On the Road to a Destiny 12-2-02
On the Road to a Destiny
Aberdeen
12/21/02
Impregnated with the Dream
Started with visitation
• Word of Lord -- Recap Matt 1:18:25; Luke 1:26-38
• In season of visitation -- encounter God -- it’s thrilling
• We are impregnated with a new vision for our lives
• A whole new season of possibility emerges
• When Jesus came into their life, changed EVERYTHING (expand)
* God had a suprise for them: on one course -- brand new direction
* Nothing ever the same again
* Former plans ‛tossed out’ -- new vision burning
* Death of old -- brith of new
• Where are those places in your life of visitation -- when you encountered God -- begin to dream HIS dreams
• Need to remember these times -- they are COMPASS READINGS for our lives.
We Begin to Dream with God
• I would guess both Joseph/Mary began to dream
* Wouldn’t you? If you were visited by an ANGEL -- told that you were to be the fulfillment of CENTURIES of prophecy -- wouldn’t you dream about it? I bet Mary and Joseph did.
* Got good news: God’s been planing for millenia upon millenia the plan for our lives -- His destiny for His church in this hour. Jermiah 29:11 ‟For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‛They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’”.
* Mary: to be carrying Messiah -- what an incredible honor. I bet she ‛planned the nursery’ -- if you will in her mind. All her life dreamed of having her first baby -- and NOW to find out she was going to give birth to Messiah! -- She probably dreamed of life in a loving setting -- an easy childhood -- etc (develop).
* Joseph: to be called to be the stepfather. Husbands are protectors and providers. He was a carpenter. I bet he’d already built a new crib for the baby.
The Dream is Tested
• This is the stage where Joseph and Mary lived the practicals of daily life, living out the vision of the visitation.
• It’s always exciting and incredible when the vision and visitation comes -- but there are often tests and dreariness to walking out the vision.
• We see that in other parts of the bible. Imagine Abraham and Sarah’s life? Abraham gets a vision -- they move and live in tents for the rest of their LIVES! The original Rvers.
Testing points for Mary and Joseph
• FIRST, Joseph’s test -- divorcing Mary. Imagine how Mary felt. Imagine how Joseph felt.
• Secondly, family didn’t probably ‛get it’. Ever wonder, if Joseph’s family was from Bethlehem, why didn’t they open up their homes to them? Maybe because they didn’t believe in the virgin birth. Shaming of identity.
• That happens sometimes in our lives, when we get visitation/vision -- people closest to us don’t understand what God’s doing in our lives. It can be lonely/challenging.
• So they got to live out their pregnancy in a community that didn’t get what God was doing in their lives. Had to be tough.
• Add to that, there’s this anoying TAX thing that Ceaser Agustus does --- in the midst of the last trimester of Mary’s pregnancy! Now THAT had to be fun.
• Wonder if there may have been a few ‛marital moments’. . .They were human . . . I know I’d have a few if I was in their shoes . . . . I know AI’d have a few marital moments. Think of it: New mariiage, pregnancy; in community wheer people don’t understand you -- it could create a few marital challenges
• 0 Can you imagine, Mary’s getting ready to have her baby -- has everything all planned out -- then Joseph gets to come home and tell her, ‟Guess what, honey .. . . We get to take a road trip -- on a donkey!” How would YOU like to tell that to your nine-month pregnant wife! Think about it.
• Or when they finally showed up in Bethlehem. . . . (Ever think that Maybe they arrived after all the rooms were booked because Joseph wouldn’t stop and ask for directions!?!? Could be, never know . . . ) I could just see it: Mary parked on a Donkeyoutside the Village Inn after a couple of days journey -- probably in pre-labor already (how’d you like to ride a donkey for a couple of days while you’re in labor, ladies?) And Joseph keeps going to try to get them a room, and he keeps coming up empty handed. Husbands, how would YOU like being the one that has to break the news to YOUR wife?! ‟Honey, I’ve got some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that we’re sleeping under a roof tonight. The bad news is that we get to share it with the cows!”
• How do you think both of them felt towards God at those moments. I can imagine the kinds of conversations I might have had in my heart. ‟Lord, you gave me this word -- this visitation. I thought I knew how it would all turn out. I had the nursery decorated. I had the cradle crafted and built. We weren’t supposed to be HERE right now. What are you thinking, Lord? Have you forgotten about us?” --- Fiddler on the roof, ‟Lord, I know that we’re the chosen people. But some time, couldn’t you choose someone else?”
• How many of you can relate to this phase of the picture on their journey? There’s a testing that takes place in the midst of the challenge.
• Things aren’t the way it’s supposed to be.
• You see, when God starts a miracle in our lives, the journey to our destiny rarely looks like we imagined it.
• The Bible says ‟Word of the Lord tested Joseph”. When God visits us, brings word in our life, there is a testing.
