The God of the Second Chance - Genesis Part 48

Well his name was Pete Rose. Charlie hustle the man who has more hits, 4256 than any other person to ever play major league baseball and yet, as you know Pete Rose is not in the Hall of Fame today and we all know why the Rose bet on baseball. He bet on baseball while he was an active player and while he was an active manager that was 24 years ago and at the time, then Commissioner Fay Vincent suspended him for life for major league baseball now 24 years later, former Pres. Bill Clinton recently said of Pete Rose and I quote, I think just about every body ought to get a second chance and I'd like to see it worked out for him.

He gave people a lot of joy and he's paid a price God knows he's paid a price."

But I'm afraid there is no second chance it's going to happen for Pete Rose, former major league baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti said and I quote one of the games greatest players engaged in a variety of acts which have sustained or the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts. Giamatti went on to say, there is absolutely no deal for reinstatement" you know we live in a world where a lot of times my friends, we don't get second chances and that's a problem it's a problem because all of us make a lot of second mistakes and a lot of third mistakes and a lot of fourth mistakes and that's one of the great things about being a follower of Christ is one of the great pieces of news in the Bible, namely, that God loves to give second chances to his adopted children in Christ and this is what were going to talk about today.

As we continue in our verse by verse study of the book of Genesis. So are you ready you need a word of hope and encouragement.

Only only you couple people you need a word of hope and encouragement. I got it for you today from the word of God so just before we dig him. Let's do a tiny bit of review were going to be in Genesis chapter 20, but in Genesis chapter 18, we learn that Abraham was living at the time in the little city of Hebron on just south of Jerusalem. And while he was there in Genesis 18 the Lord Jesus and two angels in human form visited him and that's where the Lord announced to him that Sarah was going to have a child, a son within the next 12 months that in Genesis 19. The Lord sends these two angels on ahead to Sodom and Gomorrah with a rescue lot and his family and they destroy the city. So that's where we been let's pick up now.

In Genesis chapter 20 verse one now Abraham moved on from he brought into the cell to the Negev and for a while he stayed in general are there. Abraham said of his wife, Sarah. She is my sister then Abimelech the King of Jerome R.

Sent for Sarah and took her you say way will the hallway, Milan did Abraham do this already. Once before Jay did. Jay did 25 years earlier in Genesis chapter 12 when at Abraham and Sarah entered Egypt, he did the very same thing, and God had to personally step in and protect Sarah from being sexually defiled by Pharaoh. The point is here in Genesis 20 we find Abraham repeating the very same mistake he made previously you say well log why in the world would Abraham, I mean a godly man.

Why would he do this, why would he go back and repeat the very same mistake again will as followers of Christ today why you and I go back and do the same. Dom things that we do time after time, like starting a diet and swearing that we will never touch another potato chip again and we pull the bag down sit in front of television eat the whole stinking bag at one time.

You know why we swear that will never drink alcohol again and then the next. They stop by total wine on the way home from work. Why do we promise ourselves that will never have sex with anybody again until we get married and then we do it. Oh why do we swear that will never look at porn again and we will never lose our temper again and will never look lustfully at a woman again and will never gossip again and then we do it before the answer is very simple, it's because like Abraham were sinners. It's because, like Abraham, where we and it's because like Abraham, all of us have be setting up sins now. Don't know what of the said if you're Baptist you know what a besetting sin is. But if you're not Baptist. You may never heard this term. So let me tell you what it means up the settings in is a sin that we are especially prone to repartee is sin that besets us to understand Yamagata okay you know about this.

Now we just made John the Baptist. All right, thereby good with that are now here we go. But here's an interesting question. My friends, the question is why would God record this second mistake of Abraham in the Bible it was just like the first mistake. So when you think just put one mistake in was enough. Why right in the second mistake I think that's a good question, though you yeah and there's an answer. I mean everything to God records in the Bible has a reason as to why did God put this in the Bible. While the answers right in Romans 15 verse four for everything that was written in the Old Testament. The Bible says was written for our instruction, that through the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope. In other words, there is something that happens here in Genesis chapter 20 that is meant by God to give you and me as followers of Christ today all and is meant to give us encouragement. I need that you need that right. Let's look and see what happens in this chapter to give us hope. Verse three. But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him you are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman now Abimelech had not gone near her. So he said Lord will you destroy an innocent nation.

Did he Abraham not say to me she's my sister and didn't she. Sarah also say he is my brother.

I have done this with a clean conscience and clean hands. Then God said to him in the dream, yes I know you did this with a clear conscience and so I have kept you from sinning against me.

That is why I did not let you touch her now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you can be sure that you and all of yours will die.

Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said what if you done how did I wrong you did that you have brought such great guilt on me in my kingdom. You have done things to me. Abraham that ought not be done. Why did you do this, Abraham replied, well, when I moved down here to go.

Aurora said to myself.

Surely there is no fear of God in this place and they will kill me because my wife you know they're gonna want my wife and so they'll kill me. Together you salon women.

When women isn't Sarah 90 years old. You yeah she is, is that when a long look.

No, I don't mean any offense at all, but hey, I know you'll what you think.

And I'm thinking the same thing. I mean 90 years old.

Somebody kill to get her all I can say is this must've been one drop did gorgeous warm yeah that's okay. I figure were Brenda's 90 people still kill me to get her so Brenda elicited you out there girl, ha ha, you salon you know what if you were smart you would move on right here. I think you're right. Okay so first well the size Abraham says she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother. Now this is new information. We never knew this before and she became my wife. And when God had me leave my father's house in Genesis 12 I said to her.

This is how you can show your love for me, Sarah. Everywhere we go, say of me. He's my brother.

Then Abimelech brought sheep and camels in male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham and he returned Sarah his wife to him and to Sarah, he said, I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. That's a fortune to cover my offense against you. Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech his wife and his slave girls so that they could have children for the Lord had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah, now that the stars were going to go in the passage because were going to stop now going to ask our most important question of the morning so all you guys allow and all you guys of Prince William and everybody Bethesda down an edge around the world in the campus. Here Tyson's already okay this is a holiday weekend. So what right yeah so it's got to be a good one right here we go. Now come on everybody while on to say is good. You salon. I appreciate the chapter but you know you said when we got into this. There was hope in this chapter for us to seven we got in this there was encouragement for our Christian walk in here. Sorry I don't see any of that will that's because I haven't had a chance to finish explaining it to you. Yeah so listen up.

What is Genesis 20 all about it's all about God giving Abraham a second chance a second chance that Abraham did not deserve a second chance that God could have easily refused to have given him considering that Abraham and gone back and repeated the exact same stupid sin that God had already rescued them from one's did you catch something interesting that Abraham said to Abimelech, look at verse 12. Abraham said size. She really is my sister and she became my wife. And when God had me leave my father's house. Genesis 12 I said to her.

This is how you can show your love for me. Everywhere we go, say of me. He is my brother now does this strike you as interesting as it does me. I mean here we have Abraham he's just getting ready to leave their homeland.

They haven't even run into anybody yet that's threatened to kill them because of his wife. The situation hasn't even presented itself yet and Abraham is already asking Sarah to do this and already making this arrangement with her before they are ever even in the situation where my come up.

Does that strike you as interesting as it does me and it tells us. I believe something very important about Abraham you know Abraham was a God who trusted God and impressively. I mean, he left his land not know where he was going. He wandered around in the land of Canaan. I will only God to protect him. He trusted God to give him a supernatural son, Isaac, and then he took It Was Going to Sacrifice That's on the Lord of God Had Stepped in. I Mean This Was a Man Who Knew How to Walk by Faith and Knew How to Trust God. But There Seems to Have Been an Area of Abraham's Life. Namely, This Fear That He Had That Somebody Was Going to Kill Him and Take Sarah Away. This Seems to Have Been a Fear That Was Upsetting Weakness in His Life of the Setting Sin in His Life. He Was Already Making Plans and Running in Fear over It before It Ever Even Happened. You See What I'm Saying Please Don't Misunderstand Me. Abraham What He Did Was Wrong. Lying about Sarah Is Wrong and It Was Soon and Trying to Convince Sarah Pressuring Her to Lie Was Also Wrong in Sin. But In Spite Of This, like a Parent Who Compassionately Understands That Each of Their Child's Unique Weaknesses, God Responded to Abraham's Unique Weakness with Mercy and Long-Suffering and a Second Chance Is There While Long. This Is Great. What a Wonderful Message. Thank You Because of What I Understand You're Saying Is That As a Follower of Christ. I Can Live Any Sloppy Way I Want, I Can Spiritually Make the Same Mistakes over and over and over Again. And Because These Are My Besetting Sins.

God Will Constantly Keep Given Me Second Chances and Keep Rescuing Me from the Trouble I Get in Right Wrong That Is so Wrong That Is Wrong Wrong Wrong. That Is Not What I'm Saying and That Is Not What the Bible Is Saying God Is Not the God of the Second Chance to Everybody in the World Folks I Mean Think about It.

He Was Not the God of the Second Chance to the People of Sodom and Gomorrah.

He Was Not the God of the Second Chance to Canaan Who Killed His Brother Abel. He Was Not the God of the Second Chance to Heyman.

