Sunday Morning Worship Service

Let's give the Lord a great praise today. He's worthy. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on. The the name that they just sang about is worthy of all our praise and all of our worship. Come on, call on that name. You can call on that name anywhere you're at, anytime, any place. I'm thankful for the name that is above every name, the name of Jesus. And it is always such an honor to be home and so thankful to be here, my favorite place in the entire world. And I love and appreciate this church. Love and appreciate each and every one of you all. I give great honor to the Mcool family, the Whitley family. I love these people dearly and would not be here today without them and their leadership and their support. give honor to my family that's here. My mother, my brother and his family, my youngest Braxton is here with me and I love and appreciate them. Excited about what God is doing and excited about celebrating their graduates tonight. If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the book of Luke. Luke the 23rd chapter. Luke the 23rd chapter verse number 42. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. For my title today, let me borrow words from this crucified thief. Two simple words uttered over 2,000 years ago. And let me preach for a few minutes today on that simple thought. Remember me. Would you help me pray right now? Lord, we love you. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your people. We thank you for your spirit. God, anoint me today to preach this anointed word, God. Preach, anoint your people, God, to receive the preach word today, God. Speak to our hearts and our lives, God. Let us leave here different than what we walked in, God. And we give you praise for who you are and what you're going to do in this house. In the mighty, matchless name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Can we clap our hands one more time? And the Bible says not only to clap, but to shout. Can you add a shout to your hand clap? Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. This isn't the first time that someone in your Bible has asked the Lord to remember me. Samson in his last breath prayed a vengeful prayer of remember me. and judges. Samson called unto the Lord and said, "Oh Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee. Only this once, oh God, that I may be at once avenge of the Philistines for my two eyes." Hannah, in her barrenness, and her fretting of being provoked sore by her adversary, prayed a promising prayer of remember me in 1st Samuel 1 and 11. And she vowed a vow and said, "Oh Lord of hosts, if thou wil indeed look on the affliction of thy handmade, and remember me, and not forget thy handmade, but will give unto thy handmade a manchild." Then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life." And just eight verses later in verse 19, it says, "And the Lord remembered her." I'm thankful for a God that's faithful in remembering his people. And while while Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, three different times in chapter 13, he prayed a prayer of remember me. In verse 14, he said, remember me, oh my God, concerning this, and wipe not out of my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. And I commanded the Levites that they should, verse 22, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, oh my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. And then again in verse number 31, he says, "And for the wood offering at times appointed, and for the first fruits, remember me, oh my God, for good." IN HIS ANGUISH, HIS LOSS, AND HIS PAIN, Job prayed a prayer of remember me. In Job 14 and13, he said, "Oh, that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, and that thou wouldest keep me secret until thy wrath be passed, and that thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me." While in captivity in Babylon, this exiled psalmist took quill to parchment and pinned a penance psalm of remember me and Psalms 106 and4. Remember me, oh Lord, with the favor that thou hast barest unto thy people. Oh visit me with thy salvation. The prophet Jeremiah in his loneliness and lamenting prayed a prayer of remember me. and Jeremiah 15 and 15. Oh Lord, thou knowest remember me and visit me and revenge me of