The Last Recorded Words of the Lord Jesus

Our reading tonight is in Luke's Gospel chapter 23. What we're going to speak on tonight at the close of the meeting is the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus. Before the Lord Jesus died on the cross at Calvary we're going to consider his last recorded words.

Now Luke's Gospel chapter 23. Luke's Gospel chapter 23 verse 34. Then said Jesus, Father forgive them for they know not what they do and they parted his raiment and cast locks.

Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Down the chapter our brother has mentioned this verse 43. And Jesus said unto him, that's one of the thieves that were crucified with the Lord Jesus, and Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Now verse 46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hand I commend my spirit, and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

The Lord will bless what we have heard and also this reading from his good word. I'm sure tonight there are those with us and you've sat by the deathbed of a loved one that was dying and you've strained the ear to catch the last words of a loved one that's dying. I remember reading about a pilot, he was flying his aircraft over the city of Chicago.

Something went wrong with the aircraft and the last recorded words of that pilot was this, Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God. And that pilot went into eternity. D.L. Moody was an outstanding preacher of the gospel.

I'm told the last recorded words of D.L. Moody was this, Earth is receding, heaven is nearing, God is calling. The last recorded words of a preacher, there was a man by the name of John Troup, he used to sing and loved to sing gospel hymns. The last hymn that John Troup sung went something like this, Just a little longer and the trump of God will sound.

Just a little longer and we'll all be glory bound. Look away to heaven, your redemption draweth nigh. Just a little longer and we'll meet him in the skies.

The last recorded words of a gospel singer. I'm told I've read the last recorded words of Princess Diana, the princess of Wales, was this, Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone. The last recorded words of a princess.

But what we have read this evening is the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus. And what were they? First of all, the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus was words of forgiveness. Listen tonight to his cry, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

The last recorded words of the Savior were words of forgiveness. Secondly, the last recorded words of the Savior were words of assurance. My brother tonight has quoted them.

Listen to them again. Today, shalt thou be with me in paradise, words of assurance. But then thirdly, words of triumph.

Father, into thy hand I commend my spirit. And having said this, he gave up the ghost. So what we've read tonight is words of forgiveness, words of assurance, words of triumph, the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus.

Now let's think of this verse tonight. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. And the question tonight might be asked, who is the Lord Jesus praying for? Now you weren't my words.

There were rulers, listen to what it says about the rulers. The rulers, they derided him. That's not a word we use.

They made fun of him. But you know what the Lord did for those rulers? The Lord prayed for those rulers. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

Secondly, that day there were soldiers. And I'm told that the soldiers, they mocked the Lord Jesus. But you know, the Lord Jesus prayed for those soldiers.

Listen to his cry. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Then thirdly, there was a thief.

Listen to what it says about him. It says this, he railed upon him. But you know the Lord Jesus, he prayed for that thief.

Father, forgive him. He does not know what he's doing. Come again.

I read the plowers plowed long their furrows. I read they pierced his hands, they pierced his side, and they pierced his feet. But you know, the Lord prayed for those men.

Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Let's stop for one moment. If there was forgiveness for those rulers, and if there was forgiveness for those soldiers, and if there was forgiveness for those thieves, and if there was forgiveness for those plowers, would it be too much tonight, dear friend, to say to you, sin can be forgiven? I've come tonight to speak three things about sin.

And I want the boys and girls to get this. And I want the men and the woman to get this. Three things about sin.

The first thing I'm going to say is this. What is sin? That's the first thing we're going to discuss tonight. What is sin? The second thing, what has sin done? And the third thing is, how can I know my sins forgiven? Now, let's think of those three very simple things very quickly.

What is sin? Listen tonight to what the Bible says. The thought of foolishness is sin. Listen to what the Bible says.

He that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Listen tonight to what the Bible says. Sin is the transgression of the law.

So remember, we are told clearly from the Bible what sin is. The second thing we're going to consider tonight about sin is this. What does sin do? Listen tonight to what the Bible says.

Sin separates. Listen to what the Bible says. Your iniquity have separated between you and your God.

And your sin has hid his face from you. Sin separates. Listen to what the hymn writer says.

