Excuses Excuses
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Exodus 3:1-10
Exodus 3:1-10
The Excuses of Moses
Summary: How we use the same excuses Moses used when it comes to serving the Lord
Some of you may have heard the old Gospel song by the Kingsmen called Excuses
Excuses, excuses, you'll hear them every day.
And the Devil he'll supply them, if the 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.
In the summer it's too hot. And, in the winter, it's too cold.
In the spring time when the weather's just right, you find some place else to go.
Well, it's up to the mountains or down to the beach or to visit some old friend.
Or, to just stay home and kinda relax and hope that some of the kin folks will start dropping in.
Well, the church benches are too hard. And, that choir sings way too loud.
Boy, you know how nervous you get when you're sitting in a great big crowd.
The doctor told you, "Now, you better watch them crowds. They'll set you back."
But, you go to that old ball game because you say "it helps you to relax."
Well, a headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night.
But by work time Monday morning, you're feeling quite alright.
While one of the children has a cold, "Pneumonia, do you suppose?"
Why the whole family had to stay home, just to blow that poor kid's nose.
Well, the preacher he's too young. And, maybe he's too old.
The sermons they're not hard enough. And, maybe they're too bold.
His voice is much too quiet-like. Sometimes he gets too loud.
He needs to have more dignity. Or, else he's way too proud.
Well, the sermons they're too long. And, maybe they're too short.
He ought to preach the word with dignity instead of "stomp and snort."
Well, that preacher we've got must be "the world's most stuck up man."
Well, one of the lady's told me the other day, "Well, he didn't even shake my hand."
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”
4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” 6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush He had a special job for him to do, God called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Now being the great bible character that we know Moses to be, we would have expected him to say, “No problem I’ll see you on the other side of the Red Sea”
However, in response to God’s call we see Moses giving a number of reasons (excuses) as to why he thought he was “Not the man for the job” I want us to look at the excuses Moses uses, but more importantly the Response that God gives to each of them.
As Gods people we all have a special calling from God. Not to go to rescue a people in physical bondage, but to rescue the world in the bondage of sin.
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
Too often though we find ourselves using the same excuses as Moses did.
Definition
EXCUSE = A plea offered in extenuation of a fault or irregular deportment; apology. Every man has an excuse to offer for his neglect of duty; the debtor makes excuses for delay of payment.
1. The act of excusing or apologizing.
2. That which excuses; that which extenuates or justifies a fault. His inability to comply with the request must be his excuse.
Excuses are one of our greatest enemies, they can slow us down, prevent us from action, and they are false reasons for inactivity.
Who Am I?
Who Am I?
Excuse No 1 : (Ex 3:11) – Who am I?
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Moses was unknown to Pharaoh. Egypt had a great king, they had a huge army that was able to defend the country, and they could have easily prevented the Israelites’ leaving.
A long time ago Moses had been part of the Royal setup as he was the adopted son of the king’s daughter; but now it was quite different. Moses was a private person, an exile in a foreign country, a poor shepherd. Isn’t it amazing how God uses people who cannot boast of themselves to say, “Look what I have done!” – David – shepherd
It had taken God 40 years to break Moses so that he could be used. Remember he killed the Egyptian; it was as if he were trying to save his people on his own, and he was rejected. Now at 80 God calls him because Moses is ready to be used to free God’s people. (but says “Who am I”)
God’s Response No 1: (Ex 3:12)
12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
God’s response was quick and should have been enough. God would be with Moses to encourage and strengthen him; to protect and defend.
God promised to be with Moses and this should have been sufficient, as Paul later wrote in Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Some of us use the same excuse today – Who am I?
We try to excuse ourselves by saying that we are insufficient for the task, it is true that we are insufficient but God alone can make us sufficient
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
Just remember, we will always be sufficient for the task that God has called us to do because He works through us.
Look at what he did with the Apostles in Acts.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
Through Jesus God has given us the same assurance that He gave to Moses, He has promised us the he will be with us always, even unto the end of the world (Mat28:20). He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb13:5) With His help we can accomplish anything He wants us to do. Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I don’t know what to say!
I don’t know what to say!
Excuse No 2 : (Ex 3:13) – What Shall I Say?
13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
Moses doesn’t know how he will convince the children of Israel that he is Gods ambassador.. and they shall say unto me, what is his name? This question would not be through ignorance because they had called upon the name of the Lord, and cried to him for help and deliverance because of their situation. Maybe they would try and test Moses to see what knowledge he had of God.
Moses is unsure about what he will say to them.
God’s Response No 2: (Ex 3:14 – 15)
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
God tells Moses what to say in response to that question. If they ask who sent you tell them my name – Jehovah – I AM THAT I AM. I AM has sent you to them.The name of God that Moses was to use expresses the absolute, unchanging and eternal being of God. I was, I am, I always will be…. God is the same – Unchanging.
We use the same excuse today – What shall I say?
We try to excuse ourselves by saying that we don’t know what to say or we don’t know enough. But God has told us what to say. Everything we need to say is right here! Mark 16:15 – Christ tells us what to say, preach the Gospel, tell people the good news.. all in the book. We don’t need to add to or take from it, tell people the truth… It hurts, but hell will hurt more.
I am afraid to fail!
I am afraid to fail!
Excuse No 3: (Ex 4:1) – Suppose they will not believe me?
Now that he knows what to say his excuse is that the people may not listen, is he afraid of failing? The Lord has told that He will be with him? Moses was afraid that the people would not believe that God had appeared to him through the burning bush. Moses seams to ask how he will prove to everyone that God had appeared to him, spoke to him and sent him. Moses wanted to prove that he had been in God’s very presence.
God’s Response No 3:
2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 5 “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 Furthermore the Lord said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. 7 And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. 8 “Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. 9 And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.”
