YP Address—Jonathan Grinton
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Let's begin with hymn #62 in the back of the little flock.
That all right? Steve couldn't see through it.
#62 in the back.
I am not told to labor.
To lay my sins.
So foolish we can hide when I never could begin.
My pleasure to find my way.
Psoriasis.
Yes.
Says on his strong arm. I fall.
That's nice to hear. A hearty Amen when you pray.
Well.
I was wondering if you might tell me.
By raising your hands.
How many are having fun?
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I think everybody's hand is up.
Who enjoyed getting potatoed? Wow, a lot of hands. I'm not sure mine should be out the flatter.
Now, you don't have to raise your hand, but I want you to consider something for a moment.
If I asked you to raise your hand.
And tell me if you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
What would be in your heart?
Would you put your hand up because everybody else does?
I have to tell you, I put my hand up about the potato thing and I'm not sure I really meant it.
Would you put your hand up because everybody else does?
Or is it real?
I wouldn't be able to tell.
But God knows and He knows your heart, and I just want to tell you that.
Mr. James spoke yesterday, Mr. Rusink spoke earlier today and I know the brothers and sisters in the assembly here.
And myself.
My wife, we love you and we want to see each one of you in the glory someday.
I was thinking of just that simple verse in Acts 16, you know that Philippian jailer, he said what must I do to be saved? And the response was believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house. And you know he did it. He did it and he was saved.
He didn't go.
Paul and Silas and say, well, maybe next week.
Maybe tomorrow.
I just have to finish doing this little job first.
There's no reason or excuse. He did it and He did it right then. And so I know this isn't necessarily a gospel meeting, but it doesn't seem right to stand here before you and not tell you about the one, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you, who went to that cross.
They nailed them there with a crown of thorns and they hated them and they spit in his face.
He laid down his life for you and I, and that soldier pierced his side and shed his precious blood and water, and it's available to you right now, and it will wash every guilty stain, every sin you've ever had away, and you never have to worry about it again.
And so you know when you have the privilege to stand up here and talk to you all.
You kind of run maybe some scenarios through your brain and what you might start out to say.
Well, I can tell you the start is already way different than what I thought it was going to be.
So what do you suppose you could tell me about the game up in the field today?
That I didn't really participate in, but I kind of got a little bit caught up in it with the mashed potatoes and the whipped cream and all these things. I saw that the red tea particularly.
Seemed to have won.
They brought the flags to the picnic table and I would seem to think that they must have won the game. Is that right?
A lot of head nodding. So there was three other teams. Were you on the red team? Why didn't you win?
Any idea?
They're better. That's actually a fair answer. That's not what I expected.
Can anybody give me another reason of why your team didn't win Ben?
Less players. Is that a valid reason then, or is that an excuse?
It's legit. Well, Oh yes.
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That might be judging.
But we'll count it as an excuse.
And I want to talk to you tonight about excuses.
And I started out a little bit with the gospel message.
Because I wanted to be bold enough to look at you and ask you, if you haven't asked the Lord Jesus to wash your sins away, what is your excuse?
What is your excuse for not coming to that one that we have said loved you and gave himself for you?
And so many times in our life.
I have done it.
Far too many times where I made an excuse.
For not doing what the Lord would want me to do, or maybe my parents, or maybe my boss, whatever it might be.
So I want to know what your excuse is.
And I'm going to read you something that.
My brother John Kaiser wrote.
And then we're going to go from there. And you might even find a little bit of it to be a bit a bit hard, But I think it's truth. And I think that we need to recognize what an excuse is. So let me read this to you, please.
It says excuse.
It's the thin skin of a reason.
Stuffed with a lie.
An excuse is an attempt to avoid an issue and to escape responsibility.
A man who lives by excuses endorses conditional obedience and is an excuse for a man.
We may take sword, we may make excuses, or we may make progress.
But not both at the same time.
David faced Goliath before he killed him.
Beware excuses and excuses, the symptom of the secret presence of an idol.
God provides an escape, not an excuse.
Multiplied excuses amount to insult.
Excuses cheapen apologies and their users.
They are the maggots.
Which sucked the light from an apology.
They are the opposite of repentance.
Some of those things are maybe harsh when we hear them.
But it's truth.
It's truth.
And again, if you're sitting in your sins, what is your excuse?
I looked up a few different portions in God's Word.
And you can turn to loop 14.
And so you remember the supper that was being made here in Luke 14.
I was thinking of.
