Follow That Dream!

Sermon Notes

January 3, 2010

Rev. Jim O’Neal, Senior Pastor

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

9248 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes, Arizona 85248

(480) 895-8766

 

Matthew 6:33 NRSV

33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 19:26 NRSV

26But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

 

A.  Introduction

    1.  Three Pesos for Sister Theresa

        a.  Sister Theresa had a dream.  She told her Mother Superior:  “I have three pesos and a dream from God to build an orphanage.”  Mother Superior chided gently, “Sister Theresa, you cannot build an orphanage with three pesos.  With three pesos you can’t do anything.” 

        b.  “I know,” she said smiling, “but with God and three pesos I can do anything!” 

    2.  Today's Message

        a.  Sister Theresa had no money, but she had a dream of helping children.  Trusting in God, she believed that she could accomplish her dream.  She believed that with God the impossible is possible.

        b.  Do you have some dreams?  Today's message will give you some guidance as you seek to discern and follow that dream.  My focus will be upon God, who is the greatest dreamer of all, and to God’s will for each of us.  I share two truths this morning:

 

B.  The greatest dreamer of all is God!

    1.  Bridge of Moses

        a.  I share now a story I like, but have told too many times.  I tell it again because it fits this point of the sermon so well.  A young couple decided that it was time they got back involved with a Church.  They had a little boy named Billy, who needed some spiritual guidance and direction.  So they went to a local Church one Sunday.  They went to worship and Billy went to Sunday School.  Afterwards they asked the boy what he learned.  Billy said, “I learned how the Israelites escaped from slavery in Egypt.  Their leader Moses built this long suspension bridge across the Red Sea.”  Mother with furrowed brow replied, “Son, I find that hard to believe!”  “Well,” Billy said, “if I told you what they really said, you’d never believe it!”

        b.  God dreams of a world where people treat each other with respect and dignity.  God dreams of a world free of slavery or any form of oppression.  And when the Egyptians sinned and the Israelites cried out, God envisioned a way to free the captives.  And who among us would have dreamed up a great big stunt like parting the Red Sea!  No one dreams bigger than God!

    2.  God’s Dreaming

        a.  God dreamed up Creation!  The first words of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, tell us:  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 RSV & NIV)  Now that’s mighty big dreaming!  When humankind sinned and went astray, God already had a great big plan to deal with our dilemma.  The opening words of John’s Gospel states:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1-2 NIV)  John goes on to tell us Jesus’ words in the very familiar John 3:16:  “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 RSV)  Colossians 1:15-20 states the same thought.  It was and is an amazing idea!  God would become a human being in the form of His Son Jesus Christ.  God’s Son would take our sins upon Himself, and in His loving act of sacrifice would buy our forgiveness upon the cross!  Only God could dream up such a magnificent plan!

        b.  But, there is still more!  God all along envisioned an earth that mirrored the glory of Heaven!  God’s great big plan is that someday the Kingdom of Heaven and earth will be merged into one marvelous place of peace and joy where all people truly love one another!  God dreamed and planned for the Kingdom of God upon the earth from the beginning.  As far back as the prophet Isaiah we were given poetic images of this.  In the 11th Chapter of Isaiah we are told of the day when the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the goat kid along with the calf and the lion, and a child will lead them around like pets! (See Isaiah 11:6)  Revelation 21 speaks of this merging of Heaven and earth.  It will be a glorious day when Heaven and earth are “wed” as one!  God will dwell with us!  “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 RSV)  Who but God could envision and dream up such a glorious plan?  The greatest dreamer of all is God!

 

C.  Our dreams need to be within God’s will.

    1.  George Washington the Texan!

        a.  In a Bible study at a previous Church we were talking about the Christian heritage of our nation.  We started talking about George Washington.  That’s when Mary with her southern drawl said, “I’ll bet ya’ll didn’t know that George Washington was born in Texas.”  “Uh!” we all said.  Mary went on:  “George Washington was born in Texas and he lived on a big old ranch with lots of cattle and horses.  His family had a big ranch house with a mesquite tree out front.  One day George finds his dad’s ax and chops down the mesquite tree.  His father comes home and sees the tree and says, ‘Who chopped down my mesquite tree?’  George replied, ‘Father, I cannot tell a lie.  I did it.’  ‘Well,’ father says, ‘if you cannot tell a lie, then we cannot live in Texas!’  So they moved to Virginia.”

        b.  If your dream is based on a lie, it is not from God.  If your dream is hurtful or demeaning to others and yourself, then it is not a dream worth seeking.  God given dreams are good dreams.

