Excuses - Part 4 - I Deserve Better

Well, I guess it is finally time to examine the final set of excuses people make for their lack of faithfulness.  We have looked at excuses under the headings “The pastor is wrong” and “The church is wrong” so today we wrap this up with, “I deserve better”. 

These excuses make the argument that we are not getting what we deserve.  We look at these as if, somehow, our rights are being violated in some way.  They deal with our physical comfort, our pleasure, relaxation and, our social outlets. We believe that we have a right to certain things, whether by virtue of our national citizenship, spiritual citizenship or just because we work a lot or give much money.  Is this biblical?  Let’s take a look at a few of these excuses.

1.       It is too cold/hot.  How many times have we either complained or heard the complaint that the church is either too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter?  Why is it too hot or too cold?  Is it just you?  Is there no budget to heat the church to a warmer temperature?  Is the expense of cooling the church too much in the summer?   Is there no air conditioner to cool the church in the summer?     Is it just you?

Instead of complaining about it and neglecting the fellowship of the body of Christ, perhaps you should figure out and promote a solution to the problem.  If the problem is the expense, start giving more and encourage others to give more so the church can be heated or cooled to a comfortable level.  If there is no air conditioner, can one be installed for a reasonable cost?  If so, start a fund to install air conditioning.  If it is just you, after all some people run hot or cold, then dress warmer or cooler, whatever the case may be.

If none of these options are viable, and even if they are, remember this, God doesn’t call us to be comfortable; instead He calls us to be faithful.  1 Corinthians 4:2 - Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.   How is allowing a little discomfort to prevent you from attending the worship services of the body and bride of Christ showing yourself faithful?  Would you stop going to your job if it was too cold or too hot?

Edit:  A good friend just shared this poem with me:

As a rule, man is a fool,
When it's hot, he wants it cool;
When it's cool, he wants it hot,
Always wanting what is not. 

Anonymous 

2.       The weather is too bad.  How bad is the weather in reality?  Would the rain, snow or wind prevent you from going to work?  Would it prevent you from participating in your hobby?

I have seen people who use this excuse out playing basketball, golf, fishing and hunting in the same weather.  Somehow it doesn’t stop us from doing those things.   What would you say to those people in many third world countries who walk for hours in the worst kinds of conditions so that they may hear the preaching of the Word of God and enjoy the fellowship of their brothers and sisters in Christ?  Unfortunately, the response many “Christians” in America would be “They’ll get over it.”  God forbid that they, or we, should ever “get over it.”  May God discipline us to the point of tearful and fearful repentance if we ever “get over it.”

3.       The weather is too nice.   Here is another excuse that is frequently used.  It is used in spring when the weather warms up.  It is used in summer when it has been raining for a long time.  It is used when the snow is just right for skiing and when the water is just right for boating and other outdoor activities.  It is basically used when we just don’t want to go to church.  I would contend that spending an hour or three on Sundays is not going to ruin the day, if you have the right spirit.  In fact, if your thoughts were truly on God and His honor and glory you would have an even stronger desire to worship Him on those beautiful days.

4.       Someone sick might be there and give me their cold.   Here we see an excuse based on fear.  We are afraid to get sick.  But, here again, we see an excuse that we would never use to keep us from going to work.  You never hear anyone using this excuse to keep them from going to a concert or a movie though, quite frankly, those environments are far more likely to spread disease and sickness.

5.       This is my only day off.  So God doesn’t merit a day dedicated to Him?  Be honest, you are more committed to your own worship that the Worship of Him, the One who died for you.   God never intended for man to work seven days a week, but He did not intend to be neglected either.  Jesus is our Sabbath rest.  Take a look at Hebrews 4 and see how often the word ‘rest’ is used.  It is not in leisure that we are to find our primary rest, but in the person of Jesus Christ.  Consider how restful out lives would be if we stopped resisting the Holy Spirit and started to allow Him to work through us.   1 Thessalonians 5:24 - Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.   He is the One who does the work through us.  We are just along for the ride when we submit to Him and willingly allow Him to work through us.

6.       My family/friends are visiting.   Seriously?  BRING THEM WITH YOU!  Why shy away from church when they are around?  If they are saved, they should be in church.  If they are not saved, you should have already shared the Gospel with them (and by sharing the Gospel I mean telling them that they are sinners on their way to Hell but Jesus Christ died and shed His blood for them so that they could go the Heaven and that He is the ONLY way to Heaven and without Him ALL people go to Hell regardless of hoe “good” they are).

If you have shared the Gospel with them, they will be watching you to see if your faith is real.  By neglecting the church, you are telling them that your faith is a false and weak faith.  You tell them that the Lord Jesus Christ is only getting lip service from you and that it is OK to live your life according to your values instead of His.  The Bible is clear that we are to not neglect assembling ourselves together.  Consider Hebrews 10:19-25 which says, “¹⁹ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹ And having an high priest over the house of God; ²² Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) ²⁴ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: ²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”  Here we see the clear correlation between the new life we have in Christ, the true profession of our faith and faithfulness to the assembling together as the body of Christ.

But won’t I be considered rude and insulting to my family or friends if I go to church instead of spending rare and valuable time with them?  Consider Christ’s words as well.  In Luke 14:26-27, “²⁶ If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”  Jesus calls us to love Him so much that we hate others by comparison.  The question shouldn't be, "Won't I be considered rude and insulting to my family and friends if I go to church when they visit?"  Instead it should be, "Won't I be considered rude and insulting to my Savior, Jesus Christ, If I neglect His church, His body and His bride if I don't go to church when family and friends are visiting?"

In fact, if we don’t we cannot be His disciple.  If we aren’t His disciple we can’t rightly call ourselves Christians because Christian means “Disciple of Christ” or “Christ-follower”.  One aspect of our cross that we must bear is that we will suffer persecution and ridicule for His sake.

Ultimately our excuses are just that excuses.   Ask yourself this question when you come across and excuse for not doing something that God clearly wants you to do:  Will this stand up before a perfect, holy and righteous God when I stand before Him on Judgment Day?  If you can do it and you don’t do it, it will not stand up in “court”.