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Reclaiming Your Dreams
June 25, 2006 – Brad Bailey
What are your dreams? What dreams did you have as a child for what you could do in the
world?
There lies in every human life a dimension of dreams (desires) that are a part of God’s
eternal plan…often they are silenced and stolen… and God wants to reclaim them.
Last week we looked at how… Jesus’ very invitation of “Come, follow me”… bears a claim
that we and all who come… can really be like him… He came to reclaim the intentions of
God for the human lives created in His image…. To restore the relationship with our Father
in heaven… the creator in whom we were meant to live and breathe and have our being.
In the story of creation… the Spirit of God is breathed into material life and human
existence is born… so it is that Jesus says that the new life he came to bring would come
after he had born the cost of sin and died our death… taken our shame and separation upon
himself… then to all who receive His risen life… He would send the Spirit to resuscitate life
once again.
> In all of this he is reclaiming God’s intentions … reign and rule… but also renewing our
part. We are being called back to claim the original intent... and this lies in our dreams…
Acts 2:17 (NIV)
" ’In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Prophecy… visions… dreams… God empowering the present with the future… the stuff
dreams can reflect.
> He is reclaiming our God-given dreams for a better world.
In talking about our dreams this morning… I’m not referring to the phenomena of what happens in
our unconscious mind while we sleep… nor am I referring to all the fleeting fantasies of playful
pretending … like when my son Jackson leapt from the top of a slide thinking he was Spiderman
and ended up with stitches.
I’m talking about the definition of dreams that refers to “a condition or achievement that is
longed for.” Many such longings… desires… dreams… are a reflection of God in us. .. a part
of God’s eternal purpose.
Dinner with neighbor… who shared his perspective about religion… “Religion is the acts in
which we help better the world.’ > Yes… but such desires… point us to a source. Without a
source beyond us… how could we have a sense of what is good… if purely material, where would
such desires come from?
There are desires for that which we can’t yet see because there is a reality that transcends
us… there are dreams for a better world because it lies in our origin and destiny.
Such desires and dreams have a source… they begin in God.
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Even those given to crime… will usually admit they wish (dream) life were different… they
recall their expectations as a child… and still believe they were right.
This morning I believe God wants us to reclaim what may have been silenced or
stolen… the dreams in us that are a part of His purposes.. and plan.
At the very start of God beginning to reveal Himself to afresh… we find such a dream instilled
and challenged.
God comes to Abraham… says he will make him the father of many nations… and that through
his descendents ALL nations would be blessed. Now he was to leave his country and God would
lead him to a new land.
So Abraham enters the purposes of God and heads out…
Looking back on this original forefather, …
Romans 4:17-22 (NIV)
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though
they were.
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Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as
it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19Without weakening in his faith, he faced
the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that
Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of
God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God
had power to do what he had promised. 22This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
> Faith in God who transcends ‘what is’ by ‘what can be.’
God is the source of the future… His dream is our destiny.
How can we reclaim this in our lives?
1. Reclaim your dreams from the disappointments and discouragement that
may have stolen them in the name of ‘growing up’ and ‘accepting reality.’
Babies have all the DNA and limbs needed for full life…built in at start. Children also have
natural dreams and desires. ….but much of this is stolen… often by simply not being able to
navigate through the challenges and disappointments that come along the way.
Often by teenage years it develops into ideals… which can become further developed as young
adults … esp if in a college community.
But through all these years something else is happening… we begin to face disappointments…
disillusionment… and we finally succumb to what all safe people call it… the real world…
reality. The dreams are left to foolish wishes of naiveté.
Abraham faced the same…
Central to seeing the success of Abraham is the challenges he faced… “against all hope..”
Abraham…leaves homeland… and soon they are faced with famine… dissension with a family
member (Lot)… grows old and into barren years.
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When reminded of God’s purposes by messengers from God… what does his wife Sarai do?
> She laughs.
That laughter symbolizes all the disappointments and discouragements that so
many of our dreams have faced.
Perhaps…
• We have a desire and vision to comfort the sick… but the one we seek to comfort dies…
and no one helps us understand the value of comfort when there is no cure.
• We want to help provide for the poor… but soon are told that it’s not that simple.. and we
start to see the truth … and we just put our dream away… forget it even existed.
• We have a desire and vision for a greater work of community among our circle of friends…
and suggest an idea for a more meaningful venture together… only to have it quenched by the
resistance of some who can’t see.
In various ways, so often we give up instead of integrate.
What we need is to navigate the through the challenges … to hold onto the core of that God given
desire …until it can survive in the hard elements we find throughout life.
There was an old cavalry motto that went like this: "When your horse dies, dismount and
saddle another."
> Don’t let one experience be the end of the ride.
(Could mention examples of people who succeeded only after many set backs.)
Another step… not really stated on your outline….
Often in this process…our dreams need to be freed from a narcissistic vanity… and unhealthy
pride… because the dream is immersed in our own vain pursuit of glory.
A young girl may develop a dream to add beauty to the world… through drawing or dance…
but soon the show can become an identity.
A young boy may develop a dream for justice… but it becomes interwoven with their own
Rambo style role to play.
The result is that there is a world full of lawyers who began with a dream for justice but ended up
simply chasing pride in their ability to work a system.
There are businessmen and women who had a dream to create something… who end up just
trying to succeed to maintain an elusive sense of position.
There are artists who had a dream of creating something that gave life… that end up losing their
identity in the process.
TOY STORY – MOVIE CLIP TO BE SHOWN (Below is just description)
In Disney’s animated movie Toy Story, Woody (a plush toy cowboy) confronts Buzz
Lightyear (a toy astronaut) with the fact that he is only an action figure and not really a
space hero. Early in the movie Woody shouts, "You’re not a space ranger! You’re an action
figure-a child’s plaything."
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Only after failing to fly, Buzz realizes the truth of Woody’s statement. Grief-stricken and
disillusioned, Buzz hangs his head in resignation, declaring, "I’m just a stupid, little,
insignificant toy."
In this scene Woody seeks to comfort his friend by underscoring the love of the boy who owns
them both. "You must not be thinking clearly. Look, over in that house, there’s a kid who thinks
you’re the greatest, and it’s not because you’re a space ranger; it’s because you’re his."
