A Second Chance God
2 Chronicles 33:1-11 Luke 22:31-33 Mark 14:66-72
Have you ever tried something and failed really bad at it? Failure is rarely a reason to give up and quit. We just finished listening to a zillion campaign commercials. Among the candidates who lost are candidates who will one day become great political figures. Among the candidates who won, are many who lost several times before they finally were elected.
Let me tell you of one candidate you know about. Imagine, how easy it would have been for this young man to have bowed his head and given up. He failed in business in ’31, he was defeated for the legislature in ’32, he was elected to the legislature in ’34. His sweetheart died in ’35, he had a nervous breakdown in ’36, he was defeated for speaker in ’38, he was defeated for elector in ’40, he was defeated for Congress in ’43, he was elected to Congress in ’46, defeated for Congress in ’48, defeated for Senate in ’50, defeated for vice president in ’56 and for Senate in ’58. But fortunately he was elected president in 1860. His name was Abraham Lincoln. He proves that failure need not be permanent.
We like to think that success is based on one victory after another, but even in the sports world, we know that simply is not true. Hank Aaron, the African American who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record, struck out more times than 99% of the players who make it to the major league. Yet we do not remember him for the strike outs, just the home runs. He was of the belief after each strike out, if I just get another chance, I’ll hit a home run.
Everybody who finds their way to Jesus Christ, comes with the realization somewhere along the line, they failed miserably in their relationship to God. They come to God, not with a bold list of demands, but in a humble spirit in need of a second chance. I do not fully understand where we got the image of God being an old angry man with a long beard ready to zap us from out of space for each error we make, but it did not come from the Bible.
For the bible informs me that our God is a Second chance God. He took a murderer by the name of Moses, and turn him into a great national and spiritual leader. He took a liar and deceiver by the name of Jacob, and made him the cornerstone of a nation. He took an adulterer and murderer like David, and used him to write many of the Psalms to strengthen and encourage the people of God. He took a woman who had been married and divorced five times and was now living with a sixth man and turned her into the first evangelist to go into Samaria. He took some of us, who know what we were, and turned us into to what we are becoming today.
In our Old Testament reading, we met King Manassah. Manassah had the opportunity to have the greatest impact on the nation of Judah because hew was the longest reigning king. He ruled for 55 years. His father had been a king who loved the Lord and did a lot in leading the nation back to serving God.
As soon as Manassah got the opportunity, he undid everything his father had spiritually tried to do for the nation. Manassah spent most of his 55 years doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. He worshiped idols, tried talking to dead people through witches and sorcerers, he sacrificed his sons as human offerings to idols, he put to death innocent people who challenged what he was doing. The account of Manassah in 2 Kings tells us he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. Tradition tells us he had the prophet Isaiah sawn in half.
Manassah was full of pride. He did not have to answer to anyone. He did not apologize to anyone for anything he did. He could care less about God. But one day, God decided enough was enough. God sent the King of Assyria to invade Jerusalem. Manassah was captured, and they put a hook in his nose and chains on his hands and feet and led him away as though he was some wild animal.
This former king was thrown into some Assyrian prison. All the riches and power of which he had boasted now meant absolutely nothing. None of the many idols he had made and created could do much to help him. His situation was hopeless, and he was helpless.
How many Manassah’s are with us today, who are just waiting for some circumstance in life to come and humble them. Oh you may be on top now, and the future may look bright, and you see no need of God in your life. But God is going to send an Assyrian king into your life, because God hates pride and he will bring down all those who are proud of heart. But God’s purpose in humbling us, is to bring us to our senses that we might make a change.
It was in the dark of the prison, that Manassah remembered, that the God of Israel, was a second chance God. This murderous, lying, abuser of people, had the audacity to think God that if he humbled himself, God just might here his prayer. I’m amazed at the people who do not understand how big the heart of God is. They actually believe they have done something so bad, that God could not possible love or forgive them. My friend when this evil man humbled himself before God, God had a plan for his Life.
The Scriptures tell us in 2 Chron 33:12-14 2 In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.
A person’s whose life had been a complete moral and spiritual disaster, got a second chance from a second chance God and he spent the rest of his life attempting to lead his people back to God. There’s not a soul here who can go back into the past and change what was said or what was done, but all of us have the opportunity in God to make a positive difference in what takes place from here on out. So what if you’ve blown it for the past two years, past twenty years, or past 40 years. You don’t have to end up that way.
