Wanted: Ministry Dreamers

Introduction:

Here we are on the last day of 2023 and we just came off a wonderful time of celebrating the birth of Jesus.

More than likely now, your conversations have shifted to what you hope to change or are planning to change in 2024…we call those your hopes and dreams.

For some, the decisions made for a better 2024 center around making significant choices to improve physical health…nothing wrong with that.

For others, there is a desire to make better decisions financially…again nothing wrong with that either.

Perhaps there are some here who want to make significant changes in their relationships that will improve those relationships.

Whatever area you are considering needs improved, you think about what needs to happen, you think about what you want to happen, and sometimes you even dream about what could happen as you discipline yourself to follow through with specific commitments.

Have you ever stopped to consider your ministry dreams?

I would venture to guess that topic rarely, if ever, pops up in your mind, let alone your home...and you are not alone in that…when you listen to most people talk about what plans they have for the new year, less than 10% of them ever give a response that communicates a desire or plan for increased faithfulness to God or in making a greater impact on others for God.

If you stop long enough to dream for ministry, it would involve at least the idea of ...

...identifying a need or opportunity around you/us and then asking God to help you glorify Him by meeting that need, or seizing that opportunity.

So on this last day of 2023, with 2024 being merely hours away, would you consider with me how this new year could be a wonderful time for you/us to be used of God to increase your/our impact on the lives of others?

Main Point: God Delights in People Who Trust Him to Use Them!

We are going to be looking at a number of different passages this morning…give you a Bible workout…some of you have probably planned to visit the gym more often for your physical workout,

welcome to the spiritual gymnasium we call church…let’s begin 2024 with a good spiritual workout.

So this morning, as your pastor, I want to put on my cheerleader hat as well as my coaching hat…I want to encourage you and to challenge you...

What would God want us to think and do as we move into 2024 tomorrow?

First I want us to look at some ministry dreamers from the Scripture....

Biblical Examples of Ministry Dreamers

Caleb – Joshua 14:10-12

Joshua 14:10–12 ““Now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. “I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. “Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out as the Lord has spoken.””

Here’s a man who’s 85 years old…he’s been a prime leader in the conquest of the Promised Land, seen his share of difficulty…but what’s the request he makes when he comes to Joshua: Give me that hill country!

there’s a man who’s been dreaming about future ministry…

even while he was serving God faithfully and sacrificially…at the same time he is dreaming about what he might be able to do next to advance the glory of God’s name…

...no, I’ve done my time…no I just want to spend the rest of my days on earth on cruise control...I want that mountain…

look at verse 14…Joshua 14:14 “Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully.”

Caleb proved that God’s Word can be trusted and it really is possible regardless of your age to find your strength in Him…

Nehemiah – Nehemiah 2:7-8

In the history of Israel, after 70 years of captivity away from Jerusalem, Jerusalem had fallen into disrepair…and the walls of the city were broken down…and Nehemiah hears about how bad it was…and he immediately confesses his own sins and the sins of the people and then he starts dreaming about how that problem might be solved…

and then the foreign king he served noticed that he was sad and he asked him about it…and what happens next is a fascinating example of someone who not only dreamed of addressing a specific need, but who had already begun working out the details in his mind…

so when the king said…what do you request, out comes the strategic plan…Nehemiah 2:7–8 “And I said to the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.” And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.”

what’s important about that example for our discussion here is to point out that we’re not using the word dreaming in some pie in the sky, fuzzy, ethereal way…that he’s just a dreamer who has no connection to reality…

no, Nehemiah was already thinking through the exact steps that would have to be taken and the exact resources that would be involved to get the job done...

that’s why when he actually went to Jerusalem…Scripture tells us that he got up early in the morning to inspect the walls before anyone there knew what he was dreaming about…

Nehemiah 2:11–13 “So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire.”

ministry dreaming…saw a need, thought through specific steps, then went to work...

Esther – Esther 4:14

Esther 4:14 ““For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?””

Give brief summation of history of Esther...

not just anyone, not just any time, and not just anyplace…but you, here, right now…

and if you study that particular passage carefully – there’s a delightful balance of divine sovereignty and human responsibility…because Esther is told – if you don’t seize this opportunity, God will provide deliverance for His people from another source…

Mordecai challenges her to step up and make a difference…because if not her, then someone else will...

who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this – there is an opportunity placed before you to make a difference.

Look at her response in verse 16…Esther 4:16 ““Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.””

She didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, but she was willing to trust God and seized the moment.

