Your God Dream

(click on the pic to listen to it) When Walt Disney World in Orlando ,FL. opened in 1974, Mrs. Disney was sitting beside Walter Cronkite. Walt Disney had passed away a few years earlier. Walter Cronkite wanted to say just the right thing to Mrs. Disney, so he leaned over to her and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if Walt were here to see this today.” Mrs. Disney wisely replied, “If Walt had not first seen this you would not be seeing it today.”

Back in 1915 a church started when some people dared to make their dream a reality. I don’t when they got this dream or this vision – obviously it was before 1915. They saw something. I believe God gave them a dream, a vision, and a conviction that was inspired from Matthew 28:18-20. This is the same vision and conviction that God have to his one and only son.

Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This particular church started in a saloon. A few people prayed and decided before 1915 that there needed to be a Church of God in Marion, IN so they gathered together in a saloon and had church. Not just for the sake of getting together in saloon. They were filled with purpose. They were on a mission.

As I sat and pondered on why they started this church here. I could only come up with only one answer:

They understood that they were a part of a much bigger story.

They dared to believe that they could impact a community. They dared to believe they could change the culture in which they lived. They dared to believe that God could use them to keep the story of Jesus birth, death, resurrection, and ascension alive and well. They dared to believe that they could make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Like them back in 1915, we are part of a much bigger story. They obviously wanted to be a part of that story because of this building, this land, and you are sitting here right now to prove it. We are sitting here 100 years later in this beautiful sanctuary, evidence of the time, energy, money, and other human resources that made their dream, that made their vision, a reality. Thousands of people have walked through these doors over the years and have been impacted by the gospel.

Like in 1915 our mission is the same. The mission will always be the same – Go and Make More and Better Disciples. Or as The Message puts it, “Go out and train everyone you meet in this way of life.”

Our mission – which should be the mission of every church – is other people.

Most of us in here have been trained that our mission is:
• To accumulate wealth
• Build bigger houses
• Live comfortably
• Build our financial portfolios

There is nothing wrong with these things but if that is what you are building your life on then you are missing the mark.

I have been following Tim Tebow since every team in the NFL has shunned him. His statistics are better than most of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL. He has since become a broadcaster for the SEC and ESPN. He made a good chunk of change while playing in the NFL.  Despite all of this …. He has taken his resources and invested them with Cure International in the Philippines to build a hospital that gives children hope for a brighter future. In the past couple of weeks someone snapped a picture of him praying with all of the SEC commentators before they went on the air.

Obviously we don’t have to be a Tim Tebow. Very few of us get that kind of platform to work from. But God gives each of us a platform. A platform is the sphere of influence God gives you. Whatever platform God has given you, you are to use it to Make More and Better disciples. We are to use that platform to invest in the life of others.

Our mission has already been determined for us (Matthew 28:18-20). While that is true, how we go about doing that mission is where the adventure begins. I believe this is where we miss it. We look at making more and better disciples as a chore. It was never meant to be a chore. It was intended to be an adventure. An adventure has heartache, pain, joy, disappointment, success, frustration, and accomplishments. 

For us the adventure is – How do we keep this story going? Not the story of this church and its building. But the story of why Jesus was born, abused, crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven.

Our mission is to make more and better disciples. We are to go and train everyone we meet in our way of life.  Is not the reason you are here today because of what Jesus did in your life? Is not the reason you are following Him today because of what Jesus did in your life?

There are millions of people who have gone before us who have done the simple things and those who have been given a big platform from which to speak. Not matter what the size of your platform we are all called to do the same thing.

• Joseph and Mary carried out their part of the mission
• Doubting Thomas carried out his part of the mission
• Philip carried out his part of the mission.
• Peter and Paul carried out their part of the mission.
• Even Judas, despite his betrayal, is part of the story. He let his story end way to soon by not repenting.

All of us in here are unique. God made you unique for a purpose.

John the Baptist and Jesus went about Making disciples their own way. John yelled, “repent and be baptized for the kingdom of God is near.” Jesus taught on a mountain and spoke parables, he also met people at the crucible of their life.

The scripture teaches us that:
• We all have at least one spiritual gift.
• We all have talents that can be used to encourage others
• We all have unique personalities
• We all have unique stories of why we decided to follow Christ.

If you are willing to get on board and make more and better and disciples this is what it is going to cost you:

• Personal comfort
• Personal agendas
• A willingness to make some difficult life choices.

You also need to be willing to:

• Fight through fears
• Fight through self-doubt
• Fight through personal anxieties
• Fight through personal inadequacies.

Your fears, your insecurities, anxieties, inadequacies never go away but they begin to lose their power when you face them and remember that last line in vs. 20 – And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Where do you start?

First of all, make this your personal mission.

When I was 18 years old God made is pretty clear to me that my personal mission was to impact the lives of others for the kingdom of God. At first I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I didn’t know where I was going to do it. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Then I read Isaiah 6:8,

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Secondly,  If you are Christ follower – You need to do something! The scriptures don’t allow us to be pew sitters, pew gossipers, or pew complainers.

• If you can teach – you ‘d better be teaching.
• If you can serve – you’d better be serving.
• If you can play music or sing – you better be playing and singing.
• If you can pray – you’d better be praying.
• If you can lead – you’d better be leading.
• If you can cook – you’d better be cooking.
• If you got technology skills – you better be using those technology skills.
• If you got mechanical skills – you better be using those mechanical skills.

God wants to use the way he created you – your spiritual gift(s), your talent(s) your time and invest them in the life of other people. When you invest them in the life of others they get to see Jesus. When they see Jesus, it opens the door to make them a disciple.

Thirdly, Ask God for a dream. We all dream about something. As little kids we dream about what we want to be when we grow up. As an athlete you dream of getting the clutch hit, making a great play, that helps you win a game. As parents you dream of your kids contributing something good to this world. As grandparents you dream of being a better parent to your grandkids.

What are you dreaming about?

There are dreams that God gives us and there our own personal dreams. Walt Disney’s dream was to make people happy. In fact that is Disney’s vision statement “To Make People happy.”

God’s dreams have nothing to do with personal happiness. They have everything to do with eternal joy. God’s dreams have nothing to do with personal success. They have everything to do with investing in others. God’s dream have nothing to do with personal fulfillment. They have everything to do with fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

God’s dreams ….

• Cause your faith to be challenged.
• Will cause your heart to awaken
• Will cause your creativity to be released
• Will cause your character to mature
• Will cause God to be honored.
• Will influence the next generation.

Walt Disney world started with a dream. This church started with a dream.

What is your dream? Not your personal dream. Your God dream.

What do you believe is God’s dream for you?

God’s dream for me is …… ________________________________.