Forget About Tomorrow What About Today?

INTRO: All of us are guilty of looking to the future. When we were young we couldn't wait until we reached 18, and no sooner we did now it on to 21. We are always looking to tomorrow, the world has an entire industry set up on the ideal of tomorrow.

This world is constantly pushing us into planning for the future: our retirement, 401K’s, pensions, stocks and bonds, social security and other means. We naturally gravitate towards our future here on earth. We plan our next projects, vacations, weekend getaways and nights out.

We get car insurance because not today, but maybe tomorrow I’ll need it, health insurance I’m ok now but tomorrow, life insurance, because we must plan for tomorrow.

I don’t want you to misunderstand me, planning for the future  is not a problem, in fact the bible encourages you to plan for the future.

John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so,I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Whenever we plan and leave God out, there lays the problem. So I’ve came by to tell you that God the Father wants you to plan for the future: Not just for the here and now, but for eternity.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Today is the day of revival, healing restoration.

SCRIP: Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” James 4:14-15  (Luke 12:16-20)

Most people give little thought about tomorrow, most people live as though life never ends. Many fail to plan for their life after death. Plans arrangements are made for everything else but life in the eternal world.

On April 14, 1865 one of America’s greatest leaders was planning for the future. He everything to live for and thought tomorrow would be just another day in the life of a president. But that night Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head tomorrow never came for Abraham Lincoln.

Like wise the rich man presumed on the future: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no where to store my goods. And he said, I will put down my barns and build bigger….And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou has much laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry………..

He presumed on the future. He thought tomorrow was going to come no mater what.

He was rich, He had a fine house, A large farm, Many servants

Everything seemed to be going right. Nothing could go wrong, he had his future all planned out. He presumed tomorrow was going to come.

That’s the way it is today, when things are going the way we want them to and no difficulties are coming our way, we presume on the future, thinking tomorrow always comes.

Luke 15 tells of another who presumed on the future. This young man took all his fortune and left home. As long as he had his wealth and health everything was fine. Bus as soon as his wealth was gone, so were his friends. His health began to fail, and he found himself in a place that is an abomination to the Hebrews.

The book of Daniel tells of a King who thought he had his future all planned out. King Belshazzar threw a party and brought the holy vessels from the temple, and he defiled them. He presumed on the future, he thought tomorrow would come, but then he saw the handwriting on the wall. That night his life was take from him and he went into eternity.

They Relied On their Position and Wealth

Death shows no partiality. It doesn’t care whether you are a king or a beggar. It doesn’t matter whether you stand high on the social ladder and have lots of friends and money, or no friends and no money. When death comes your way, you will go.

The rich man presumes he had a long life ahead of him, but God called him a fool.

It wasn’t because wealth and goods laid up, it wasn’t because he built bigger barns. It’s alright to plan for the future as long as you plan right. But this man forgot God! God does not take second place anyone. God must come first in all things. The problem with this man was that he said, “Soul…take thy ease, eat drink and be merry.” Everything was fine except he forgot God.

He Didn’t Plan For Tomorrow In Eternity

The Lord told him, “This night thy soul shall be required of thee. We plan for the future by saving money, buying stacks, IRA. We plan by making sure we have enough insurance so our families will be taken care of. But, many fail to plan for life after after death.

The rich man in Luke 16 planned for everything in this life, but didn’t plan for eternity. The Bible says, “In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments”.

Acts 5 tells of a couple who had their future planned. They thought they had many years ahead of them, but they failed to plan for eternity. What Ananias and Sapphira did wrong was lie to the Holy Spirit. Then they died and went into eternity presuming their tomorrow was going to come.

What about tomorrow? If you knew you were going to die tomorrow and you had an opportunity to get saved today, what would you? We have no promise of tomorrow, so today is your opportunity for salvation, deliverance, healing to receive forgiveness. Where will you spend eternity?

Conclusion:                                                                                               As a child of God, how you live your life matters. At the center of your life and mission should be your relationship with the Lord.

Your core values should be based upon your personal relationship with God, with Jesus Christ, as you strive to live faith in action.

Simply put, God should be the cornerstone of your life, which affects every decision and path you follow.

Therefore, planning for the future as a Christian means that you’re intentionally thinking planning life through the lens of the Gospel.

As a result, you:

· Seek God’s plan and follow His direction in all areas of your life

· Live with eternity in mind

· Use Scripture as your guide book through life

· Long to honor God with your time and habits

· Follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit

· Plan your life to bring glory and honor to God in all you do

· Strive to further the Kingdom of God and make God’s name known