The book of Proverbs chapter 27 and verse 1 is the text of Scripture. I want to draw your attention to it. Proverbs chapter 27 and verse 1. And it says, "'Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.'" Let us pray. Father in heaven, we pray now as we turn to thy word for the help of God, the Holy Spirit, We ask that we be challenged through this warning. And, O Lord, any that know not Thee as Saviour, that Thou would even speak to them, convict them, and draw them, and enable them by Thy grace to turn unto Thee. For it's in Christ's name we ask it. Amen. As I thought of last Sunday, which was the 29th of December, I began to think that day about Philip Bliss, remembering it was the anniversary, December the 29th, of his death, and many of the hymns that he wrote. I couldn't help but think of this text of Scripture. It contains what is one of the most, if not the most, dangerous words in language. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. It can be used in a deceitful way. It can be used in a very, very dangerous way. Dangerous in the sense that we can imagine that we have tomorrow. And we can plan out our life without God. And we can decide what we want to do when we plan to do it without any thought, that we don't know what will happen even tonight. let alone tomorrow. Tomorrow. Of course, it can be a very deceptive word. I remember reading about a baker, and I don't think he would have got away with this too long, but he put a big sign in the baker's shop, free bread tomorrow. Free bread tomorrow. And there's a big queue. And they all said, where's the free bread? He said, well, read the sign again. It's tomorrow. Well, tomorrow never comes in that sense. But it can be a very dangerous word when it's used in a spiritual way to put off our relationship with the Lord. Three things from this text I see. What the sinner says. What the sinner says. They plan for tomorrow. Bosch not of tomorrow. They plan their tomorrow without God. That's what sinners say. That's what sin is. I will live my life the way I want to live it. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that." And that's why we read the book of James, chapter 4. You can read it again at your leisure later. The sin was not that these men were businessmen. No, no. But the sin is this. If you read in it, that passage in the book of James, chapter 4, And there isn't it, verse 13, he says, tomorrow, today and tomorrow, we will, we will. No mention of God. And that's why James rebukes this. They thought not of what God would have them do, but what they were going to do. The period, tomorrow, all year ahead. The place, we'll go to such and such a place. And the purpose? We'll make profit. Nothing wrong with making profit. Of course not, made legitimately. But the fact is, they did not use what used to be, when I was a boy, said more frequently, DV. Deo volente, God willing. God willing. They left God out. And, you know, that's the very foundation of sin. A person doesn't have to be down in the very depths the very dregs of what we would term immoral sin, those awful sins that society condemns not to be right with God. But the basis of all sin is pride. Pride that we can run our own lives. Pride we can make our own plans. Pride that we can plan for tomorrow and the next day and the future. That's what sin is. living our life without God. That's what sin is. And James adds to Solomon's words in the book of James, chapter 4. If you notice it there, it says, all such boasting is evil. It's evil. It's sin. Now, of course, we have to plan for tomorrow. You have to make plans. And it's not wrong. Didn't the Lord say through Solomon in the book of Proverbs, for those who were lazy, slothful, go to the ant, thou sluggard. The ant prepares food for the winter. Of course, as Christians, as God's people, we are to prepare, but what Proverbs is talking about is preparation and planning for the future without any thought of God. And that's sin. That's the basis of sin. And yet, that's what men say. What James says is this in verse 15 of James 4, And you know what's wrong in Ulster today and throughout our nation? People live without God. People live without God. Sadly, in the football scene in Northern Ireland, I know of at least three suicides this past week. At least they're reported to be suicides. Suicide's so prevalent. My son was talking to someone that said to him, why is this? And he was able to say to them, well, because, now, we don't know every individual case. There are those so dying in sorrow. But he said, the increase in these drugs, the man went on to ask, all this drugs and drink, why is it in our land today? Why? He was able to say, well, the nations left God out. People are living without God. That's why there's so much trouble. And so many