my persecutors. TAKE NOT AWAY IN THY longsuffering that know that THOU FOR THY SAKE I have suffered rebuke. But these prayers and these psalms of remember me are much different than the one that I read in our opening text. They were mostly prayed or WRITTEN BY HIS FAITHFUL. Those that were doing a work for the Lord. THOSE THAT HAD been called by the Lord. AND NOT JUST SOME RANDOM male factor. Not some common criminal, lawbreaker, felon, or thief. NO, THIS remember me today was different and it had eternal implications. Going back to Luke the 23rd chapter verse 33 says, "And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there crucified him and the male factors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. The creator of heaven and earth is hanging literally between heaven and earth. THE HANDS THAT CREATED THE WORLD ARE NOW NAILED TO WOOD between two worlds. And the two that hang with him, THE BIBLE CALLS THEM MALE FACTORS, which means evildoers or thieves. AND UNLIKE OUR SAVIOR, they are rightfully there on those crosses. They are paying the price for their thievery and for their crimes. And not only have they broken the eighth commandment given to Moses, but they have also broken Roman law. So their punishment is crucifixion unto death. And verse 39 says, "And one of the male factors which hanged railed on him, SAYING, IF THOU BE THE CHRIST, save thyself and us. IF YOU'RE WHO YOU REALLY SAY YOU ARE, WHY DON'T YOU PERFORM A MIRACLE? AND WHY DON'T YOU GET YOURSELF OFF OF THIS CROSS? AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, WHY DON'T YOU GET ME OFF THIS CROSS ALSO?" IF YOU'RE REALLY WHO YOU ARE, IF YOU IF YOU'RE WHO PEOPLE believe that you are, LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF. But the other answering rebuked him said, "DUST THOU NOT FEAR GOD, SEEING THOU ART IN THE same condemnation, and we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds?" But this man hath done nothing a miss. What I find amazing ABOUT THIS INTERACTION, THIS CONVERSATION between these three crucified men is that if you look at the book of Matthew, Matthew 27:44, IT SAYS, "THE THIEVES ALSO plural which were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth." SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUCIFIXION, both of the thieves were railing him. BUT SOMEWHERE DURING THEIR CORPORATE CRUCIFIXION, ONE OF THOSE THIEVES HAS A CHANGE OF HEART ABOUT THEIR CROSS COUNTERPART. BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND TODAY that you can't see a crucified Christ and it not affect you. YOU CAN'T SEE THE STRIPES ON HIS BACK AND THE BLOOD THAT HE SHED FOR US. YOU CAN'T WITNESS THE NAILS IN HIS HANDS AND THE IN HIS FEET AND NOT FEEL SOMETHING. YOU CANNOT CONTEMPLATE A CRUCIFIED CHRIST AND STAY THE SAME. IF YOU'RE HERE TODAY, I WISH YOU COULD JUST IN YOUR MIND'S EYE COULD GET A GLIMPSE OF CALVARY AND GET A GLIMPSE OF THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD HANGING ON A CROSS AND DYING FOR YOUR SIN AND MY SIN. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT, BUT THAT'S HOW MUCH HE LOVED US. SO SOMEWHERE IN THOSE SIX HOURS, THIS THIEF HAS A CHANGE OF HEART. AND IN SUFFERING AND SUFFOCATION WITH HIS LAST WORDS, HE SIMPLY says two words, two little words that would change everything. IT WOULD NOT change his guilty verdict. It would not change him hanging on a cross. IT WOULD NOT CHANGE THAT HE WAS BEING CRUCIFIED. IT WOULD NOT CHANGE ANYTHING HERE ON THIS EARTH. But in eternity there would be a change because verse 42 says, "And Jesus and he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Before I continue, LET ME ADDRESS TWO things in these last two verses. FIRST, THIS DOES NOT prove that the new birth isn't relevant or needed today like most of the church world would try to lead you to believe. This historic event took place under the Old Testament, under the old law, before a new testament could be begin, the testator had to die. And Jesus IS THE TESTATOR. AND HE HADN'T DIED YET. SO BEFORE THAT THAT INTERACTION WITH THE THIEF, YES IT MIGHT HAVE WORKED. BUT SINCE Jesus came and since Jesus died and since he was buried and he rose again from THE GRAVE, YOU AND I MUST FOLLOW THE TESTATOR IN HIS DEATH, HIS BURIAL, AND HIS RESURRECTION. WE'VE GOT TO FOLLOW HIM IN HIS DEATH BY REPENTING OF OUR