God's Big Dreams

Alright, item number three on my quest to boil down my teaching to a few things.  I suspect that over time this list might be different.  I think at every stage in our lives, we tend to think we have things figured out.  But times change, we change and our priorities change.  Of course, the gospel is unchanging, but how we communicate it and which elements of the gospel are especially poignant for a particular time will change.  OK, on to number three.

I'm going to sound pretty charismatic today, but here it is: God wants more for you than you want for yourself.  Here's where you expect me to say, "God wants us to have two Cadillacs instead of just one..."  But as tempting as that is, I will refrain--forgive me for my sarcasm.  Actually, I think that's maybe our biggest problem.  We tend to think things like Cadillacs, success, safety, and security are the pinnacle of life, but God thinks our dreams are too small.  God has dreams for us that go way beyond future scrap metal and positions of power.  God's dreams are eternal--that we can be a part of building more than a company, we can build and participate in a Kingdom that will last for all eternity.

In John 10:10, Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  Shouldn't the creator of life know what real, full and true life is?  But the problem is that we act as though the best we can do in this life is to be comfortable and safe and secure.  Is that what God really wants for us?  Is that what's fulfilling for us?

But I believe that when we start to see things from God's perspective and give up on the tiny dreams we have for ourselves and pursue God, He'll show us life we didn't know we could have; a life that's more than riches or climbing the social ladder.

I believe the same for our churches as well.  I think we often feel we're limited by what we can see so we settle for a nice respectable church that has good potlucks and good relationships with each other, but make minimal impact on our community.  How exciting would it be if we were to leave behind all those things that make us happy and comfortable and give ourselves completely to the cause of the Kingdom?  What would that look like?  Do you think that would be a bigger, better dream than we could have for ourselves?  I think so. So the question is; whose dream will you--will we-- pursue?