The Gospel Truth – Excuses
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Rev. Michael Strong
The Gospel Truth
Excuses
In the gospel of Luke 14:15-24, Jesus tells the parable of a great banquet.
In this parable he says that the master sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, “Come, for everything is now ready.”
But they all began to make excuses. The first invited guest said, “I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it.”
The second guest that was invited said, “I have just bought five yokes of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out.”
The third guest that was invited said, “I just got married, so I can’t come.”
Each of the invited guests wanted to be excused from coming to this great banquet.
It is said that the servant reported back to his master, telling him that all guests that were invited had excuses and that they could not come.
Then the master of the house became angry and ordered his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.”
The servant reported back to the master and said, “What you ordered has been done, but there is still room.”
The master said to his servant, “Go again out into the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.”
The master tells the servant, “Not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.”
I want to say to you today that there was a time when our church doors were closed and we were permitted not to assemble together in worship.
Our country was invaded with a pandemic that caused us to be kept in isolation away from the church.
This was our excuse that kept our doors closed in the church.
But because of the vaccine everything is now ready.
Every Sunday morning you are invited to a meal that has been prepared for you.
The invitation has been given, and the way has been made for all of us to come back to worship in the house of God, but anyone that refuses the invitation will never get a chance to taste what the Lord has prepared.
Either you are not hungry, or you care nothing about the One that prepared the meal.
So, my question to you is, “What’s your excuse for not coming back to church?”