Passion For Relationship

Lincoln Memorial – 28 August 1963

Martin Luther King

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

Union Buildings - 10 May 1994

Nelson Mandela

Today we can begin to dream. Today we can begin to cast our eyes forward to tomorrow.

The time for the healing of the wounds has come.

The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come.

The time to build is upon us.

We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.

We succeeded to take our last steps to freedom in conditions of relative peace. We commit ourselves to the construction of a complete, just and lasting peace.

Both great men – both men with great vision.

MY VISION

I definitely do not put myself in their shoes, but I would to share a dream, a vision with you this morning.

I dream of a church.

A church that has Jesus Christ as its leader. A church that leads people to Christ not to swell numbers, but to build kingdom.

A church that fulfills community needs simply because Christ’s love compels it to.

I dream of a church where relationship with God is its all.

A place where children laugh, learn and grow. Families are built, friends are found and every single person here are my brothers and sisters.

I dream of a church where nothing comes between its members. Where fellowship is the order of the day and support and love follow naturally.

I dream of a church where the thought of the great commission causes an excitement. Where the thought of working for Christ causes anticipation.

I dream of a church where revival is constant, the Holy Spirit evident, Jesus’s leadership a given and the Hand of God in our lives our theme.

I dream of Riversong. I dream of our church.

LOOKING AT PROPERTY – NOTICED THE NEWNESS

This week I have spent the week looking at property. As I looked for property for the church.

My IMAX Imagination kicked in and I began to have some dreams about what we could get done for God here at Riversong. And boy did it excite me!

CHANGE

One thing that I realized though is that this church is going through a change. Have you noticed it. Have noticed the winds of the Holy Spirit blowing afresh in your life recently.

Have you noticed that there is a freshness, a change in how and what we do at church.

MESSAGE OF RELATIONSHIP

Well listen up church because with this renewal, revival happening right here at Riversong.

With the Riversong tomorrow promising the realization of our dreams, God has a message for Riversong church this morning! God is saying to us – I will refresh you through a new and deeper relationship.

YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE

God’s desire is for an intimate relationship with us that makes us new, revived people.

He said, (Jeremiah 31:33). “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” There you have it all: transformation, a new heart and a new relationship.

STORY OF JOSIAH

To understand this transformation, this new heart, this new relationship I want to tell you a story.

BACKGROUND FACTS - FILTH

One of the most unusual in the Old Testament in many ways.

King of Judah,

He was only eight years old when he took the throne.

He is one of the last kings to reign before the nation was overrun by the Babylonians.

The Temple was in a disastrous state, and it symbolized the calamitous spiritual condition of the people.

Josiah’s father and grandfather were evil kings, but in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, he decided to repair and restore the Temple of the Lord.