Pastor Max Wilkins
August 12, 2001 - W0132

But not all questions are unintelligent.  In fact, some questions may appear to have no meaning, but when we look a little closer itís quite the opposite.  Those confusing, seemingly pointless questions turn out to make more sense than we first thought. 

At first glance, some questions in the Bible may be puzzling.  If however, we take a moment to look at them carefully, we can get a different impression.  For example, Jesus and his disciples went into a town called Bethsaida.  In that town, there was a little pool where the spirits would stir the waters, and the first person into the pool would be healed of whatever ailed them. 

When Jesus and the disciples showed up, there was a man lying beside that pool who had been there for 38 years.  Jesus walked up, looked at him, and said, ìHey, do you want to be healed?î  

I imagine a response of this man might have been, ìNo, I was just lying out here for 38 years and working on my tan ñ of course I want to be healed!  What do you think Iím out here for?î

I can also picture Jesus thinking and saying, ìYou mean for 38 years you couldnít find any way to get in the water, you couldnít come up with a plan, and you couldnít find some friends to help you out?  Do you really, deep down inside, want to be healed?  Will you pay the price and do what is necessary to receive the miracles of God in your life or have you just become accustomed to living with the things that plague your life?î 

Hmmm!  Those questions provoke some contemplation.  There are many questions that may appear ridiculous, but when we carefully consider them, we find insight beyond that first glance. 

I think the Lord has a question for us this morning and youíll find that in your notes. 

When would you like to begin experiencing Godís miracles, power, and promises in your life?

Some of you might say, ìWhat a silly question?  Wouldnít everyone say, right now?  Who wouldnít want to experience Godís power immediately in their lives?î

In Exodus chapter 8, we read about Pharaohís answer to that question.  God told Moses to go into Egypt and tell Pharaoh to release the Israelite people.  So Moses relayed that message, but Pharaoh was stubborn.  As a result, God sent plagues down upon Pharaoh and the Egyptian people.  Chapter 8 of Exodus describes a plague of frogs, but this was no ordinary infestation.  There were frogs everywhere ñ in their beds, in their ovens, in their closets, even in their boots.  Pharaoh was going out of his mind and finally asked Moses for help. 

Moses said to Pharaoh, ìI leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you. . . that your houses may be rid of the frogs. . ."...ìTomorrow,î Pharaoh said.  (Ex. 8:9-10 NIV) 

Moses told Pharaoh to set the time.  Pharaoh saidÖtomorrow!  Why would anyone want to do that?  Like Pharaoh, we each get to decide when we want to start experiencing the miracles of God in our lives.

Iím going to venture a guess that some of you have frogs in your lives.  Some of the things that plague, annoy, or drive you crazy will keep you from living Godís fullest, and best in your life.  I donít know what your frogs look like.  Your frogs may come in the mailbox stamped ëpast due.í  They may be a difficulty in establishing solid relationships.  Maybe your frogs are spiritual or related to your work or ministry.  I donít know what they are, but we all have them in our lives. 

Weíve heard the promises of God over and over again.  Jesus said, ìIf you seek first the kingdom of God and Godís righteousness, all the other things will be given unto you.î  He said, ìI come that you might have life and have it more abundantly than youíve ever experienced before.î  The Apostle Paul states, ìI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.î  The Prophet Malachi says, ìPut God to the test, bring your full tithe into the storehouse and see if God wonít throw open the floodgates of heaven and shower blessings upon your life.î

We hear these promises of God and we want to experience the truth of them in our lives., but for some reason like Pharaoh, we look at God and say, ìtomorrowî. 

Question 1: What kinds of frogs are you putting off until tomorrow?    

Our Problem:  Like Pharaoh, we sometimes say tomorrow to God.

Tomorrow.  Tomorrow Jesus, I will say yes to you and make you Lord of my life.  Tomorrow Iíll get my prayer life together, set aside time to study your word, offer forgiveness to those who have wounded me, or seek forgiveness from those I have wounded.  Tomorrow Lord, Iíll get involved with that ministry youíve been prompting.    Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow! 

The question we need to ask is why would we want to spend one more night with the frogs?  Why do we do that to God and ourselves?  Well I think there are some reasons and youíll find them listed here:

Why we say "Tomorrow" to God

1. We want more time to solve things ourselves.

Certainly Pharaoh thought that.  He believed he could figure out how to get rid of the frogs if he had one more night. Then he wouldnít have to submit himself to Godís will.

We often think that way too.  Like the woman wrestling with alcohol, who started with just a social drink here and there, but suddenly needs several drinks to get her through the day.  Family and friends try to help by suggesting a program or a church to deal with her situation, but she rejects their efforts and continues to struggle on her own.

A family man who spends most of his time focused on work instead of his family refuses to believe his life is off-center. Even when friends, family and co-workers warn him of possible consequences, he continues on the same path and ignores their suggestions.

2. We are afraid of the consequences of following God. 

Pharaoh was not used to paying the consequences for anything.  He was used to giving orders, and if there were consequences, others paid them.  Since he was unwilling to submit to Godís will and pay Godís consequences, he never experienced Godís miracles.  If we want His miracles in our lives, we have to make a decision to be disciplined as well as blessed by Jesus.

Finally, sometimes we say tomorrow to God because:

3. We donít want to humble ourselves.

Like Pharaoh, we struggle with humility and submission to God.  Satan often slithers into our lives tempting us to be disobedient to God, misleading us into believing that we donít need God anymore.  We tend to push God off the throne and claim the throne for ourselves.   

If we want to experience Godís miracles and power in our lives, we have to humble ourselves and place God back on the throne where He belongs. 

