One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43
So here you have a thief on the right and a thief on the left with eternity at stake. We all make choices that have eternal ramifications. Do your choices line up with the thief on the right or the left?
Both thieves hit a fork in the road and reached crossroad eternal life altering decisions and choices in their final hours here on planet earth. Two guilty thieves but each took a side of the cross and it begs the question for us today, which side of the cross are you on?
The first thief makes a decision of hate. The second thief makes a decision of faith.
Are you on the side of the man who only wanted Jesus for earthly deliverance and did not understand the eternal repercussions? Or are you on the side of the one who said I can’t fix myself, my problems, my sins, and I trust Jesus to be my redeemer?
My brother in law Michael is recovering from a kidney transplant. Anyone who gets a kidney transplant has one big question and concern. Will their body reject it or accept it.
That’s the question of eternity! Will you accept the payment of Jesus Christ for your sin or will you reject it. One thief accepted it. The other rejected it. Which side of the cross are you on?
If there was ever a time to come to Encounter it would be tonight. It is commitment night and the night we decide which side of the cross we are on. It is baptism night too! When you make the decision to be on the right side of the cross, come to the cross and accept the payment of Jesus we are instructed to publicly declare that in water baptism.
It is also the last Encounter service this month. Encounter will take a week off in remembrance of Good Friday and resume April 6th. This is an all hands on deck can’t miss night for all of us. By far, commitment nights are the nights we all need to be there and I hope you will too.
I am so excited about wrapping up this new 3 week series with a new talk on the two thieves on the cross. We have a great night of worship, nails, the cross, baptisms and a heaven size celebration for every person who makes a decision to accept Christ.
Be Blessed and Encouraged
Bill Rieser
Encounter Pastor