• Story: Nancy/Me minsitry launch.
* Had felt call to full-time ministry for years
* During first year of marriage, Nancy and I praying with pastor
* Sickness -- request to come serve -- unpaid position
* Prayed about it --- Full plan: Nancy worked, I worked part-time
* Three days after resignation: Pregnancy!
* Would I have insurance? But Nancy was suppose to work? What now?
* There was Pastor Doug, man of faith, curled up on his bed, crying out to God, ‟Oh God, Have mercy .”
* FORTUNATELY, I didn’t stay there. In fact, God provided INCREDIBLY For us. What turned the ship for us in our hearts? Brings me to the next stage of development
The Dream is Surrendered
• Coming to the cross, and laying it down.
• I’m not going to try to manipulate it -- not going to force it -- but surrender it to You and trust You. Phil 1:6 ‟You who have begun the good work in me . .”
• Lay down your own agenda (this isn’t how I thought it would be) -- TRUST.
• Mary/Joseph certainly weren’t planning on birthing the son of God in a barn in Bethlehem. When they heard the dream of God for their lives, they never expected that moment.
• That’s not unlike us, when we face the testing place of the dream in our hearts. We have to surrender the dream to Him -- lay it at the feet the cross -- and let HIM resurrect to be what HE wants it to be.
• You know what’s exciting, He changes the dream, and it always becomes more beautiful and profound in His hands.
• And when He gives it back to us, it’s infused with His resurrection power -- His redeeming grace. Isn’t that powerful?
The Dream is Protected
How do we get through to the other side?
• Holding on to the CHARACTER of God -- His promise -- HIS powerful breakthrough.
• Finish story
* Character of God
* Dad’s testimony -- encouragement.
* God provided incredibly -- everything covered -- down to the baby nursery.
* In fact, during that season we saw such release, that Nancy and I bought our first house while we were still working part time jobs ! He is so faithful!
• Tell your story -- each generation can put their hope: Ps 78:4-8 ‟We will not hide thse truths from our children but will tell the nest generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord. We will tell of His power and the Mighty miracles he did . . . .He commanded our ancestors to tgeach them to their children, so the next generation might know them -- even the children not yet born -- that they in turn might teach their children. So each generation can set its hope anew on God, rmemnbering his glroious miracles and obeying His commands. They will NOT be like their ancestors -- stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful , refusing to give their hearts to God.”
• My parents -- Kari now telling me the story. Growing up with heritage.
• Ps 27:13 ‟I would have fainted unles I had believed I woul see the GOODNESS of the Lord”.
• Remembering His CHARACTER
• Mary/Joseph application -- I’m sure there were times -- on the road to Bethlehem -- on the road to their destiny --- when they remembered the visitation -- the dream. I be they encouraged each other. God has been with us -- He will be there.
• Remembering the visitation.
• What’s the last thing that God said/did
Dream is realized
• Jesus was born.
• At the time that everything was happening around them, Jospeh and Mary may not have been able to ‛take it all in’ -- they were just living it. But in the midst of the miracle God was painting a bigger picture.
• You see as the dream was realized, God was wanting to make a statement to the whole world about WHO He is, and how He feels about each and everyone of us.
• And I bet as they looked back, they could see God’s finger-prints everywhere.
• Message that he dwells with the lowly. Jesus didn’t come for the pompous and overconfident -- but came for the needy.
River of Life Application
• This is not a season you expected bo be in transition -=- But God knew == He isn’t caught off guard. He has a plan for you
• So appreciated Rick’s word of encouragement las week.
• Speak Peace.
• One of the things you need to do is Individually and corporately remember -- recount -- where did God visit us? What did HE Say?
• Known visitation -- heard the promises -- seen the presence of God.
• Where you are isn’t what you planned. Didn’t anticipate. Inconvenience.
• But GOD knew.
• His Character -- His ways.
• You are on the Road to your destiny -- on the road to a miracle -- from the outside it might be tough to understand at moments -- but HE is in control. Author/Finisher. In the midst of miracle.
• TRUST in Him --hope in His character Protect Vision -- Surrender Vision
**************
Aberdeen version (edited at home, e-mailed to office computer). May contain ‛final edits’ that didn’t make above text:
On the Road to a Destiny
River Of Life, Aberdeen
12/21/02
Last week/ldr/Kari
Impregnated with His Dream for our lives
Started with visitation
• Word of Lord -- Recap Mary’s visitation: Matt
1:18:25; Joseph had his OWN
visitation -- Isn’t it neat -- we all need our own visitation?
Luke 1:26-38
• In season of visitation -- encounter God -- it’s
thrilling
• We are impregnated with a new vision for our lives
• A whole new season of possibility emerges
• When Jesus came into their life, changed EVERYTHING
(expand)
* God had a suprise for them: on one course
-- brand new direction
* Nothing ever the same again
* Former plans ‘tossed out’ -- new
vision burning
* Death of old -- brith of new
• Where are those places in your life of visitation
-- when you encountered
God -- begin to dream HIS dreams
• Need to remember these times -- they are COMPASS
READINGS for our lives.