Verses 17 and 18 particularly remember he sent a man out in verse 16, Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden common, for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground.
And I must need to go and see it. I pray thee have me excused. And another said I have bought 5 yoga boxing and I go to prove them I pray thee have me excused.
And another said, I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come.
A lot of excuses.
And the reality of it is that they missed out on something extremely wonderful and special.
You go to the beginning of your Bible.
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Genesis.
Chapter 3.
Mr. James Folk the other night, and you mentioned that he was a liar, a thief and murderer, Satan.
Look at how he starts Genesis chapter 3 and verse one. Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field.
Which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yeah, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. And then he does what?
He gives an excuse.
He lies and he says.
For God doth know that in the day ye thereof.
Then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God's knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took it a fruit.
Then Adam few verses over when God comes looking.
Verses 10 and 13.
The end of nine he says we're out though. And he said I heard thy voice in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked.
And I hid myself, and he said, Who told me that thou was naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to me with me, to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Another excuse.
Lacks responsibility, doesn't it?
Well, look at a few more, maybe I'll just tell you that these ones, Abraham and Isaac, both in Genesis 20 and 26, they went to Gerrard, they went down and they made excuse about their wives.
And they said she is my sister. Why? Because they thought that they would die or that their wife would be taken from them. And so they made excuse.
And then we see.
Even with Jonah, you remember that he fled from doing the will of God, didn't he?
And he made excuses and in chapter 4.
He felt so sorry for himself.
Well, it's easy to feel sorry for ourselves, isn't it?
But that's not what God wants. He wants us to be happy. You remember when, Joseph?
Went out to do his father's bidding. We have to check on his brothers.
And they took him.
Threw him in that pit and then they sold.
Well, they made excuse. They took his clothes and they dipped it in blood and they took it and said he was dead and his father believed them. They made an excuse for their poor behavior, didn't they?
You remember Peter?
The Lord told me he said you'll deny me three times looking Luke 22.
Verse 54.
Luke 22 and 54 then took they him and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house, and Peter followed afar off, and when they had kindled the fire in the midst of the hall.
And were set down together. Peter sat down among them, but a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not excuse.
No, after, after a little while another saw him and said, There are also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying of a truth, this fellow also was with him, for he is a Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest.
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Excuse after excuse.
Naman, he thought he was too good for those dirty waters.
So he made an excuse that he should be dipped in a much nicer, cleaner river somewhere, didn't he?
Think of those two on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24.
They've reasoned among themselves why they were going away.
Jesus came along and walked with them, didn't He?
And he reminded them, and he opened their eyes, and they saw him.
Look in John chapter 20.
I.
Verse 24 with Thomas. But Thomas, one of the 12 called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
That was his excuse.
What is your excuse tonight to not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
The reality of it is you're the one that's responsible.
The reality of it is.
If you don't accept it, you're on your way to hell and there's no return from there.
And so I beg you tonight to come to him, if you haven't already.
And so then earlier, you know, today we talked about.
Purpose.
Well, as believers, what is our purpose?
I looked it up when Mr. Rusink was speaking and it said intention or objective.
You know, in Ezra chapter 8 I believe it is.
Umm.
Sword 7 Ezra seven. I thought of this verse earlier.
In verse 10.
It said For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it.
And to do it, I remember I looked that word prepared up one time in connection with Daniel and how he purposed in his heart.
And it's.
The same word or the same meaning. And so he prepared his heart to seek the law.
Well, we don't seek the law today, but everyone of us has one of these.
Everyone of us has one of these.
Do you read it?
We had that before us a little bit today. We had it a lot before us on the weekend. Part of the Armor of God. Do you read it?
When I get asked to do this meeting, it was suggested that I'd be encouraging.
That it'd be encouraging, so I want to encourage you.
To not make excuses.
In your lives as believers.
And take out your Bible and read it.
Every ounce of guidance you need for your life is right here.
There is not one thing.
In this life, in this world that you will need, that God will not provide for you.
If you read it.
And learning, He'll teach it to you. I'm going to show you a verse that I really like, somebody said about Nuggets.
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And if you don't think I have the verse right, you can tell me later. But I love this verse. Go to.
First Chronicles, 28.
Do you remember that David wanted to build the temple?
But it wasn't his job to do. It was going to be Solomon's job.
But God showed David all the things that were going to be made from the temple, and He laid it all out for him, the whole pattern of it. But I want you to look at this verse when we read it and think about it as you reading your Bible. OK, First Chronicles chapter 28 and verse 19. Now this is after God revealed all these things.
