Excuses The commanding officer was furious when the nine GI’s who had been gone on their passes failed to show up for morning roll call. Not until 7 p.m. did the first man straggle in. “I’m sorry, sir,” the soldier explained, “but I had a date and lost track of time, and I missed the bus back. Being determined to get in on time, I hired a cab. Halfway here, the cab broke down. I went to a farmhouse and persuaded the farmer to sell me a horse. I was riding to camp when the animal fell over dead. I walked the last ten miles, and just got here.” Though skeptical, the Colonel let the young man off with no reprimand. However, after him, seven other stragglers in a row came in with the same story – had a date, missed the bus, hired a cab, bought a horse, horse died, walked 10 miles just to get there. By the time the ninth man reported in, the colonel had grown weary of it. “Okay,” he growled, “now what happened to you?” “Sir, I had this date and missed the bus back, so I hired a cab.” “Wait!” the colonel screeched at him. “Don’t tell me the cab broke down.” Knowing that the other soldiers must have used that same excuse…“No, sir,” replied the soldier. “The cab didn’t break down. It was just that there were so many dead horses in the road we had trouble getting through.”

Excuses! Sometimes our excuses hold us back from accomplishing anything, especially when it comes to serving our Lord. Too often we offer excuses instead of giving service. You’re asked to teach the jr. high class at church – Do the excuses start? You’re asked to serve in the nursery – Do the excuses start? You have an opportunity to share the gospel with a friend or family member – Do the excuses start? You’re made aware of someone you can help – Do the excuses start? When you are asked to do anything other than show up for Sunday morning worship – Do the excuses start?

In Exodus 3 Moses is called upon to go and free God’s people from Egyptian bondage and guess what, the excuses start Today we are going to look at 5 excuses that are as old as Moses himself. Excuses that many of us continue to use today.

Excuse #1 – The “Who me?” excuse

Exodus 3:10-11

Initially, Moses’ excuse sounds so humble. However, Moses is focusing on the wrong statement…it isn’t who Moses is – it is who God is. So often we focus on us and our abilities, but the power doesn’t come from us, it comes from God. Our faith has to carry some responsibility, if it doesn’t what good is it? A faith that doesn’t carry responsibilities is not likely to stand the test of time or the test of trials.

During a hurricane in 1938 in northern New England, the railroad bridge at White River Junction was in danger of being swept away by the flood waters. There was no doubt that the power of the storm would blast the old frail bridge apart. Someone who hated to see the bridge lost came up with a plan, he had the railroad company back up and over the bridge several freight cars that were heavily loaded down with cargo. They did this with both sides of the tracks on the bridge. Sure enough, even when the strongest currents came against it, it stood. The bridge by itself would have easily been destroyed, but because of the weight of the freight cars it stood during the storm. Isn’t that how our faith should be? The burdens and responsibilities that come with being a Christian will keep us standing during times of trouble.

Why would God call upon a man like Moses to complete such a monumental task? We, knowing the whole story, can clearly see the reasons. Who would’ve been a better candidate than Moses? First of all, he grew up in the household of Pharoah. No one knew or understood the situation better than Moses. He knew what it was like to be an Egyptian and he knew how to lead. God had been preparing him his whole life for this task

When Moses asked God, “Who am I?” he was asking God the wrong question. Moses was focused on himself and not God.

Exodus 3:12 – Moses would not have to serve in his own strength or wisdom, God would be with him. In other words, his first excuse was not good enough.

Excuse #2 – The “By what authority?” excuse

Exodus 3:13

I can see Moses saying this. Moses says, What happens when I go to them and tell them the God of their father’s sent me. A God who seemingly hasn’t done anything for them in hundreds of years. Isn’t that exactly how our world thinks about God. I have

heard members of the church say, “What right do I have to tell someone that I am right and they are wrong.” In other words, they are using the “by what authority” excuse. As people who make excuses, Moses went from using his own weaknesses as an excuse to focusing on what appears to him as a weakness in God’s plan. Moses’ excuse sounds brave and sure. Kind of like the man who was talking to his friend and pretending to be quite strong and in charge. He was asked by his friend Fred, “I hear you had an argument with your wife? How did it turn out? Did you put her in her place?” Ted responded – “Oh sure, why she came crawling to me on her hands and knees! Fred said – “No kidding! What did she say to you?” “She said, Come on out from under that bed right now and fight like a real man”

Exodus 3:14 – Literally in Hebrew: “the self existent one”

God was not just the God of their fathers; He is the god of the present and future generations as well. He is not just some Sunday school story of the past! He is the living God that is above all and in charge of our world today. He makes that clear in his response to Moses.

