7, April 2002
Dakota Community Church
Facing Tomorrow
Introduction:
ILL. Have you ever seen the TV program called "Early Edition.”?
The basic storyline centered on a young man who somehow was able to read tomorrow’s newspaper today.
- How would you use that knowledge?
- Would you use it to enrich yourself? If you knew that the stock market was going to go up, would you buy low & sell high?
- Would you use it to help those in need? If you knew that someone was going to be in trouble?
- Would you become a hero? If you knew someone was in danger & would die, would you be there to prevent that from happening?
- What would you do if you knew what was going to happen tomorrow?
Some people are obsessed with trying to learn the future.
They peer into crystal balls, read tealeaves, & horoscopes. But the truth of the matter is:
None of us really knows the future here upon this earth.
Ecclesiastes 8:7
"Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come?"
Well, there is an answer to his question - "God."
- You can’t have life without "if," & that simply reminds us of the uncertainty of life itself.
How DO we face the future? What can we do about it?
I. THREE THINGS THAT GOD SAYS "DON’T DO."
1. We are not to boast about tomorrow.
Proverbs 27:1
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
James 4:13-16
13Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that." 16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.
Ill. Man selling cow.
A man is walking past the field of a farmer with a cow on a roap. The farmer says, "Hey mister, where ya goin with thet there cow?’
The man replies, "I’m takin it to town to sell it."
The farmer says, " You mean if it’s the Lords will you are."
The man says , "Well it’s my cow and I recon I can do anything I want with it and it ain’t any of the Lord’s business."
A short time later the farmer looks up and sees the man coming back the other way very bloody and beaten up.
"What happened to you?" the farmer asks.
"Oh just down the road three guys jumped out of the bushes, stole my cow, beat me up and left me for dead."
The famer says, "Oh no! What are you gonna do now."
"I’m going home to clean up." the man replies - "If it’s the Lords will."
- It’s not that we should not make plans or set goals.
- We are not to do it without God.
2. We are not to fear tomorrow.
Matthew 6:25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
-Worry is meditation on evil things.
- Notice Jesus hits the basics of life.
3. We are not supposed to procrastinate until tomorrow.
Proverbs 3:27-28
27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow"- when you now have it with you.
James 4:17
17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
Ecclesiastes 11:4
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
II. THREE THINGS WE ARE TO DO!
Joshua 1:2-3
"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you & all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them - to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses."
- Here’s the scene. God freed the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery. But because of their disobedience, they have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Finally, the older disobedient generation is gone, & the younger generation is ready to do what God tells them to do.
- Joshua knows that once they enter the Promised Land they will be facing at least 7 enemy nations. They’re strong nations with trained armies & fortified cities. And they’re far better equipped with weapons of war than Joshua’s young army. Is it any wonder that Joshua is uneasy about it all?
- So God appears to him & says, "Joshua, let me tell you 3 things to do. And if you will do these 3 things, I guarantee you success."
1. Forget the past and get ready.
Note:
- God says Moses is dead.
- How would like to follow Moses ministry?
Proverbs 16:9
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
"You should make plans, counting on God to direct you."
- Make plans with God so you are not boasting.
2. Stay in the Word.
Joshua 1:8
"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day & night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous & successful."
HOW NOT TO GET SIDETRACKED:
1. Talk about it. "Don’t let the Word of God depart from your mouth." It is not enough just to read the Word. We need to talk about it.
- Why Home groups and bible studies are important.
2. Think about it "meditate on it day & night."
3. Do it! "...Be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous & successful." Take the teachings & principles out into the world, & live them every day.
Question: Do you have things in your life that cause you to stop doing these three and get sidetracked?
- Hobbies?
- Work?
- Time wasters?
3. Step out in faith.
Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 3:15
"Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan & their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away."
Conclusion:
God has already defeated sin. God has already given us the victory on Calvary’s hill. But we’re still standing knee deep in the water, waiting for the effect of His miracle to take place in our lives & in our world. And one day we will see it in all of its glory.
The apostle Paul said, "I can do everything through Him who gives me the strength." Paul said, "I can master every circumstance that comes my way if I have faith in Jesus Christ. I can master every illness, every failure that comes my way. I can master death in my family when I lose a loved one. I can master unemployment. I can master all those things if my faith & trust is solid in Jesus Christ."
Folks, that’s how to face the future, Life is filled with "ifs." But you can face the future if you put your faith & trust in Jesus, if you seek His plan for your life, if you stay in the Word, & if you step out in faith.
