So this morning, hopefully we all remembered to fall back one hour.  We were reminded last week of how important it is to keep moving forward in life.  After all, there’s no turning back!

However, there is a risk in moving forward.  It’s far more of a risk for some of us than it is for others.  How many here have a tendency to be a bit clumsy?

Moving forward presents a fall risk.  Usually falling is a downward motion, but some of us are talented enough to actually fall upward like while walking up the stairs.  Has anyone here ever done that?

The Bible talks about lots of different falls.  Unfortunately, only one fall has a positive meaning.  We only have to read a few chapters in before we find a heading in most translations that states, “The fall of man.”  When Adam and Eve chose to sin against God and do the one thing they were instructed not to do, it wasn’t only them who suffered.

Romans 8:19-21

19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

This is why we say that we live in a fallen world.  The Bible refers many times to these other falls:

Fall short of God’s glory

Fall into sin

Fall away from God

Fall into temptation

Fall into disgrace

Fall short

Fall into the hands of enemies

Fall by the sword

Fall into ruin

Fall out of grace

Fall into trouble

Fall into calamity

Fall in battle

Fall asleep in death

Disaster falling

Dread falling

Nations falling

Kingdoms falling

Causing others to fall

The only truly positive reference to falling in the scriptures that I could find so far is when we choose to fall down in worship.

I mean, Jesus also said that not a single sparrow falls to the ground outside of the Father’s care.  That’s encouraging to know that God cares for us, but it’s not such a great scripture to a fallen sparrow.

Falling is the risk that we take moving forward in life, but the reward is well worth the risk.  In fact, God doesn’t mind when we stumble and fall in life by any means!

Psalm 145:13b-14

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

    and faithful in all he does.

The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

Micah was confessing the sins of his people and lamenting about the hardships that they were experiencing as a result.  Then, he begins to make declarations that transform his lamenting to praise.  He said:

Micah 7:7-8

7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,

    I wait for God my Savior;

    my God will hear me.

8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!

    Though I have fallen, I will rise.

Though I sit in darkness,

    the Lord will be my light.

Though I have fallen, I will rise! 

Falling isn’t failing!  That’s right!  Falling isn’t failing!

The only way for a fall not to become a failure, however, is to get up and not to give up!  Get up, don’t give up!

The righteous person isn’t the one who makes the right decision every moment of every day.  The righteous person is the one who strives to live a holy life, stumbles and falls, but then gets right back up!

Proverbs 24:16

for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…

Righteousness doesn’t come from our perfect living.  Righteousness comes from Jesus Christ alone!

We do our best to live a righteous life empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit, but we will stumble and fall into sin.  When this happens, we confess it, ask God’s forgiveness as well as forgiveness from anyone who we may have sinned against.  Then, we do whatever we can to make things right.  We may fall, but we rise again!

I love how The Message translation words these two verses:

Proverbs 24:15-16

Don’t interf