FEB 5 2023 | Genesis: Behind the Curtain S3E2 | Behind the Curtain – Season 4

Sea Change Church · Genesis: Behind the Curtain S4E2 · "Behind the Curtain - Season 4" · February 5, 2023
Automated transcript. Not reviewed for accuracy.

Hello, my name is Nick. This is my wonderful life Liz. We are a part of the marriage Ministry group. It's an amazing group led by the Netherlands. There's information The Next Step table come to sign up for the marriage getaway figure out the child care later. He gave me the microphone. You shouldn't have done that but come to the marriage group, whether you're starting you're thriving surviving whatever you're doing when your marriage or even if you're starting as a serious committed relationship, it's a great place to learn some tips and tricks. But for over here for today's scripture reading is from Genesis 17 one through eight.

When Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared to him and said I am God Almighty walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my Covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers. Abram fell face down and God said to him as for me. This is my Covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations no longer.

Will you be called Abram your name will be Abraham for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful. I will make nations of you and Kings will come from you. I will establish my Covenant as an Everlasting Covenant between me you and your descendants after you for generations to come to be your God and the god of your descendants after you the whole land of Canaan where you are now an alien, I will give you I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you and I'll be there God the word of the Lord.

So, what's the dream? That's the question? What's the dream if you remember that it was one of the most iconic moments I've ever personally seen on TV. And why was that because we got to see in that moment. Someone's actual dreams become fulfilled and I was so powerful, but I I think it was also so powerful as a song that she was singing from Les Mis.

If you look at that, you know the song that was being sung was speaking about the death of Dreams. It was talked to you know, I had dreams with the dream. My life has killed the dreams. I've dreamed we find Abraham right now in a place in his life where dreams have maybe died. You have Abraham who is now, you know over or he's 99 years old his wife sent her 80s and there was this dream and this foretold story that God had mentioned at some point that they were going to have a child and he was gonna have a nation and all these things were going to happen, but there's been that and let's not forget the drama that's gone with that his wife became impatient. They both laughed at God and in chapter 17, and before we found that they laughed at God when God spoke to them.

Laughing at God in the face saying you know, oh is that really gonna happen Abraham laughed to himself Sarah laughed to herself and they didn't believe God and so Sarah had become impatient, right? Sarah had said my dreams aren't going to happen. So I'm going to take some charge of the dream. And in order for the dream to be fulfilled and have the dream that I dream. She finds her maidservant the daughter as it is believed of the Egyptian pharaoh and was given to Abraham when he was in Egypt as a gift from the pharaoh.

The daughter of Abraham what is so interesting? It is the daughter of Abraham 1500 years, excuse me, the daughter of pharaoh 1500 years later that pulls Moses out of the water and interesting little connection there and she didn't believe she didn't believe in the dream. And so what did she do? She took this daughter a pharaoh and she gave her Hagar to her husband to be his wife not just have a child but to be his wife she brought another character into the storage. She brought on story. She brought another person into the marriage and sometimes how often we bring other people or things or thoughts or dreams into our relationships that this spoil the relationship and we encounts sin within the relationship. This is where they are. The dream is dying.

The dream as we can say is perhaps dead now here's what's interesting about dreams. if you go to the New Testament and you look at the book of Ephesians, one of the things you're going to see Is that God calls us to be dreamcasters not in the way that a sorceress would cast a dream but in a way that would imagine underneath the covering of God the dreams for your life. Now. I've been so impacted by Ecclesiastes. It's actually been a bit of a dream killer for me because I was such a Dream Chaser early in my life that I was a dream striver and all of a sudden those dreams became about me and so I've thrown out the baby with the bath water and in the last few weeks God has encouraged me. It's time to dream again.

It's time to dream for me. It's time to dream for your church. It's time to dream for your family. It's time to stop holding back your dreams because you had a bad experience with your dreams. We'll talk about that and the things that hold back but in Ephesians 3:20 to set the context. Of this passage. I want to encourage and challenge you to dream. Here's Ephesians 3:20 through 21 not to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask.

