What Is Your Dream?

What is Your Dream? is the title of my sermon today.  My scripture today is from Ephesians 3: 20-21

As we enter into a time of revival I searched the scriptures to find something that would get that revival spirit burning.  In my short time of standing in a pulpit I have preached several messages on the subject of dreams.  Dreams fascinate me and always have.  This morning I would like to address the subject of dreams … with this question, “What is Your Dream?”  The question this morning is not can we dream, everyone can dream, but do we have the courage to act upon it.  This morning….I am dreaming of revival.  Not just for Midway United Methodist Church….but for Randolph County, Alabama, and the United States of America.

I am going to focus on verses 20 – 21.  20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,   21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

So let’s look first at The Process of a Dream.  One of the definitions for the word Process is this – A series of continuous actions that lead us to a particular result.  We must remember that dreams are a process. There are no instant Dreams unless you ate spicy food late at night, and then it is not a dream, it is a nightmare.  God will not lift you up out of your dream and set you down in the center of its fulfillment.  In 1983 a young man named Michael Dell graduated from High School. He had a passion for computers and would take them apart and rebuild them. He discovered that he could build them for one forth of the price even adding more memory, bigger monitors, and faster modems, he would be able to sell them cheaper with a handsome profit. His dream was to build and sell computers.  That fall, under a lot of pressure from his parents he enrolled at UT. After his freshman year, he dropped out of school and started Dell Computer Company with only $1,000 start up money.  Three years later, the company did a private placement offering stock to a small group of investors. At that time, Michael Dell was 22 years Old and Dell Computers had 150 million if annual sales.  Today, Dell Computers is a 57 Billion dollar company, with the leading market Share in the US.  Michael Dell said, I followed my dream. I learned by doing and by making mistakes, and I go smart people to help.  The Children of Israel dreamed of living in the Promised Land, but the only way to get there was through the wilderness.  You see, you will not be able to trust God for the fruition of your Dream, until you see His faithfulness in the process.  Do not despise the process, for that is where we learn to trust God.

• We discover His power in Red Sea situations.

• When we are led by Him, there are no sign posts.

• When we get up every morning with our eyes on our destiny and steadily move towards it.

• When we refuse to become like the children of Israel who murmured and complained in the wilderness.

The lyrics to an awesome love song are:

At times the load is heavy, at times the road is long,

when circumstances come your way and you think you can’t go on,

When your feeling at your weakest, Jesus will be strong,

He’ll provide an answer when you’ve found all hope is gone, He’ll find a way.

At times your heart is breaking with a pain that’s so intense, and all you hold are broken pieces to a life that makes no sense,

He wants to lift you up and hold you, and mend each torn event,

He’ll pick up the pieces that you thought had all been spent, He’ll find a way.

For I know that if He can paint a sunset, and put the stars in place,

if He can raise up mountains and calm the storm tossed waves,

and if He can conquer death forever to open Heavens gates,

I know for you, He’ll find a way.

If you are in a situation and you can’t find heads from tails,

remember you are in a process.

The process can be difficult, the road can be rough,

the land can be like a wilderness,

but you will never taste of the milk and honey without completing the process.

So now we need to look at The Progress of a Dream.  Your dream will never progress unless it is pursued.  The definition of the word Pursue is – To seek to attain. To apply ones energy towards as a chief interest. To follow after persistently.  With that definition in our minds people at Midway we need to pursue the dream God has given us no matter how far-fetched it may seem.

• Your dreams are like your children; they are your offspring.

• Your dreams are the joy of your present and the hope of your future.

• Protect them, feed them, encourage them to grow, for as long as you have a dream you will never be old.

I can hear the voice of Caleb today, “So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."  I love the Caleb Spirit. This became possible because of the process.  People and life’s struggles attempted to steal his dream.

• Israel refusing to go into the Promised Land.

• Wandering around for 40 years in the wilderness.

• The murmuring of the people.

• The peoples attempt to bring in other Gods.

• Driving the inhabitants out of the Land.

• His dream included defeating the Anakites. (Giants)

Caleb stayed true to his dream, he stayed focused on his dream, and he pursued after his dream.

Look at the life of Joseph.

• The betrayal of his family

• The attempted seduction by Potiphar’s wife.

• The false imprisonment.

Joseph’s dream carried him all the way to his destiny as the ruler of Egypt.  We are talking about God given dreams that lead to God honoring results, not self ambition.

Now let’s look at  The Promise of a Dream.  The definition of Promise is – An assurance given by one person to another to perform a specified act.  Joel 2:28:  And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams,  your young men will see visions. God has a dream for you, and as you seek Him, He will reveal it to you. When He reveals His dream for you, you must remember three things:  1. Dreams are specific, not general; personal, not public.  God will not give someone else your dream, He will give it to you.  I have had people come to me and ask me, what do you think God want me to do?  God can confirm it through others, but He will reveal it to you.  When He does, be careful of who you share it with.  (Remember the story of Joseph?  Well, Joseph’s brothers could not handle his dream, so they tried to abort it.)  2. Dreams are usually outside the realm of the expected.  Often your dream will cause others to say, “You’ve got to be kidding!”  I know my friends did when I told them I was going to school to be a teacher.  They laughed.  Even at my 20 year high school reunion.  My former teachers were shocked when I told them what I did.  But….Remember, that is their opinion, not God’s.  Philippians for 13 tells us:  With God, all things are possible.  3. Dreams can separate you from others.  Dreamers are risk-takers and are always in the minority.  Dreams will separate the risk-takers, from the caretakers and the undertakers.  Those who walk by sight will always outnumber those who walk by faith.  So let me ask you right now….What do you dream about?  I know that Midway dreams of a great revival.  The kind of revival that fills the pews with people wanting to find out what we have here and what God is all about.  My fellow Christians….remember this….You will never out dream God.  Ephesians 3:20:  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.  We have the power for revival….now….go into the world and Catch that Caleb spirit, give me that mountain.