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TODAY’S MESSAGE:
Drawing Closer to God: The Intimacy Factor
“When Excuses Fall Short”
Exodus 3-4
Excuses are the nails used to build a house of
failure---Don Wilder
In Exodus, Chapter 3, the intimate relationship between God and Moses begins as God confronts Moses with a mission. So, how did Moses accept the mission? Did he do it with bold faith and valiant courage? No. This intimate relationship began with excuses. It began with excuses that needed to be replaced with actions. Are you longing to go deeper and wider in your relationship with God? Putting an end to excuses is the first step.
When God called Moses, he gave excuses. We need to examine them carefully so that when God calls us to serve, we respond correctly by faith.
Excuse # 1- I’m not ______________.
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11)
Excuse # 2- I don’t ________ ____________.
Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ’The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ’What is his name? ’Then what shall I tell them? (Exodus 3:13)
Excuse # 3- I don’t have the __________.
“Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." (Exodus 4:11)
What is God calling you to do? What excuse can you replace with a faith-based action?
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Introduction:
How would you respond to God if He came to you and said?
“Listen I have an awesome mission for you to accomplish. It will be part of my plan to redeem the world to myself. It will involve miracles, signs, and wonders. It will involve the splitting of the Red Sea and the leading of a couple of million people out of bondage to freedom—all of whom you will lead.
How about it?
What would your response be?
Would you jump at the chance or would you come up with a few excuses as to why you weren’t necessarily God’s best choice?
Moses didn’t waste any time. He said, “Look, I’m not your guy.”
He then rolled off a bunch of excuses, all of which didn’t really impress God. We do the same and here’s an example:
Illustration: Ten Most Used Excuses:
1. I forgot.
2. No one told me to go ahead.
3. I didn’t think it was that important.
4. Wait until the boss comes back and ask him.
5. I didn’t know you were in a hurry for it.
6. That’s the way we’ve always done it.
7. That’s not in my department.
8. How was I to know this was different?
9. I’m waiting for an O.K.
10. That’s his job--not mine.
Bits & Pieces, November, 1989, p. 18.
Let’s first clarify that not all excuses are bad. They can be valid and reasonable if our intentions and motives are pure, and if they’re genuinely based upon what we believe to be the truth in that given circumstance.
But the extent to which we can give illegitimate excuses never ceases to amaze. Listen to the following:
Illustration: According to a UPI news service, the Metropolitan Insurance Company received some unusual explanations for accidents from its automobile policyholders. The following are just a few:
--"An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished."
--"The other car collided with mine without warning me of its intention."
--"I had been driving my car for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had the accident."
--"As I reached an intersection, a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision."
--"I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment."
--"The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end."
--"The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him."
--"The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth."
--"The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him."
However, we know this goes beyond car insurance claims and, even, doing personal favors for those we love. We’re talking about something much deeper.
Obviously, we need to examine ourselves and determine the motive and content. Why? Because we could be losing out on God’s desired plan for our lives and that always leads to—at very least--frustration on our end as we move out of God’s desired will for us.
Illstration: Someone once said: “Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.”
If our desire is to go deep and wide in our relationship with God, we need to lose the excuses and grab hold of the faith He asks us to appropriate.
We also can’t get around the fact that relational intimacy grows deeper as the parties involved go through difficulties together, as they endure pain together, as they share tears together, as they overcome together.
Would you agree with that?
There’s a popular song out there by Luther Vandross in which he says,
“I’d rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else.”
Say that again, Luther? Thanks but no thanks. Is that how you feel about me…I bring the bad times? The first time I came across that song I said, “Say What?”
I don’t know the song well, but I think he means he would rather be with this girl through painful times, than to be without her.
In fact he goes on to say: “I’d rather have the one who holds my heart”
Having her next to him is the most valuable thing-- living life alone without her is unbearable.
Our relationship with God is no different. We can’t run from God in the bad/trying times and hide behind excuses.