Then all we imagine according to the power that is at work with him to him be the glory and the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations forever and ever amen. It can also be interpreted to him is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or dream. See, there's some contextual things that are happening here. First of all, this is all about God these dreams are all about God to him who is able to do more to the glory of generations for God our Father. All the dreams are wrapped within a cloth of God's glory and our dreams as we'll see in just a moment as we dive into this passage have to be wrapped in a face down posture before God. And so the thing though is the other part of the context means in order to God for God to do more than you ever asked.

Dreamed or imagined you actually have to ask. dream and imagine You see sometimes we have let the spoilers of our life get in the way of our dreams. Someone's passed away. The dreams are dead. There's been a break in a relationship to dreams are dead. We did never got the job. We didn't get to write our book. No one read our book. No one reads our blog. No one sings our song No One dances our dance the dreams are debt Have you stopped dreaming? What are your dreams and are your dreams just about you?

Because God doesn't really want to part of those he wants the bit where he works with you and he out dreams you where you dream with him. And he says I have more than you've ever dreamed of the dreams are dead for Abraham at this point. And here we find him find him in today's circus sermons Foci, the two focuses of the sermon is one is disqualifying our dreams.

Are you disqualifying your dreams? And number two are you diving into your dreams? That's what we find here in this passage. Go to verse 1. When Abraham was 99 years old the Lord appeared to him and said I am the god almighty walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my Covenant between you and me and I will greatly increase your numbers.

Verse 3 this powerful Abraham fell face down Circle face down. Abraham fell face down the posture of your dreams matters the posture of your dreams matter. You know we run into our dreams, but they need to start face down. In verse 3 is as he fell face down and God said to him as for me. This is my Covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. No longer would be called Abram.

You will be called Abraham Abraham means Father Abraham means father of many nations. And so we see now God said that to his first son Ishmael through Hagar because God had to keep a promise but he left a little margin in the promise because he knew it was going to happen. He said I'll make you a father over a great people. He got one people but when it came time for Abraham finally to fulfill the life that he was called To Live and have his own son through his wife Sarah who he was doubting because the dream was dead. God said I will make you the father of many nations because somebody from every single nation it says in the scripture will come to know Christ we'll end up in heaven and Christ will be the head of all those Nations. This is Messianic go to verse 1 disqualifying your dreams when Abraham was nearly 90 when excuse me when Abraham was 99 years old.

The Lord appeared to him and said I am God Almighty. I love that you believe that. Walk before me and be blameless disqualifying dreams. Abraham could have disqualified his dreams. By discounting his history. Are haltingly heating God's standard now both of those are in that verse 1 read it again in just a second. Abraham could have disqualified his Dreams by discounting his history, which he did God with faithful enough to break through that barrier or haltingly heating God's standard haltingly God's called you to this. I'll go a little bit. I'll back up a little bit two steps forward nine steps back.

Over and over haltingly heedingly and there's the context of this. Let's start with the first one. Let's talk about this idea of discounting your dreams. Let's say that when Abraham was 99 years old. That's a discount right there easy to Discount that you're 99 years old. I had a conversation with the 90 year old this week. Was talking I have a lot of 90 year old friends. I made it a decision to have 90 year old friends. If you don't have any 90 year old friends or 80 year old friends go get some you need some I love that wisdom.

One of my best friends dick cotton died when he was in his 90s. I think everyone he's 90 year old friend just like he needed a Pentecostal friend and I said to the person. What's the dream? I'm 90. I'm happy I'm like, I don't think there are anywhere. I'm too old to the no I said I need I personally you're gonna come to the dream Summit and number two. I need five dreams. I need you to bring me five dreams. As long as you're here on this Earth. God has a dream for you to dream no matter what the history no matter what's gone, even if you're 99 years old he had him and his wife had failed to dream why they disqualified themselves because of their age, If you put your dreams on discount, you're not smart enough.

