Sermon: Making Adequate Travel Plans Summary: When taking a long trip, it is necessary to plan ahead to make sure you have everything needed in order to make the trip. The same is true when it comes to travel plans for Heaven. Text: Various Scripture Reading: John 14:1-3 Intro: 1. A lot of you have been traveling this summer - What do you do to prepare? a. Depends on whether we are driving, flying, train, or bus b. Whatever mode of transportation, we make preparations c. Have you ever started a trip an realized you had forgotten something? - Maybe it was bathroom bad, makeup, blow dryer - Hopefully it wasn't the kids you forgot d. It would be bad if we didn't have our tickets, or passports, money, etc. 2. Read an article that was a reflection on travel plans, gave me idea for this sermon 3. The Bible also speaks of making travel plans a. It will be the farthest, biggest trip you will ever take b. We want to make sure we are prepared for this trip 4. Want to look this morning on things to consider as we make travel plans I. Mode of transportation - A. Should we drive, fly, take a bus, etc? B. You can't drive there, only way to get there is through flying 1. You will be a passenger, you can't take yourself there 2. I don't think you will get air sick C. (1 Thess 4:16-17) - Lord will descend, we will fly to meet him II. Vaccinations A. Often on a trip, we have to get shots before we can go 1. I remember getting small pox and tetanus before going to Korea 2. Still have a neat little scar from the small pox vaccination B. But no vaccinations will be required for Heaven. Why? 1. (Rev 21:4) - No mourning, crying, or pain 2. (Rev 22:1-2) - Water of life from throne, tree of life, leaves for healing of the nations 3. Death, pain, and sickness will have been eradicated C. ILL: Biologists trying to find vaccinations and cures for disease 1. Whether it was small pox, aids, strains of the flu 2. Some would like to find a cure for the common cold D. There will be no disease to worry about in Heaven III. Luggage A. When going on a trip try to decide how much to pack 1. Now many airlines charge extra for luggage 2. So, we try to travel light, or go by car B. ILL: Remember going on Youth Rallies growing up 1. Us boys might pack a back pack, or paper sack 2. Girls had 200 lbs of excess baggage 3. Took everything they might possibly need with them 4. Needless to say, we were loaded down C. But there will be no luggage needed or allowed (1 Tim 6:7) 1. Job 1:21 - Job said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I shall return 2. You cannot take anything of this earth with you on this trip 3. Lk 12:15-21 - Jesus told story about rich man had too much a. No place to store his wealth b. Would build bigger barns, take it easy, eat drink merry c. God said that night he would die, now who will own it? d. So is the man who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God D. So, you can't take any luggage or any thing with you - But, you can send something ahead of you... IV. Money - So what will we do for money or currency? A. Often times, we convert our money to the other currency after arrival B. Converting our money to heavenly currency to be done ahead of time 1. (Mt 19:16-21) - Sell, give to poor, follow Jesus, treasure Heaven 2. Use your wealth to serve people in name of Christ C. ILL: Used to hear - Man who dies with most toys wins 1. That is a lie 2. Man who dies with the most toys still dies 3. ILL: It was Andrew Carnegie, richest man in world who said a. The man who dies rich dies disgraced b. He believed the wealthy had special responsibility to help others with their wealth D. So, when we use what we have to serve, we building up account in Heaven V. Accommodations on the other end A. We make arrangements for some place to stay when traveling B. ILL: On a trip through Ohio, back from Searcy to Vermont 1. Tired, wanted to stop for the night. 2. Drove for hours looking for motel with vacancy 3. Finally found one, called the "miracle motel" 4. We learned that it was good to make reservations if you can C. Jesus himself has made reservations for you (Jn 14:1-3) 1. He is preparing our home for us 2. He will come and get you and bring you home VI. Tickets A. We have to make sure we purchase our tickets for the trip B. We can't purchase these tickets, we can't afford to price C. However, Jesus could afford it and paid the price 1. He came down from Heaven to pay the cost 2. He paid with his own life on the cross 3. You see, we can only go to Heaven debt free a. We had a debt of sin we couldn't pay b. Once we sin, we forfeit ourselves, nothing to pay with c. Jesus was sinless, so he could pay our debt 4. He purchased our ticket to Heaven D. Tickets are already bought - But you need to claim them. How? 1. You can only claim them if you accept Jesus as savior and Lord 2. Rom 10:9 - a. Confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus - Not just the savior Jesus - Also the Lord Jesus - Means let him rule your life b. Believe in your heart God raised him from the dead - Jesus not just some religious guru - He is crucified and risen Lord - Defeated sin at the cross, death at the grave 3. Acts 3:19 - Repent and return, so sins be washed away 4. Acts 2:38 - Repent and be baptized in name of Jesus for remission of sins V. Departure Time A. Want to make sure you are there in time not to miss your flight 1. They say be at least an hour early 2. Sometimes, it has been a couple of hours early 3. Even if you are there, need to be listening. B. ILL: Flight in Abilene - 3 of us flying out on the same flight 1. Heard our flight was delayed on the loudspeakers 2. We hung around in the coffee shop and visited, waiting for the announcement to board 3. Later noticed plane taxiing down the runway. Is that our plane? a. We asked, and it was our flight, they had taken our luggage off the plane b. They said they called for boarding c. Evidently it was only at the gate, not on the loudspeaker d. Last flight of the day, so got rental car and made connecting flight at DFW 4. We determined from that point on, to wait at the gate and be ready at a moments notice C. We do not know the departure time, so we always need to be ready 1. Jesus said no one knows day or the hour, not the angel, not even himself, Mt 24:36f 2. Jesus said we need to be ready at all time 3. (1 Thess 5:1-6) - Will come like thief, be alert and sober - ready D. Departure time could be in the next few moments. Are you ready? Concl: 1. Are you prepared for travel? If not, now is the time to get prepared 2. First, you have to claim your ticket. Obey the Gospel today