JOE’S DREAM CONTINUES
GENESIS 37: 2-11/ EPHESIANS 4: 1-16
DECEMBER 29, 2002
INTRODUCTION: Members of the Church
Three pastors were having lunch together at a church dinner. The first pastor said: "Ya know...since summer started, I’ve been having trouble with mice in the basement of my church." I’ve tried everything...noise, spray, cats...nothing seems to scare them away. The second pastor then said: "Yea...me too. I’ve got hundreds living in the basement of the church. I’ve set traps and even called an expert to get rid of them, yet...they still won’t go away."
With a grin on his face, the third pastor said: "I had the same problem, so...I baptized all mine and made them members of the church...Haven’t seen one since!!"
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Our text for this day speaks to us of a dreamer and a dream. The dream is the reality of what God was going to do, but in His timing. The problem was that the entire family had a problem with the dream. Another reality from the text is that God doesn’t seem to mind if we have a problem with His future, it will still come to pass. Joseph’s timing may have been off in sharing the dream, but when God lays a dream on your heart, soul and mind, you have to tell someone. Joseph told those closes to him of his dream and since my name is Joseph, I want to share my dream with you. Just like with Joseph, the dream would eventually involve his immediate family and for us today, the dream I have will involve you, my immediate family!
Four years ago, I shared a dream with you and as I look back, much of the dream has been accomplished, but surely not all. We have become more mission minded in these last four years and with Judy and our ladies leading the way, I don’t see any sign of retreat. Our ladies have really showed us men up when it comes to going! We have learned to LOVE other nationalities; we even support a missionary from Australia, to work in South Africa. We also support a Hispanic church and have done so for two and a half years!! We continue to do occasional outreach through canvassing and even handing out the Jesus film for the first time this year. People have come to know Jesus as their personal Savior within this church. New people are getting baptized each year here. People are being called into ministry from within this church, even one this year. Each year new people join our church. Things are happening here, but we still have room, much room to grow. Ministry marks growth and ministry becomes apparent through numerical growth.
BUT WHAT OF THIS DREAM? LET ME PUT IT IN A NUT SHELL…
THESIS SENTENCE: Jesus calls us to love Him, one another and the Lost.
AFTER THREE YEARS OF SHARING THE DREAM, I REALIZED THIS YEAR WE NEEDED TO GO BACK AND RESTATE THE ORIGINAL DREAM.
THE DREAM BEGINS WITH…
I. A PEOPLE WHO LOVE GOD: HOLINESS
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT! Matthew 22:34-40 “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the Second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
A. A PEOPLE WHO REACH UP
If we are to have any impact in this world, the time is short, we must reach up to God in Love!! 1. Love is a profession of faith: Mark 12:29 “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
2. This is a claim of allegiance, “the Lord OUR God,”
3. We must Claim God; it is a response of Love!!
B. A PEOPLE WHO FOCUS
Love is a total focus on God!
1. Jesus calls for total commitment: “Heart, soul and mind!”
2. A single-minded commitment is seen in Heart and Soul.
3. It also brings with it the idea of energy seen in Mark 12:30, “with all your strength!” 4. “With all your mind,” brings full circle the idea of the total self, to be engaged in the love of God, which must include such things as praise, thanksgiving, study, obedience, and faithfulness, as well as loving one’s neighbor as one self!
C. A PEOPLE WHO REACH UP THROUGH THE OUT
Love is... a focus away from self! This is Reaching out to others!
1. Jesus states that loving God is tangible, it is seen in the way we love and care for others.
2. Jesus states that these two commands are intertwined and cannot be separated. 3. Love for God must spill over into our everyday life with others.
4. I John 4:11 “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 5. Jesus is our example!
ILLUSTRATION: HOLINESS? LOVE OF GOD! John Piper summed up our problem well with his statement, ‘The weakness of our hunger for God is not because he is unsavoury, but because we “keep ourselves stuffed with other things”’
Legend has it that a wealthy merchant traveling through the Mediterranean world looking for the Pharisee and Apostle, Paul encountered Timothy, who arranged a visit. Paul was, at the time, a prisoner in Rome. Stepping inside the cell, the merchant was surprised to find a rather old man, physically frail, but whose serenity and magnetism challenged the visitor. They talked for hours. Finally the merchant left with Paul’s blessing. Outside the prison, the concerned man inquired, "What is the secret of this man’s power? I have never seen anything like it before."
