DON'T STOP DREAMING

DON’T STOP DREAMING!

HOPE FOR TODAY

PASTOR JIM BOHRER

INTRO:

Vince Papale loved and wanted to play football, but he found himself in a dead end job. He came home one evening to an empty home. His wife left him with a note that said, “ "You will never amount to anything." His dreams of football gone and his marriage trashed. He could have collapsed into depression. He could have just settled for a quiet life. But he didn’t. He kept dreaming.

VIDEO: HOOK SWORD FIGHT.

Somewhere along the line Peter Pan allowed the Pirate Hook to steal his dreams and joy. Now he was battling back for what really mattered. It seems that at some point in life, the Pirate seemed larger than his dreams and he ran from his dreams to the safety of mediocrity.

All of us at some point dreamed of taking on the world. But then life and cynicism gets a hold of you and you give up your dreams and settle for an upset stomach. God does not want you to sell out to your fears. Don’t run from the Pirate…

DON’T SELL OUT TO YOUR FEARS.

Proverbs has a powerful verse that speaks to our desire for those dreams.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but when dreams come true, there is life and joy. Proverbs 13:12 NLT

When we have swallowed our hope, it becomes a simple process of settling for second best. I have seen studies. A person settles in to the rat race. A teacher no longer feels she is accomplishing much. A father doesn’t see much purpose in caring for the family. That is when we begin to live a shell of a life. But, God says,

DON’T SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST.

Most people feel crushed because they sold out to the Distractions of life!

Materialism, pleasure, seeking the next job increase, etc…

Learn God’s Dream for your life.

See God had you in mind when He made you. You may not be living for His purpose, but you will only be satisfied when you rest in Him. He did not make you to live someone else’s life. He made you to live in Him. The reasons you have hopes and dreams is that God made you a certain way that is unique to you. Certainly you can corrupt His purpose by running from the Pirate. You can settle for second best purpose and be satisfied for a time, but only in His purpose will you really feel satisfied.

How can you do that, well:

DISCOVER GOD’S DESIRE FOR YOUR LIFE. (Jer. 1:5)

Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor. 7:7)

Hearts desire (Psalm 37:4)

Abilities (Exodus 31:3)

Personality

Experiences

Don’t ever believe that you are finished because you made a mistake or things did not go the way you thought they should have.

GOD CAN USE DISAPPOINTMENT TO DEVELOP CHARACTER.

In the Movie Invincible we have the story of the 30 year Vince Papalli who was given the opportunity to try or for the Philadelphia Eagles. But along the way, criticism, fear and doubt crept into his mind. He was ready to give up his dream and sell out to the second best.

VIDEO: INVINCIBLE

You don’t have to be a PRISONER of your past.

His ex-wife had written that letter to him. You’ll never succeed etc… And he could have let that letter define his life. And up until that point he did. But through the process he realized:

Maybe you had a deacon attack you. Maybe you blew it at a church. Maybe you had a divorce in your life. Or a kid walked away from the Lord. Maybe you were part of the problem. I can’t do it. Perhaps a scandal hit your church that you had or have no control over. Listen the Devil wants to strike the shepherd of the church where it counts…

Your past does not DETERMINE you, your DECISIONS do.

Take that piece of paper the Devil or you wrote that said, “You can’t reach this town or this State for Christ. And rip it up. Call a new play and hit the Devil hard!”

Go back to that compelling PURPOSE God made you for and gave to you.

Jackie Pullinger has spent her life working with the poor and destitute, triad gang members, heroin and opium addicts. She has helped thousands to come off drugs through the power of the Holy Spirit. She has seen transformation in numerous lives and has made a huge impact on the city of Hong Kong.

Jackie wrote, ‘I have spent over half my life in a dark, foul smelling place because I had a “vision” of another city ablaze with light, it was my dream. There was no more crying, no more death or pain. The sick were healed, addicts set free, the hungry filled. There were families for orphans, homes for the homeless, and new dignity for those who lived in shame. I had no idea how to bring this about but with “visionary zeal” imagined introducing the Walled City people to the one who could change it all: Jesus.’

Vision is a ‘holy discontent’ – a deep dissatisfaction with what is, combined with a clear grasp of what could be. It is a picture – ‘a mental sight’ – of the future that inspires hope.

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare! But vision combined with action can change the world.

Listen be honest. How many of you thought, when you were called, “Oh, I want to touch the world like Billy Graham. Listen, Just because you are not going to pack the RCA Dome for a weekend does not mean that you are not impacting the world for Christ. You can touch Christ by knocking on one door. Listen, some pastors had to organize a revival and someone had to invite a scrappy hick kid to a revival before Billy Graham became the Billy Graham we wanted to be. What you do as a pastor is really important! But, you have got to keep that vision.

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. KJV Proverbs 29:18

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy. NLT Proverbs 29:18

Eric Liddel learned that when he followed God’s purpose he ran. He would say that he felt God laugh when he ran. But, he refused to run when it would dishonor God. But Liddel ended running heats he did not train for and ended winning gold… And he still ended up going onto the mission field. I preached this message in our 8 am service and a man came up to me after I shared that he went to the mission field. That man told me of being under the preaching ministry of a committed shepherd of our Lord who shared how he came to faith in Christ in a Chinese prison camp. Eric Liddel was in that camp and he kept his purpose there leading worship and leading people to Christ. It was there that preacher gave his life to Christ and Eric Liddel lost his.

Eric never lost his vision for God.

So you must:

HOLD ONTO THE DREAM GOD GIVES YOU. (Jer. 29:11)

You can finish the race strong for the Lord. This church can be a vital light in Greeley. You can be a difference maker.