As Buzz lifts his foot, he sees a label affixed to the bottom of his little shoe. There in black
permanent ink is the name of the little boy to whom he belongs. Seeing the image of his owner,
Buzz breaks into a smile and takes on a new determination.
Citation: Toy Story (Disney, 1995), rated G, directed by John Lasseter
> When he gave up his false heroics… he becomes a true hero…
becomes real… able to enter the real action… the real needs around him.
> Some of us have ideals that are still immersed in our own vain pursuit of glory… importance…
when the real dream within them is waiting to be lived.
Often we will have to face our own vanity… and God will wait to see if we will come home
with the dream…
Similar to overcoming discouragement…we need to…
2. Reclaim your dreams from being confined and defined by our short term
perspective.
One of the vultures that can steal our dreams is time. We naturally want to see results…
fulfillment. Depending on our expectations we can grow impatient… distracted…
disillusioned.
This is especially true when we’re young and naturally think short term.
This is also especially true of all of us who live in this unique time in which we’ve been revved
up by a modern sense of time… when the dramas are resolved within a 30 minute TV show…
or 90 minute movies…. when major stories are only covered by the media for a matter of
days before human interest demands something new. Anything that requires time… a day to
day commitment… is deemed less worthwhile than that which is can flicker and flash with
change.
> This creates people of change, not character… people given to drama, not dreams.
The result is that dreams are left aside for short term sensationalism… that satisfies only briefly.
If we’re to live the deeper God given dreams, we need to recapture what it means to join the
larger and longer drama of life.
Did Abraham see the fulfillment of the promise and dream he was living out?
He finally had a son after nearly a lifetime… but did he see all nations blessed? No… that
would never come until generations later when through his lineage… the Messiah… Christ was
born into the world. But he stayed active by faith…
Hebrews 11:1, 8-9, 13 (NIV)
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Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the
ancients were commended for.
…
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,
obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home
in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; …
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All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things
promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they
were aliens and strangers on earth.
Those who live out their part in God’s purposes… know that they are a part of something
larger… something longer… that it’s a movement, not just a moment.
> But they find fulfillment by seizing their moment… their unique part… their contribution.
Abrahams dream was passed down…first through Isaac, then others…people enslaved…God
had to raise up another dreamer named Moses to accomplish his dreams for his people.
Sometimes the dreamers die, but the dreams live on. We may have to pass the dream on to
others.
Martin Luther King… had a dream from God… but was killed before he ever saw it fulfilled.
But the dream still lives on. The dream has been passed on to others who will work on to
accomplish the dream. Dreamers may die, but dreams never die because they are conceived in the
mind and purpose of God.
CLARENCE JORDAN, KOINONIA FARM
Clarence Jordan was a man of unusual abilities and commitment. He had two Ph.D.s, one
in agriculture and one in Greek and Hebrew. So gifted was he, he could have chosen to
do anything he wanted. He chose to serve the poor. In the 1940s, he founded a farm in
Americus, Georgia, and called it Koinonia Farm. It was a community for poor whites
and poor blacks. As you might guess, such an idea did not go over well in the Deep
South of the ’40s.
Ironically, much of the resistance came from good church people who followed the laws
of segregation as much as the other folk in town. The town people tried everything to
stop Clarence. They tried boycotting him, and slashing workers’ tires when they came
to town. Over and over, for fourteen years, they tried to stop him.
Finally, in 1954, the Ku Klux Klan had enough of Clarence Jordan, so they decided to get
rid of him for once and for all. They came one night with guns and torches and set fire to
every building on Koinonia Farm but Clarence’s home, which they riddled with bullets.
And they chased off all the families except one black family which refused to leave.
Clarence recognized the voices of many of the Klansmen, and, as you might guess, some
of them were church people. Another was the local newspaper’s reporter. The next day,
the reporter came out to see what remained of the farm. The rubble still smoldered and
the land was scorched, but he found Clarence in the field, hoeing and planting. "I heard the awful
news," he called to Clarence, "and I came out to do a story on the tragedy of
your farm closing."
Clarence just kept on hoeing and planting. The reporter kept prodding, kept poking,
trying to get a rise from this quietly determined man who seemed to be planting instead
of packing his bags. So, finally, the reporter said in a haughty voice, "Well, Dr. Jordan,
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you got two of them Ph.D.s and you’ve put fourteen years into this farm, and there’s
nothing left of it at all. Just how successful do you think you’ve been?"
Clarence stopped hoeing, turned toward the reporter with his penetrating blue eyes,
and said quietly but firmly, "About as successful as the cross. Sir, I don’t think you
understand us. What we are about is not success but faithfulness. We’re staying.
Good day." Beginning that day, Clarence and his companions rebuilt Koinonia and
the farm is still going strong today.
-Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat+
Jesus said the Kingdom of God grows like a mustard seed…slow but sure.
3. Reclaim your dreams from the lost focus which life so easily brings.
Another great challenge to our dreams in our unique time in history is BUSYNESS.
Once we back away from being engaged in our dreams… life fills in… there is plenty to do…
plenty of needs to meet.
There is no easy answer to the challenges of time… reclaiming FOCUS to pursue our God
given dreams will always involve a creative process… but it can always be done when we
realize that we can’t afford not to… it’s a matter of getting a part of our most sacred life
back.
Often the only way to uncover our dreams is to ask, “What would you do if you knew you
couldn’t fail… and had no limit of time?”
CARDS - I want to ask you to take a moment and identify any God given dream that may
have come to your mind this morning…
I want to ask you to take a moment and try to put such thoughts to words… to write as
many that you can think of…by finishing this statement…
“If I knew that I couldn’t fail… and had no limit of time… I would help the
world become / by________.”
(Card and pens in seat pockets… after finished… tear off the second and place back in the
pocket)
Philip. 3:13-14 (CEV)
My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for
what is ahead. 14I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is
the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done.
THERE IS A CONSPIRACY TO KILL YOUR DREAM. All your life, the enemy has
been after the dream inside of you. But you need to realize that the conspiracy is not about you
. . . it is about killing your potential and destroying your possibilities. “The thief does not come
except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10).
