Keith Battle - The Move

Father, please, it is my privilege to serve. I want to stage, but I’m serving. It’s an honor to be able to serve these brothers and sisters who are listening, who are tuned in, who are present. May this meal, may this message really help people in significant ways. May it be clear that, since I don’t know these people very personally, it is evident that You are talking to us. I’m just Your instrument; play me for Your glory. May we be transformed and not just informed—may we be transformed in Jesus' name. Amen.

Genesis 11, beginning at verse 27: It says in the New Living Translation, «This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Haran, who was born to Seraiah. I’ve got all that. It’s easy.

In verse 30, but Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children. One day, verse 31 says, Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and his grandson Lot, Haran’s child, and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. Somebody say they moved. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for two hundred and five years and died while still in Haran.

Chapter 12, verse 1: The Lord said to Abram, „Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the families on earth will be blessed through you.“ So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed him, and Lot went with him. Everybody say they moved. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Somebody said he moved. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all his wealth, his livestock, and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran, and headed for the land of Canaan. Somebody say they moved.

When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. Then he set up camp beside the oak of Moray. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, „I will give this land to your descendants.“ And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord who had appeared to him. After that, verse 8 says, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. Somebody said he moved. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord and worshiped the Lord.

Verse 9: Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. Somebody said, „I moved.“ My subjective take is that „the move“ depends upon where you’re from and will determine the meaning of the term „the move.“ If you’re in an urban setting, when somebody says, „What’s the move?“ they are referring to plans for the evening. Phil is strong in that section right there. Like, „What’s the move?“ The move has to do with what is our strategic itinerary for the weekend and what we’re about to get into. The move has to do with where we are headed and what our plan is.

In the game of checkers and chess, the game is won or lost based on moves. In fact, a highly skilled chess player can point to one particular move in the game that cost the opponent the match. Moves matter. I was talking to one of the Washington Wizards a few weeks ago, before free agency started on July 1st. This was back in the last week of June; we were both at an event for one of the players, who was having a baby shower. I was talking to him; he was a faithful guy in chapel. I asked, „So what do you think is going to happen to you this summer? Where do you think you’re going to play this season?“ He said, „Man, for all of us free agents, we’re all in the same boat.“ I asked what he meant, and he started pointing at other guys—there was a guy from Houston’s team and a guy who plays for the Lakers. These were not really the main stars; they were role players. He said, „They’re all in the same boat, ” explaining that they were waiting to see what LeBron was going to do. He said, „Once LeBron makes his move, then front offices start filling their rosters based on what he does.“ What he was letting me know is that the front offices all over the NBA are making moves, but LeBron is the move. There are always subsequent supplemental moves that are connected to the move.

The definition of the word „move“ means a change in place or position. Whenever you are making moves in your life, every move requires a decision. There is something decisive that must happen that guides you in the direction of your intended destination, position, or place. It’s called a move, and the reason why I believe God directed me to talk about this today is not only because…