One More Night With The Frogs
Text: Ex. 8:9-10
Intro:
“You set the time!” Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray
for you, your officials, and your people. I will pray that you and your
houses will be rid of the frogs. Then only the frogs in the Nile River will
remain alive.”
“Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. ”All right,” Moses replied, “it will be
as you have said. Then you will know that no one is as powerful as the
LORD our God.” Exodus 8:9-10
The frogs were everywhere!
Frogs in the courtyard,
Frogs in the storeroom,
Frogs in the kitchen,
Frogs in the bedroom,
Frogs in the sink!
Frogs in the oven.
God had said, “If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole
country with frogs.!” Exodus 8:2.
And you know what? God keeps His word!
-Look at that Egyptian woman opening her oven; she screams as out
jump the frogs!
-A fellow pulls down the sheets to get into bed after a long hard day, and
there’s 4 or 5 frogs staring up at him with a big sheepish grin on their face.
-Another is putting on his clothes: “What's that in my pockets? A young
frog!”
There were…
 Little frogs;
 Big frogs;
 Green frogs;
 Spotted frogs;
Here a frog, there a frog, everywhere a frog, frog!
Why, the croaking must have been deafening!
By the way…
Q: What has more lives than a cat?
A: A frog, it croaks every night!
Q: Why are frogs so happy?
A: They eat whatever bugs them!
You know,
There’s something else that’s funny about this story.
See if you can catch it:
“The LORD said to Moses, Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your
staff over the streams, canals, and ponds, and make frogs come up on the
land of Egypt’.
So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came
up and covered the land. But the magicians did the same things by their
secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.”
What’s wrong with this picture?
The Egyptians don’t need more frogs! They need less!
Their sorcerers only added to the curse!
If they really wanted to show their power, they should have miraculously
got get rid of the frogs, not increased to their number and amplified
Egypt’s problems!
But isn’t that just the world’s way –
Their solution makes matters worse, rather than better.
Ill.
A teenage girl gets pregnant, and now the answer the world gives is to
have an abortion. Not only does she now have guilt over the loss of her
virginity, but you just smeared the blood of her own baby on her hands!
And the world has many solutions like this.
The land of Egypt was now covered with little green creatures.
Some die, but others quickly take their place.
Finally when Pharaoh could stand it no longer, he calls for Moses and says:
“Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I
will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.” Exodus 8:8
Moses must have been overjoyed – the Israelites would soon be making a
trip! God had made the most powerful man in the east say, “UNCLE!”
Moses left the time up to his Majesty: “Tomorrow,” was his answer.
Now isn’t this interesting?
Frogs in his food,
Frogs in his bed,
Frogs in his clothes,
Frogs all over the house,
Frogs up and down the streets - and God was ready to remove the frogs the decision was up to the King - and he says: “Tomorrow.”
In other words:
“Give me one more night with the frogs!"
Why would he possibly chosen another noise night with those cold, slimy,
things?
Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.”
The Holy Spirit says, “Today.”
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts!” Hebrews 3:7-8.
You know,
We are famous for what we’re going to do TOMORROW!
Tell the lost they need to get save.
Remind them they could die tonight.
Reiterated that he has no promise of another sunrise, yet, he think to himself,
“I’ve got plenty of time.”
“I’m young and healthy.”
“I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“I’ll become a Christian at a later date, at a more convenient time.
Preach to the Christian about full surrender…
About yielding his life wholeheartedly to Christ.
He knows he should.
He admits he’s holding back.
He knows a dedicated, Spirit-filled life is the only fair and honest thing
he can offer the Lord, and he plans to surrender, he really does, but
not today, not right now.
He’ll break with his worldly habits, tomorrow!
He’ll speak up for Christ tomorrow!
He’ll get involved with the Church tomorrow!
Give me…
-One more night with the frogs,
-One more night with my defeat,
-One more night with my miserable comfort,
-One more wasted night! That’s all!”
