07. Stop Giving Excuses

 


God’s Bucket List for You, part 4

Introduction to the series, click here

 Introduction

One of the biggest anchors we have, that’s holding us back from doing anything, is the excuse. Instead of moving forward, with confidence, we backpedal and choose to give reasons why we can’t do something. As part of God’s Bucket List for you, He wants you to stop giving excuses.

 

The Excuses of Moses

In Exodus 3 and 4, we are familiar with Moses speaking to God in the burning bush. This was when God chose Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. However, Moses didn’t want to do it and gave excuses as such:

Excuse #1: (Ex. 3:11) Who am I to go to Pharaoh? Moses saw himself as an insignificant individual compared to the power and might of Pharaoh of Egypt. God erased this excuse by stating that He would be with him.

As Paul states in Romans 8:31, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? To know that God is on our side, we can have the confidence to do what He asks.

Excuse #2: (Ex. 4:1) But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice… Again, lacking the confidence, he didn’t think that his own people would believe that he spoke to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God erased this excuse by allowing Moses to perform signs (miracles) before the children of Israel as proof.

The apostles did the same thing in the New Testament to prove that they were chosen of God; having walked with Jesus, and that what they say is from God Almighty.

Excuse #3: (Ex. 4:10) …I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. Moses declared himself not to be an eloquent speaker and, therefore, unable to persuade Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go. God erased this excuse by stating the He would tell Moses what to say.

While the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, and moved to speak what was given them, the other disciples had to study God’s word (2 Tim. 2:15) to find out what to say to others.

Excuse #4: (Ex. 4:13) “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” Even after all of the encouragement God gave Moses; erasing the previous excuses, he still wanted Him to send someone else instead. This kindled God’s anger, and He erased this final excuse by showing him that his brother, Aaron, was coming to meet him. Being a well-spoken man, God would be with both Moses and Aaron when they went to speak to Pharoah.

There is safety in numbers, and this might be the reason why Jesus sent out His disciples in pairs during the limited commission (Lk. 10:1). Should one falter in conversation, the other will be there to continue it. Together, you’re there for moral support of one another.

 

Those Invited to the Great Supper

In the New Testament, Jesus relates the parable of the Great Supper (Lk. 14:16-24). Those, the man invited, gave excuses to not attend in verses 18-20, “But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’”

In the end, the man had his servants go out and bring in the lame, the poor, the maimed, and the blind. In addition, they persuaded others to come in to fill up the room. The man’s final statement in verse 24, ‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’

This was clearly a message to the Pharisees, and others, who saw themselves as “God’s chosen” but wouldn’t do what was asked of them. It reminds me of what the apostle Paul said in Acts 13:46, Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

 

What about Our Excuses?

We, ourselves, have numerous excuses in doing what’s asked of us:

The Worship Service: “I’ll attend the morning service, but there’s no scripture for an evening service.” Truth be told, there isn’t a scripture for any particular start time for a worship service. We know they gathered on the First Day of the Week (Acts 20:7). It’s called The Lord’s Day not the Lord’s Hour (Heb. 10:24-25). Make the effort to attend every time that the doors are open.

Bible Study: “I can’t study the bible, it’s so difficult and daunting. Besides, no one can understand it alike.” Agreed, that it can be difficult, at times, but one must make the attempt to actually get somewhere with it. Ask someone in your congregation, who’s a better student, to help you in your studies. You don’t have to do it alone.

As for understanding it alike, we can and must. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:10, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Paul says we can understand alike. We just have to make sure we don’t go beyond what is written (1 Cor. 4:6).

Sharing the Gospel: “I’d like to tell people about the gospel, but they’ll probably just say, ‘No’.” That’s understandable but you’ll never know unless you try. Someone shared the gospel with you, and you obeyed, now it’s time for you to share it with others. The key is not to get discouraged by 100 “No’s” to find the one “Yes”. We are commanded to share the gospel (Mt. 28:19).

 


Conclusion

Overall, you must remember that everything you do is for God and not to be seen of men (Mt. 6). Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10, For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Paul writes, Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God. If we want to be well-pleasing to God, we need to quit making excuses and do what is asked of us. It’s not as hard as we’d like it to be. Just be willing to ask someone for help. You don’t have to do any of this alone.

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