"Did you not guess?" replied Timothy. "Paul is in love."
The merchant looked bewildered. "In love?"
"Yes," the missionary answered, "Paul is in love with Jesus Christ."
The merchant looked even more bewildered. "Is that all?"
Smiling, Timothy replied, "Sir, that is everything."
JOE’S DREAM, THAT WE BE A PEOPLE WHO REACH UP TO GOD IN LOVE.
This would be seen by our prayer life as a congregation! Prayer Meeting should be the most Packed service of the week as we BEG GOD to intervene in our lives, our families lives, in the lives of those in our community, That GOD WOULD SAVE!
This would be seen by our church attendance, Church should be the highlight of our week, coming together to exalt the one that Died for us and redeemed us for eternity.
This would be seen in our GIVING, INSTEAD OF 20% OF THE CHURCH PAYING 80% OF THE BILLS, WHAT ABOUT 100% OF THE PEOPLE PAYING 100%!
This would be seen our willingness to work for the Kingdom, Here at the church, at our Jobs, anywhere and everywhere.
Reaching out because we are so filled with His LOVE!!!
II. A PEOPLE WHO LOVE ONE ANOTHER: UNITY
A. A PEOPLE WHO ARE ONE IN CHRIST
Gal. 3:26-27 teach us that we are all one in Christ: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
1. If we have faith in Christ Jesus, we are one.
2. IF we were baptized into Christ then we have clothed ourselves with Christ. 3. THEN:
• Neither Jew nor Greek: no room for prejudice!!
• Neither slave nor free: NO economic barriers!! Whatever our income, little or great, we are equal in Christ!!
• Neither male nor female: Gender has no effect on Christians.
• WE ARE ONE; WE ARE UNIFIED IN HIM!!
B. A PEOPLE WHO ARE UNIFIED IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
Ephesians 4:4ff explains that “There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called to one hope when you were called -- one Lord, one Faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
1. The Apostle Paul is making a point here, “You belong to each other.”
2. There is no division in ONE!
3. We have all things in Common!!!!!!
C. A PEOPLE WHO SERVE ONE ANOTHER FOR CHRIST
Jesus sums up this whole Idea with the Story of the Good Samaritan!
1. In Luke 10: 25 - 37 Jesus tells us we are to go and show mercy to all people. 2. The interesting context is that Jesus uses a non-Jew as the role model for correct action. Jesus burst through all our stereotypes and Prejudices and tells us to love those we had formerly hated!
3. BOTTOM LINE HERE, WE ARE TO LOVE ALL PEOPLE!
ILLUSTRATION: UNITY! Some one once wrote: In order to avoid criticism, never do anything. Ever.” [Misunderstood Children’s Sermon, Citation: Marilyn McCoy, Chester, Vermont. Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom."]
Another writes, “Each Sunday our minister presents a "children’s sermon" to all the young children.
Recently a bright-eyed three-year-old girl listened intently as he explained that God wanted them all to get along and love each other.
"God wants us all to be one," he said.
To which the little girl replied, "But I don’t want to be one. I want to be four!"
JOE’S DREAM HERE IS THAT WE LOVE ALL PEOPLE: RED AND YELLOW, BLACK AND WHITE, THEY ARE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT; JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD! KELVIN COLLIER AND I SHOULD BE CO-PASTORS, NOT ACROSS TOWN PASTORS!
WHY IS SUNDAY THE MOST SEGREGATED HOUR OF THE WEEK. There is no nationality we don’t work with, and as Christians, there is no nationality we should not worship with!!
