GOD’S EXTRAORDINARY DREAMS… FOR OUR CHURCH
SONG LYRICS: There Must Be a Place by Brian Doerksen
Deep down inside, inside my soul I feel passion and fire
I’ve got a yearning that words cannot express, a hunger for love and tenderness
Deep down inside, I know you feel the hunger, and so do I
When the wonder of a fairy tale, will never fail
There must be a place where dreams come true, There must be a time when I’m free to fly
There must be a place.
OPENING: Vision for 2010 – God’s extraordinary dreams for YOU.
“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but where dreams come true, there is life and joy.” (Proverbs 13:12).
QUOTE: Why do we love fairy tales, and fantasy stories and movies?
“In the original Beauty and the Beast… a creature that no one could bear to look upon is transformed into a handsome prince. That which was dark and ugly is now glorious and good. Is it not the most beautiful outcome of any story to be written? Perhaps that is because it is the deepest yearning of the human heart. Look how often this theme surfaces. Cinderella rises from the cinders to become a queen. The ugly duckling becomes a beautiful swan. The frog becomes a prince… In hope beyond hope, they are all transformed into the very thing they never thought they could be. Why are we enchanted by tales of transformation (and dreams come true)? Why is it an essential part of any great story? Because it is the secret of Christianity.” (John Eldredge, Waking the Dead).
KEY TEXT: “God is able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].” (Eph. 3:20, Amplified).
• God has placed within our heart hopes and dreams that He wants to fulfill for us!
• What are your hopes and dreams for your life? For your relationships? For your family?
• Over the next month, we are going to look at how to pursue these dreams.
• One of my dreams is to finish writing my book “Supernatural” and see it published.
QUOTE:
"I believe God wants us to dream, and to dream big, because He’s a big God who wants to do big things and He wants to do them through us." (John Maxwell, Put Your Dream to the Test).
Our leaders are reading through this book right now.
IMPORTANCE OF VISION:
A man bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how he would perform, he took him out to track a bear. When they got into the woods, the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. The young dog had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear’s path. A few moments later the dog stopped again, smelling a rabbit that had crossed the deer’s path. On and on it went until finally, the hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking down the hole of a field mouse. He lost sight of his original vision.
• Jesus said, “I will build my Church!” (Matthew 18:16). He loves the Church!
• “that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27).
THE BIG IDEA: God has an extraordinary dream for His Church. When we pursue that dream, and become everything that He has destined us to be, many people will come to faith in Jesus, and God will be glorified.
GOD’S DREAM FOR OUR CHURCH:
We exist:
• to REACH people with the love of God ... evangelism
• to CONNECT them in loving relationships with other Christians ... fellowship
• to help them to GROW in their faith through God’s Word ... discipleship
• to challenge them to DISCOVER their gifts ... ministry
• and GLORIFY God with their lives. ... worship
DREAM #1: that people would GLORIFY God with their lives. (worship)
Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38).
• Our highest calling as believers is to love God – to worship Him – with all of our hearts.
• What does this look like?
o Sunday mornings would be a time of joyful celebration of the presence of God.
o That we would worship God in spirit and truth every day of our lives.
o “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Romans 12:1-2, NLT).
o Challenge – at the beginning of this New Year, what changes do you need to make to live a life that glorifies God?
DREAM #2: to CONNECT Christians in loving relationships with one another. (fellowship)
Jesus said, “The second greatest commandment is: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:39).
• We want to provide hope, healing and restoration for people’s broken lives.
• What does this look like?
o That people would experience love, acceptance and forgiveness at Church.
o That our Church family would exhibit the spirit of hospitality.
o That we would ‘do life together’ like they did in the New Testament – loving each other, helping each others troubles and problems, praying for each other, etc.
o That every member of our Church family would get involved in a home group. This is where we love and are loved, know and are known by others.
o That people with addictions would get involved in our Overcomers Outreach 12 step Recovery Program and find freedom in Christ.
DREAM #3: to help people to GROW in their faith through God’s Word. (discipleship)
“as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:2-3).
• God has called us to help His children to grow spiritually – becoming more like Jesus.
• What does this look like?
o This happens primarily through the ministry of the Word on Sunday mornings.
o That we would resource our people through teaching CD’s, books, a library.
o That every member of our Church would be committed to reading their Bibles on a regular basis (resource: The 5 Minute Challenge Bible Reading Plan).
DREAM #4: to challenge believers to DISCOVER their gifts. (ministry)
“God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you.” (1 Peter 4:10).
• We believe that God has given spiritual gifts to all believers. We want to help people discover and develop their gifts.
• What does this look like?
o From time to time throughout the year we will teach on spiritual gifts.
o One of the best ways people learn to do is by doing. Therefore, we want to give people the opportunity to learn to use their gifts by using them.
o Our hope is that every member of our Church would get involved serving somewhere in the Church in 2010. Where do you want to serve? (response form)
DREAM #5: to challenge believers to REACH people with the love of God. (evangelism)
Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15).
• We have a responsibility to share God’s love with the people in our community, so that lost people can come to know Jesus personally as their Lord and Saviour.
• What does this look like?
o That every believer would begin to share God’s love with their friends and family
o Friendship evangelism – that we would invite our friends to Church so they can hear the Gospel and come to know Jesus personally.
o That we would create an atmosphere of love, acceptance and forgiveness that says, “If you come around here, we’re going to love you – unconditionally, always, and under every circumstance.”
o Challenge – tell someone your story about how you came to faith in Jesus, and about the difference He has made in your life.
NEXT WEEK: We are going to look at the life of a dreamer named Joseph, and see how his life is an example for us as we pursue God’s extraordinary dreams for our lives.
BENEDICTION:
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
