Unexcused

In my previous office, I have to admit I was fascinated by the all of the excuses people gave for not showing up to work. 
 - "My cousin was sick, and I was at a BBQ with him on Saturday - better to be safe and stay home today."
 - "My power went out, and the power company plans to start it back up sometime today. I should probably be home for that."
 - "I haven't gotten enough sleep and I need to rest."
 - "I got too much sleep and didn't wake up in time."
 - "My boyfriend and I had an argument, and I need to spend some time with him."

Sometimes the excuses may have been legitimate, such as a car not starting or a sick child. Other times the excuse would only seem good, and would fall apart if you thought it through. Because of the attendance policy, even good reasons for not showing up could still technically be considered "unexcused". Only written notices from authorized sources (doctors, police, court officials) would make an unscheduled absence excused.

Like many employers, I'm sure there are many pastors who have heard excuses from people, explaining why they won't be at church. (More often, I'm sure they hear it after the fact - i.e. why they weren't there for last service.) And like the workplace, many of these excuses are probably silly, some of them are legitimate, and most would fall somewhere in between. 

You've Been Called

Read this story carefully from Luke 14:16-24, don't just glance over this! - "A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, 'Come, the banquet is ready.' But they all began making excuses. One said 'I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.' Another said, 'I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.' Another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

"The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, 'Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame' After the servant had done this, he reported, 'There is still room for more.' So his master said, 'Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.'" 

Notice where the man's feast was held..."the house". Luke 14:23 in the NKJV says "so that my house will be full". This man held this great feast in his own house. If you've been following this series, then you already know where God's house on earth is. It's the local church!

Every true church service is a spiritual feast. The preacher spends his time through the week, studying and meditating; preparing a meal from God's Word. Through him, God intends to provide the people with insight, revelation, instruction, and blessing that they would not otherwise receive on their own. But just like the banquet master in this story, God's servants (the preachers) have heard all kinds of excuses. 

Not Valid Excuses

Look at these three main excuses the invitees gave to the master's servants:
 - "I need to inspect my new property."
     (Modern Translation: "I have things to do at home this weekend.")
 - "I need to try out my new oxen."
     (Modern Translation: "I have work responsibilities that I need to take care of.")
 - "I need to spend time with my wife."
     (Modern Translation: "We need some family time.")

Notice, all of these things should be taken care of in our lives. The problem with these excuses wasn't with the reasons themselves; the problem was with the people's priority. Of course, work responsibilities, household chores, and family time are necessary. But there are other times to do those things...they do not trump what God has invited us to!

And so, just like an employee who didn't wake up in time for work, none of these three reasons are considered "excused".
Can we sympathize with them? Sure, sometimes!
Are they legitimate excuses? Not in God's eyes. 

Matthew's version of this parable (found in Matthew 22) tells us that these people "made light" of their invitations. This means they did not put the proper weight on the Master's invitation; they saw it as something of lesser importance. That's how they could prioritize other issues in their lives. To these people; their property, their employment, and their families were more important than their Master's call to the feast. 

Blessed In The Rest

If there's one thing we know from Scripture, God demands first place in our lives. He will not tolerate anything else vying for our attention. So if He has called us to His house for dinner...then that call should carry weight! (In our last post, we covered four biblical reasons to NOT come to a service.) If we can attend, then we don't have the right to say, "No Sir, this other thing is more important." He won't excuse you...He already knew you had that other thing when He called you!

You may ask, "But what about that other thing? Surely it still needs to get done? Should I just ignore it and come to church?"

Jesus answers this question in Mark 10:29-30: "So Jesus answered and said; 'Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life."

Every excuse is covered in that statement:
 - Household chores ("who has left house...")
 - Family ("...or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children...")
 - Work ("...or lands" - those were fields to work in and provide income)
If you'll leave these things for Him, He'll make sure those things come back to you with His blessing!

This was the same question the Israelites had when God told them to leave their fields unplanted every seventh year. They said, "Wait, that means we won't have enough food that year! What do we do then?" God's answered them the same way: "Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years." (Leviticus 25:21).

This was the same thing that God did with the manna in the wilderness. He blessed the sixth day with double production, so that His people could focus on Him the seventh day. This is the same promise that we see throughout Scripture: If you'll sacrifice your own priorities for His call, then His blessing will take care of those other priorities!

 - If you'll be faithful in your money, giving your tithes and offerings; then His blessing will be on the rest of your money and cause it to go further!
 - If you'll be faithful in your energy, giving Him the first part of every day; then His blessing will make the rest of your day more productive!
 - If you'll be faithful with your time in the week, coming to His house whenever the doors are open; then His blessing will be on the rest of the week, helping you get those other things done!

Let's make sure not to give God excuses. We have been invited to a feast in His house, don't make light of it!