LUKE 14:18 “A FARM, AN OX, AND A HENPECKED HUSBAND”
A) Wherever the Gospel is preached … Wherever men are confronted with Christ .......
* Wherever the invitation to salvation is extended, there is one common response .......
* THEY ALL MAKE EXCUSES.
B) This is as old as the human race ... It started with Adam.
* When God found Adam hiding in the trees in the Garden, He confronted him with his sin.
* Adam said, “Now, Lord, don’t blame me, it ain’t my fault.” – Said, “It’s the woman that Thou
gavest me … She did it.” (He actually blamed God and the woman)
C) God turned to Eve and she said, “Well, Lord, don’t look at me, I didn’t do it – “It was the
serpent, he did it.”
* From that day until now, the sons of Adam excuse themselves.
* Men dodge and sidestep, and pass the buck.
* They alibi and explain in a desperate effort to justify themselves.
D) Of course, there is no reason for one to reject Jesus – Despise God’s grace, refuse His
mercy and die in his sins.
* At least, I’ve never heard a reason ... I’ve heard many excuses ... But there is a difference
between an excuse and a reason.
* An excuse is really a skin of a reason stuffed with a lie ... That is, it looks like a reason on the
outside until you examine it ... Then you find it to be just a common, ordinary lie.
E) Excuses are made by those who are not willing to be honest and come clean with God.
* There is just such an occasion in the Bible ... Luke 14:16-24 .......
THE FIRST MAN WAS A FARMER – v.16-18 .......
A) This man wasn’t going to see a farm, he was lying.
* In the 1st place, you don’t buy a farm without seeing it ... And the 2nd place, he didn’t bother
looking at it before, so why the rush now? ... And 3rd, it was supper time.
* He didn’t want to go to the supper, so he excused himself.
B) The 2nd fellow was no different – v.19 .......
* In the 1st place, it’s too late to prove them after they’re bought and 2nd, it was dark.
* He wasn’t proving oxen, he didn’t want to attend the feast.
C) The 3rd is like the others – v.20 .......
* In the 1st place, she was a new bride, and he could have showed her off to everyone at the supper,
and she would have been more than glad to go with her new husband.
* In the 2nd place, if he had been the kind of man he should’ve been, he would have said, “Go get
ready honey, we’re going to a supper.”
* And in the 3rd place, he could’ve gone alone.
D) Stop blaming others for your failures in serving God – Accept responsibility yourself.
* You can go to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb if nobody else goes.
* If your mother, father, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, all refuse to come to Christ, come
yourself ... Heaven can be yours in spite of everybody.
* All these could have gone to the supper, but they had no desire to attend.
E) “Well, Preacher, I don’t give such foolish excuses ... “I don’t blame business, nor people,
nor things.”
* Oh yeah? ... I wonder if you have any better excuse than these?
* I’d like to sit down and discuss this matter with you personally.
F) If you have one legitimate reason for treating Jesus the way you do, I’ll close my Bible for
the last time, quit the ministry, and stop preaching.
* I’m still listening for the first reason … I’ve heard many excuses.
(1) CAN’T UNDERSTAND
A) “Preacher, I’d get saved if I knew how, but it’s too complicated, I can’t understand.”
* Man said that to me one time, and he had a sincere look, and I thought he meant what he said
until I started explaining it ... Then I learned he didn’t want to understand it.
B) Now, I’ll admit there are some things in the Bible that’s difficult to understand.
* If I understood everything in the Bible, that would mean that I’m as smart as God or He is as
dumb as I am, and neither one is the case.
* Besides, no man can expect to understand the Word of God without the enlightenment of the
Holy Ghost – 1 Cor. 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit .......”
C) However, the plan of salvation is plain and simple, that a child can understand.
* Let me give you this plan ... Rom. 3:23 “For all …” – Rom. 3:10 “As it is written ...”
* Do you understand that? – Rom. 6:23 “For the wages …” Is that clear?
* Rom. 5:8 “But God ...” Isn’t that plain? – Rom. 10:13 ... Isn’t that complicated?
