Excuses

 In Luke 14 there is a story about a man who had a great supper and invited many to take part.  When he got the supper ready he sent his servants out to bid them to come for all things were now ready.  Before we go any farther into the story let me relate the customs of the day; the invitations were sent out many days prior to the actual supper and all who were invited knew the day the supper would be, they knew the approximate time but not the actual time.  Here the servants were going out and telling them what time to be there.  Then in verse 18 they all began to make excuse as to why they could not come.  Billy Sunday once said “An excuse was the skin of reason filled with a lie."  The one who is good with excuses is usually not very good with anything else.  These three excuse givers probably expected another invitation the next supper the man had but he said on down in the chapter “Those men will never taste of my supper."  He then sent his servants out into the streets and the lanes of the city to bring in the poor, the maimed, the halt and the blind and after they got back they said, “There is yet room.”  He sent them off to the countryside to the highways and hedges to compel those to come in that his house may be filled.  I am not getting into the dispensational tones of this message this week but simply bringing a message on excuses.  What excuses were given to exclude these men from this supper?  What excuses were given which they thought to be acceptable in the eyes of the master who invited them?

The first said I have bought a piece of ground and must go see it or inspect it. What a lame excuse this was.  Hadn’t he already looked over the land before the purchase?  What business man would buy a piece of property and not look over it first?  There’s no doubt he had already looked over the land, yard by yard if you please.  Remember too, it was supper time and it would soon be dark so he couldn’t really look over the property anyway.  It was only an excuse and a pretty lame one at that!

The second had just purchased five yoke of oxen and he had to go prove or test them to see if they will work and pull together.  Now what person would buy these and not first prove them?  It would be like you going out and buying a used automobile without ever test driving it.  Again there is no doubt he had already tested these animals before this.  And, remember again, it was supper and it was getting dark so he probably didn’t even have time to harness up the animals before it got dark.  No, it was just another lame excuse for not going to the supper.

The third man simply said I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come. While a marriage would excuse you from the military for the first year, at that time, there was no reason he couldn’t go to the supper;  and remember he had already accepted the invitation prior to this.  Why didn’t he make his excuse at the invitation?  No, again you have a lame excuse.

How many will agree with me these were some bad and lame excuses?  But what about now, Jesus has invited all to come to Him for salvation and people still are making their lame und unfounded excuses for why they don’t come. Looking at the consequences for not coming why do you ignore Him and urn Him away?  The consequences are real and they are severe.  If you were to die without Christ you will spend eternity in a lake of fire to be tormented throughout the endless ages.  Which excuse will you use in order to reject Jesus again today?  Let me give you a few if I may.

I will wait for another time you may say.  But what if you don’t live until that time?  Felix, in Acts 24 said to Paul, I will call for you at a more convenient time.  We never read again where Felix called for Paul, and as far as we know today, he is in Hell calling out and screaming in agony.  Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 6:2 “Today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time.”  We are not promised of tomorrow.

Another excuse used much today is; I don’t want to give up my worldly pleasures.  In Hebrews 11 the writer says there is pleasure in sin but only for a season.  These people are trading the eternal for the temporal.  They would rather have the temporary pleasures instead of the joys that will last forever.

Some say they have more important things to do but what is more important than your never dying soul?  What is more important than knowing you are saved and ready for Heaven when you die?

Still others say, there are too many hypocrites in the church.  While I will agree there are some hypocrites in the church there are some in your work place as well.  What about the Walmart?  You still go there and affiliate with them.  The hypocrite will stand face to face with God one day to give an account of his life just as you will.  Don’t blame the hypocrite for your lost condition.

Others exclaim, what will people say?  Hey, you’re on the fast track to Hell.  It doesn’t matter what people say!

Then you have those who say, I can’t live it.  Welcome to the crowd, we can’t live it either. Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."  It is Christ who lives within us who enables us to live for Him.

So, what excuse are you giving today?  Will it appease the Lord today?  More importantly friend, will it appease Him when you stand before Him in judgment? I didn’t think so!