Plead with the backslider to return to the fold.
He’ll often agree with you, “Yes, Preacher, I surely ought to do that.
God knows I've had nothing but grief ever since I went back on God.
I'm fed up with this wretched life. I've had nothing but…
-Sickness,
-Sorrow,
-Troubles, and
-Tears,
Ever since I walked away from the Lord.
I know I need to come back to God.
But,
When you press them a bit farther they say,
“I’m not ready yet.”
“When I’m good and ready I’ll come back.”
In effect they’re saying:
“One more fling in the night-life,
“One more opportunity to get high, to carouse, and compromise the faith,
“One more night with the frogs!
Ill.
In New York City a 15 year old boy was found living in a sewer pipe
down underneath the streets. He had had a falling-out with his father,
felt that he was no longer wanted at home, and had taken up lodging in
a huge old abandoned sewer.
Police found him 2 weeks later: sleeping on a dirty old mattress, trying
to cook on a one-burner oil stove, and keeping company with the rats.
When the police returned him to his home, his father said,
“Son, I would have forgiven you the next day if you had only come home!”
There he spent 14 unnecessary days cold, dingy, dirty storm sewer days
when he could have been sleeping in his own bed.
You know…
Many a backslider has been living a lot longer than 2 weeks down in the
sewer…
All the while, the heavenly Father longs to forgive and restore him,
and kiss away the tears of remorse.
You don’t need to spend 1 more night with the frogs, (or rats for that
matter), come home today, right now - the door’s wide open - so why
don’t you get up and come?!
Today, not tomorrow.
“Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him
return to the LORD , and He will have mercy on him, to our God, for He
will freely pardon.” Isaiah 55:7
In Luke chapter 9, Jesus encountered 3 of these “tomorrow” men.
Here’s Tomorrow Man #1
His point of contention is earthly security.
“As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him, ‘I will follow
you wherever you go’.” Luke 9:57
Now
That’s a daring promise!
 Wherever You go?!
 How about Afghanistan?
 What about the cross?
Here’s Christ’s response:
“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has
no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:58
We don’t hear from the man again.
He hadn’t thought through the cost.
It’s easy in the time of high emotions to make rash commitments, but
Jesus warned him right up front, before he could say another word:
“There’s sacrifices to be made – far different from much of our
modern-day evangelism.”
We want to make it sound as easy as we can.
We want to take the teeth out of following Christ – He puts them back in.
He puts them in right at the beginning!
Soul security, not earthly security, is His goal.
So if it’s yours, the Man-Without-A-Home and you, will surely be at odds.
Tomorrow Man #2
His point of contention is earthly ties.
“Jesus said to another, ‘Follow me.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go
and bury my father. Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead,
but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Luke 9:59-60
So,
Is Jesus against family ties?
Does he want us to be heartless to our loved ones?
No. Elsewhere Scripture tells us to take care of our families.
The issue is, “Who’s first?”
Can anyone else stop you from obeying Christ?
Does another hold greater sway over your affections than He?
When there’s a contest between someone you hold dear and Jesus, who
wins the trophy?
Too many will say,
“I’ll follow you later Jesus. I’ve other more important things to attend
to right now.”
-My mom, my dad,
-My girlfriend,
-My boyfriend,
-My education,
-My career.
-My, O My, how center stage is “My, My, My’s!”
What a big give-away to who’s on FIRST!
Hey,
There’s a sign hanging in the head office at Heaven which reads:
Jesus does not accept second place.
But if you think about it, neither does your husband or wife:
“Honey, I love you so much, but there’s this other woman, this other
man, I like a lot too - Ok?”
Friend, don’t play Jesus for a fool as if He’s a second-rate God who’s
happy to just a little attention. Such a picture of Christ is as insulting as it
is a farce.
Secondly, we see that being a Christian…
Isn’t just a matter of living a morally good life, but an active participation
in the spread of the Gospel – an earnest trying to get people saved!
‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom
of God.’ Luke 9:60
Believers must not be secret agents - silent witnesses.
The word “proclaim” means - if it means anything - to speak up!
Ill.
I heard Ray Comfort was on TV lamenting: “I’ve been a Christian for
31 years, and in all that time, nobody’s witnessed to me.”
He added, “What if 100% of the Body of Christ couldn’t pass a
stranger without wondering, ‘Is this person lost? ‘Are they on their
way to Hell?’ What a difference it would make!”
-Have you ever shed a tear for a lost soul?
-Are you ashamed to cry over the eternal damnation of a familiar face?
-If this won’t bring a tear to your eye, what will?
Seeing a mangled, wounded dog, struggling in the street to escape its pain?
Recognize,
You’ll never get a soul-burden; you’ll never weep over the lost as long as
other little fears and little loves rule your heart.
So, what’ll it be?
 Another quiet, calm, non-evangelistic week listening to the frogs croak?
 Being serious about Jesus means a redeemed soul, longs to redeem souls.
Tomorrow Man #3
This man’s point of contention is distractions
“Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and
say good bye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to
the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’.”
Luke 9:61-62
Notice,
This guy volunteers.
Now that’s a real plus!
We have a tendency to treat volunteers kindly.
We don’t want them to walk.
But in essence Jesus says, “It’s great that you volunteer, but you’ve got
to stick with it or it means nothing.”
Now,
Don’t miss the fact that this ‘tomorrow-man’ used that little word, “But.”
Every pastor has heard them:
“I would come to church regularly pastor, BUT...”
“I would get saved, BUT…”
“I would do this or that, BUT…”
You hear it from both saint and sinner alike.
The man said, “I will follow You, but first...”
There’s the problem: “But First Let Me…”
What “first” are you insisting on before you pick up the handles of the plow?
Christ’s response has a ‘but’ and a ‘first’ in it too - however His words
carry greater weight: “BUT seek FIRST the Kingdom!” Matthew 6:33
This man was…
 Already in the field,
 Already at work in the Kingdom,
 Already involved in the Church,
 Otherwise Christ’s comment of “Putting your hands to the plow and
looking back” wouldn’t make sense.
Jesus was saying:
“Sir, you’ve already declared yourself a laborer in My field – you’ve
already pick up the plow and started down the furrow.
-I’ve invested time, training, and treasures in you.
-I’ve given you important responsibilities around the farm,
-And for you to turn around now in the middle of the season, is to
place hardship on others, endanger the harvest.
Therefore, a quitter doesn’t deserve the great privilege of serving Me.”
This is a warning to slackers and back-trackers.
The true follower of Jesus allows no earthly distractions.
They don’t look back for anything or anyone.
There’s an excellent profile of those who take their responsibilities
seriously. It comes from People Weekly magazine following 9-11 attack:
Ill.
Speaking of the firefighters, one New Yorker remarked: “They’re a
different breed. You’ve been taught to run out of a burning building.
They’re taught to run in.”
On September 11th, some 370 emergency workers of New York made
the supreme sacrifice in order to save others from injury and death.
They had no second thoughts about their task or allegiance to the
cause – for them there was no turning back.
They had long ago made a commitment to rescue others and that
fateful September morning they sealed it with their very lives. They
are looked upon today as the valiant white knights of America –
a new breed of hero.”
Shouldn’t Christian be a new breed too?
Dedicated to rescuing those facing a fate worse than burning buildings.
Jesus knew that it’s easy to go back home and get distracted; to be talked out
of your original commitment.
After all,
 He was controversial.
 Unsafe.
 Dangerous to follow.
Maybe you need to re-consider.
Maybe you need to cool your heels.
Look around, who else do you see breaking their neck to further the Gospel?
Think about it,
Scores have already simply walked off the job.
They’ve forgotten how limited the planting season is.
How short the window of opportunity stands open for soul-work.
They assure themselves, “I’ll get back to the field tomorrow.”
