Second Chances

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the Sunday morning before New Year's Day, the 29th of December, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Traditionally, each new year is seen as giving us an opportunity to make things right in our life.  We get another chance to do something better.  If there was ever a person given a second chance who made the most of it, that person had to be Saul, better known to us as the Apostle Paul.

Saul was a Pharisee, and best known in his day as a great persecutor of the early Christian church, yet he became arguably the greatest evangelist and church planter that ever lived.  How did that miraculous change come about?

Listen and follow along as Paul recounts his conversion to King Agrippa during one of the many times he was under arrest.  This account was recorded by the Apostle Luke in his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, in chapter 26 verses 4 through 18, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

4 “My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. 5 They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

9 “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will rescue you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’"

--Acts 26:4-18 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, throughout the history of mankind, You have given us chance after chance to do the right thing.  Our Bible records many instances of how Your people would do wrong and You’d punish them, but then You’d forgive them and open Your heart to them once again.  Father, thank You for Your loving kindness, Your mercy, Your forgiveness.  Thank You for all the second chances You give us.  Please help us do what is right in Your eyes.  Help us accomplish the task that You have set us aside to perform.

Speak to us now, Father, through Your Spirit, with the message we need to hear this morning.  Show us how we can better serve You and Jesus.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


A police officer stopped a teen-age girl after calls that a car had been seen going around her neighborhood in reverse for quite some time.  The girl told the officer that her parents had let her use the car, but she had put too much mileage on it.  "I was just trying to unwind some of it," she said.

And then there’s the college football coach who was faced with the possibility that his star player might be declared academically ineligible.  He pleaded with the math professor not to flunk the kid.  "Tell you what, coach," said the professor, "I'll ask him a question in your presence.  If he gets it right, I'll pass him."  The athlete was called in, and the prof asked, "What's two and two?"  "Four," replied the player.  Frantically the coach cried out, "Give him another chance!  Give him another chance!"


Sometimes we have weird ways of trying to get another chance in this life.  The young driver was apparently trying to get another chance to drive the family car again by removing some of the miles she had put on it.  And there may be the rare occasion when we think we need a second chance but we actually don’t.  I feel those times to be few and far between, though.  Jesus died so that our sins might be forgiven and forgotten, but then we just keep on sinning, even making up new sins as we go along.  That’s where God’s mercy comes in, giving us second chances.

During their association together, Peter often said or did something dumb and Jesus would rebuke him.  But then Peter did something many of us cringe to think about.  He denied Jesus when He was arrested, denied walking with Him for the past three years, denied ever even knowing Him.  Yet in the 21st chapter of the Apostle John’s Gospel account, we see where Jesus gives Peter another chance, restores him as a disciples, shows His love and forgiveness.

And here we stand, showered by God’s love and mercy, given yet another chance to do things right, to make things better.  What will we do with this opportunity?


As I mentioned at the start, Paul is a great example of second chances.  He was a Pharisee, strong in his faith, active in his duties, very dedicated to carrying our God’s work.  And that is why he persecuted the early Christians.  That is why he brought them to trial and voted for their death.  That is why he even traveled to distant lands, to bring the converted Jews back to Jerusalem to stand trial for their heresy.

Everything Paul did was done out of devout service to God, as he and the rest of the Pharisees saw it.  But then Jesus showed him just how blind he was, by taking away his sight.  The Lord could have left him blind, or worse, and that would have been fitting.  Instead, Jesus showed Paul the truth, then restored his sight and put him to work.

The great prophet Isaiah foretold how the Messiah would restore sight to the blind, among other things.  Listen to one incident that occurred early in Jesus’ ministry, as recorded by Luke in his Gospel account, chapter 4 verses 16 through 21…

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

--Luke 4:16-21 (NKJV)

The part Jesus read comes from Isaiah chapter 61, verse 1 and the first part of verse 2.  As I’ve mentioned before, Isaiah lived and died around 700 years before Jesus was even born.  And yet, Jesus noted that what Isaiah foretold so long ago, had come true and stood before them that day in Nazareth.

Jesus brought us the good news that salvation and forgiveness are within our grasp.  He came to heal those whose hearts have been broken by the burden of sin.  He offers freedom to all who are held captive by sin.  He restores our spiritual sight so that we might see the truth.  He sets us free from Satan’s oppression, from eternal death.  By His sacrifice, He gave us all a second chance: a second chance at being forgiven, a second chance at being redeemed in God’s eyes.

Jesus gave Paul a second chance so that he could be a minister and a witness for Jesus, in order to turn the Gentiles from darkness - from blindness - to light, from the power of Satan to God, so that all who believe might receive forgiveness of sins.  And Paul certainly took full advantage of his second chance, serving Jesus even while he himself was severely persecuted, often beaten and imprisoned.  He persevered through hardships and trials we’ll never experience, even as his health failed, even as his own execution neared.  Paul came to us, the Gentiles, to show us the truth and the light that is Jesus, the fulfillment of scripture and prophecy.  He showed us by his own example just what it means to get a second chance.

Family, what have we done with our second chance?  We who believe have been forgiven of our disobedient ways, washed of our sin by the precious blood of Jesus.  Our eyes have been opened to the truth of Jesus as Lord, as God, as our Master and our Savior.  We have been given the chance to be a minister and witness for Jesus, to preach the Gospel to the poor in spirit, to show those who are still captive to sin how they can be freed, to open the eyes of the blind.

A new year is upon us.  Let’s proclaim it to be the acceptable year of our Lord.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, Your servant Isaiah told the world of Your Son’s coming and what that would mean to us.  Yet Your people remained deaf, and would not hear.  They chose to stay blind, and would not see.  Thank You, Father, for giving us a second chance to hear and see the truth.  Thank You for sending Your Son to save us from ourselves.  Please help us honor the chance You have given us to better ourselves, to be more righteous in Your sight.  Please help us better serve You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our disobedient ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…

Lord Jesus, You were the fulfillment of prophesy spoken long before Your birth.  You offer truth and forgiveness, yet so many prefer blindness and death.  Help us, please Lord, to take full advantage of the many chances You and our Father God offer us, chances to serve You, chances to be better, chances to help others.  Restore our sight, Lord Jesus, and use us as You will.  This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.