Excuses can be incredible roadblocks that inhibit our relational depth with God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
God says, “Go this way…" and we say, “No, I don’t think so.” Then again, “Go this way…," and we say, “No, I don’t think so." Then he says, “fine have it your way.”
None of us want it that way, because we want to be walking where he wants us to walk—that’s where the blessings are, that’s where the joy is, that’s where most importantly His presence is.
So what do we need to do? Replace the excuses with steps of faith. That’s how we open the window to the future that God desires for us—future filled with fulfilled promises and not fallen dreams.
First, we need to understand the excuses themselves so that we don’t fall prey to them when they fall on our hearts and lips. Let’s watch Moses and examine his:
Excuse # 1- I’m not qualified
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11)
Our competency must come from God first. Interesting how when Moses was in Egypt of His own accord he wanted to become the deliverer of His people—but now he was unsure. God wants us to lose the pride and rely on Him and His resources.
Listen to the words of the apostle Paul in
2Corinthians 3:5-6
"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
God usually can’t use us until we have tried to serve Him our own way and failed. He loves to use our failures, as he shapes us into stronger more resilient people—and that’s good news.
Elijah sat down under a tree filled with self-pity, and asked God to kill him. Peter had to fail dismally by denying and cursing the Lord before he could be used.
Don’t let anyone convince you to throw away your failures or even worse to let the fear of failure stop you from following God’s will by faith.
It’s through our failures that God is often getting us ready for something bigger and more brilliant.
He told Moses: “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12) and He was for Moses and he will be for you.
Let’s look at the next excuse.
Excuse #2- I don’t know enough.
God says, “Okay, I’ll be with you.” But Moses has got more excuses.
Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ’The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ’What is his name?’Then what shall I tell them? (Exodus 3:13)
Moses was afraid he would be asked questions he could not answer.
What was God’s answer? "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ’I AM has sent me to you.’ "
God is saying, in essence, “I will be what I will be.” This relationship is going to begin and end with trust. It’s all going to be about trust.
In other words, “Here Moses, tell them this. But understand it’s not about how much you know, but rather it’s about who I am, and it’s about what I will do.”
We can all be guilty of doing exactly what Moses did if we focus on ourselves instead of Him. We want all the answers up front. However, that’s not faith and that’s not how God works.
Finally, the last excuse that we’ll look at is:
Excuse #3- I don’t have the ability.
This is very closely related to the one that is prior to this one, which is “They will not listen to me.”
Moses wants to turn away from God’s will and God’s plan by declaring that God just didn’t equip him for the Job.
He says, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." (Exodus 4:10)
What was God’s response?
The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? (Exodus 4:11)
In other words God was saying, “I have unlimited power over all of the people of the world and their senses—I can give them and I can take them away.”
How, then, can we worry and fret when we feel strongly that He’s calling us to do something? That makes no sense if we truly believe in our hearts that He is who He says He is. He’s God and we’re not.
What is the unshakable Good news for us today? That same all-powerful God that has control over all people and their senses has assured us that His power can work in our lives when we’re doing His will and surrendering to His spirit.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” (eph 3:20)
The verse that brings incredible assurance for each and every one of us is also Romans 8:31-
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
What is the answer to that question? If you’re in Jesus Christ, and God is for you, who can be against you?
The answer is no one!
There’s nothing that can separate you from the intimate love and presence of God which leads to the peace, persistence and purpose to fulfill God’s desired destiny for your life.
Apply this today by not only considering what your excuses are, but also by deciding to throw one of them away as you follow God.
I would like us all to consider what our particular excuses may be at this time. What are they?
Is God calling you to some particular ministry? Is it a walk of faith that is requiring a change at work or home?
Whatever it is, exchange the excuse for a ‘Yes’ to God.
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 1:20)
We all have choices to make.
let’s close with the following quote:
Illustration: Don’t look for excuses to lose. Look for excuses to win.
---Chi Chi Rodriguez, Professional golfer
