Preparing for Moving Day
Dr. George Bannister
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· 57 viewsJesus urged those with whom he spoke to make preparation for his return.
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Preparing for Moving Day
John 14:1-6
1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
INTRODUCTION:
A- The inescapable truth:
1- We will all one day leave this life.
2- We will leave either prepared or unprepared.
B- The inescapable question:
1- are you prepared for moving day?
2- What does the Bible say about preparing for moving day?
TS: Notice some facts about “preparing for moving day.”
I- There is a prepared place to prepare to move to (John 14:1–2).
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
A- Comfort for those who are personally prepared (John 14:1).
1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
1- The child of God has no reason to fear, for it is only a doorway into a better place (2 Corinthians 5:6; Philippians 1:21).
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.
21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
Quote: D. L. Moody on death.
"Some day you will read in the papers, 'D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead.' Don't you believe a word of it!
At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now;
I shall have gone up higher, that is all,
out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal --
a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint;
a body fashioned like unto His glorious body.
I was born of the flesh in 1837.
I was born of the Spirit in 1856.
That which is born of the flesh may die.
That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.”
Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
B- Christ is preparing you a place (John 14:2).
2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
1- The place he is preparing is indescribably beautiful (Revelation 21:16–27).
16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).
18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.
22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
2- The place he is preparing is inconceivably joyful (Revelation 21:1–5).
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
II- There is a promised return to prepare for (John 14:3).
3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
A- The assurance of his return.
1- Jesus promised he would return (John 14:3).
2- The Angels promised that Jesus would return (Acts 1:11).
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
3- The apostle promised Jesus would return (1 Thessalonians 4:13–17).
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
B- The assurance of eternal fellowship (John 14: 3B).
1- The children of God will move into the place Jesus has prepared.
III- There is a particular way to prepare for moving day (John 14:4–6).
4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
A- That particular way is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
1- Repentance of sin (Romans 3:10, 23; Romans 6:23; Luke 13:3).
10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
2- Reception of Jesus as personal Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9 – 13; John 1:12).
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
B- That preparation must be made while there is time.
1- Parable of 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1–13).
1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.
Conclusion:
A few hours before entering the “homeland” Dwight L Moody caught a glimpse of the glory awaiting him. Awakening from a sleep, he said, “Earth recedes, heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling me and I must go!”
His son who was standing by his side said, “no, no, father you are dreaming.”
“No!” said Mr. Moody, “I am not dreaming: I have been within the gates, I have seen the children’s faces.”
A short time elapsed and then, following what seemed to the family to be the death struggle he spoke again: “this is my tryout! This is my coronation day! It is glorious!”
A- moving day is certain for everyone.
1- Are you prepared to go to the place Jesus is preparing for you?