To David, he says.
David says all this, said David. The Lord made me understand in writing.
So in this book for you and I.
By his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern. And so I look at that verse and I love it. And I put my name in there instead of David.
I say all this that I need in this lifetime while I'm here.
The Lord made me to understand. How could I understand unless I have the Holy Ghost?
How could I understand unless I asked the Lord to help me understand? I remember a brother saying one time when you're going to go and sit down and read your Bible.
Pray, ask God to help you understand it. Just take a minute and it puts you in the right frame of mind. It gets you prepared like Azure while you're seeking those things out so that you might understand them. And so made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the works of this pack, everything I need as a believer in this lifetime.
Everything.
And you know, he encouraged his son in that. We'll read the next verse as well because it says David said to Solomon, his son, be strong and of good courage and do it. And I want to encourage you tonight to do it. Stop making excuses in your life. If that is what you're doing. It's a waste. It's empty. Look in the mirror. Ask yourself.
Am I making excuses or am I doing it?
David told Solomon to do it.
He said, fear not nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, will be with me. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the House of the Lord.
Well.
I am most certain.
That God has something for every one of us to do in our life as a believer.
And you might be a little bit afraid.
Would it be OK to tell you I was a little bit afraid to stand up here tonight in front of you all?
Maybe you can see through there and see my knees knocking. I'm not sure. Should have hung a sheep.
Well.
I'll tell you this little story that happened this weekend that comes to mind right now.
I was here for the first prayer meeting on Friday.
And Mr. Tony read the verses in Ephesians 6 before he prayed. And I thought in my own heart, I said, I wonder if those would be the verses that we would take up in the reading meeting.
And then the next meeting was the reading meeting.
And I get up and I prayed before it, and I asked that we would have.
You know we that might say something or suggest a portion would have the courage.
To suggest the portion that the Lord would have us to take up.
And now you might lead us to it.
And that it would go out to each one for a blessing.
For profit. Well, I sat back down after I prayed and then I sat there and I sat there and I sat there and I really felt that Ephesians 6 was the right portion, that I didn't say it. And then thankfully by the Spirit of God, Mr. Tony said, I'll vote. We take up those verses in Ephesians 6.
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I was so thankful, but I I didn't have the courage.
And I was afraid.
Maybe it wasn't my place to say it, I don't know, because the Lord brought it out anyway. He gave me the courage to stand here now so He can do it. You remember that verse in Philippians 4, right? Thirteen I think it is. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. Don't ever forget that. Don't ever forget that He says here be strong and of good courage. Fear not nor Venus made for the Lord God. Even my God will be with me. He will not fail thee.
Or for safety, until thou has finished all the work for the service of the House of the Lord, He has something for you to do, and that is service. But I want to go on another note from service to worship for a minute.
I believe the order is worship before service.
And it was mentioned at the end of the Breaking of Bread on Lords Day about why you do not remember the Lord.
Maybe you have a reason that is a good reason. I don't know that. But if you don't, again, I'm going to ask you reality. What is your excuse?
What is your excuse?
If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and you love him and you are so thankful to Him.
For washing your sins away in his precious blood.
What is your excuse?
He simply said, Remember Me.
I was talking to a young brother not that long ago and I thought I came up with a fairly decent analogy. And I said to him, you know, you enjoy your birthday, don't you?
Yes.
Do you like to get gifts and have people celebrate it with you? Yes.
You enjoy the birthday cake, yes?
So what happens if next year your birthday comes up?
Nobody shows up and you don't get any cards. There's no cake, there's no gifts. Nobody calls and says happy birthday.
How would you feel?
No, I wouldn't feel very good.
So what is your excuse? You might say to your friends, Hey, where were you? How come you didn't call me?
Where were you? You'd feel bad.
I think the Lord feels bad when we all sit there.
Watch the emblems and the wine, the bread and the wine go by.
That's your opportunity.
To thank him.
And to praise Him, to give to him.
For what he has done for you.
I am certain that at times in my life I sat there and thought I was getting something. It was a good idea for me to be there because I was getting something.
While I didn't really have a very clear good understanding because that's the opportunity to give to him and he loves it. I'll tell you something though, and I'll guarantee you there's 100% if you prepare your heart, if you judge yourself in your life.
And you show up on Wednesday morning to remember him in his death.
You will come out of that room blessed, and even though you were there to give to Him, He loved you so much He gave it back.
Guarantee you will not regret it if your heart is right with him, if you are in tune with him.