You're not good looking enough. You're not talented enough. You're not not not and the dream dies because you put it on discount. We went to a thrift store yesterday of my daughter. She went to Buffalo Exchange right where you can buy incredibly expensive old clothes and Some dude walking with a kilt like that. It works there. It killed his hair Chopsticks in his hair. Asian guy look really seriously. Look cool. His hair was all about Chopsticks and a kilt not do East Meets West right Chopsticks in a kilt. You are killing it right now my man.

Please open in the 90s. I remember going there in the 90s and trying to buy something my size. That was tough. We walked in there. Everything's on discount got it's all high-end closed there. Right supposedly. It's all like, you know these different brands, you know, super high-end Brands, but they've been discounted. Been discounted you do that with yourself. Take your dream. You're like man that used to be worth a lot. I was worth a lot to me.

Not anymore. Not anymore. I'm just that's 50% off. That's 20 if you know what it's time for sale anymore. Let's put it in the back. Dreams die and he could have easily done that because he was 99 years old. We know that they laughed at God and Abraham and Genesis 17:7 left at God and Genesis 18:2 his wife laughed at God and what you're gonna find as oftentimes a man will initiate the standard for his marriage.

He'll initiate that standard if you wish initiate a standard often times your partner will follow and I see that more often than not I see more women come to church alone than men come to church alone. Because oftentimes men just don't seem to follow initiate a standard and he began to laugh at God. He discounted his dreams. So why shouldn't we why shouldn't she because there was a dream that is there verse one when Abraham was 99 years old, but see he didn't know what God maybe he did would say later on through the prophet Joel and what he says in Acts 2:17 about people that are too old to live their dreams. You've missed the window. God says in Acts 2:17 in the last days. God says, I will do what I will pour out my spirit on all people your sons and daughters will prophesy your young men will see vision and your old man will.

dream dreams Your old man will dream dreams ladies. You ain't out of that either. Dream. What are you dreaming for? Until you suck your last breath into your lungs dream. If you're in bed dying of cancer at the hospital dream for the nurse that comes in dream dream. Dream over and over and he had forgotten to dream. He had those familial woes and I will say that these dreams of God were priceless.

But they didn't come without a cost. See, that's the second thing. We say we see the discounted dreams here right you discounted them. This never happened or I've had this issue and so we discount our dreams and maybe you've discounted your dreams. And these dreams were Priceless your dreams don't you don't sell your dreams? Don't sell them for a better job a better whatever my wife and I we want a farm.

During covid she became a legit farmer. All right, so during covid she went and decided I want to get an agricultural degree in urban agriculture. So she started going to school in covid. She has one more accounting class and she will literally have a degree in urban agriculture. If you walk by our yard her little kale garden and winter crops are amazing. It's legit people always walk by the yard and I hear him because I can hear them when I when I watch him on my little camera thing.

Why you being so loud? I don't need cell phone voice out. God's amazing. I'm gonna get that I kind of chuckle I'm like, you ain't just gonna get that. You see that soil samples. She does sun rotations and and checking it with a meter put does all the the irrigation. It's watered at the right time. She's pulling out grubs. She's working to make that happen. You see these These are Priceless dreams that it does have a cost. And sometimes we give up the dream we want and so what she wants is a farm and we know where we want our farm. It's a little bit up the coast north side and we kind of gave up on it. We're like, oh the market covid housing market. It was supposed to go down, but it went up because we have a stupid fed. And so sorry, my bad.

not political economic we said let's start looking East. That's right. Come from a Mesa. Right? I'm not amazed. Let's start looking at ease. Let's let's look at Ramon I can commute. What's the commute time. I'm checking out 35 minute 80, you know minute commute times to church giantly even here, right? So we're there and we and pretty soon after thinking about our dreams. We're like we discounted our dreams we know where we want to be.

And we want to live into the dream. We said no more looking no more real estate. I'm not even searching. There's certain cities anymore. If God doesn't want to give it to me, that's fine. But we know where we want to be. We know where we feel like we're called to be and we're going to go there and we said we're going to start we're gonna start living into that dream. We're going to go up to the place. We want to be and we're gonna get the dirt in our hands. My wife actually went and got some dirt and put it in the living room from that area because we want the dream now.