Somewhere we as Christians picked up the silly notion that once we give our hearts to the Lord, we will not require a second chance from God. We’re going to take the ball of our spiritual lives and head for the end zone. Do you know why they have a rule about first and ten in football? The goal in football is to score a touchdown. But people realize, most of the plays will not end up in a touchdown and even four plays in a row will not always lead to a touchdown. So they instituted the rule, if you can move the ball 10 yards in four plays, you can start all over again with four new chances of reaching the goal of getting a touchdown.
Too often as Christians, we want to score a spiritual touchdown everyday instead of picking up first downs. For instance, Today "I’m going to be the best Christian Husband the World Has Ever Known." Well, my wife would rather I just pick up some first downs by thanking her for the things she did for me and the family, by being kind in the way I speak to her, and by encouraging her with compliments. How could you pick up first downs as a parent, as a child, as a student, as a wife, as a friend, or as a believer. You see all of us are going to fail at times? But what’s more important after failure, is not the failure, but what happens after the failure.
Somebody lied to a lot of us one day and said, if you just come to Jesus, your life will be so full of joy and your problems will be gone at the sound of a prayer. You can rebuke pain, sickness, and hard times in the name of Jesus and claim health, wealth, and prosperity. If you come to Jesus you can get everything the world has and go to heaven as well. In this mindset, God is a simply a second chance God to make you rich through a spiritual shortcut. But the bible says, "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer tribulations." It also says, "we rejoice in our suffering knowing that they produce patience." Jesus said, "in me you will have peace for in the world you will have tribulations."
Before Jesus left this world, he knew that all of us would at times fail spiritually and would be in need of a second chance. When Jesus told Peter, in Luke 22:31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.", Jesus was not just issuing a warning to just Peter but to all of his disciples. The word you is plural, which means Satan wants to tempt all of Jesus’ disciples. The word asked in the verse, is the word which means to beg for something. Jesus pictured Satan as begging God for permission to trip up the disciples.
The word sift means to shake. Satan wanted permission from God to shake the disciples in order to prove they were not genuine. Satan’s primary purpose in temptation is to disgrace and cut the heart of God. Satan believes the moment God takes away the sense of His presence and His blessings, the average believer will not put up with trials and will turn away from God.
We get to saying, "well I don’t see what I’m getting out of being true to God." That’s the statement that sets all the demons rejoicing because it proves, the person did not love God for God Himself, nor does the person love Christ because of what Christ has done for him or her, but rather the person was in it for what he or she could get out of God. It’s like the man who marries the woman for her money, what happens when the money stops flowing.
So Jesus knows everyone here today is going to experience some shaking. The greater your walk with the Lord, the more intense the shaking will probably be. But Jesus did not stop there. He went on to say, in Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
One thing we have in our favor, is that nothing we do catches God by surprise. Jesus is praying for us. Another thing which is encouraging, is that Jesus does not consider failures along the way, as a failure of our faith. He prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail, knowing full well Peter would soon be making a major blunder. Jesus is saying, "Yes, I know you’re going to really blow it, but after you have, simply turn back and strengthen everybody else."
Mark tells us that Jesus also said, "You will all fall away for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered." This was the last night Jesus was going to be with the disciples. The guards were on their way in search of him to arrest him and put him to death. So when Jesus says this, he has the utmost look of seriousness on his face.
Peter could see the pain and hurt in Jesus’ eyes and told him, "Lord I am ready to go with you to prison and to death. Even if all fall away, I will not." Peter made his statement with such boldness and conviction. But regardless of how admirable the intent of the statement it must fail for two reasons. The first reason is that it contradicts what Jesus has said. No amount of faith or belief, can undo the word of God. Jesus said, "all of you will desert me." Peter says, "all but one Lord. I’m the exception. That cannot possibly happen to me. "
The second reason the statement must fail is that even the strongest believer has weaknesses. Sin is a reality we must all face. No amount of faith or love for Jesus can make us immune to failure or guarantee that we will not sin. It is only when we depend on God with a recognition, "Lord I know I can not handle this by myself" that we will keep from disowning Jesus by some word or deed.
Jesus had tried to tell Peter," you need to know I’m a Second Chance God. " Jesus says "Look, "Peter before the rooster crows twice tonight you yourself will disown me." Peter just couldn’t see it. Deny Jesus! No Way Possible!
Peter wanted to insist that He fully understood Jesus, Jesus’ Mission, and Jesus’ purpose, and he, Peter would be there to the very end standing by his side. Peter truly meant what He said. When the Romans soldiers came to arrest Jesus, the disciples were outnumbered. When they seized Jesus and arrested him, Peter must have thought, well it’s time to put up or shut up. I said, "I’d die and go to jail for Him, so here it is."