Paul – Acts 15:36; 1 Cor 16:5-9

Acts 15:36 “After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.””

can you picture that?...you’re sitting around the fireplace deciding what you’re going to do…and out pops – let’s go on a mission trip, let’s go check on the churches…lets go see if there are ways we can participate in what God is doing in His world…

or another example from his words to the Corinthians…

1 Corinthians 16:5–9 “But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I may go. For I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

do you hear him dreaming?...I want to have an extended time of ministry with you in Corinth…I’m thinking about that…but right now I need to stay in Ephesus because a wide door of effective service has opened for me, and I’m dreaming about everything can be accomplished through that as well…

that’s it – ministry dreaming…

now let me ask you this – what do you dream about?...

in those quiet moments in your life when you don’t have to be concentrating on something else…do you ever engage in ministry dreaming?

let’s take it even one step further…

Did you ever stop to consider that all your life’s experiences, all your skills and abilities have been orchestrated by God in such a way, and that He has placed you here, right now for the very purpose of you considering His will for a particular ministry dream that can and ought to be accomplished specifically by you?

1 Peter 4:10–11 (NASB95)

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Teenagers please listen…this includes you…I’m going to put on my coaching hat for just a moment...

Some of God’s people, including here at ODBC, are repeat offenders of this passage…churches all across the country, struggle with inadequate and ineffective ministries because some of God’s people just want to take instead of give, want to sit instead of serve, want to sleep instead of actively dream and work to make dreams a reality.

Now I know God can use anyone or anything to accomplish His plans – and I also know that God is the one who brings the growth to any ministry…please don’t think I’m suggesting otherwise…

So when we are talking about ministry dreaming there is a very real understanding that God could change those at any time, so we plan with pencil and eraser in hand…

But, if we are going to be good students of the Word, then we need to understand what God says about individual ministry…there is a particular ministry that’s got your name on it

that’s why God made you the way he did…that’s why He put you where He did…that’s why He gave you the cluster of life experiences He did, both good and bad…

the God of Scripture very much works with individual people…He equipped you with very specific gifts, skills, and abilities that He wants to use in this church…you are uniquely built by God much like fingerprints…no two fingerprints the same…what that means is that God built you to serve Him in a unique and specific way and no one can serve him in the same way you can.

What opportunities do you see? How has God prepared YOU to step up and seize that opportunity? What is it going to take for you to see how God wants to use you to specifically minister to others?

What is God’s Dream for the Church?

There is much that could be said here but for sake of time this is a summary of what Scripture says the church ought to be doing…this is God’s dream for the church…God uses individuals and God uses His church...

these are also what we have chosen to let guide us as we dream about the specific ministries God has designed for ODBC…

Each one of these is to be an area of evaluation as you consider the next steps for you/and for us in 2024...

Matthew 5:13-16 – Glorifying God

Matthew 5:13–16 ““You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Our primary responsibilities, both as individuals and as a church, is to glorify God in all things. Everything we do is to be geared to proclaiming the wonderful character of God.

How are you going to accomplish this in 2024? Be specific...

Colossians 1:13-23 – Proclaiming Christ

Read Col 1:13-23

We rejoice in the message of the cross and that everyone can be forgiven through his blood and restored to a right relationship with God.

What steps do you need to take to have a greater involvement in the proclamation of the life changing power of a relationship with Christ?

2 Peter 1:3-10 – Biblically Obedient

We understand that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. Through practical teaching and application of the Scriptures we learn how God expects us to live for His glory.

What areas of your life need more diligence in obedience?

Colossians 1:24-29 – Relationship Focused

Everyone’s relationship with God matters as well as our relationships with others. As we seek to grow in our relationship with Him, we also want to grow in our relationships with one another.

We recognize we are all on this journey together. We are committed to helping each other walk in obedience to His Word so that all of us grow up in Him.

It is our prayer, that with God’s help, Open Door Bible Church would know Christ more and be the guiding light towards Christ-centered relationships within our church family and the local community.

What relationships need greater intentionality?

What else guides our decision making....

Our Mission – Building Lives to Know and Live for Jesus Christ

Matthew 28:19–20 ““Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

How are you planning to have greater involvement in this mission?

For the rest of our time, I want to challenge us to think (dream) about some more concrete ways we can live out God’s mission...

How does the dreaming process work?

We have to ask some critical questions...

What are the unique strengths, talents, interests, passions, experiences that God has given me/us?

What is the Lord doing in your heart?

What are the needs and opportunities that the Lord has placed around me/us that if met/seized could bring Him greater glory?

What are the weaknesses that exist in you/us that need to be shored up?

What would that dream look like if it came to fruition?

What resources will be necessary to accomplish this dream and what are the possible sources?

Resources of people and pennies…how many people are needed to accomplish this…how much do we need to invest in this?

In a couple of weeks we will be voting on the budget for 2024...and I want to encourage you to think about it probably in a way you have not thought about the finances of a church before…

The budget is not just a plan we develop to pay the salary and bills…the budget should be a dream forecast…it should stretch us…it should reflect a belief that God wants to accomplish great things here and we want to be a part of that…once again God has shown himself faithful to Open Door and we will end the year with a significant surplus...

ministry dreamers look at the budget through a biblical lens that believes with God’s help, these things can be accomplished.

