The Power of God’s Forgiveness & Faithfulness
Luke 23:39-43 NKJV
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” 43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
I. INTRODUCTION
Understanding how much God loves us.
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II. PROBLEM OF A SELFISH PETITION
- Pride Blinds You of God’s Plan
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- Proverbs 16:18-20 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. 20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
- Several Manifestations of Pride
- Unrepentance- He didn’t own His own sins.
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- Uninformed- He didn’t recognize Christ.
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- Ungrateful- He was right beside Christ and still not thankful.
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B. God Does Not Respond When We Don’t Take Responsibility
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III. POWER OF SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE
A. Before You Ask, Acknowledge Who He Is
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B. He Is in It with You
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a. Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
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b. Matthew 8:23-27 23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
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c. Daniel 3:16-17 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
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d. Daniel 6:16-21 16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” 17 Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. 18 Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no [a]musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep [b]went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a [c]lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!
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IV. PERSONAL AND SINCERE PRAYER
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- The Prayer of Faith Declares I Have a Future
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- God will not deliver you from what you deny
- Psalm 51:1-4 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
B. Doesn’t Matter Who Forgets Me, As Long as He Remembers Me
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V. PRAISE THE SAVIOR’S PROMISE
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A. 2 Corinthians 1:20 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
a. Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. All we have is what God has promised.
B. Relationship Is Greater Than the Rules of Religion
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C. God Will Give You A “Today” Testimony
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With both thieves, we see ourselves and our disposition. Our prideful side and our repentant side. God will disrupt how we are defined. The text says they were thieves. They had been defined by what they had done not who they were. Jesus never called the repentant a thief. Our testimony should be He determines my destiny (root word destination- how it turns out) Jesus Says, “Today you’re going to be with me”!
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