We Begin to Dream with God
• I would guess both Joseph/Mary began to dream
* Wouldn’t you? If you were visited by an
ANGEL -- told that you were to be
the fulfillment of CENTURIES of prophecy -- wouldn’t you dream about
it? I bet
Mary and Joseph did.
* Got good news: God’s been planing for
millenia upon millenia the plan for
our lives -- His destiny for His church in this hour. Jermiah 29:11
“For I
know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for
good and
not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’”.
* We need to dream with God. THEY began to
dream with God.
* Mary: to be carrying Messiah -- what an
incredible honor. I bet she
‘planned the nursery’ -- if you will in her mind. All her life
dreamed of
having her first baby -- and NOW to find out she was going to give
birth to
Messiah! -- She probably dreamed of life in a loving setting -- an
easy
childhood -- etc (develop).
* Joseph: to be called to be the stepfather.
Husbands are protectors and
providers. He was a carpenter. I bet he’d already built a new crib
for the
baby.
The Dream is Tested
• This is the stage where Joseph and Mary lived the
practicals of daily life,
living out the vision of the visitation.
• It’s always exciting and incredible when the vision
and visitation comes --
but there are often tests and dreariness to walking out the vision.
• We see that in other parts of the bible. Imagine
Abraham and Sarah’s life?
Abraham gets a vision -- they move and live in tents for the rest of
their
LIVES! The original Rvers.
Testing points for Mary and Joseph
• FIRST, Joseph’s test -- divorcing Mary. Imagine
how Mary felt. Imagine how
Joseph felt.
• Secondly, family didn’t probably ‘get it’. Ever
wonder, if Joseph’s family
was from Bethlehem, why didn’t they open up their homes to them?
Maybe because
they didn’t believe in the virgin birth. Shaming of identity.
• That happens sometimes in our lives, when we get
visitation/vision -- people
closest to us don’t understand what God’s doing in our lives. It
can be
lonely/challenging.
• So they got to live out their pregnancy in a
community that didn’t get what
God was doing in their lives. Had to be tough.
• Add to that, there’s this anoying TAX thing that
Ceaser Agustus does --- in
the midst of the last trimester of Mary’s pregnancy! Now THAT had
to be fun.
• Wonder if there may have been a few ‘marital
moments’. . .They were human .
. . I know I’d have a few if I was in their shoes . . . . I know
AI’d have a
few marital moments. Think of it: New mariiage, pregnancy; in
community wheer
people don’t understand you -- it could create a few marital
challenges
• 0 Can you imagine, Mary’s getting ready to have her
baby -- has everything
all planned out -- then Joseph gets to come home and tell her,
“Guess what,
honey .. . . We get to take a road trip -- on a donkey!” How
would YOU
like to tell that to your nine-month pregnant wife! Think about it.
• Or when they finally showed up in Bethlehem. . . .
(Ever think that Maybe
they arrived after all the rooms were booked because Joseph wouldn’t
stop and
ask for directions!?!? Could be, never know . . . ) I could just
see it:
Mary parked on a Donkeyoutside the Village Inn after a couple of
days journey -
- probably in pre-labor already (how’d you like to ride a donkey for
a couple
of days while you’re in labor, ladies?) And Joseph keeps going to
try to get
them a room, and he keeps coming up empty handed. Husbands, how
would YOU
like being the one that has to break the news to YOUR wife?!
“Honey, I’ve got
some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that we’re
sleeping under
a roof tonight. The bad news is that we get to share it with the
cows!”
• How do you think both of them felt towards God at
those moments. I can
imagine the kinds of conversations I might have had in my heart.
“Lord, you
gave me this word -- this visitation. I thought I knew how it would
all turn
out. I had the nursery decorated. I had the cradle crafted and
built. We
weren’t supposed to be HERE right now. What are you thinking, Lord?
Have you
forgotten about us?” --- Fiddler on the roof, “Lord, I know that
we’re the
chosen people. But some time, couldn’t you choose someone else?”
• How many of you can relate to this phase of the
picture on their journey?
There’s a testing that takes place in the midst of the challenge.
• Things aren’t the way it’s supposed to be.
• You see, when God starts a miracle in our lives,
the journey to our destiny
rarely looks like we imagined it.
• The Bible says “Word of the Lord tested Joseph”.
When God visits us, brings
word in our life, there is a testing.
• Story: Nancy/Me minsitry launch.
* Had felt call to full-time ministry for
years
* During first year of marriage, Nancy and I
praying with pastor
* Sickness -- request to come serve -- unpaid
position
* Prayed about it --- Full plan: Nancy
worked, I worked part-time
* Three days after resignation: Pregnancy!
