The dream never dies, just the dreamer.
The song never stops, just the singer…
I’m not going to let the challenges, difficulties, take my song away, or my dream away.
When we dream, God nearly always gives us impossibilities at first. They seem impossible to us at first. The size of our dreams has to do with the size of our faith. If we are going to realize the wonderful things God will give us, we need to begin living out our dream.
Illustration of James Dobson’s experience on the Phil Donahue show at the beginning of the Focus on the Family ministry. Donahue told him "we're going to eat you alive." And they did. Dobson could easily have given up at that starting point in the ministry of Focus on the Family, but if he had, then all that it has become would never have taken place.
Joseph’s brothers said ”Behold here comes the dreamer. Let’s slay the dreamer and see what becomes of his dreams.” (Genesis 37:20.) Then they threw him into a cistern, and sold him to the enemy. (:28) The enemy wants to slay us, and to throw us in a cistern where we will never realize our dreams nor even think about them again.
Everyone needs a dream – what’s yours?
Without a dream, you have no ministry, just a job. No sense of passion or call.
The cistern of self-doubt. That is the doomsday of the dream. God gives us a dream, and puts us in a place to see the dream become a reality. All too often, self-doubt becomes the cistern the enemy enslaves us within. You can’t go around feeling sorry for yourself, or allowing doubt to creep in.
The cistern of rejection. Perhaps people have left your church. Rejected you. Jesus likewise had people reject him. The people of Nazareth said “aren’t you the son of the carpenter?” Even Peter turned away from Him. You must be true to yourself, true to the Scriptures – you can not try to please everyone.
The cistern of failure. You’ve prepared your message, thinking it’s going to be the best ever, and it “cures people of insomnia.”
The cistern of anger. Too many pastors are angry over one thing or another, and due to their anger, they are unable to accomplish anything for the Lord. You will never accomplish anything for God as long as you are filled with self-doubt, rejection, failure or anger. We cannot allow the enemy to hide us in the cisterns of life. We need to get out of the cistern, and do all we can for the Lord every day of our life.
Everyone needs a Reuben – who’s yours?
Reuben saved Joseph’s life (Genesis 37). Everyone of us needs someone we can count on, that we can trust, who can rescue us. You allow a person in your life to monitor your life and hold you accountable.
Everyone needs to stay close to Jesus
From the cistern, Joseph moved to the palace, and was next to the king. (Genesis 45). Joseph says to his brothers “Come close to me.” In the hard times, Jesus says to us, “Come close to me.”
When we come close to Jesus, three things take place at that moment of surrender –
· You begin to love people the way Jesus loves them. Numbers, attendance, all become far less important. You begin to serve the ones
· The Bible becomes the source of light and strength, rather than a textbook for preaching
· There is a boldness that comes, from being freed from over-concern of what people think or say.
If you are ever going to see your dreams come true.
· It will need to be an impossible dream
· You will need people who will hold your arms up and pray for you
· It will be at the foot of Jesus, and we will have to let Him live us
I’m not going to let the challenges, difficulties, take my song away, or my dream away.
When we dream, God nearly always gives us impossibilities at first. They seem impossible to us at first. The size of our dreams has to do with the size of our faith. If we are going to realize the wonderful things God will give us, we need to begin living out our dream.
Illustration of James Dobson’s experience on the Phil Donahue show at the beginning of the Focus on the Family ministry. Donahue told him "we're going to eat you alive." And they did. Dobson could easily have given up at that starting point in the ministry of Focus on the Family, but if he had, then all that it has become would never have taken place.
Joseph’s brothers said ”Behold here comes the dreamer. Let’s slay the dreamer and see what becomes of his dreams.” (Genesis 37:20.) Then they threw him into a cistern, and sold him to the enemy. (:28) The enemy wants to slay us, and to throw us in a cistern where we will never realize our dreams nor even think about them again.
Everyone needs a dream – what’s yours?
Without a dream, you have no ministry, just a job. No sense of passion or call.
The cistern of self-doubt. That is the doomsday of the dream. God gives us a dream, and puts us in a place to see the dream become a reality. All too often, self-doubt becomes the cistern the enemy enslaves us within. You can’t go around feeling sorry for yourself, or allowing doubt to creep in.
The cistern of rejection. Perhaps people have left your church. Rejected you. Jesus likewise had people reject him. The people of Nazareth said “aren’t you the son of the carpenter?” Even Peter turned away from Him. You must be true to yourself, true to the Scriptures – you can not try to please everyone.
The cistern of failure. You’ve prepared your message, thinking it’s going to be the best ever, and it “cures people of insomnia.”
The cistern of anger. Too many pastors are angry over one thing or another, and due to their anger, they are unable to accomplish anything for the Lord. You will never accomplish anything for God as long as you are filled with self-doubt, rejection, failure or anger. We cannot allow the enemy to hide us in the cisterns of life. We need to get out of the cistern, and do all we can for the Lord every day of our life.
Everyone needs a Reuben – who’s yours?
Reuben saved Joseph’s life (Genesis 37). Everyone of us needs someone we can count on, that we can trust, who can rescue us. You allow a person in your life to monitor your life and hold you accountable.
Everyone needs to stay close to Jesus
From the cistern, Joseph moved to the palace, and was next to the king. (Genesis 45). Joseph says to his brothers “Come close to me.” In the hard times, Jesus says to us, “Come close to me.”
When we come close to Jesus, three things take place at that moment of surrender –
· You begin to love people the way Jesus loves them. Numbers, attendance, all become far less important. You begin to serve the ones
· The Bible becomes the source of light and strength, rather than a textbook for preaching
· There is a boldness that comes, from being freed from over-concern of what people think or say.
If you are ever going to see your dreams come true.
· It will need to be an impossible dream
· You will need people who will hold your arms up and pray for you
· It will be at the foot of Jesus, and we will have to let Him live us
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