No More Excuses
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
We are quick to give excuses, especially if not what we want to do
Some good, some bad, some even laughable
Ever heard one? If you have kids you have
Ever given one? If you were a kid you have
We all have!
Amy and I were able to be used by God when we quit giving God excuses
Look at some excuses that were given in scripture
Sermon
Sermon
Read Luke 14:14-24
What is a parable
Earthly Story with a Heavenly Meaning
Look at the story twice
Earthly Story
Rich Man giving a great banquet
“Big” & “Many”
2 invitations
1st: informed the recipient that they were invited to the event; No exact date
2nd: notify the pre-invited guests that the banquet was about to begin
But did they come?
They had been selected, knew it was coming, it was a big deal!
But gave excuses:
“I have bought a field”
piece of land would still be there after the banquet
no one would buy property sight unseen
“I have bought 5 yolk of oxen”
no one would buy property sight unseen
already tried out the oxen before he bought them?
“I have married a wife”
Men, really? is this wise?
In first-century Jewish society, women did not dictate to their husbands what they could do
So what does the master do?
He gets angry and rightfully so!
Luke 11–17: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Inclusion
invited guests to meet his generosity and kindness with frivolous indifference and disdain was an outrageous act that insulted him personally and embarrassed him publicly
The Master will not let this banquet go to waste, what does He tell His servant?
English Standard Version Chapter 14
Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
Look who He tells to bring
In the city
There’s still more room
English Standard Version Chapter 14
Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.
Luke 11–17: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Inclusion
This latter group consisted of people even further down the social ladder than those brought in off the city streets. They were people with no home of their own
Heavenly Meaning
Why did Jesus tell this parable?
Look at all of ch 14, but specifically vs 15
The Pharisees thought they would auto get into heaven because they were Gods “chosen” people. Some of you may think the same way.
I have gone to church for many years
I serve in ______ position at the church
I have given a lot of money to the church
I have participated in many activities at the church
Jesus is confronting this false belief; Only FAITH in Jesus will allow you to eat at the banquet
Characters
Jesus is reminding them
They were “chosen”, but that did not make them righteous
Works do make us righteous, but faith alone (Abraham)
You should have been looking for ME; You should have been ready for ME
Everything is set! I AM STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU!
But they rejected Him
We see the dawning of the church
Pay close attention to verse 24
Takes it from parable to reality in one word: MY
Application
Its laughable at these excuses
Also laughable that Christians can proclaim God as King, Savior and Master and think they do not have to completely faithful and obedient
Our excuses keep up from
coming closer to Chirst
being completely Faithful and Obedient
fully trusting Christ ( I trust you with salvation, but not with my life)
Why don’t we look at our excuses? (Nothing new under the sun)
3 excuses (Land, Ox, Bride) = Stuff, Identity, and Family
Sure like what Jesus talks about next in ch 14 about who can be His disciples
Land = Stuff / Possessions
its not bad to have stuff, but its the pursuit of stuff
Our Culture: More Stuff = better person
We compete with our stuff to look good in front of others!
What did the Jesus tell the RYR?
English Standard Version Chapter 18
One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
Would you do that? How much do you value your stuff?
We just did it . . . . for the second time!
Ox = Work / our identify
We think our job title defines who we are . . . how successful we are
The bigger the title the better the person
The more successful the person the better that person is
The more letters infront of or behind my name means I am important
Its okay if I miss a couple of Sundays, because if I get this job I will have more money to give to God. . . sound familiar?
Your worth is not defined by your profession, it is defined by Christ!
Made in His image
Redeemed by His Blood
Adopted into the family of God
Indwelled with the Holy Spirit
Pride can engulf us . . . . the need to be important; then we will pursue ourselves, and selfish ambition, instead of Christ
Bride = Family
Family is important, God instituted the family, its your first ministry, but He did not institute it over Himself
Amy and I had forgotten that
Driving back from speaking at a church, ball field full of people . . ON SUNDAY!
What has happened church? Why?
Timothy’s coaches always knew Wednesday and Sunday were offlimits for us
What did Christ say in Luke 14:26 ““If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
We love our family, want the best for them, what a better way to love them than to show them the blessing of putting Christ first!
Conslusion
What excuses are you giving God today? Whats keeping you from Christ?
RC Sprol: Do you posses what you profess? - So why making excuses for it?
Are you even at the table? Have you even accepted Him?
Christian what excuses are you giving to God for not doing what He is asking?
Come the altar is open / people will be here?
John MacArthur, Luke 11–17, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2013), 270.
John MacArthur, Luke 11–17, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2013), 270.
