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?