SINS. WE HAVE TO FOLLOW HIM IN HIS BURIAL BY BEING WATERBAPTIZED IN THE ONLY NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED. THE SAVING NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. AND WE'VE GOT TO FOLLOW HIM IN HIS RESURRECTION BY BEING FILLED WITH THE SAME SPIRIT THAT RAISED CHRIST FROM THE GRAVE. AND SECONDLY, IF JESUS isn't God, THEN WHY DID HE SAY, "TODAY, thou shalt be with me in paradise?" Because he was going to spend the next three days in a borrowed tomb. The answer is simple. Today, he is God. >> HE IS GOD MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH. SO WHEN THAT LIFELESS BODY OF THE CHRIST LAID IN THAT TOMB, THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS STILL ALIVE AND WELL AND JESUS IS ALL GOD. BUT NOT ALL OF GOD WAS IN JESUS BECAUSE HE IS OMNIRESENT. AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD INHABITS ALL TIME AND SPACE. SO WHY JESUS IN THAT EARTHLY BODY COULD SAY TODAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE WITH ME IN PARADISE EVEN THOUGH MY BODY IS GOING TO LAY IN A TOMB. IS BECAUSE HE IS GOD AND GOD IS EVERYWHERE AT EVERY TIME AND HE INHABITS EVERYTHING. SO THIS WAS GOD HANGING ON THAT CROSS. Now back to the rest of the story. The thief simply says, "Remember me. I don't have anything else to live for. I'm dying. Would you just remember me?" BUT WHAT EXACTLY DO you want Jesus to remember, Mr. Evildoer? Do you want him to remember what put you on this cross? Do you want him to remember the crimes you committed for crucifixion? Do you want him to remember your admission of guilt in the previous verse, VERSE NUMBER 41? DO YOU WANT HIM TO REMEMBER all of the people that YOU HURT? DO YOU WANT HIM TO remember everyone that YOU LET DOWN? TELL US, MALE FACTOR. TELL US, CRIMINAL, THIEF, FELON, LAWB BREAKER, WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU WANT JESUS to remember? Because he knows it all anyway. He knows everything that you have done. He knows every word. He knows every thought and he knows every deed. But I need you to know something about and understand something about our savior today. He remembers things differently than you and I do. Psalms 103 and8 says, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. HE WILL NOT ALWAYS CHIDE, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. NOTICE WHAT THE PSALMIST SAID. HE DID NOT SAY AS FAR AS THE NORTH is from the south. BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO SANTA CLAUS'S HOUSE IN THE NORTH Pole and you get in an airplane AND YOU START FLYING SOUTH, SOME 12,400 AND SOMETHING MILES LATER, you'll reach the South Pole. YOU CAN MEASURE NORTH TO SOUTH. BUT IF YOU GET IN AN airplane and you start FLYING EAST, YOU WILL ALWAYS FLY EAST. YOU WILL NEVER TOUCH WEST. AND SO THE PSALMIST IS TELLING US SOMETHING WHEN he said as far as THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST. HE IS SAYING YOU CANNOT MEASURE GOD'S LOVE. YOU CANNOT MEASURE GOD'S GRACE. YOU CANNOT MEASURE THE MERCY OF OUR MERCIFUL SAVIOR. YOU CAN'T MEASURE HIS COMPASSION. YOU CANNOT MEASURE WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US. Verse 13 says, "Like as the father pityth his children, so the Lord pityth them that fear him." Verse 14 is what I really want to draw your attention to. For he knoweth our frame, and he rememberth that we are dust. DOES GOD REMEMBER ALL OF MY SIN? DOES GOD REMEMBER ALL OF MY SHAME? DOES GOD REMEMBER ALL OF MY GUILT? WELL, YES. at least until you repent of them all. THEN AT THAT VERY MOMENT WHEN YOU SAY, "GOD, FORGIVE ME AND I REPENT OF MY SINS." AT THAT VERY MOMENT, SOMETHING MIRACULOUS TAKES PLACE. GOD MYSTERIOUSLY AND WILLINGLY FORFEITS A DEGREE OF HIS omniscience because Isaiah 43 and:25 says, "I even I am he that blotth out thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins." There's some things that he remembers, but there's also some things that he does not remember. Hebrews 8:12, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sin and their iniquities will I remember no more. I'm so THANKFUL FOR A GOD. YOU AND I MIGHT REMEMBER WHAT I DID. YOU AND I MIGHT REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID. BUT THERE'S A GOD IN HEAVEN THAT LOVES ME SO MUCH THAT WHEN I FALL ON MY FACE AND I REPENT OF MY SINS, HE DOES NOT REMEMBER THEM EVER AGAIN. GOD GOES