among our young people, their hearts go out to them. caught up in things that entangle, addictions. They live without God. I think I mentioned last time I was here, I was shocked reading a report, and it was the top ten pieces of music that are played at funerals in the United Kingdom. The favorites, music. Do you know it said there wasn't a hymn among them? Not a hymn. You would have thought, oh, but sure, the Lord's my shepherd, or abide with me. No. Now, it would be prevalent in our own province, but throughout the United Kingdom. You know what the favorite piece of music at funerals in the United Kingdom in the last few years? Frank Sinatra, I Did It My Way. You think about that at a funeral. A family saying farewell to a loved one. And the only consolation they could get is to hear someone singing, "'I did it my way.'" It'll shock you, this. Do you know one of the top ten played at funerals, at cremations? My son-in-law's uncle, though we thank the Lord he professed faith before he died, is over in Wales. You know what they played at the cremation? I fell into a burning ring of fire." You talk about examples that many in our nation have no time for God. They mock the thought of God. And that's the sin that Proverbs is talking about. Don't boast. Don't boast of living your life without God. Don't boast of these things. In 2025, don't boast tonight. You don't know what'll happen. None of us do. And we need to get before God and recognize that He controls all events. So, there's what sinners say. I'll plan without God. But look in the verse what the Scripture declares. Don't presume on tomorrow. That's what the Scripture declares. Don't presume on tomorrow. We know not, or thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Or, over in the book of James, he puts it this way in verse 14 of chapter 4, "'Ye know not what shall be on the morrow.'" That's what Scripture says. Man, sinful man said, I'll plan my way. I'll do it my way. Scripture say, don't you boast because you don't know. Philip Bliss and his wife never imagined when they got on that train that they would never make it. to Chicago. He was all to go there to sing the coming Sunday night at a great evangelistic rally, but that wasn't God's plan. We can't explain it. We don't know what a day will bring forth. You think of the rich, young ruler went away sorrowful. He didn't come. We don't know if he ever came to Christ. Or you think of another rich farmer. You see, that young man, the rich young ruler, he said, how can I, what must I do to inherit eternal life? And the Lord spoke to him, but he wasn't willing to do it. He put it off that day. Maybe he thought he would come tomorrow or some other day. And what about the rich farmer? He planned bigger barns. Nothing wrong in planning, but he left God out of it. And God said, thou fool, this night, You'll not see tomorrow. That farmer didn't have a tomorrow. And Scripture warns us, don't you boast about tomorrow, for you don't know what today will bring forth. You don't know. You don't know. And yet... Do you know the sad thing? And I thought about this, even thinking through this passage. And it was confirmed Saturday, a week ago. I don't often buy papers, but sometimes on a Saturday, and I went in, and I bought a paper. It happened to be a Daily Mail. Maybe you're not a supporter or whatever, but I bought it. And you know, it was right across the top. I didn't read it, by the way. I didn't bother turning to that page. I like to do the quizzes. But there's, you know, on the top, Inside Your Horoscope for 2025. What utter rubbish. But do you know, and I'm not exaggerating, millions of pounds have been spent over the last few days in horoscopes and fortune tellers. There's far, far more of it, especially in the mainland, than we can ever dream of. Oh, it must be 20 years ago I read a report that said there's far more people who read their stars, so-called, and horoscopes and fortune tellers and all that kind of stuff than go to any church. And there's people actually... I mean, a horoscope's stupid, isn't it? There's millions born in the same month. There's something in the headline about the moons in a certain place. What other nonsense? And yet, it's against God. God warns against it. But people want to know tomorrow. That's why you go to fortune tellers. But you see, we have the Lord as our prophet. He's told us all we need in the Bible. To seek fortune tellers is like spitting in the face of Almighty God, saying, I can't trust you for tomorrow. It's an awful sin, horoscopes and these things. We're to stay away from them. But people have spent millions. The great and the good. It amazes me how so-called intelligent people, the stars, the film stars, sports stars, President Reagan, who was a great president, his