EXTRAORDINARY DREAMS #1:
BE A DREAMER – DREAM BIG!
KEY TEXT: “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or dream, according to His power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20).
• Vision for 2010 – God’s extraordinary dreams for YOU.
• 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?
WHAT IS A DREAM?
Dream – a condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration. (www.dictionary.com).
“A dream is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it.” (John Maxwell).
THE BIG IDEA: The life of Joseph is an example for us to look at, to help us to realize how we can see all of our extraordinary dreams, hopes and desires become a reality.
JOSEPH’S STORY:
• Background: Genesis tells the story of creation, the fall of man, the flood, and the nation of Israel. It chronicles the stories of the Patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
“1 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived. 2 This is the history of Jacob’s family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks with his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. 3 Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift – a beautiful robe (or coat of many colors). 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father’s partiality. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. 5 One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more.” (Genesis 37:1-5).
1. GOD WANTS US TO DREAM BIG DREAMS!
• Joseph was a dreamer (v.5).
• “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).
• If you’ve given up on dreams, it’s time to dream again.
• “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but where dreams come true, there is life and joy.” (Proverbs 13:12).
• What dreams, hopes and desires do you have in your heart? (WRITE THEM DOWN!)
• There are many different kinds of hopes, dreams and desires:
o To dream to do great things in the Kingdom of God (this is not the only dream)
QUOTE: “We’ve been given the capacity to dream and, more importantly, to dream with God. Many believers discount their desires, automatically trying to get rid of everything they want in order to prove their surrender to God.” (Bill Johnson, Dreaming with God). o To dream for things for yourself – a business, a husband or wife, children
o To desire or hope for good things – for your relationships, your family
• “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4).
2. TO DREAM EXTRAORDINARY DREAMS, WE MUST KNOW THE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE OF GOD (V.3).
• “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).
• If we don’t believe God has our best interests at heart, we won’t dream big dreams.
• QUOTE: “There’s One Person above all others who desires an extraordinary life for you. He’s a Father who delights, like any good father, in the achievements and happiness of His children. His name is God!” (John Bevere, Extraordinary).
3. EVEN IF OUR DREAM IS FROM THE LORD, THERE WILL BE OPPOSITION (V.5).
“6 "Listen to this dream," he announced. 7 "We were out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before it!" 8 "So you are going to be our king, are you?" his brothers taunted. And they hated him all the more for his dream and what he had said. 9 Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers about it. "Listen to this dream," he said. "The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!" 10 This time he told his father as well as his brothers, and his father rebuked him. "What do you mean?" his father asked. "Will your mother, your brothers, and I actually come and bow before you?" 11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father gave it some thought and wondered what it all meant. (Genesis 37:6-11).
• Joseph was hated and taunted by his brothers, and rebuked by his father for his dreams.
• Don’t let someone else’s disapproval or jealousy hinder you from dreaming!
DREAMERS WHO OVERCAME OPPOSITION TO REALIZE THEIR DREAMS:
• Basketball superstar Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. However, he didn’t give up. His philosophy: “I play to win. The day I stop improving is the day I walk away from the game.” He didn’t just have a dream. He committed to shooting 300 baskets a day, and his dream became a reality.
• Rudyard Kipling received the following rejection letter: “I’m sorry Mr. Kipling, but you just don’t know how to use the English language.”
• Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. He did not become Prime Minister of England until he was 62, and then only after a lifetime of defeats and setbacks.
• When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he tried over 2,000 experiments before he got it to work. A young report asked him how it felt to fail so many times. He said, “I never failed once. I invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2,000 step process.” (Chicken Soup for the Soul).
THE REST OF JOSEPH’S STORY:
• Joseph was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by his brothers.
• He ended up working for Potiphar, and was falsely accused of raping his wife.
• He ended up in prison… but the Lord was with Joseph. (Song: He is with you)
• Finally, he ended up working for the Pharaoh in the palace… and his dream came true.
• We will continue looking at Joseph’s story for the next couple of weeks.
THE DREAM TEST:
"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).
1. The Ownership Question: Is my dream really my dream?
"Ordinary people can live extraordinary lives when they follow their dreams... Successful people - those who see and seize their dream - love what they do and do what they love."
2. The Clarity Question: Do I clearly see my dream?
"Begin by writing a detailed description of your dream. Make your dream measurable."
3. The Reality Question: Am I depending on factors in my control to achieve my dream?
"You need to reach far beyond what you’re capable of, but at the same time base what you do on your strength and other factors within your control."
4. The Passion Question: Does my dream compel me to follow it?
5. The Pathway Question: Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?
"The real difference between a dream and wishful thinking is what you do day to day."
6. The People Question: Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?
7. The Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?
8. The Tenacity Question: Am I moving closer to my dream?
9. The Fulfillment question: Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?
10. The Significance Question: Does my dream benefit others?
(These 10 questions were taken from John Maxwell’s book Put Your Dream to the Test).
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
If you want your dreams to become a reality, there is something that you must do:
“It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools will not turn from evil to attain them.” (Proverbs 13:19).
• Discover what your dream is, then do whatever it takes to have what you want!
PRAYER: For people to dream, and for their dreams to come true!
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/
