Tomorrow (James4:13-17)
Intro
It is reported that Colonel Rahl, commander of the British troops in Trenton, New Jersey, was playing cards when a courier brought an urgent message stating that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rahl put the letter in his pocket and didn't bother to read it until his card game was finished. Then, realizing the seriousness of the situation, he hurriedly tried to rally his men to meet the coming attack, but it was too late. His procrastination caused many of his men to be killed, and the rest of the regimen to be captured. "Only a few minutes delay cost him his life, his honor, and the liberty of his soldiers. Earth's history is filled with the wrecks of half-finished plans and unexecuted resolutions. ‘Tomorrow’ is the excuse of the lazy, and the refuge of the incompetent!"
Procrastination is my sin,
It brings me nothing but sorrow,
I know that I should stop it,
In fact, I will…..TOMORROW!
TEXT: James 4:13-17
13 Some of you say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money.” 14 But you do not know what will happen tomorrow! Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away. 15 So you should say, “If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.” 16 But now you are proud and you brag. All of this bragging is wrong. 17 Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning.
1. We are famous for our tomorrows
1) Talk to a Christian about a full surrender to God
a. Agrees he should break with the world
b. Admits that he should be faithful
(1) Pray more
(2) Read the bible more
(3) Give more tithe-time
(4) Work in the mission fields (win Souls)
I’ll do it tomorrow
2) Ask the backslider
a. He says
(1) I need to come back to God
(2) I’m miserable, sick, and troubled
I’ll do it tomorrow
3) Ask the lost
a. I’m going to get saved
b I don’t want to go to hell
c I’m not ready just yet
I’ll do it tomorrow
4) Jesus dealt with some of these tomorrow people
a. The I’ll follow you anywhere man
(1) The foxes have holes; the birds have nests
(2) The sacrifices were too much
(3) Give me one more night on my waterbed
I’ll do it tomorrow
b. The undertaker dude
(1) Let me bury my Father first (his father was not dead yet
(2) He wanted to hang out in the morgue one more night
I’ll do it tomorrow
c. The but head
(1) Lord I’ll follow BUT let me visit my family first
(2) The church is full of but heads
(a) I’d teach but
(b) I’d be there all the time but
(c) I’d tithe but
I’ll do it tomorrow
2. Why people put it off
1) They love sin
a. They like sin - partying -drinking -sexual sin
b. There is a thrill in sin (stolen watermelon)
c. Satan has twisted their values
2) I’m a good person
a. I don’t drink too much --- ----- ----
b. I don’t cheat on my mate I just look
c. I think that there is a creator
3) I’m too great a sinner
4) I’ve got too much to give up
5) There are too many hypocrites in church
6) I can’t understand salvation
7) I’m waiting for a sign from God
8) I can’t live it
9) I’ll wait until just before I die
3. Why should I change today
1) Today is the day of salvation
2) Delay is dangerous
3) Delay hardens your heart
4) Death is sure
When as a child, I laughed and wept: TIME CREPT
When as a youth, I dreamed and talked: TIME WALKED
When I became a full-grown man: TIME RAN
Soon I shall be passing on: TIME GONE!
Diamond and Ship story
1. Man spent all his money to buy diamond
2. On a ship beside the rail tossing the diamond up in the air
3. Warned not to do it; he would lose it
4. It won’t happen I’m in control
5. The ship is moved by a sudden wave
6. The diamond is lost
7. I’ve lost it all; all I had
You may think that this story is not true; no one could be that stupid. But it is true, in fact the person is here today sitting right here in this building, in one of these chairs it’s you
1. The ocean is eternity
2. The ship is your life
3. The diamond is your soul
You have been carelessly fooling around with it just tossing it around. Maybe you can get away with it until tomorrow-then again maybe not
Let’s take a trip down to the local cemetery; as we walk among the graves we come upon a grave with your name on the tombstone. The epitaph says
He was going to get saved tomorrow
Get committed tomorrow
Get serious tomorrow
Pray more tomorrow
Give more time tomorrow
Tithe tomorrow
Get on fire tomorrow
Fix everything up tomorrow
But before tomorrow came, he stepped into eternity unprepared
