If there’s any sermon topic we can relate to it’s this one! Everyone knows exactly what we’re dealing with here before I even say a word. We’re all experts on this one. We have all majored in this, we have Ph.D’s in the field of excuses! And I am as qualified as anyone to teach this course.
Excuse: an attempt to release from an obligation or duty by mitigating circumstances. (mitigating...to lesson the severity of the action) By definition an excuse sounds like something that belongs in a court of law! It’s an apology used to gain exemption for service...a reason put forward to justify an offense!
By definition an excuse is made in an attempt for us to be our own judge and jury...we close the case once we state the excuse, slam the gavel and move on to our next court case! The problem is that, just like in a court of law -- the excuse of the offender only holds weight in our own minds -- to those around us, the Jury -- to the judge -- God -- our excuses never seem to vindicate our actions quite like we hope.
When we’re young, our excuses are often cute (my kids) they are harmless enough. As we grow older, they often turn pathological even and excuses often turn into part of our DNA that we just accept.
Benjamin Franklin: He that is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
Excuses are as old as humanity itself. It’s what we do.
First sin Gen 3 -- In a beautiful wooded courtroom....The judge confronts Adam and Eve with their sin, Eve cries that the serpent made her eat the apple, Adam yells "she made me do it". The blame game is born!
Exodus chapter 3 -- The nation of Israel was in it’s darkest time, enslaved by Egypt when God came to Moses in the form of a bush that was on fire but wasn’t burning up. Moses was a smart one and realized something weird was going on!
God says I have heard the cries of Israel and I am here to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians! I bet Moses was pretty pumped up by this news...until God says ’Go to Pharaoh and tell him this slavery is ended...I’m using you’!!!! Record skip!
It’s at this point that mighty Moses starts to look an awful lot like you and me.
And the excuses pour like rain...
Excuse #1 - WHO, ME?? I’M NOBODY!!! WHO AM I??
This is a pitiful excuse, but it’s often (when God calls us) our first round excuse, loaded in the chamber, ready to fire at a moments notice. It’s bad enough, the excuses we use to be late for work, it’s another thing to use them on God!
Who am I? I can’t do this? Look at all my past mistakes! No doubt Moses was dwelling on his past. 40 years earlier Moses had killed an Egyptian that was oppressing an Israelite -- Moses had tried this ’deliverance’ thing a long time ago, with his own power. No one listened to him then, why would they now?
Have you used your past as an excuse? I have. Have you ever used an attempt and failure in the past as a reason to NEVER try something again??
What about something as simple as getting involved with your local church? Maybe you’ve been involved in a church before, maybe you got burned? Maybe you were serving in some capacity and something left a bad taste in your mouth?
Some of you have been deeply wounded and are still hurting from something in the past. Trust God to heal that. He will heal you through your obedience to Him.
It’s an issue of the heart. That’s what it comes down to! Will you let your life go, so He can take control? Do you offer excuses to the Creator of the universe?
Matthew 10:39 Jesus says whoever lays down their life to serve me will find it!
Moses says ’I’m a nobody’. Let’s get some perspective here...He had once been a prince, now he was just a shepherd starring at a talking fiery bush in the middle of the desert. What’s funny here is that God never denies Moses is a ’nobody’...He says, DON’T WORRY, I’M GOING WITH YOU!
It’s not little you confronting mighty Pharaoh, It’s Me my friend. I’ve got this. This requires trust in God! It’s God...NOT YOU!
Have you ever felt a little like this? Sharing your faith with someone who is really educated and smart? Have you ever made this excuse -- I’m nobody? Inviting to church....what if they hate it????
Remember it’s not just little ole you...it’s little ole you and a REALLY BIG SOMEBODY! Think about it from God’s perspective. Why would God choose an 80 year old Hebrew exile to lead the Jewish people out of captivity? Why choose Peter, a hot head without much faith to lead the first Christian church? Why choose Paul, a murder of Christians to spread the word to the gentiles? To prove that it was really HIM at work and not man! It is the same with God choosing us!
Excuse #2 - What if I go and they ask who sent me?? I love this...God says I AM WHO I AM! --whoa! It’s not about who you are Moses.
God didn’t ask Moses to go and explain all the things about God that Moses didn’t know, GO TELL THEM WHAT YOU DO KNOW!
Have you ever been accused of being closed minded for being a Christian? Who are you to tell me I’m going to Hell?? YOU don’t have all the answers. We sometimes use the excuse of our lack of authority to proclaim the gospel, in love! Jesus promises us in Mark 16:17 that we have the authority in His name, with His blessing to speak the truth. IN LOVE.