Peter pulled out his sword, and started the battle to free Jesus. He swished his sword and struck, Malchus , the servant of the high priest. He cut the guy’s right ear off right off. But instead of hearing "a way to go to Peter from Jesus", Peter heard, "put away your sword, if I needed help, I’ve got 72,00 angles at my disposal." Jesus, just again to show to the world, He’s the God of the second chance, reaches over to Malchus who came to arrest him, and healed his ear. Now that’s what I call being too ready to help somebody get back on the right track.
At this point Jesus’ words were fulfilled and all of them took off and deserted him. Peter found out, he did not understand Jesus as well as he had first thought. He was not sure of what Jesus was trying to accomplish. He had been willing to lay down his life for Him, and Jesus had shown no appreciation for it whatsoever.
My friends, there is a danger in thinking we are smart enough to fully understand God and God’s ways. Even God’s ways in our own lives. God is at work in ways we do not see, ways we do not understand, and ways in which we cannot know. Yet I know, when failure or disaster, or unexpected losses come into our lives, our lives are not over. God is a Second chance God, and we can go on.
Peter did not think Satan could sift him as hard as he did, but Satan did and it left him ready to walk away from Jesus. Just hours before, he was one of the most committed and devoted followers of Jesus Christ. But a fall can come so quickly in our lives if we are not careful. Peter followed Jesus at a distance to see what would happen to him.
While he was sitting there in the courtyard trying to blend in with crowd a servant girl came up to him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee." Peter tried to shrug it off by saying, "Who, me. I don’t know what you’re talking about." Before anyone else could question him, Peter got up and walked to the entranceway to the courtyard. For the first time in at least four years, Peter denies ever being with Jesus.
Once he got to the entrance and stood there, another young lady saw him and said, "Hey this fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. I recognize him as one of the twelve." Who knows perhaps she was there when Peter helped Jesus feed the 5,000 or when Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead, or when Peter came down from the mountain top with Jesus. But again Peter tried to fake it by saying, "I don’t know the man." I find it interesting he didn’t say, I don’t know Jesus.
But Peter made a deadly mistake. He kept running his mouth. Trying to be one of the guys. In running his mouth, he gave away his Galilean accent. It’s like somebody from the south coming up north and started to speak. The words are the same, but they don’t quite sound the same. A group of fellows came over to Peter and they said, "Hey, you really were of them because your accent gives you away. You sound Galilean.
When confronted with this new evidence, "Peter went to the shout and yell rule." If you don’t have truth on your side, shout and yell loudly and somebody might believe you or leave you alone. Peter yelled out again, "I don’t know the man" and began to call curses down on himself. Curses such as, "If I know anything about him, let God put me to death right now for being a liar." While he was in the middle of pronoucing another curse on himself, a rooster crowed a second time.
Peter instantly remembered Jesus’ words, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. In that split moment of recognition, Peter looked at Jesus, and noticed that Jesus was looking back at him. Peter was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow and left out weeping bitterly. When Jesus took time to look over there at Peter, "Jesus was not looking with a "Ha, I told you so," but rather I believer he was saying to Peter, remember to turn back and strengthen your brothers. Remember, I’m the God of the second chance.
Two disciples were in great tears and remorse that night. Judas felt bad about having betrayed Christ. He tried to fix his situation by giving the money back which he had been paid. But because, his heart was not right even while following Jesus, he didn’t understand Jesus had come to give people a second chance. In his despair he went out and committed suicide.
Peter’s tears led him to the point of repentance. He remembered how Jesus had given a second chance, to the man possessed with demons, the woman caught in adultery, and Zacheus , the abusive tax collector. Surely if God was able to work with them, perhaps God yet wanted to work in him. His repentance put him back in the place of being able to strengthen and encourage the other disciples as they all came back together again.
This same Peter who denied knowing the man, would be preaching boldly in the places where Jesus was tried. This same Peter would be saying ,beat me if you have to and lock me in prison if you want, but I will never stop telling about what God has done through Jesus Christ. This same Peter would be the leader of the Church in Jerusalem, and the writer of two books in the New Testament.
God knows where each one of us is today. He knows which of us really blew it this past week. He knows which of us have been pretending for a long time. Today is the day to stop abusing your wife. Today is the day to let go of the drugs. Today is the time to get rid of everything which entices you to pornography. Today is the day to get rid of your little secret sin, and humble yourself in the presence of God. God’s not going to be shocked by your confession. He’s been waiting for a long time for you to get serious about your problem. He’s the Second Chance God, and He’s offering you a second chance to make things right in your life.