God uses dreamers to do great things. I believe God uses dreamers to further his dreams for
humankind. I believer God uses dreamers who in the words of George Bernard Shaw ‘refuse to
look at things as they are and ask why, but dream of things that never were and ask why not.’
Philip. 1:6 (NLT)
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And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is
finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.
Potential Illus & Unused ideas / notes –
Walt Disney - was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of ideas. Walt also went
bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.
Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, flunked out of college. He was described as
“both unable and unwilling to learn.”
Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time, did not make his
high school basketball team his sophomore year.
Beethoven’s teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. He did not become Prime Minister until he
was 62. His greatest contributions came when he was a “senior citizen.”
Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.
LIST OF FAMOUS WHO OVERCAME
- An expert said of Vince Lombardi: "He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks
motivation."
- Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions
instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
- Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of ideas. Walt Disney also went
bankrupt several times before he build Disneyland.
- Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything.
- Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old and didn’t read until he was
seven. His teacher described him as "mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his
foolish dreams. He was expelled and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic
School.
- Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of
22 in chemistry.
- Isaac Newton did very poorly in grade school.
- The sculptor Rodin’s father said, "I have an idiot for a son." Described as the worst pupil
in the school, Rodin failed three times to secure admittance to the school of art. His uncle
called him uneducable.
- Leo Tolstoy, author of "War and Peace," flunked out of college. He was described as
"both unable and unwilling to learn."
- Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.
- Babe Ruth, considered by sports historians to be the greatest athlete of all time and
famous for setting the home run record, also holds the record for strikeouts.
- Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He did not become Prime Minister of England until
he was 62, and then only after a lifetime of defeats and setbacks. His greatest contributions
came when he was a "senior citizen."
- Richard Hooker worked for seven years on his humorous was novel, "M*A*S*H" only to
have it rejected by 21 publishers before Morrow decided to publish it. It became a runaway
bestseller, spawning a block busting movie and a highly successful television series.
(from "Chicken Soup for the Soul")+
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WILLIAM BOOTH HEARING SIMPLE CALL TO "DOWN AND OUT" OF LONDON
In "More Than You and Me," Kevin and Karen Miller write of the power of God-
given vision:
One couple lived in London 130 years ago. For the first 10 years of their marriage,
William Booth, especially, was in a quandary" What was God calling him to do?
Then his wife, Catherine, a skillful Bible teacher, was invited to preach in London.
While they were there, William took a late-night walk through the slums of London’s East
End. Every fifth building was a pub. Most had steps at the counter so little children could
climb up and order gin. That night he told Catherine," I seemed to hear a voice sounding in
my ears, ’Where can you go and find such heathen as these, and there is there so great a
need for your labors?’ Darling, I have found my destiny!"
Later that year, 1865, the couple opened the "Christian Mission" in London’s slums.
Their life vision: to reach the "down and outers" that other Christians ignored. That simple
vision of two people grew into the Salvation Army, which now ministers through 3 million
members in 91 countries -"Leadership," 1996+
LIBERATING LOSS
Inventive genius Thomas Edison lost his great New Jersey laboratories in an inferno-like fire
on a December night in 1914. Yet the very next morning, walking among the still
smoldering rubble of those buildings that had housed so many of his projects, Edison, then
67, said, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God, we
can start anew."
Research shows that every person has the potential to do something better than 10,000 other
people. God tells us he has plans to give our children hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). -
CHERI FULLER, a TCW regular contributor, is the author of numerous books, including
When Families Pray (Multnomah) and Quiet Whispers from God’s Heart for Women (J.
Countryman).
Copyright(c) 2000 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Today’s Christian Woman
magazine. May/June 2000, Vol. 22, No. 3, Page 74+
This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well.
The farmer heard the mule braying or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully
assessing the situation, the farmer … called his neighbors together, told them what had happened,
and enlisted them to help haul dirt to pour into the well. Initially the old mule was hysterical! But
as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back. .. a thought struck
him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, HE
WOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step
up. shake it off and step up. . . shake it off and step up!" He repeated to encourage himself. No
matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic
and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! It wasn’t long before the old
mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it
would bury him actually helped him. all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
THAT’S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to
panic, bitterness, or self-pity.
> THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN
THEM THE VERY REAL POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT US!
Devil attacks Jesus’ destiny
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THERE IS A CONSPIRACY TO KILL YOUR DREAM. All your life, the enemy has
been after the dream inside of you. But you need to realize that the conspiracy is not about you
. . . it is about killing your potential and destroying your possibilities. “The thief does not come
except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10).
So your success depends on the amount of adversity you can stand up against. And that
depends on your ability to keep your eye on your dream and the vision God has given you no matter
what obstacles come your way. Just like your dream, God has already deposited the power for
victory on the inside of you (1 John 4:4)!
One of your greatest gifts is the ability to SEE BEYOND WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW
— your ability to dream. No matter what your situation today . . . no matter where you live or
what your level of education, God has planted within you a revelation of your future that can be
your reality. “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though
they did” (Romans 4:17). Know that God has your best interest in mind and that He is working
it out (Romans 8:28).
TRUMAN – ESCAPING FALSE REALITY
LION KING – REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE
Esau
Peter…
Reclaim the dream from the disappointment
Often we’ve made an inner vow…
This will invariably mean redeeming it from the ideals that it was clothed in…
We will never see the whole end fulfilled… (Hebrews 11) but can still live out the
Renew the heart of the dream…
DISCOURAGEMENT LEARNED BY APES
Start with a cage containing five apes. In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs
under it. Before long, an ape will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the Banana. As
soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the apes with cold water. After a while, another
ape makes an attempt with the same result-all the apes are sprayed with cold water. Turn
off the cold water.
If, later, another ape tries to climb the stairs, the other apes will try to prevent it even though
no water sprays them.
Now, remove one ape from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new ape sees the
banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the other apes attack him. After
another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five apes and replace it with a new one. The newcomer
goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with
enthusiasm. Again, replace a third original ape with a new one. The new one makes it to the
stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four apes that beat him have no idea why they
were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the
newest ape.
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After replacing the fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes that have been sprayed with
cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the stairs. Why
not? "Because that’s the way it’s always been around here."