He Was Not the God of the Second Chance to Aiken Who Stole from Jericho in Joshua Chapter 7, He Was Not the God of the Second Chance the Date and in a Byrum Who Challenge Moses and the Earth Opened up in the Book of Numbers Chapter 16 and Swallowed Update Been in a Byrum. He Was Not the God of the Second Chance to King Saul Ordered Jezebel or to the Israelites When They Refused to Enter the Promised Land. The First Time He Was Not the God of the Second Chance to Ananias and Sapphire Acts Chapter 5 When They Lied to the Holy Spirit and Drop Dead on the Spot. But You Know What He Was the God of the Second Chance Abraham and He Was the God of the Second Chance for David and He Was the God of the Second Chance for Joshua and for Caleb. He Was the God of the Second Chance for Jonah. He Was the God of the Second Chance for Aaron, the Brother of Moses.

She Member after He Built the Golden Calf.

He Was the God of the Second Chance for Elijah after Elijah Ran Away in Fear from Jezebel. He Was the God of the Second Chance for Jacob.

After Jacob Cheated His Brother and He Was the God of the Second Chance for Peter after Peter Denied the Lord Three Times so You Salon. I'm Confused.

I'm Confused Me. Why Does God Give Second Chances to Some People and They Not Give Him the Other People Who Will Not. There Is a Really Important Question Because If We're Smart We Want to Know How to Get into the Category of People God Gives Second Chances to Write and Not Be in the Category That He Doesn't Don't You Want to Be in the Group That God Gives Second Chances Do Yeah If You Don't, You Stupid I Mean No Offense. I'm Hearing Say If You Don't Want to Be in That Group. I Want to Be in That Group. So the Question Is, What Was the Difference What Distinguish the People He Gave the Second Chances to from the Ones He Didn't.

How Do I Get into That Group All Can Answer That Never Done This Is Great. We Gotta Know This. There Were Two Conditions That Abraham Met That Enabled God in His Holiness to Be the God of the Second Transfer. Abraham What He Messed up Again and These Are the Same Two Conditions That You and I Have To Meet As Followers of Christ Today If We Want God to Be the God of the Second Chance for Us When We Mess up over and over Again, Let Me Tell You What They Are and Were Done. Condition Number One Is That We Have To Be a Child of God Remember What We Said Earlier, the God Loves to Give Second Chances to His Adopted Children in Christ You Say Yeah I Heard You Say That about 100% Sure What That Meant Well, You Know How Everywhere We Go We Hear People Say All We Are All Children of God Folks Is Not True Is Not True at All.

The Bible Doesn't Say That at All. In Fact, the Bible Says That Being God's Child Is a Privilege Reserved Exclusively for People Who Place Their Personal Faith in Jesus Christ Is Then and Only Then That We Enter into a Family Relationship with God Where He Becomes Our Heavenly Father and We Become His Children Listen to the Scripture.

John One Verse 12 to Every Person Who Believes in Jesus Christ to Them. And I Might Add Only Them. God Grants the Right to Become What the Next Three Words Children of God Dr., Galatians chapter 3 verse 26.

Writing to the believers in Galatia. Paul said, for you are all, what's the next three words children of God, but look how notice how, through faith in Jesus cries that the entry door and this is an adoption.

This is an adoption that the Lord Jesus carries out, he adopts us into his family to believers in Ephesus. Ephesians 15 the Bible says God predestined us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ to the believers in Galatia, Galatians 44 Paul Roden said when the time and fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman to redeem us so that we might be adopted as his children, and to the believers in Rome. Romans chapter 8 verse 15 the Bible says so then you have not received the spirit of slavery, but the spirit of adoption and now as God's want what's the next word as God's children. We cry out to God about which in Hebrew simply means father.

The point is that every body in the world is not a child of God. In fact, the exact opposite is true.

Ephesians 21 says that every body comes into this world spiritually dead to God, alienated from God separated from God and to become God's child.

We must be adopted into his family through our faith in Jesus Christ. This is condition number one in order for God to treat us like he did Abraham to be merciful with our mistakes to dust our trail when we done stupid things to give us second chances.

When we don't deserve them.

