A BAD EXCUSE IS WORSE THAN NONE
Luke 14:16-24
- Intro.
- the provisions of the gospel of Christ may well be compared to a supper
- "a great supper," is descriptive of salvation if we consider the greatness of the provision
- how much love and mercy from God has displayed towards men in the person of Christ Jesus
- how much power and gracious working has been shown by the Holy Spirit
- a great supper it is if we think of the richness and sweetness of the provision-- it is a feast fit for a king
- a great supper it is, when we consider the number of guests invited [all the world]
- no other king ever sent out an invitation so broad as this
- is it not strange that when the householder made so great a supper, that when he offered it without money or price, all his neighbors with one consent begin to make excuse
- He did not call them to prison or to misery
- how is it that they were so unwilling to obey the summons
- where did this unanimous rejection come from
- not one of them had enough respect for their generous friend to sit at his table and receive his bounty
- we have a picture of the universal depravity of man
- all men are thus vile, and refuse the mercy of God
- we never know how bad man is till the gospel is preached to him
- the gospel is preached to thousands, and all make excuse – 18
- is there not one whose free-will is inclined towards Christ
- is there not one who has a naturally good disposition so that he will come to Jesus: "No, not one "
- what fools as well as rebels we are to refuse to partake of the banquet of love
- we are altogether become unprofitable; there is none who seeketh after God – Romans 3:11-12
- there were other men besides those who made excuse, these were in the highways and hedges
- those who do not hear the gospel, are no t guilty of rejecting it
- nevertheless they are far off from God by wicked works
- those in the highways need to be "compelled" to come in; they had a natural reluctance to feast at the good man's table
- the two characters represent all mankind, and we find all to be enemies of God
- why did they make excuses
- it is a sad fact that men so readily make excuses rather than to receive the Word of God
- they made excuses because they did not want to go to the feast (did not want to be saved)
- if man’s heart were not so deceitful, they would not make excuses, but plainly speak their mind
- we do not feel our sinfulness, we will not accept pardon
- we believe that we can work out our own salvation with our own doings
- we are content to take our chance, we do not want salvation
- excuses are so transparent, that it is easy to see that those who make excuses are at enmity with God
- this truth may be hard to swallow; but nevertheless, it is the truth
- they made excuses because they wished to be on good terms with their own conscience
- they felt that they ought to go, because He had a claim upon them
- feeling that they ought to go, and yet intending not to go, they compromised by making an excuse
- conscience is a very unpleasant neighbor to men who live in sin
- we cannot extinguish our conscience, therefore we put it under the basket of an excuse
- some make excuses to satisfy customs
- most people are not vehemently opposed to religion
- for mom, dad, brother, sister, husband or wife’s sake they do not speak honestly what their soul feels
- to spare the feelings of someone close they make excuses
- while they make excuses, there is no hope for them at all
- excuses are curses, and when we have no excuses left there will be hope for us
- Satan is always ready to help men with excuses
- excuse-making has been a habit in all ages and among all classes of people
- the natural self-righteousness of man prompts him to make excuses
- we are all the best men in the world according to our own gauge and measure
- sinful self is hard to conquer, but righteous self is the worst enemy of the two
- when we plead guilty, then God pronounces a dismissal of charges
- while men give their excuses, there is little or no hope for them
- what excuses did they make
- many will not come to the great supper, and many will not become Christians form the same reason as those in the parable
- they are too busy
- they have business and family concerns to take care of
- it takes all their time to earn bread to feed the family
- nobody starves because he does not have time to eat
- the things of this life have them so busy that they do not have time to think about death and eternity
- if God has given us time to feed the natural body, surely He has given us time to feed our soul
- f we do not have the time, which God given us, we must have misspent it
- God gives us time as a steward; if we say to Him, "I have it not," He will reply, "I entrusted it to you; you must have spent it on yourself"
- salvation is not a matter of time, because salvation is an instantaneous event
- excuses are a sigh of the convictions of our neglect
- the foolishness of making excuses
- we must remember before whom we are making the excuses
- we are not making excuses before a man who may be duped by them
- we are making excuses before the heart-searching God
- God can see through all the smoke and mirrors that we put up
- Remember what it is that seems so unimportant
- it is our own soul, the soul which can never die
- we are counting as worthless a heaven, which we will never see, if we continue with our excuses
- we are making light of a hell which must be our never-ending portion if we continue as we are
- can you play with hell-fire; can you make sport of heaven
- if we must play the fool, find something cheaper to play with than this
- remember that these excuses will look very different soon: at the time of death
- what will one do with their excuses at the bar of judgment
- there the books will be opened, and then Christ will proclaim their doom
- will there be any excuse that can bring comfort then
- they will weep and wale for their sins as they arrive in hell
- the only way to put an end to your excuses is not by praying nor resolving, but by looking to Christ
- there hangs the bleeding Savior on the cross
- He died the just for the unjust to bring us to God
- He suffers there that sin may be forgiven
- look to Him, trust in Him, and thou shalt be saved