Introduction
1. If you have ever visited the Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida, then you probably found it to be interesting, informative, and entertaining.
a. The research, time and money that went into a place such as this are mind-boggling.
b. When the Epcot Center was dedicated, Eric Severid (CBS News Commentator) was invited to be the main speaker for the ceremony.
c. Naturally, he spent a great deal of time praising Walt Disney for his genius and accomplishment.
2. This morning I want to use a point he made in that dedication speech, which has a lot of application to the church as well.
a. The speaker stated there are three types of people who make up the world:
There are Well Poisoner, Grass Cutters, and Dream Builders.
b. He said that neither the Well Poisoner, nor the Grass Cutter could never accomplish such an accomplishment as The Epcot Center.
c. It took a Dream Builder to accomplish an enormous task such as this.
3. I’m not going spend much time on the Epcot Center or Disney World, however I would like to deal with the points made in that dedication speech.
4. I want to look at each category of people, and I want to challenge you today to commit yourself to being a Dream Builder.
And in order to be a Dream Builder;
You have to have goals,
You have to have purpose,
You have to have a vision.
Scripture
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
35Do you not say, ’There are still four months and then comes the harvest’?
Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! John 4:34-35
Prayer
Message
I. First, Some People Are Well Poisoner.
A. A Well Poisoner is someone who is just trying to cause trouble, or a person who just naturally causes trouble.
B. Do you remember a several years ago when someone poisoned Tylenol capsules?
1. That scared the entire country, and I am sure that you probably didn’t want to take Tylenol until you felt it was safe.
2. Many people went around with headaches because they were afraid to take any medication for the headache.
3. Why would anyone want to place poison in Tylenol capsules?
4. There wasn’t anyone in particular they were trying to kill, they just wanted to cause trouble.
5. They could be placed in the category of a Well Poisoner, they just wanted to cause trouble.
C. There was a Well Poisoner in the Garden of Eden.
1. God made mankind placed Adam and Eve in this beautiful paradise with everything he needed for joy and happiness.
2. God told Adam and Eve that he was not to eat of the tree of knowledge.
3. But, behold, a Well Poisoner appeared on the scene and brought mankind into a state of disobedience (Genesis 3:1-6).
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, ’You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?"
2The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ’You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ "
4The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!
5"For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:1-6
4. It didn’t change Satan’s situation for him to deceive man, he just wanted to cause trouble.
D. There was several Well Poisoner present among the spies, which went into Canaan. (Numbers 13:26-33).
They proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.
27Thus they told him, and said, "We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
28"Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.
29"Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan."
30Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said,
"We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it."
31But the men who had gone up with him said,
"We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us."
32So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying,
"The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
33"There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Numbers 13:26-33
1. Joshua and Caleb were content to stand on God’s promises.
2. Yet, the Well Poisoner were intent to stop the progress of God’s people.
3. These Well Poisoner led all the Israelites all above the age of 20 to their death in the wilderness.
E. Among the closest companions of Jesus there was a Well Poisoner.
1. Judas Iscariot had every opportunity to see the power of God and to learn His will.
2. Yet, when it came down to the time of testing, Judas’ true colors came through, and he revealed himself as a Well Poisoner (Matthew 26:48-50).
Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying,
"Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him."
49Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.
50And Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you have come for."
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. Matthew 26:48-50
3. He wanted earthly riches and he realized Jesus wasn’t going to give that, so he poisoned the well.
4. In essence, by Judas betraying Jesus, he was revealing the fact that he really didn’t believe that Jesus was going to reign as king.
a) If he really believed Jesus would reign as king he would not have betrayed him.
b) But, he doubted it could happen, so he gave up, because he was not a believer.
He was a Well Poisoner.
E. Every generation has had its Well Poisoner.
1. Paul preached the gospel in Galatia and established a number of churches.
2. It wasn’t long until Well Poisoner sought to pervert the gospel of Christ. They tried to draw the people back to the Old Law (Galatians 1:6-9).
