How many times during the past six months have you thought to yourself - I Quit. Seriously, how many times have you just thought I’m done with all this? I don’t want to zoom another meeting, I don’t want to figure out how far six feet is for social distancing, I’m tired of wearing a mask, I’m tired of all my plans having to be changed, I’m tired of hearing about politics, division, and all the problems of the world. I Quit.
I’ll be honest… I’ve thought about it a time or two (or 3 or 4). Not that I want to quit being a pastor - or your pastor - I love what I do and I’m blessed by it every day, but I just want to quit the world and all that we are dealing with. I want to quit and go live in the woods or on an island where there is no virus, no politics, no social media negativity, no constantly changing guidelines to try and live by to keep safe. I just want to quit.
Today we are beginning a series called I Quit and if you are thinking that I am going to give direction on how we can quit all that is going on around us, I have some really bad news for you - that’s not what we’re going to talk about at all. That kind of quitting is the easy way and not God’s way. What we want to talk about this month are the things we need to quit so that we can make it through this season of life with greater physical, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as a stronger and more dynamic faith. We want to talk about how to quit making excuses, quit complaining, quit living in fear, and quit comparing ourselves with others. We want to learn how to quit all these things so that we can start living the life God has for us.
Today we are going to start waving the white flag and say, I Quit Making Excuses. While January 1 is often the day we make resolutions to change how we live, the truth is that many of us want to make changes to our lives every day. We want to get in shape, we want to get our debt under control, we want to have a better marriage, we want to be better parents, we want to do better in school, we want to grow deeper in our faith, we want to be a blessing to others… every day we can probably look at our lives and find something that we would like to change or improve and as soon as we identify what we want to change we find a dozen excuses why we can’t do it.
I want to get in shape but I don’t have time, I’m too tired, and the last time I tried to diet and exercise it didn’t work so I’m not going to set myself up for failure yet again.
I want to get out of debt but it is just too overwhelming and I don’t even know where to start.
I want to have a better marriage but my spouse will never work with me. I want to be a better parent but things are too stressful right now to even try and address the issues
I want to do better in school but I don’t learn well online. I want to grow in my faith but there aren’t opportunities through the church right now. I want to grow closer to God but my sin and problems are just too big to overcome. I want to be more disciplined in life but I am too weak, too tired, and too overwhelmed.
We can come up with 101 excuses for why now is not the time for us to change, improve, or grow deeper in our faith, but maybe what we need to tell ourselves is that now is exactly the time we need to quit making excuses and start trusting God.
Jesus told a story about a man who gave a great dinner and invited many people to attend. To be invited to a banquet or a wedding feast was a huge honor in Jesus’ day and yet people began to make excuses for why they would not come. As soon as the invitation arrived one man said, I just bought a piece of land and I have to go and see it. Another man said he just bought some oxen and he had to go try them out. They turned down a great honor with a flimsy excuse. How often do we turn down a great opportunity to grow into the person God wants us to be with a flimsy excuse?
or us to truly quit making excuses we need to stop asking ourselves, What do I want to be different in my life? And start asking ourselves What does God want to be different in my life?
If we are focused on what we want and try to make changes in our strength, we will fail. But if we can identify what God wants and begin to see that if God wants it then God will help us, then we begin to draw on God’s strength and that change of focus can make all the difference.
In Jesus' parable, the invitation to the banquet was an invitation to experience something truly wonderful and we can look at it as the invitation given to us by God to step into the life that God has for us. When we shift the focus away from what we want or need to change and start thinking about what God invites us to experience, the whole situation is different. So for a few moments, I want to invite you to reflect on this question,
What new life is God inviting you to step into?
What does God want to be different in your life?
Does God want you to experience patience? Does God want you to bless more people? Does God want to extend kindness through your words? Pass on gentleness to your spouse? Does God want you to experience the beauty of prayer and maybe prayer walk your block? Or your place of work? Does God want to deepen your faith by reading the Bible? Serve in some capacity in the church or community so that you can be filled? What is the invitation that God has extended to you recently that you have made some excuse to set aside or reject it.
