“You are the Light of the World”

Chapter Nine: Responding to Excuses

By Pastor Stephen Kurtzahn

For centuries, men and women have given all sorts of excuses for not following Christ and His Word. In Luke 10:57-62, we behold the Savior calling men to follow Him. One offers the excuse that he must bury his dead father first. The other says he must go home and say "good-bye" to the folks.

Most excuses that are offered by people for not going to church are used to cover up a general animosity against God and what He has to say in His Word. By nature, human beings hate God. Romans 3:10-18 gives us a true description of our natural state.

It is only a miracle of God's grace that we put our trust in Jesus, and that we are assured that He has delivered us from sin, death and hell. As believing children of the heavenly Father, we want to share the Good News of Christ with others. But so often we run into excuses, hard-hearts, and stubbornness in the people with whom we speak. We wish to analyze today six excuses which are commonly given, and how to react to them.

We should realize that we respond to all excuses from a positive standpoint. People are turned off immediately when they sense they are looked down upon, or silently mocked, or are told what to do. Instead we should offer the sympathetic ear, show how we have often felt the same way, and then reveal the love and forgiveness of Christ in the Gospel.

1.     THE CHURCH IS FULL OF HYPOCRITES. This is probably the most common excuse that is given for not going to church. Those who say this have probably had a bad experience in the past or in childhood, when they did go to church. They more than likely witnessed fellow members "act holier than thou" on Sunday morning, but then during the week saw them live their lives like the devil himself. Needless to say, such hypocrisy turned them off to organized religion.

How to respond: You might point out how Jesus, too, firmly condemned the hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees, but that He also reached how for weak sinners who recognized their plight. Show how Christ received and accepted the outcasts of society. Reveal what Paul says in Romans 5:8, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." You might also say something like, "You can't belong to our church if you aren't a sinner!"

2.     I CAN WORSHIP GOD IN OTHER PLACES BESIDES A CHURCH BUILDING. Many revise this excuse by saying, "I can worship God better out in the woods, or on the golf course, rather than in a church."

How to respond: It is true, we can worship God wherever we are and in whatever we do. Our worship is not bound to a church building, but is to be reflected in our daily lives. But that's only half the picture---the other half is God coming to us, strengthening our faith and comforting our hearts. God does this through His Word and through the Lord's Supper. All of this is done best in the worship service, for it is a rare time indeed when we actually sit down and meditate over what the Bible says. And if we stay away from God's Word, our faith will eventually die, just as a human body will die if it is not fed.

3.     SUNDAY IS THE ONLY DAY I HAVE TO SLEEP IN. Some put it this way: "Sunday is the only chance I have to spend with my family." Such an excuse reveals laziness and mixed-up priorities. When people feel this way they are in direct violation of the First Commandment, "You shall have no other gods." They worship, instead of God, their bed, their family, or their recreation.

How to respond: Point out to the person the agitations of the week---the problems of home and work, difficulties with people, feelings of guilt and insufficiency. Show how our souls need rest just like our bodies. It might also do well to quote Jesus' words from Matthew 11:28, "Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." What better way is there to spend time with the family than in church?

4.     I FEEL TOO MUCH LIKE A SINNER WHEN I GO TO CHURCH; AND 5. THE PREACHER MAKES ME FEEL GUILTY. Such an excuse is frequently based on fact. In many fundamentalist churches, especially in the Bible Belt, being a Christian simply means that you don't have evil thoughts, you don't swear, smoke or drink, and you tithe. In many pulpits all the preacher does is yell out fire and brimstone, telling his people that if they don't straighten up, they are headed straight for hell.

How to respond: We have here an excellent opportunity to share the Savior's love and forgiveness. You can use the Law and Gospel presentation you wrote out a few weeks ago. Point out that true Christianity consists in not what we do for God to earn our salvation, but what God did for us in Christ Jesus for our forgiveness. Show how Jesus takes us as we are---using the Biblical examples of David, Matthew, the prostitute, etc.

6.     EVERYONE IGNORES ME. This excuse is often put another way: "No one talks to me when I go to church." People who use such an excuse are often the ones who don't speak to others. You can't have friends without being a friend. Sometimes this excuse is indeed based on fact, but most of the time the person is looking for an excuse not to go to church.

How to respond: Point out to the person that you can't have friends without being a friend, nor can you expect others to talk to you when you don't talk to them. Also show that church is not a mere social function. It is a time when God speaks to us in His Word and we speak to Him in prayer and praise. And even if people do ignore us, Jesus listens and speaks to all!

Note: This study was prepared by Pastor Steven Kurtzahn and was used at Zion Ev. Lutheran Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia by Pastor Nathanael Mayhew.

If you would like more information about this study,
please contact Pastor Mayhew