Seize Your Dream
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV):
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish.
A Blessed New Year, BCI family! Thank God because, despite all the challenges
we faced, by His grace, we all survived 2022! With the new year ahead of us, we can continually hope in the Lord that there are new and more excellent opportunities before us. Just as the apostle Paul declared
in Philippians 3:13-14, "I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the up- ward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Isn't it true that we have yet to arrive; we have yet to reach our ultimate dream? So, as we begin 2023, we must not allow ourselves to be distracted by dwelling on the past; we must be straining to press forward. I love this exhortation of the apostle Paul, and I'm pretty sure he was sharing his philosophy about life. Let me quickly break it down for you:
Our Focus ("But one thing I do") – We must not allow distractions; we must stay focused on what God wants us to accomplish in this life.
Our Forgetfulness ("forgetting what lies behind") – Either feats or failures, sadness or sufferings, we must let go and get over what happened in the past.
Our Foresight ("straining forward to what lies ahead") – To strain means to give your best efforts. In other words, it will take our best efforts to keep advancing to what God has in store for us.
This challenge is the main reason I have decided that we start this year with the theme, "Pressing Forward," based on the words of the apostle Paul. We will divide this theme into five topics beginning to- day with an emphasis on seizing our dream.
I'm pretty sure we are familiar with King Solomon's words in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vi- sion, the people perish." If you read this in other versions, like in New International Version, the translation would be, "Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint." I prefer the reading "revelation" to the word "vision" because when you and I pursue our future, we have to acknowledge that the picture we have in our minds is not something we ourselves came up with but the future that God has revealed to us. Why? It is because our self-made future is often very limited because they are always related to living more com- fortably, having more money, and making a name for ourselves. If those are the only things we care about, they are short-lived and temporal.
However, when we go to the Scriptures and examine the lives of the people who pursued the future God gave them, their legacies outlived them. Think of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Peter,
Paul, and others; thousands and thousands of years later, we are still blessed by their lives because alt- hough they went through a lot of pain and suffering, they accomplished the dream that God gave them. You and I should continually pursue this kind of future today.Therefore, for this first message, I want to bring you this theme, "Seize Your Dream," using the life of Joseph in the Book of Genesis as the basis of our studies. Let's read about when God revealed his future
through a dream.
Genesis 37:5-11:
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6 He said to them, "Hear this dream that I have dreamed:
7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf."
8 His brothers said to him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me."
10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow our- selves to the ground before you?"
11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Just like Joseph, I believe God has already taken the time to reveal to us personally the future He has in store for us. The problem is that we must be more intentional in chasing that dream. To ensure that we begin seizing our dream again, allow me to share with you four important reminders:
I THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR DREAM
To be clear, for this sermon, I'm using vision and dream to mean the same thing because I want to emphasize that just like Joseph, the dream we are focusing on is the one God revealed to us. Referring
to Proverbs 29:18, King Solomon did not just tell us that we need a vision. He also tells us the importance of the vision. The last part of the verse says, "the people perish." The word ‘‘perish’’ here literally means, ‘‘to loosen or to dismiss.’’ It describes someone who is going backward instead of forward. So, as God's people, we need to let our God-given dream become our driving force to press forward, or we will start slipping back- ward.
Considering the life of Joseph, can you imagine how miserable he could have been after his brothers sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver (Genesis 37:25-28)? Imagine finding himself in Egypt with no money, no friends, and no loved ones to help him. Then, from being the favorite son, he was sold to be a slave in the house of Potiphar (Genesis 37:36). How did he survive all these challenges in a for- eign country? Undoubtedly, God, through his dream, impressed on him that God has a special direction for his life. His dream became the motivating force to keep pressing forward.
George Barna, a popular researcher for church growth, wrote this definition of a vision: "Vision is a clear mental image of a preferable future imparted by God.” I agree with this statement! When God has giv- en us a dream, this dream must help define our purpose for living. Jesus knew why He was here on earth and what He needed to be doing, and he was always committed to one purpose and direction in life. Listen to
these words:
John 4:34 (ESV):
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
John 9:4:
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
What about you? What's the purpose of your existence on earth? What does God want to do through your life? Lilian Trasher had this testimony. In her twenties, she worked in an orphanage in North Carolina when she felt the Lord's call to pursue missionary work in Egypt. The call was so strong that she broke off her engagement when her fiancé did not share her vision. She sold all her belongings and boldly moved to Egypt with only a few dollars in her purse. One day she was asked to go to the bedside of a dying young widow, who begged Lillian to care for her malnourished baby girl.
Lilian agreed, and so began the first orphanage in Egypt. Those first years were filled with great diffi- culty and limited support, but Lilian persevered to realize her vision of not only an orphanage but also schools and evangelistic ministries. By the time of her death in 1961, Lilian had cared for more than eight thousand orphans and touched thousands of others. The organization she founded, the Lilian Trasher Or- phanage, still serves the needy in Egypt today. The best part of Lilian's story was the prayer she offered to the Lord when she was still a child. She said, "Lord, I want to be your little girl. Lord, if ever I can do any- thing for You, just let me know, and I'll do it." Are you bold enough to pray the same prayer?
II THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF OUR DREAM
In 1845, the Southern Baptist Convention was organized in the First Baptist Church of Augusta, Geor- gia. As a tribute to the founding fathers, the church placed this inscription in the building that reads:
"Men who see the invisible, hear the inaudible, believe the incredible, and think the unthinkable."
