Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-26
Trivial Excuses
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD ". TOMEISS.
Trxf. E,n,lts Ia
Text: E,o,lus ~. LII

Sermon BY
| REV. FLOYD ". TOMKINS.
|
| Text: Eaodus iy. LIZ.
Excuses are common and they arc
hard To meet. and still more difficult
u resist when the temptation comes
10 cnc's self to frame them. They can
always be found in abundance when
We are asked TO do anything wc dis
IKE, END they come So plcasinsly dis
gr's"d that We think they axe worthy.
The habit grows. aad when we beg in
I. make excuses We soon make nothing
else. But becomes a common word
ana is SO powerful that 1T dcccivcs
every one. but God KS never deceived.
IL secs b"hird the word and knows tho
unwilling Spirit. Moses made excuses
when God called him {" service. The
men who came to our Lord made cX-
cuses when liz babe them follow Him
est Luke is. 5c-G2). The rich. young
man made an cNcUs. when Christ asked
HIN TO leave his riches. And thou
sands to-day a thcy hear the precious
invitation 20 join Christs army, make
excuses OF which they are secretly
ashamed. to cover up the real reason
hidden in tAcir breasts.
OF course there are times when cX
ask me TO 20 with him. and cannot.
because ! have - prior engagement; or
some honest reason which | am not
ashamed to give to God iuay account
for my failure TO fuINll some engage
nent But the very rarity aud sincerity
unwilling 70 give unworthy excuses ana
guard US from all Gccc!tfulncss. ono
trouble We have 10 meet IN these
modern days Is the socla! custom which
makes excuses moan nothing. not al
home means Il VIII see no one to-
DAY. Engagcd' means unwilling
10 sec tho one who calls We need
a bit OF honest house cleaning IN our
social structure. ana sc need. too. an
honesty IN our dealings with each other
which VIII establish rather than de-
stroy confidence.
DANGEROUS EXCUSES
WHEN CAL:.ED TO SERVICE
We hnd tho mos; dangerous excuses
tempting us when God calls US to ser
vice. II would toe interesting. though
sad. 10 50 around Monday morning
and ask people why they were not at
church on sunday. What Il variety OF
excuses would oc given, and how
iimsy most Of them would appear,
An au,omobil" ride; Il game OF golf:
a friend uncNpcctctly arriving. a head
ach, tcauscd by sitting up toe late tho
night before. We would hardly Ike
10 make such excuses before the whole
world and the Gugcis and God would
We! Then Why allow SUCH trivial
things TO kcep US from meeting tho
kins and receiving Iits blessing on the
Lords Day j aha no, want 20 come
would &c AZ least an honest answer to
COD. even though faulty. And ,heu
III" poor excuses made when we are
asked 10 join the church and follow
chr!st--how cheap ;ney seem in the
-
Etcruni Father! Il ain not good
enough. Il um too busy to give the
matter attcutiog Jus; NOW" II wl!
put II on Until! next year Il do not
h"o" enough Il am waiting until
my husband VIII come with me %
Honesty would bnusa all such words
ana substitute for them. II do no; care
tor cod Those OF MS Who know The
delight and h"!p which Christianity
brings often Wonder wig ali people
Do not accept Chrst. The reason is
ihat they do not know much about
time they heard OF HIM
FEEBLE ASSENT i:,EN
WHEN EXCUSE FOLLOWS
IN singular fact abou, these ex-
cGscs is that There is "a feeble aSscn.
given even when the cxcus. follows
1T is, 'Ycs-bVi," Il, has been said
with some truth that the mind and the
heart are stronger than ;ne Viii and
the DISCRIMINATION Few men mr.. hold
enough today 10 deny tho existence az
God or 70 declare that Christianity is
false. Nay, few are SO crazy as TO
belize" that they do no; need God and
that there Is no future for which only
religion can prepare them. In their
heats they have a kind of envy OF
those who ana strength through prayer
and worship, and fr,bly wish such
h!esscdrcSs might ho theirs The
trouble IS thcy WILL no; take The
blessing. They are 4 .Cus!nC themselves
secretly, and then trying TO bolster up
their excuses by. assertions they know
TO he false y revelation OF the hidden
thoughts. and thoughts often unknown
by them Ives, OF irTciigious folk would
he interesting and startling. We must
be Kind in our Judgments. for they
have rasnared themselves luconscious
~ and cannot easily escape because
Their wills are weak. Chris; declared
their condition when He cried: Ye
viii! not come unto Me" (St. John
v" io). All conversion. all righteous
living, al! true religion is Icrr.l,
matter OF will. If we are wi!liu. 70
come 10 Ihrist ana trust Him and op.v
HIN, lie VIII do all That He has
promised.
Eut We must not ;hink that We ar.
faul;less in the matter Of excuses no.
cause we are protesting Christians
How often, alas: do We bring in mat
fatal word but when God calls MS IN
ssrvicc! Here is some work TO be done
y sunday school class needs Il teacher
and the superintendent asks yo, 10
teach Il. Do you recognize the answer
Il would like to. but. The Chris
tian Endeavor leader asks you TO speoI,
or read, ana YOU excuse yourself-whyr
NOT HALF OF CHURCH
MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE,
Your minister asks YOU 10 do some
church work, and YOU hesitate. WHY
is it that no; half of the church mem
bers are active workers in the vine
yard? They come with fair regularity
TO church. They give their money to
missions. Thcy live respectable Iives
Bat the cause Of Christianity secures
no help from them. They arc unpront
able servants. They receive, but they
never give. And their excuses are
easily and readily given. 1t is these
GOO" people who arc holding the world
-. They are not doing their bit"
as The telling expression OF to-day has
IL. and the workers are so crowded with