Condition number one is that we have to be his adopted child through faith in Jesus Christ. Those of the people he gives second chances to but there's a second condition that is as God's children in Christ, we have to be serious about pleasing and obeying God hey the Bible is clear Abraham tried hard to obey God in every area of his life. The Bible is clear. Abraham tried hard to please God in all things and so did all these other people. We mentioned the God gave second chances to Peter and Elijah and Aaron and Caleb and Joshua and David not listen. These folks didn't always get it right. But these folks always try to get it right. These folks were utterly surrendered to the Lordship of Christ over every part of their life and this is what allowed God to be the God of the second transfer them whenever they fell short. Listen to Psalm 103 verse 11 it says for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God's mercy, to everybody in the world now to all Americans know to those who fear him, to those who want to and tried to obey and please him and so let's summarize and say that the lesson of Genesis 20. My friends is not that God is giving us as believers carte blanche to sin and to live sloppy Christian lives, and he's promising us unlimited amnesty no that is no that is not the point at all and God is not saying that lesson of Genesis 20 is that when a person is truly born again when there truly an adopted child of God. Condition number one. And when that person is actively seeking to please and obey God in all that they do condition number two and when that person stumbles when that person falls due to fear or stupidity or just plain human weakness. The message of Genesis 20 is that even if we do it again and again if we will turn to the Lord in humility and in godly sorrow and in humble contrition. We will always find him to be the God of the second chance for us, just like he was for Abraham. This what David said Psalm 37. He said the steps of a righteous man righteous. That is because of his relationship with Christ or ordered by the Lord and the Lord delights in this man's way. Watch now even when this man stumbles like we all do, he shall not fall down and be broken. Why, for the Lord is the one who holds them by the hand. You know the word picture here I think is just magnificent. It's the word picture of a little toddler walking down the street with their daddy or mommy holding their hand and you know what happens there. Walking down the street together and suddenly the toddler catches there is the front of their foot on the asphalt or tripped over something and they start straight down, face first down. I mean into the asphalt. It is a disaster about to happen. They're going to have abrasions there going to have contusions there going to have bruised knees. They're going to have bleeding elbows and I have this big old ugly scab on their nose and are going to have a huge old not on their head.

You know what I'm talking about and you would have to take him home and wash all these things out and get all the asphalt output Neosporin all over it. But it doesn't happen.

Why because their daddy has their hand in here and let it happen.

Yes I toddler out-of-control out-of-control that toddler completely lost his balance and headed for disaster. Yeah, face first begun happen because their parent has their hand and breaks that fall. This is the picture. David is telling us here that that's how you and I are as followers of Christ who are under the Lordship of Christ. When we walk through life we do dumb, stupid, amazingly ridiculous things and were headed for the asphalt and we even know were headed for the asphalt and then it done happen. The consequences that we were bringing on ourselves by our own stupidity. They just don't happen because the Lord steps in and shows his mercy never is it that the encourager I don't know what the world will amen I mean that that that that I does the best news I've heard because I need a God like this you know I mean I try hard to get it right and do what's right before the Lord, but I'm always messing up always messing up. In fact, usually it's my mouth.

My dad once said to me if somebody were so your mouth shut. 90% of your problems would be over in 40 years later he still right. That's the tragic part of this whole thing. You know I do try hard and yet every time I turn around I'm on messed up and I'm in trouble and I've opened up consequences that could come on me that could just be an absolute mess. But you know for 42 years walking with Jesus. I've turned to the Lord at those times and some Lord I'm so sorry.

I can't believe I've done it again. Lord, but I'm just asking you please step in here rescue me from myself. Lord rescue me from what I've done. Don't let those awful consequences that I'm about to bring on myself. Don't let it happen to me Lord I mean I feel like my mama lies prayer is all God of the second chance. Well here I am again.

That's what I feel like I can't tell you how many times hundreds thousands God stepped in and done that for me.

Friends if you are here today and you're an adopted child of God and you're serious about pleasing and obeying God in your life and when you stumble listen to the promise of Psalm 37 you shall not fall down and be broken either God will be the God of the second chance for you just like he was for Abraham and all these other people we read about and so there is hope in this chapter there is encouragement in this chapter, I was working on this chapter this week and I kick back from my desk and just sat back in the chair and just looked up at the Lord and said oh my gosh, Lord. While I am so glad this is the kind of God, you are because I make second, third or fourth, fifth, 20th 80th stakes and I need a God who gives second, third or fourth 20th 80th chances. How great is it to know we've got that Konica men was pretty or Jesus you know how frail and weak. We are and you know how stupid and dumb things are that we can do sometimes. I mean things that you must shake your head in heaven and go. I cannot believe this. I can't believe she did this again or he did this again of the Lord just like a merciful parent who's especially sensitive to a child in the areas where they struggle and is incredibly long-suffering with that child. We thank you for being that way with us, Lord, help us not be confused what I'm saying today is license to sin. It isn't helpful or saying today not be confused as permission to be sloppy and disobedient. Spiritually it is the Lord Jesus, help it to be an encouragement to our soul that when we do make a mistake, trying hard not to. When we do that we have the God of the second chance just like Abraham had to lift our hearts and put a spring in our step and encourage our lives with the love and the mercy of our wonderful heavenly father, thank you for being this way for us Lord we needed. We thank you for it. In Jesus name. What are God's people say amen