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Three Keys to Fulfilling Your Dream
Throughout history and the Bible, people sensed they could achieve great things They were made for something bigger , dreamed of something, hoped for something…People, circumstances, resources said no way!…but they held on and went on to achieve their dream.
Genesis 11:1-7 1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, [1] they found a plain in Shinar [2] and settled there. 3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."
Humans were never built for mediocrity…the ability to be creative and accomplish amazing things was put there by God.
Illus: I love Star Wars. George Lucas gave up $500,000 of directors fees for sequel and merchandising rights to Star Wars. So far merchandise profits have exceeded $3.2 billion...he believed in his dream before anyone else did.
Whatever your dream is, are you doing what God wants you to do? God’s plan for you not necessarily be the same as God’s plan for me.
1/ Inspiration - Hear the dream
You have the ability to dream. Note: God did not say they couldn’t accomplish the dream to build the tower. He knew they could.
Genesis 11:3 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."….. 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
They called each other to the dream - heard the call to the dream - But the dream was doomed because God opposed the dream. God has a dream for you, have you heard it yet? Have you heard the calling to give yourself to His dream? You can't lose when God is supporting you.
Matthew 17:20 “…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”
Illus: I sensed a call to the ministry, others seemed to agree and I had had some success in 'lay ministry tasks'. But before I took the plunge I needed to hear it from God. I remember walking into the kitchen one morning in 1986 (I am a very early riser), I had been pondering the whole aspect of 'the call' and I had challenged God to speak to me. As I entered the kitchen I hit the play button on the stereo. The next words I heard were from a band called the Imperials singing "You gotta heard the call brother". It was like being hit in the chest by a truck...I knew what I had to do.
Peter received a call from God to join in God's Great Dream. This Great Dream was not just for Peter’s, this Great Dream is for everyone who knows Him.
Luke 5:8-10 … he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"…Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men.
Declare: All great achievements begin with a dream. God’s dreams for you exceed anything you could dream for yourself…and the best thing with God’s dream is that he is on your side…he wants you to succeed.
2/ Perspiration - Work the dream
We need to grow into our call…start were you are.
Isaiah 6: 5-8 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!
No matter who you are, we often do not feel adequate to fulfil dream. Don’t let inadequacy stop you. Begin to work the dream…set your compass on the dream; use it to navigate your life.
Illus: A very reserved friend of mine once came to the front of a church service to share something that he felt God was laying on his heart. I can’t remember him ever doing such a thing before; every eye was fixed on Peter. He said “The gifts that we give our children, they always grow out of; but the gifts that God gives us, we always grow into.” (Peter Allen, Toowoomba)
Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God.
Begin to pay the price for your dream. Have a go, volunteer, serve, give, go, invest, pray, read, think etc…have you broken into a sweat yet?
Hebrews 12:4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Illus: Cathy and I had the privilege of attending a small bible college in Southern California. The New Zealand dollar had just been devalued and was only buying .50c US. Although the college in Los Angeles was offering us very generous tuition and living, we still had to sell everything that we could to pay the expenses.
The fulfillment of dreams is not free. Others may assist you in your dream but you must pay the lions share.
Have you broken into a sweat yet over the call / dream of God over your life?
I believe that when we have done our best then we can trust God to do the rest..
Declare: The fulfilment of a great dream does not require you to feel adequate but it will require you to perspire.
3/ Desperation - Hold the dream
Moses dream from God took 40 years to become a reality (Beware lest your dream die in a wilderness)
Hebrews 11:24
By faith Moses, when
he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Exodus 2:11
Moses saw an Egyptian
beating Israelite, his actions led to a 40 year wilderness…the call was in
his heart but it nearly died. Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
1 Corinthians 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
You have got to 'know in your knower' and hold on regardless of circumstances. You are God’s plan ‘A’ there is no plan ‘B’
Illus: Cathy broke off our engagement about three months from the wedding due to pressure from an influential family member. A simple conversation had been taken out of context - the engagement period can be a time of heightened sensitivities. To me this was the weekend from hell! After a loooong weekend of emotional turmoil, I set my heart to pray and felt God bring me back to a simple word (a promise that He had spoken to me) about my future with Cathy. We had a long talk, overcame the challenge and were married three months later.
Exodus 4:10-13 Moses said to the LORD, "…I have never been eloquent… I am slow of speech and tongue."…Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."… But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it.
A key to holding your dream is to speak the language of God. Only say what God says about your circumstances, hang around those with the same goal – those who speak faith “you can do it”. Hang around those who point you toward God and his words to you.
Genesis 11:1-7 1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, [1] they found a plain in Shinar [2] and settled there. 3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."
Jerry Savelle “when you feel you can’t take any more, know the devil just fired his best shot…if you hang on, you win.”…“Worry is when we meditate on the devils words…faith is when we meditate on God’s words.”
Genesis 11:6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Declare: Don’t let the dream go. Don’t let yourself down, God down and worst of all the people of the world down. To fulfil the dream of God you need inspiration, perspiration and desperation.
Suggested personal study / cell questions 1/ What Bible characters can you think of who had a dream or call from God? 2/ Share one dream you have or if you could achieve anything, what would you want to do? 3/ Is anything stopping you achieving your dream?…Could it be creatively overcome? 4/ God has a dream for us, how are you doing in fulfilling God’s dream for the nations. What could you do to be more effective in making God’s dream a reality?
©
2002-2006 John
B. N. Banton
All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible
Society.
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