A Farm, An Ox, And A Hen-Pecked Husband

LUKE 14:18 “A FARM, AN OX, AND A HENPECKED HUSBAND”

A) Wherever the Gospel is preached … Wherever men are confronted with Christ .......

* Wherever the invitation to salvation is extended, there is one common response .......

* THEY ALL MAKE EXCUSES.

B) This is as old as the human race ... It started with Adam.

* When God found Adam hiding in the trees in the Garden, He confronted him with his sin.

* Adam said, “Now, Lord, don’t blame me, it ain’t my fault.” – Said, “It’s the woman that Thou

gavest me … She did it.” (He actually blamed God and the woman)

C) God turned to Eve and she said, “Well, Lord, don’t look at me, I didn’t do it – “It was the

serpent, he did it.”

* From that day until now, the sons of Adam excuse themselves.

* Men dodge and sidestep, and pass the buck.

* They alibi and explain in a desperate effort to justify themselves.

D) Of course, there is no reason for one to reject Jesus – Despise God’s grace, refuse His

mercy and die in his sins.

* At least, I’ve never heard a reason ... I’ve heard many excuses ... But there is a difference

between an excuse and a reason.

* An excuse is really a skin of a reason stuffed with a lie ... That is, it looks like a reason on the

outside until you examine it ... Then you find it to be just a common, ordinary lie.

E) Excuses are made by those who are not willing to be honest and come clean with God.

* There is just such an occasion in the Bible ... Luke 14:16-24 .......

THE FIRST MAN WAS A FARMER – v.16-18 .......

A) This man wasn’t going to see a farm, he was lying.

* In the 1st place, you don’t buy a farm without seeing it ... And the 2nd place, he didn’t bother

looking at it before, so why the rush now? ... And 3rd, it was supper time.

* He didn’t want to go to the supper, so he excused himself.

B) The 2nd fellow was no different – v.19 .......

* In the 1st place, it’s too late to prove them after they’re bought and 2nd, it was dark.

* He wasn’t proving oxen, he didn’t want to attend the feast.

C) The 3rd is like the others – v.20 .......

* In the 1st place, she was a new bride, and he could have showed her off to everyone at the supper,

and she would have been more than glad to go with her new husband.

* In the 2nd place, if he had been the kind of man he should’ve been, he would have said, “Go get

ready honey, we’re going to a supper.”

* And in the 3rd place, he could’ve gone alone.

D) Stop blaming others for your failures in serving God – Accept responsibility yourself.

* You can go to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb if nobody else goes.

* If your mother, father, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, all refuse to come to Christ, come

yourself ... Heaven can be yours in spite of everybody.

* All these could have gone to the supper, but they had no desire to attend.

E) “Well, Preacher, I don’t give such foolish excuses ... “I don’t blame business, nor people,

nor things.”

* Oh yeah? ... I wonder if you have any better excuse than these?

* I’d like to sit down and discuss this matter with you personally.

F) If you have one legitimate reason for treating Jesus the way you do, I’ll close my Bible for

the last time, quit the ministry, and stop preaching.

* I’m still listening for the first reason … I’ve heard many excuses.

(1) CAN’T UNDERSTAND

A) “Preacher, I’d get saved if I knew how, but it’s too complicated, I can’t understand.”

* Man said that to me one time, and he had a sincere look, and I thought he meant what he said

until I started explaining it ... Then I learned he didn’t want to understand it.

B) Now, I’ll admit there are some things in the Bible that’s difficult to understand.

* If I understood everything in the Bible, that would mean that I’m as smart as God or He is as

dumb as I am, and neither one is the case.

* Besides, no man can expect to understand the Word of God without the enlightenment of the

Holy Ghost – 1 Cor. 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit .......”

C) However, the plan of salvation is plain and simple, that a child can understand.

* Let me give you this plan ... Rom. 3:23 “For all …” – Rom. 3:10 “As it is written ...”