A Second Chance

SUBJECT: A SECOND CHANCE

SCRIPTURE: JOHN 21:15-17

THIS PAST TUESDAY I AWOKE TO THE BREAKING NEWS STORY CENTERED AROUND MISS UNIVERSE TARA (TEAR-RA) CONNERS WHO IN THE MIDST OF BEING ACCUSED OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR, BAD CHOICES, WILD PARTYING, SEXUAL PROMISCUITY, HEAVY DRINKING, ALLEGED DRUG USAGE, AND DEALING WITH PERSONAL DEMONS WAS EXPECTED TO BE TERMINATED FROM HER POST AS MISS UNIVERSE BY MEDIA ONLY TO BE STUNNED IN AN INTERVIEW WITH DONALD TRUMP THE CO-OWNER OF THE MISS USA PAGEANT, WHO INSTEAD OF DECLARING “MISS TARA CONNERS YOU ARE FIRED”, INSTEAD DECLARED YOU WILL BE GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE. STUNNED THAT TRUMP HAD GIVEN TARA A SECOND CHANCE, THE QUESTION OF WHY WAS POSED TO TRUMP IN WHICH DONALD TRUMP REPLIED TARA HAS A GREAT HEART, IS A GOOD PERSON, MADE A MISTAKE, BUT DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE.

A SECOND CHANCE, WHAT MANY OF US CRY FOR WHEN WE HAVE FALLEN AND FAILED GOD. A SECOND CHANCE WHAT GOD WAS WILLING TO GIVE PETER WHO WITHOUT A DOUBT LOVED GOD, BUT FAIL VICTIM TO BEING SIFTED BY SATAN EVERY NOW/THEN AS JESUS PROPHESIED WOULD OCCUR IN LUKE 22:31-32. SIMON CALLED PETER AS LEADER OF THE DISCIPLES REPRESENTS THE DUAL NATURE WITHIN ALL OF US.

THE USAGE OF PETER/SIMON REFERS TO THE ONGOING BATTLE BETWEEN THE NATURAL MAN AND THE SPIRITUAL MAN. JOHN MACARTHUR WRITES “PETER WAS EXACTLY LIKE MOST CHRISTIANS, BOTH CARNAL AND SPIRITUAL. HE SUCCUMBED TO THE HABITS OF THE FLESH SOMETIMES, HE FUNCTIONED IN THE SPIRIT OTHER TIMES. HE WAS SINFUL SOMETIMES, BUT OTHER TIMES HE ACTED THE WAY A RIGHTEOUS MAN OUGHT TO ACT.”

SIMON – SECULAR, CARNAL, NATURAL MAN

WHO WAS DRAWN – PAST, OCCASIONALLY REVERTED – FAMILIAR, OLD NATURE, OLD ATTITUDE, FORMER WAY OF ACTING.

FISHERMEN . . . (JOHN 21 – POST-RESURRECTION)

TALK WITHOUT THINKING

BRASH, VACILLATED AT TIMES, UNDEPENDABLE, MADE PROMISES HE COULD NOT – DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH ON, DOUBLE-MINDED, JAMES 1:8 – UNSTABLE, IMPETUOUS, IMPULSIVE, OVEREAGER, SKEPTICAL, RELUCTANT, IMPATIENT, UNSUBMISSIVE.

MARK 14:37-38 “THE SPIRIT IS WILLING (PETER), BUT YOUR FLESH (SIMON) IS WEAK.”

PETER – SPIRITUAL MAN, ROCK - GREEK, CEPHAS – ARAMAIC

PETER – WHO JESUS SAW HIM AS; POTENTIAL FACTOR . . .

LEADER/SPOKESMAN, INVITED INTO JESUS . . .

MT. OF TRANSFIGURATION / GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

POSSESSED THE RIGHT MATERIAL – THE GOD-GIVEN FABRIC OF LEADERSHIP WOVEN INTO HIS PERSONALITY FROM THE BEGINNING.

INQUISITIVE

LOTS OF QUESTIONS, CURIOUS, HUNGRY FOR ANSWERS

ASKED THE LORD

HOW MANY TIMES – FORGIVE

WHAT REWARD DISCIPLES . . .

INITIATIVE – DRIVE, ENERGY, AMBITION,

WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?

INVOLVED

POSSESSED THE RIGHT LIFE EXPERIENCE

UPS/DOWNS, ZIGS/ZAGS, CRUSHING DEFEAT, DEEP HUMILIATION . . .

POSSESSED THE RIGHT CHARACTER

INTEGRITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS, RESPECTABILITY, UNSELFISH, HUMBLE, SELF-DISCIPLINE, SELF-CONTROL, COURAGE, EAGER, AGGRESSIVE, BOLD, OUTSPOKEN, DOMINANT PERSONALITY, SUBMISSIVE, CONFIDENT, MODERATE, RESERVED AT TIMES, LOVING, PEOPLE ORIENTED, COMPASSIONATE . . .

II PETER 1:1 “SERVANT OF CHRIST, APOSTLE’

PETER – SIMON, SIMON –PETER – A DUAL NATURE AND IT WAS THE PETER THAT JESUS HOPED WOULD WIN OUT AGAINST THE SIMON.

LUKE 22 – BACKDROP OF OUR TEXT THIS MORNING.

LUKE 22

JESUS – PETER – SATAN – DESIRES TO SIFT YOU AS WHEAT . . .

SATAN WANTS TO SHAKE YOU . . .

I HAVE PRAYED FOR YOU . . .

PETER WOULD BE SHAKEN, HE WOULD DENY CHRIST, HIS EGO WOULD BE DEFLATED, HIS CONFIDENCE ANNIHILATED, HIS PRIDE SUFFERED, HIS FAITH