How do you want people to view you life? How do you want the Lord to speak of you? Choose to live in a way that will bring that about..

Tootles was not crazy, he had just lost his vision. His marbles were his dreams. In this busy world, don’t lose your marbles.DON’T LOSE YOUR MARBLES!

Things you can do:

I will humbly pray for God to call our pastor soon.

I will encourage the leaders and participate in church ministry not because of compulsion but for the joy of the Lord and the love of the lost.

HOPE FOR TODAY SERIES

PASTOR JIM BOHRER

I will view EVERY person who comes to our worship as a precious gift of God.

I will focus on the positive things God is doing in my church and not the flaws or criticism.

September 30, 2007

I will pray that God will use me as an instrument to revive His church, for His Name, and for His glory.

INTRO: HOOK

One of the most exciting, fun, and imaginative movies I have ever watched has been HOOK. Where Robin Williams plays Peter Panning (a man who has bought into the conventional vision for manhood). He believes he has to work hard and close the next deal. If he does that, then at the end of life, even though his wife and children suffered for his success, he will achieve his purpose. But, it turns out that he is really Peter Pan and he has lost his vision of childhood. And in this clip we find him battling his old Nemesis Captain Hook and he makes a comment about his past.

VIDEO: HOOK SWORD FIGHT.

Somewhere along the line Peter Pan allowed the Pirate Hook to steal his dreams and joy. Now he was battling back for what really mattered. It seems that at some point in life, the Pirate seemed larger than his dreams and he ran from his dreams to the safety of mediocrity.

All of us at some point dreamed of taking on the world. But then life and cynicism gets a hold of you and you give up your dreams and settle for an upset stomach. God does not want you to sell out to your fears. Don’t run from the Pirate…

DON’T SELL OUT TO YOUR FEARS.

Proverbs has a powerful verse that speaks to our desire for those dreams.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but when dreams come true, there is life and joy. NLT

When we have swallowed our hope, it becomes a simple process of settling for second best. I have seen studies. A person settles in to the rat race. A teacher no longer feels she is accomplishing much. A father doesn’t see much purpose in caring for the family. That is when we begin to live a shell of a life. But, God says,

DON’T SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST.

Most people feel crushed because they sold out to the Distractions of life!

Materialism, pleasure, seeking the next job increase, etc…

Learn God’s Dream for your life.

See God had you in mind when He made you. You may not be living for His purpose, but you will only be satisfied when you rest in Him. He did not make you to live someone else’s life. He made you to live in Him. The reasons you have hopes and dreams is that God made you a certain way that is unique to you. Certainly you can corrupt His purpose by running from the Pirate. You can settle for second best purpose and be satisfied for a time, but only in His purpose will you really feel satisfied.

How can you do that, well:

DISCOVER GOD’S DESIRE FOR YOUR LIFE. ()

Spiritual Gifts ()

Hearts desire ()

Abilities ()

Personality

Experiences

Don’t ever believe that you are finished because you made a mistake or things did not go the way you thought they should have.

GOD CAN USE DISAPPOINTMENT TO DEVELOP CHARACTER.

In the Movie Invincible we have the story of the 30 year Vince Papalli who was given the opportunity to try or for the Philadelphia Eagles. But along the way, criticism, fear and doubt crept into his mind. He was ready to give up his dream and sell out to the second best.

VIDEO: INVINCIBLE

You don’t have to be a PRISONER of your past.

His ex-wife had written that letter to him. You’ll never succeed etc… And he could have let that letter define his life. And up until that point he did. But through the process he realized:

Maybe you had a deacon attack you. Maybe you blew it at a church. Maybe you had a divorce in your life. Or a kid walked away from the Lord. I can’t do it. Maybe you have been beat up so much you are just happy to make it to the pulpit in time. Maybe your budget crashed. Maybe you lost a big tither. Perhaps a scandal hit your ministry that you had or have no control over. Listen the Devil wants to strike the shepherd of the church where it counts…

Your past does not DETERMINE you, your DECISIONS do.

Take that piece of paper the Devil or you wrote that said, “You can’t reach this city or this State for Christ. And rip it up. Call a new play and hit the Devil hard!”

Go back to that compelling PURPOSE God made you for and gave to you.

Listen be honest. How many of you thought, when you were called, “Oh, I want to touch the world like Billy Graham. Listen, Just because you are not going to pack the RCA Dome for a weekend does not mean that you are not impacting the world for Christ. You can touch Christ by knocking on one door. Listen, some pastors had to organize a revival and someone had to invite a scrappy hick kid to a revival before Billy Graham became the Billy Graham we wanted to be. What you do as a pastor is really important! But, you have got to keep that vision.

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. KJV

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy. NLT

Eric Liddel learned that when he followed God’s purpose he ran. He would say that he felt God laugh when he ran. But, he refused to run when it would dishonor God. But Liddel ended running heats he did not train for and ended winning gold… And he still ended up going onto the mission field. I preached this message in our 8 am service and a man came up to me after I shared that he went to the mission field. That man told me of being under the preaching ministry of a committed shepherd of our Lord who shared how he came to faith in Christ in a Chinese prison camp. Eric Liddel was in that camp and he kept his purpose there leading worship and leading people to Christ. It was there that preacher gave his life to Christ and Eric Liddel lost his.

Eric never lost his vision for God.

So you must:

HOLD ONTO THE DREAM GOD GIVES YOU. ()

VIDEO: HOOK ENDING

Tootles was not crazy, he had just lost his vision. His marbles were his dreams. In this busy world, don’t lose your marbles.