God still does the impossible today! Think about the life of Joseph, who was now away from his fami- ly and serving as a slave in the house of Potiphar. The fulfillment of his dream would definitely seem impos- sible. Yet, this predicament did not cause Joseph to lose his heart and feel hopeless. He did his best to demonstrate his relationship with God in carrying out his responsibilities. You would read about this truth
in Genesis 39:1-6:
1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.
6 So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appear- ance.
I want to emphasize verse 3, which says, "His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands." These words suggest that while Joseph was working in the house of Potiphar, it became evident that God's hand was upon His life and that whatever he did pros- per.
How do you know that your vision or dream came from God? It should be a God-sized vision with some parts that appear impossible. During the very first Christmas, Mary had to believe the words of the angel Gabriel who announced the miracle of a virgin birth, saying, "For nothing is impossible with
God" (Luke 1:37).
Too often, we acknowledge our belief that God can do whatever He wants. We add a safety
clause, "But I just don't think God will do that with me!" We become practical atheists, believing God can perform miracles but never expecting a miracle in our lives. Do you know the difference between a Chris- tian and a moral person? Some can duplicate the morality of a Christian, but no one can reproduce the mi- raculous work of God that should be a part of the Christian experience.
III THE IMPEDIMENTS OF OUR DREAM
As you press forward to pursue your dream, you must be willing to do your best to overcome every impediment or obstacle that comes your way. Consider what happened to Joseph after 11 years of serving faithfully in the home of Potiphar. The last part of Genesis 39:6 provides the transition to Joseph's obstacle – "Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance." Notice what will happen next as described in Gen- esis 39:7-10:
7 And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me."
8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge.
9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"
10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
Since Joseph was a handsome young guy, Potiphar's wife would aggressively tempt him to have a sexual relationship with her. To make the long story short, Joseph's refusal to give in to her sexual harass- ment will result in being falsely accused by her. As a result, Joseph ended up being imprisoned for two years.
This horrible episode in Joseph's life could have resulted in severe discouragement and negative atti- tudes. But not Joseph, He will continue to press forward and not allow his terrible circumstances to hinder
him from achieving his dream.
I'm sure we're all familiar with Walt Disney. He began his career as a cartoonist for
a high school newspaper. As a young man, his first adventure resulted in bankruptcy.
After losing everything, he moved to Kansas City and began his second enterprise by
drawing cartoon strips and studio advertisements. When his career never got off the
ground, he sold his Camera and bought a one-way ticket to California. While on His way to California, he be- gan dreaming up a specific mouse character that he originally named Mortimer. His wife felt it was too digni- fied and suggested the name "Mickey," and the rest is history.
Some of you may have given up on your dreams because of some setbacks in the past. Let me en- courage you to follow the example of Joseph. Don't let life's impediments deter you from pursuing your dreams. Embrace your faith in God, serve Him faithfully, and allow Him to guide and help you achieve the dream He has placed in your heart.
IV THE IMPACT OF OUR DREAM
A Chinese proverb says, "If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, go help somebody." I'm not sure if you agree with this saying, but many great men reaffirmed the same thing:
"For it is in giving that we receive" (Saint Francis of Assisi)
"The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity" (Leo Tolstoy)
"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." (Winston Churchhill)
"It is blessed to give than to receive" (Jesus Christ – Acts 20:35)
Early on, it is vital to understand that our dreams from God were never meant for self- consumption; God designed them to help and bless others. This truth is evident in the life of Joseph. After Joseph rose to be the second most important person in Egypt, his brothers, who sold him when he was sev- enteen years old, went to him to ask for provisions for their families. There was a big famine, and Egypt was the only place they could buy food. At first, his brothers did not recognize him, but when they finally did, they had to beg Joseph to forgive them. But at this point, Joseph had a much better understanding of why God allowed him to achieve his dream. Listen to his words:
Genesis 45:4-8 (ESV):
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me be- fore you to preserve life.
6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be nei- ther plowing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survi- vors.
8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and Lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
The same is so true of all of us. The true beauty of our God-given dreams can be seen and enjoyed by the people whom we have touched and helped because of those dreams.
Last December 22, I was able to attend, together with several members of our church,
the appreciation dinner sponsored by the city of Dover for all the Table of Hope volunteers in Dover. During the dinner, Pastor Sidney Williams, pastor of Bethel Church of Morristown, shared how their church was able to start the Table of Hope ministry before the pandemic hit us in March 2020. It all started because of one man, Dan Ber- ry. Before the pandemic, many church signs in Morristown were vandalized and destroyed. This incident caught the attention of many media outlets because they assumed that people did it out of hate against Christian com- munities, so news outlets interviewed the churches involved.
This incident got the attention of Dan Berry, and he called Pastor Sidney to say he wanted to help restore their church sign. But he did not stop there. He started volunteering in their food pantry ministry, serving food to their immediate community Monday to Friday. He also gave money to replace their old furnace. Then, one day he surprised Pastor Sidney with a bus donation, explaining that it was time to take their food pantry ministry to other cities. At first, Pastor Sidney didn't know what to do with the bus, but later, he realized that the vision of Dan Ber- ry about the Mobile Food Pantry would allow them to touch more than a hundred thousand families during the pandemic. What is even more powerful about this story is that Pastor Sidney didn't realize that Dan Berry was dy- ing from stage four cancer and that he wanted to spend his last months on earth serving others.
Have you ever considered the ripple effects of your dreams? We must pursue our dreams not so much because of the material things we can gain out of it. But the opportunities of how God can use our dreams to serve others and ultimately bring greater honor to Him.
B. Jeremiah Lepasana/January 1, 2023