Dream Again | Risky Business | Pastor Rodney Thrift
Soul Tattoo: God dreams are risky business.
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry our their dream.” Les Brown
Luke 1:37 (NIV) “For nothing is impossible with God.”
Isaiah 55:9 (NIV) 9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Proverbs 29:18 (TMSG) If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.
Acts 2:17 (NIV) “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
Proverbs 29:18 (NIV) “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”
God’s dream for Jacob:
Genesis 28:10-17 (NLT) 10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
- Jacob was far from perfect.
“God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” Christine Cain
Romans 3:23-24 (NLT) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Hebrews 11:21 (ESV) 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
- God’s plan was better than Jacob’s plan.
Genesis 32:26-30 (NLT) 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” 28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” 29 “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said. “Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. 30 Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
- Jacob’s rock, used as a pillow, was hard for a reason.
Genesis 28:10-17 (NLT) 10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Habakkuk 2:2 (NIV) “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”
- Jacob struggled with trust and obedience.
Genesis 28:20-22 (NLT) 20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”
“Faith is not knowing what the future holds but knowing who holds the future.”
- Jacob’s dream was important enough for Jesus to use it in an illustration.
John 1:51 (ESV) 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
The Hard Part…
5 keys from the Bible:
- Keep a singular focus.
Colossians 3:23 (ESV) says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”. Working towards your goal can be a healthy and spiritual exercise, as long as your aim is to please the Lord, not the people around you. - Talk is cheap.
Proverbs 14:23 (ESV) In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
Proverbs 14:23 (NLT) 23 Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! - Pray and be thankful about the dream.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (ESV) 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - Don’t complain or be contentious about the dream.
Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT) 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. - Be willing to do grunt work that comes with the dream.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NLT) 11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT) 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
The God Part…
5 Ways to know if the dream is from God:
- Pray about the dream.
Jeremiah 42:3 (NLT) Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go. - Does the dream glorify God?
Romans 6:13 (NLT) 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. - Does the dream agree with Scripture?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT) 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. - Be willing to wait on the dream.
Psalm 27:14 (NLT) Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. - Trust God and godly counsel with the dream.
Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Proverbs 15:22 (NKJV) 22Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.
Proverbs 15:22 (NLT) 22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
Soul Tattoo: God dreams are risky business.