1. What’s Your Excuse?

2. “Excuses, excuses, you’ll hear them every day. And the devil he’ll supply them, if from 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.”

3. Excuses! We all deal with them regularly. Perhaps we are guilty!

4. Excuses! For putting off obeying the gospel Missing worship services Bad behavior Quitting the Lord or the church Not working

5. The Problem with Excuses What is an excuse? Originally, To give a defense or reason for something Usually, an unjustified or false reason for one’s conduct.

6. The Problem with Excuses While there are legitimate reasons why things happen, typically the excuse is illegitimate and designed to either conceal true motives or lessen guilt. God KNOWS our real motives!

7. The Problem with Excuses Often the product of lies, laziness, poor self-discipline, pride, jealousy, indifference, etc. Cf. Prov. 22:13, “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets.’”

8. The Problem with Excuses Often they are habitual! It is possible for a legitimate reason to become an excuse (or a crutch). Cf. Heb. 5:12-14

9. The Bible and Excuses Genesis 3:11-13, the very first sin led to excuses by both Adam and Eve

10. The Bible and Excuses Exodus 3 & 4, when Moses was called by God to deliver Israel he made excuses…

11. The Bible and Excuses Exodus 3:11, “Who am I?”. He was saying, “I am nobody, who is going to listen to me?” The Lord answered, “I will certainly be with you!” (3:12)

12. The Bible and Excuses Exodus 3:13, “What am I going to say to them?”. When they ask your name what shall I say The Lord answered, “I AM WHO I AM” (3:14)

13. The Bible and Excuses Exodus 4:1, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice?”. The Lord answered, “What is that in your hand?” (4:2-9)

14. The Bible and Excuses Exodus 4:1O, “O Lord, I am not eloquent…” “I am slow of speech”. He was saying I am not ready or capable. The Lord answered, “Who made man’s mouth?...I will be with your mouth and tell you what to say” (4:11-12)

15. The Bible and Excuses Exodus 4:13, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of someone else”. “I don’t want to do this!” The Lord became angry! He was told to GO! (14-17) God did NOT accept any of His excuses! Moses was expected to Go!

16. The Bible and Excuses 1 Sam. 15, King Saul was commanded to destroy the Amalekites. He did NOT obey God When confronted he began making excuses (15)

17. The Bible and Excuses 1 Sam. 15, The people brought them for sacrifice (15) But THE PEOPLE took the plunder (20-21) I have sinned…because I feared the people (24-25) I did not work! Saul was STILL rejected as king!

18. The Bible and Excuses Ecclesiastes 5:1-6 “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?”

19. The Bible and Excuses Luke 14:15-24 The Parable of the Great Supper! Luke 9:57-62 Jesus invites some to follow Him.

20. The Bible and Excuses John 15:22 “Now they have no excuse.” Romans 1:20 “So that they are without excuse.”

21. Excuses NEVER worked with God in the Bible!

22. Will you wager your eternity on an excuse?