LIMAVADY BAPTIST
CHURCH
SERMON NOTES
FROM SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2024 pm
LUKE 23 VERSES
1 - 4, 21 – 24, 32 – 46
Here in our passage we have read about how
the Lord stood before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. He said of Jesus “I find no fault in this
man.” He gave into the pressure of the
crowd, he wanted to keep in with them.
Many people reject the Lord Jesus today because they want to keep in
with the crowd, too scared of what work colleagues would say in the morning if
we tell them last night I accepted the Saviour.
They want to keep in with the crowd.
Pontius Pilate sees no reason at all to put the Lord to death. He was completely innocent. Pontius Pilate condemns Christ to the death
of the cross. The one who stood before
him was the sinless Lamb of God. For 33
years he walked this scene of time, he never sinned, never committed vile deeds
or actions, said no vile words. 1 John 3
verse 5 “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is
no sin.” Peter said “who did no sin
neither was guile found in his mouth.”
Paul said “he knew no sin.” The
absolutely sinless Son of God yet Pontius Pilate has him flogged time and time
again. “The plowers plowed upon my back
they made long their furrows.” (Psalm 129 verse 3) There they put the crown of thorns on his
head. Man is inflicting on him all the
evil. Picture him as he walks towards
Golgotha, as he makes his way through the city streets to outside the city
walls. Every step he takes is
bloodstained. He bears on his back the
cross. They come to the place called
Golgotha or the Place of the Skull. They
laid him down on the cross and drove nails into his hands and feet. “When they were come to the place called Calvary
there they crucified him.” It is the
only time in scripture that we read of Calvary.
There on the cross he was crucified – not for any sin of his own but for
yours and mine. Rembrandt the famous painter
painted a picture entitled “the raising of the cross”. He painted himself amongst the crowd not
because he was here but he knew Christ was there for him. Christ hung upon the cross for you and I so
we could be saved, so we could have the assurance of having our sins taken away
and one day have a home in heaven.
I want us to think tonight of the 2 thieves
on either side of the Lord. They were
condemned men. Sin had caught up with
them. The things they had done
wrong. The activities they were involved
in had caught up with them. They were
condemned to the cross. “He that
believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned
already because he hath not believed on the name of the Son of God.” (John 3
verse 18) Are you trusting in Christ
tonight? Can you look back to a time in
your life when you came to know Christ as your own Saviour? Under condemnation. Paul in Romans 8 verse 1 says “There is
therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after
the flesh but after the Spirit.” You
could come and put your trust in Christ, no longer be in condemnation, be saved
and know assurance of a home in heaven.
Are you in Christ? Have you
experienced the new birth? Do you know
your name is recorded in heaven? These
men on either side of the Lord are facing death. Death will come to them soon. Death is coming for each of us. We must be ready. Hebrews 9 verse 27. The world is full of people who think death
is the end. Death is coming and after
that you will stand at the great white throne and from there be cast into the
lake of fire. You are going to the awful
place called hell and one day you will stand before the Lord. When you are cast into the lake of fire there
is no way back. You are there all
because of sin. Romans 5 verse 12 “wherefore
as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed
upon all men for that all have sinned.” We
all have an appointment with death. We cannot
put it off. It is not like the
appointment with the dentist or doctor which we can cancel and put off to
another day. Romans 5 verse 19 “For as
by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous.” That is
what Christ was doing here on the centre cross of Calvary. He carried out the Father’s will so that none
should perish but come to repentance and faith in Jesus as their personal
Saviour.
Now a change begins to take place – verses 39
and 40. Here’s a man being crucified
beside the Lord. He acknowledges there
is a God. James 2 verse 19 “Thou believest
that there is one God, thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble.” Maybe you believe there is a God but you don’t
have a relationship with God. You can
remember when you were sent to Sunday School and church. You could even teach theology and debate
doctrine. You can look back to times
when you were taken to gospel meetings.
