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“Getting Ready to Move”

Eric McKee
08/11/24 - Sun PM

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I first like to begin by letting you know the inspiration of the sermon for tonight.

Uh You can see they're getting ready to move.

So the inspiration for the sermon came from two places.

The first was back in January.

Troy Nicholson preached a sermon entitled Lessons from moving.

And he had just, he and his family had just relocated from Tennessee to Alabama.

And uh and so he shared with us uh that lesson and some spiritual applications that he applied uh to uh a lot of the details of his move and it was, it was really good.

And then the second uh bit of inspiration is my mom and dad as well as my sister and her family, which many of, you know, this have recently relocated from Kentucky to North Alabama.

And so they're living over in Athens.

And uh and so they're, they're in the area now.

And so these types of things have been on my mind quite a bit uh in recent months.

And so, uh so I put this sermon together and so this evening, I want us to consider the things that you and I need to do when we are getting ready to move and you may be sitting here thinking, well, Eric, I'm not getting ready to move.

I don't know about you, but uh, but I'm not getting ready to move.

Well, actually everybody on this earth is getting ready to move.

And in fact, if we're wise, we're going to understand that this entire life is really about getting ready to move to the next life.

And so that's what I want us to consider tonight.

Because this place where we live here on earth is not the place where we are intended to be.

This is not our final destination.

This is a journey that takes us to that destination.

And there is going to come a day for each one of us and each one of our lives in which we are going to leave this place and we are going to move on to that final destination.

In John chapter 14 verses one through six.

Jesus said, 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 prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself.

That where that where I am there, you may be also and where I go, you know, and the way you know.

And Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way.

And Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me.

And so Jesus said, I'm going to leave this earth and I'm going to move to another place.

And when I get to that other place, I'm going to prepare a place for you.

So that where I am, you may be also.

And so this place where Jesus moved is the place that we want to move one day.

That's the place that I want to move at the end of this life.

And he went to prepare that place for his people.

And so it is a prepared place for a prepared people.

And so that's why we have to prepare, we have to get ready for that move.

In second Corinthians chapter five verses one through seven, we read there that Paul wrote.

We, we know that if our earthly house, this tent is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens.

For in this, we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation, which is from heaven.

If indeed having been clothed, we should not be found naked for we who are in this tent grown, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed.

That mortality may be swallowed up by life.

Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God who also has given us the spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.

For we walk by faith and not by sight.

And so Paul describes it this way that we are living in a tent.

And you know, Paul knew a lot about tents because that's what he did for a living.

He was a tent maker and he knew of course, as well as anybody that a tent was a temporary dwelling place.

It wasn't like a house that was more permanent dwelling place.

And so he said that we live in a tent to signify that we are living in a permanent or in a temporary body.

But then we are looking forward to a permanent dwelling and that is a house.

And so we need to get ready for that move.

And so tonight, I want us to consider some important things about getting ready to move.

Ok. So the first one is to get ready to move.

We have to plan.

Ok. Planning is an important part.

Steven Covey coined this phrase, begin with the end in mind, ok.

So there is some end, there is some destination, there are, there is a goal and so we need to do the things today to prepare for the things that we anticipate tomorrow.

And so begin with the end in mind.

And so planning is an important part of life.

You know, first of all, you know, when you're, when a person is considering moving, physically moving, uh, in into a new area, there's some questions they need to ask themselves.

You know, the first one is, where am I going to move?

And then what am I going to need when I get there?

Ok. So if I'm moving from a house into an apartment, then I may not need a lawnmower, I probably won't need a lawnmower when I get to the apartment.

And so I can get rid of that.

Um, if I'm going from a four bedroom house to a two bedroom house, so I'm downsizing, then there's some beds that I'm not gonna need.

There may be some other furniture that I'm not going to need.

Uh, if the new place comes with the refrigerator, then I may not need to move mine.

You know, I'll just use maybe the, the other one at the other place.

And so we have to understand where is it that I'm going?

And what types of things am I gonna need when I get to that new location?

The second thing is what is going to be required of me to get to the point where I'm ready to move. Right.

And so, you know, some people are better planners than other others, but maybe you have a schedule or a checklist or a to do list and you just list out, I need to buy boxes, get the packaging material, line up a moving truck, uh line up any help that I might need.

And so there's things that we need to do to plan for this move.

Um Of course, Jesus taught uh very extensively about planning, especially in Luke chapter 14 verses 28 to 33 when he said for which of you intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it lest after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish all who see it will begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish or what king going to make war against another king does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 12,000 to meet him, who comes him, comes to him with 20,000 or else while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for conditions of peace.

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.

And so spiritually speaking, we have to consider where is it that we want to go after we leave this place?

And then what types of things are we going to need when we get to that place?

