Easter 2008 - The God of Second Chances

His name was David.  David was a minor Anglo-Irish aristocrat who was born on May 1, 1793 in rural Ireland and moved to Canada where he became the owner of many hotels and an avid golfer

Historians disagree about exactly why he did what he did...but it's clear that he changed history.  My favorite version of the story is that he was asked to drive a group of friends to an early morning game at the St. Lambert Country Club, outside Montreal. David being the only golfer with a car, ended up driving everyone to the course. The drive took him over many rough roads and a really bumpy bridge found at the entrance to the course. Due the rough driving conditions and an old car with bad transmission, David's hands were in pretty bad shape by the time the trip was over.

He tee-ed up his first shot and since his hands were still sore and aching, shanked the first drive deep into the woods.

That's when he did the unthinkable.  He reached into his golf bag, pulled out a second ball, and teed up again.

His friends were too shocked to say anything, but later named it after their friend.  David Mulligan.

1.  We Would Like A Mulligan in Life

What if we could apply this to other areas of life.

  • The policeman comes to your window to write a speeding ticket
  • No thanks, I'll take a Mulligan

The scale tips heavier than before showing that your New Year's resolution is dead, Jenny Craig doesn't work, and that Weight Watchers wasn't watching close enough.

  • That's okay, I'll take a Mulligan

The bank tells you that you bounced a check

  • Can I take a Mulligan?

You're talking to your spouse and that phrase comes out ... you know the one...the one that always gets you in trouble ... the "are you channeling your mother again?" comment

  • As you get ready to bed down on the couch, you say "Can I take a mulligan?"

Story of Peter

In the story of Easter is the story of a man who desperately needed a mulligan. 

John 18:15-18 - Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not." It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

John 18:25-27 - As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not." One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?" Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

After that, Peter got a mulligan.

John 21:1-15 = The Miraculous Catch of Fish

John 21:15-17 - When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

2.  Why Does It Take EASTER For Us To Get A Mulligan?

Why does it take Good Friday and Easter Sunday for us to get a mulligan from God?

There are some books and articles written that call the idea of God sending Jesus to die on the cross nothing short of "Divine Child Abuse."

Why did Jesus have to die?

Couldn't God just choose to forgive?

When I golf, I take mulligans all the time and no-one has to die for them.  What's different?

A.  It Took Easter Because This Life Is For Real

What's different is that this game is for real.

  • In the PGA, there are no mulligans
  • You have to play a bad lie
  • If you shank it into the parking lot, there are penalties, not freebies

PGA RULE #27

If your ball is lost or out of bounds, you must add a penalty stroke to your score and play another ball from where you played your last shot.

If you think your ball may be lost or out of bounds, you may play another ball (provisional ball) from the place where your first ball was played. You must tell your opponent or fellow-competitor that you are playing a provisional ball and play it before you look for the first ball. If you cannot find your first ball or if it is out of bounds, you must count the strokes with the first and provisional balls, add a penalty stroke and play out the hole with the provisional ball. If you find your first ball in bounds, continue play with it and pick up the provisional ball.

On the PGA, your score isn't a reflection of grace, it is a brutally honest reflection of what you did.

At times I cringe from that...but deep down I want that to be true.  I want to live in a world with accountability.  Because our choices really do matter.

Would we want to follow a God that would say, "Hitler, take a mulligan"?

Its okay Pol Pot, have a free do-over.

  • Leader of Cambodia from 1976-1979
  • Communist movement known as the Khmer Rouge
  • During his time in power Pol Pot imposed a version of agrarian collectivization whereby city dwellers were relocated to the countryside to work in collective farms and forced labor projects, conceived as a restarting of civilization in "Year Zero".
  • The combined effect of slave labor, malnutrition, poor medical care and executions had an estimated death toll of 750,000 to 1.7 million.
  • His regime achieved special notoriety for singling out all intellectuals and other "bourgeois enemies" to be killed - including pastors and known Christians.

Do we want to follow a God that saw Tiananmen Square and said, "Its all good, take a mulligan"?

  • Tiananmen literally means Gate of Heavenly Peace
  • The protests there turned bloody in 1989
  • Tanks rolled, bullets flied
  • The Chinese Red Cross estimates that 2,000-3,000 died - maybe up to 30,000 were injured

Child Abuse

Rapists

The choices we make in life are real.  Our choices do real damage to real people.

