And Peter

Mark 16:1-7
1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
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.”
A bit of a background here, this is after Peter denied Jesus 3 times, including cursing while vehemently denying he knew him the last time.
1. Second chances are POSSIBLE - because Jesus is ALIVE!
They are not automatic (Judas Iscariot, rich young ruler)
There is a difference between remorse/regret and repentance.
2. Second chances are PERSONAL
The love of Christ singles us out.
Notice, he didn't say Simon (Peter's birth name) or Simon Peter, he just said Peter (the name Christ had given him, which means the rock)
Jesus look at us as what we can become, not as what we are/were.
God wants to use YOU!
3. Second changes are PRIVATE
I Corinthians 15:5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
Jesus forgave Peter privately even though Peter had denied him publicly.
God uses "messed up" people.
Examples: Moses murdered a man before he led the Hebrew children out of Egypt.
John Mark stopped evangelism before being welcomed back by Barnabas, then he went on to pen the gospel of Mark.
Peter cursed and denied Christ, yet he was used of God to start the New Testament church.
David committed adultery, then had the woman's husband killed, yet God called him a man after God's heart in the end.
4. Second chances are PROFITABLE
After Jesus forgave Peter and restored him, it was followed by the Day of Pentecost (thousands saved all in one day) and Peter also went on to have the 2nd greatest impact on the early church (Paul, the writer of over 10 books of the NT, was the only one with greater impact).
The parable of the Prodigal Son
Luke 15:11-32
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring[a] out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
It doesn't matter what you've done, Jesus took care of it at the Cross!
Put your name in the place of Peter (And Jo), God is calling out to you.
If God can use David, then he can certainly use you!
There is only one thing God can't do and that is remember sin that He has already forgiven.
ARE YOU WILLING TO RECEIVE A SECOND CHANCE?

A Transformational Journey

OK, so I decided it would be neat to start posting sermon notes again. The Assistant Pastor at my church has been doing a series on Peter. His journey to discipleship truly was a metamorphosis from fisherman to Fisher of Men!
This Sunday he spoke on Peter's friend Matthew (the tax collector) and how the religious leaders of the day (called Pharisees) probably viewed him and people like him, but also how GOD saw him. In the Pharisees' opinion they were doing what was right, so they didn't need God's forgiveness, but Matthew's kind of people were so despicable that they didn't deserve it.
Matthew 9:11-13
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
I. Matthew the tax collector
A. His supposed CULTURAL condition: a despised tax collector
As a tax collector Matthew could collect whatever amount he wanted, as long as he gave the Romans what they were due. This put him in a position of being despised even more than the Romans themselves.
B. His supposed RELIGIOUS condition: unclean and unwelcome (according to the Pharisees)
C. His true SPIRITUAL condition: a repentant sinner receiving the Savior
Luke 5:28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
D. Jesus position on Matthew's Condition : a righteous Child of God.
Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Just as we should, Matthew got his friends and brought them to Jesus.
II. The Pharisees
A. Their supposed CULTURAL condition: Respected, Religious Rulers
B. Their supposed RELIGIOUS condition: Righteous - they were law followers
C. Their true SPIRITUAL condition: self-righteous men, lost in the works. Outwardly circumcised, but inwardly (their hearts) uncircumcised.
Romans 4:4-5
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Philippians 3:2-9
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit,[a] rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
Ritual does not make a person righteous.

Application
The Great lessons to Simon Peter and to us:
1. Knowing the true heart of God, one of redemption, not condemnation
2. Knowing the heard of a True disciple, to compassionately seek and share Christ with those which are lost.
3. Seeking to avoid the becoming a self-righteous Pharisee
We do good things as a RESULT of salvation, not in order to gain salvation.

Christ offers mercy to those who are willing to admit they are sinners.
God prefers acts of benevolence rather than merely external righteousness.
Jesus said to the Pharisees Go and learn the heart of God, then you will understand why I sit with sinners.

A true Disciple walks in humility, not haughtiness, knowing that he is a sinner, not a saint, saved by the unmerited grace of compassionate God.

Are We Happy Plastic People?

OK, so I absolutely LOVE this song by Casting Crowns. It is at the top of my favorites list, if not #1. It is so true! I see how you go to church, put on a face for the crowd, go back home and your life is not like you just pretended it to be. The other people don't know that and they don't want to either. We just go, put on an air of concern when we really only care about ourselves and what is going on in our lives. If we could all learn to break down those walls and just be open and honest, a miracle could happen in the churches of today. Without further adieu...

Stained Glass Masquerade

Is there anyone that fails / Is there anyone that falls / Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small
'Cause when I take a look around / Everybody seems so strong / I know they'll soon discover / That I don't belong
So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay / If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too / So with a painted grin, I play the part again / So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people / Under shiny plastic steeples / With walls around our weakness / And smiles to hide our pain / But if the invitation's open / To every heart that has been broken / Maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there / Are there any hands to raise / Am I the only one who's traded / In the altar for a stage
The performance is convincing / And we know every line by heart / Only when no one is watching / Can we really fall apart
But would it set me free / If I dared to let you see / The truth behind the person / That you imagine me to be
Would your arms be open / Or would you walk away / Would the love of Jesus / Be enough to make you stay


Ponder...are your arms open? The love of Jesus SHOULD BE enough to make you stay!

Faithfulness

This is something I seek, yet seem to fail at miserably. I want to be close to God, but then illness, sleep or just plain laziness gets in my way. I have every excuse in the book not to do what I ought to and nothing, absolutely nothing is a worthy reason. Of course, now I sit here blogging about it rather than actually DOING it. My eyes and brain say "but you're tired" but my heart says, "you're never too tired to make time for God."
So I guess I am going to go work on my relationship with God before I fall asleep.

Google yourself

OK, so I saw this posted on here a LONG time ago (have been away for a while). I thought I'd do it again, just for fun. Go google your name and the word needs (together), then post the first 10 results that are applicable. THIS IS FUN!!

1) Jo needs a) cheering up and b) perspective. (OK, I'll agree on that one, er, two)

2) Jo needs help with dressing and washing and still wets the bed occasionally, although she is reliable during the day. (OK, I admit it, I still wet the bed from time to time)

3) Jo. needs 2B funky (yes she does!!)

4) Jo Needs Help!!! (funny thing is, this came up TWICE the last time I did it)

5) Jo needs a break (ain't that the truth)

6) Jo needs help. (yep, must REALLY need help)

7) Jo needs a home (OK, we are looking for new places once our lease is up)

8) Jo needs a break (wow, I need lots of help AND breaks)

9) Jo needs a home (I told ya, we're looking)

10) Jo needs - your help ya huh! (wow, I am REALLY needy! 3 times, plus 2 breaks)