Secrets Of The Dream Keepers

SECRETS OF THE DREAM KEEPERS

Numbers 12:6

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. a. "Doctor, I really need your help", I said. "Every night for the past two weeks I’m dreaming about some rats playing football."

b. "Here, take these pills tonight before you go to bed and you will be fine."

c. "But can I take them starting tomorrow?" "Why?" "Because tonight’s the ‘Rat Superbowl’ and I want to see who wins!”

2. I didn’t get much sleep last night, I kept dreaming I was frozen & then dropped off a cliff. I’m absolutely shattered this morning.

3. One night a man woke himself up with a loud "Hello!" to someone in his dream. The next day, he thought the nocturnal outburst was his alone to remember. But just before bed, his wife dryly, "If you see anyone you know tonight, just wave."

4. Some Intrusting Facts about Dreams

a. "Dreamt:" the only English word that ends in "mt"..

b. The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.

c. Most dreams last only 5 to 20 minutes

d. Scientists say the higher your I.Q., the more you dream.

e. The colder the room you sleep in, the better the chances are that you’ll have a bad dream.

B. TEXT

“Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams” Num. 12:6.

"A dream comes when there are many cares” Eccl. 5:3.

C. THESIS

1. Visions and dreams are one of the ways God communicates with his people down through the centuries. Why can’t he just say it to us? Much that surrounds God’s workings is mysterious.

2. Maybe our subconscious can more readily receive than our conscious can "hear" the Spirit speaking. Paul said, "the natural man cannot receive the things of the spirit."

3. It may be that our mind works better in pictures. That might be why God revealed the Book of Revelation to John the revelator in pictures: he could remember them easier.

4. God said, "In the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Your young men will see visions and your old men shall dream dreams...."

5. Visions and dreams are the language of the Holy Spirit. We are made in the image of God; God who "calls the things that be not as though they were." The vast detail and diversity of creation speaks of how mighty is the imagination of God.

6. Tonight we’re going to look at dreams in the Bible and the 5 Secrets of the dream Keepers.

I. THE NATURE OF DREAMS

A. DREAMS IN THE BIBLE

Dreams and visions are very frequent in the Bible:

1. DREAMS OF WARNING

a. Abimelech -- Genesis 20:3, 6; about Sarah

b. Laban -- Genesis 31:10-11, 24; “ Jacob

c. Magi -- Matthew 2:12; Don’t go back to Herod

d. Joseph -- Matthew 2:22-23; beware Archelaus

e. Pontius Pilate’s Wife -- Matthew 27:19

2. DREAMS OF FORETELLING FUTURE

a. Joseph -- Genesis 37:5-10 (2x); stars, wheat bow

b. Cupbearer & Baker -- Genesis 40:9-19

c. Pharaoh -- Genesis 41:1-7 (2x); 2 7 yr. periods

d. Midianite shown destruction by Gideon -- Judges 7:13;

e. Nebuchadnezzar -- Daniel 2:3 (statue);

f. Nebuchadnezzar -- Daniel 4:5 (tree cut down);

g. Dream of the four beasts -- Daniel 7:1-all.

3. DREAMS OF PROMISE

a. Solomon – 1 Kings 3:5;

b. Joseph -- Matthew 1:20; Take Mary as wife

c. Joseph -- Matthew 2:19-20; “ Jesus to Israel

d. Jacob – Gen. 28:12, ladder; 31:10 breeding

e. Abraham. Not all dreams are given while people are asleep; many people God waking visions. Abraham was told to go out side and “look at the stars and number them; so shall your descendents be!” He was called to believe what he saw physically. Probably many more examples of this exist.

B. THE DIFFICULTY OF STICKING TO DREAMS

1. Many of those who received dreams, had to wait for them to occur, sometimes for many years. Abraham, Joseph, David, Daniel, etc.

2. In order to ultimately receive the fulfillment of the dream, the person who had received it had to continue to trust that the dream would ultimately come true.

3. They had to be careful not to begin to act ungodly or to despair that their dream would never come. So they had to be, "Dream Keepers."

4. Of those who were successful, what were the secrets that helped them maintain their faith and fidelity? That is the subject of this message.

II. 5 SECRETS OF THE DREAM KEEPERS

A. KNOW THAT YOUR DREAM IS FROM GOD

1. In order not to be swayed from your journey toward fulfillment, it’s necessary to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your dream is from the Lord.