Perhaps you could even preach the gospel but you don’t know Christ as
your own and personal Saviour. If that
is you, you are on the broad that will take you to the place of destruction and
hell. There is no way back. There is no rerun. There is no replay. You are there and there for ever. This man beside the Lord was a condemned
man. He becomes a convicted man – verse 41. Here’s a man who realises he is there on the
cross because his evil deeds have caught up with him. He realises they are getting the due rewards
of their deeds. If you are not saved the
first thing you must do is acknowledge you are a sinner. Maybe you are saying “I know I have never
been as bad as those men either side of Jesus.”
The bible says you are a sinner – Romans 3 verse 10 “there is none
righteous no not one.” It doesn’t matter
if I was raised on millionaires row or poverty street I am still a sinner. Romans 3 verse 23 “for all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God.” God has
a standard. We could never make the
bar. You must come and accept Christ and
accept his righteousness. This man has a
change of mind which leads to a change of heart. He confesses he is a sinner. If you are going to be saved you need to
accept you are a sinner.
This man became a converted man – verses 42
and 43. This man has recognised that he
is a sinner. He has also acknowledged
that Christ is sinless verse 39. Here
this man acknowledges he is a sinner, acknowledged that Christ is sinless. He is on the cross having done nothing
wrong. Christ was on the cross for your
sin and mine. He had to be perfect to be
accepted as your sacrifice and mine. Would
you not come and confess the Lord as your Saviour? He now realises he is going out into
eternity. We are all heading there. There are 2 destinations, heaven or
hell. There is no half way house. There is no waiting area. Have you made preparation? Amos 4 verse 12 “prepare to meet thy God.” We are all going to meet God. Will you meet him as your Saviour or will you
meet him as your judge? Have you made
preparation for eternity? Have you
confessed that Jesus is Lord? “Remember
me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
He is acknowledging he now needs the Lord. You need the Lord if you are ever going to
enter into heaven. John 14 verse 6 “I am
the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” The Lord Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God was
dying in place of fallen man. He gave
his life for you and I that you could be saved.
This man has no time to call on a priest although there were many there
that day. He does not call on Mary the
mother of Jesus even though she is there.
There is no time to be baptised.
No time to check if his name is on the church roll book. He simply puts his faith and trust in the
Lord. Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9. If you are going to heaven, to be saved, you
will have to put your faith in the Lord Jesus.
He is the only way to be in heaven.
Verse 46. The Lord now has laid
down his life. We do not present a dead
Saviour, we present one who is alive, risen from the dead. He has now ascended and is seated at the
right hand of the Father in glory. Maybe
you are saying “I know all that, I have all the time in the world to get
saved. I am healthy, young.” Proverbs 27 verse 1 “boast not thyself of
tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may hold.” Paul said “behold now is the accepted time,
behold now is the day of salvation.” Don’t
put it off to another day. You do not
know where you will be 5 minutes from now.
It would be an awful thing to sit through a gospel meeting and in the
week ahead go out into eternity, ending up in hell. That you turned your back, walked through the
doors still a Christ rejector. We present
one who is on the throne of heaven. He
loves you so much that he was willing to come from heaven to die on the cross
so you can have eternal life. “I give
unto them eternal life and none shall perish, none shall pluck them out of my
hand.” We praise God for the eternal security
of our soul. Whenever Christ was on the
cross he was able to cry out “it is finished”
There is nothing more for you and I to do. It was completed. He couldn’t go and confess his sins to the
priest, clean up his life, bow his knee to pray. He knows he is going out into eternity. He confesses he is a sinner. As you sit in your sin tonight, if you ever want
to be in heaven you will have to come the way of the cross. Maybe you are saying ‘You don’t know the
awful sins I have committed, the awful things I have done.’ “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11 verse 28) “He that cometh unto me I will in no wise
cast out.” (John 6 verse 37) If you put
your faith in him and trust in him you will be saved tonight. Come and rest our all upon Christ, his
finished work. He will save you and he
will save you eternally.
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