God responds by giving Moses the power to perform miracles, the ROD which turns into a serpent (Ex4:2-5). His own hand which turns leprous and then whole again (Ex4:6-8). And the WATER which turned to blood (Ex4:9)
We hesitate to share the Gospel for the same reason – suppose they won’t believe me?
The fear of failure keeps us from trying, but just as God gave Moses convincing proof, He has also given us evidence necessary to convince people. The word of God is able to produce faith.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
God has also given us the evidence of fulfilled prophecy, did you know that there were 25 distinct prophecies fulfilled on the cross? We have the evidence of an empty tomb. We have the evidence of a new life (birth – new creature)
I can’t speak well
I can’t speak well
Excuse No 4: (Ex 4:10) I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
HAVE YOU NOTICED MOSES, LIKE US, HAVE AN I PROBLEM????? FOCUS WAS ON SELF!!! I CANT, I CAN’T, I CAN’T
Moses seems to ignore the miracle that God had performed in front of his very eyes and is still unwilling to do what God is calling him to do. He comes up with another excuse after all the others had been sufficiently answered.
Moses says that he is not eloquent, meaning that he was not a man of words who could speak well or make fine speeches to the king’s court. Maybe he had a speech impediment; maybe he was worried about his accent, he was an Israelite, brought up in Egypt, living in Midian!!!
God’s Response No 4: (Ex 4:11)
11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?
Have you noticed the gentleness, mercy, grace and longsuffering of God in His replies and dealings with Moses?
God is not moved by this excuse. He knows the inability of those He calls and can make up for anyone’s shortcomings. Again He promises to be with Moses in verse 12 and God also arranges for Aaron to be Moses’ mouthpiece who arrives at precisely the right time in verse 27.
Do we hold back today because of our speech / accent?
Look at Paul 1 Corinthians 2:1 – 4
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
Some say that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was his speech, that he had a funny voice? Some say it was eyesight, some say is was other health or fleshly problems but WHATEVER it was it didn’t stop him – he preached Christ and Christ crucified.
Mathew Henry says “Paul preached the whole counsel of God. Few know the fear and trembling of faithful ministers, from a deep sense of their own weakness. They know how insufficient they are, and are fearful for themselves. When nothing but Christ crucified is plainly preached, the success must be entirely from Divine power accompanying the word, and thus men are brought to believe, to the salvation of their souls.
Don’t worry what you sound like, just use the Word, it’s sharp and powerful – two edged sword.
We have heard 4 excuses offered by Moses. so far BUT THE True reason is revealed in the final excuse.
I Don’t want too
I Don’t want too
Excuse No 5: (Ex 4:13) – Send Someone Else.
13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”
Bottom line – Moses didn’t want to go.
Finally God gets Moses down the the nitty gritty truth! The heart of the matter! Moses simply didn’t want too!
Could the previous excuse have been just a smokescreen to hide this fact? Does this show a lack of faith in God? The Hebrew shelach na beyad tishlach literally translated is, Send now, I beseech thee by the hand thou wilt send; which seems to say, Send a person more fit for the work than I am.
Now that these deceiving excuses have been removed God’s anger is kindled against Moses.
God’s Response 5: (Ex 4:14)
14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
God’s patients has a limit! He often will raise up someone else if you in your rebellion and excuses continue to refuse but the ironic part is God often will make you tag along for the ride while you are being further broken and developed into a willing and useful vessel!
Kindled (khaw-raw)’ to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy: be angry, burn, be displeased, grieve, be wroth.
The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses because of the objections, excuses, and delays he made with respect to his mission and his calling. The Lord was angry with Moses.
Is the same true with us today, would we rather God just use someone else?
This reminds me of the 4 Christians, Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was a special job to do. Preach the Gospel. Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody.
If our boss in work asks us to do something we do it right away, no questions asked, therefore why wouldn’t we do what our Heavenly Father has called us to do?
Everyone’s call is different, preach, sing, pray, Sunday School, listen, talk, life.
If God calls us to do something, let’s not make excuses.
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
With Moses we know the rest of the story, he answered the call and went to Egypt, God used Moses to deliver the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage.
But what about us? What will the rest of our story be? Shall we heed the call of God?
If you are here and you feel God speaking to your heart to do something for Him, don’t make excuses, just answer the call. Whatever God calls us to do, He equips us for that call.
Maybe He is calling you to truly respond to the call of salvation- THE CROSS CALLS!!!
MAYBE HE IS CALLING TO LET GO AND SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO SERVE HIM IN MINISTRY?
MAYBE HE IS CALLING YOU TO LET GO AND STEP OUT IN OBEDIENCE WITH BELIEVERS BAPTISM?
MAYBE HE IS SIMPLY CALLING YOU TO HUSH AND STOP DISCOURAGING OTHERS THAT ARE GOING ABOUT HIS WORK
MAYBE HE IS CALLING YOU TO EMBRACE SOMETHING NEW FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HIS KINGDOM
MAYBE HE IS CALLING YOU TO FERVENT PRAYER?
MAYBE HE IS CALLING YOU TO STEP UP AND BE A LEADER
MAYBE HE IS CALLING YOU TO COME OUT OF THE WORLD AND DIRECT YOUR FAMILY TO JESUS CHRIST AND SERVICE WITHIN THE CHURCH?
MAYBE YOU ARE BEING CALLED FOR A CHANGE OF CAREER, TO GO ON THE MISSION FIELD?
WHATEVER THE CALLING YOU CAN ONLY MAKE SO MANY EXCUSES BEFRE THE ANGER OF THE LORD IS KINDLED AGAINST YOU?
WILL YOU ANSWER THAT CALL TODAY?
