Sunday, June 9, 2013 pm
What’s Your Excuse?
Excuses are something that many of us deal with regularly.
Perhaps we are guilty of using excuses or else we hear them from
others. Some put off obeying the
gospel by saying, “I plan to take care of it, but I’m not ready” or “I
don’t know enough” or “I’m not good enough”.
Others make excuses for missing worship services, “I woke up
late” or “The car wouldn’t start” or “Company came at the last minute”
or “I had to work.” For bad
behavior some will say, “I can’t help it” or “I know it’s wrong, but I
keep slipping up” or “I guess I let him get the best of me”, etc. or
“I’m trying to do better.”
Some make excuses for quitting on the Lord or leaving a congregation by
saying, “There’s too many hypocrites there” or “I think we need a
change” or “I don’t like the way I was treated by the elders” or “the
preaching is too… loud, negative, soft, positive, deep, simple,- (insert
whatever quality irks you)”, etc. Some
make excuses for not engaging in personal work, “I don’t know enough” or
“I’m too busy right now” or “nobody is interested.”
The list of scenarios and excuses
is endless. But what does
the Bible say about excuses?
Tonight I want to speak for a few moments about excuses.
a.
What is an excuse? Originally the
word meant, “To give a defense or reason for something.”
And we still use the word in that way today sometimes.
An “excused absence” is SUPPOSED to be one with a legitimate
reason. BUT more often than
not, the word has come to be associated with an unjustified or false
reason for one’s conduct, or lack thereof.
And that is what we want to talk
about this evening.
b.
While there are
certainly legitimate reasons why things happen (and thus one is
excused), typically the excuse is
illegitimate and designed to either conceal true motives or lessen the
guilt that one has.
Because we give the benefit of the doubt (i.e. 1 Cor. 13:5 – love
thinks no evil), how much of one’s reasoning is actually an excuse is
something that the one who uses them will have to determine for himself.
But know this, God knows REAL motives!
As we shall see, excuses are not acceptable in God’s eyes.
c.
Excuses are often the product of lies, laziness, poor self-discipline, pride, jealousy,
or indifference and other sinful attitudes.
Consider Prov. 22:13, “The
lazy man says, ‘There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the streets!”
d.
Excuses are often
habitual
– one who uses excuses probably does so often and whenever needed.
Some use excuses so often or the same one over and over that the
discerning spirit begins to doubt one’s sincerity.
Incidentally, the frequency of using excuses is one way to
identify the difference between a legitimate reason and an excuse.
e.
It is possible for a
legitimate reason to become an excuse
– there are some things that are legitimate reasons at first,
but in time they are no longer acceptable.
For example: In our list of excuses at the beginning of this
lesson we spoke of one not knowing enough to do personal work, or the
car not starting, or being late because of some unforeseen event.
BUT if the same thing keeps occurring over time it is no longer a
legitimate reason and becomes an excuse, perhaps even a CRUTCH to keep
one from doing what he ought to do.
Consider Heb. 5:12-14 where the writer rebukes them for not being
more knowledgeable.
Whose fault was it then?
Note the phrase, “By this time
you ought to be teachers.”
a.
The Old Testament gives
plenty of examples of excuses.
i.
The very first recorded
sin involved excuses. Gen. 3
records Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit.
Vs. 11-13 record the excuses of both Adam and Eve.
They passed the blame rather than taking responsibility.
ii.
Exodus 3 & 4 records an
account in the life of Moses where he made some 5 excuses seeking to get
out of leading Israel from bondage.
He was at the burning bush and the Lord told him to lead His
people out of Egypt. Moses
began trying to get out of it:
1.
Exodus 3:11,
“Who am I” – he was saying, “I’m nobody!
Who’s going to listen to me?
The Lord answered, “I will be with you.”
2.
Exodus 3:13,
Moses asked, “What shall I say to them?”
- he was saying I don’t know what to say.
God answered, “I AM WHO I AM.”
He gave Moses the answer and further instructions.
3.
Exodus 4:1,
“But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; Suppose
they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”
The Lord answered, “What is that in your hand? He spoke of his
rod. It was turned into a
miracle. In fact, He gave
him 3 miracles (staff to serpent, leprous hand, and water to blood).
4.
Exodus 4:10,
“O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken
to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
He said, “I can’t speak well.
I’m not a debater or orator.”
Again the Lord promised to be with Him and reminded Moses that He
was the Lord. Further He
provided Aaron his brother to be his spokesman.
5.
Exodus 4:13,
“O my Lord, please send by the hand of whoever else You may send.”
Rather than an excuse, this is the real reason.
He didn’t want to do it.
BUT, vs. 14 says that the Lord was angry with him.
Basically He let Moses know that he was going to do this!
6.
There are MANY lessons
in this account – among them. 1) God had answer for his excuses!
2) He didn’t ACCEPT his excuses!
3) Moses was STILL accountable for what he was capable of doing
(which was more than he thought).
iii.
1 Samuel 15
records King Saul being commanded to destroy the Amalekites.
He half obeys but spares the king and the livestock which was
contrary to God’s will.
1.
When he returns from the
victory Saul is confronted by Samuel vs. 13 says, ““Then Samuel went to
Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have
performed the commandment of the LORD.”
Samuel then asks, “Why do I hear sheep?”
LET the excuses begin!
2.
Vs. 15 – the people
spared the best to sacrifice to the Lord.
3.
When he was harshly
rebuked by the Lord through Samuel, Saul said, “I have obeyed the voice
of the Lord (sort of – TT),…BUT THE PEOPLE took the plunder, sheep and
oxen…to sacrifice.” (vs. 20-21)
4.
After his condemnation,
he says, “I have sinned…because I feared the people and obeyed their
voice.” He begs for
forgiveness. (vs. 24-25)
5.
BUT it doesn’t work!
Saul is rejected as king by the Lord because of this.
AGAIN note that the excuses didn’t work!
iv.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-5 on
making vows we are warned not to be rash in making vows.
Vs. 6, “Do not let your
mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that
it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the
work of your hands?”
b.
Excuses in the New
Testament
i.
Luke 14:15-24, Jesus gives a parable of a man that gave a great supper and invited many.
But those who were invited began making excuses – checking out a
piece of ground, testing oxen, and having married a wife.
The master is greatly angered and those who made excuses were
rejected.
ii.
Luke 9:57-62, Jesus calls for disciples and they begin making excuses.
Jesus answers each excuse.
In the end He says, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the
kingdom of God.”
iii.
John 15:22,
concerning those who had rejected the teachings of Jesus, He notes they
had opportunity to hear and obey, but ”now
they have no excuse for their sin.”
iv.
Romans 1:20,
“For since the creation of the
world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the
things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they
are without excuse,”
And thus we can see the folly of making excuses.
We all stumble from time to time and things happen.
But when they do, just be honest about it.
Take responsibility for your own actions and don’t seek a
scapegoat. Notice that the
excuses that we have discussed did NOT work in God’s eyes.
And if they do not work back then, they will not work now.
DON’T live you live governed by excuses.
It is a dangerous path to go down.
When you stand before God in judgment, if you are rejected,
what excuse will you make?
Think about it!