Nothing starts happening until somebody starts dreaming. Every accomplishment started off first as an idea in somebody’s mind.
It started off as a dream. It started off as a vision, a goal.
So I want to challenge you to dream great dreams for God.
The Bible says, "God is able to do far more than anything we would ever dare to ask or even dream of, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes." Ephesians 3:20
That’s an amazing verse. In it God tells us, "Think up the biggest thing you think I can do in your life, in your ministry, in your church, and I can top that; I can beat it.”
God's Word inspires us to – Dare to dream BIG
ABRAM'S DREAM
"After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. " But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."
Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:1-6
God spoke to Abram in a vision. Abram asks, “God what are you going to give me?” Basically saying, “I'm going to die, just my wife and I with no children, what is this?”
Check this out – God doesn't rebuke him. He didn't rebuke him for his negative attitude and seemingly selfish manner.
2 observations to note here:
Don't be afraid to ask of God – to tell Him how and what you are really feeling. (James 4:2 – have not, ask not – david psalms)
God wants to expand your dream. (rem. Eph. 3:20)
Let's take a closer look at this 2nd observation by honing in on v.5
“He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
God moved Abram from a baby dream to a nation dream.
Abram is in his tent telling God how he really feels, He say, “All I want is a baby – can you just give Sarai and I a baby. We are childless, and our servant is the heir, can I just get a baby?”
God says, “Whoa, let me expand that dream a bit there Abram.” We see in v.5 God takes Abram from this little baby dream to this HUGE nation dream.
HOW DO I EXPAND MY DREAM?
Look out -
from where you are. “He took him outside...”
God had to take Abram outside of his tent, his comfort zone. Abram's thinking, “it's good in here my tent, it's nice and cozy – can I just get a baby?”
God says, “Come on out”.
You see you may be confined to a place (a specific place) or you may be confined to particular circumstances, you may be confined mentally, emotionally attached – we're in our comfort zone,
it's good in here, nice and cozy.
Abram's tent was false security.
What tent do you need to get your head out of? To be able 'Look Out'
( Cathleen and I looking out of our tent in Cali. And moving to Tex.)
When you look out, once you look out, you open up to God's dream.
And its so much bigger, brighter, better.
He moves us from a baby dream to a nation dream.
Look up -
to heaven, to God. “Look up at the heavens...” (infant)
God had to change Abram's direction. All Abram could think was I can't pull this off – I'm old, my wife is old, we have no children.
When we look down, when we look to ourselves were helpless. We have to look up. Our help comes from the Lord – Psalm 121:2
"My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
It's Christ in us right, Colossians 1:27 - "...which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
It's about being connected to Christ. Hey it's good to believe,(to believe in yourself, self-confidence can be a good thing, “I can do it” it's the little engine that could) but we need to connect to Christ, that's where the power source is. We connect to Christ for the power to pull it off.
So we look up
To look up represents confidence in God. It eases the pressure.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13
That builds confidence in us.
B/c what happens, outside of that confidence, we think, “I know God can do it, I know He can pull it off, I have no doubt He can, but not through me – I'm just a little peon, not through me”
You know what, God chose you, He chose us!
He wants to work in and through us more than we realize.
( I remember thinking, why Texas, what can I possibly do in the saturated Bible Belt? God reminded me that He chose me, He had everything under control)
Look beyond -
anything you've ever seen – imagine beyond your limitations.
“...count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
Have you ever seen the vast array of the stars in the heavens out away from the lights? Away from the city lights of Houston, out in the woods, out in the plains, or the desert? - You cant count those – you're just awe-struck by how many and how beautiful – Abram wasn't in Houston, he was in the desert.
God wants to remove every mental limitation – He has so much more than a baby dream, He has a nation dream. (Abram is out counting stars, 1,2,3... 144, 822; 144,823; #?1# aaRGGhhh, 1,2,3...)
At that point Abram got it! He began to see God's dream (expanded version) – “God's gonna give me a nation dream.” (look beyond – remove mental limitations, the world can bog you down, criticism, despair,
I know, next week we deal with that)
You may have already come a long way. I thank God I've come this far.
But God says, “I brought you this far to give you more.”
Wherever you are, whatever tent you're in – God's gotta bigger tent.
We just need to be obedient to Him.
I've moved out of my tent and into a bigger tent, (Cali to Texas) but He's bothered that's it's a bit too small – I'm moving to a bigger tent.
(sat. night service 2002 – Heb. 6:14-15: "I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.” Moved to Tex. A friend told me to study Abram. Life. - about a year ago someone in their study time handed me a couple of scriptures – same scrip.)
Our thinking can be sooo limited. We must look beyond – God is soo big and soo huge – anything is possible.
What is your dream?
So we need to ask ourselves this question,
"What would I attempt for God if I knew I couldn’t fail?”
Let that expand your horizons. Let it expand your dreams. Let it expand your vision into God’s unlimited vision for your mission, your ministry,
in your life, in what He has uniquely created you to do.
Dare to dream BIG!
The Bible says, "God is able to do far more than anything we would ever dare to ask or even dream of, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes." Ephesians 3:20
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