Second Chance
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro
Last week we learned that the Resurrection Changes Everything. It’s the most pivotal historical event… ever.
We also saw that because of Jesus resurrection, we get a 2nd chance. Anybody besides me glad for a 2nd chance?
Everyone loves a 2nd chance.
Has anyone ever done poorly on a test, and the teacher announced a retake? I wish. My French teacher gave us a retake on a test that I passed the 1st time…
Maybe you tried something at work, and the boss said, let’s try that again. You got a retake.
Or the Saint’s don’t convert on 4th and 1 but the ref throws the flag and they get a replay. We know that hardly ever happens but it’s nice when it does.
Most people would like to have a 2nd chance when it comes to restoring broken relationships, finding the right person to date or marry, selecting a career, pursuing their dreams, getting the most out of life or following God’s Will for their life…
In the next few weeks, we will focus on 2nd chances to: Fulfill your dreams … make life count … follow God’s will.
So I hope that you will come back as we look at 2nd chances.
The Easter Story is about people experiencing second chances.
The Easter Story is about people experiencing second chances.
Let me review for a minute. Everyone knows and believes a man named Jesus from Nazareth died on a Roman Cross at the end of His life… crucified between two thieves. That is an irrefutable fact no one can argue with.
What everyone doesn’t believe is that Jesus rose from the dead on the 3rd day following his crucifixition.
Simon Greenleaf, Royal Professor of Law at Harvard said there was more evidence for the resurrection than for any court conviction in our history.
Let’s look at some reasons to believe the resurrection was true real quick.
We know that Jesus rose from the grave because of the:
We know that Jesus rose from the grave because of the:
Empty tomb
Empty tomb
On the 3rd day they discovered the tomb was empty. A Roman guard had been there to make sure it was secure. A guard was 4 to 16 soldiers. When the Roman Guards reported it to the Jewish Leaders, they did not refute the resurrection, but decided to make up lies about it… none of which panned out.
Great Number of witnesses to His resurrection.
Great Number of witnesses to His resurrection.
Over 10 different times over a period of 40 days, Jesus met with people who observed Him in His resurrected state. At one time over 500 people met with him.
The transformation that took place in the lives of the disciples.
The transformation that took place in the lives of the disciples.
Prior to his resurrection, the disciples of Jesus were fleeing like cowards. But after meeting with Jesus, they re-engaged with the mission and message of the Gospel. All but one died the death of a Martyr except John whom they tired to kill. No one would die for a lie.
Faith and growth of the early church.
Faith and growth of the early church.
Secular scholars have said that the only reason the Christian church grew so rapidly and powerfully is because the early disciples really believed Jesus had risen from the grave.
The Impact He has made on all of history.
The Impact He has made on all of history.
No other person has impacted the world Like Jesus has done. Other great religious, educational, business and political figures have come and gone, but Jesus is still impacting the world. In His name hospitals, schools, colleges, & orphanages have been built all over the world.
The calendar is B/C and A/D.
Here is what we want to see today…
Jesus is still transforming lives, circumstances and relationships today.
Jesus is still transforming lives, circumstances and relationships today.
There are many people here at River Church who have had their lives changed in positive ways because we have met Jesus. If you were here Wednesday, three TC guys shared their stories of how God is changing them.
The transformation that Jesus brings gives us a chance to change the world. Here is Mark’s account of what we celebrated last week.
1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. 5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
1. Jesus offers 2nd chances for people who are hurting.
1. Jesus offers 2nd chances for people who are hurting.
In this text you see three women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome who came to prepare Jesus body for burial in the Jewish custom… as we learned last week, to stay dead.
Because Jesus had died in the hours just before the Jewish Sabbath, a time when no one could do anything but focus on God and family, these women were utilizing their first opportunity during the daytime to come and properly prepare Jesus’ body for burial.
We don’t know much about Salome, possibly the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John, and Mary the mother of Jesus, but we do know a little about Mary Magdalene.
Mary appears in the Gospels as a person who had been delivered of demonic possession. After that experience she became a faithful follower of Jesus (not a lover of Jesus).
Mary Magdalene had been rescued from a dysfunctional, depraved and defeated life by Jesus and had become a faithful follower of the Lord.
Mary Magdalene had been rescued from a dysfunctional, depraved and defeated life by Jesus and had become a faithful follower of the Lord.
Someone once said,
“Those who have been forgiven most by the Lord seem to love Him the most.”
“Those who have been forgiven most by the Lord seem to love Him the most.”
That was certainly true in the case of Mary Magdalene. She was there when Jesus was crucified and when they transported the body of Jesus to the tomb. And she was there on that first Easter morning to anoint him and to grieve …
When I think about Mary Magdalene, I think about the fact that she was someone who had so many failures in her life she had been ostracized by society. She would be like a prostitute in our day & time or a drug addict or an alcoholic. She was the type of person that people would say about her, “What a pitiful human being … what a loser. There is really no hope for her.”
