God Dreams Over You
Thankfulness to those who gave to send a student to YC
-Exciting time in the lives of many of our students
-Exciting time for me (3 years I’ve seen teens saved, filled)
-I was able to witness the moment that 4 of our young people went forward and with tears in their eyes received God’s call on their lives to ministry
I don’t take that moment lightly
-Ten years ago @ 16 @ YC that God placed a call on my life into ministry
-It was at that moment that I realized God has a plan for me
That God has a dream over my life
-Do you know what? The same is true of each of these students that went forward
-God has a dream for their lives
-God dreams over them
God dreams over you
Tell your neighbor
God dreams over you
Like a father dreams over his son or daughter-God dreams over your life
I dream over my son’s life
Watching election coverage
-One day Judah’s going to be president – yea
-One step further I AM GOING TO BE PRESIDENT
Scott Palmer’s story
My heart broke last week when a Young Man in our youth told me his story
-Name is Scott
-When he was born Scott’s mom and his dad where not married-Scott was a mistake
-Scott’s dad was a skinhead who molested and abused Scott until at the age of 7 when his dad got so angry that he tried to kill his mom.
-His mom ran away and spent the next several years hiding from his dad.
-At the age of 8 Scott began to steal and got involved with gangs.
-He showed me his arms where he has scraped into his flesh gang nation.
-Scott has been in and out of jail so many times he can’t count.
-He spent several years living on the streets in Seattle as a teen.
-Scott only has a 3rd grade education. Can hardly read or write. It’s often hard to even understand him when he talks.
Scott now lives with his mom and his new step dad here in Oakdale. His mom has congestive heart failure and isn’t expected to live. Todd has narrowing veins going to his eyes and the doctors tell him he is only going to have his sight for 5 more years.
While I was talking to Scott he lifted up his shirt and showed me where he had stabbed himself several times trying to end the pain he feels. He showed me the cuts on his arms, which he has inflicted in order to dull his pain. One year ago Scott walked into this sanctuary and sitting right here gave his life to the Lord. Scott has done drugs all his life. Two weeks ago he told me that when he asked Jesus into his heart he no longer does drugs, he no longer cuts himself. This young man cant read his Bible, hardly knows who Jesus is or what he did on the cross. He’s been beaten, bruised, and tormented, has been told he’s worthless, a looser. And according to the world’s standards will never amount to more then a criminal I BELIEVE GOD STILL HAS A DREAM FOR SCOTT
Because
GOD DREAMS OVER HIS CHILDREN
HE IS NOT SO EASY TO GIVE UP ON US
Our God has big dreams for my life-YOUR LIFE
This morning I want us to look at God the dreamer
There are four lessons I want us to learn about God the dreamer using four different people in the Bible
INTERACTIVE SERMON HANDOUTS
Our 1st Lesson comes from the lives of Abraham and Sarah
Lesson # 1 Your never to old to accomplish what God has for you
Find Someone over 50 and tell them
Joke-If the pilgrims were still around what would they be known for-there age
Genesis 12:1-3 God lays out his dream for Abraham when he tells him: Get out of your country, from your family and your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Genesis 15:5-Look now toward heaven and count the stars if you are able to number them. So shall your descendants be.
God had a dream for Abraham
Dream
-Abraham would be the founder, the patriarch, of a great Jewish nation-the people of God
-As the patriarch Abraham would be the beginning of the line of David from which would come the Messiah
God had a dream for Abraham
And
-the only thing this dream required was children
-that’s where the problem comes in
Problem
-He and Sarah were old,
-Sarah wasn’t just 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, or even 70’s or 80’s Sarah was in her 90’s
-Let’s face it-Sarah was an old Lady, done, washed up we it came to the
baby bearing business
-Abraham’s wife was barren
God says, It doesn’t matter to me, I’m going to use you
-You may have expired as far as the naturals concerned, but this isn’t the natural your dealing with
-God doesn’t operate with natural limitations – he’s a supernatural God
Your never to old to accomplish God’s plan
-You’ve never expired in the kingdom of God
Joel 2:28-Your old men shall dream dreams
No matter how old you may be or how many years you may have wasted God can still fulfill his dream for your life
Ronald Reagan was 69 when he became President on of the greatest presidents in US history
Winston Churchill 63 when he became Prime minister and one of the most influential men
Sarah 90 was 90 when she had Isaac--- God’s dream is outside the limitations of age
2nd lesson comes from Joseph
Lesson #2-No one can steal God’s dream from your life
Joseph was a young man with a big dream
Genesis 37:5-11 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
6 So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7 "There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf."
8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me."
10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?"
11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Later we find out that this dream of Josephs wasn’t just a shallow dream of greatness nor a childish ambition, but God had a dream for Joseph
Dream
-He would rise to great power in Egypt
-He would save the entire nation of Egypt from destruction by drought
-He would save his family from the same fate as Egypt including Judah
-By saving Judah he was preserving/saving the lineage of the Messiah
Problems
Joseph was abused
-He was kidnapped by his brothers and taken from his father
-He was thrown in a well
-Sold into slavery
-Falsely accused of adultery
-Locked up in a treacherous prison in Egypt
None of these obstacles/abuses could steal God’s dream for Joseph’s life. None of these things that were done to Joseph could steal the plan God had for him
Many have had things done to you
Abuse Statistics
1/5 boys are molested
2/5 girls are molested
physical abuse/rape are rampant in our society
No matter what’s been done to you
No one can steal God’s Plan from you
Some here and you’ve been abused-Life hasn’t been fair
John 10:10-The thief has not come except to kill, steal, and destroy
There is nothing Satan would love to do more then to steal God’s dream for you
No one can steal God’s dream from you
Third lesson comes from Moses
Lesson #3-God makes the inadequate - Adequate
God makes the incapable-capable
God had a great dream for Moses
Exodus 3:10-God says to Moses, Come now and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt
Dream
-To use Moses to set the people free from Pharaoh
-To part the red sea
-Deliver the ten commandments
-Author the Pentateuch (1st 5 books of the Bible)
-Deliverer, guide, ruler, judge, author
Problem – God’s dream of leadership and public speaking was beyond Moses
Moses had a stuttering problem
-Moses couldn’t talk clearly
-Moses wasn’t a commanding speaker
-He was inadequate for the job
Anyone here felt inadequate?
