Why God Won't Accept Your Excuses

WHY GOD WON’T ACCEPT YOUR EXCUSES PART 2

- Read Matthew 1:18-25

For the past 2 months I have been teaching a class on marriage. I am excited about the number of people we have taking the class and the good reports I’m hearing from people actually applying what they’re learning. But let me tell you my friend, you will never be able to keep it up, you will never be able to be the husband or wife God has directed you to be, if you don’t first make your relationship right with Jesus Christ. He is the key.

In March we plan to have a class called “Making Your Children Mind, Without Losing Yours.” The class is on parenting skills. I hope many of you will take the class, but let me warn you. You can take the class, do your homework, and want to be a really great parent, but you will never be the parent you could be and the parent God wants you to be, without first and continually, keeping and maintaining a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is key.

In recent months I have preached on building better relationships. I have preached on getting a handle on your money. I have preached on how to put your past behind you, and facing the future without fear, and many other things. Let me say again, however, you will never get a grip on those things until you first get a grip on Jesus.

Why is that? It’s because, as the singer said, “Jesus is the answer, for the world today.” Having Jesus first and foremost in your life is a necessity to making everything else work.

My friend, you can study baking and become an excellent baker, but you can’t bake without flour. You can study the ways of fish and become an excellent fisherman, but it will do you no good without equipment. You can study flying for years and become a certified, licensed pilot, and it will do you no good without a plane. You can learn to be a good husband, or wife, or parent; you can learn to manage money, but it will do you no good without first having Jesus in your life to free you from your sin.

I was talking the other day, with a Christian counselor in our community. She said she has her doctorate in counseling and has studied all the different techniques and methods for counseling, but has found that the only one that works is Christian counseling. All the others may treat a few symptoms, or teach you to holler softer when you’re upset, but only Christian counseling deals with the root of the problem, your heart and your relationships with Jesus Christ. You got to have “your Jesus right”, or nothing else will work.

The reason is that, as we are told in verse 21, Jesus came to save His people from their sins. My friend, our root problem, the source behind the majority of the pain, struggles, & difficulties in our lives are the sin in our lives. It is your sin and mine.

You notice what the verse said. Verse 21 says, “To save His people from their sins.” My friend, Jesus didn’t come primarily to teach, though after the Sermon on the Mount the people “were amazed at His teaching.” Jesus didn’t come to make you wealthy. The majority of his Apostles died in poverty. He didn’t come to keep you healthy, for Paul had several of prison companions that were sick to the verge of death. No my friend, Jesus came to save us from our sins.

Jesus is not “`God-saves-us-from-them.’ He is ‘God-saves-us-from-ourselves.’” Jesus came to salvage people.

Understanding, then, Jesus’ mission, the question begs to be asked, “Why do we need to be saved?” My friend, the Bible is very clear on why you and I need to be saved.

I. WHY DO WE NEED TO BE SAVED?

1. Sin has a _Punishment_

> Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free

gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let there be no doubt, let there be no misunderstanding, sin has a punishment. In this world, you may commit a crime and get away with it. You may murder, you may steal, you may run for political office and lie for 2 years until you’re elected, and get away with it. Some people may even smile or wink at your craftiness, but God will not. All sin has a punishment.

Eventually, sin is punished through our eternal separation from God, but sin has a price long before then. Sin steals joy. Sin hurts others. Sin causes discontentment. Sin causes sickness. Sin destroys marriages and in those that don’t end in divorce, it keeps them from being all they could have been. Sin steals years of our lives. Sin hurts our children. Sin causes prayers to go unanswered. Sin causes loneliness, bitterness, and tears.