In other words, Moses second excuse was not good enough.

A young soldier in the Union army during the Civil War lost his older brother and his father in the fighting. He went to Washington D.C. to see if President Lincoln would grant him a discharge from the war so that he could go home and take care of his mother and run the family farm. When he arrived in Washington he was forbidden to see the President. No matter what channels he tried he was refused. He finally sat down in a park across the street from the White House and cried. A young boy approached him and asked why he was crying. After telling his story the boy grabbed him by the arm and pulled him across the street to the back side of the White House, there they slipped in past two guards. As they walked together up toward the Oval Office the young man noticed that the guards all suddenly straightened up and saluted as they walked by. They walked right into the Oval Office where President Lincoln stood next to the Secretary of State looking at a map. When Lincoln looked up he asked, “What can I do for you Todd?” Todd was the President’s son. Todd shared the story with his father and President Lincoln issued the young man a discharge. The young soldier had no authority on his own, the President’s son brought him into the very presence of the most powerful man in the nation. We go into the

world not with our own authority, but with the authority of the Son’s power to carry out the Father’s message! What more authority do we need? Using the “by what authority” excuse is exactly that, an excuse.

Excuse #3 – The “what if?” excuse

Exodus 4:1

Notice that Moses is not struggling with the message, he was struggling with being believed and being accepted! Does that sound familiar? His fear was all about personal rejection. Again, he was looking at himself, not God.

Have you ever thought this way when thinking about teaching God’s word to someone. What if they aren’t receptive? What if they make fun of me? What if they think I’m crazy? However, we are not asked by God to worry about the response, we are asked to be faithful and carry the mission out.

In a recent cross country championship held in Riverside, California 123 of the top 128 runners made a serious error; they missed a very important turn! One competitor named Mike

however stayed on the right course and began waving his arms for his fellow followers to stay with him. Only 4 other runners stayed with him on the right course, the other 123 went the wrong way. At the end of the race reporters asked him, “What did your competitors think about your decisions to go the way you did?” He said, “They thought it was funny that I went that way, until the end!” What was important for him is that he went the right way and made every attempt to flag the others to join him. Those who did were grateful at the end; those who laughed did not do so when the race was over. Mike ran the right way even though almost everyone else didn’t.

What about us? Are we so afraid of rejection that we would rather let millions go to Hell rather than risk telling others about Christ and salvation?

Exodus 4:2-9

God gives him 3 miraculous signs to perform if the people do not believe him. I want to focus on the first one, the staff.

Everything that Moses needed to carry out God’s plan he possessed in his hand. God can use the ordinary to do the

extraordinary. Ironically, Moses is asked to throw the staff down. Notice that only when it is out of Moses’ hand and in the hands of God will it change.

An interesting side note is that God asks him to pick it back up again, and by the tail. Any snake handler will tell you this is crazy, you never pick up a poisonous snake by the tail, you pick it up by the head. This request was probably a test of Moses’ faith.

Have you ever thought about all the things that God was able to do through Moses’ staff. - Moses struck the Nile river with it and it turned to blood.(7:17) - Brought a plague of frogs out of the waters (8:5) - Struck the dust and turned them into gnats (8:16) - Stretched it toward heaven to bring down fire, thunder, and hail (9:23) - Brought a plague of locusts (10:13) - Divided the Red Sea (14:16) - Struck a rock with it and got water (17:6) - When he held it high in the air, his warriors prevailed in battle (17:9)

- There was nothing special about the staff itself, but it was God who was able to work through what Moses very simply had in his hand.

Moses would not prove he had authority by great decrees. He was able to prove himself to the people by faith and obedience to God. God will use whatever we have, if we let him. In other words, Moses third excuse was not good enough.

