Luke

[0:00] And so Lord may graciously lead I would seek to direct your minds to words You will find in the gospel according to Luke At the 23rd chapter And at verse 42 The 23rd chapter of Luke's gospel And at verse 42 Lord remember me When thou comest into thy kingdom Lord remember me When thou comest into thy kingdom In the consideration of these words We need to have clearly in our minds And united with the words of the text

[1:00] The record that is given Of this incident in the other gospels Looking at them In an entirety In that way we shall see the significance Of the events You will have those in mind doubtless At least we shall refer In passing a little What have we here my dear friends It is a solemn word First of all we have here revealed The solemn revelation The indescribable The indiscriminate Revelation of the mind of God In the matter of salvation Here are two men One on either side

[2:02] Of the Lord Jesus himself At the very height of his agony And suffering One moment As Matthew reminds us In his records They both reviled him And now something has happened And as we have read Two The one shall be taken The other left It is a solemn word My dear friend So So is the operation of grace Whether in the individual Or collectively And has been In the record of God's word Throughout And will ever be In the span of time Grace will always discriminate

[3:04] And it will only discriminate My dear friends Into two shallows You can go back I am not purposing To go through them all But you can go back To that solemn night In Israel's experience When the destroying angel Was about to come They were commanded To sprinkle the blood Where the blood was The destroying angel Passed by Where there was no blood The angel visited And the record gives it That in the case Of the Egyptians There was not a house Not a house That was omitted Where there was no blood Be it the king's palace Or the peasant's cottage Grace divided That memorable night And so it always has been As I've said

[4:04] My purpose To go through The record of them all But there is a solemn reminder My dear friend That you and I Are embraced in this Where do we stand Friend This word is laid Very heavily Upon my spirit Since I believe The Lord dropped it there Tried to get away from it It's a searching inquiry My dear friend But here is a revelation Of the wonderful power Of grace But oh What an awful What an awful Revelation My dear friend To the other We've read it In Matthew 24 This evening Two in the field Two grinding At the mill One taken The other left Does it concern

[5:06] You and I My dear friend I don't mean With a passing whim Or a fancy But does it kindle In our hearts A searching inquiry As to where we stand You remember The closing verse Of our reading Watch therefore Ye know not what hour The Son of Man Shall come But coming he is And who can tell My dear friend The hour may well Be drawing nigh I know I know that there are some That would rather suggest That it's almost upon us I leave all that My dear friend I'm not going to dwell My dear friend Upon ifs and buts And peravenges I find enough of them Within my carnal heart I know this That he is coming Friend And when he comes

[6:08] He will separate The precious From the vile He will separate The sheep From the goats And there will be And there will be No mistake Friend There will be No mistake Here is the solemn Revelation of it The solemn And the sovereign Discriminating Power Of God That separates The precious From the vile Indeed And here is the Cry of one I know It's the cry Of the dying Feet Don't spend Too much time My dear friend Upon the dying Aspect That will only Kindle in the Carnal mind As it has done In many hearts The carnal Excuse Well there's nothing I needn't worry When I come To the dying Hour That'll do Will it

[7:08] My dear friend That's That's Contravening The word Of God That's adapting The word Of God To suit Our own Convenience Forget the Dying Aspect I know That this Man As you Come to That a Little Later I know The position Of this Man My dear Friend That the Lord Is sovereignly Appointed The hour Has come And in The midst Of this Vast Assembly Of people Disciples As well Are all Gathered Here At this Memorable Occasion And in The height Of the Agony Of the Eternal Son of God The dear Redeemer The arrow Of conviction Descends Than there I suggest It descended Upon the Very person That everybody Was amazed

[8:08] It should Descend It will Be more Amazing My dear Friend If that Sovereign Pleasure Of God Comes down Upon you And I To Discriminate To Separate Lord Remember Me When thou Comest Into thy Kingdom Oh my Dear friend Here is The power The glorious Power of Invincible Grace That changes The Violest Sinner Surely For one Of them Brings him Into the Blessed Position Of a Humble Hope Yeah And of A Laying Hold Seek To try And look At this A little This is The background My dear Friend This is The background The word

