Facing Death Unprepared

Welcome to this weekend. And that's not eternal life and begin the theory that focuses on every believer's responsibility to be an agent of God's plan and messenger of his good means.

Here's part one explaining the alternative to facing death unprepared if you only have a few hours to live. And you know you are facing. There you are not a Christian, did know how to be saved or what you do would you find the Bible somewhere and begin to read what would you read all the multitudes of people everyday. All of this world who face death unprepared. Will God save someone in the last hours of their life when their life is been absolutely totally wasted and they have nothing to offer God. That's what I will talk about in this message entitled facing death unprepared and you know what, it just may be that you may be closer to meeting God than you realize. Not a single one of us has any assurance of another second in our life and someone to listen very carefully this message because it could be the difference between where you spend eternity either with God forever, or separated from him in torment forever and ever someone you turn if you will to Luke chapter 23 verse 39 begins, and one of the criminals who were hanged. The bear was hurling abuse at him say, are you not the Christ, save yourself and us. But the other rancid and rebuking him said, do you not even fear God, since your 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 into your kingdom and he said to him, truly I say to you today you shall be with me in paradise now.

Crucifixion was Rome's favorite type of execution for the worst kind of criminals they would never execute someone who was not either a slave or some degraded kind of criminal. Someone who is in opposition to Rome, some rebel now with all the blood that they had shared and all the pain and the awesomeness of what was going through their minds.

At that time and the awesome pain that wrecked their entire body.

The something going on here. This interesting because the Scripture said as he hang there between them somewhere between 9 o'clock in the morning and 3 o'clock in the afternoon that both of these men, both in Matthew and Mark say that both of these criminals were lashing out at Jesus and reviling him and blaspheming him. And so what I want you to see is when this begins.

Both of these men are guilty of the same, and often times we look at the passage and we say will one of them was saying something about Jesus and the other was not the 27th chapter of Matthew, verse 44 says, and the robbers. Both of them also who had been crucified with him were casting the same insults at him.

So they both again. There crucifixion with casting insults of the Lord Jesus, I want you to see something interesting here that is this something happened to one of these criminals, not both of the one of somehow as he listens and begins to observe what's going on, something happens on the inside of him, and ultimately this man in his dying hours becomes a follower of Jesus Christ. He becomes a believer in our Lord.

I want you notice what happens here because I believe one all the evidences of his salvation is so clear in the very beginning.

Here's a man who only has a very very few hours to live.

What we find happening here. Look, if you will.

One of these criminals says that Jesus he says are you not the Christ, save yourself and save us and what he saying is get us down from here. If you be the Messiah, but the other answered and rebuking him said, do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation.

What is he doing. All of a sudden this man who's been railing upon Jesus now begins the rebuke. His fellow criminal and he says don't you have any fear of God why you rebuking this my what you keep blaspheming this man when this man has done nothing so notice first thing that's happening. He is rebuking a man who is blaspheming the Lord Jesus. The second thing he's doing is admitting his own guilt I think is 1/3 reason that we can believe he was saving that is this that he expressed the most awesome kind of faith in Jesus to think about this for moment here he is watching Jesus die and he knows what he's suffering and what he's feeling and that he knows his life is very short. And now he's looking at the Lord Jesus Christ. On one side of him of the other and he knows that he's suffering the same death that he's feeling the same kind of pain and this man also is going to die and what is he saying he saying, remember me when you come in your kingdom will he's dying. What kind of faith is this that he could say to a man who is dying, remember me when you come into your kingdom. You know what when I look at this man's faith. I'm not sure I have as much faith as he had you and I have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because we have the written word of God. We have seen the lives of the people change we've never seen God we've never seen Jesus in the flesh, you and I have taken the revelation of God given to us to the Scriptures and we have expressed faith in the truthfulness of his word, and the Holy Spirit is one witness to others that it is true we place our faith in Jesus Christ and we were saved. Here's a man who is looking at another dying man who never saw Bible who never had the Scriptures as you and I have them who live the life of sin and disobedience and rebellion against God and against wrong and against his own people and what is he doing looking at another dying man and expressing faith that somehow there's something about this man that can save him when he breathes his last breath. That is an awesome expression of faith. Remember me when you come in your kingdom. It also says that he believed this man had some kind of supernatural power that not only was he being crucified. But somehow when he got through this crucifixion he was going to be able to rescue him.

