Tomorrow

Exodus 8:8-15 “Tomorrow”

Intro:

· We are in Exodus again as we continue our series in Exodus.

[Read Scripture]

· How many times have we said something like this; “Tomorrow, I am going to start _______”?

· Why do we wait until tomorrow, when there are things we should be doing today.

· We say tomorrow I am going quit smoking, but let me finish this pack right now. And then tomorrow comes and you’re right back at the store buying another pack.

· Tomorrow this and tomorrow that, well what about right now?

· In our passage, Pharaoh and Egypt were being afflicted by plagues. And these plagues were caused by Pharaoh hardening his heart to God and not letting the people go.

· He is dealing with frogs, and he calls for Moses to intreat God to remove the frogs, and Moses says sure, when do you want me to ask God. And what does Pharaoh say? Tomorrow.

· How foolish it was of him to say tomorrow, what about right now?

· We think that about Pharaoh, but how many of us are just like that? Telling God, Tomorrow.

· Friend deliverance is right now, why do we want to keep our problems one more day, when God is here to give us deliverance right now.

· Now think about what we see in the man Pharaoh, he is an example of many people today, and maybe that is you. First, think about…

The Problem that Pharaoh Faced (vs 8)

· The Egyptians and Pharaoh had a problem, frogs.

· We may not think it to be much of an issue, but these frogs were everywhere.

o In the food, in the water, in the bed, on people’s heads, they were noisy and disgusting

· But the real problem wasn’t the frogs it was Pharaoh.

· His heart was not right with God

· His perspective was wrong, in his mind he was God, he was on the throne.

· You think about the problems you face in life, you might be saying why is this happening to me.

· Perhaps the problem isn’t the situation you are facing, perhaps the problem is you and your heart.

· Pharaoh brought this problem on himself, because he would not surrender to God.

· Friend, until you are willing to turn your problems over to God, your problems are going to get worse and worse.

The People that Pharaoh Fetched (vs 8)

· So, we see the problem that Pharaoh faced, but look here at the people that pharaoh fetched. He calls for Moses and Aaron.

· What does he ask them to do? He asks them to go to the Lord on his behalf.

· Here is a man who is unsaved, living a sinful life, who has problems, and the only way he finds relief from his problems is by asking a couple of the Lord’s men to pray for him.

· You know why so many of you are here and know the Lord for who he is? Because somebody prayed for you.

· We ought to be thanking God for Godly people who have burned the midnight oil praying for us.

· Thankful for those mommas and grandmas, those daddies and aunts and uncles, those neighbors and friends who prayed to God on our behalf.

· Now Pharaoh had a problem, and he does something right here, he asks for Gods people to pray.

· In reality, what really should have happen is that Pharaoh should have gotten on his knees and asked for forgiveness, but at least he has enough sense to seek out these Godly men.

· Now understand this, you cannot be saved by the prayers of someone else, but your life is touched by the prayers of others.

· Now here is another thing we need to remember Christian, we need to intreat the Lord for some of these lost people. We need to ask God to move on them.

· Now let me ask you this, if someone were having a problem, would they ask you to pray for them? Would you? Would you intreat the Lord on their behalf?

The Plague that Pharaoh Forgot (9-11)

· Now we have seen the people that Pharaoh fetched, but now we see the plague that Pharaoh forgot.

· Here is a man, he has a problem in his life, there is a plague upon the land, he asks these men of God to pray, and that God would take away his problem tomorrow.

· Why would he want to spend one more night with these frogs, why would he want to deal with this problem anymore?

· Well friend, its because we really don’t want to let go. It is just like we said earlier about smoking, drinking, living a poor life, living a sinful life, we say, hey I will start tomorrow. But you know what happens, tomorrow comes, you see that there is some cigs left in the pack, there is a beer left in the fridge, that those old friends come and say come out with us tonight and lets party.

· And what do you do, you say tomorrow I will start.

· Friend, we always think that there will be a tomorrow. But those tomorrows are going to run out.

· Don’t lay there in that problem one more night, if God can do something about it right now, now is that time to move.

· James 4:14 “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

· Friend, your life may about to vanish, right now is that chance, don’t say tomorrow, say today.

The Prayer that Pharaoh Forsook (12-15)

· Now we see the plague that Pharaoh forgot but we come to final part of this message and that is the prayer that Pharaoh forsook.

· Here is a man that has asked the Godly men to pray for him about, and when God moves and gives the answer, Pharaoh goes right back to the way he was.

· Here is a man with a hard heart. Only wants God on his terms. But friend, God doesn’t work that way.

· God doesn’t work on our terms, he works by his will.

· You know all those prayers that people have prayed for you, and you see the answer and then you go right back to the way you were, there is going to come a point where God says enough.

· Now, maybe you said a prayer, asked God to move in your life, and you got the answer to your prayer and then you hardened your heart to God, went right back to that old life.

· Friend what you need to do today and not tomorrow, is come back to the Lord, let that icy heart melt and spring forth the life that God intended.

· Sadly, I think many have forsaken the prayer we gave to God. Hardened our hearts, and just go about living our life the way we always have.

· Pharaoh’s outward situation may have changed, but the real problem was never outward, it was inward.

· And that is your problem as well. Friend, don’t say tomorrow I am going to change, come and pray to the Lord today, and get up and mean what you prayed.

· Don’t forsake the Lord, no more tomorrows, live for him today.