What’s Your
Excuse?
• “Excuses, excuses, you’ll
hear them every day. And
the devil he’ll supply them, if
from church you stay away.
When people come to know
the Lord the devil always
loses, so to keep them folks
away from church he offers
them excuses.”
Excuses!
• We all deal with them
regularly.
• Perhaps we are guilty!
Excuses!
• For putting off obeying the
gospel
• Missing worship services
• Bad behavior
• Quitting the Lord or the
church
• Not working
The Problem with Excuses
• What is an excuse?
• Originally, To give a
defense or reason for
something
• Usually, an unjustified or
false reason for one’s
conduct.
The Problem with Excuses
• While there are legitimate
reasons why things happen,
typically the excuse is
illegitimate and designed to
either conceal true motives or
lessen guilt.
• God KNOWS our real motives!
The Problem with Excuses
• Often the product of lies,
laziness, poor self-discipline,
pride, jealousy, indifference,
etc.
Cf. Prov. 22:13, “The lazy
man says, ‘There is a lion
outside! I shall be slain in the
streets.’”
The Problem with Excuses
• Often they are habitual!
• It is possible for a legitimate
reason to become an
excuse (or a crutch).
Cf. Heb. 5:12-14
The Bible and Excuses
• Genesis 3:11-13, the
very first sin led to excuses
by both Adam and Eve
The Bible and Excuses
• Exodus 3 & 4, when
Moses was called by God
to deliver Israel he made
excuses…
The Bible and Excuses
• Exodus 3:11, “Who am I?”.
He was saying, “I am
nobody, who is going to
listen to me?”
• The Lord answered, “I will
certainly be with you!”
(3:12)
The Bible and Excuses
• Exodus 3:13, “What am I
going to say to them?”.
When they ask your name
what shall I say
• The Lord answered, “I AM
WHO I AM” (3:14)
The Bible and Excuses
• Exodus 4:1, “But suppose
they will not believe me or
listen to my voice?”.
• The Lord answered, “What
is that in your hand?”
(4:2-9)
The Bible and Excuses
• Exodus 4:1O, “O Lord, I am
not eloquent…” “I am slow of
speech”. He was saying I am
not ready or capable.
• The Lord answered, “Who
made man’s mouth?...I will be
with your mouth and tell you
what to say” (4:11-12)
The Bible and Excuses
• Exodus 4:13, “O my Lord,
please
send
by
the
hand
of
God did NOT accept
someone
else”.
“I
don’t
any of His excuses!
want
to
do
this!”
Moses was expected to
• The Lord became
angry!
Go!
He was told to GO! (14-17)
The Bible and Excuses
• 1 Sam. 15, King Saul was
commanded to destroy the
Amalekites. He did NOT
obey God
• When confronted he began
making excuses (15)
The Bible and Excuses
• 1 Sam. 15,
• The people brought them
I
did
not
work!
for sacrifice (15)
Saul
was
STILL
• But THE PEOPLE took the
rejected
as king!
plunder
(20-21)
• I have sinned…because I
feared the people (24-25)
The Bible and Excuses
• Ecclesiastes 5:1-6
“Do not let your mouth cause
your flesh to sin, nor say
before the messenger of God
that it was an error. Why
should God be angry at your
excuse and destroy the work
of your hands?”
The Bible and Excuses
• Luke 14:15-24
The Parable of the Great
Supper!
• Luke 9:57-62
Jesus invites some to follow
Him.
The Bible and Excuses
• John 15:22
“Now they have no excuse.”
• Romans 1:20
“So that they are without
excuse.”
Excuses NEVER
worked with God in
the Bible!
Will you wager
your eternity on an
excuse?