How is he going to be able to rescue him, and both of them stretch the lacrosse. While there was no human visible evidence that this man, who was also dying to do anything for him except that something began to happen in his heart from his blasphemous language.

Now it is the language of a man confessing his sinfulness confessing his unworthiness confessing that he was justified in being crucified, and now he's calling out to a man whom he does not know in this dying hours asking this man to save him, save him listen.

He didn't ask get me down from the cross. He didn't say rescue me from being crucified.

He said when you come into your kingdom. Remember me what an awesome sense of faith he had any question my mind about it being saved.

Absolutely not. And if there were any question.

Up to this point. This would've settled it all because Jesus said, and returned to him. He says today. Today thou shall be with me in paradise. But this now is that it the Bible says. He says truly I say to you that word means assuredly. What a statement Jesus made him if there's any question your mind as to what this man is saved and not listen.

Would you question your salvation. If you stood face to face with the Jesus and he said and called your name and said today you going to be with me in paradise. You would never even begin to think about questioning your salvation experience. Here is the promise of redemption on those three crosses, we see redemption taking place right before our eyes. Amidst all the blood in the agony and the pain and the suffering of the hurt there's something absolutely fantastic and glorious and heavenly and redemptive going on.

What is it, a man who is a sinner who is absolutely totally helpless. Who can do nothing for himself whatsoever, is being saved right in front of a mocking crowd.

His name is being written in the Lamb's book about how to view everything in heaven must've been rejoicing that day is one man dying is it in his little man dying for sin and his one being saved out of his sin, his promise of everlasting eternal life in the presence of God and what the apostle Paul said in second Brendan chapter 500 is talking about death.

He said absent from the body.

What present with the Lord that one out all heart takes the last time we breathe our last breath. And God calls us home.

He says absent from the body present with the Lord. We are not going out John the summer when the going to put us in some grave or some muscle lemon we gonna stay there body soul and spirit 4000 years 100 years 100 days 100 minutes 102nd or one single solitary second because you cannot carry a child of God that man listen went from a prison to across the glory in just a matter of a few hours.

Did God save him absolutely one of the saving had absolutely nothing to do with anything within him. So, the evidence of his salvation is crystal clear now the big question you have to ask is well. How was he saying he didn't say Lord Jesus, will you forgive me of my sin. He'd Artie said we justly deserve what's coming to us and so he was confessing his sinfulness heat inside allows it to the Lamb of God is come take with us in the world, but he did recognize that he was the son of God. He accepted that even the accusations of these people. He said Jesus, Savior, remember me when you come into your kingdom. How did this man get say here he is in the last moments of life, his life, and you know what he got saved, the same way you and I did. By the grace of Almighty God.

Listen to what Paul said he sent for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works less than a man should boast. If there is a single pastor description all the Bible that proves what grace is really all about. Here it is. He says, for by grace God's goodness and love and mercy and kindness toward us, without regard to our worth, or our deeds. And in spite of what we deserve. He said, for by grace you have been saved through faith that not of yourselves, not of works lest any man should boast. How was this man, save it was the grace of God because you see he could learn it. He was dying he didn't have time. He couldn't behave in a certain way. He didn't have time. He couldn't perform. And if each because he didn't have time. He couldn't be baptized because there's not going to be the baptismal experience that day. There's not a single solitary thing this man could do. The only thing he could do is receive the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ. He said Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom, indicating he believed that he was the king he believed that he was the Savior. He believed in life after death. He believed in his God. He believed that on the other side he was going to be with. He manifest his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the only thing that saved that man was simply this, that he was willing to accept by faith, the grace of God and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior.

Plus nothing you know that does away with my friend listen all these folks are going to stand before God. One of these days and say well I believe he's gone away my good against my bed and my goods can outweigh my bad. Therefore, I'm going to be saved.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, but the grace of God. What can wash away our sins. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And that day that men will say what he was saber the blood of Jesus because, listen, that was God's instrument. The blood of Jesus.