I DREAM OF A CHURCH THAT IS NOT ONLY RAINBOW IN APPEARANCE, BUT CONTINUES MINISTRY TO OTHER NATIONALITIES, AS WE DO WITH OUR “PRINCE OF PEACE WESLEYAN CHURCH” UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PASTOR AMADO AND MARIA LEIVA! WE HAVE ONLY BEGUN! WHO’S NEXT?
AND, I DREAM OF A CHURCH WHERE ALL THOSE WHO ATTEND WORK TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF THE KINGDOM, NOT PERSONAL AGENDAS, BUT KINGDOM AGENDAS.
I DREAM OF A CHURCH WHERE WE ALL SHARE ONE HEART AND SOUL AND THIS IS TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD HERE ON EARTH SO THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD MAY COME.
I DREAM OF A CHURCH WHERE EVERYONE IS INVOLVED IN MINISTRY, EACH ONE DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO BE USEFUL FOR JESUS SAKE!
III. A PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE LOST: EVANGELISM
A. A PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW JESUS’ MODEL OF MINISTRY:
1. In Matt. 10: 1ff Jesus calls to himself 12 disciples and then sends them out to Israel to share the good news by healing and driving out demons, with this command, “Freely you have received, freely give.”
2. In Luke 10, Jesus calls apart 72 and sends them out two by two.
3. Jesus knows that He can’t get the message out all by himself, and if Jesus couldn’t, then I can’t. It will take all of us reaching out, going out to reach everyone possible with the good news!!
4. In Matt. 22, Jesus tells us about a Wedding Banquet WHERE the entire invited guest, do not come. He tells His servants, “Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find. So the servant went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both Good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with Guest.” (V. 8&9)
5. Jesus tells us it is simple to have church growth, don’t worry about the people who should be here and are not, go out and get some more, GOOD AND BAD!
B. A PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW JESUS GREAT COMMISSION
BUT WHAT IS TO BE OUR AGENDA?
Matt. 28:18ff sums up Jesus whole mind set on reaching out: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
1. Key to whole passage is GO: AS you Go, or as you came: GO!
2. TO DISCIPLE: Make someone into a learner of Jesus/
3. TO BAPTIZE: As they now know and share the life of Jesus, they do it symbolically through Baptism. We are to immediately witness to being saved.
4. TO TEACH: AS we make another hungry to learn of Jesus, and subsequently believe in Him, and are baptized into His death and resurrection; we must not stop there, we must instruct them in the faith once delivered to the saints!
5. Knowing Jesus is with us always as we endeavor to do His will!
ILLUSTRATION: EVANGELISM MISCONCEPTIONS: There is a story of Billy Graham when he was visiting a city for one of his crusades. He had finished writing a letter and began to look for a place to mail it.
Walking around the city for a while, he came across a young boy. He asked the boy if he knew how to get to the post office. The boy gave Billy Graham the directions and before leaving, Billy said to the boy, “Come on over to the arena tonight and I’ll tell you how to get to heaven.”
The boy looked at him and replied, “How can you know how to get to heaven? You don’t even know the way to the post office!”
(Source unknown)
JOE’S DREAM: THAT WE REACH OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY: This will only happen as we find the power of the Holy Spirit working within us! This is a one on one business where we are lead of the Spirit to PRAY, WITNESS, INVITE, LOVE, CARE, AND BE AVIALABLE FOR THE KING AND FOR HIS KINGDOM WORK!
CONCLUSION: The question for today is can we together share the dream? Can we covenent together to Love God more than we ever have, to Love One Another more than we ever have, and to Love the Lost more than we ever have? Can we do it? Can the dream become reality? Can we advance the Kingdom of God together? Can we make a difference for Christ Sake? Can we together Glorify God? Will you dream the dream the dream with me? Will you take personal ownership of the dream? Will this dream become your dream? This is my heart for leading us into the kingdom. This is where I have been for four years. The first two I was dreaming, but woke to a cold sweat. Now I wake to a nawing fire within my gut compelling me to build the kingdom and to follow these three principles. I don’t know what the future holds, but I sure do know who holds the future and I will be found faithful to HIS DREAM! IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! AMEN!!
BENEDICTION: JUDE 24-25
