Second Helping – 2 – Second Chance

 

Welcome back to Redemption Church in Plano Tx! My name is Chris Fluitt and I welcome everyone!

We are in the 2nd week of our series called second helping.

 

Second Helping

While the artwork might remind you that Thanksgiving is coming, and you look forward to a second plate… in this series we are studying the surprising truth that God favors the second.

 

God Favors the Second

Although we live in a world that values being number one, God is favorable who choose to come second.

Last week we talked about a second kingdom. Powerful things happen when we do not seek our own selfish ambition and greedy kingdoms, but instead slide ourselves into the second spot and SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God.

Today I have great news for everyone. God favors the second chance.

 

Second Chance

Have you ever needed a second chance? Your first opportunity did not go so well, but you were able to try again.

“If at first you don’t succeed… try, try again.” It is a well-known saying about persistence.

Are you a fan of second chances? If you like second chances, you should really like God. God invents second chances.

Adam & Eve failed in the garden, but God gave them a second chance. God allowed them to leave the garden and live a second life of sorts.

This starts a pattern of God favoring the second.

Adam & Eve have 2 sons named Cain & Able. Genesis 4 tells us Cain was the first born and that Able is the second born.

 

First Birth & Second Birth

In the ancient world, and in many cultures today, the first born is viewed as the number one.

We can relate to this, because still today the second born often wears the hand-me-down clothes. Yet in the ancient world it was more serious.

• The first born would receive priority & privilege over the second born.
• The first born would receive a greater inheritance. The crown, property, and promise.
• The first born would come into their prime, strength, and maturity FIRST. Giving them an advantage over the younger.
• The first born was leader, and the second born would serve the first born.
• The promise of Messiah through the seed of the woman was expected to go through the first born.

So here we have Cain, the first born, and Able, the second born, in Genesis 4. What happens in this story?

Cain & Able both bring an offering to God, but God honors the gift of the 2nd born.

God chooses the second born over the first born.  Cain gets angry and kills Able. So does God go back to the first born and say “Ok you aren’t so bad after all? I choose to honor you first born?”

No! God banishes the first born, and Eve receives a SUBSTITUTE.  Eve’s 3rd son is named Seth and his name means substitute.

This pattern continues throughout Genesis.

-Abraham has 2 sons… Ishmael was first. Isaac was second. God favors the second.

-Isaac has two sons… Esau is first. Jacob is second. God favors the second.

-Jacob does not choose his first-born son, but Judah.

-Joseph brings his sons Manasseh & Ephraim and Jacob favors the second born, Ephraim.

 

God Favors the Second

Neat Bible knowledge Pastor, but what does that mean to me?

Imagine being born second, and simply because you weren’t first, you will always be lesser. Imagine being told that the best you could ever do is be a servant to your older sibling.

I don’t have to tell you to imagine it, because we have all felt like we have been passed over in life. There is always someone better than us, and the best we can hope for, it seems, is to be runner up.

We have been told that 2nd place is the first loser.

-So many of our first efforts have not worked out. We are on to our second try… 3rd try… 4th try…

-Many of us are not on our first career, first marriage, first dream…

-Most of us were not first in our class.

Most of us feel like McKayla Maroney.  Do you know who McKayla Maroney is?

McKayla was an Olympic gymnast for the United States in 2012. She is most known for this picture that went viral.

 

McKayla had come in 2nd place in the vault competition. This picture is of her on the medal stand with her silver medal, looking disappointed.

A lot of our life feels just like this.

• We tried and failed.
• We flunked out of school.
• We tried for the job or the promotion only to be passed over.
• The relationship that didn’t work out.
• The business that never got off the ground.
• The person that just never seems to understand us.
• The habit we try to break.

We are told second is the first loser… and we feel like first rate losers.

 

God Favors the Second

But God reaches to the second born and blesses them as a firstborn heir. God sees the one that has been passed over, and he chooses them.

God takes first rate losers and makes them champions.

David was just a shepherd with a guitar and a sling…  But then God chose him.
Peter, Andrew, John, and James were just stinky, uneducated, fisher men… But then Jesus chooses them.

In the kingdoms of this world, it is not good to be second.
In God’s Kingdom it is great to be second.

Some words that play well in the Kingdom… Lowly, humble, meek, kind, loyal, faithful, disciple, student, servant, shepherd.  These are words that describe those who come in second.
 

God favors the second and gives them a second chance.

