1. THINK BIG
• Set a goal for something so great for God that it is doomed unless He is in it
• DREAM: “A condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration”
• Illustration: “A woman in a home for the elderly was given a party to celebrate her one-hundredth birthday. Her pastor came to offer his congratulations. Later, the pastor said, “Her mind was keenly alert. When I arrived, she was completely caught up in the excitement of the birthday party. A reporter had come to interview her. And when he asked the high-spirited, one hundred year old woman, ‘Do you have any children?’ she replied, without hesitation, ‘Not yet!’”
• This woman had lofty dreams and a clear vision
• VISION: “the act or power of imagination; the mode of seeing or conceiving; unusual discernment or foresight; man of vision.”
• When we develop a “vision” either as individuals or as a group it threatens Satan and his work. He will do everything in his power to stop or derail the vision of the Christian
• Most Christians never venture out of their “comfort zone” in order to establish a dream or vision much less achieve it’s goals
a. Each Christian should establish personal Dreams and Visions
b. Individual Christians should come together to establish the Dreams and Vision’s of the church
c. Each Church should come together to
realize and achieve the Dreams and
Vision God has for the world
2. JOSEPH HAD A DREAM
• Genesis 37:5-8
• Joseph’s dream was: “basically that his brethren would someday bow to him.”
• This was not his desire but was God’s will
• Joseph had second dream: This dream not only included his brothers bowing down to him but that his parents would also
• Genesis 37:10 “And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?”
• VS 11 tells us that his father “observed the saying” in other words accepted it as God’s will
• But the brothers resented him harshly for this
• Often times when God gives us the vision others may not understand or may be jealous of the one who is being used or the work being done
• God will use whomever he chooses to accomplish the task at hand
• Mark 9:35 “…If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”
• Proverbs 6:34 “For jealousy is the rage of a man…”
• Jealousy is what drove Joseph’s brothers to first put him in the pit then sold him into slavery which eventually led him to the work in the palace
• Joseph kept the dream/vision alive…
3. THREE THINGS NEEDED FOR A VISION
BE PERSISTENT:
• When quick results do not occur too many people give up
• I Kings 19:19-21 “So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him.” “And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?” “And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”
• Elisha knew about the miracles of Elijah
• Increases the oil of the widow of Zarephath (I Kings 17:14-16
• Raises the son in Zarephath from the dead (I Kings 17:17-24)
• Causes rain after seven years of drought (I Kings 18:24, 36-38)
• Calls fire down upon the soldiers of Ahaziah (II Kings 1:10-12; Luke 9:54)
• Elisha knew about the power given from God to Elijah, but his dream was for more
• II Kings 2:9-10 “And it came to pass, whenthey were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” “And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.”
• Elisha received his “double portion” because he was persistent in his dream
• Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for them that cometh to God must believe that he is, and the he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
• Through diligence comes our reward
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON GOD
• Luke 18:27 “…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
• “Former Under Secretary of the Interior John C. Whitaker is reminded of how easy it is to get an out-of perspective feeling about one’s importance in government whenever he thinks of an 85 year old woman who has lived her life in one spot in Nova Scotia. The population there swells to nine in summer and stays steady at two during the winter. Whitaker, who has been fishing there every year since he was twelve, flew in one day. Miss Mildred welcomed him into her kitchen and said, ‘Johnny I hate to admit I don’t know, but where is Washington?’ When Whitaker realized that she wasn’t kidding, he explained: ‘That is where the President is. It’s like where you have the Prime Minister of Ottawa.’ Then she asked how many people lived there, and Whitaker said there were about two million. She said, ‘Think of that, two million people living so far away from everything.”
• Obviously her perspective on location was different than most
• Our perspective on God hinges on our faith in his limitless ability
• Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
• Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
• Philippians 3:21 “Who shall change our vile body, that it my be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby the is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Christ)
• Our Dreams and Visions only become reality when they are centered on God
PAST CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE ROBBED YOU OF WHAT GOD WANTED TO DO THROUGH YOU
• “Former heavyweight boxer James (Quick) Tillis was a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980’s. Years later, he still remembers his first day in the Windy City after his arrival from Tulsa. ‘I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under my arms in downtown Chicago and stopped inform of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down and I looked up at the tower and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to conquer Chicago.’ When I looked down, the suitcases were gone.”
• This was an adverse situation for James Tillis; it would have been easy to get right back on the bus and go home
• The robbery didn’t deter him from achieving his goal in becoming a professional boxer
• So many times when we hit a snag in the road we quit
• Don’t let past experiences or set backs keep you from fulfilling God’s will and your Dreams and Visions
• In Closing:
• Psalm 112:6-10 “Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart fixed, trusting in the Lord.” “His heart established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.” “He hath depressed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.” “The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
• Joseph had a dream, a vision and even though he was hated and despised by his brothers he followed through with that vision. It was in trusting God and living out the vision that Joseph was eventually able to provide for his family during a tremendous drought.