Um Well, for me, I want to move to heaven.

I don't want to end up in hell after I leave this place.

And so what do I need in heaven?

What kinds of things can I take to heaven with me?

In Matthew chapter six verses 231 through 26 Jesus said, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither Moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there.

Your heart will be also, you know, there's a lot of nice things that are made out of steel, right?

But those things aren't gonna be in heaven.

There's not gonna be any rust there.

You know, there's a lot of nice clothes that we might buy and back in these days they would buy clothing as an investment.

But, but there's not gonna be any clothes there, there's not gonna be any moths to, to destroy clothes.

There's not gonna be material things that a thief is gonna, is gonna want to steal.

And so there's not gonna be thieves there that are gonna be stealing.

It's just not gonna be that kind of place.

And so we have to plan for the type of place that we want to go after this, after this life is over.

And, and really it takes, uh, it takes reasoning on, on our part.

You know, when Paul went to Felix there in acts chapter 28 and verse 262 he was preaching the gospel to Felix.

And as Felix, it says that as Felix reasoned about righteousness, self control and the judgment to come, he was fearful. Ok?

But he reasoned about righteousness, self control and the judgment to come.

And this is part of our planning process while we're here is we need to reason about righteousness.

That, that God has, is, is the source of righteousness.

He everything he says and does is righteous.

And there is a standard of righteousness.

And even if we try to understand God's standards through His word, those standards of righteousness, we still would need the second right?

Self control.

You have to reason about self control because we need to control ourselves, our behavior make decisions um based on the things that we find in God's word.

And then, and, and we need to practice self control to try to attain to that righteousness because we recognize that there is a judgment to come.

And so it's important for us to reason about righteousness, self control and the judgment to come and making these plans.

Um when we come to realize that this is not our permanent residence, it's only then that we're gonna start making plans for our, our permanent residents.

You know, the place that we're, we're going to go.

And so, you know, the first thing is, is getting ready to move, means planning.

The second is getting ready to move means getting rid of stuff.

You know, sometimes when we move, we, it's, it's then that we realize that there's a lot of things that we really don't need anymore.

Um, and some of these things, quite frankly just need to go to the dump.

They just need to be, uh, thrown away because they're really not any good to us and they're not really any good to anyone else as well.

Uh, a, an example of this is when, when, uh, mom and dad moved.

So I went for a week and, you know, just helped him pack things up and, and things like that.

Well, I, I go out to my dad's workshop and he had dozens, maybe scores, probably dozens, dozens of paint cans.

I mean, there were paint cans everywhere and they, all, he had all had the, the lid popped on all of them and he, and they're half drying out.

Some of them got a little bit of paint in them.

Some were nearly all the way full.

Uh, some of them are dried up.

Some are partially dried up.

Well, number one, they weren't, they weren't even his paint, you know, most of that was the previous owners.

And so it was so old that it separated.

It wasn't any good, it was rusted cans.

Number two, he didn't want to leave all that stuff for the next person that was buying the house.

But then number three, he didn't want to just take it to the dump and dispose of it in a, you know, uh, environmentally irresponsible way.

And so he had, he had researched like, how to properly dispose of paint.

And so he's, he's spending all this time, you know, pouring it from one can to another and mixing it with different things and, and he just had this whole process going out there and he spent an enormous amount of time and energy and effort trying to get rid of that paint that was completely worthless.

And, you know, spiritually, there are things in our lives that are completely worthless and it is possible that we may have to expend a lot of time and energy and effort to get those things out of our lives.

There are the sins that so easily ensnare us.

There are the temptations that, that plague us.

You know, there are things that things that are difficult for us to, to let go of.

But it's, it's worth the effort to, to get rid of those things and send those things to the dump.

In Colossians chapter three verses five through nine, it says put to death, your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry because of these things.

The wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these anger wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

Do not lie to one another since you have put out off the old man with his deeds.

And then Ephesians 216 put off concerning your former conduct, the old man which corrupts which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, you know, and there's no way in the world that we're gonna be able to do this without Jesus Christ, there's no way that we are going to be able to get rid of our sins ourselves.

It's gonna be the blood of Christ that does that and we're gonna have to submit to him so that he can cleanse us of all sins and forgive us of those things.

And then one of the hardest parts is for us to then in turn forgive ourselves for things that we have done in the past.

But we, we certainly need, uh, Jesus Christ to be able to, to cast those things off and remove those things from, from our lives.

Also, as we're preparing to move, there are some things that are worth keeping, but we decide to just give them away.

I mean, there's nothing really wrong with them, but we, we decide to, instead of throw them away just to give them away.

You know, mom and dad and I'm sure Amy and Chad as well.

Uh, had a lot of things that they weren't gonna be able to use where they're going.

