Honor God and Give Thanks

Excuses people give

I often said that after I retired I would write a book entitled "Excuses People Give". Over the years of ministry I have heard many excuses people have given for not going to church services, or not volunteering to serve the Lord and His church. Also I have heard countless reasons why they cannot give an offering or a tithe.

I haven't written the book yet and I probably never will. However Jesus had something to say about the excuses people give in one of the parables in gave.

(ESV)

“A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.

17And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’

19And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’

20And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’

21So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’

22And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’

23And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

24For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”

Isn't it strange that people will try to make excuses to God knowing that He can look straight into their hearts and see the real motive behind their reasoning.

Still today many millions of people refusing to acknowledge the capacity of God to know what they are thinking still give a myriad of excuses for refusing to Honor Him as God and to be Thankful for all that he has done for them.

Knowing God through His Creation (ESV)

The Apostle Paul writes about man's foolishness when he dishonor's God and is not for creation. Let's read

Romans 1:19–21 ESV

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

(ESV)

God has made himself known to every human being through His creation. It's foolishness to look at a sunrise or sunset and not acknowledge there is a God who created the universe. You look at a new born baby and wonder at the majesty of a creator who can fashion this little person in the image of God. Yet there are skeptics and the naysayers that say this is the result of chance and eons of evolution that brought this little infant into existence.

20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

God has made himself known to every human being through His creation. It's foolishness to look at a sunrise or sunset and not acknowledge there is a God who created the universe. You look at a new born baby and wonder at the majesty of a creator who can fashion this little person in the image of God. Yet there are skeptics and the naysayers that say this is the result of chance and eons of evolution that brought this little infant into existence.

That is why the Scriptures states that "they are without excuse". Even the remotest indigenous people can clearly perceive creation and know there is a Creator. However, man then relies upon the futility of his thinking and superstition to get in the way of knowing God more clearly. God created every human being in his image and with the inherit ability to know Him through His creation.

After we hear the Gospel we have no excuse.

John 15:20–23 ESV

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also.

Jesus says that his servants, are not greater than their master. When we hear about Jesus we have no excuse for not believing in Jesus' gift of salvation or for refusing to let others also hear the good news of God's plan of salvation. When we don't share our faith and acknowledge Christ's work of redeeming love we are actually saying we aren't thankful and we are not honoring God for who he is and what he has done. During this time of thanksgiving the greatest way to thank God is to acknowledge Him for ourselves and to share with others God's love for them and thereby give them the opportunity to know Jesus themselves.

How thankful are you for knowing Christ as your savior? Are you sharing him with everyone you met or are you keeping it to yourself?

Remember the word that I said to you: g‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, hthey will also persecute you. iIf they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But jall these things they will do to you kon account of my name, lbecause they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, mthey would not have been guilty of sin,3 but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 nWhoever hates me hates my Father also.

The Most High is Kind to the Ungrateful and the Evil

God is even kind to the ungrateful.

In the coming crush of the holiday season you will encounter many ungrateful people who still refuse to acknowledge the real reason for the season. Yet just as God is kind to the ungrateful, see

(ESV)

35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

He expects us to also be kind to the ungrateful and to do what we can to point them in the right direction to see God's love through sending Jesus Christ to become their Savior.

Our Unrighteousness Suppresses the Truth

Romans 1:18–23 ESV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

1. We were all designed with a capacity to know God.

2. Because of our sin, we tried to take other things and use them to fill the cavities inside of us created for God.

3. Nothing fits in the space inside of each of us made for God.

4. Everyone knows God. They know what they’re experiencing now apart from God is not satisfying.

5. The Holy Spirit, by the word of God, needs to come and clean out the alternatives and fill us again with a knowledge of God through the gospel.

Piper, J. (2014–2015). Look at the Book Labs (Ro 1:18–23). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Thanksgiving that Delights God

Psalm 51:15–17 ESV

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

(ESV)

15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

(ESV)

10His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,

11but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Our Task

Everyone we meet has a knowledge of God, but they are eternally restless until they know God through Jesus Christ. Our task is to speak the gospel everywhere we can, and pray that the Holy Spirit would take that message and put it into the places for which it is perfectly designed in every human soul, so that they would see and believe.