Sound familiar?+
Romans 4:17 (NIV)
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though
they were.
Romans 4:17 (ESV)
as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of the God in
whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
4:17 The promise (or covenant) God gave Abraham stated that Abraham would be the father of
many nations (Genesis 17:2-4) and that the entire world would be blessed through him (Genesis
12:3). This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus was from Abraham’s line, and truly the
whole world was blessed through him.
The God “who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were” was
clearly the object of the patriarch’s faith. It is fundamental that we understand that the object of
one’s faith is most important. One’s faith, outstanding as it may be, will never benefit its owner if
it has the wrong object.
Some have had strong faith in thin ice but did not live to tell about it. They actually died by
faith. Or to use another example, I may leave church next Sunday with the utmost faith that my car
will get me home because it looks OK. However, if someone removes my hubcaps and lug bolts,
then replaces the hubcaps, my faith will be to no avail — the wheels will fall off! On the other
hand, if I have little faith in my car and drive it with trepidation, but no one has fooled with it, I’m
perfectly safe despite my weak faith, because the object of my faith is strong.
When my son Carey was little, he used to hide on top of the refrigerator and jump on me when
I passed. However, he had a misplaced faith in the object of his plunge (yours truly!)and if he had
tried it too many times, one of us would have been out of business!
By Scripture and by analogy we conclude that Abraham’s faith was not exemplary due to its
intrinsic strength, strong as it was, but because its object was God. We all have faith. The decisive
issue is where we place the faith we have.
Abraham grasped two massive concepts about God. First, he understood that God “gives life
to the dead.” Although there had been no recorded resurrection at this point in history, and
although God had not revealed any doctrine of resurrection, Abraham believed in God’s
resurrection power! This was borne out when he obediently raised the knife above Isaac. He knew
that if Isaac died, God could resurrect him (cf. Genesis 22:5).
Second, he saw God as a God who “calls things that are not as though they were.” God creates
ex nihilo, from nothing. This is, of course, a towering concept. Perhaps, in retrospect, there is
some suggestion here of God’s restoration of Abraham and Sarah’s procreation process. God for
all purposes created Isaac ex nihilo.
Abraham’s perception of God as the object of his faith was immense, and this gigantic concept
dominated his entire experience of faith. It can makes all the difference in us too.
Robert Dick Wilson was one of the great professors at Princeton Theological Seminary. One
of his students had been invited to preach in Miller Chapel twelve years after his graduation. Old
Dr. Wilson came in and sat down near the front. At the close of the meeting, the old professor
came up to his former student, cocked his head to one side in his characteristic way, extended his
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hand, and said, “If you come back again, I will not come to hear you preach. I only come once. I
am glad that you are a big-godder. When my boys come back, I come to see if they are big-
godders or little-godders, and then I know what their ministry will be.” His former student asked
him to explain, and he replied, “Well, some men have a little god, and they are always in trouble
with him. He can’t do any miracles. He can’t take care of the inspiration and transmission of the
Scripture to us. He doesn’t intervene on behalf of his people. They have a little god and I call them
little-godders. Then, there are those who have a great God. He speaks and it is done. He
commands and it stands fast. He knows how to show himself strong on behalf of them that fear
him. You have a great God; and he will bless your ministry.” He paused a moment, smiled, said,
“God bless you,” and turned and walked out.2
If our view of God is as exalted as Abraham’s, if we see God as so vast that he creates ex
nihilo and gives life to the dead, if you and I really believe this, if we are “big-godders,” it will
make an equally immense difference in our faith and approach to life. Two questions are relevant
here: 1) Is God the object of our faith? 2) How do we perceive the object of our faith?
Calleth the things that are not as though they were (καλουντοσ τα µε οντα
ηοσ οντα). “Summons the non-existing as existing.” Abraham’s body was old and
decrepit. God rejuvenated him and Sarah (Hebrews 11:19).
2 Peter 3:8 (NIV)
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years are like a day.
Ephes. 1:4-5 (NLT)
Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and
without fault in his eyes. 5His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by
bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
Completion finish
Luke 9:62 (NIV)
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God."
Having put his hand to the plough (επιβαλον τεν χηειρα επ αροτρον).
Second aorist active participle of επιβαλλο, an old and common verb, to place upon.
Note repetition of preposition επι before αροτρον (plough). This agricultural proverb
is as old as Hesiod. Pliny observes that the ploughman who does not bend attentively to
his work goes crooked. It has always been the ambition of the ploughman to run a
straight furrow. The Palestine fellah had good success at it.
And looking back (και βλεπον εισ τα οπισο). Looking to the things behind. To
do that is fatal as any ploughman knows. The call to turn back is often urgent.
Fit (ευτηετοσ). From ευ and τιτηεµι = well-placed, suited for, adapted to. “The
first case is that of inconsiderate impulse, the second that of conflicting duties, the third
that of a divided mind” (Bruce).
Genesis 15:1 (NIV)
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
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"Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward."
Luke 9:62 (NIV)
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God."
Acts 2:17 (NIV)
" ’In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Romans 4:17-22 (NIV)
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though
they were.
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Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as
it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19Without weakening in his faith, he faced
the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that
Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of
God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God
had power to do what he had promised. 22This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
Ephes. 3:20-21 (NIV)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his
power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all
generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Philip. 1:6 (NIV)
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 11:1-13 (NIV)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the
ancients were commended for.
3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen
was not made out of what was visible.
4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a
righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he
is dead.
5
By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be
found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who
pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him
must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
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By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his
family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by
faith.
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8
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,
obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home
in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob,
who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with
foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
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By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to
become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this
one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as
countless as the sand on the seashore.
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All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things
promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they
were aliens and strangers on earth.
BAMBOO TAKES FOUR YEARS OF CARE WITH NO SIGNS OF GROWTH AND THEN
GROWS 90 FEET IN 30 DAYS
We are often tempted to give up before we see the results we desire in our lives. The bamboo
farmers of Malaysia could teach us a lesson. It takes great wisdom and patience to cultivate a
particular strain of a very valuable bamboo. How do they do it?