And so they just gave, gave a lot of stuff away and I was the happy recipient of some of those things myself.

And so, you know, similarly, there are some things that we need to give away in this life for the good of others.

Um things that we're not going to be able to take with us.

We're not gonna be able to take on that move with us anyway.

And so, you know, we sometimes we try to hold on so tight to things and, and we just need to give, give some of those things away.

In second Corinthians chapter nine verse seven, let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or necessity for God loves a cheerful giver.

You know, not because we feel like we have to not with a bad attitude but but cheerfully.

And that's what God loves a cheerful giver.

And Jesus himself said in acts chapter 212 verse 62.

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Yeah, to prepare for our move.

We need to give of our time while we're on this earth, we need to give of our money.

And of course, we need to give of ourselves.

And if we give of ourselves, then the time and money is just gonna come naturally.

It really has to be giving of ourselves giving to the Lord first and then uh and then given of these other things in Matthew chapter 226 verses 217.

Through 2919 Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

For what profit is it to a man.

If he gains the whole world and loses his own soul, or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

And so getting ready to move means getting rid of some things.

The next thing is protecting the important things. Ok?

So now that we've gotten rid of the things that we were not gonna move, now we're left with the things that are worth moving, the things that are worth taking with us.

Uh You know, some of the things that we generally want to protect the most are the things that have some sentimental value to us.

It may have belonged to a parent or a grandparent and it may not have really cost them much back then, but it really means a lot to us.

And so we wanna make sure that those things are protected uh when we, when we relocate and um, and really anything that is worth moving is worth protecting.

Um And so, you know, when we do this, we take a lot of care, you know, we'll wrap things in bubble wrap.

Uh we may put things as we're putting things in boxes, we'll take each item and wrap it in, in packing paper and then we'll put it in there, you know, one piece at a time and in that way it gets there and it's, it's in one piece and it's not, it's not damaged.

Um But the, you know, the point is is that we protect the things that are worth keeping.

And so really, we need to, we need to pack our heart in bubble wrap, so to speak.

We need to wrap our love and compassion and sincerity with packing paper.

We need to have a bunch of styrofoam peanuts in a box with our hope of eternal life.

We need to put a big thick moving blanket around our faith.

We, we need to protect the things that are going to move from this place to the next place.

We need to protect those things.

Um You know, the, the things that are worth protecting are the things we're gonna that are gonna move with us.

And you know, one example of that, of course is Galatians chapter five verses 22 through 25.

And it says they're the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control against such.

There is no law and those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit.

And so it's these things of the spirit that are gonna follow us when we move away from this world.

And so it's things like this that we have to protect uh in Proverbs chapter four, verse 23 the Proverb writer there says, keep your heart with all diligence for out of it.

Spring the issues of life in Psalm 1 1911, your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.

You know, we, we expend a lot of energy and I do too.

But you know, we expend a lot of energy and effort, protecting and ensuring our house and our car and our health, right.

We protect and ensure our house and our car and our health.

But we need to protect and ensure our soul, right?

Because our soul is gonna leave with us when we go.

But all these, all these other things are not in Luke chapter 12 verses 173 through 21.

Jesus said, take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.

Then he spoke a parable to them saying the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

And he thought within himself saying, what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops.

So he said, I will do this, I will pull down my barns and build greater and there I will store my crops and my goods.

And I will say to my soul soul, you have many goods laid up for many years, take your ease eat, drink and be merry.

But God said to him, fool this night, your soul shall be required of you.

Then whose will those things be which you have provided?

So is He who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God?

And so again, we need to protect the things that are worth keeping.

And that is these treasures laid up in heaven that that actually make us truly rich.

Get getting ready means protecting the important things.

And then the next getting ready means packing.

It means packing.

You know, the most effective way that I've found to pack a box is to take larger items that would fit in that box and put them in there first and get as many of those larger items in there as I can.

And then I follow with smaller items and then progressively smaller items until I can get as much in that box as I can and flip the lid.

And the same is true for packing out a car, packing out a truck.

You know, you put those larger items in there first and then you put all the smaller items in there next.

But why is it when it comes to our spiritual life uh or our life really here on this earth?

Why is it that we, we focus so much about all the small things first.

You know, generally we, the tendency is to want to, oh, I gotta take care of all these small things.

But then the some of the larger things in our life may, may become a secondary thing really.

We need to focus on God first.

And then we would be surprised at how many other joys in life will go ahead and fill those gaps and give us a AAA blessed life.

Uh Overall in Matthew chapter six verses 31 through 33 Jesus said, do not worry saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear.

After all these things, the gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things but seek first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.

And then in Colossians 31 through three, if then you are raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, set your mind on things above not on things of the earth for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

And so getting ready to move means prioritizing our packing, putting God and His kingdom and His righteousness into our life first.