Question 2: Do you turn to God when you encounter problems?  What kinds of things keep you from relying on His help?  (see list above)

Here are some real good reasons why we should stop saying tomorrow, and start saying today to God.   

Why we should say ìTodayî

            If we continue to say tomorrow to God:

1.      Our plagues could get worse. 

Pharaohís plagues didnít end with the frogs, but worsened with gnats, locusts, boils, hail, and human death.  In hindsight, he probably regretted saying ìtomorrowî to God.   

The person who struggles with alcohol puts off getting help.  That person continues to drink more and more with less and less success in quitting until one day, she hears the doctor say, itís cirrhosis.  Suddenly her plagues are worse. 

The man who continues to make promises that heís going to get his life and act together with his family walks in the door one day, and thereís a note on the table that simply says, ìWeíre gone!î  Suddenly his plagues are worse.   

Why then are we surprised with the result of our indecision?  The scripture has some interesting things to say about putting things off until tomorrow.  Jesus said:

ìSo donít worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.î  (Matthew 6:34 NCV) 

ìDo not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.î (Proverbs 27:1 NIV) 

When we put off things for tomorrow, our plagues get worse. 

2.      Tomorrow may never come!

 ìNow listen, you who say, ìToday or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.î  Why, 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.î (James 4:13-14 NIV)

The reality is that when we say tomorrow to God we really mean not today.  For many of us tomorrow never comes.  Jesus had a word for those who would put off life until tomorrow.  He told a story of a man who built great barns and continued to put everything off till tomorrow while he prepared his life.  Read with me in Luke:

ìBut God said to him, ìYou fool!  This very night your life will be demanded from you.î (Luke 12:20 NIV)

Question 3:  What kinds of things are you procrastinating on in your life?  Are you prepared to stop putting them off until tomorrow?  Why or why not? 

But I have good news for you this morning. 

3.      God has a wonderful today for those who will say ìYesî to Him. 

Itís really a simple process of receiving Godís miracles and power into our lives by accepting His plans for today. 

a.      Trust that Godís Ways are always best. 

ìíFor I know the plans I have for youí declares the Lord, ëplans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.íî (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

I think the most difficult thing for us to accept is the fact that no matter what God asks us to do, His plans for our lives are always better than our own.  However, throughout our lives, we cling to our problems.  In reality, our breakthroughs come only when we let God be God by trusting in His ways.

I experienced this firsthand when as a poor college student, God provided me with a 3 year scholarship to seminary through a chance encounter with a sweet lady named Emily Ann.  Though I did know that I was being called to seminary, I had to trust and wait on the Lord to bring the financing for the tuition.  Proverbs says:

ìTrust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.î (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

And finally, God has a wonderful today for those who will say yes to him, but we must:

b.      Say ìYesî to His lordship daily. 

ìBut seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.î  (Matthew 6:33)

The problem with Pharoah was not that he wouldnít say ëyesí to the Lord, the problem was that he would say ëyesí to the Lord and take it back.  How many of us do that same thing everyday?  If we are going to rely on Him, we have to make a daily proposition of saying ëyesí to God.    

Question 4: On a scale of 1 ñ 10 (10 being the best), rate your daily trust in Godís Lordship in your life.  How can you improve this number?

Iím going to end with this story. 

Some years ago, I was in the thriving metropolis of Umatilla, Florida.  We had gone there on a ìCelebrate Jesusî mission.  It involved sending teams of people into the various churches in the town, then spending a week going out in the community doing evangelism events by showing Godís love in practical ways.  It was a powerful thing. 

I was leading a team out of Umatilla.  A young 14 year-old surfer boy complete with a dangling earring was on my team. His name was Scott, but I started calling him ìskunk-headî because he had black hair with a white streak down the middle of his head.  Skunk-head came to know the Lord about 3 months earlier.  While his heart was on fire for God, he was like a wild man going everywhere.  I wrestled with Scott for the whole week and I asked the Lord why He sent him to me. 

On the last day of the week, we were exhausted, it was hot, and we were out in a Win Dixie (a grocery store chain in the Southeast) parking lot. We were passing out free cokes and diet cokes as our way of showing Godís love to people.

I saw Scott walk up to a man I can only describe as your standard Florida redneck.  He had on bib overalls that he managed to stretch across his great big belly and fasten at the top.  After stepping out of his pickup truck that had a gun rack in the back, Scott went up to that man and asked if he wanted a coke.  The guy said no and turned to go but stopped and asked Scott why he was giving away cokes.  Scott told him that we were Christians showing Godís love.  Turning to go, the man said it was a good thing, and that he had been planning to get his life right with God.  Just as the man turned again to leave, Scott couldnít stop himself.  He reached up, grabbed this man by the suspenders of his overalls and told him, ìthat was the stupidest thing I ever heard in his life.  What are you going to do, drive out of this parking lot, have an accident, and go to hell tonight because you didnít have time to get with the Lord right now?î   

I was sure the man was going to stomp Skunk-head right there in the parking lot.  But instead the guy looked bewildered and asked what he should do.  Scott said, ìaccept Jesus right now.î

ìHow?î the man asked.   

Scott said, ìget on your knees, weíre going to do it right here.î 

There was Skunkhead and a 45-year-old redneck in the parking lot on their knees at Win Dixie and he led that man to Jesus.    

I love the question that comes to mind:  Why would anyone take the most important decision in his life and put it off for later? 

When would you like to begin experiencing the miracles, the power, and the purpose of God in your life?  Why would you want to spend one more night with the frogs?   

And I have another question for you this morning:  Why not Today?   

Question 5:  How will you different from what you learned today?

 Summarized by: Rhonda Pang