"The God of the Second Chance"

Two Kentucky horse racing stable owners had developed a rivalry over the years.

Each spring they both entered a horse in a local steeplechase.

One of them thought that having a professional rider might give his horse an edge in the race, so he hired a hot-shot jockey.

The day of the race finally came and as usual, their 2 horses were leading the race right down to the last fence.

But that final fence was too much for both of the horses.

Both of them fell, and both riders were thrown.

But that didn't stop the professional jockey.

He remounted quickly and easily won the race.

When he got back to the stable, he found the horse owner fuming with rage.

He really didn't understand why the owner was so angry.

He had won the race.

So the jockey asked, "What's the matter? I won the race, didn't I?"

The owner replied, "Oh, yes, you won the race but you won the race on the wrong horse."

The jockey had the best intentions.

He intended to win the race.

But sometimes no matter how hard you try, things just don't work out.

The jockey failed in what he was trying to do.

I.     NOBODY IS PERFECT . . . EVERYONE FAILS.

John 18:25

Peter walked and talked and laughed and ate with Jesus for 3 years.

He was in the inner circle of the disciples.

You might even say that he was one of Jesus' best friends.

Yet he let Jesus down.

Three times he denied even knowing Jesus, all within view of Jesus Himself.

None of us are immune to sin.

None of us are immune to letting Jesus down.

We start out strong.

We have the best intentions.

We are excited and we want to succeed in the faith.

We have a desire to be faithful followers of our Savior.

We try to do the right things but sometimes we become distracted from the faith.

We allow the wrong influences in our lives.

We experience a challenge or a setback.

We make a bad decision.

We allow sin into our lives and our relationship with Jesus suffers.

We wish we could start over.

In some golfing circles, the term "mulligan" is used.

Sometimes golfers at the first tee hit the ball and it goes off in a direction very different from its intended destination.

Instead of counting that shot, they take what is sometimes referred to as a mulligan.

When a golfer takes a mulligan, he just starts over.

The golfer doesn't count that shot.

He doesn't write it down.

That shot will not appear on the score card.

It's as if it never happened.

That golfer is given a clean slate, a fresh start.

Sometimes we do the same thing when we go bowling.

We usually throw what we call a practice ball.

If it's a gutter ball, no way are we going to count that one.

You might say, it's a mulligan.

But if by chance we throw a strike on that first ball, we count it.

In golf, a mulligan is a kind of grace note in an otherwise unforgiving game.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to take mulligans in other areas of life?

Think about it.

A policeman pulls you over for speeding and writes up a ticket.

You take the ticket and you tear it up and you tell the policeman that you will be taking your mulligan.

The policeman says "Sure, that's not a problem."

The bank tells you that one of your checks bounced.

You tell them, "I'll use my mulligan" and they say "sure."

Wouldn't it be nice if we had one mulligan for each area in our lives.

We blow a final exam; "I'll take a mulligan."

Sometimes the need for a mulligan runs deeper.

A woman had a complicated, conflict-filled relationship with her dad.

She loved him but was angry at him and her response was to withdraw.

Finally, in another part of the country, her father died alone, and now she is filled with regret.

She would give anything for a mulligan.

Perhaps, you have taken a course of action, you have made a choice, that has wounded somebody close to you, somebody who really matters to you.

And now you are eaten up by guilt.

You don't know if the trust level can ever be restored.

You would give anything for a mulligan.

You fail at something that matters, at your life's work, or your marriage, or parenting or practicing integrity.

The sense of failure won't go away.

You feel tainted by it.

If only you could take a mulligan.

If there is one way that human beings consistently underestimate God's love, it is perhaps in his longing to forgive.

In the Gospel of John we read the story of a man named Peter who failed his best friend.

He denied His master.

Peter thought his failure put him beyond the reach of God's grace.

He turned out to be blessedly, wonderfully wrong.

It is a story for anyone who has ever been broken by failure.

It is the story of the fallenness of man and the greatness of God.

This is a story about a man who threw away the chance of a lifetime.

And this is a story about the God of the second chance.

II.     NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, JESUS IS STILL YOUR FRIEND.

John 21:1-6 (Note v.5)

These are the same guys who bailed out when Jesus was arrested and crucified.