Shawna @ winter camp
God makes the inadequate - Adequate
God makes the incapable-capable
A lot of us here today and we feel incapable and inadequate for God’s dream
Rev Andrew E Huson once said
The only people that ever accomplish anything great for God are those who dream beyond themselves
Phil 4:13-I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
Eph 3:20-To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think
According to his power that works in us
2 Cor 12:9-My grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness
Listen to what God so tenderly says to Moses in
Ex 4:12-Go and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say
God’s dreams over us are not limited to our weaknesses
God makes the inadequate - Adequate
God makes the incapable-capable
Last is brought to us via the apostle Paul
Lesson #4-You have never disqualified yourself for God’s dream
Basketball fight-Ron Artez - suspended for the rest of the year –may have ruined the rest of his career
-Because of 1 stupid mistake, lack of judgment
-because of his actions he has disqualified himself from playing the game of b-ball
-There are a lot of people that don’t fulfill God’s plan because of that very reason
-Many feel like they have disqualified themselves-It’s simply not true
Look at Paul
Acts 9:15-16 Jesus says of Paul – He is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake
God had a great dream for Paul
Dream
-He would be a great disciple
-He would be a great missionary
-He would be the instrument God uses to spread the gospel to the gentiles
-He would write 14 epistles
-He would be the founder of Christian theology
-Die a martyr, beheaded by Nero
Paul was disqualified
Problem
-Paul persecuted the church
-Paul was the murderer of Stephen and many other Christians
-Paul hated Christ
-Paul was a Religious Pharisee
-Paul was a blasphemer
Paul says of himself in 1 Tim 1:15-I am the chief of all sinners
-Paul was a vile man
But none of this disqualified Paul for God’s dream
Paul says himself in Corinthians –
If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come
Some here and you know God had a dream, but you believe you have wrecked it
You have not gone to far, done to much
If that was the case Paul wouldn’t have been called on the road to Damascus, but he should have been killed
No matter what you’ve done God still has a dream for you
Gods dream is bigger then any excuse, problem or disqualification
NOAH WAS A DRUNK.
ABRAHAM WAS TOO OLD.
ISAAC WAS A DAYDREAMER.
JACOB WAS A LIAR.
LEAH WAS UGLY.
JOSEPH WAS ABUSED.
MOSES HAD A STUTTERING PROBLEM.
GIDEON WAS AFRAID.
SAMSON HAD LONG HAIR, AND WAS A WOMANIZER!
RAHAB WAS A PROSTITUTE!
JEREMIAH AND TIMOTHY WERE TOO YOUNG.
DAVID HAD AN AFFAIR AND WAS A MURDERER.
ELIJAH WAS SUICIDAL.
ISAIAH PREACHED NAKED.
JONAH RAN FROM GOD.
NAOMI WAS A WIDOW.
JOB WENT BANKRUPT.
JOHN THE BAPTIST ATE BUGS.
PETER DENIED CHRIST.
THE DISCIPLES FELL ASLEEP WHILE PRAYING.
MARTHA WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING.
THE SAMARITAN WOMAN WAS DIVORCED…MORE THAN ONCE!
ZACCHEUS WAS TOO SMALL.
PAUL WAS TOO RELIGIONS.
TIMOTHY HAD AN ULCER…AND
LAZARUS WAS DEAD!
Loved one-God’s dream for your life is still intact
GOD DREAMS OVER YOU
Consider this:
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..”
Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.
Bill Lear-inventor of the lear jet – dropped out of school in the 6th grade
Wright brother-Their dad was a preacher and told them it was against the word of God for man to fly because the Bible only commissions angels to take flight
Thomas Edison-Was Pulled out of school by his mom in the 1st grade. Principle of the school declared that he was mentally retarded. He went on to patent over 1000 invention including the light bulb
GOD DREAMS OVER YOU-He has a dream for your life
Just like Scott Palmer
He hasn’t given up on it
-No matter your past failures or your present limitation
He will fulfill His dream - If you’ll let him
You see
This is the coalition of the willing
God fulfills his dream in the lives of those who are open to him
There I no one that can steal God’s dream but you
Are you willing to surrender to God’s dream?
If So Nothing Can Stop It
Gods dream is:
1-Outside the limitations of age
2-Cannot be stolen from you
3-Isnt dependent on your adequacy
4-Isnt disqualified by your past
VICKI
The next point in my sermon is blank
Only you can write this point
There is something (a dream) God has placed in each heart here
Interactive preaching because I cant fill that section in
Only you and God can
GOD’S DREAM-what has God placed in you heart
PROBLEMS-what is standing in the way of that potential