wife had her own personal fortune teller. She paid for her own personal fortune teller. What utter, utter nonsense. Scripture says, don't you begin down that line, I love the story, and I like reading things and keeping them, but Newsweek, that's a magazine from America, quite a number of years ago, you'd laugh at this article. I think it was really amusing. In Dublin, oh, some decades ago, they had a great conference of fortune-tellers. You know, occult and all those type of things, crystal ball gazers and whatnot. The police were called. Because when they were down in the hotel conference room, many of their hotel rooms were robbed. Now, are you thinking? One policeman asked the obvious question of these fortune tellers at their conference. If you can tell the future, why did you not know a robber was coming? Talk about poetic justice. No. See, people want to know the futures, but we don't. We don't. Now, in all of life, that's true. We don't know what's going to happen, but it's a dangerous world when it comes to our soul's salvation. That's the important thing. When we get to the issue, do you know Christ as your Savior? Are you ready to go out into eternity knowing that you'll be with the Lord forever in heaven? Do you know that tonight? Well, then, if you do not know that you're saved, listen, tomorrow is a dangerous word. A dangerous word. Don't presume that you have a tomorrow. It's Satan's favorite word. It certainly is Satan's favorite word. So, in this text, look, what sinners do, they boast of tomorrow, they plan the future without God. What Scripture declares, don't presume on tomorrow. And then, I thought of another point. Christ's salvation demands that you don't procrastinate. That word procrastinate means to delay. Now, we joke about procrastination. You know, say, I'm going to start a diet when? Oh, well, tomorrow. Or, I'm going to start a diet once I finish all these chocolates. Did any of you say that? I'll do it later. That's what we call procrastination. And usually, you don't intend to do it at all. A few weeks ago, I read of one man said to his neighbor, you know, one of the greatest thrills, and it's great to get up at five in the morning and run five miles and swim 26 lengths and do 100 press-ups. It's a really great experience. Friend says, how long have you been doing that? Ach, well, I intend to start tomorrow. That's like some of us, isn't it? And we joke about procrastination. We'll do it tomorrow. But listen, it's no joking matter when it comes to your salvation. It can be a serious thing to delay. If you like to read military history, one of an illustration is given many, many times of the American War of Independence. The British troops were near Trenton, New Jersey. George Washington was coming near to that, to take that town. And the colonel, or I said, Colonel Rahl, A-R-A-H-L, was the commander in that area. Word was sent to him from superior officers that he needed to get the British garrison prepared, that General Washington was coming. But when the military aid came with, here's an important communique for you, Colonel. He said, Senator, I want to finish this game of cards. And he went on playing with the officers. And after some time, he said, oh, here, I'll read that communique. And what it says was, Washington troops are coming. They're crossing the Delaware. They're coming. You need to prepare immediately or it'll be too late." And he was too late. He was killed, and many of the British troops were killed, and many of them were captured, and Washington won because he procrastinated. He should have read that order. He should have read it and acted. But when it comes to your soul's salvation, friend, don't you procrastinate. D.L. Moody, I mentioned. Do you know, earlier, I think it was 1871, he was preaching in the great tabernacle they had built in Chicago. And he finished the service saying something like this. I want this congregation, hundreds there, go home. And this week, you think seriously about trusting Christ as your Savior. And then come back next week to the evangelistic rally. You know what happened that week? The great Chicago fire. Now, you farmers know this better than me, because I can't envisage it. They say that 2,000 acres of a built-up area of Chicago were burnt to the ground. Many people perished. Twenty years later, D.L. Moody said this, "'What a mistake I made "'to give the audience a week to think of their salvation. "'Since that time, I would rather have this right hand cut off "'than to give a congregation a week "'to decide what to do with Christ. "'I'm often criticized for urging people "'to come to Christ now. "'But I'll decide. I'll encourage them to come.'" Now, He didn't say the words, but it's not reported, but I'm sure what it meant was, don't delay