Living Like There is No Tomorrow
Living Like There Is No Tomorrow
TEXT: Matthew 6:24-34 (v.34)
INTRODUCTION: Sometimes you hear the expression, "He lives like there is no tomorrow." Usually that is said in a derogatory fashion. It means the person is wasteful of his health, his wealth, his loved ones, or his reputation. It means he spends everything now and has nothing left for the future. James Dean said, "Live fast, die young, and leave a pretty corpse." He certainly fulfilled that philosophy.
Proverbs 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.
Luke 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
However, you know we may NOT have a tomorrow. Also, there is a sense in which we should live as though we do not have another chance to do the right thing. In that case, we should indeed live as if there is no tomorrow.
I. There May Be No Tomorrow For Your Soul's Salvation
2 Corinthians 6:2 For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation
Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
A. Death is sure.
1. Regardless of how we may try to avoid this truth.
2. The Bible is very clear…it is appointed unto man once to die!
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
3. We should then live in light of the coming judgment upon us.
4. We may escape many things in this life, but it is sure that we will not escape death and the judgment of God.
B. Death may be soon
1. At least it is sooner than most of us want to think about.
2. The older I get, the more I am reminded of my own mortality.
3. I use to wonder if I would ever make it to be 30!
4. Now as a grandfather who has more life behind me than in front of me I can hardly remember what it was to be 30!
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
C. Death can be sudden
1. We have an appointment with death, but we don't get to choose the time.
2. So we must prepare for the possibility now!
3. The statistics concerning the Twin Tower tragedy is mind boggling to say the least.
4. To think that so many died so suddenly is unsettling to us.
5. They effectively had no warning at all.
6. "…But after this the judgment:"
7. For those here today who are unsaved, eternal torment awaits you with no escape!
8. Don't rely upon tomorrow to make things right with God!
9. "…Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation"
II. There May Be No Tomorrow For Reaching The Lost
A. "What we do for Christ, we must do quickly."
Luke 16:27-28 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
B. There is rejoicing if we reach someone today.
1. `Jesus explained this during His ministry.
2. It is important that we keep this perspective when we come in contact with those who need to be saved.
3. The only things we will take to heaven with us are the souls of others.
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
C. There will be regret if someone dies, lost, whom we neglected to reach.
1. Just as it will be too late for someone to trust Christ and be saved.
2. It will be too late for us to reach them.
3. God explained the magnitude of our responsibility to warn others.
Ezekiel 33:7-8 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
4. We have been given a task to go into all the world and preach the gospel!
5. If we fail to be obedient…the consequences will be eternal.
D. There may be no tomorrow so we must reach the lost today!
Acts 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
III. There May Be No Tomorrow For Serving The Savior
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
1 Chronicles 29:5 The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?
A. Let's adjust TODAY'S plans, to serve God
1. Priorities! What is important to us?
2. Each of us must determine what will be most important to us.
3. We do that by choosing how we invest our time, talents, and treasure.
4. Illustration: Boy whose mother couldn't afford a new bike for him, but was always buying new clothes for herself.
5. Our actions speak louder than our words!
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
B. Good intentions will not excuse our disobedience to God.
Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
1. The day of reckoning for the believer will be the judgment seat of Christ.
2. There we will stand before our Lord and give an accounting of how we have used the gifts, talents, and even the time that He has given to us.
3. We are stewards…everything we have belongs to God…and as such the Lord is looking for one thing! Faithfulness!
4. Have we faithfully served the Master?
5. There may be no tomorrow to serve Him, we must serve Him today!
IV. THere may be no tomorrow for family
A. Work to have a good relationship
1. Don’t live in regret if something should happen to your spouse
2. Don’t live in regret if something should happen to your parents
a) Story of girl who had fight with her mother, running out of the room saying “I hate you, I hate you.”
3. Don’t live in regret if something should happen to your children
B. Show your love to them today while they are alive
1. Old saying, “Give them flowers while they are alive and can enjoy them.”
2. Spend time with them
C. Our friends are important to us
CONCLUSION:
- Are we living like there is no tomorrow?
- We should, because there may not be one.
- This morning if you have never placed your faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary, you may not have another opportunity to do so. Come now.
- If we are not actively involved in reaching others for Christ, we may not have another opportunity.
- If we are not serving our Master faithfully with our lives, we need to understand that today we must commit ourselves to Him…there may be no tomorrow!
- Why are we waiting?