I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 3rd of August, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We go straight to the Gospel of Luke 14:18 and 24:

”But they all with one accord began to make excuses.”

Then we go right down to verse 24. Jesus says:

“For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.”

This is a story that Jesus told about a man who prepared a wonderful banquet, invited his guests, then they all made excuses, they couldn’t come. I believe the Lord is challenging us this morning and saying, ”Stop making excuses, no more excuses!” You see the servant went and invited all the people and the first one said, ”Look, I can’t make it. I’ve just bought a new piece of ground and I must go and see it.” The next one said, ”Please excuse me because I’ve just bought five yokes of oxen and I have to test them. Can you please excuse me?” Another one said, ”I’ve just got married so I can’t come.”

What is your excuse today? What is my excuse today? We cannot come. “Lord we want to serve you but we’ve got too much on our plate.” We want to have a bit of fun first, we want to sow some wild oats and then we will make our decision and come to the banquet. The Lord says that it might be too late.

I want to tell you a story that happened to Jill and I. Many years ago, we went to Israel. Now on our return home after our break there, I got the times mixed up. You see the plane was leaving at midnight. Now I didn’t know whether it was the early hours of the morning or the late hours of the previous evening. Anyway, I got there, I was devastated. The lady said to us, ”Your plane has already left. It’s on it’s way to South Africa.” They had to put us in a hotel in Tel Aviv and we had to stay there for a number of days until we could get another booking.

I want to tell you today, don’t make anymore excuses. There is nothing more important than accepting the invitation to the banquet by the Lord. Maybe you’ve never done it, maybe you’ve always said, ”Ah, that’s for other people, that’s not for me.” I want to tell you as I’m getting older the time is running out. I don’t know how many of my colleagues of my age group have gone home to be with the Lord or have gone somewhere else, but I want to tell you today, accept gladly the invitation because remember what the host said to his servant? ”Go out to the highways and the byways and invite all those who are blind and lame, and those who are sick, and those who are sleeping in the streets. Bring them to the banquet.” Do not be left behind! As an indication that you’ve accepted the invitation. Would you like to pray this prayer with me?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Please forgive me for making excuses. I do realise there is nothing more important than accepting this invitation which You have freely given to us.

We don’t deserve it but because you love us, You have invited us to Your table.

Today, I accept Your invitation.
In Jesus name, amen.

God bless you and goodbye.