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We are all with-out an excuse. God expects us to live Holy, blameless lives in him, with the help of the Holy Spirit. We are without excuse because God has made this plainly clear through his word. What is your excuse? Are you ready to ditch your excuse?
Welcome everyone to Redemption Church in Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am glad to share the Word of God with you.
Without
We are in the 4th week of our series – Without.
In week 1 we told you – Without Jesus Nothing. We can do nothing without Jesus.
In week 2 we told you – Without Faith Impossible. It is impossible to please God without faith.
In week 3 we told you – Without Knowledge Perish. There is a Godly knowledge we can’t do without.
In week 4 we told you – Without Love Meaningless. Without love we are just noise.
In week 5 we told you – Without Jesus Name.. no miracles, power, or salvation.
Today we are turning in our Bibles to the 1st Chapter of Romans.
The Apostle Paul starts his epistle to the Romans very directly. This section of scripture is not candy coated. Paul is not concerned about the potential hurt feelings of those who would read His words.
Paul is concerned with reaching someone with the truth of God, before it is too late.
Romans 1:16- 20(NIV) 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Today I want to bring you the sobering message that we are without excuse.
WITHOUT EXCUSE
We all know what an excuse is. An excuse is the attempt to lesson the blame for an offense.
- We hear excuses all the time.
- Politicians always give excuses.
- Your co-workers and bosses give excuses.
- Your kids… no one had to teach them how to craft an excuse.
We hear excuses as they come out of our mouth! We make up excuses all the time.
- How we are raised…
- What other people did or did not do…
- We don’t have the time or the ability…
- Someone else did a thing…
Excuses have been with us for a long time.
When Adam & Eve were approached by God after having eaten of the tree of Knowledge, they both offered excuses.
Genesis 3:11-12(NIV) 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
Notice that Adam does not answer God. Adam does not own His wrong doing. Instead Adam makes Eve His excuse.
Genesis 3:13(NIV) 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Then Eve does the same thing Adam did. Instead of owning her wrong, she makes the serpent her excuse.
As long as there has been sin & wrong doing there has been the attempt to self-justify ourselves through excuses. But just as excuses did not work in Genesis 3, the apostle Paul reminds us that excuses will not work in Romans 1.
Romans 1:20(NIV) 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Who is without excuse? All people are without excuse.
Since the creation of the world the verse says… All people created since are without excuse.
Adam & Eve are without excuse.
The baby born today is without excuse.
People in the old testament are without excuse.
People in the new testament are without excuse.
Your time period is no excuse. The nation and culture of your time period is no excuse.
The verse goes on to say God’s invisible qualities (His power & nature) are clearly seen and understood by everything that is made.
- The person who stood near the red sea as God miraculously parted it is without excuse.
- The person who lived and never saw a supernatural miracle is without excuse.
- The person who lives in the USA where we have more Bibles, churches, and preachers is without excuse.
- The person who lives on a deserted island and has no access to a Bible, a church, or a preacher is without excuse.
We are all without excuse. Jesus taught that there is no excuse, but Jesus goes a little further and teaches that judgement will be worse for those who make excuses.
Judgement will be worse for those who make excuses.
Luke 12:48(NIV)… From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Jesus says if you have been given much… much more will be demanded. In other words if you have been given more, but instead of taking advantage of what you have been given you instead make excuses… it will be worse in judgement for that person.
Jesus even teaches this more blatantly in two differently places of scripture.
In Matthew 12 Jesus is challenged by the Pharisees to produce a sign… The same Jesus who did miracles constantly… they Jesus for a sign… what they really wanted was an excuse not to believe, follow, and obey Jesus. Check out what Jesus says!
Matthew 12:41(NIV) The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
It will be better for Nineveh at the judgement seat, because they did not make excuses when Jonah preached, instead they repented. Jesus points out that something greater than Jonah is present!
It will be better for the Queen of Sheba at the judgement, because she did not make excuses and traveled across the glob to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Jesus points out that something greater than Solomon is here.
Those that make excuses will have it worse in the judgement.
Whatever your excuse is I want to declare something greater is here, the Lord Jesus is present!
Luke 10:10(NIV) But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.
The cities in Israel that Jesus walked in, preached in, and did miracles in, but they MADE EXCUSES to not believe, follow, and obey… it will be more bearable for Sodom than those towns… Tyre & Sidon… Jesus lists some of the most evil towns in your Bible. Yet those evil towns will have a more bearable time on the day of judgement than those towns that had full access to Jesus but made excuses.