[9:10] Of God Is very Clear As to The Characters Both Of them Oh Yes They were Worthy As the Man Acknowledged Himself They were Receiving The just Reward Of their Deeds They Certainly Were According To the Law Of the Land And there Is no Voice That is Raised On their Behalt In Neither Direction They were Just allowed To go In the Process Of the Law Of the Land Of that Day But God Has Another Purpose And Here This Man Expires For This Is the Last Utterance As the Last Word That This Man Ever Spoke What A Word Friend What A Word but a brief few moments comparatively he passed from time into eternity but the last word he spoke lovely thought my dear friend but this is grace my dear friend in the darkest hour in the greatest of extremities to unto one who would be cast out by all and sundry in all directions amazing grace how sweet the word that saves a wretch like me if the man had had the hymn book in his day he would have sung that I believe with feeling yes

[10:58] Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom and so here at the very hour the article of death both in regard to himself and in regard to the eternal son of God grace operates to intervene and separates whatsoever was written a four time is written for our learning my dear friend you and I need to learn some solemn things from this word this evening there needs to be some solemn searching inquiry into our own hearts as to where we stand is it your desire my dear friend do you long and crave to be and beg to be saved from a delusion the word is very clear many will say to me in that day

[12:09] Lord Lord ah yes but unless grace is there my dear friend that is the important but let's look at this man a moment let's see the blessed display of grace this man has nothing this man is nothing in any direction unless it be the enormity of his sin under which he is suffering the penalty remember that this man we are not told where he came from who he is it's not necessary we are told the wonderful thing that happened in his life but what about him I know it is not specifically recorded within the word but I am justified surely in suggesting that it is implied this man never went to the temple to pray this man never knew what it was to gather with the people of God and when I say the temple to pray

[13:22] I mean in the right sense he had never been accustomed to attend the worship of God his life had been spent in derision and scorn he had never known what it was I dare use the expression to be a member of the church of God to unite with the people of God he could never stand and sing to him I love to dwell among them now and at his feet to humbly bow though vilest of them all he knew nothing about this his whole life had been spent in satisfying his own carnal desires and now at the last moment at the last moment he's brought to acknowledge him whereas hitherto Matthew 23 is very clear upon it I almost read that chapter but it's very clear just as the others had said so both the thieves they're both casted in his teeth they're both derided and scorned both in the same position until the time of love did come

[14:43] I don't understand my dear friend I don't want to sit in judgment I rather sympathize but I don't understand those who don't believe in sovereignty do you how can they read this narrative apart from any other passages of scripture and the word have got a balance with the sovereignty of God that can change this man's life in a moment I know that this isn't the only one apart from the fact that to this man it came in the last moments of his earthly sojourn that's the only means that discriminates but to a Saul of Tarsus it was in a moment he struck down and to many many others Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom the word came follow me and he left all and followed it happened in a moment the Lord doesn't need my dear friend a long time though he's sovereign in this the work may be gradual according as he sovereignly appoints on the other hand in a moment in a moment he can transform and translate the whole position and that's the secret here

[16:10] I love the Lord because he's put these two things together one moment this very man is calling and deriding saying amen in that sense to what everybody else is saying he's one with them the next moment he stands alone alone I know the disciples are here but they're silent in fact they'd all forsook him and fled I know that there were one or two here at the cross whose hearts throbbed and ached with the solemnity of it all but this man this man was the only voice that's raised oh my dear friend are you questioning grace in any respect I'm glad we sung that first hymn I don't know why our friend chose that only the

[17:11] Lord must have led him there there is the very hymn that unfolds the text itself there's the distinction drawn oh my dear friend where do you stand where do I stand not a question my dear friend a profession or being this or being that or being the other are you a possessor of grace my dear friend and I've said it before beloved and I say it now in faithfulness I shall get to heaven because I'm a strict Baptist because I bear a name though I stand in this second to none to any in that connection I bless God for it with all my heart that isn't the ground of my getting home to glory my dear friend am I a possessor of grace that is the question friend that is what is to be imparted to this man you can remove everything else for the moment at innermost and here is the man translated and where is the earthly power that has done this my dear friend

[18:31] I don't know I haven't trouble to look it up I'm not interested my dear friend but how the Romanist can suggest that he finds purgatory in this dear book well tell him to find it here and tell him to show me where it is my dear friend it's in the hands of omnipotence it's in the hands of infinite indescribable unsearchable wisdom it's in the hands of amazing love I shall never try it's beyond my powers I leave other servants of the Lord beyond my powers to try to describe grace my dear friend I've been trying to understand it a little for over 50 years and I haven't begun yet but I can rejoice in the wonder of it I can believe in the power of it I can believe in the security of it this man is saved and he's saved to all eternity as we shall notice as we come to look at it closely this is power come out from among them be separate and separate he is and so will you and I my dear friend when the call comes ashamed of Jesus that dear friend on whom my hopes of heaven depend nor when I blush be this my shame that I no more revere his name what think ye of