What does Jesus call them? Friends.

Would you consider them friends if they bailed out on you in your moment of greatest need.

Probably not!

It's early in the morning.

Peter and his friends have been fishing all night.

They've caught nothing.

Someone calls to them from the shore.

It's a voice they have heard before but don't recognize yet.

The voice says "Friends, you haven't caught anything, have you?"

The question has a little sting to it.

It is designed to see if they will acknowledge reality which is failure in this case.

Most people when they go fishing and don't catch anything, do not like to be asked if they caught any fish.

Jesus often uses casual statements or questions to see if people will acknowledge truth about themselves.

For example, when the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest, Jesus asked them "What were you talking about on the way?"

When talking to the woman who had been married 5 times and was living with someone, Jesus asked her "Where is your husband?"

And here with Peter and his friends, Jesus asks "How's it going? Catch anything?"

And then a remarkable thing happens.

A group of fishermen admit they haven't caught anything.

They don't even comment on the one that got away.

The voice says "Catch anything?"

They say "No."

The story starts with an admission of failure and that's all Jesus is waiting to hear.

The voice, which is Jesus, says "Try again. Put your net down on the right side of the boat. Don't quit yet. Give it another try."

They do and soon the net is so full they can't lift it back up into the boat.

Suddenly they realize whom the voice belongs to.

It's Jesus!

At this point, John recognizes that it is Jesus who has given the command to throw the net on the right side of the boat.

Peter, who has stripped down to a loincloth, puts his garment on and jumps into the water to swim toward Jesus.

This might sound awkward.

Today we would remove some clothing before taking a dip in the water.

We would think that the loincloth would be the equivalent of swimming trunks, perfectly suited attire for the water.

But in that culture, greeting someone was something of a religious act in itself.

Protocol demanded clothing.

Peter tossed on his garment following the protocol.

This takes place after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

Remember, before Jesus was crucified Peter had denied him 3 times.

Peter was asked 3 times if he knew Jesus and he said he didn't.

Peter's denial took place while he was standing by a fire warming himself up.

Peter now has an opportunity to stand again before a fire, this time with Jesus.

It is possible that this fire reminded Peter of the fire he stood before when He denied Jesus.

III.     SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES

John 21:15

Jesus still loved Peter.

Jesus was still his friend.

But that relationship with Jesus was strained.

If Peter is going to be with Jesus, he will have to face the truth about who he is and what he's done.

Jesus is the God of the Second Chance.

If we are going to receive help from the God of the second chance, we too will have to acknowledge the truth about our condition.

We need to take off the mask and face up to reality.

Some of you have heard the story about the man desperate for a job.

He responds to an ad for a job at the zoo.

The zookeeper explains that their gorilla has died and they can't afford a new one.

So they will pay this man to dress up like a gorilla.

The man doesn't really like the idea but he does need a job and so he takes it.

Each day he gets a little more enthusiastic in his cage.

One day he swings on a vine so hard he ends up in the cage next door, the lion's cage.

Feeling the lion's hot breath on his face he forgets his disguise and begins to scream for help.

The lion then says "Shut up, you idiot, or we will both lose our jobs."

Wearing masks can become a way of life.

Pretending to be happy when we are aching inside.

Pretending to be spiritual when there is a great distance between God and us.

Pretending to have a perfect marriage when in fact there is little left in the relationship.

Peter remembers his failures.

He had lots of them.

The time when he tried to walk on water and then began to sink.

Or the time when Jesus said Peter was speaking the words of Satan.

Or the time when Peter tried to rescue Jesus with a sword and performed history's first recorded ear amputation.

But the failure that stands out to Peter is the one where he denied that he knew Jesus.

Jesus told his followers that he was going away.

Peter pledged his support for Jesus saying, "I am ready to die for you."

Jesus answered, "Die for me? No, before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny 3 times that you even know me."

Peter was so sure of his devotion to Jesus.

And yet he denied that he knew Jesus 3 times.

What a failure! What a coward!

Peter, how could you?

No! How could we?

It's time for a reality check.

I am Peter and so are you.