* John 1:12 “But as many ...” * 1 John 1:9 Isn’t that difficult?
D) The truth is, men don’t want to understand.
* If you’ll take God at His Word, let Christ into your heart, be saved, and start studying the Bible,
I promise you that your understanding will increase.
E) You’ll not receive a spiritual education in a year or two ... It takes time and growth and study
and prayer to understand the deep truths of God.
* It is the height of foolishness for a lost sinner to go stumbling through the book of Revelation
and come staggering out in the midst of horses and candlesticks .......
* Saying, “My, isn’t that complicated?”
F) Why don’t you read the Gospel of John?
* In reality, this excuse, like most others, is just your way of blaming God for your wickedness.
G) It’s a way of saying, “Now, God, I’d be saved if I knew how ... But you have made it so
complicated that I can’t understand it ... It’s not my fault, it’s Yours.”
* STOP BLAMING GOD ... If He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you, it doesn’t
stand to reason that He would make the offer so confusing that you couldn’t understand it.
(2) TOO MUCH TO GIVE UP * Let’s analyze this excuse .......
A) 1st of all, I will agree that there are many things that Christians don’t do.
* When folks are saved, they stop some things. * The life is changed, but I don’t like to call this
“giving up.” * For example .......
B) When a drunk stops drinking alcohol, which eats the stomach, hardens the liver .......
* Deadens the nerves, wastes the money and deprives the family of life’s necessities .......
* I don’t think he has lost a thing. * In fact, I think he has gained something.
* So it is with other sins ... The gambler, thief, harlot, whoremonger, liar .......
* All sinners suffer some in this world for their sins and their wicked ways.
C) Christ changes the life and breaks the chains which shackle the soul. * What has a man lost?
* Nothing ... His life is happier, having dropped that which wrecks, ruins, destroys and brings
heartache. * Furthermore, Jesus gives so much in return .......
* That I’ve never seen a dedicated Christian weep over that which was taken away.
* That would be a sad picture … Imagine a man eating a juicy, charcoaled T-Bone steak an inch
thick, and weeping for a piece of fat, white side pork, or possum.
* The devil is a deceiving liar and cheat and that which he gives is artificial.
D) It’s temporary, perishable, it’s a cheap substitute ... It won’t last.
* That which Christ gives is genuine and real ... It endures forever.
* It will not fade or pass away.
E) Satan says, “Be merry,” – Jesus says, “Be happy.”
* Satan says enjoy the pleasures of sin, Jesus says “enjoy peace of mind.”
* Satan says, “Live for the present.” ... Jesus says, “Live forever.”
* If you’ll let Christ into your life, you’ll never weep over “giving up.”
* He will replace all of that you lose and much more with better things.
F) Besides all this, He’ll never ask you to give up anything which is for your good.
* Psa. 84:11 “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
* Christ loves you and He doesn’t want you to be hurt.
* That’s why He asks you not to do certain things.
* Sin will bring sorrow, pain, misery, heartache, therefore He says, “Don’t sin.”
(3) BUT IT’S SO HARD TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE * That’s strange you would say that ….
* When Jesus said in Matt. 11:28-30. * You say hard … He says easy.
* You say difficult, He says easy ... Seems to be a disagreement. * Another way of blaming God.
A) You say, “God made the way to heaven so hard that I can’t travel it.”
* Then He’ll send me to hell for not doing something that I couldn’t do to start with.
* Does that make reasonable sense?
* Imaging me standing my daughter beside the church building .......
* I tell her to jump over it or I’ll beat you to death. * What would you think?
B) “Well Preacher, you didn’t love her much.”
* Same accusation you make against God.
* If He loved you enough to send His Son to die for your salvation, why would He make it so hard
that you could not live it? * The Lord will never ask you to do something that you can’t do.
* Anything that He asks you to do, you ought to do it.
* And by the grace of God, you can do it – Phil. 4:13.