In the first year, they plant the seed, water, and fertilize it. Nothing visible happens. In the second
year, they continue to water and fertilize. Nothing visible happens in the second year either. In the
third year, water and fertilizer are even more necessary, yet nothing happens. There is absolutely
no visible growth. In the fourth year, they do it all again. And again, nothing happens. Then, in the
fifth year, they diligently water and fertilize, and the bamboo grows 90 feet in 30 days – not 9
inches, but 90 feet. This plant grows from nothing to the height of a nine-story building.
The lesson for us: Don’t grow weary in well doing, for in the end, there will be a harvest. In the
end, it will come to pass.
A young woman brings home her fiancé to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother tells her father to
find out more about the young man. The father invites the fiancé into his study. "So what are your
plans?" the father asks the young man.
"I am a Bible scholar," he replies.
"A Bible scholar. Hmm," the father says. "Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for
my daughter to live in as she’s accustomed to?"
"I will study," the young man replies, "and God will provide for us."
"And how will you buy her a beautiful engagement ring such as she deserves?" asks the father.
"I will concentrate on my studies," the young man replies, "and God will provide for us."
"And children?" asks the father. "How will you support children?"
"Don’t worry, sir, God will provide," replies the fiancé.
The conversation proceeds like this, and each time the father questions, the young idealist insists that
God will provide. Later the mother asks, "How did it go, honey?" The father answers, "He has no job
and no plans, but the good news is he thinks I’m God."
From previous sermon of mine –
Dream inspired by God of what his life was to be… of the road ahead… only to face the sharpest and
strangest of turns.
Each of us are likely to find and face life’s challenges on different levels. We spend the first 20 to 25
years developing certain dreams… a certain vision for what our lives may become… and invariably we
face some unexpected challenges along the way…. Dreams for marriage go unfulfilled…. The company
closes… the doctor says “cancer.”
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How can we succeed “When Our Dream Roads Take Strange Turns?”
Joseph reveals the wisdom to…
1. Reaffirm God’s presence … by not presuming God’s intents.
What’s one of the most common responses to challenging times?
> We assume God is far away.
One of the most common responses I’ve seen in our human hearts… is an unspoken… even unconscious
idea that God has forsaken us. It may not be something we say to others… or even ourselves out loud…
but we can begin to assume God isn’t really on our side…. Or at least He’s not very involved with us.
We tend to misinterpret or overly interpret our circumstances… project assumptions about God. I’m
convinced such assumptions can become the very seeds of destruction.
- It’s the very seed that was sown into the minds and hearts of Adam and Eve.
Joseph – left in a pit and later a prison. Maybe you have felt left in a pit by your family… friends…
financial circumstances… only to feel left by God.
> Whether in a pit or in prison… Joseph affirmed that God was with Him… able to work… that God was
bigger than he was.
Genesis 40:8
"We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them."
Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."
> He still believed God was the one who is sovereign over dreams !
Whatever happened to Joseph, he kept on making the best of it. He was sold into slavery only to
become the head servant. Sent to prison, he took over the administration. Brought before the king,
he became Pharaoh’s right hand man.
- Abraham Lincoln, "Success is not letting dead ends kill you."
C.S. LEWIS NOTES DESIRE POINTS TO EXISTENCE OF SATISFACTION
Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for these desires exists. A baby
feels hunger; well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim; well there is such
a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire; well there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a
desire for which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is
that I was made for another world.
Definitions of dream on the Web:
• a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep; "I had a dream about you last
night"
• ambition: a cherished desire; "his ambition is to own his own business"
n.
1. A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind
during certain stages of sleep.
2. A daydream; a reverie.
3. A state of abstraction; a trance.
4. A wild fancy or hope.
5. A condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration: a dream of owning their
own business.
6. One that is exceptionally gratifying, excellent, or beautiful: Our new car runs like a dream.
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There are, dear brothers and sisters, there are two essential things to be learned in the story we heard for
the Gospel today. The first is this: that our dreams must be grounded in God. Without that it is indeed
dangerous to dream, for we open ourselves to disappointment. But if our dreams, our hopes are grounded
in God – as were those of Simeon and Anna – then their fulfillment is certain. For He who gives us our
dreams and plants in us the desire and yearning for Himself is faithful and sure – a rock, a cornerstone, an
anchor of our hope.
And the other lesson is this: the realization of our dreams and the fulfillment of our hope will not always be
what we expect it to be; it will, however, always be more. God’s dreams are larger than ours. We are not to
dictate to God how He shall realize our dreams; we must only dream on and accept His realization. It may
not be what we expect, nor may it be even what we want – but it will be more – always infinitely more. It
will be God Himself!
When we think of Dr. King most of us remember his “I have a dream” speech delivered during the
March on Washington in 1963. There have been a few memorable speeches made on the shores of
America. But the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. will linger on for many years to come. He dreamed of
a day when racial justice and equality would be the rule of the land. So we remember today not only
the dreamer but the dream itself. The dream has not yet been realized, but we are further along than
we were because of dreamers like Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream.
But have you ever stopped to think that God had a dream too? God puts his dreams into people
who will carry out his dreams. I believe God‘s dream for the country was the same as Martin
Luther King’s. In a real sense God gave His dreams to him. God is the source of all dreams for the
betterment of human society. On the eve of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and at the beginning
of a brand new year, our thoughts may be turned toward dreams, goals, aspirations, and resolutions.
You should have a dream. Dreams involve purposes for living. Without a purpose for living our lives are
drab and dull. Without a purpose for living we lose all hope for life. But as you ponder your dream
today, I want to invite you to put God in your dreams.
God has a dream that we may share His dreams with one another and support each other in those
dreams. I believe God uses dreamers to do great things. I believe God uses dreamers to further his
dreams for humankind. I believer God uses dreamers who in the words of George Bernard Shaw refuse
to look at things as they are and ask why, but dream of things that never were and ask why not.
Most dreamers face hardships, frustrations, and disappointments. It comes with the territory of being a
dreamer. Martin Luther King, Jr. surely faced hardships and difficulties. Joseph must have thought his
dream had died when his brothers put him in a pit to die. Even when he was rescued by the traders and
sold into Egypt, it didn’t look too good for his dream. When he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife
and cast into prison it didn’t look promising for his dream. But God sustained Joseph in his dreams. God
blessed Joseph through it all. God brought him from a pit and a prison to a place in the palace. Don’t be
discouraged if your dream is not shared by others. Dreamers are not popular with many people.