God blesses the second so much that sometimes they forget what they used to be…

 

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 (NIV) 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Some of us have been so blessed that we forget WHAT WE WERE when God called us.

The change in us is all to the glory of God. If we boast or brag about anything it should be God.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NIV) 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

 

In John 3, Jesus has a well-known conversation with a religious leader named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was on top of the world. He was successful, wealthy, educated, and to be envied by just about everyone in Israel. Nicodemus was part of the “in-crowd” called the Sanhedrin.

He was a Jew. And every good Jew knew their lineage. Without question, Nicodemus was able to name his lineage all the way back to Adam.  Many Jews today are able to do just that, because their lineage is important to them.

Your lineage told you what heroes were in your family.
Your lineage told you what tribe was yours. Perhaps you were a priest from Levi or a King from Judah.
Your lineage told you if you were a child of Abraham… Being an Israelite had everything to do with your lineage.

So imagine when someone came up and said… “Your lineage is no good. Your birthright does not measure up. You need another birth.”

This is what Jesus says in John 3.

John 3:3 (NIV) Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Your first birth status will not get you into the Kingdom.
Your wealth, status, education, or physical beauty will not gain you entry to the Kingdom.
Your religious membership in a Church will not open the door for you to enter the Kingdom.
You must be born again.

 

God Favors the Second BIRTH

All those strange stories from Genesis about God favoring the second birth over the first birth, were pointing us to what Jesus would say in John 3.

All of those who are passed over simply because they are not born first, they now have a second chance by being born again. This is the second birth that is ultimately favored by God.

What does it mean to be born again? Nicodemus did not understand.

John 3:4 (NIV) 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Nicodemus took Jesus literally and did not understand the second chance Jesus offered. Do we understand the second chance?

John 3:5 (NIV) Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

Jesus is not talking about a physical rebirth, but a Spiritual birth.
Jesus is talking about being born again of water and Spirit, and this is a second chance.

In Acts 2 a group of people needed a second chance. They realized they were sinners and they asked what they could do… Peter gives them this same born-again message.

Acts 2:38 (NIV) Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is THE second chance.

Repentance is freedom from sin.
Baptism cleanses us and gives us a new identity.
The Holy Spirit gives us power.

Because of Jesus we can become BORN AGAIN of water and Spirit!

It is God’s will for everyone to experience the second birth.

Questions about being born again? Let’s have a Bible study about it.

 

Text “Born Again” to 469-467-8111

We can answer your questions about being born again with a one-on-one Bible study.

But here is how I want you to think about the 2nd Birth today…

 

The 2nd Birth is a 2nd Chance

Everyone needs a 2nd chance.

The CEO of a billion-dollar company needs a second chance.

The single mom down the street needs a second chance.

The divorced, and the married, and the dating need a second chance.

 

You are flat out wrong if you think someone does not need a second chance.
We sometimes think our enemies don’t need a second chance.
We sometimes think people who have said bad things about us don’t need a second chance.
Perhaps we think that those with more wealth and power aren’t in need of a second chance?

 

Adam & Eve needed a second chance. Everyone after Adam & Eve needs a second chance.

Jesus is the only person who does not need a second chance! No one gets it all right, but Jesus! And Jesus is the one who gives us a second chance.

If you feel like you need a second chance you are in the right place.

 

I have one more thing to tell you.  We may think that a second chance is something that is not as good as the first chance. We may think the second chance is a consolation prize. We may assume it would have been better if we had never needed the second chance… But I want to remind you that God favors the second.

 

The Second is better than the First

I am not advocating that failure is good. I am telling you that all my failures have shown me a depth of grace and love that I had not previously known.

My sin is nothing to be proud of, but the grace that is greater than my sin is what I boast about. (Romans 5:20)

In the Garden of Eden, it says that God walked with Adam & Eve… but in the New Birth experience not only does God walk beside you… JESUS DWELLS WITHIN YOU!

The second is better!

The power of God works within you, because the second is better.

The second chance does not bring guilt about your first mistakes… no, the second chance washes away EVERY SHAME.

Do not let the guilt of your mistakes keep you from your second chance.

You do not have to deserve a second chance… no one deserves this second chance that Jesus gives us.

There is a second chance for us right now.

 

Please stand and close your eyes.

I am going to ask our musicians to come. As they come I want to ask you…

Have you received your second chance?

Do you believe that God favors the second?

Do you spend more time thinking about your first mistakes than your second chance?

Are you born again with the Spirit of God living and working inside you?