* Would I have insurance? But Nancy was
suppose to work? What now?
* There was Pastor Doug, man of faith, curled
up on his bed, crying out to
God, “Oh God, Have mercy .”
* FORTUNATELY, I didn’t stay there. In fact,
God provided INCREDIBLY For us.
What turned the ship for us in our hearts? Brings me to the next
stage of
development
The Dream is Surrendered
• Coming to the cross, and laying it down.
• I’m not going to try to manipulate it -- not going
to force it -- but
surrender it to You and trust You. Phil 1:6 “You who have begun the
good work
in me . .”
• Lay down your own agenda (this isn’t how I thought
it would be) -- TRUST.
• Mary/Joseph certainly weren’t planning on birthing
the son of God in a barn
in Bethlehem. When they heard the dream of God for their lives,
they never
expected that moment.
• That’s not unlike us, when we face the testing
place of the dream in our
hearts. CAN’T hold on to it CAN’T Force it. We have to surrender
the dream to
Him -- lay it at the feet the cross -- and let HIM resurrect to be
what HE
wants it to be.
• You know what’s exciting, He changes the dream, and
it always becomes more
beautiful and profound in His hands.
• And when He gives it back to us, it’s infused with
His resurrection power --
His redeeming grace. Isn’t that powerful?
As the dream is the surrendered, THE
The Dream is Protected
• NOTICE: the dream isn’t protected until after the
dream is surrendered.
• Jesus said, if you hold on to your life you will
lose it, if you lose it for
His sake you will gain it.
How do we get through to the other side?
• Holding on to the CHARACTER of God -- His promise
-- HIS powerful
breakthrough.
• Finish story
* Character of God
* Dad’s testimony -- encouragement.
* God provided incredibly -- everything
covered -- down to the baby nursery.
* In fact, during that season we saw such
release, that Nancy and I bought
our first house while we were still working part time jobs ! He is
so
faithful!
• Tell your story -- each generation can put their
hope: Ps 78:4-8 “We will
not hide thse truths from our children but will tell the nest
generation about
the glorious deeds of the Lord. We will tell of His power and the
Mighty
miracles he did . . . .He commanded our ancestors to tgeach them to
their
children, so the next generation might know them -- even the
children not yet
born -- that they in turn might teach their children. So each
generation can
set its hope anew on God, rmemnbering his glroious miracles and
obeying His
commands. They will NOT be like their ancestors -- stubborn,
rebellious, and
unfaithful , refusing to give their hearts to God.”
• My parents -- Kari now telling me the story.
Growing up with heritage.
• Ps 27:13 “I would have fainted unles I had believed
I woul see the GOODNESS
of the Lord”.
• Remembering His CHARACTER
• Mary/Joseph application -- I’m sure there were
times -- on the road to
Bethlehem -- on the road to their destiny --- when they remembered
the
visitation -- the dream. I be they encouraged each other. God has
been with
us -- He will be there.
• Remembering the visitation.
• What’s the last thing that God said/did
Dream is realized
• Jesus was born. God birthed the new thing in their
lives.
• At the time that everything was happening around
them, Jospeh and Mary may
not have been able to ‘take it all in’ -- they were just living it.
But in the
midst of the miracle God was painting a bigger picture.
• You see as the dream was realized, God was wanting
to make a statement to
the whole world about WHO He is, and how He feels about each and
everyone of
us.
• And I bet as they looked back, they could see God’s
finger-prints
everywhere.
• They probably had a plan of how the birth was to be
-- had it all ‘figured
out’; but when their plan unraveled God’s plan took over.
• God wanted to make a much biggerstatement to all of
man.
• You see, God’ s main purpose from Genesis on was
to reveal who He is to man
-- so that we might know Him -- love Him.
• Could have been born in a palace with roayal decree
• instead in a stable with an angelic decree to
shepherds . . . . .
• Message that he dwells with the lowly. Jesus
didn’t come for the pompous
and overconfident -- but came for the needy.
You here, at River of Life are on a road to your destiny in God
• This is not a season you expected bo be in
transition -=- But God knew == He
isn’t caught off guard. His a plan for your lives hasn’t changed
• So appreciated Rick’s word of encouragement las
week.
• Speak Peace.
• One of the things you need to do is Individually
and corporately remember --
recount -- where did God visit us? What did HE Say?
• Known visitation -- heard the promises -- seen the
presence of God.
• Where you are isn’t what you planned. Didn’t
anticipate. Inconvenience.
• But GOD knew.
• His Character -- His ways.
• You are on the Road to your destiny -- on the road
to a miracle -- from the
outside it might be tough to understand at moments -- but HE is in
control.
Author/Finisher. In the midst of miracle.
• TRUST in Him --hope in His character Protect Vision
-- Surrender Vision