Sometimes we think that way about people that we know and people we’ve met. We think, “There is no hope. But
There is always hope with Jesus.
There is always hope with Jesus.
Paul said it this way… 2 CO 5:17
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Do you have anyone in your life that you’ve lost hope for? Someone who has made bad decision after another and failed and fallen many times over in life? Just like Jesus changed Mary Magdalene, He can change the hopeless and helpless people you know as well. If you are feeling helpless and hopeless, He can change you too.
Mary and the other women came to Jesus’ tomb struggling with grief.
Mary and the other women came to Jesus’ tomb struggling with grief.
Look what John said about Mary…
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
Can you imagine the grief Mary was feeling? All of her hopes and dreams had been shattered at Jesus death, and now she could not even grieve his passing because his body had been removed.
Maybe you are here today and you are grieving… maybe as a result of …
Despair - because dreams or hopes have been crushed.
Disabilities - that hinder your ability to enjoy life.
Division - between former friends and loved ones… which you leaves you feeling hurt and bitter.
Divorce - which brings on strife and loneliness.
Death - Anguish and sorry… loneliness
We have all experienced tragedy and sorrow that leads to grief in our lives. (Grief Group) We all will experience it.
Grief often robs people of joy, peace, and hope in their lives.
Grief often robs people of joy, peace, and hope in their lives.
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
What does this passage teach us?
When we are hurting, we need to encounter Jesus because He will drive away our sorrow and fill us with hope and joy.
When we are hurting, we need to encounter Jesus because He will drive away our sorrow and fill us with hope and joy.
3 Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Please, Lord, save me!” 5 How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! 6 The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. 7 Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. 8 He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. 9 And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth!
20 Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.
If you are struggling today with grief, you need to have a life changing encounter with Jesus.
2. Jesus offers 2nd chances for people who are struggling.
2. Jesus offers 2nd chances for people who are struggling.
7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
Why did Jesus say including Peter? Because…
The disciples were struggling with anxiety and fear.
The disciples were struggling with anxiety and fear.
In the Gospel of John, we see that the disciples had hidden behind closed doors. They were afraid that the same people that killed Jesus would find and kill them too. Now Jesus’ body was missing and that scared them even more because they were afraid they would be blamed. The doors were bolted, the windows were locked, and they were talking in hushed tones. Can you imagine?
Then they heard from Mary that Jesus had risen from the grave… and suddenly the atmosphere changed… They were not afraid any longer.
Do you ever struggle with fear?
Over 700 kinds of phobias. Acrophobia / Claustrophobia / Ergophoia (work) / Ablutophobia (washing/bathing) Anuptaphobia (staying single) / Arachno-phobia (spiders) / Aviophobia (flying) / Cibophobia (food) / Didaskaleino-phobia (going to school) / Ecclessiophobia (church) / Homilophobia (sermons) / Mageirocophobia (cooking) / Pentheraphobia (mother-in-law) / Triskadekaphobia (#13 - All kinds of phobias …
Fear is a terrible thing. Someone once said,
“Fear makes the wolf bigger than he really is…”
“Fear makes the wolf bigger than he really is…”
Struggling with fear can cause us to lose friends… lose our health… lose our wealth… Lose our jobs… our sanity…
Maybe you have been discouraged, dominated and defeated by fear and worry.
Worry and fear robs us of joy, peace, faith, and hope in our lives.
Worry and fear robs us of joy, peace, faith, and hope in our lives.
Ask yourself,
What causes me to be anxious or fearful in life?
What causes me to be anxious or fearful in life?
Think about that as we look at What Paul tells us to do with anxiety and fear.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
The disciples were struggling to discover purpose for their lives.
The disciples were struggling to discover purpose for their lives.
They had given up everything to follow Jesus, but Jesus died and because of that, they didn’t know what to do with their lives. Maybe you have felt that way at one time or another. There were a lot of people in the Bible who felt like their lives had no purpose.
Jeremiah said Jeremiah 20:18 “Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame.”
Isaiah said Isaiah 49:4 “… my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose….
Maybe someone here today feels like your life has no purpose. They may wonder, Why am I here? What am I supposed to do with my life? Does my life have any real meaning.
Ladies driving 22 mph on hwy – 5 old ladies (wide-eyed/white as a sheet) – Stopped by a police officer – “I was doing the speed limit, what’s the problem?” – “22 is the route # - “Are the other ladies okay?” – “Yes, we just got off of Route 119”
Point - If you don’t know something’s purpose, it’s likely to missed or miss used. If you want to know why so many people feel like they are missing out on making a difference? They don’t know their purpose in life. The only way to know the purpose for something is to read the owners manual. We have the owenres manuel right here.