WAY BACK WITH HIS REMEMBRANCE. HE SEES YOUR ENTIRE LIFE STORY ALL AT ONCE. AND THE AUTHOR and the finisher of your faith sees those chapters that you and I want hidden. Those chapters that we wish would have never been written. But he doesn't label you according to those chapters in your life. He turns those worn out pages of your LIFE STORY even further BACK TO YOUR INNOCENCE. BACK TO THE BEGINNING, BACK TO THE DUST, BACK TO WHEN HE FEARFULLY and wonderfully formed you IN THE WOMB. GOD REMEMBERS, but he remembers further back. He remembers before the sin. He remembers before the addiction. HE REMEMBERS BEFORE THE HEARTACHE. HE REMEMBERS WHO HE CREATED you to BE AND WHAT HE CREATED YOU TO DO TODAY. And the entire time that we are forgetting him, he was remembering us. When God remembers you, he doesn't want to replace you in his plans. He wants to reinsert you in his plans. When he remembers you, he is a God of restoration and not a god of replacement. Can you imagine that thief on the cross? this newly converted believer the very moment he succumbs to the cruelty of the cross when he closes his eyes in pain and opens them in paradise. I can just see him walking down streets of go pastor and he sees his parents the ones that taught him to how to live right and how to act right do right THE ONES THAT TAUGHT HIM THE TEN commandments which included do not steal thou shalt not steal and I can see his HE'S WALKING TOWARDS THOSE TWO those two precious saints and and they're looking at each other in disbelief and they're shaking their head at their backslitting son saying we never thought we would see you here and the boy walks up to his mom and dad who taught him their his entire life not to live the way he lived. And he looks at them and he says, "I know you didn't think you would see me here. And I didn't think I'd be here either, but let me tell you why. He remembered me." >> HE HE WALKS A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN STREETS OF GOLD AND HE RUNS INTO SOMEBODY THAT HE HAD STOLEN GOLD FROM. AND THE SHOCK AND DISBELIEF OF SEEING SOMEONE THAT HE WRONGED IS VOCALIZED. YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HERE, SIR. YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE HERE IN HEAVEN. BUT THAT EXEVILDOER RESPONDS THROUGH TEARFILLED EYES, I KNOW. I KNOW. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT EITHER. AND WHEN I SAW YOU, I HOPE THAT YOU DIDN'T REMEMBER ME. AND I HOPE YOU DIDN'T REMEMBER WHAT I DID TO YOU, BUT I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE HE REMEMBERED ME. THEN HE FEELS A GENTLE TAP ON HIS SHOULDER. AND AS HE TURNS, A NAIL SCARRED HAND REACHES DOWN AND WIPES THE TEARS FROM HIS EYES. AND WITH A NEWLY FAMILIAR VOICE GENTLY WHIPPERS WHISPERS, "I TOLD YOU THAT TODAY YOU WOULD BE WITH ME IN PARADISE." OH, THANK YOU, JESUS. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR REMEMBERING ME. AND I want to tell you today that when we finally make it, WHEN WE FINALLY GET TO HEAVEN, there's going to be some that are going to feel the same. At least about me, they are. And I'm going to be able to look AT THEM AND SAY, "I'M THANKFUL TO CALL HEAVEN MY HOME. NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING I DID, BUT BECAUSE HE REMEMBERED ME." The old STONE SAYS, "WHEN HE WAS ON THE CROSS, BISHOP, I WAS ON his mind." And there's another way. There's another way this morning of looking at remember me. If you look at the word dismember, dismember is a ferocious word with sick and twisted connotations. It means to disjoint, to cut off limbs of, to pull apart, to break up, to divide, and to mutilate, which are all characteristics of sin, addiction, faults, failures, and mistakes. But what would be the opposite or the antithesis of dismember? If something is disconnected, you reconnect it. IF SOMETHING IS DISLOCATED, you relocate it. So, in my mind, my East Tennessee Blunt County Maraveville trailer trash mine. If something is dismembered, you remember it when you put it BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. REMEMBER WOULD BE THE PUTTING BACK TOGETHER OF WHAT WAS DISMEMBERED. SO, I've come today on this Sunday morning. If you're here and you came spiritually dismembered, you ought to lift your hands. You ought to lift your hearts and you ought TO CRY OUT TO YOUR SAVIOR JUST