I Have A Dream!
Opening Comments
Aug 28, 1963- steps of the Lincoln Memorial … Dr Martin Luther King, Jr … delivered a speech …
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” ... I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
Dr King believed in his dream/ultimate sacrifice.
World needs men/women w/dream- to stand for the-
truth of God’s Word,
Gospel of Jesus Christ,
message of the Kingdom of God.
Every born-again believer is that man/woman.
We have all been given a dream/mission to fulfill.
Introduction
Church On The Rock Internation (COTRI)- theme for 2005 … The Year of the Dreamer.
Motto: Dreams can come alive in 2005!
I believe God told us 2005 would be a new ERA …
Empowerment, Release, Advancement
God has called us into His Kingdom- as such we are-
1 Pet 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; NASU
Proclaim- to publish, to celebrate.
Excellencies- valor/virtue of God.
You/I have been given the message- Kingdom of God.
2 Cor 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. NASU
If they do not see the excellencies of God in us, where will they see it?
If we cannot press through our barriers and limitations, what hope is there for them?
If we constantly struggle w/detours/delays, how can we encourage them?
Today we must live beyond our natural capabilities.
When Jesus Christ ascended to the Father He left us with the mission to complete the work He started.
Together we can do everything He did and more …
Jn 14:12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. NASU
Sam Walker, COTRI pastor- Lifting the Lid on Life’s Limitations.
We all struggle with limitations in our lives.
Look for a moment at the life of Paul …
2Cor 12:7
Here Paul was, walking w/God, he was beginning to understand the things of God.
Paul finds himself hindered, unable to press beyond.
2Cor 12:8
God brought Paul to a place of desperation- no longer able to overcome in his own strength/wisdom.
2Cor 12:9-10
Content- gladly, with great pleasure.
Paul takes pleasure in his short comings/limitations.
Last week I encouraged us to …
Recognize our limitations,
Refuse to let our limitations limit us,
Receive the grace of God,
Rejoice with thanksgiving in your heart.
If we are going to lift the lid off of our limitations-
1. Recognize our limitations
Faith is not pretending something is true when it is not true, it is not denying that we have limitations.
Faith is recognizing the power of God to take us beyond our limitations.
Php 4:13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. NLT
Faith is acknowledging that God is bigger than ourselves and our situation.
Faith is believing that the whole world falls under the power of God, that He is sovereign.
Faith makes the seemingly impossible, possible, the invisible, visible, intangible, tangible.
Heb 11:1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. NLT
Our “hope” is based on clear Bible facts, not fantasy.
Faith takes us beyond natural limitations and brings us into the supernatural.
2. Refuse to let life’s limitations limit you
When we bow down to life’s limitations and allow them to control us they become our Lord.
God is not limited by my limitations.
Life of Moses- God gives him a dream/flesh/crushed-
Ex 3-4 Moses had an encounter w/God at the burning bush and receives his call/mission from God.
God begins to awaken the dream- resurrect it (Isaac).
Ex 3:11, 13, Ex 4:1, 6
In each case God is patient with Moses.
He is telling Moses not to worry about his limitations.
Ex 4:10
Moses was on the verge of letting life’s limitations limit him from fulfilling God’s calling in his life.
Ex 4:11-12
What God was saying … I made you that way w/your limitations- I want you to trust in me, not yourself.
More confident in his inabilities than God’s abilities.
Ex 4:13-14
Moses stepped over the line w/God at this point.
He asked God to send someone else in his place.
We must be careful about letting our limitations hinder us from being who God has created us to be
3. Receive God’s grace over life’s limitations
Look again at Paul in his desperation …
2Cor 12:9
Sufficient- the grace of God is more than enough to overcome our limitations and short-comings.
We need to boast in the supernatural power of God.
As God made available His supernatural power …
to Moses so he could stand before Pharaoh,
he did the same for Paul in his ministry, and
will do the same for us.
We must … get out of the way,
stop trusting in our own limitations, and
trust in the unlimited power of God.
Paul had to become desperate, he had to realize he could not do it in his own natural strength/wisdom.
God’s power would take him beyond his limitations.
Conclusion
If we can accomplish our dream w/o God, it is not His
God will take us beyond ourselves so we can …
trust in Him, and so
He receives the glory.
God took what Moses already had in his hand and made it into something supernatural.
The shepherds staff became a supernatural sign.
God will work with who we are and what we have.
Do not allow your limitations to become your Lord.
We can glory in the fact that we are a seriously limited people- why? Our trust is not in ourselves.
“I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer,” but I am God’s man and His grace is sufficient.
If we are going to succeed we must remember …
It is His grace, not our ability,
His anointing, not our power or charisma,
His revelation, not our wisdom or intelligence.
Let me end with this verse out of the NLT …
Php 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. NLT
And remember …
God’s grace is more than enough for you to be all God has created you to be and to do all God has called you to do.
You will experience-
Empowerment, Release, and Advancement
Dreams can come alive in 2005!