[20:20] Christ beloved don't don't answer me but answer at the foot of mercy what is this glorious man that hangs in the midst what does he mean to this poor man he means everything for time so long as the little that remains to him and to eternity too he's the all in all they can pass by and wag their heads the chief priests and the multitude the throttly crowd can cry away with him crucify glorying now in the fact that he hangs upon the cross but this poor man poor man from the depths of his heart is saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom this is the position of the man this is the background briefly of the man talk about worthiness my dear friend where do you find it here not a vestige of it not one atom of it in any sense of the word he's a man that would be despised amongst people even in the general course of events nothing whatever this is the man friend are you saying beloved can God dwell here are you saying in your poor hearts you're not saying it outwardly but are you saying in your poor heart look at the multitude of my sin have you looked at the multitude of this man's sin have you got worse than him have you got more than him even if numbers mean anything at all they don't mean anything in the eyes of the

[22:23] Lord I'm not underestimating sin when I say that but he that is guilty in one point is guilty of all but if you're saying my dear friend look at the multitude of my sin however can I hope to be saved you can't my dear friend you can't only on the ground of invincible grace and when God takes the matter in hand it's done no if so much no question and you'll bow at his footstool as all the others have had to bow at his footstool and crown him Lord Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom I want to look a little closer at this man for the transformation is taking place in a sense in a gradual sense

[23:29] I know that there are only a few moments to embrace it all but one of the malefactors verse 39 one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him saying if thou be Christ that save thyself and us but the other answering rebuked him saying dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation and we indeed justly this is confession confession of the Lord confession of his own unworthiness we indeed justly we receive the due reward of our deeds they're not complaining he is not at least he's receiving the just reward of his deeds in the secular sense in the sense of the law of the land but this man had done nothing amiss who told him that where did he learn that you see as I pointed out in the first place this man right up to this very moment is going all away with his fellow malefactor they're both saying the same thing where did he learn this this man had done nothing of it the only answer to that my dear friend again is the sovereignty of God you you might turn the pages my dear friend and come into

[25:22] Acts 9 and there you read of us all of Tarsus and think of what he learned in three days I know it's three days compared with three seconds here to this man but grace grace my dear friend has has no dealings with time all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and here's a man one step and he's in eternity but he learned a lot this man had done nothing nothing he didn't even say so far as I know he said it with an assertion this man has done nothing amiss as though we would say I'm confident of this and he had learned the purity of the dear son of God he had learned the spotless perfection I say where did he learn it he learned it from the spirit of the

[26:25] Lord all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and that's what we need my dear friend for if the Lord teaches that'll abide that'll abide and there won't be any ifs and buts and uncertainties about it there will be nothing left to interpretation this man has been taught this and he's got it he didn't stop and say well I can't understand this how can this be possible he didn't stop about anything he accepted the teaching that was imparted and faith eyes the promise and says it shall be his name could be added to the catalog of Hebrews 11 faith that governed all and faith was enabled to trust where it couldn't trace this man had only known the glorious son of righteousness for a few seconds even less than that but he learned a lot friend about himself and about the dear

[27:38] Lord Jesus this is the way grace teaches friend you see self comes first oh there's got to be confession my dear friend before there can be acceptance this man had done nothing amiss and he said unto him Lord Lord it's in capital letters it's a triune Jehovah that this poor man I don't know whether he had any education I'm not going to put into the narrative what isn't there I don't know where he came from I don't know where his parents were I don't know whether he was a rich man poor man ignorant or academically qualified I don't know anything about him all I know is this he knew Lord he said and he said it he said it from the heart not like those that