Dreamers threaten the status quo. Dreamers tend to turn things upside down. Dreamers are dangerous
people in the eyes of many. Even great dreamers of the Bible have faced hard times. Dreamers like
Noah, Joseph, Moses, Ezekiel, John the Baptist, and even Jesus have encountered hostility.
Even Joseph’s dream did not completely come true. There came a time when the people were
enslaved and persecuted in Egypt. God had to raise up another dreamer named Moses to
accomplish his dreams for his people. Sometimes the dreamers die, but the dreams live on.
We may have to pass the dream on to others. The founders of this church back in 1873 had a
dream for this congregation. But they did not see it rise to its present state. They had to pass the
dream on to others who worked out God’s dream for this church. We may have to pass the dream on to
others. God’s dreams can never die. Martin Luther King, the dreamer was killed. But the dream still
lives on. The dream has been passed on to others who will work on to accomplish the dream. Dreamers
may die, but dreams never die because they are conceived in the mind and purpose of God.
You are never too old to dream. God can use dreamers of any age. The truth is that anybody
can have a dream. Peter in his sermon in Acts said that a new day had arrived. The day of
Pentecost had come. Changes were occurring. New things were happening. A new day was
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dawning. Peter said that the young and the old shall dream dreams. Pentecost has come to
this church, so to speak. The young and the old can dream together.
The Struggle To Hope
by Larry Crabb
Text: Ruth 4
Topic: Why God works through shattered dreams.
Big Idea: Our dreams must be shattered so God’s power can be released in us.
Keywords: Adversity; Disappointment; Dreams; Hope; Pain; Redeemer; Self-sufficiency;
Suffering
Introduction:
• Illustration: Crabb relates how a man’s suicide on Christmas Eve impacted his
celebration.
• The ending of Ruth is not encouraging enough to justify the pain.
• Illustration: Crabb was not consoled in his brother’s death knowing that it
brought someone to Christ.
• Why are our most cherished dreams shattered?
Shattered dreams tell us God is up to something wonderful.
• The story of Ruth ends with Naomi holding hope in her lap.
• Genesis 48:10–12
• Genesis 50:22–25
• The writer intends for us to feel there is hope.
God encourages us in our struggle to hope.
• Boaz is a picture of Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer.
• Leviticus 25:23–25
• A kinsman redeemer had to be able to pay for and possess the land.
• Luke 4:5 shows that Satan is the god of this world.
• Revelation 5 introduces the kinsman who is worthy to reclaim earth’s title deed.
• What about the struggle to hope for something good right now?
The power of God is released through shattered dreams
• Ezekiel 36:21–28
• God arranges our lives to release the beauty and power of Jesus locked within.
• Dreams must be shattered to break our self-sufficiency.
• Illustration: Letters of encouragement told Crabb there was something of Christ in him
that had blessed others.
Conclusion:
• My Boaz has not only promised me heaven, he has given me himself right now.
Any suggestions on how to stay motivated to achieve a big dream?
Allen: If you need help to stay motivated, you haven’t found your authentic big dream.
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hope begins with being able to imagine that another way is possible.
When I cannot even imagine things being different I can get sucked in to the
"what’s the use, nothing can ever change" mentality that I think is the
worst spiritual sickness of our time.
Hope is sustained by connecting with people who are hopers; being part of a
community and a movement that can hold you up when you are down; and where
you can hold others up when they are down. For me the church is an important
part of this community.
Hope is sustained by looking for signs of where life is breaking through.
The vulture that ate up the destiny of Esau was an ordinary bowl of food. The destiny vulture of some people is
comfort, and for some, it is lack of patience. For some, this vulture is deception. This is a warning message. Destiny
vultures are in operation over mankind. Everything that exists was designed in the mind of God. God is a God of
destiny. Everyone has a destiny in God.
We should all pray the prayer of Joseph that the Lord should show us our divine destiny. Although he was in jail from
age 17 to 30, he still fulfilled his divine destiny because the Lord had shown him what he was supposed to be.
Prayer Point: O God, show me a vision of my destiny in the name of Jesus.
THERE IS A CONSPIRACY TO KILL YOUR DREAM. All your life, the enemy has
been after the dream inside of you. But you need to realize that the conspiracy is not about you
. . . it is about killing your potential and destroying your possibilities. “The thief does not come
except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10).
So your success depends on the amount of adversity you can stand up against. And that
depends on your ability to keep your eye on your dream and the vision God has given you no matter
what obstacles come your way. Just like your dream, God has already deposited the power for
victory on the inside of you (1 John 4:4)!
One of your greatest gifts is the ability to SEE BEYOND WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW
— your ability to dream. No matter what your situation today . . . no matter where you live or
what your level of education, God has planted within you a revelation of your future that can be
your reality. “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though
they did” (Romans 4:17). Know that God has your best interest in mind and that He is working
it out (Romans 8:28).
HISTORY MAKERS AND WORLD CHANGERS ARE MERE MEN AND
WOMEN. The people who impact our world are made of the same flesh you’re made of,
with the same struggles that you have . . .
Nelson Mandela served 27 years in prison for his dream of equality. Walt Disney went
bankrupt several times, but continued forward with his dreams. Fred Astaire’s first screen
test noted: “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Balding. Can dance a little.” He continued to follow
his dream and was later honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A giant
obstacle called cancer stood in Lance Armstrong’s way, but it did not kill his dream.
These individuals refused to be defeated by a victim mentality. Though you too are a mere man
or woman, you can do all things through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13)!
Below From Ed ZBacon sermon – All Saints
God, too, is a dreamer. God, too, is a visionary. God, too, has a dream and a vision for you and me and all
the creation. And in order for you and me to wake up and to be more real in the world, our deepest dreams
and visions must be awakened and united with God’s dreams and visions for the world.
