What's Your Excuse (Part 1) Series

Sunday Morning January 13, 2009 Bel Aire Baptist Church

Series: “Moving With God (Exodus)” [#3]

WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE? (Part 1)

Exodus 3:1-10

Introduction:

On this “Excuse Sunday” I have thought about all of the excuses I have heard for not attending church, serving in the church, etc… Here is a video with some people’s excuses for not attending church:

[Video: “Why Don’t You Go To Church?”]

I have found a website that gives people an opportunity to list their excuses for not going to church. The list had 172 excuses and I’m sure it will grow. In that list I found something that had been found in a church bulletin and I thought it was pretty funny; so I included into our bulletin. By the way, the pastor got into big trouble for doing this; but it apparently got his point across.

No Excuse Sunday:

Dedicated To Missing Church Attendees

To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special "No Excuse Sunday": Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, "Sunday is my only day to sleep in." There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard. Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, "The roof would cave in if I ever came to church." Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can’t go to church and cook dinner, too. We will distribute "Stamp Out Stewardship" buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them. We will provide hearing aids for those who can’t hear the preacher and cotton wool for those who think he’s too loud! Hope to see you there!

It is interesting to me how God allows us to make choices instead of making us do it His way; and then would even have the patience with us to listen to us try to make excuses as to why His way must be wrong. What a gracious and loving God we serve that He would put up with us and not just destroy us.

So what do we do to continue moving forward with God, so that our lives will please Him?

Exodus 3:1-4

In order to move forward with the Lord we must recognize…

1. His presence. How does God speak to us? How do we know that He is trying to teach us something; and how do we know what it is?

God speaks to us through…

> Circumstances.

> His Word.

> Prayer.

> Others.

> Miracles.

Just because you can’t see God in a burning bush or with your physical eyes doesn’t mean that He isn’t moving in your life. You must recognize the fact that a perfect God loves you so much that He is willing to work in your life.

Exodus 3:5-6

In order to move forward with the Lord we must recognize…

2. How to approach Him. We can’t just go into God’s presence. He is holy and perfect and we are not. So how do we enter into God’s presence without dying? How is it that we can go boldly to throne of God in prayer?

We must understand that in order to be in God’s presence, we must…

> Be holy. We have to be set apart from the world.

> Be pure and spotless. How can we stand before God pure and spotless? Through the blood of Jesus.

> Be focused. How often do we allow our minds to wander and we become distracted while God is trying to speak to us? Pay attention, you are speaking to a perfect God!

Exodus 3:7-10

In order to move forward with the Lord we must recognize…

3. He uses us to accomplish His plan.

Notice the progression of these verses…

“I have seen the misery of my people…”

> God knows.

“So I have come down to rescue them…”

> God cares.

“I am sending you…”

> God works (through us).