What did he do he received the message of salvation. He received this man, not understanding that he was the Lamb of God, taken giving his life for the sins of the whole world. He was saber the grace of God. The data Jesus Christ was crucified when his blood was shed that blood atone for the sin of everybody from Adam all the way till the last person who is born on the face of this earth before the Lord Jesus Christ comes.

That's how powerful the crucifixion was how was he saved by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we asked the question, can a person be saved. Late life years can a person be saved in the last dying moments. It's possible Ceballos is awesome. I'm glad to hear that because that's how long I'm going let me ask a question. Who says you gonna wait. Who says you have any time you gonna wait how long you see is not a single one of us who knows which ticket the heart is going to be the last one you the Bible says the foods that in his heart there is no God. I want to leave another full, another fool is a person who says I'm gonna wait till I come to the end of my life.

What a foolish decision because my friend more than likely you don't know when that's going to be okay something else that's dangerous about that.

That's this just because you have time, doesn't mean that you receive Jesus because the people who come to this point in their life with another gonna die and you told him about the Lord in his what they say they say will not. You mean to tell me that I have lived all my life and I rejected Jesus not rebelled against the church not interested in the Bible and not interested in spiritual things you mean to tell me that God will accept me and I don't believe that I don't believe that God will accept me. Now I know that I may die and go to hell, but I just don't believe that God except when I wasted my whole life and you mean to tell me these last hours of my life. I have nothing to offer and I can do nothing for him that he's going to save me. Yes it's possible, but the tragedy is this that many people can not believe even on their deathbed. Another danger is this the person may have time but they have absolutely no desire to be say I will tell you about a real danger. My friend, which the Bible warns against that's this hardened not your heart, you reject the Lord Jesus Christ. You reject the gospel you reject the church you reject God, you reject the Bible you reject sermons you reject your friends who witness to you. I will remind you of something just because you may come to the end of life and you think Rob got little time and I'll settle it. Then will remind you of something.

The Bible warns us against the hardened heart is what a hard heart says not interested in interested in that all believe in all that stuff and I don't care at all… Just gone that's in the mean that's it. There heart is so hard. Listen, they can't believe you civil what the Lord Jesus Christ save anybody who cries out to him. Jesus Christ will save anyone who cries out to him in genuine confession of faith in him. Yes, in the last hours of a person's life and they wasted all can they be saved.

Yes and why not wait because you don't know when it's going to be human not have the opportunity you may not have the desire, your heart may be so hard and you cannot because you have said no for so long. The question is, will God save the men late in life. Absolutely yes you mean when he's wasted his whole life in has nothing else to give God yes how long is the Holy Spirit been wooing him all of his life but is it wise my friend wait never. This is why the Bible doesn't say, behold, tomorrow is the day of salvation, but rather today and while you have time, I want to encourage you to consider several things number one. One of these days you're going to fall into the hands of the living God.

That is an absolute truth that cannot be altered under any condition is maintenance what you believe what you think what you feel about the Bible has nothing to do with it. You and I will stand in the presence of the living God. Those who receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior would be welcome in the glory. Those who stand before him.

Of all the excuses I will tell you something. My friend you nonstandard presence of Almighty God. If you stand in his presence as a person is rejected him.

You will be standing the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be the most horrible indescribable terrifying experience.

There will be no excuses. They'll be no defense, only condemnation and judgment in my friend, your unbelief and your doubt is not going to keep you from the judgment.

I will tell you how you can settle once and for all your eternity, you don't have to wait till your last dying moments. You can send it right now. Someone tell you how to do that so no matter what happens, and where you are in life. I would certainly hope you be wise enough to do it now. So here's what I'm going to do.

I'm gonna pray a simple prayer and if you pray this prayer to the father with me, you can be safe right now where you sit where you stand where you drive where you may be listening. You can be saved.

Settle this once and for all. Right now this is the prayer would you pray this to the father. Heavenly father, I confess to you that I'm a sinner.

I do believe that Jesus died for my sins, I am receiving Jesus Christ as my personal savior here and now. Thank you for making me one of your children by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I want to live for you all the days of my life in Jesus name, amen.

Thank you for listing to anything that and prepared. If you like to know more about Charles Stanley for intense ministry intense that L-arginine is typecast as a presentation of intense ministry, Atlanta, Georgia