God of Second Chances 9/12/2021

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The God of Second Chances

Background: Jesus has been crucified. His body lay in a borrowed tomb. A group arrives with the intention of preparing Him for burial to find that the stone has been rolled away. His body missing. They find an angel who carries for them a message.

Mark 16:6–7 NKJV

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

This angel says go tell all the disciples and Peter to go to Galilee, there you will see Jesus. Be sure to tell Peter. Why was Peter singled out?

Because Peter needed to know that he had another opportunity. Jesus is the God of second chances.

Remember back in Mark 14 Jesus tells them all they will stumble because of Him. But Peter says every one else might, but not me.

Mark 14:29–31 NKJV

29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” 30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” 31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.

Peter denied Him three times. Even changed the way he acted and spoke to conceal his relationship with Jesus. We could say Peter failed three times.

It’s not how many times you fail… It’s how many opportunities God gives you to not fail.

Peter failed three times, yet with all of that. God sent a message for Him. Be sure and tell Peter to come. You may have failed. God has a message for you. He is not done with you. He is alive, He’s still working and He wants to see you.

Peter failed me three times, but be sure you get the message. It can feel like God singles us out sometimes. But He singles you out, not to embarrass you. But to give you a message that He has a plan for your life.

Peter said even if I have to die for you I won’t stumble. I have no doubt that Peter meant what he was saying. But we also know that there was a flaw in Peter’s faith.

He said it with zeal.

He was sincere.

Flaw was that his faith was based in self His own ability.

Reminds me of:

1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

You may not have confidence in yourself. But you can have faith in a great God. Just a little faith in a great big God can cause miracles.

We know that Judas went and hung himself. He committed suicide because he had lost hope. Judas’ failure was not final until he lost hope. God would have had the same message for him. Be sure to tell Judas to come to Galilee. It could have turned out different.

Peter’s failure was not final. God sent a message for Him.

What if Peter does not respond?

What if he ignores the call to go?

He would never be restored. Your failure is not final as long as you have hope in God.

With life there can be seeds of failure in our greatest success. With the Lord there can be seeds of success in our greatest failure.

God has a clear message… you may have failed, may have failed more than once. But there is hope in Jesus, He is not done with you, and He has provided a way.

His way is to call you to himself… we call it conviction. You know Peter had to think about how this meeting in Galilee would go when he was face to face with Jesus.

At first Peter didn’t even believe what was being told.

Luke 24:10–12 NKJV

10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

You know Peter had to think about how he failed when he heard that Jesus wanted to see him.

But that’s the way it is… When we have failed and the Lord sends for us to meet with him we feel that failure. It is called conviction. The Lord’s call for us to come to him always includes conviction over sin and failure.

Many people try to hide their failure from the Lord… it’s one of the first principles in the Bible.

Adam and Eve sin, and when God comes to them in the garden they try to hide. But nothing is hidden from God. He knows all our sins, and all our failures.

Even knowing our sins, He gives us a way to be right.

It is called repentance. Repentance means to turn around, turn away from the direction we are going and turn to God.

Peter repented.

First he went to where the Lord had called for him to come. He met Jesus in Galilee.

Then when Jesus told him to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4–5 NKJV

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Peter went and waited with the others until they were all baptized with the Holy Spirit speaking in other tongues or languages not known to them… it all happens in Acts 2.

This time when a person who sees what is happening says they must be drunk. Instead of denying… Peter stands up with boldness.

Acts 2:13–16 NKJV

13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

We can see that Peter repented and was given the promise of the Holy Spirit. The next time he could have failed, he was empowered by God to be bold.

It all happened because when he failed. The Lord called for him to come and Peter responded...

That is how it is, we fail and the Lord calls us with conviction and a promise… Why? Because He is the God of second chances… will we respond? Will we repent? Will we go to the Lord or will we try to hide?