Do It Tomorrow
Exodus 8:5-10 Victory Fellowship
May 15, 2022 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
1. Q: What’s the best day to start a diet? A: Tomorrow
2. We have a tendency to put off things, especially if they are difficult
a. “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
b. Revision: “Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.”
3. The second plague on Egypt: Frogs
a. An attack on the Egyptian goddess, Heqet, goddess of fertility and childbirth, depicted as a frog or a woman with a frog’s head
b. Moses did pray and God killed the frogs, except for at the Nile; Pharaoh hardened his heart against God and the Hebrews.
Now, why would Pharaoh say “tomorrow”? I mean, I’m thinking that if I had frogs all around me, I’d want them gone ASAP. Someone described this situation: "Frogs in the houses, frogs in the beds, frogs baked with the food in the ovens, frogs in the kneading troughs worked up with the flour; frogs with their monotonous croak, frogs with their cold slimy skins, everywhere--from morning to night, from night to morning--frogs." Pharaoh wanted one more day of them. Why? Why would he tolerate them another day? Because he wasn’t quite ready not to be in charge anymore. He wanted one more day of being in power, being in control, being in charge. He wasn’t quite ready to say that God was the boss.
We look at Pharaoh and say that he was a fool for continued rejection of God’s rule. But I don’t know that people are much different today. You can look around at people where we live, people whose lives have been devastated by sin, and yet they still continue to do what they’ve been doing. They may have heard that God should be loved and obeyed. They may have even experienced forgiveness and grace at some point. But they still continue to do what they’ve been doing because it’s easier to sin than to trust. They think, “Well, I’ll change – just not today.”
4. How often do we want one more night with an unhealthy or sinful situation? We know better but just can’t let it go.
I. Too Often We Want One More Night of Delaying Our Walk with God: Zig Ziglar: Satan to unbeliever – just tell them to do it tomorrow.
I just wonder how many frogs we put up with in our lives because we want to be in charge. Even as Christians, set apart for God, bought with a price, the bridegroom of Christ, His body, His temple, His people, called by His name, called from the darkness into His glorious light… yes, us, even us, we may have frogs. Not so much punishment from God, but the consequences of our own actions.
How often do we tolerate sin in our lives because we want to be in charge just a little longer. “Just one more day, and then I’ll quit. Just one more time, and then I’ll stop. This is the very, very last time I’ll do this.” We call Him Lord - but are there things we want our Lord to deal with…tomorrow.
A. Nursing Bitterness
B. Refusing to Forgive
C. Immoral behavior or habit.
D. Ignoring the Scripture/Refusing to Pray
Caution: One More Night of Sin Can Lead to the Hardening of Our Hearts
Gloria Pitzer has written this clever little poem:
“Procrastination is my sin, It brings me naught but sorrow.
I know that I should stop it; In fact, I will...tomorrow.”
Have you ever gotten under conviction for your sin, maybe because of a sermon, a song, a bible reading - 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, excessive drinking, smoking, overeating, gossiping, online porn, etc. We know it’s wrong. We know we need to do something about it, BUT we can start worrying about that “Tomorrow” right?
Listen, the Holy Spirit will not convict us of sin in order to condemn us. He wants us to have the healthiest relationship with God and conviction is a way of saying, here let Me help you get rid of this and we can be stronger together.
The good news is that God forgives. He was willing to let the consequences of Pharaoh’s sin to be gone, just as soon as he wanted. And God feels the same about us, even more-so. He so much wants to forgive and heal and restore and lift up and remove the effects of our sins, and He’s waiting to be asked!
Hear me now – I’m not standing up here with some holier-than-thou attitude. I’ve learned all too well in my life that when you point a finger at someone there are 3 pointing right back at you. So let’s not procrastinate or put off doing what we know we should do in our spirit. We go to God for forgiveness, and ask for strength to do what we know we need to do.
Sometimes 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, we cannot really love God and love sin.
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. God is calling Christians to be real followers and stop saying tomorrow about their sin.
What if we did that? What if we decided to give everything to God and let Him have His way in our lives? Let’s fall on God’s grace and go where He leads us. Today. Not tomorrow.
PRAYER
SONG: What if I Gave Everything
Exodus 8:5-10 (NLT) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and bring up frogs over all the land.’” So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land! But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, “Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.” “You set the time!” Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River.” “Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. “All right,” Moses replied, “it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God.