Do the things you do know! Don’t get so hung up on all that you don’t yet understand! How many people have asked for my counseling when they aren’t even reading scripture, they aren’t even praying consistently, they aren’t even listening to God???
How often do you read the Bible? We have good excuses for not doing this! We don’t have time, we don’t like to read, we don’t understand the Bible so why read it anyway?
ILL -- Newspaper with cutouts from Philippians...see how we could easily fit this in?
Excuse #3 - They won’t believe me! Exodus ch 4
He wasn’t worried that Pharaoh wouldn’t believe him, he was worried the people he was trying to rescue would think desert-boy was insane!!!!!
Again, God never denied people would doubt...that’s life...God merely says, ’I’ll convince them’!
Dude, throw your staff on the ground -- snake -- grab it -- staff
Hand in pocket -- leprosy - back in -- perfect
Water from Nile on ground -- turn to blood
My all you can eat excuse buffet would be closed. That would convince me!!!!
Notice God never asked Moses to use something he didn’t have! Do you ever feel inadequate with what you have? Have you said ’ If I had that persons gifts/talents/life then I’d serve God too’. What’s He given you, that He’s just waiting for you to use?
What are your gifts, right there in front of your face? He’s not waiting for you to become someone else, He designed you for a purpose! When He calls us to do great things for Him, He means it. This is where we often use ’worry’ as an excuse. Fear of the unknown is understandable, but it’s not our place to worry about what MIGHT happen if we follow God-it’s about trust in Him.
Moses was so concerned about what might happen, he didn’t hear what God said WOULD HAPPEN!
EXCUSE #4 - ’I don’t speak well’ Exodus 4:10
He may have been a little slow as a speaker but he sure was fast with the excuses. God says GO! I will help you speak. I think Moses may have been downplaying his abilities because Stephen (Acts 7:22) NT said Moses was powerful in speech.
Like Moses had to remind God of his physical limitations. Haha
We’ve all been here! We’ve all told God why we’re not good enough! Why we’re not ready yet...
Finally Moses offers one more pathetic response...’Are you sure you can’t just go with someone else?’ What about my brother Aaron? He can speak great!
I’d be willing to bet the fire on the bush roared up! God’s anger burned at Moses. Let this sink in. Have no doubt -- GOD GETS ANGRY WHEN WE MAKE EXCUSES
It’s not because God has patience for 4 questions but not 5...it’s that Moses is refusing to trust God’s answer! When Moses begs God to send someone else -- he’s saying to God, "I don’t trust you"!!! It’s a faith issue!
Ex 4:20 -- Moses finally responds in obedience and the rest is history, staff in hand, God used him to deliver over 2 million Israelites from the hand of Egypt.
Why do we use excuses when it comes to God/church that wouldn’t fly in any other area of our lives? I love sports, think about this...
What if people used these excuses to quit sports?
Every time I went, they asked for money for something.
The people around me didn’t seem very friendly.
The seats were hard and uncomfortable.
The marching band was too loud.
The ref made a decision I didn’t agree with.
I was sitting with some hypocrites.
The game went into overtime and I was late getting home.
The game was scheduled when I had other things to do.
My parents took me to too many games growing up.
I know more than the coaches do--I read a book on coaching.
We accept these things in so many arenas in life, but not when it comes to God.
The sin of excuses will someday come to judgment. Standing before the judge, on that day -- you will have NO MORE EXCUSES. Why not get this under control now.
Our excuses when it comes to God are often a matter of the heart.
When He calls us to forgive those we don’t want to forgive, we often remind Him what they did to us.
When He calls us to read our Bibles we often remind Him how busy we are -- or how we have read enough already in the past.
When He calls us to serve we like to tell Him there is nowhere to do it, or that we’re ’waiting for the right time’.
When He calls us to get connected with other Christians and do life with them, some of us like to tell Him of our relationship difficulties.
When He calls us to tell the world about His Son, we might lean on the church to take care of that...maybe we tell Him how inadequate we are?
Dig deep on this one. Don’t offer an excuse for your excuses.
Look to the Cross. Look to Jesus. Look to Love.
We are all inadequate. We are all sinful, none of us are good enough on our own.
If you’re thirsty, He’ll fill your cup up.
If you’re tired He’ll give you rest
If you’re broken He’ll heal you.
He is the Lord, He paid the price for our shortcomings, He is sufficient...He is the Lord! Do you trust Him with your life?
Don’t make an excuse for your excuses.
