Why is it that we put everything off until tomorrow? When I was growing up, do you know when my parents favorite day was to start a diet? Tomorrow! (sometimes they said Monday, but when Monday came, they said, “Well today wasn’t good. Let’s really start Tomorrow.”) When do we start that new exercise program? Tomorrow. When do we start our spring cleaning? Tomorrow. When do we start working in the garden? Tomorrow?
Now if someone came in here right now and offered you an all expenses paid vacation to anywhere in the world, 7 days, no strings attached, but you have to leave as soon as this service is over, how many of you would go? This trip is great. Forget your old clothes at home. You’ll get new ones on the trip. And there is no strings attached. But you have to leave in just a few minutes, would you still go?
Now why do we go on the trip, but put off our needed diet, exercise program, cleaning, etc.? To be honest, one is tough work while the other is exciting. We would be driven and excited to go on the trip. That sounds like fun. Anywhere in the world trip. Hey let’s go. Unfortunately the trip is fictional, but the work isn’t.
In Exodus 8 we see someone who puts something off until tomorrow that should be taken care of today. His name is Pharaoh. God has chosen a man named Moses to go before the most powerful ruler of his day and tell him, “God says, Let my people go!” If you remember, Moses reminded God of his weakness of his speech (as if God had forgotten) and God told Moses to trust him to do the impossible. Moses just needed to obey.
Well Moses stands before Pharaoh (who thought he was a god) and said, “The one true God says Let my people GO!” Pharaoh laughed and refused so God turned the Nile into blood. Then Moses comes back for round 2 of an eventual 10 round KO. We find in Exodus 8:1-13 the account of this story.
God sends a swarm of frogs over all the land. Frogs in the pots, beds, showers, underfoot, everywhere. Talk about a frog leg lovers delight! But everyone else is going nuts. Finally v. 8 tells us that Pharaoh has had enough and he calls for Moses to call off the hoard. I love v. 9. Moses essentially asks Pharaoh, “So when do you want these pesky frogs gone? I mean if these critters are bothering you so bad, when do you want them out of here? God can do it now, or later.”
Do you notice what Pharaoh’s answer is in v. 10? Tomorrow! What in the world is he thinking? Personally I don’t want frogs in my bed. You think that’s your spouse in bed, and all of a sudden 50 frogs are jumping around under your covers! Yikes. Pharaoh, when you want these nasty creatures out of your life? Today right? Nah. Tomorrow! I don’t get it.
Pharaoh had somehow become comfortable and had learned to relax in the midst of filth. What used to bother him, now is only a mild hindrance, and eventually will become everyday life.
But we do the same thing don’t we! We put up with things that used to bother us. And today I want to talk with you about 2 areas that we put off until “Tomorrow” when it should be taken care of Today.
1. When do you want to get rid of the sin in your heart? Pharaoh knew there was a problem in the kingdom. FROGS EVERYWHERE! But somehow he had become comfortable with them to the point that he was willing to stay one more day with his old friends.
Have you ever gotten under conviction for your sin, maybe because of a sermon, a song, a bible reading, etc, and you know you should repent and give that sin up but you say, “Tomorrow I’ll do something about it?” You know sin can become like a trusty old pet. It’s always there when you need a pick me up. It never judges you. Maybe it’s an addiction like gambling, smoking, overeating, gossiping, etc. We know it’s wrong. We know we need to do something about it, BUT we can start worrying about that “Tomorrow” right?
Most people think that the Christian life is complete when they Love God. Isn’t that the great commandment? But Jesus said Love God with everything. That means the equation is Love God = Hate Sin. You see, you cannot really love God and love sin. We try to do it all the time, but it just doesn’t work.
When Jesus was in the garden praying the night he was arrested, he asked if there was any other way for sin to be atoned for let it come about. But there was no other way. If you think sin is not that serious, look at the cross of Christ! You cannot Love God and love sin. You can hate God and hate sin. But God is calling Christians to be real followers stop saying tomorrow about their sin.
Hate your sin. Don’t compare yourself to someone else either. You may look great compared to me, or vice versa. We must compare ourselves to the perfect Lamb of God. I don’t measure up to Him. I may look good next to someone else.
Too many Christians are willing to turn from their sins, “Tomorrow” like Pharaoh. Why live with that slimy junk another day.
2. When will we do the things we ought to be doing? Some of you know that last July 1st I went to a urologist with some pain in my groin. He found a tumor that had to come out. What scared me was when he told his nurse that he was doing surgery on me the next day and that I was to be his first patient of the day. I bumped everyone else back. Later we found more cancer in lymph nodes near my left kidney.
I took treatments for 12 weeks, many weeks it was 5 days a week for 6-7 hours a day. It was never thought to be terminal, but it still got my attention. There were a lot of things that I knew I needed to be doing as a pastor, a husband, and as a man. But my answer was always, “Tomorrow, God. I’m busy doing church work. I’ll be a better husband tomorrow. I’ll pray with my wife tomorrow. I’ll be a better spiritual leader tomorrow. I’ll witness more tomorrow.” But finally God got hold of my attention.
I realized, I didn’t know how long I might have to live. Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, or more but I wanted to give Him every minutes from then on. It took until the end of my treatments but my wife and I started praying and reading our bibles together almost every day. Do you know what that has done in our marriage? I always knew I should do it but I finally got around to doing it. I stopped saying, “Tomorrow” and started doing Today, Lord.
I don’t ever want to go back to telling God, “Tomorrow.” In fact, the reason we are hear planting this church in Hot Springs is because I finally said yes to what God told me to do back in college.
Over in Luke 12:16, Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy man with a great harvest. The man is so proud that he decides to tear down his old barns and build bigger ones so he can live and party the rest of his life. He thinks his retirement is set. Why mess with a good thing. He’s got in made. But God says, “You fool.(by the way. It’s never good when God calls you a fool) tonight your life will be taken. Then who will enjoy your spoils.” Now God didn’t take him because he was being selfish.
But the point is, life is short. We have no idea how many “Tomorrows” we may have. I don’t want to finally get my life right with God on my death bed. I want to give him my everything Today. How bout you? Why not Today? Why put off until tomorrow, what you can do Today?