LIKE the thief on THE CROSS DID AND SIMPLY UTTER THOSE TWO WORDS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE. YOU CAN JUST SAY, "GOD, REMEMBER ME." BECAUSE HE AND HE ALONE CAN REMEMBER YOU. HE AND HE ALONE CAN PUT YOUR LIFE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. THAT'S WHY THE PSALMIST SAYS IN PSALMS 147 AND 3, HE HEALTH THE BROKEN IN HEART AND BINDETH UP THEIR WOUNDS. THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID in Luke 4:18, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME BECAUSE HE HATH ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED. HE CAME TO REMEMBER SOME DISMEMBERED PEOPLE. HE CAME TO PUT THE PIECES BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. >> And the reing thief is dying in his sin. The repented thief is dying to his sin. And Jesus is dying for all of humanity sin. And you know what? Really this morning, you and I only have one of two options here today. You can be like the one thief. You can deny him and deny who he is. You can get angry. You can get offended. And you can get bitter. And you can speak from hate. And you can say, "If you really are God, if you're really who that preacher says you are, WHY DON'T YOU SAVE ME? WHY AM I IN THE MESS THAT I'M IN TODAY? IF YOU'RE REALLY GOD AND YOU'RE A GOD OF LOVE AND A GOD OF GRACE AND A GOD OF MERCY, WHY AM I STRUGGLING, GOD? WHY DID YOU LET THAT BAD THING HAPPEN TO ME? WHY DID YOU LET THAT HAPPEN TO MY MARRIAGE? Why did you let that happen TO MY CHILD? WHY ARE YOU letting me go through all THESE HEALTH PROBLEMS? IF YOU'RE REALLY WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE, YOU OUGHT TO SAVE ME TODAY, GOD. Or you could be like the other thief, the repented believer, and you can admit who you are, and you can admit that you need him, and you can speak from your heart instead of from your hate. And you can just say, "Remember me." When my marriage is a mess, remember me. When I receive a bad doctor's report, remember me. When my children are backslid, remember me. When the bills are due and I just lost my job or I JUST GOT LAID off from my job, remember me when my heart is broken. Remember me when I feel hopeless and confused. Remember me WHENEVER I'M SICK IN MY BODY. REMEMBER me when I'm battling anxiety and depression. Remember me WHEN I'M HAVING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. REMEMBER ME WHEN I'M LOST IN THE STRUGGLE OF MY SIN. REMEMBER ME WHEN I'M FIGHTING MY PAST THAT HAUNTS ME DAILY. REMEMBER ME WHEN I'M LOSING THE BATTLE WITH MY ADDICTIONS. REMEMBER ME. I wish we would just stand to our feet today all across this house and we would lift both hands heavenly and lift your hearts to this risen savior that I'm preaching about and simply just utter those two words. Remember me. Remember me. Remember me. OH LORD MY GOD. PLEASE remember me. JESUS CHRIST MY SAVIOR. I need you to remember me. There is hope here for you today. There is healing here for you today. There is deliverance for you here today. There is salvation in this place for you right now. All you have to do is ask YOUR SAVIOR. JUST LIKE THE thief on the cross did. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK HIM, "REMEMBER ME, GOD." And he is a God that is faithful to remember you. As every head is bowed, every eyes closed all across this house. If you're here and you're in need of a savior, I challenge you to step out of your seat and walk down to this front. You can kneel, you can stand, you can do whatever you feel comfortable doing. But I challenge you to just come down and say, "Jesus, remember me. I need you, God. I'm struggling, God. I'm bound, God. I'm sick, God. My marriage is a mess, God. My family is a mess, God. My finances are a mess. I need you to remember me. Come on. That's all you got to say today. I reme remember me, God. And he is faithful. He is faithful to remember. It won't be long before you'll feel those arms wrap around you. IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE YOU FEEL THAT HOLY SPIRIT COME UPON YOU. And he'll begin remembering you. He'll begin putting YOU BACK TO PIECES, back together again. HE'LL BEGIN WORKING LIKE ONLY HE CAN WORK. Come on. Those two words are powerful today. Remember me. Remember me, savior. Remember me, Lord. Remember me, healer. Remember me, deliverer. Remember me.