When we are struggling to have peace and purpose in our lives, we need to rely on the promises of the Lord.
When we are struggling to have peace and purpose in our lives, we need to rely on the promises of the Lord.
1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
If you are struggling with worry, anxiety or lack of purpose, you need to have a life changing encounter with Jesus.
3. Jesus offers 2nd Chances for People who are failing.
3. Jesus offers 2nd Chances for People who are failing.
We will all fail at some point in our lives.
Peter struggled with the fact that He has failed Jesus big time.
Peter struggled with the fact that He has failed Jesus big time.
Jesus had warned him that he would do so but Peter denied that he would.
31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” 33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
While Jesus was being tried and beaten, Peter denied Jesus three times.
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said. 73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.” 74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
Peter went away crying because He had failed the Lord, and he felt like a failure.
Have you ever felt like a failure?
Everyone has experienced the agony of defeat in their lives and felt like a failure. Some have failed in
Business / Career - Maybe you have been fired from a job… invested in a business working hard, but it failed… You felt like a failure.
School - Maybe you didn’t do well in school or testing and dropped out… didn’t complete your education and you feel like a failure.
Parenting - Maybe you determined to be a good parent, but when you look at your kids you feel like a failure.
Marriage - You may have been on top of the world at one point… then the agony of divorce comes into your life.
Christian Walk / Life - All of us have at one time or another failed as Christians… fallen away for a bit … makd some terrible mistakes…
We have all experienced failure in our lives and have felt like failures.
Failure robs us of joy, peace, faith and hope in our lives.
Failure robs us of joy, peace, faith and hope in our lives.
What failures in my life have hindered my relationships with God and others?
What failures in my life have hindered my relationships with God and others?
We need to understand that failure is not final. That God can and will use our failures to make us better and stronger individuals and greater blessings to others in the future.
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
That means that regardless of how we’ve failed in life, God can turn it around and use our failures for our good, for the good of others and for God’s glory.
Failures are not people who fall down, but those who won’t get up and get going after the fall.
Failures are not people who fall down, but those who won’t get up and get going after the fall.
Joke - Casey Stengel – Yankees & Met’s Manager – Rookie right fielder missing every ground ball & every fly ball. “Let me show you how to play right field.” Stengel missed every ground ball & fly ball. As he ran into the infield Stengel said to the rookie, “You’ve messed up right field so much that no one can play it anymore
Neither you nor anyone else has messed up your life so much that you can’t overcome those failures. Peter tells us and shows us…
You can overcome failure in your lives when you rely of the power of God.
You can overcome failure in your lives when you rely of the power of God.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Shortly after meeting with Jesus by the Sea of Galilee (John 21), and after experiencing the empowering of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), Peter bounced back from his failures. He stood before the same people in Jerusalem that he had cowered before in the Courtyard, and preached a great message about the Lordship of Jesus.
Remember, in the Courtyard, Peter had denied that he knew Jesus Christ, but on the Day of Pentecost he stood before the people and said, So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!"(Acts 2:36) And on that day Peter was able to lead 3000 people to receive Jesus as their Savior and the Christian Church was birthed.
Listen; just like Peter was able to bounce back from his failures, we can bounce back from our failures when we learn to rely on the power of the Lord in our lives.
Mary Magdalene, Peter and the other Disciples had their circumstances, relationships and lives turned around as a result of receiving a Second Chance from the Lord, and so can we.
Mary Magdalene, Peter and the other Disciples had their circumstances, relationships and lives turned around as a result of receiving a Second Chance from the Lord, and so can we.
Another person who experienced a 2nd Chance as a result of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus was Barabbas.
We don’t know what happened to Barabbas. We don’t know if he took advantage of his 2nd chance. If he did, then he was able to experience the forgiveness, freedom, fulfillment of the Lord and the future of heaven like many people here at River Church have experienced. If he didn’t, he will spend eternity apart from God and the purposes and plans that the Lord had for his life.
What am I going to do with the 2nd chance the Lord is offering me today?
What am I going to do with the 2nd chance the Lord is offering me today?
Altar time
Maybe something in this message has touched you today…
Hurting … lost a loved one… lost hope…
Struggling … anxiety, fear or worry; Purpose – why am I here?
Failed … marriage; parenting; school; career; to follow Christ, as you wanted to…
Salvation –
Many of you here have received Jesus, as your Lord and Savior and you know that you will go to heaven because you have personally experienced a personal relationship with Jesus in your life – raise your hand. If you could not raise your hand, God wants you to know that today; you can experience peace with God through Jesus.
(Pray)
