Luke 9:57-6257 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
INTRODUCTION
1) We notice that these people were willing to follow Jesus--If--If they could do what they wanted to do first.
2) We have no excuse for not following Jesus--Neither did these people.
3) We notice that this first man wanted to bury his father first--But Jesus said "Follow Me first". (quote Matt 6:33).
4) Another said--"I will follow thee Lord--If--If you will let me say goodbye to those at home.
5) Now, these sound like reasonable things to put off serving the Lord for--But Jesus must be first in all things or not at all.
6) we must obey Jesus in order for Him to be able to bless us.--And there is not one single excuse that we offer for not following Him that will be acceptable.
7) We may be like these people--We may think in our own minds that we have something reasonable--But Jesus demands obedience.
BODY
I) People in all ages have offered excuses for not obeying God--But God has never accepted one of them.
1) Adam blamed the woman and the God who gave her.
2) Moses offered excuses for not wanting to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage.
a) Who am I? to go on such a mission
b) They will ask who sent me, who should I tell them?
c) But they will not believe me!
d) I am not an eloquent man or a man of words.
3) King Saul blamed his troops.
4) God did not accept any one of these excuses
5) Neither will He accept one when we make it.
II) Common Excuses of today
A) Sometimes members of the church offer excuses for not attending worship services or doing some other duty.
1) Some will say--"I don't like the preacher--song leader--Elder--Deacons--or some other member.
2) Can we ask them--Will you forfiet your home in heaven just because you do not like the preacher--song leader--Elder--Deacon--or some other member of the church?
3) Friends--This is a very serious thought--Staying away from services because of some little personal difference.
a) You are not doing God any favors when you come.
b) But you are the one that benefits from your service to God.
4) If we fully realize what it means to be a christian--We will never have to offer these excuses.
B) "I stay away because people are not friendly."
Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
1) We must be friendly if we would have friends
2) It is a terrible thing not to have friends--But Soloman says it is our own fault.
C) I have heard this excuse offered--"We had company and I just couldn't go off and leave them".
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
1) Jesus was not teaching us not to love our Father--Mother--Son--Daughter--But He said not to let them keep us from serving Him.
2) It doesn't matter who our company may be--we must not forsake God's service for them.
3) Bring them with you if possible--If not--Be sure that they do not cause you to disobey God.
D) "I work hard all week and I must have some time for recreation"
1) This is a simple case of staying away for a selfish purpose--Thinking more of our own feelings than we do serving the Lord.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
E) "I was just too busy--I couldn't make it"
1) When we become a christian--We must realize that it will take much of our time.
2) But if we are too busy to serve the Lord--we are just too busy
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
3) Maybe we need to change or get rid of those things that take our time away from God.
4) Our obedience to God will bring blessings that will never end--The things that we gain here will be left at the grave--Obedience to God will carry us on through the grave into heaven at last.
Now let us look at excuses made by those in the world.
A) "Too many hypocrites in the church"
1) I don't say it--But I feel like it sometimes--come on in friend--there is always room for one more.
2) Seriously though--The person that stays out of the church because of hypocrites will have to spend eternity in hell with them.
3) Did you ever try to hide behind something that is smaller than you are?
a) If a hypocrite stands between you and the church--You must be small than he.
4) Why not look at the best members of the church--They are really trying to do God's will.
B) "I don't obey the gospel because my friends were not baptized and I know that went to heaven."
1) If anybody knows that any person went to heaven without baptism during the christian dispensation--they know more than the inspired writers of God.
a) Mk 16:16--He that believeth and is baptized
b) Acts 2:38--Repent and be baptized
c) 1 Pet 3:21--Now baptism doth also now save us.
2) All these inspired statements teach us that we must be baptized in order to be saved.
C) "I don't need to obey the gospel--I am a good moral person."
1) "I pay my debts--good neighbor--don't abuse my family--don't get drunk--don't gamble--and I attend to my own business.
2) Now we ask--Does this save a person?
a) Has God promised to save on any of these conditions?
b) Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
c) Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
3) The gospel being God's power to save--one cannot be saved any other way.
D) The church of Christ is too narrow
1) After one looks into the creeds of men--he sometimes says that the church of Christ is too narrow--sometimes they want to be broad and liberal.
2) Well--The church of Christ is just as broad as the Bible and as narrow as the Bible.
3) The motto of every church and christian is "Speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent".
a) Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
4) We can read of the church of Christ in the Bible--Obey God's plan of salvation and be saved.
E) I am waiting for others--wife--husband--friend.
1) Surely we can see that this is a mistake--If you wish your friends--wife--husband to obey God by your influence--Give the a good example--You obey now--and they will obey later.
2) Suppose you should die waiting for your wife--husband--friend--Do you think that excuse would stand at the judgement?
3) We should never let anyone prevent us from doing what God commands.
F) Finally--There is plenty of time yet.
1) Many say--"I am still young--I have many years before me.
a) But may we ask--How do you know just how many more days you have to live?
2) As I have said here before--this excuse will probably take more people to hell than any other.
3) Procrastination is the thief of souls--I have never yet talked to one single person that was making his plans to spend eternity in hell.
4) All say--Yes--I know that I am wrong and I am going to change my life someday.
a) For most--Some of these days means none of these days.
5) Friends--None of us know just how long we have to live on the earth.
a) Now is the accepted time to obey God.
6) Don't continue to offer excuses for not obeying God--But obey him while you can.
INVITATION
Hear--Believe--Repent--Confess--Be Baptized
unfaithful--Repent--Confess--Pray
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