When sin first lift its deadly head, it made a widening span between the man that walked with God and God that made the man. The sense of sin brought sense of shame, the naked sought to hide. Instead of fellowship and peace, there came the great divide.

Sin separates men and women from God. If I read my Bible correctly, I discover this. Sin makes an individual unclean in the sight of God, unprofitable in the service of God, puts him under the wrath and the judgment of God, and makes him unfit for the presence of God.

That's what sin does. But the great question tonight is this. Can sin be forgiven? Now you mark my words.

The Bible makes it very clear that sin can be cleansed. The Bible makes it very clear that sin can be blotted out. And the Bible makes it very clear that sin can be forgiven.

Listen to three verses. Can sin be cleansed? Listen to what John says. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, it cleanseth from all sin.

So remember tonight, sinner friend, your sin can be cleansed. But then secondly, can sin be blotted out? Listen tonight to the words of Peter. Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sin might be blotted out.

Can sin be forgiven? Listen tonight to what the Bible says. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin. Now the question tonight is this.

How can an individual know sin's forgiven? I'm going to say this. You'll have to face the reality of your sin. Now remember, it's your sin.

And you'll have to face the reality of your sin. I'm going to show you four men tonight from the Bible. And those four men faced the reality of their sin.

One man was David. Listen to what David says. David says this, Listen tonight to Psalms 32.

I acknowledge my sin. Mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will take my sin.

Confess my transgressions unto the Lord. And notice what it says. And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.

David faced the reality of his sin. And David knew sin's forgiven. Come now to Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 6. In Isaiah chapter 5, listen to what Isaiah says.

Woe unto them, woe unto them. Six times, woe unto them. But you know when I come to Isaiah 6, listen tonight to the words of Isaiah.

Woe is me, for I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amongst a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Listen to what I read. Thine iniquity is taken away. And thy sins are purged.

Isaiah faced the reality of his sin. You might say you're laboring the Old Testament. What about the New Testament? Well, you remember Luke chapter 18? There's the publican, and there's the Pharisee.

Listen tonight to the words of the publican. God be merciful to me, the sinner. And I read those words.

This man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. You remember the prodigal? Listen tonight to the words of the prodigal. I have sinned against heaven, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Make me as one of thy higher servants. And remember, the prodigal faced the reality of his sin. What did the father say? Bring forth the best robe and put it on him.

Put a ring on his hands and shoes on his feet. Kill the fatted calf. Let us be merry.

The prodigal faced the reality of his sin. I only heard the late Albert Joyce preach the gospel once. It would be 1966, at a Toronto conference, the only time I heard Albert Joyce preach the gospel.

He said two things that night I've never forgotten. The first thing he said was this, you might drift into hell, you'll not drift into heaven. You may drift into hell, you'll never drift into heaven.

Second thing he said was this, and my brother has stressed it. You'll not be in hell by chance, you'll be in hell by chance. By choice.

And you will not be in heaven by chance, you will be in hell, heaven by choice. Before this meeting closes, and before you go through that door tonight, you're going to make a choice, either for Christ or against Christ. I'm going to forget my next two verses, but I'm going to come to the question our brother asked.

What shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? You know what I discover? Every Bible question has a Bible answer. And I'm going to give you an answer to that question, which my brother tonight has handled very well. What shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? First of all, I'm going to say this, it's going to be darkness.

Listen to what the Bible says, the way of the wicked is as a darkness, they know not at what they stumble. Friend tonight, this book, the Bible, it talks about outer darkness, and it talks about the blackness of darkness forever and ever. What shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? Darkness.

But then secondly, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? Destruction. This book, the Bible talks about destruction. This book, the Bible talks about sudden destruction.

And this book, the Bible talks about eternal destruction. Thirdly, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? The second death. The second death.

Blessed and holy are they who take part in the first resurrection. The second death has nothing on them. So remember, there's going to be darkness, there's going to be destruction, and there's going to be death, and it's going to be forever and ever.

I quote these words in closing. Never soul in hell will burn, that never had the chance to turn. Whether he be pagan, wild, or born a Christian's favor child, God will not suffer him to go unworn to everlasting woe.

But nothing but rejected light will do my soul any good. In endless night, and remember, it's either heaven or it's hell for eternity.