Again, what does God want to be different in your life? Now ask yourself this question, Why does God want this to be different? Why does God want your life to be different? Why does God want you to be more generous or patient or kind? Why does God want you to be more faithful in spiritual disciplines or service? Why does God want you to be different and when you answer this question make sure you begin the answer with these words: So that I can…
God doesn’t want us to change because we are bad, God wants us to change so that I can experience more. God might want us to get physically and emotionally healthy so that I can live and love longer. God might want us to get out of debt so that I can experience freedom and be generous and bless others. God might want us to do the prayer walk this week so that I can be blessed and be a blessing and God might want us to engage in more spiritual disciplines so that I can be more like Jesus. When we answer the why question with the words, so that I can… we begin to see the better life God has for us and the world around us. Many times our flimsy and lame excuses disappear in the light of God’s purpose, desire, and plan for our lives.
This was exactly the situation with Moses. Moses was called by God to lead the people of Israel out of slavery and bondage in Egypt. This was Moses' invitation to the great banquet. Think about it, Moses was being asked to be a leader that would set thousands of people free and yet as soon as the call or invitation was given, Moses found excuses to say no. He said, look God, I’m a nobody. I don’t have the power to do this, no one is going to listen to me, and then he said this. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue. Exodus 4:10
Now on the surface this might seem like a good excuse. Moses was being asked to be a leader and his excuse was that he was not a good public speaker and communicator and this was probably needed if he was going to lead the people out of Egypt. A good excuse right? Well, listen to God’s response. Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say. Exodus 4:11-12
Moses' excuse was, I’m not a good speaker. God’s reply was, I made your mouth. I give you the ability to speak and I give people the ability to hear what it said. Moses, if I want this done and I want to use you, there is no excuse you can give me that should hold you back. In light of God’s purpose and God’s power and God’s plan there was no valid excuse that Moses could give. IN light of God’s desire for our lives, in light of God’s purpose and plan for our lives there is no valid excuse we can give God so we need to quit making excuses.
What God does with Moses shows us what we need to do when God wants to make some changes in our lives. Instead of making an excuse to say no we need to go. We need to take the next faithful step and allow God to work in us and through us. We need to
Go and do what I can do and then
Trust God to do what I can not do.
Moses had to go back to Egypt. He had to go and see Pharaoh, and then he had to allow God to speak through him. He had to go and do what he could do and then trust God to do all he could not do.
When God wants to make a change in our lives, when we want to live into the fullness that God has for us, we have to stop saying no and simply go and do what we can do. We need to take the next faithful step and allow God to do what we can not do. If God is asking you to get out of debt - what is the next faithful step you can do. Get help? Cut up a credit card? Talk to your bank or spouse or friend who can assist? Go and do what you can do and trust God to do what you can’t do.
If God is asking you to go deeper in your faith, to set spiritual disciplines, to become more like Jesus, go and do what you can do. Set your alarm tomorrow 30 minutes earlier to give you time to read and pray. Set aside 30 minutes in the evening to walk your neighborhood and pray. If God is asking you to be a better spouse or parent, go and talk to your spouse or your kids. Have that difficult conversation and allow God to speak in you and through you. If God is inviting you to use your gifts to bless others, just identify one way you can do that this week and make the call to get involved.
When we quit making excuses and start doing what we can do and trusting God to do what God can do - our lives will change and yes we will begin to experience the great feast that has been prepared for us. So let’s quit making excuses and start living life to the fullest.
Next Steps
I Quit - Making Excuses
What are the most common excuses you are making today?
Read Luke 14:15-24.
● What were the people being offered?
● What excuses were they giving?
Read Exodus 3:1-4:17
● What was Moses being invited to do?
● What excuses did he offer to God?
● What was God’s response?
What does God want to change in your life?
What invitation to new life is God offering you today?
Why does God want to see this change?
Begin your response with: So that I may…
What would change in your life if you stopped making excuses?
What is holding you back from experiencing all God has for you?
To become the person God created you to be, what do you need to start doing? What do you need to stop doing? Where do you need to trust God?
Ask God to help you:
● Quit making excuses.
● Start doing what is necessary for change.
● Commit to trusting God in all things.
● Rely on God’s strength for new life.