What steps/processes will need to be followed to fulfill the dream? Who needs to do what when?

you could apply those principles to anything you believe the Lord might be calling you to do, or us to do…

now, what could that look like?…

I hope you would want a pastor who is somewhat of a visionary…

someone who sees a big picture and prays that somehow God will equip us to continually move forward accomplishing things we never thought possible without His help…again all these things are in pencil, allowing God to apply His eraser....

here are some of the ideas rolling around in my head, of opportunities I see are a great potential for us with God’s help...just looking ahead to the ways in which God can use us...

I’m sharing these with you this as your biggest cheerleader…to say I’ve seen what we can do, and to encourage you to begin praying, and dreaming yourself…

I’m also telling you this as your coach…to call us to go deeper in our faith and to exert greater efforts of advancing his kingdom…call this priming the vision pump…

Some potential dreams for ODBC

Overall Ministry

Greater Levels of Accountability for Bible Reading

I know some of you probably already have a Bible reading plan…if you don’t have one, let me know and I can email you what I plan to do this year...perhaps one of the ways we can grow stronger together is if we all seek someone out to be accountable to.

So if anyone wants to have lunch with me this week or next, then let me know…I have my planner ready to go…to write you in...Call it Lunch with Pastor…ladies, we can add Janine to that mix…lunch with the Pastor and His Wife...let me know...we could meet weekly, we could meet bi-weekly…just a level of accountability from me/us to you and you to me/us…accountability amongst one another...

If you can’t/don’t want to meet with me/us…find someone to whom you can be accountable and get together outside of church…talk on the phone if you must…be accountable…let’s see what God does with our intentionality to be accountable...

All of us to take specific steps that bring us closer to being an Ephesians 4 church…

Ephesians 4:15–16 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Need a greater individual involvement and participation of the membership and faithful attenders in the various ministries of the church

Each member and faithful attender needs to be employing their gifts for the ministry.

Also need more involvement to minimize present volunteer discouragement and burnout.

Here are just a few more dreams…not exhaustive....these opportunities are not reserved for elders only....part of our job description is to equip you for works of ministry…part of being that Ephesians 4 church.

Men’s Ministry

Build a strong, consistent ministry of developing men to be leaders in their homes and in the church…of men sharpening men…either individually or in a group setting...

Looking for men who are passionate about helping other men grow in their faith and who will come alongside our elders to provide leadership for the men’s ministry and pray for this ministry...

Worship Ministry

Hire a full time Worship and Youth Pastor to provide leadership to these vital aspects of ministry.

With a new worship leader we can expand the worship ministry through additional praise team rotations, instrumentalists, soloists, ensembles…with a focus on youth he can help us train them for ministry also both theologically and practically.

I know some of you teenagers have skills in the dramatic arts…consider adding a drama ministry that communicates biblical truth through this creative avenue...

Puppets...

Discipleship Ministry

Everyone of us is to be a disciple maker…Every class we presently offer ought to be filled to capacity and ready to blow out the walls…but sadly they are not…you can get to work by 9:30 a.m. everyday…you can be on your way to the lake at 9:30 in the morning, so why can’t you attend our first hour of discipleship...

so let me encourage all of you to participate in those classes,

Perhaps in 2024 you want your relationship with God to grow deeper and stronger…one of the ways you can do that is to be faithful to take in the Word of God at every opportunity

more Small group leaders

Connections Ministry

Would love to have a Fellowship With Friends Coordinator…explain

Need people who have a passion for Missions to serve on our missions team…identify Tim and Mission Team....they have been serving on this team for ________________ years…no one new has joined the team in ________ years!

Camp...

There are other ministries we could mention (but time does not allow a full disclosure on all the ways we can employ to serve)…perhaps there is even a ministry we don’t have yet, but God is working in your heart and it is time you approached me, or one of the elders and said “Here is what I would like to do…can we put some brain cells on that?”

Notice I didn’t say you should come tell me or us what you think we should do…it is what I would like to do…meaning, if God is working on your heart to begin a ministry or even revitalize a dormant ministry, then that means he wants YOU to do it…not pawn it off on someone else…so let’s sit down and talk it through...

These are some of the short-term dreams…

how about some long term dreams…

what about taking the large open field area and developing a multipurpose building with a full size kitchen and classroom space and fellowship hall to enhance our fellowship meals, gatherings, and educational efforts and community outreach

I’m just trying to spark some ministry dreaming in all of us…and to pray if that is something God would have us do...

developing an educational program for our community to help adults achieve their GED or equivalent,

providing life skills education to others while sharing the gospel with them…something where our campus could be used everyday of the week!

How about community service projects, events, where we expose people to the genuineness and care that y’all are capable of providing...

Please don’t walk away from here thinking all of the long term plans are in place, because they are not…in my own finite thinking and efforts to be a visionary....they are dreams of ways we can serve God faithfully with all He has entrusted to us with a desire to be used of God in His kingdom plan.

Life Lesson – What dreams do you have for ministry? What steps do you need to take right now, today, to see those dreams come to fruition?