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
9As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! Galatians 1:6-9
3. John wrote in 1 John 4 that many false prophets have gone out into the world.
These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 1 John 1:4
4. Who were they? They were Well Poisoner.
F. Well Poisoner come in many shapes and sizes in the church today.
There are those who are afraid to step out on fait and believe that God will provide.
There are those who complain about anything and everything, and they are the least involved.
4. There are the people who through their talking discourage everyone who are eager to do the Lord’s work.
5. We don’t need Well Poisoner in our churches today.
II. But Second, Some People Are Grass Cutters.
A. Who are they?
1. These people are content to drift along and not rock the boat.
They keep the grass mowed, so to speak, but do little beyond that.
And I’m not talking about those who take care of our building.
3. They would not think about poisoning a well but are not willing to extend themselves into the work of the Lord.
4. The church at Laodicea was neither cold nor hot (Revelation 3:14-22).
"And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
’These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
15I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17Because you say, ’I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
Therefore be zealous and repent.
20Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ’ " Revelation 3:14-22
a) These people weren’t trying to discourage the work of the Lord; they just did nothing to further the Lord’s cause.
b) They were the pew sitters who never got involved in anything, they weren’t really converted.
c) They were satisfied to be Grass Cutters, and the Lord said that he was going to spew them out of his mouth.
B. We need to be more than Grass Cutters in our spiritual lives.
C. A church can’t grow with Grass Cutters, the fact is that it is just maintaining at best.
A church will eventually die if it has only Grass Cutters in it.
III. Third, Some People Are Dream Builders.
A. As we live and work in the Lord’s church, we need to develop a great vision, purpose, and plan.
1. Jesus told his disciples to lift up their eyes and look on the fields for they are white unto harvest.
2. They still are!
3. We need to have a great vision, purpose and plan so that we can reach out to a needy world with the saving gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
B. There are so many wonderful activities, which the Grace Southern can be involved in.
We need people committed to visiting the sick, or those who have become weak in their faith (Galatians 6:1).
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Galatians 6:1
2. We need those who are willing to literally "work their fingers to the bone" teaching our classes.
3. We need those willing to go into someone’s home and study.
4. We need people who invite friends and family members to worship God, and hear the truth taught.
In other words, we need Dream Builders.
People who can see great things in the future.
C. It is one thing to know what we want to accomplish.
1. It is completely another thing to be active in reaching that goal.
2. I want to issue a challenge to you today
a) By the end of 2006 let’s commit ourselves to averaging over 130 people in attendance each Sunday morning for worship (this would be easy to reach if the members would show up).
b) Let’s commit ourselves to averaging over 95 people in attendance for our Bible class period on Sunday morning. (Our Sunday School)
c) Our Sunday night worship, and our Wednesday night Bible study, would double or even triple in size.
d) And, let’s commit ourselves to stretching out our contribution to an average of $2,400 per week by the end of 2006.
If we grow to our other goals, this will be the easiest to reach.
3. We have a tremendous opportunity with the people here at Riverton and surrounding areas.
4. Let’s proclaim the powerful message, which God has given us (Romans 1:16).
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 1:16
D. Peter wrote about those who could, and those who couldn’t see afar off, in other words, they were not Dream Builders.
“As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” 2 Peter 1:3-9
1. The way to be a Dream Builder is to place your future in His hands.
2. If you place your future in His hands, fill your life with these virtues, and then you truly become a Bream Builder.
Conclusion
1. In the days of the Old West, evil people sometimes poisoned the water of a community, and great harm was done.
2. It is sad to say that today the gospel has been poisoned by the doctrines of men, and great harm is done.
3. There are many in the church that is content to do very little in the Lord’s service, and they could be called Grass Cutters. They want someone else to do the work for them.
4. We need to rise above it all, be real Dream Builders, and thus help carry out the Lord’s mission.
