The God of Second Chances
My text for this morning is taken from Mark 16:7
But go, tell his disciples and Peter ’He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as He told you’.
Why single out Peter? You see our God is the God of Second Chances, He hasn’t given up on us, even though we feel downcast..
1. Peter
1.1 Historical context
Let’s just put look at the passage in its historical context.
Christ has been crucified and buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Some of the women who followed Jesus came to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body for burial, when they find the tombstone rolled away and the tomb empty.
And to top it all they find a young man dressed in a white robe sitting in the tomb, who tells them Christ is risen. And what he says is telling:
But go, tell his disciples and Peter ’He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as He told you’. (Mk 16:7)
So why is Peter specifically named here?
1.2 Peter’s denial of Christ (Slide 1)
I think the key is to be found in Peter’s denial of Christ.
Peter is a quite remarkable character. He shows great faith and yet Christ reveals how weak his faith was.
1.2.1 Peter’s gift of faith
We read in Matt. 16:16 how much God had revealed to Peter when we read Peter’s response to Christ’s question "Who do you say that I am?"
"You are the Christ the Son of the Living God" to which Jesus replies:
Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah for this was not revealed to you by man but by God. And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.
He is a man you would say has got it all.
1.2.2 Yet Peter’s overconfidence in his own faith was his downfall.
It was the same Peter who is so confident of his own faith in Matt 26:33 who says:
Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.
To which Jesus replied: I tell you the truth, this very night before the rooster crows you will disown me three times.
And we see this fulfilled a few verses later in Matt 26:69-75 (Slide 2)
Now Peter was sitting out in the Courtyard and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee" she said.
But he denied it before them all. I don’t know what you are talking about" he said.
Then he went out into the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth" And he denied it again with an oath saying: I don’t know the man!"
After a little while, those standing there went to Peter and said "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away" And he began to call down curses on himself and swore to them " I don’t know the man".
Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him "Before the rooster crows you will disown me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly.
God is giving Peter a second chance - yes, the same Peter who had denied knowing Christ three times, is being called by Christ in Mark 16:7.
But go, tell his disciples and Peter ’He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as He told you’.
How miserable do you think Peter was feeling - he had denied Christ three times. Yet Jesus sends a special message to Peter.
Peter I haven’t forgotten you. Doesn’t that encourage you?
1.3 Peter’s restoration
We read in John 21:15-23 how Jesus reinstates Peter.
Peter denied Jesus three times and Christ gives him the opportunity to affirm his love for him three times.
In the first two occasions Christ asks: "Agapas me" to which Peter replies: "Philo se".
In other words do you have "Agape love" for me to which Peter replies - I have "Philo" love for you - brotherly love.
And you see this honesty brings the charge: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my sheep.
I am sure if we had been let down, we would have forgiven the other person, but we wouldn’t trust him, would we?
A key to service is realism.
We do need to know where we are. Peter has a realistic appreciation of his weaknesses. And this is where God wants us if he is going to commission us in his service.
1.4 Peter’s transformation
And we see the transformation, after the Power of the Holy Spirit has come upon him in Acts 2, how Peter speaks powerfully in Acts 4:8 to the High Priest himself:
And Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people.
If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this you and all the people of Israel:
It is by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you.
He is the stone whom the builders rejected who has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
Not exactly taken out of Dale Carnegie’s "How to make friends and influence people"
I wonder how you feel this morning?
Do you know what your personal calling and yet you feel you have said no to Christ, missed your chance and so God has consigned you to the scrap heap?
Take heart from Peter.
God is not looking for people who were born perfect. He is looking for folk who know they are not!
Personal testimony:
a. Sandoz
When I was in Sandoz in Switzerland, I wanted to get ahead. I thought I was God’s gift to patent agency - and I let people know it.
I prayed to get promoted - no reply. Then I gave up!! I said. OK Lord is you don’t want me to be Deputy Head of that part of the Department, fine I’ll accept Beatrice being Deputy.
And within a couple of weeks, Beatrice moved to a different part of the Department and I was promoted to Deputy Head!
It is when we give up our desires - and honestly say "Father, I will accept your will" that God can use us.
b. The Church
I had a similar experience in Church work. I wanted to be in ministry as I perceived it but it seemed as if nothing would open up.
And so one day I said to the Lord: "OK Lord, I guess you are simply calling me to head up the R&C Patent Department. I am prepared to accept that and I’ll just work on that then".
A few weeks later, I heard the call into the ministry.
Let me give you another example of God’s second chance:
3. Moses
3.1 Moses - the first militant minority killer (Slide 3)
A similar thing happened to Moses.
You recall that Moses was a Prince in Egypt and he wanted to deliver his people - his way. Exodus 2: 11 -15
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where is own people were and watched them at their hard work.
He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no-one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and found two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong" Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"
The man replied "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us. Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought " What I did must have become known"
When Pharoah heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharoah and went to live in Midian.
Moses was the first MILITANT MINORITY KILLER.
2.2 The call of Moses (Slide 4)
And it was when he was eighty that God was able to use him. So most of us have a little time to go!!
God called Moses when he was a shepherd and not when he was a Prince in Egypt.
I wonder if God had to deal with his pride before he could use Moses.
And you recall how Moses spoke to God in Exodus 4.
"Who am I , that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt" (v 11)
Keeping sheep for forty years can really focus the mind. None of the Prince of Egypt arrogance here!
God had to mould Moses before he could use him, so much so that Moses is later described in Numbers 12:3 as being a very humble man, more humble than any one on the face of the earth.
3. And us
What is the point of all this?
Do you have a vision for the work that God has called you to do?
Prov. 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish.
We all know that the church has a Great Commission to preach the Gospel
Matt. 28:19 & 20 Then Jesus came to them and said:
All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
But where do I fit in, individually?
As you know this has been a real issue to me over the last one and a half years. May I share with you some of the questions I asked:
1. What makes my heart jump?
When I was interviewed on UCB Radio as a senior manager in a multinational company, I found my heart jumping to talk about the refugee church in Switzerland rather than to talk about patents.
Deep down there will be something inside of you telling you what God has called you to do. But watch out, your motives may be wrong.
Jer. 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things
In other words just because you feel its right does not necessarily mean it is. So I suggest some other tests.
2. Look at what are the gifts that God has given you
I would suggest that it is no good feeling that you are called to lead the worship when you can’t sing in tune nor can you play an instrument.
It is not likely that you are called to pastoral work when you cannot get on with people.
It is unlikely that you are called to preach if you are unable to put a coherent talk together. Mind you, that does stop me, does it Trevor?
3. Ask Christians you trust and respect for their opinion.
The Lord showed Maddy two months before he showed me that I was being called into the Anglican ministry.
I received 11 independent prophecies before I went to the ABM selection conference confirming what was in my heart. Steve Hepden, Roy Peacock, Bruce Collins, Jonathan Couper etc. Note CONFIRMING not directing.
Christian brothers in FGB, like Norman Shields, shared how they thought my call was right and how some of them had seen me change.
4. Do you have the opportunity?
Sometimes ministry calls for sacrifice. I thought I could fulfil my calling - on the side. Keep my job and preach Sundays. But God showed us otherwise.
The ABM Selectors advised with their recommendation that I should be trained that I go residential for training. This means giving up my job next September. I know it is God’s leading because it will cost the Church an extra £20K.
To be honest, I do worry at times - "why pray when you can worry" is a catch phrase that Maddy and I have.
But I want to leave you with this thought.
If your church is going to grow - what are you doing about it? Are you responding to God’s leading in your life?
