
growing up in a godless home, in a
house that was haunted, you could hear footsteps
upstairs and there was no one there.
There'd be pounding on the doors and no
one on the other side.
And in that house, my parents fought all
the time.
A pastor who lived across the alley saw
what was going on in my life.
He got a burden on his heart to
pray for me.
This man wouldn't let me go to hell.
He invited me over to his home for
family breakfast and devotions.
He gave me my first job in his
Bible bookstore, gave me my very first Bible
and in a revival meeting at his church,
he led me to give my heart to
Christ, my Savior.
My life has never been the same and
I am an old man now.
And that took place back in 1968 in
the turbulent 60s in America.
Through all that turbulence in society where JFK
was assassinated and Bobby Kennedy was assassinated and
Malcolm X was assassinated and Martin Luther King
was assassinated and all the turmoil and chaos
in my parents' haunted home, which was haunted
by demon entities, through all that hell, I
found the Savior.
Because a pastor wouldn't let me go to
hell, he prayed for me and he told
me about how love sent my Savior to
Calvary.
In Luke's Gospel, in chapter 23, we read,
and there were also two other male factors
led with him to be put to death.
And when they were come to the place,
which is called Calvary, there they crucified him
and the male factors one on the right
hand and the other on the left.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them for they
know not what they do.
And they parted his raiment and cast lots
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.
And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to
him and offering him vinegar and saying, if
thou be the King of the Jews, save
thyself.
And a superscription also was written over him
in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew.
This is the King of the Jews.
Let me pause here, friends, to say here
is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus
Christ, naked and nailed to a bloody cross,
experiencing the shame and pain of Calvary.
All around him is chaos.
The people and the religious rulers deride him,
hurling insults at him.
The Roman soldiers mock him, even making a
sign where they put it above his head.
This is the King of the Jews.
And Christ is reviled and rejected of men.
Even one of the criminals reviles him.
And one of the male factors, which were
hanged, railed on him saying, if thou be
Christ, save thyself in us.
Listen, friends, out of all this chaos and
evil and sin and all hell coming against
Christ on that cross, we see Christ's reception
of sinners and that mercy is free and
a man is saved.
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, dost
thou not fear God, seeing thou art in
the same condemnation?
And we indeed justly, for we receive the
due reward of our deeds.
But this man has done nothing amiss.
Listen, friends, Jesus came into the world doing
good.
Jesus healed the sick.
Jesus fed the hungry.
Jesus gave sight to the blind.
Jesus even raised the dead to life.
Yet what happened?
Men cried away with him and nailed him
to a cross.
Look at that blessed man on the cross,
friend.
Look at that man on the cross.
See him there with his arms outstretched, beckoning
you to come to him and believe on
him.
Look at that bloodstained Savior for sin.
When all is against him, his love flows
out to a world of guilty sinners.
The cross is the place where men sought
to get rid of him.
But by his death, it becomes the place
where his saving power flows out to all
who come in repentance, confessing they are sinners
and own him as Savior and Lord.
See Christ's reception of sinners.
Look at what the penitent thief says to
Jesus.
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me
when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, verily I say
unto thee, today shalt thou be with me
in paradise.
I will stop there, friends.
Those two words, with me, stand out in
my text.
They remind me of a story I'll never
forget.
Let me share it with you.
There was a man traveling through the city
of St. Louis, and it was a Sunday,
and he was a Christian.
So he parked his car at a downtown
church and went inside to worship.
Once inside, he realized he was the only
white person in an all-black church, so
he took his seat on the back row.
Up on the platform stood the elderly pastor,
and his sermon was on heaven.
He began by saying, some folks call heaven
paradise.
Other folks call it Abraham's bosom.
I like to think of heaven this way.
Here is Jesus, just returned from his earthly
ministry, and old Gabriel greets him.
Hello, Jesus.
Sure is good to see you, Jesus.
We sure missed you up here, Jesus.
Welcome home, Jesus.
But wait.
Who's that with you?
Is that that thief from the cross?
Oh, no, sir.
No, sir.
We can't have no thieves up here.
He's not welcome here.
Just then, Jesus replied, never you mind, Gabriel.
Never you mind.
And then Jesus, wrapping his arm around the
thief, hugged him, and saying, never you mind,
Gabriel.
He's with me.
The thief on the cross was a heartbeat
away from hell, but a breath nearer to
Jesus.
He realized his need of a savior for
sin.
How about you, friend?
Are you a lost sinner?
Do you have a need for a savior
from sin?
What are you waiting for, mister?
Don't wait until you're better.
Come to Jesus.
Come.
Bring to him your heartache.
Bring to him your tears.
Come to him and own him as your
savior is Lord.
Hear in his love, not that we love
God, but that he loved us and sent
his son to be the propitiation for our
sins.