WITHOUT EXCUSE
We are without excuse. The excuses we make will only lead us to judgement.
What is your excuse?
What is your excuse for refusing to follow Jesus?
What is your excuse for putting off following Jesus?
What is your excuse for not obeying Jesus?
I didn’t know is NO EXCUSE
So many on that day of judgement will try this excuse. It will not work, since God has made himself known from the beginning of creation.
Psalm 19:1(NIV) The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
“I did not know there was a God” is not an excuse that is going to stand. All of creation testifies to a creator.
Acts 17:30-31NIV) 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
I had questions is NO EXCUSE
There will be those who stand on that day and say “I didn’t understand… I had questions and chose not to do anything until these questions were answered.”
We all have questions. If you don’t have questions, you aren’t thinking.
You don not need every question answered to walk in the knowledge you have been given.
When the Gospel is first preached in Acts 2, the crowd believed and asked a question…
(Acts 2:37) When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
When they asked that question it brought them an answer…
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Now they could have stood around and asked more questions… or they could choose to obey the knowledge they have been given. We are told that 3000 souls chose to not make excuses, but instead believe by faith the message of Jesus.
Jesus gives you the promise to knock and the door will be opened, ask and it will be given, and seek and you shall find. (Matthew 7:7-8)
Questions are no excuse. Walk in the knowledge you have and watch Jesus answer your every question.
I don’t know is no excuse.
I had questions is no excuse.
I never saw a miracle is NO EXCUSE
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!
Then Jesus goes on to say a sign has been given, and it is that the Son of Man will die and rise to life.
The only sign you will ever need has already been given. The only miracle you really need has already been done. JESUS DIED. JESUS WAS BURIED. JESUS ROSE AGAIN. That is all we need.
I never saw a miracle is no excuse. We are to walk by faith.
LIVE WITHOUT EXCUSES
There are so many mistakes we can make. God tells us clearly in His word that we are without excuse.
- God has called you to be a world changer. Go do it.
- God has called you to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Go do it.
- God has called you to lay hands on the sick. Go!
- God has called you to be powerful. No excuses.
- God has called you to be a bright city set on a hill.
- God has called you and positioned you to see miracles and people saved.
- God has called you to have the Word of God in your heart.
- God has gifted you with ability and talent.
- God says you can! Drop the excuse that says you can’t.
The Devil is not stopping you… your excuses are stopping you.
Your circumstance is not stopping you… your excuses are stopping you.
Your past is not stopping you… Your excuses…
It is time for us to LIVE WITHOUT EXCUSES.
WITHOUT EXCUSE
God has revealed Himself from the creation of the world and we are without excuse.
Romans 1 goes on to tell us that those that make excuses, God will allow to fall in to grave sin. Romans 1 has a large list of dark sins. If you can think of a sin, it is likely listed in Romans 1.
Those that excuse themselves from following the Lord, will fall into grave sin.
Romans 1 declares we are without excuse. This part of Romans 1 is preached a lot. It really shouts out the sins of those who are NOT following the Lord. Then comes Romans 2. Romans 2 is not preached all that much, but this chapter is actually directed to us within the Church.
Romans 2:1(NIV) You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Within the Church, listen up! We have no excuse if we pass judgement on someone else.
I have heard very often the heavy preaching of Romans 1 directed at the world, but as I come to a close and prepare to open this altar can I preach Romans 2. Can I remind us that we in the Church of Jesus have NO EXCUSE to pass judgment.
We serve a Jesus who said in John 8:7…
John 8:7(NIV)“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
None of us are without sin. None of us should pick up stones in judgment.
Look back at Romans 2:1…
Romans 2:1(NIV) You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Same thing as who? The ones we would pass judgement on.. The same people that we look down our noses in judgement from Romans 1.
Scripture declares that we DO THE SAME THINGS.
An excuse is the attempt to lesson the blame for an offense. Can we drop the excuse and reach out to God today like the sinners we are?
We are sinners and it is only the grace of God that we are saved.
Let’s pray today like we remember that.
Let consecrate and dedicate our lives like we remember that.
Let’s study the Word like we remember that.
Let’s forgive others… without excuse.
Let’s worship… without excuse.
Let’s call on Jesus today. No excuses.