    2.  Fidel Castro

        a.  In the Washington D.C. archives there is a letter from Fidel Castro to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  It is dated November 6, 1940.  The letter says:  “My good friend Roosevelt:  I don’t know very English, but I know as much as write to you.  I like to hear the radio, and am very happy, because I heard in it, that you will be President for a new periodo.  I am twelve years old.  I am a boy but think very much, but I do not think that I am writing to the President of the United States.  If you like, give me a ten dollars green american, in the letter, because never, I have not seen a ten dollars bill green american and I would like to have one of them.  My address is:  Sr. Fidel Castro, Colegio de Dolores, Santiago de Cuba, Oriente, Cuba.”  The future Premier of Cuba got a response from FDR, but no ten bucks!  Pity.  It might have changed the political history of the Western Hemisphere.

        b.  A twelve-year-old boy dreamed of being someone important.  He dreamed of making a difference in his world.  Now there is nothing wrong with any of that.  But sadly, in my opinion, somewhere along the way Castro’s dream got away from God’s will.  And Cuba today lingers under his suppressing and sometimes brutal rule.  A goal or aspiration or dream without God quickly becomes negative.

    3.  Chuck Colson

        a.  Charles “Chuck” Colson dreamed of serving his country.  He did so honorably through military service.  And for many years he served in the political realm with honor.  Then he joined the Nixon administration as White House Special Counsel, and something went awry.  Power became all-important.  Colson got caught up in the Watergate scandal.  Someone from the White House had encouraged people to break into Daniel Ellsberg’s office.  They were looking for information to discredit and damage the reputation of this Nixon “enemy.”  Colson lied and covered up what the White House knew of this.  His failure would weigh heavy on his soul.  Later Colson repented of his sin, and received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  This led him to be the only Watergate conspirator to confess his guilt and plead guilty in court.  Colson served time in prison.  He came to realize that his dream, because God was not a part of it, had become a nightmare.

        b.  Today, Chuck Colson has a vision that is from God.  He has an effective and powerful Prison Ministry.  Through his efforts people have come to accept Jesus as their Savior.  They have, also, come to admit their own failures, to repent of them, and begin to lead new lives.  The title of his book, “Born Again” sums up the power of his ministry.  The difference today is very simple.  What he is doing now is within God’s will, and each day he is open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

        c.  Worthy dreams are honest and true.  Worthy dreams build people up.  Worthy dreams bring people to God.  God given dreams are filled with love.  Our hopes and aspirations need to be within God’s will.  As Jesus told us:  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33a RSV)  The Today's English Version of the Bible puts it this way:  “Be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.” (Mathew 6:33 TEV)

 

D.  Conclusion

    1.  “Delusional” Englishman and his 2 Letters!

        a.  In London, England, a woman took her husband to see a psychiatrist.  She was convinced that he was suffering from delusions of grandeur.  She stated, “He keeps babbling on about how he is expecting two letters.  One of them will make him the owner of 1,000 acres in Surrey, and the other will make him the owner of a diamond mine in South Africa.”  After several examinations and an order from a judge the man was committed to a psychiatric hospital for intensive treatment.  He was there for three weeks when the two letters arrived giving him title to the land and the mine!

        b.  God calls us to dream great things.  Do not let others rob you of your hopes and aspirations.  Remember:  “With God all things are possible!”  (Matthew 19:26b NIV)

    2.  Recap

        a.  God has a great dream for you!  And this should not be a surprise, because God is the greatest dreamer of all!

        b.  Keep your dream in God’s will, and today step out in faith!

 

Follow That Dream!

 

              1.  The greatest dreamer of all is God!

 

              2.  Our dreams need to be within God’s will.

 

Matthew 6:33 NRSV

33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

Matthew 19:26 NRSV

26But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”