No More Excuses

Sunday, September 13th-Morning Service

Speaker: Clint Woolsey

"No More Excuses"

There is a lot going on today.

There are things happening in each of our lives that consume our minds.

There are things happening in our Church this very day that lay heavy upon our thinking.

This morning, however, is not about any of those things.

This morning is about God and what He has for us to do in our lives, so that He may be glorified!

This morning I want us to forget about all that is going on outside of these walls and focus on the Uncreated One.

Let’s focus on glorifying God and making HIM the priority in our lives.

It is time we get serious about working in the kingdom and about having a TRUE Revival.

Let’s pray…

We are one week away from revival.

Over the past month we have talked about a number of things concerning revival.

We as a church need to be prepared for what God has in store for us.

*Revival starts with us as individuals

We must first ensure that our hearts have been purified by God.

Psalm 139:23-24 (New King James Version)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.

*We must look at people the way Christ does, not the way the world does.

2 Corinthians 5:16 (New King James Version)

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

*In order to have true revival we must have UNITY.

Acts 2:42-47 (New King James Version)

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Verse 44 says that they had ALL things in common!

That’s unity.

It goes on to say that they sold their possessions and goods.

They continued daily with one accord in the temple.

DAILY! Many struggle to give up a couple of hours on Sunday morning.

Any Excuse works

There was a farmer who asked his neighbor if he could borrow a rope?

The neighbor said, “Sorry, I’m using the rope to tie up my milk.” “Milk?” said the farmer. “You can’t tie up milk with a rope.”

The neighbor replied, “I know, but when a man doesn’t want to do something, one reason is as good as another.”

We’ve gotten pretty good at making up excuses.

It is funny though how we always make time for the things we really want to do.

When something like that comes up

-our schedules always seem to clear,

-we’re suddenly not so tired,

-or not so sick

This isn’t anything new though.

Jesus himself talks about this very thing in His parable of the Great Supper.

Luke 14:15-24 (New King James Version)

15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,

17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’

18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’

19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’

20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’

21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’

22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’

23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”

We can make excuses and miss out on what God has prepared for us.

We can choose to honor God and feast at His table!

The Building

Ten Little Christians, standing in a line,

One disliked the pastor, then there were nine.

Nine little Christians stayed up very late,

One slept too late on Sunday, then there were eight.

Eight little Christians on their way to Heaven,

One took the low road, then there were seven.

Seven little Christians chirping like some chicks,

One disliked the music, then there were six.

Six little Christians seemed very much alive,

but one lost his interest then there were five.

Five little Christians pulling for heaven's shore,

but one stopped to rest, then there were only four.

Four little Christians, each busy as a bee

One got her feelings hurt, then there were three.

Three little Christians knew not what to do,

One joined the sporting crowd, then there were two.

Two little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done,

differed with each other, then there was one.

One little Christian, can't do much 'tis true;

brought his friend to Revival-then there were two.

Two earnest Christians, each won one more,

that doubled the number, then there were four.

Four sincere Christians worked early and worked late,

Each won another, then there were eight.

Eight splendid Christians, if they doubled as before,

In just a few short weeks, we'd have 1,024

In this little jingle, there is a lesson true,

You either belong to The Building, Or to the wrecking crew.

Church are you satisfied where you are?

Caught up in the things of this world…

Eating the meager crumbs that fall from the table?

God has a GREAT SUPPER prepared for you…

And you have ALL been invited to partake!

Are you going to make up some excuse as to why you can’t make it?

Are you ready to make GOD the FIRST Priority in your life?

Luke 9:23-25 (New King James Version)

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

As we enter into this revival, we can choose to make it be like every other revival.

Where only a faithful few make it to all the services

We can make GOD a priority and say I am willing to sacrifice my time for God

And I am willing to go out and COMPEL others to come so that MY MASTER’S house may be filled!

God has GREAT things in store for us if will stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about HIM.