(4) TOO MANY HYPOCRITES * “Now Preacher, you know there’s hypocrites in the church.”
* People who say they are Christians but they’re not.
A) I know a man in the church that lies!” * Yes, and I know one in the business world who lies.
* He pretends to give you your money’s worth, but he’s a cheat ... He’ll steal you blind.
* Some of these business hypocrites are so smart, that the wool they pull over your eyes are 2/3
cotton, and you can’t even detect that. * Yet, you continue to do business with them.
* “But Preacher, there’s another fellow who does not live up to the church covenant.”
* Yes, I know a doctor who doesn’t live up to the oath he took.
* He’s not a genuine physician ... He’s a quack ... A medical hypocrite.
* Does that mean I don’t go to the doctor when I’m sick?
B) “But I know another one in the church who doesn’t practice what he preaches.”
* Yes, I know school teachers who are hypocrites.
* They’re not concerned with the education of children. * They pass the time and draw the pay.
* Does that mean I don’t send my kids to school?
* It’s strange that some people who gripe the loudest about hypocrites in the church, don’t seem
to be bothered with them anywhere else.
C) This world is full of them ... The only place they’re not is in heaven.
* If you don’t like hypocrites, that is a good reason to get saved. * Hell is full of them.
* Let me give you one verse of Scripture to remember ... Rom. 14:12 “So then .......”
* When you stand before God, He’ll call one name loud and clear.
* You won’t answer for me, or I won’t answer for you. * One person ... Yourself.
* Hide behind ... Bigger. * Don’t blame the hypocrite.
(5) WAITING FOR A FEELING * Illustrate ... Why don’t you come to Christ?
* They’ll say, “I’m waiting on a feeling.”
* If you don’t know what kind of feeling you’re looking for, how would you know it if you had it?
A) Suppose you came to me and invited me to come to supper. * Illustrate …….
* The only feeling a man needs to eat is an appetite. * If you wait for more, you’ll starve.
* I believe in a heart-felt salvation ... Don’t get the cart before the horse.
* You come to Christ, let Him forgive your sins, He’ll take care of the feeling.
* How He wants you to feel, that’s how you’ll feel. * Illustration .......
* Standing side the country ... Tree to cut down.
B) Do you feel like you’ve sinned? ... Do you feel like Christ died for your sins?
* Do you feel like He loves you ... Do you feel like He’ll save you?
* Then you have all the feeling that you need.
(6) I NEED MORE TIME TO THINK IT OVER
* Honestly, how much time does a man need to decide between life and death – Heaven – hell –
Salvation and destruction ... How much time do you need?
A) 1 year, 5 years, 10 years ... How much time do you want?
* If you’ll just tell me how much time you need, maybe we can arrange it.
* “Don’t be foolish, Preacher, it won’t take 10 years.”
* I’m not so sure ... What happened to the last 10 years? ... God’s done give you 10 years.
* Maybe you could settle it in 1 year ... Is 12 months long enough.
* I think not ... What happened to the past year?
B) Just give me a week. * You’ve had many weeks. * Well, just give me a day.
* Count the days God’s already given you. * Where did they go?
* You’ve already been given plenty of time.
* Today, if you died lost, you couldn’t blame God.
* Illustration: Imaging me standing inside a burning building .......
* Do I need to think it over about getting out of the house?
C) If a building caught fire with you in it, how long would it take you to decide to get out?
* Your soul is trapped ... The flames of eternal destruction burn so near.
* Flee the wrath of God to come.
* How long do you need to make up your mind to escape the fire?
* Suppose I was drowning and you came along in a boat and offered to save me.
* You said, “Give me your hand, I’ll pull you into the boat from the water.”
D) With my last breath I said, “Go back to shore and come again tomorrow.”
* “Give me a day to think it over.”
* Poor soul sinking down in the chilly waters of death, Jesus wants to pull you into the boat.
* Wait no longer ... Consider this no more ... Trust Him ... Jesus says, “Come …”
* What will your answer be? * Quit your lying through flimsy excuses and come to Jesus.
