PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE: OUR EXCUSE ME ALIBIS
It has been called the greatest novel of all time. What novel? WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy. It is a novel renowned for its realistic portrayal of the experiences of the Russian people as they faced their fears of being conquered by Napoleon and the army of France. It is known as Tolstoy’s tome. It is a novel of 1,225 pages. Hardly the kind of book you begin and cannot put down. Definitely not the kind of book you read in one night. Most who start reading it never finish it. There are websites giving you pointers on how to accomplish the herculean task. Few can honestly say they have read the greatest novel of all time. I won’t ask for a show of hands this morning. But hidden in those 1,225 pages are some realistic words that not only describe the Rusdian people but describe every human heart. Yours and mine included. The main character-Pierre is forced to face himself and honestly assess his life. He says for all of us-“Yes Lord I have sinned…But I have several excellent excuses!” Sounds like all of us. We have several excellent excuses for every sin and failure.
That is not a new practice. It has been true in human history…and infinitum and nauseum… Latin phrase for “again and again and it’s getting tiresome…at least to the Lord. As a Pastor, I have heard it all. One man told me he couldn’t come to Church because of his fear of crowds. Yet I continually bumped into him at football games, theaters, and public events. Another lady took the prize. Her excuse was…”I don’t go to Church and this is my reason: If I go some of the time, I will want to go all of the time. And since I can’t go all the time, I feel guilty. So, I just don’t go any of the time!” WOW! GO FIGURE! LOL.
Jack Klugman was one of my favorite actors. I loved him in the Odd Couple. But his best acting was on Quincy. He played a medical examiner. In one episode he confronts a Dr. Who has committed an awful deed and tried to cover it up. The Dr. Is embarrassed and rises from his desk saying “I am a busy man…please excuse me!” Quincy responds, “I don’t have the power to excuse you Dr. The question is can you excuse yourself?” That is the question for l of us. AMEN?
SERMON: NO WATERTIGHT ALIBI
2 Samuel 24:1-17
I. KING DAVID’S GREATER SIN
II. KING DAVID’S GRAPHIC SUFFERING
III. KING DAVID’S GENUINE SACRIFICE