Missional Living: How To Know God's Dream For Your Life!
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Today in our Missional Living Devotional we are going to look at the need for having a dream if we are going to achieve great things as we live a missional life. But the question that needs to be raised is, “Where does that dream come from?” Do we create our own dream? Some people do. Do we allow some other person to tell us what our dream should be? Some people do!
Today I am going to suggest that as Followers of Christ we should allow God to give us the dreams that we pursue and not allow them to come from man. Why? To answer that let's take a look at what the Bible says 1 Cor. 2:9
“However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him”
Why should let God be the one to determine the dreams we pursue? Because no human being can dream up a dream big enough that can please God. When you allow God to give you your dreams for you to pursue you will be blow away.
Today we are going to use Jesus as our example. Allowing God the Father to reveal His dreams and purposes was Jesus’ way for knowing what he was to pursue while here on earth.
“Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.” John 5:19-25
I. God’s Dream For Us Always Relates To What He Is Already Doing!
“ …the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing” (v. 19)
A. God is already and always at His work! You don’t have get God working – He’s already working.
“In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." John 5:7
B. God isn’t sitting up in Heaven twittling his thumbs waiting for us to ask him to do something. God is already busy about his work.
· The Call Of Moses (God said, "I have come down to … therefore I’m sending you.")
· The Call Of Noah (I have come down to destroy the earth but saving you … therefore build a boat)
This is not a work we do for God but it's a work we do with God. It’s His work that he’s already doing and will do it through us.
II. God Reveals His Dream For Us And Invites Us To Join Him! (v. 20)
· God’s dream for you life isn’t discovered but revealed to you by God. You don't hunt after God's will as if it was hidden somewhere - God shows you what His will is.
· How did Moses know he would deliver the Children of Israel from Egypt? God told him.
· How did Noah know he was to build a boat? God told him.
· How did Abraham know He would have a son in his old age? God told him.
· How did Joshua know how to defeat the city of Jericho and that the wall would come crashing down? God told him.
· How will you know what God’s dream for you is? God will tell you!
Two Important principles to remember:
- Whenever God spoke to someone they all knew it was God speaking to them.
- Whenever God spoke to someone they all knew exactly what He was saying.
Take A Look At The Prophet Jonah: He knew it was God talking to him; he knew what God wanted but he just didn’t want to do it. Even after he did it and the people repented he griped and complained because he knew that if they repented he would forgive them.
III. God Invites Us To Join Him Because He Has A Relationship With Us! (v. 20)
It’s A Love Relationship:
1. It’s out of his love for us that He doesn’t leave us in the dark what is happening or what is going to happen.
2. It’s out of His love for us that he give us an eternal sense of purpose for life.
It’s A Friendship Relationship:
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:15-16
1. Did you notice that Jesus refers to His disciples (that includes us) as His friends! How amazing is that? What better friend can you have than Jesus? And what great compliment can you be given than for Christ to think of you as His friend?
2. Did you notice how much Jesus makes known to us from God the Father? EVERYTHING!
In other words Jesus holds nothing back! When it comes to a “Need to know basis” you’re in the need to know group!
IV. What Do You Need To Do To Get God To Reveal His Dream?
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6 (NIV)
JUST ASK IN FAITH!
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