And then all these other things, these secondary things will, will be blessed with getting help is another thing that's needed when getting ready to move.

You know, we don't always want to ask for help.

You know, even when we're moving, you know, we don't want when we're relocating from a house to a house or something.

We, we, sometimes we don't want to ask for help but we'll just, we'll just do it ourselves.

I don't want to inconvenience somebody.

Uh, I don't want somebody to have to go out of their way.

And so we don't always like to, to get help, you know.

Uh, a little over a year ago I had bought something very large and bulky and awkward and somewhat heavy, but I didn't think it was that heavy, uh, from Lowe's and I could have easily gone in and gotten Clark.

I mean, the kids practically bigger than me now.

Uh, but I thought, no, I've got this, I'll just, I'll just pick this thing up.

And so I reached across it, it was a door and I reached across it and I just grabbed the other side of it and I just lifted that thing up and I felt it right away.

I mean, right in my lower back and I thought, oh, that was a mistake.

I shouldn't have done that.

I should not have done that.

I mean, Clark was right inside.

I, all I had to do was just go in there and ask him I shouldn't have done that.

Well, it took about 6 to 8 weeks.

Uh, and I, before it finally started feeling good.

Uh, it was, uh, so I could have, I could have, um, I could have avoided all the pain and hassle and uncomfort and lack of sleep.

And I could have avoided all those things, but I just gone in and just asked for help and, you know, and spiritually in our spiritual walk, walk, we need help.

I mean, more so than, than in our physical life.

You know, spiritually we need help.

We all need help.

And sometimes we think, well, you know, I just don't know, I don't want to inconvenience somebody.

I don't want to put that burden on them.

You know, Galatians 62 says, bear one another's burdens, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

How do we fulfill the law of Christ by bearing one another's burdens?

And, you know, we can't bear one another's burdens if we don't know that there's a burden to bear and we can't get help with our burdens if, if we don't ask, unless someone is perceptive, of course, and they, and they recognize it and help.

But bearing one another's burdens is so important in our spiritual walk.

In James chapter five verse 16, James writes, confess your trans trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.

The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

You know, we can't pray for one another if we don't know what each others is struggling with.

And so it's important that we bear one another's burdens in Philippians chapter two verse four, let each of you look out, not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

You know, this is, this is the whole idea of the body of Christ.

You know, the body of Christ is one unit with, with the head being Jesus Christ.

And in first Corinthians chapter 12, verse 24 to 26 we're told that God composed this body, having given greater honor to that part, which lacks it, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, or if one member is honored, all of the members rejoice with it, we need each other and of course, we need God in James chapter one verse 17.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

We need God.

We need each other.

We, we have to abide in the vine as a branch.

We must abide in the vine, which is Jesus Christ.

He says I am the vine.

You are the branches.

He who abides in me and I in Him bears much fruit for without me, you can do nothing.

We cannot bear good fruit without being a part of the vine.

We'll, we'll just be a dead branch.

If we're not a part of the vine of Jesus Christ, he says without me, you can do nothing.

In Philippians chapter four and verse 919, my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

God shall supply all your need.

God has infinite resources.

And so God is able to supply all of our needs.

In Philippians chapter four also verses six through seven, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

Let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We need each other and we need our Lord to make it through.

The, I'm gonna read the first and last verse of the song.

Be with me. Lord.

The first verse goes be with me. Lord.

I cannot live without thee.

I dare not try to take one step alone.

I cannot bear the loads of life unaided.

I need thy strength to lean myself upon be with me, Lord, when loneliness, loneliness or takes me when I must weep amid the fires of pain and when shall come.

The hour of my departure for worlds unknown.

Oh Lord, be with me.

Then getting ready to move, means getting help from others and getting help from our father.

And this is what we're talking about this evening.

The hour of my departure for worlds unknown, the hour of my departure, there's going to be an hour of my departure.

And that's going to be moving day, that's gonna be the day that I move from this place to the next.

And I've got to ask myself, am I ready for that?

Am I ready to move to that eternal home?

Am I making the right plans?

Am I getting rid of the things that I don't need to hold on to?

Am I protecting the things of the spirit that are the most important?

Am I putting God first in my life?

Am I getting help from my brothers and sisters?

And am I going to God for his help?

Are we ready to move if you're here tonight?

And you've never become a Christian, you have the opportunity to do that.

If you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and you're willing to confess that and repent of the things you've done in the past, turn away from those things and be baptized into Christ to put on Christ.

You can rise to walk in newness of life.

The Lord would add you to the church.

He adds to the church, those who are being saved or if you've done this and you need the prayers of the brothers and sisters here, make those things known while together, we stand to encourage you in song.