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So it is important to write something else below the concluding sentence on your piece of paper which reads:
"My dreams and visions for my life are to be . . . ." Now, list five to ten items that you think make up God’s
dreams for the world and for your life. Be as bold as God is. Be as visionary as God is. Be as caring and
compassionate for every person God has made and for all the other parts of creation as God is caring and
compassionate. In making your list, be as radically and universally loving as God is.
Let’s assume that your list of characteristics of God’s dreams and visions are items like "no war," "no
hunger," "no oppression, no exclusion" -- or, stated positively, "universal peace," "food for everyone," "shared
political power," "radical inclusion." That list is your own vision of God’s Reign. You see, you and I are made
in the image of God. Therefore, God’s dreams and visions are deep within us. God’s Reign is within us. As
Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God or the Reign of God is within you." As those characteristics of God’s Reign,
God’s dream, they reside to be developed within each one of us.
Now, if you enter into this exercise, I want to tell you that you will become a prophet. To write down or to
speak out about what God’s dream is is what the prophets did. The biblical prophets like Isaiah and John the
Baptizer, from whom we just read, were people who had a vision of what God’s dream is. Isaiah’s vision
included the "peaceable kingdom" or the "peaceable realm." He envisioned that in God’s dream all traditional
enemies can be friends in God’s realm: wolf and lamb, leopard and kid, calf and lion, cow and bear, lion and
ox, baby and cobra.
What got the prophets into trouble was that they were not content just to describe God’s dream in poetic
language. They always insisted on making their poems and prayers and dreams and visions have current,
contemporary, political implications. If this wonderful poem from Isaiah is to be real, if you and I are to do our
jobs to make it come true, we must find contemporary reality for God’s realm, God’s dream, God’s Reign.
The Reverend J. Edwin Bacon, Jr.
All Saints, Pasadena
December 6, 1998
They That Dream...
Finding and Fulfilling God’s Purpose for Our Lives
A Study of Psalm 126
by Robert L. Cobb
Dreams are a powerful force in people’s lives. The word "dream" brings many pictures to
mind. There are daydreams which are idle wishes and desires that have no chance of ever
coming to pass. There are the dreams of sleep whereby the sub-conscious mind speaks,
sometimes in riddles, other times in wild and incomprehensible pictures.
But there is another kind of dream. This "other kind" of dream is the focus of this message.
It can be defined as a "desire and longing for a state of being and quality of life that one does
not yet enjoy." This type of dream is the fuel for great accomplishments. Our culture takes
great pleasure in telling and hearing of the ones who "make their dreams come true." We
are all encouraged by these success stories. This element of reaching for greater things in
life is a universal longing, and Christians are included as potential dreamers.
Steps To Reaching Your Destiny
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by
Rev. Rick L. Patterson, Th.D.
President
Miami Christian University
9775 SW 87 Ave.
Miami, FL 33176-2900
We have taken several weeks now discussing our destiny and purposes in God. Last week I shared
with Nuggets of Truth To Live By. Today I want to share with you Steps To Reaching Your
Destiny. This paper will give you a basic guideline that should give your direction and inspiration
about reaching your destiny in Christ.
Step Number One: Choose A Big Dream!
Many times our lives are filled with planning and thinking about issues that will bring very little
significance to our lives. Today I want to challenge you to choose a big dream, strive to reach your
full potential and destiny in Christ.
Don’t become so caught up with the small issues of life that you can’t take advantage of the
important dreams and opportunities God has for you! Make a decision this morning to take the
time to think big! God is a big God!
"If you are hunting rabbits in tiger country, you must keep your eye peeled for tigers, but when
you are hunting tigers you can ignore the rabbits." H. Stern
There are plenty of tigers to go around, don’t be distracted by the rabbits.
Once you have set your faith on a big dream remember those who don’t take chances don’t
make advances. Even a turtle doesn’t get ahead unless he sticks out his neck.
Step Number Two: Don’t Waste Tomorrow By Feeding On Your Yesterdays
(Luke 9:62 NIV) Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for
service in the kingdom of God."
We live is a society of excuses and victims. Everyone is a victim today! I am a victim of my color,
my genetics, my physical abuse, my sexual abuse, my finances, etc. It is time for us to stop
blaming the past for our present failures and it is time to look forward with the faith and victory of
Christ!
(2 Cor 5:17 KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
The more you look backward, the less time you have to look forward! Always learn from the past
but invest your time and energies in the future. Never, never, never waste another moment of your
life grieving, worrying or regretting the past that Christ h as already forgiven you of and forgotten.
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(Phil 3:13 KJV) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
(Phil 3:14 KJV) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The thing that destroys more people is the continual looking at their past and not looking to their
future. You can not go back and change the past but you can go forward and change your future.
Today is the day when I will shake off the shackles of the past and move forward in Christ!
"Daring to Dream Again: Overcoming Barriers That Hold You Back," your entire congregation will
journey into God’s life-changing Word. You’ll preach on ways to dream again spiritually. You’ll teach people
how to live up to the desires God has for each of us. You’ll unfold ways to overcome barriers that hold your
church back from its enormous God-given potential.
Get your church on board this Adventure as a church-wide campaign. Infuse everyone with new life
and spiritual energy as you investigate the biblical, heartfelt aspirations God has on our behalf.
OUTLINE OF THE 8 SERMON THEMES
To dare to dream again,
1. Let God heal your painful past
Judges 6:11-24 -
How-to: Take on a healthy new identity
2. Discover God’s present involvement in your life
1 Samuel 24:1-28 -
How-to: Go on a daily God Hunt
3. Establish godly goals for your future
John 12:1-6; Matthew 26:14-16 -
How-to: Set godly goals
4. Empower everything you do for God with prayer
1 Samuel 1:1-28
How-to: Personalize the Daring to Dream Again Prayer
5. Confront your ungodly prejudices
Acts 10:1-35 -
How-to: Widen your circle of unlikely friends
6. Identify with God’s heart for the world
Jonah 3:1-4:11 -
How-to: Become a world-class Christian
7. Move with God beyond your comfort zones
Luke 1:26-38; 2:33-35; John 19:25b-27
How-to: Go for the gulp
8. Believe that with God all things are possible
John 20:24-31 -
How-to: Begin dreaming again
DREAM BIG: The Prayer of Jabez
1] It’s Ok to dream big and ask for more .