[28:45] I have quoted from the parable many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not it's all we it's all we oh here's the man lowly at the footstool of mercy here's a beggar no he may be hanging on the cross he may be receiving the just reward of his deeds but here's a beggar here's a trophy of grace before his life is taken from him he bears his witness and testimony for all poor sinners that follow him all down the span of time I don't know it's not for me to know how many sermons have ever been preached from the narrative if not from the actual text the gospel is to be recorded and it's almost as though I know it's not incorporated but it's implied surely go ye into all the world and preach the gospel preach about the poor dying thief part of the gospel it reveals the wonderful power the invincible power of divine grace and the operation of it none can stay his hand or say what doest thou here you have the exemplification even at the last moments of the life of this man

[30:17] I know the thoughts I think towards you thoughts of peace peace but he's hanging on a cross he's enduring terrible pain and suffering the same as the Lord himself together thoughts of peace peace not peace so much here below but peace in eternity yes here's the blessedness thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Lord remember me notice the words I'd like the words to speak for themselves not for him any words of mine needed I can think of a thousand things he could have asked for for him but all he asked was remembrance remembrance he didn't ask for a place he didn't ask for participation didn't ask for anything

[31:29] I'm here just rewarded my deeds I dare not ask but I can ask for remembrance I don't know where I shall be in eternity in my own conception but this man where he is going he can remember me oh it's lovely it's a lovely word is it and if your heart is crying my dear friend and you fear you hardly tremble to suggest to go any further but if you can pray for remembrance the glory of the king yes but he learned a lot hadn't he this man remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom I don't know I've got to leave a lot because the narrative is silent but my dear friend had he ever heard the Lord Jesus sight they will crucify me they will do this and they will do that and they will do that but on the third day

[32:39] I will rise again had he heard that I don't know but he knew that this man was coming to a kingdom he knew that this man was a king and had a kingdom and every kingdom has subjects to it and they can nail over his sacred head the king of the Jews and Greek Hebrew and Latin this man said I don't want to write it on paper or on a board it's in my heart when thou comest into thy kingdom lovely words my dear friend they have their solemnity deep solemnity but they're beautiful words they're the words of a poor penitent that he's grieving over his sin his craving of remembrance from the king of kings remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom he believed he was going to rule and reign you see the discriminating power my dear friend the vast multitude had cried and wouldn't listen to anything else crucify him take Barabbas and let him go as long as you crucify that man we want to see the end of him this man says you'll never see the end of him he's come into a kingdom they were gloating and glorying that they got him where they wanted him and they thought that was the end this man said this is the beginning i know he's going to a kingdom and that kingdom has subjects i dare not crave i dare not plead to be made a subject of that kingdom but if he'll only remember me oh i can go all the way with this dear man here lord remember me lovely words fitting words for the occasion and for the character that utters them but is it the cry of your heart my dear friend it's coming to a kingdom yes he is a king man may call him such scornfully but poor penitent sinners can rejoice in the blessed fact the disciples can look upon the wonderful stones of the temple and they can take the lord jesus out to look at them and admire them and he stops and says you're looking you're looking at that well let me tell you this not one stone upon another will remain that'll be the end of that oh my dear friend are you admiring many many other things there's the disciples friend it's all in the book

[35:53] I bless God it's all in the book are you admiring this that and the other my dear friend get down to something solid oh I hope you're admiring this dear book I hope you admire his throne and everything else associated with it but oh friend are you admiring the fact that he's coming to reign he's coming to reign over a kingdom yes he's going to take his rightful place he came to suffer bleed and die but he told them again and again his disciples and others too build a temple yes but I'm going to rise the third day he made it very plain to them and this man has learned it he must have learned it from the power of the revelation and sealing of the spirit of the

[36:54] Lord and he's got the whole plan of redemption in his grasp and in his knowledge he's got the very fact first of all that he's Lord that is the first essential he's got a kingdom and that is essential too he's got it all so clearly in their mind in his mind I've referred earlier to a Saul of Tarsus when the Lord had finished teaching with him what was the first sermon he preached that this is the son of God that was the first thing he preached and that's the first thing the poor dying thief uttered he didn't put it in the same language but he put it in the same substance he's Lord he said Lord of all and I know him as such

[37:56] I address him as such and I crave that in his lordship in his authority and in his power he will remember this worm of the earth that is hanging here as the just reward of his deeds and though my fellow companion there we were once companions in terrible sins now we're separated now we're separated something has separated them and it wasn't the power of this man it wasn't the desire of this man nor the other man to be separated from him it was grace that had intervened he took the one and left the other Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom then he believed he was coming to a kingdom he got it all you see my dear friend so far as eternity was concerned and that is where he's concentrating his mind