You'll never you'll never regret it, and he'll keep you. So I want to read you this calendar page.
This is just out of the calendar page. OK, so I've kept this for quite a while, maybe just for today.
Bear with me and let me read it to you. It says eat and drink. Maybe you read it, maybe you remember, but listen close.
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Because it's better than my analogy about the birthday. It says for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lorde death till he come. First Corinthians 11 and 26.
Do you know what it is to eat and drink of the Lord's Supper?
I have often wished that the words eat and drink were printed in capital letters in our Bibles. Many will say I can remember the Lord of my heart, and while that is true, we need to realize that there is something physical that He has asked us to do to give expression to what is in our hearts.
Now listen.
What would I think if you were invited to my home for a meal, sat down at my table, but refused to eat of the supper I provided?
I would be very disappointed. Yet often there are those who are truly saved, who come to the breaking of bread meeting and yet never eat and drink of the Lord's Supper. What a disappointment.
What a disappointment.
This must be to the one who died for us, and who has invited us and requested take eat after the same manner. Also he took the cup. This do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me. First Corinthians 1124 and 25.
Then there's a question, Will you eat and drink of that supper today?
If you say no, then I ask you again, what's your excuse? What could possibly stop you? It's between you and him. It's a personal thing.
I've heard every excuse in the book. Well, so and so is there. It's not anything to do with that is between you and the Lord. So what is your excuse?
I believe these things are solemn, and I think that each one of us really need to consider it very deeply, reflect on it, recognize the reality of it and the responsibility that each one of us has in these things.
As we're prepared his heart.
Prepare your hearts, dear ones. How do you do that?
Well.
You know, we had a lot before us about reading our Bibles on the weekend.
I am particularly.
Think of.
A verse, but I just want to tell you that.
Talking to the Lord.
Praying is key.
In your Christian life, it's key.
Turn to Jude.
So you saw the Ezra prepared his heart. You remember that Daniel purposed in his heart. You saw David who learned all the things, the pattern that were written, God's Word with his hand upon him, the Spirit, the Holy Ghost upon you, His hand upon you, reading his Word.
Then David told Solomon to do it.
And I'm telling you to do it, do these things.
How does that burst go?
If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them.
I don't remember where it's found.
Here are four things in Jude that you can do.
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Verse 20.
Beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith.
Praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God.
And looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ on eternal life.
Well, I've had this broken down for me many times and.
Probably not the right guy to break them down for you, but you know, building up yourself. I would say reading your bibles.
Praying and get before the Lord, Ask Him for help in your life.
Make sure you know him. Make sure you hear his voice.
Keep yourselves in the love of God.
Walking in close communion with him. Happy fellowship. Obedience through faith.
And then looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ on the eternal life.
I remember this being so important to me when the Lord turned me around.
You probably thought I always went on so faithfully and did everything right, huh?
Not so.
So Lord grabbed on to me one day, kind of like David did with the Lions chin, and he said, dude, you got to go this way because I wasn't really paying attention.
And I remember thinking that.
I didn't spend anytime.
Thinking about the Lord's coming.
I love the Lord. I still wanted to remember Him, I still wanted to please him, but I wasn't really giving him much time in my life. I was making excuses.
I had plenty of them.
And then it occurred to me that the reason I wasn't looking for his coming.
It's because I was looking for everything else to come that I wanted, which meant all the things in this world that I lusted after and desired.
And it reminded me Bernie of the Gospel tent Mr. Blenner has it. And I told this story before.
But in Warrenville it was a little fishing village and you know, you come in through and there's a hill on one side and you go way down in to the where the water is and then you go up a hill on the other side. My grandfather lived on one hill and he could sit on his lawn and he could look across and see the other hills quite a piece of way. But I used to sit there and I would wait for the gospel tent bus to come because it had all the stuff on it and we knew we.
Going to set the tent up that night and.
Of course I knew they were coming that day. We don't know when the Lord is going to come, but still. I'd go and I'd maybe even mow the lawn, but I was always watching and wait to see that orange school bus come over with all the verses written on it.
And that, dear ones, should be the purpose.
Of your heart It should be the desire of your heart to hear that shout, to look and see him coming in the clouds.
To take us to be with him.
You know that little song, don't you?
And hope I get it right. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
If you really desire him, if it really is the purpose of your heart, If you love him.
The way he loves you.
You will watch for him.
You will pay attention and you'll very soon find.
That the excuses you once had, that the desires that you once had for the things of this world.
