Your Dream Is an Invisible Picture: Hold On, It Will Come to Pass
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 26 min
Originally preached as “Hold Onto Your Dreams: God's Plan Will Prevail!”
Sermon outline
The Lord is with you as He was with Joseph, so keep the picture of your great future in your heart, speak it out, and hold on to your dreams, because they will come to pass.
Main text
- Genesis 37:5-7
- Genesis 39:2-6
- Genesis 40:6-8
Opening
After a long time of praise and worship, a reading from Psalm 65 and the offering, he greets the church lightly, sharing that his grandson told him on the phone he would be helping his dad light the cannons that night. He says the service is early so everyone can get home safely, then reads the story of Joseph as his foundation, stressing 'the Lord was with Joseph' and that the Lord blessed Potiphar's house for Joseph's sake.
The Lord was with Joseph, and so is the Lord with you
Joseph had a dream, and even as a slave he was a successful and prosperous man because the Lord was with him. Even an unbelieving master could see it, and God blessed his whole house because of Joseph. God still speaks through dreams and visions, but they must line up with the Word of God.
“Do you know that there are times that y'all are functioning somewhere and the Lord is blessing that place because of you.”
- Genesis 37:5-7
- Genesis 39:2-6
- Genesis 40:6-8
Your dream is an invisible picture within you
The Holy Spirit begins everything with an invisible picture inside you. Whatever level you are at, don't demean yourself and don't treat where you are as your permanent station. He shares how his own life turned when a pastor blessed their home soon after they were saved.
Illustration: When he was first saved he was ashamed to go to church because he owned one pair of trousers, shiny from over-ironing. Around the age of 21 their pastor visited, was given a glass of water by Pastor Zubeda, and declared 'he that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward'. From renting a room and then a garage, they bought a brand new house at 23, stepping out in faith beyond their budget.
“Don't look at where you are and think that that is your permanent station.”
- Matthew 10:41
You have a great future because you have a great God
God is able to renew and elevate you, as He did Abraham and Sarah in their old age. The blessing, like the curse, is generational, so your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be blessed because of you.
Illustration: Standing at the top of the Empire State Building in New York, his mind turned to Abraham and how God renewed Abraham and Sarah's bodies so that they could have a child.
“Your future is not bleak. You have a great future, simply because you have a great God.”
Forget the former things
Do not dwell on the past or on the words of people who said you had no future; break those words off in Jesus' name. God chose you before you were born, so never demean a child or anyone else, because you do not know where God will take them. Unclutter your life and clear your mind of bad experiences so you can see a great future.
Illustration: At about ten, a teacher taped his mouth shut and stood him in the corner for talking. In high school another teacher sent him out of her class, and the school counsellor told Pastor Zubeda not to go out with him because he was 'no good'.
“Do not demean somebody because you don't know where God's going to take them.”
- Isaiah 43:18-19
- Jeremiah 1:5
Think, talk and tell: speak your future
God imagined and then spoke, and we carry the same nature: whatever we speak, we will see. Abraham was shown the stars and the sand before he had a child, and God wanted him to talk about his dream. Speak the picture God gives you, even to yourself in the car, and never let a second-hand mentality set your limits.
Illustration: Tired of running to the mechanic for second-hand spares, he hit the table while talking to his late brother-in-law Simeon and said, 'Today is the day I make up my mind. I'll never be poor again.' From his first brand new vehicle on, he never bought a second-hand car again.
“If you speak second hand, you're going to have second hand.”
- Zechariah 4:10
- Job 8:7
Don't be moved by circumstances: guard your dream and feed your faith
Be aware of the enemy's strategies, treat wherever you work as your assignment, and commit yourself to God and the word of His grace. God uses the dreams He gives to birth hope, but promotion brings envy, so expect it. Feed your faith by reading your Bible and studying people who succeeded by faith, and you will have leaping faith in the new year.
Illustration: He speaks prophetically over two members of the congregation: to one couple that a matter with the authorities over their home will move quickly, and to another man that his small business will grow into a large company with offices, vehicles and staff.
“With promotion comes envy.”
- Acts 20:29-32
Speak from heavenly places, and don't look back
He once prayed 'upwards' to a God far away, until the New Testament showed him that he is seated with Christ, so now he prays and speaks to circumstances from heavenly places downwards. We are not perfect people, but God forgives, draws us by His love and makes us vessels of honour. Like Paul, let none of these things move you, and don't look back like Lot's wife.
Illustration: Paul never walked with Jesus as one of the twelve and was a persecutor of Christians, yet after he was struck down on the road he became one of the greatest apostles.
“I started to pray from heavenly places downwards.”
- Ephesians 2:6
- 2 Corinthians 4:7
- 2 Timothy 2:21
- Isaiah 49:16
- Acts 20:24
- Acts 9:3-6
- Genesis 19:26
Putting it into practice
- Keep a clear picture in your heart of where God is taking you, not where you are now.
- Break off the words of people who said you had no future, and stop dwelling on the past.
- Speak your future out loud and refuse to talk with a second-hand mentality.
- Feed your faith with the Bible and the stories of people who succeeded by faith.
- Be addicted to obedience and faithful in your service to God.
Closing
He prophesies an upward motion, uncommon strength, uncommon favour and provision, and uncommon manifestation for the church and their children in 2022, declaring their days of poverty and suffering over. He asks Pastor Wes to stand and gives the theme for 2022, 'Hold on to your dreams, they will come to pass', then leads a closing confession and pronounces the blessing before sending everyone home safely.
Declarations he led
- My days of suffering and poverty are over. My days of living from paycheck to paycheck is over.
- My future is great. I will hold on to my dreams. The enemy will not steal it from me. I will see the manifestation of the glory of God.
In his words
- “Your dream is an invisible picture within you.”
- “Your future is not bleak. You have a great future, simply because you have a great God.”
- “If you have a second-hand mentality, that's what you're going to have.”
- “You have a God that works, an invisible God that works above and over the visible.”
- “Hold on to your dreams. They will come to pass.”
Every scripture in this message
- Genesis 37:5-7
- Genesis 39:2-6
- Genesis 40:6-8
- Matthew 10:41
- Isaiah 43:18-19
- Jeremiah 1:5
- Zechariah 4:10
- Job 8:7
- Acts 20:29-32
- Ephesians 2:6
- 2 Corinthians 4:7
- 2 Timothy 2:21
- Isaiah 49:16
- Acts 20:24
- Acts 9:3-6
- Genesis 19:26
- Numbers 6:24-25