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1 Chronicles 4:9-10
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I
gave birth to him in pain." [10] Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would
bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so
that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. [NIV]
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. [NIV]
James 4:2
You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.
You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. [NIV]
Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the
Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." [NIV]
1 Timothy 6:9-10
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful
desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all
kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs. [NIV]
Proverbs 23:4-5
Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
have the wisdom to show restraint.
[5] Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle. [NIV]
2] Some things need a soaking prayer.
Luke 11:1-13
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to
him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
[2] He said to them, "When you pray, say:
" ’Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
[3] Give us each day our daily bread.
[4] Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’ "
[5] Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight
and says, ’Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, [6] because a friend of mine on a journey
has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
[7] "Then the one inside answers, ’Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my
children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ [8] I tell you, though he
will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s
boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
[9] "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the
door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to
him who knocks, the door will be opened.
[11] "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? [12] Or
if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, though you are evil, know
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how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the
Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" [NIV]
Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not
give up. [2] He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared
about men. [3] And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea,
’Grant me justice against my adversary.’
[4] "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ’Even though I don’t fear God or
care about men, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets
justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ "
[6] And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God bring about
justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
[8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man
comes, will he find faith on the earth?" [NIV]
Matthew 26:36-46
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit
here while I go over there and pray." [37] He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along
with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. [38] Then he said to them, "My soul is
overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
[39] Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is
possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
[40] Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep
watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. [41] "Watch and pray so that you will not fall
into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
[42] He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to
be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
[43] When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
[44] So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same
thing.
[45] Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?
Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. [46] Rise,
let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" [NIV]
Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his
upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he
got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done
before. [NIV]
3] Character precedes blessing .
1 Chronicles 4:9
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I
gave birth to him in pain." [NIV]
Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the Lord brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it. [NIV]
Proverbs 21:21
He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor. [NIV]
Proverbs 11:18
The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
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but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. [NIV]
Proverbs 20:17
Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man,
but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel. [NIV]
Proverbs 21:6
A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. [NIV]
WORK HARD - THEN LEAVE IT TO GOD:
The Perspective of Solomon
1] It’s our job to prepare the horse well .
Proverbs 21:30-31
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord.
[31] The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord. [NIV]
Proverbs 18:9
One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys. [NIV]
Proverbs 12:24
Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor. [NIV]
Proverbs 20:4
A sluggard does not plow in season;
so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing. [NIV]
2 Thessalonians 3:7-10
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we
were with you, [8] nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we
worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
[9] We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make
ourselves a model for you to follow. [10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this
rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." [NIV]
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him. [NIV]
2] It’s God’s job to decide how the battle goes .
Proverbs 21:30-31
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord.
[31] The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord. [NIV]
Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course,
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but the Lord determines his steps. [NIV]
Joshua 7:1-26
But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the
son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger
burned against Israel.
[2] Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel,
and told them, "Go up and spy out the region." So the men went up and spied out Ai.
[3] When they returned to Joshua, they said, "Not all the people will have to go up against Ai.
Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary all the people, for only a few
men are there." [4] So about three thousand men went up; but they were routed by the men
of Ai, [5] who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as
far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people
melted and became like water.
[6] Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord,
remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their
heads. [7] And Joshua said, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across
the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been
content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! [8] O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel
has been routed by its enemies? [9] The Canaanites and the other people of the country will
hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then
will you do for your own great name?"
[10] The Lord said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? [11] Israel
has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have
taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with
their own possessions. [12] That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies;
they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be
with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.
[13] "Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ’Consecrate yourselves in preparation for
tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among
you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it.
[14] " ’In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the Lord takes shall
come forward clan by clan; the clan that the Lord takes shall come forward family by family;
and the family that the Lord takes shall come forward man by man. [15] He who is caught
with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has
violated the covenant of the Lord and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!’ "
[16] Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken.
[17] The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the
Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken. [18] Joshua had his family come
forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe
of Judah, was taken.
[19] Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give
him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me."
[20] Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what
I have done: [21] When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred
shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.
They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."
[22] So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his
tent, with the silver underneath. [23] They took the things from the tent, brought them to
Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord.
[24] Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the
gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he
had, to the Valley of Achor. [25] Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The
Lord will bring trouble on you today."
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. [26] Over
Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned
from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
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[NIV]
Job 2:8-9
Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the
ashes.
[9] His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" [NIV]
1 Corinthians 4:7
For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?
And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? [NIV]
Proverbs 8:13
To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech. [NIV]
Genesis 15:1 (NLT)
Afterward the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Do not be afraid, Abram, for I
will protect you, and your reward will be great."
> Relationship between vision – testing (fear) – and reward…
So we see, Abram’s vision was not only tested by FAMINE, FAILURE, and CONFLICT, but also by
WARFARE and PROSPERITY.
That’s the stuff that comes before the AFTERWARD.
(AFTERWARD, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision...)
Do you see the pattern?
AFTER Abram stepped out by faith and left his homeland.
AFTER he’d been through the famine.
AFTER he’d embarassed himself by lying to the King of Egypt.
AFTER he’d had the dissension with his family member, Lot.
AFTER he’d fought and won the battle with the Babylonian kings.
AFTER he passed the test with his possessions.
AFTER THOSE TESTS...God appeared to him in a vision.
A lot of us would have given up AFTER having gone through just one of these tests.
And that is the reason why many dreams from God never materialize - we give up too soon.
When we realize our dreams must be tested we can have a better attitude about those tests and a
positive attitude is essential for realizing our dreams.
Those who see their God-given dreams fulfilled are the ones who persevere through tough times. They
are the people who refuse to quit. Their tenacity and perseverance win out. They’re like Jacob wrestling
with God, refusing to quit until they’ve received God’s blessing.
We all begin with dreams… aspirations…
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Dream inspired by God of what his life was to be… of the road ahead… only to face the sharpest and
strangest of turns.
Each of us are likely to find and face life’s challenges on different levels. We spend the first 20 to 25
years developing certain dreams… a certain vision for what our lives may become… and invariably we
face some unexpected challenges along the way…. Dreams for marriage go unfulfilled…. The
company closes… the doctor says “cancer.”