Excuse #4 – The “I’m not capable” excuse

Exodus 4:10

All of Moses’ other excuses dealt with others not believing him. Those excuse failed now he tries to turn on focus on his weaknesses. Again, the focus is on himself not God. I am not saying that Moses is lying. He probably was a poor communicator, but so were others used by God

2 Cor. 10:10 God’s people needed an example first, not a talker. The talking part can be learned much easier than the walking part. Have you

ever heard the statement that the greatest sermon you will ever preach is the way you live your life? In the Master’s hand your weakness will develop into a strong gift, but only if you allow the Master to help.

Poland’s Prime Minister and famous concert pianist, Ignace Paderewski was a master pianist. One day at a concert he was to give an unusual thing happened. A long line of people had gathered early to get front row seats, included in this group was a mother with her young son that she hoped would get great inspiration for playing the piano from this event of hearing a master play. As they were let into the hall for the concert this mother managed to find seats up front. As they entered they noticed the beautiful Steinway piano on the platform. As she sat down with her son, she found a friend sitting near her and she struck up a conversation with her. She didn’t notice that her young son had slipped away from her and his chair. It was now almost 8 o’clock and the room darkened… A spot light came on and suddenly to this mother’s horror she looked and her son was seated at the Steinway piano on the stage. Before she could do anything the little boy began playing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on the piano! The mother gasped with horror, but before she could move from her chair to retrieve her energetic son the master pianist

himself walked out on stage to the piano and stood behind the young boy still playing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. He bent over and whispered to the boy, “Don’t stop, keep playing”. Then he reached over the boy with his left hand and began to add a bass part. Soon he reached around the right side of the boy with his right hand and added a running obbligato! Together, the old master and the young boy held the crowd mesmerized with a stirring performance of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. The little boy was not ashamed of his weaknesses and with the help of the master they gave a stirring performance

God certainly knew about Moses’ weaknesses, yet God called him to do a task. God can do more with AVAILABILITY than He can do with great ABILITY

Exodus 4:11-12

God was going to teach Him what to say. In other words, Moses fourth excuse was not good enough.

Moses has tried 4 other excuses that sounded better, but with no success he finally reveals his real motives.

Excuse #5 – “I just don’t want to”

Exodus 4:13

Moses knew that leading God’s people out of Egypt was going to be a long difficult task. But isn’t that true with most things in life that really count?

Exodus 4:14 – God offered an alternative plan for Moses. There is a very interesting lesson here, God will work with less if we hold out, however, the alternative plan would cause Moses many problems down the road. Moses brought these problems upon himself by not following the Lord’s initial command. 1.) Moses would not be the undisputed leader, his brother would share that power, a power that was misused at times and caused pressures and conflicts 2.) Aaron made the golden calf in Moses’ absence. 3.) Aaron later joined with Miriam in complaining about Moses not sharing the power of leadership more. 4.) Every time Moses got a word from God he would have to tell it to Aaron and Israel making his work twice as difficult. By getting his way his stress and work load increased instead of decreased.

God’s purpose was still fully accomplished through Moses, but because of Moses’ resistance Moses made things more difficult upon himself.

I was once told that Christians can be classified into 3 distinct categories related to 3 different kinds of ships on the sea. 1.) Canal barges – Canal barges need to be dragged along to do their work. They do OK as long as someone or some others are pulling them along. 2.) Sailing ships – Sailing ships make fine going as long as the wind and the tides are with them to drive them along, but when the winds become contrary they don’t make much progress. 3.) Atlantic liners – Atlantic liners can travel along in any conditions, because they carry with them in the heart of the vessel a fire and a mighty furnace. Not even contrary winds or tides can stop an Atlantic liner. Those who have the fire of God’s love burning brightly in their furnace can make it through anything. Which one of those 3 ships are you?

It is clear that being a “Christian” is not some feeling, contrary to popular belief in our world today. Being a Christian is full of duty and responsibilities.

Are you doing your part in the Lord’s kingdom? Moses’ excuses were not good enough for God, why do we think that our excuses to not work for the Lord today are any more acceptable.

Are you making excuses?

Are you making excuses as to why you haven’t obeyed the Gospel or why you haven’t been the Christian that you need to be? If you need help in any way please come as we stand and sing.