Tomorrow is 24 hours too late for some furrows.
Have you been distracted lately?
Are other things crowding out Jesus, pushing Him to a back corner?
It usually happens a little at a time.
Almost imperceptibly.
Your hands slip, you lose your grip.
The plow is fallen to the ground and lies motionless where it’s dropped.
No work for the Master has been done for a while.
No prayers for those whose names that are as well-known as your own.
No helpful hand offered in the Name of Jesus.
No words of faith spoken to uplift another.
No tract slipped to a wondering soul.
When,
My friend, when do you want God to remove the frogs of indifference
from your room?
Will you leave today and spend 1 more night with the amphibians?
Last of all…
Let me add a 4th Tomorrow Man.
He or she is the conscious sinner.
Notice,
All the other characters of Jesus’ interaction were supposed believers.
This person is outside the fold.
They’re actually teetering on the fence.
God’s message to them is an urgent “Today” memo.
“Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
“Choose today whom you will serve.” Joshua 24:15
But,
So many, like the Pharaoh of Egypt, think in terms of tomorrow.
The problem is, tomorrow may be missing from your calendar.
Ill.
Evangelist, Dr. Hugh Pyle, says that when he was preaching in Tennessee a
lady came to hear him. She was unsaved and admitted to both the pastor
that she ought to come forward and settle things with God.
However, when the time came, she stood her ground even though only
moment before, she had raised her hand as Dr. Pyle asked it there was
anyone who wanted him to pray for them.
This woman left that meeting that night with unfinished business
between her and God. The very next day as the pastor sat down to eat
he received an emergency call to come to the hospital – this very same
woman had been rushed to the hospital late in the morning, and had
died before noon!
For her,
One more night with the frogs, was 1 too many!
In her case, the next day in her date book had been ripped out – missing
from the records in Heaven, because her time was up.
Now,
I want to suggest a 2nd reason why you dare not spend even 1 more night
with the frogs!
Something Worse May Come In the Place of the Frogs!
It was true in the case of Pharaoh.
After the frogs came lice, flies, locusts, boils, fire, darkness - and finally,
as he persisted in defiance - the death of the firstborn in every Egyptian
home, including his own!
What a stark tragedy!
Ill.
The Famous American pastor, Jonathan Edwards, tells of a notorious
alcoholic who had once been a member of his church. One night this
man dreamed he died and went to Hell. Being in great agony, he
pleaded with God to give him another chance to go back to earth and
change.
Amazingly, the Lord granted his wish with the stipulation that He would
give him 1 more year to do so. If by year’s end, he hadn’t changed, he
would surely return to where he was.
Well, the dream so shook him up that he reported it to Dr. Edwards,
who in turn told him that he had better regard it as a serious warning
from God, and do something about it.
For a while the man quit drinking and began to attend church. But it
lasted only a few month until he was back to drinking bad as ever.
One day when he was so drunk that he couldn’t go home, some
friends carried him to a nearby carpenter’s shop and laid him on the
floor and left.
During the night he woke up and attempted to negotiate a set of stairs.
The next morning they found him dead from a broken neck.
Since the dream was quite unusual to him, Dr. Edwards, had made
note of it in his diary. Upon being informed of the man’s death, he
went back and looked up the entry.
To his amazement he discovered it was exactly 1 year from that date!
The proverb say,
“He who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be
destroyed, and that without remedy.” Proverbs 29:1
Jesus’ words are strong, He calls for us to commit ourselves completely to
Him, and stay with it.
The committed believer has:
No Earthly Security,
No Earthly Ties,
No Earthly Distractions,
Greater than his loyalty to the Son of God.
Jesus said to the first man:
“COUNT THE COST.”
To the second:
“LEAVE IT BEHIND.”
And to the third:
“DON’T LOOK BACK.”
And the forth:
“DON’T WAIT.”
What’s He saying to YOU?
How many more nights will you put up with cold-blooded companions
from the creek?