the tomorrow, your soul's salvation. If you're listening tonight, or you're here tonight without Christ, don't put off your salvation. I remember in one of my churches, I'm not sure say where, some years ago, I still see her in the front row with her children. And we spoke in Abraham, where art thou? And we sang the hymn, Come to the Jesus, or Come to the Savior, Make No Delay. Never saw her in church again, but two weeks later, I was called to go down to the house. All I'll say was, someone was arrested. Not go into the crime. She died in the eternity. I often wonder about that lady. She certainly hadn't made a profession. You see, the devil doesn't mind you believing there's a heaven. The Bible doesn't mind someone coming to a church that preaches the gospel, and I'd rather you didn't. Of course he would. But I'm saying, he wouldn't mind if you did hear the gospel, if you said, tomorrow. You ever talk to someone, do you know you need to be saved? Oh, yes. Would you like to be saved? Oh, yes, I'd love to be saved. Will you come and be saved now? No, just give me time to think about it tomorrow. Tomorrow. That's sin. That's procrastination. That's living another night without God. That's saying you don't want Christ as your Savior. That's the awful, awful thing about that. Just very quickly, in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, here's what I mean by salvation demands that you come now. That's what I mean, salvation demands. We're in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, or I'll read it to you if you don't want to turn to it, 2 Corinthians chapter 6. In verse 2 says this, Paul is writing, He says, "'For he saith, I have heard thee in a day accepted.'" Listen, 2 Corinthians 6, verse 2. "'In the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now is the accepted time.'" Behold, now is the day of salvation. Salvation demands that you come now. What's the context of that verse? Well, you read end of chapter 5. Paul says, I am an ambassador for Christ. Every Christian is an ambassador for Christ. He said, we go out in Christ's stead, in the name of Christ. We plead with you. We beg. Come and be reconciled to God. How can you do that? How can you be saved right now? Because of Christ's salvation. Because Paul then writes this, for God, made Him," that's Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. What the passage, here's the background. On the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ took the guilt of sin. Lived that life we could never live. He died in the place of sinners. There on Calvary, the hell that we deserve was laid upon Him. God is reconciled. What that means is, sin separates between God and us. But God, through Christ, has provided the means whereby He can forgive you and bring you to heaven. But now the message to you is, you be reconciled. You accept this salvation. You trust Christ. And that's why Paul now says, now. Now. It's like two trumpet blasts, isn't it? Behold! Behold! I imagine somebody sleeping, and they come with a big trumpet, you know, in the air, waking up. That's what Paul's saying. Because Christ has died, because he has provided salvation for the whosoever will, we sang it, you can come now. Oh, well, I just can't seem to believe. Believe who? God says it. God has provided salvation in Christ. Therefore, you come. Come now. Don't procrastinate until tomorrow. You see, the devil doesn't mind you saying you want to be saved if you won't come. Tomorrow, dangerous word. You ever heard this? Tomorrow, he promised his conscience. Tomorrow, I mean to believe. Tomorrow, I'll think as I ought to. Tomorrow, my Saviour receive. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Thus, day after day, it went on. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Till youth, like a vision, was gone. Till the age in his passion had written the message of faith on his brow. and forth from the shadows came death with a pitiless symbol. Now." Now. Oh, if you know not Christ as Savior, we urge you, in Christ's name, come to Christ. There's danger. There's death and delay. There'll never be a better time for you to come to Christ than now. If you put it off, you don't know if you'll have another opportunity. And you'll have more sin to repent of and a harder heart to repent with. Now is the accepted time. Thank God for those of us who know Christ. We don't fear tomorrow. Why? Because we know whatever it brings. We can either enjoy the Savior's presence here, below, or we'll enjoy fellowship with Him in heaven. Tomorrow is settled, and we can enjoy today. We can live for today. Now, if you're worried about tomorrow, how can you enjoy today? We can enjoy today. Boast not thyself. I knowest not what a day may bring forth. Don't boast of tomorrow. Don't boast.