That means that forgiveness isn't just an act of compassion, it is costly.

B. Economic Example - Damaged Car

In his book "The Reason for God" Tim Keller makes this point with a purely economic example. 

Imagine someone borrows your car, and as he backs it out of the driveway he strikes a gate, knocking it down along with part of a wall.  Your property insurance doesn't cover the gate and garden wall.  What can you do?

There are essentially two options:

  1. Demand that he pay for the damages
  2. Refuse to let him pay anything.
  3. Maybe a middle of the road option in which you both pay part of the damages.

Notice that in every option the cost of the damage must be borne by someone.  Either you or he absorbs the cost for the deed, but the debt does not somehow vanish into thin air.  Forgiveness, in this example, means bearing the cost for his misdeed yourself.

C.  This is True With More than Money

A church word that gets thrown around sometimes is "SIN"

USA TODAY last week had an article "Has the ‘notion of sin' been lost?"

Survey by Ellison research in Phoenix finds that 87% of US adults believe in the existence of sin, which is defined as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particulararly from a religious or moral perspective."

A few questions follow:

What are sins?

Have we sinned?

And - what can we do about our sin?

What Are Sins?

Topping the list in USA TODAY were adultery (81%) and racism (74%)

7 Deadly Sins:

  • Lust
  • Anger
  • Pride
  • Sloth
  • Envy
  • Gluttony
  • Greed

Mohandas Gandhi's version of the "Seven Deadly Sins":

"Wealth without work,

Pleasure without conscience,

Science without humanity,

Knowledge without character,

Politics without principle,

Commerce without morality,

And worship without sacrifice."

Vatican recently Updated its "Sin List"

Thou shall not pollute the Earth. Thou shall beware genetic manipulation.

Comment Forum on 21st Century Sins:

  • 21st century sin? $19.95 CABLE AND INTERNET!!!! (followed by very small print) for first sixty days, subsequent months are $129.95)

Best definition for sin = missing the mark.

  • Archery term
  • Missing the bullseye
  • Internal, gut level knowledge "I missed"
  • The world isn't right

Have We Sinned?

When asking yourself that question, don't look outside for a list.

Don't look at me and wonder if I think you're a sinner.

  • Look inside and ask yourself, "Have I missed the mark? Have I been living a self-centered life or have I been building peace and justice in the world?"
  • Look at God and ask yourself, "Have I measured up or have I missed the mark?"

What Can We Do About Our Sin?

65% of US adults say they will go to heaven

Only 0.05% believe they'll go to Hell.

Sin does real damage to real people.

If my sin only damaged me, I might be able to fix it...but probably not.

  • I've developed bad habits of eating and stress reduction, and its all I can do right now to change those habits.
  • I don't have much confidence that I can repair myself at a soul level.

My sin also damages people around me, and I have no clue how to fix that.

  • I took a girl to homecoming in high school
  • Never called her again
  • I still wonder what I would say if I ran into her again
  • Is there anything I can do to fix that?

But sin doesn't just damage me an the people around me.  It also damages my relationship with God.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 - Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

3.  The Cross is our Atonement

Atonement = Atonement means making amends, blotting out the offense, and giving satisfaction for wrong done; thus reconciling to oneself the alienated other and restoring the disrupted relationship.  (JI Packer)

That word has been getting a lot of air-time lately.

  • The movie "Atonement" received 7 Oscar Nominations
  • Governor Spitzer "now beginning to atone with his family"

1 John 4:10  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

This is where our mulligan comes from.  We don't get a free do-over.  Grace cost Jesus everything.

Real sins did real damage and it took a real savior on a real cross to bring us real forgiveness.

"The Bible says the place where God's unswerving commitment to justice and God's undying longing to forgive meet is the cross.  The cross is the declaration of God's hatred of sin and all the damage sin does.  The cross is the declaration of God's love for sinners and his insatiable appetite to redeem them." - John Ortberg

4.  Who Needs a Do-Over?

A.  Some Need a Do-Over because of What's Been Done To Us.

B.  Some Need a Do-Over because of What We've Done.

5.  How do You Get a Second Chance?

Religion vs. Gospel


Story of John Newton

 

Conclusion 

Easter is the day of second chances.

1 - Ask for a second chance.

"Repent and Believe"

2 - Give a Second Chance.