[39:06] I'm not concerned whether he had seen any miracles or anything else upon earth when the Lord Jesus dwelt here it's not incorporated in his petition his thoughts are going hither to eternity to come and he's on the verge of it almost and he knows that here is the blessed king yes and what is the response oh yes the ready grace will respond to grace and the author of grace will respond to the application of grace the two will always go together and so Jesus said unto him notice verily that's the first word he set his mind at rest verily he'd use that word so frequently in so many many connections in his earthly ministry briefly it means assuredly without a shadow of a doubt as though he would say to him now get this clear get this clear there's not going to be only remembrance there's going to be presence verily

[40:39] I say unto you it's personal friend I repeat there's a vast throng here gathered the number of them no man has ever known but they're a tremendous throng but the Lord of life and glory speaks one word to one soul today verily I say unto you today shall thou be with me in paradise you say what's paradise I don't know there's been a lot of conjectures about paradise I'm not concerned about it friend I'm not if you understand it my dear friend then tell me what it means for when I turn the pages and I find that Paul the apostle was caught up into the third heaven and entered into paradise was that the same place

[41:45] I don't know but this is the point friend Jesus said to him he didn't try to explain paradise I thank him for that but he did say to him today thou shall be with me that's all that matters I don't spend a lot of time worrying what paradise is like what it looks like what it will be like or anything else about it so long as Jesus is there my dear friend that'll be paradise and that's what Jesus is saying to the man in reality you're asking for remembrance you're asking for a king in some distant land to remember you somewhere else no it's got to be together together I go to prepare a place for you I know he didn't say it specifically to this man but it's incorporated where I am there thou shalt be also today thou shalt be with me

[42:56] I don't want to cut out the words in paradise I've no right to do that and don't want to do it but my dear friend I can leave them let them in cavil about him and they can cavil to their hearts content give me give me the presence of this dear man that's all today thou shalt be with me as though the dying thief might well have said in response for wherever you are Lord as long as I can be with you and beloved I hope I can say that's all I want that's all I want today thou shalt be with man to blessed and glorious transformation if you're going to put a degree upon the unworthiness to the vilest of sinners though I'm not going to put measures here's a poor sinner and nothing at all but

[44:01] Jesus Christ is his all and in all Lord remember me the Lord said I do more than that the Lord said I do more than that many have craved to be remembered but I came to accomplish something more than remembrance I know that's embraced but today thou shalt be with me today today and away goes the minds of mortal men and they're all traveling and craving what does it mean today oh I know the book says a thousand years are in his sight about as yesterday I know that I know a day of 24 hours means nothing to him for whatever it was it was his day and he said to die friend you can cavil about purgatory and everything else my dear friend and Hades and call it what you will this is the point friend

[45:05] Jesus said I go into a kingdom yes I taught you that I am going to be king over the kingdom yes I taught you that well where I am there you are going to be that's all that matters that's all that matters oh my dear friends if we could cast our taveling on one side and accept the simplicity of the sovereignty and the solemnity but accept the blessedness of the truth friend today thou shalt be with me he didn't say in some future day but today today you're going to die in a few moments you're going to die but you'll be with me in paradise for in a few moments I shall be dead too gone gone where to be with the dying thief to be with the dying thief today thou shalt be with me in paradise it consolidates and embraces all that could be conceived in the poor mind of this poor man and if you can grasp a little of the awful reality of his condition in his position as I said earlier this is the last word he ever spoke on earth may be our last though may be spoken many many times before but what a blessed privilege my dear friend to end one's life craving for remembrance from the king of kings to be found dying in that very moment as the words are uttered my dear friend the lord knows how to portray his grace he knows how to portray the characters he knows how to portray the dear lord jesus who came to seek and to save the lost and here's one here's one and in old testament unfolding in malachi he declares and they shall be mine when i make up my special treasure special treasure and they will look upon him whom they have pierced and he will look upon them as the trophies of his redeeming blood and grace i must leave the word with you but all my dear friend may god grant it may arise from your heart and mine heart and not only once but a thousand times until he speaks that same word thou shall be with me thou shall be with me and then you can face all fears and all foes and all misgivings and everything else the motley throng they're all there you can face them all and declare i am his and he is mine two the one shall be taken the other left where do you and i stand friend may you find no rest until you know until the lord tells you which you are amen