Extinguishing Excuses
Extinguishing Excuses • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 12 viewsAre excuses extinguishing your spiritual fire? In today’s sermon, we explore the story of a great supper and the excuses people made to miss out on what was prepared for them. From lame excuses to blessing excuses and busyness excuses, we uncover how these common pitfalls can rob us of God's best for our lives.
Notes
Transcript
SCRIPTURE
SCRIPTURE
16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses...
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Excuses Song Lyrics
Nothing will extinguish your spiritual fire faster than excuses.
But if we will instead extinguish the excuses, our spiritual fire will flourish.
EXPOSITION
EXPOSITION
18 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.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
First, these were Lame Excuses
Think about it:
Who buys a piece of land without looking at it first?
Who buys a team of oxen without testing them out first?
Why couldn’t the man bring his wife?
A LAME EXCUSE IS A POORLY CONCEALED LIE
Nobody believes your lame excuse.
You are not fooling anyone.
Jesus wants to do a work in you, but you can’t let lame excuses extinguish your fire.
Second, these were Blessing Excuses
Think about it:
The first man is buying a new piece of property.
The second man is getting brand new team of oxen.
The third man just got married presumably to the woman of his dreams.
Their excuses for not coming were not problems or sins, but the “blessings” of their prosperity that they were too busy managing.
Example of the Rich Young Ruler.
A BLESSING IS BOTH A REWARD AND A TEST
Sometimes God blesses us just to bless us.
But sometimes God blesses us to test us.
How are we going to respond to the blessing?
Jesus will bless you, but you can’t let the blessing extinguish the fire.
Third, these were Busyness Excuses
Think about it:
The first man was too busy checking on his new land.
The second man was too busy testing his new team of oxen.
The third man was too busy with his marriage.
Busyness makes us feel like we are doing something important for God so He can bless us.
Example of Martha’s serving.
Example of apostles having to stop serving tables to minister the Word (Acts 6).
LIVING OVERWHELMED KEEPS US FROM LIVING IN THE OVERFLOW
Busyness steals our fire and does not add to our productivity.
Our success does not come from our efforts, but from our abiding in Him by walking in the Spirit.
Jesus will overflow our cups, but we can’t let busyness extinguish our fire.
These Excuses led to Disappointment
21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’
Think about it:
It was disappointing to the master who prepared the great supper and sent out the invitations that no one wanted to show up.
In this culture, when the initial invitation was sent out, they would respond whether or not they were coming. Then the host would prepared the feast, but the exact day would not be known until all the preparations were completed. Then the host would send out the invitation to come.
It was actually an insult for these people to accept the initial invite and then not show up.
Unmet Expectations can Lead to an Offence.
Unrealized hope.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
On the road to Emmaus.
21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.
Mary and Martha
Expected special treatment
Jesus didn’t meet their expectations when He showed up 4 days late.
They were disappointed and they let it define their demeanor.
DON’T LET DISAPPOINTMENT DEFINE YOUR DEMEANOR
Mary and Martha asked for a healing for their brother, but they didn’t get it.
Instead, they got a resurrection.
Jesus didn’t just meet their expectations, He exceeded them.
Jesus will exceed our expectations, but we can’t let disappointment extinguish our fire.
But Disappointment Led to Action
22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
Think about it:
The Master did not take no for an answer.
He told his servant to invite the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.
There was still room so then he commanded his servant to go out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in so that his house may be filled.
The Master didn’t make excuses, he made a difference.
STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND START MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Don’t let excuses extinguish your spiritual fire.
Extinguish the Lame Excuses.
Extinguish the Blessing Excuses.
Extinguish the Busyness Excuses.
Don’t let disappointment define your demeanor.
Stop Making Excuses and Start Making a Difference.
Jesus wants to make you fruitful in the Kingdom of God, but you can’t let excuses extinguish the fire.
CLOSING
CLOSING
Don’t let excuses extinguish your spiritual fire. Instead:
Extinguish the Lame Excuses.
Extinguish the Blessing Excuses.
Extinguish the Busyness Excuses.
Don’t let disappointment define your demeanor.
Stop Making Excuses and Start Making a Difference.