They'll disappear.
Would disappear and you'll recognize.
That you're no longer serving 2 masters as we had, but you're serving one.
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Jerusalem read a verse today. I can't remember where it was but it mentioned about prospering.
You know, the Lord wants us to be prosperous while we're here in this life, while we're watching for His return.
So turn with me to some verses I really enjoy in Joshua chapter one.
Says some similar things here as to what David said to Solomon.
Partway through verse five of Joshua one it says, I will be with thee.
I will not fail thee, nor for safety.
Be strong and of good courage. Verse 7.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law. You remember that Ezra prepared his heart to seek after the law, and I said for us today, it's God's word. Well, same thing here.
May us observe to do according to all the law.
Which Moses my servant commanded thee. And then he says, this is important. Turn not from it to the right hand, or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Did you know what is right?
If you know what is right to do.
And you don't do it.
James, it says it's a sin.
Says turn not from it and you'll be prosperous.
Prosperous in your Christian life as a believer to walk in the way that he wants you to walk.
To do the things that He wants you to do, you can praise and worship Him, and then you can serve Him.
Says that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart unto thy mouth. Look at this. But thou shalt meditate therein day and night. Do you do that?
I have to admit, on this trip it's been rather difficult.
Rather difficult to pick up my Bible and just sit back and read it. We've logged a lot of miles, we've visited a lot of places.
There's been a lot of meetings.
So the Lord feeds us in other ways sometimes, but when you're at home, when you're at school.
Even when you're at work.
You can meditate on these things when I'm doing you guys are all in miles here when I'm doing 5000 miles that we've done so far. You can meditate on a lot of things from God's Word, can't you?
Have to be honest that when I was coming here for this meeting, I had so many things in my head that I could not for a moment think of what the Lord might have me to speak about. Until yesterday.
And really is probably only coming in together here right now, but it says, Meditate there in day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage, Be not afraid, neither be that is made, for the Lord. Thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
And you might think.
That this is only for the big things in your life.
You might think that it's only for the huge decisions you have to make.
But it's not.
Is for everything.
Everything I want to tell you this story.
Where is she?
Where is LD.
Oh, there she is. She's in the back row and she hurt her shoulder today. I told her I was going to tell this. She said it was OK.
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She hurt her shoulder today.
I came in and I found her out here getting some care from some of the ladies.
In the end, she was thirsty, so I said, well, I have a Gatorade up in my trailer, which is quite a ways up the hill. And you know, I ran very, very hard to get away from Megan. So I was pretty tired and hot. However, I said I'll go up and I'll get that Gatorade for you. Ellie and I went all the way up there, like all the way.
And I got the Gatorade out of the trailer and a bottle of water because I thought she might want that too.
And I closed the trailer up and I walked probably 10 to 15 feet away from the trailer heading back.
And I thought maybe I should get my phone. It's been charging. I could charge it up longer when I come back tonight.
No, I don't need it. I took maybe one or two steps. Yeah, I better go get it. I turned around and went back to the trailer. I opened the door. I was on the top step going in. I could see my phone on the other side of the trailer and it lit up.
I walked over.
My wife sent me a message from down here. Could you please bring some ibuprofen with you on your way back?
It's just a little thing, isn't it? It's just a little thing.
But you see how God did that? I 100% believe that God controlled that situation and had me go back to get my phone to see it light up.
And I don't want to make fun of this in any way whatsoever because I would have had to come back and then she would have told me to go get the ibuprofen and I would have had to walk all the way back up there. So as fun as that might be to think about, you know, the Lord knew, I believe that LED did that ibuprofen. I'm sure we could have got some down here. But He controls that. He controls all those things.
He loves us. He doesn't want us to waste our time. He doesn't waste our time.
And he's with us whithersoever we go.
In every situation.
And we shouldn't just dwell on.
What school to go to, what job to take. You know, there are many things in our lives that are difficult. Sorrow, illness, lots of things. But there are small little things.
That means so much in the grand scheme of things.
And we can trust them for them, and we can just go to them and ask them.
Well.
I hope and pray.
That these words were clear.
And that you'll in a sense of.
Responsibility and reality.
That you'll look at yourself in the mirror.
That you'll really take a close check.
Ask yourself if you're done with the excuses.
Set that stuff by asking for help.
And go on to worship and serve Him, that One who loved you and gave himself for you.
Could I read you one more verse?
The end of June.
You don't have to turn to it, I can just read it to you if you like.
Verse 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling.
And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.