Documents
Documents about different biblical subjects
4-4-1 Excuses
June 4th, 2011Purpose: To show how God respond to our excuses and inspires prospective disciples to face and overcome fears
Moses
Exodus 3-4
- v3:10-12 - given a mission
- Moses was given an important mission
- Moses thought God had the wrong guy!
- Just as he was with Moses, God is with us in our evangelism
- v3:13 - lack of knowledge
- v4:1 - fear of rejection
- v4:10-12 - lack of eloquence
- v4:4:13-14 - reluctance to obey
- This is the real issue - God is angry at our excuse-making
Moses, already eighty years old, went on to become a bold leader in God’s kingdom!
Gideon
Judges 6:11-16
- v6:11 - He was fearful. He was threshing in the winepress at the time when God needed men of courage to rise up.
- v6:12 - “Mighty warrior” – God saw his potential
- v6:14 - “Go in the strength you have” - do not worry, just do your best.
- v6:15 - Gideon claimed he was too insignificant and unimpressive to follow or obey God
- v6:16 - As with Gideon, God will be with you!
Gideon repented of his fear and excuses and rescued his nation from the enemy – powerfully and bravely!
Jeremiah
Jeremiah 1:4-8
- v1:5 - God has a mission for our lives, too
- v1:8 - God rejected Jeremiah’s excuse of youth
- God command us not to fear
- God is with us! (God + one = a majority)
Jeremiah spread the word for forty years, although most people rejected him, and he became one of the great prophets of all time!
Isaiah
Isaiah 6:1-8
- v6:1 - He has an awesome vision of the awesome God.
- v6:5 - “Woe to me!”
- Isaiah saw God in all his glory
- He realized his own lostness
- He realized the lostness of everyone else.
- v6:6-7 - Experiencing God’s forgiveness transforms our lives
- v6:8 - Then and only then are we ready to go and spread God’s word
Isaiah too went on to have a tremendous impact on his generation
Peter
Luke 5:4-11
- v5:5 - Peter was willing to take Jesus at his word.
- v5:6 - He experienced an incredible result – God’s word is powerful!
- v5:8 - Peter realized who he was dealing with: knee-deep in fish
- v5:10 - Jesus encouraged Peter to evangelize
- He commanded him not to fear
- v5:11 - We too must pull our fears and excuses up on shore and actively follow Jesus
Peter ultimately confronted his fears and fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy of martyrdom (John 21:18-19)
Also see King Saul, Queen Esther, Ezekiel … .