https://youtu.be/W1DyYP70eFc?si=mfRPZyCEXbEShhZa

Second Helping – 2 – Second ChanceWelcome 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 HelpingWhile 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 SecondAlthough 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 ChanceHave 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 BirthIn 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 SecondNeat 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.