I don't know of a single Christian who can't identify at some point with Peter.

Peter remembers when he stood by the fire and failed his God.

Peter and the disciples had breakfast with Jesus.

After breakfast Jesus asks Peter a question: "Do you love me?"

Jesus doesn't ask, "Peter, are you sorry for what you've done?"

"Do you promise never to fail me again?"

"Will you try harder?"

No, Jesus asks him, "Do you love me?"

This is such a tender question.

When you ask this question, your heart is on the line.

This is the question of a hopeful lover.

It is the question a parent longs to ask a runaway child, but is afraid to ask.

Do you love me?

This is Jesus' question, and it is not an easy or comfortable question for us to answer honestly.

Sometimes we think about Jesus, how good and wise he was and is.

We know that He is wonderful.

We know that his offer, his word is the best chance humanity will ever have.

We love Him but sometimes we are so full of ourselves I don't know if we really love Him.

When Jesus asks Peter the question he doesn't use his old nickname, Peter.

Jesus says "Simon, son of John, do you love me?

Jesus uses Peter's formal name as if to say "I won't presume that you want the old intimate relationship."

"I won't presume you still want to wear the name I gave you."

Peter answers "Lord, you know that I love you."

Do you understand Peter's answer?

Peter answers "Yes Lord" but he doesn't fully trust his ability to assess even his own heart.

Peter loves Jesus but he knows it isn't a perfect love.

Peter doesn't say it but these may be thoughts going through his mind.

"Lord, you know that I love you when I'm in my right mind."

"Lord, I want to love you, better than I do now."

"Lord, I don't even know the whole truth about my heart but you know."

Jesus then says "Feed my lambs."

Jesus is saying to Peter:

"Love and teach and guard and guide and serve the little flock that means all the world to me."

"Peter, get back in the game!"

Three times Jesus asks Peter: "Do you love me?"

This is repeated until Peter is hurt.

Why does Jesus keep asking?

Peter, not once but 3 times denied Jesus as he stood by the fire.

And now, not once, but 3 times as he stood by the fire he declares his love for Jesus  

The Greek word translated "a fire of burning coals" (anthrakian) is found only in these two places in the entire NT.

Anthrakian literally means "a charcoal fire."

That is not a coincidence.

On the night of the denial, Peter warmed himself in the darkness by a charcoal fire.

How many times did Peter deny Jesus? Three.

And how many times, sitting there by that fire, did Jesus ask Peter about his love for Him? Three.

IV.     JESUS STILL HAS A PURPOSE FOR YOU

John 21:17

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep."

Jesus, the God of the second chance, says to Peter and to everyone who's ever stood by the fire and failed God, "Get over it!"

"Get back in the game."

Nurture the gifts I gave you and cherish the calling I gave you and devote yourself to the church.

Feed my sheep.

They need you.

Jesus was God's ultimate attempt to let us know what we mean to him.

He was led to the cross to pay the debt we couldn't.

He was led to the cross and God said, "Now you can be freed from every regret. No more guilt."

"Now you understand the place you have in my heart."

Peter learned that Jesus is the God of the second chance.

Quitters!!!

Everybody knows one.

Almost everyone has been hurt by one but nobody wants to be one.

A promising junior executive at IBM was involved in a risky venture for the company and ended up losing 10 million dollars in the gamble.

He was called into the office of Tom Watson Sr., the founder and leader of IBM for forty years, a business legend.

The junior executive was overwhelmed with guilt and fear.

He blurted out: "I guess you've called me in for my resignation. Here it is. I resign."

Watson replied, "You must be joking. I just invested 10 million dollars educating you; I can't afford your resignation."

I imagine Peter must have had this conversation with Jesus on a regular basis.

I can just hear Peter saying, "You're right about me. I speak impulsively; I'm always putting my foot in my mouth. Here's my resignation."

And I can imagine Jesus saying, "You must be joking. I've just invested my life in you. I can't afford your resignation."

"Besides, I am the God of the second chance."

Redeeming people is what God is into.

He is the finder of directionally-challenged sheep.

He is the searcher of missing coins.

He is the embracer of foolish prodigal sons and daughters.

God's favorite department is Lost and Found.