Can you give the dream up? Are you gonna hold on to it? If God doesn't give it to us, that's fine because it's all about him anyways, but are you doing things to move into your dream because dreams are Priceless, but they come with a cost. And so you make this list of your dreams and we're dreamcasting right now and then there's this list and then you just do the first thing on the list. The first thing for us is to like no longer look at other things. The second thing is to go get that dirt and to prayer walk that area. The third thing is to get your Finance whatever it is make a list for your dreams. Don't stop dreaming.

And then start doing the first thing on the list Priceless dreams come with a cost. Verse verse 1 be go to verse 1 B. I am the god almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. Whoa, that's the cost. That's the cost. walk before me And be blameless. It doesn't mean there's no sin in your life because of Jesus he can he can take you know, all the righteousness comes from him, but the cost is and you need to live a certain way.

Because I don't want to partner. I can't to partner into battery. I can't partner in half measures. I can partner if you walk before me and that's the cost and I guess the question is are you willing to pay the cost? Are you willing to pay the cost that it's going to cost you to do it God's way because in Ephesians it says he will give you more than you ever. Hope dreamed or imagine.

See your dreams. Are this big God's gonna go bigger every single time no matter what your dream is. He's going to give you more than you ever. Hope dream to imagine, but you've got to dream and you've got to be willing to pay the cost. I would say most people aren't willing to do the work that their dream fulfillment of their dreams require.

If you remember Jesse Owens, Jesse Owens was a runner. He was an amazing Runner and this picture of him that's going to come up. In the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, he raced in front of Hitler and one and was this incredible athlete and I thought I would bring him up just because the importance it is Black History Month. It doesn't why I did it. He just happened to come to my mind thought it was an interesting fit though. My father actually raced against Jesse Owens in the Olympic qualifiers for that and lost thankfully for the country and historicity. Like I said before it was better to have Jesse Owens race in front of Hitler than air stat Miller. So, I mean it was better.

The different narrative, right? Which which is good. Jesse Owens fought for his dreams fought for his dreams he raced with with a muscle pull and the in the Big Ten qualifier to get to the Olympics trials. He had to fight and race to that. He took a hot bath before he ran he ran under 10 in the in the 100 meter dash, which is incredible. I mean, that's like you saying bold, you know, like under 10 was so fast, especially in 1930s. This is what he said about his dreams.

Black man from a part of the country. It wasn't known to have success. It would be on the world stage. He just wanted to run who knows what His Highest dream was. He maybe he just wanted to run and make a team. It was in the 1930s. Little did we know he'd be speaking about him today and he would be at the Pinnacle. racing and being in front of what would end up being one of the biggest world crisis of all time with a glimmer of hope that the narrative that you speak here in this place in Germany at the time is not true and I will speak it with the gifts that God has given me he said this We all have dreams.

But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination dedication self-discipline and effort. We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come true into reality. It takes an awful lot of determination dedication self-discipline and effort Jesse Owens. I tell you the Fulfillment of your dreams are rarely miracles.

You say that again the Fulfillment of your dreams are rarely miracles. Why in Christian culture does it always have to be a miracle to fulfill the dream? I'm not going to do anything. I'm just going to sit here and wait and God's got to come and do a miracle. It wasn't a miracle that Jesse Owens won. He did the work. He did werk he did the work that it took your marriage isn't going to be saved because of a miracle. Maybe God will have some miracle instances along the way it's gonna be saved because you do the work.

My kid went 75% from the free throw line this week. That was amazing big points. It was important right? I want we want 80 we want 80, you know, why? Almost every day after practice. We leave the gym because the kids aren't allowed to stay in the gym and shoot don't know why have a grudge and we walk. Or drive to the rec center wind rain or snow and there has been snow at that Rec Center. Trust me. I've seen it.

We shoot 50 to 100 free throws every single day. Almost three to five days a week. And she gets here and she's comfortable at the free throw and she loves it. They were there and there's this freshman team. They're going you gonna they're dancing and whatever she gets the ball. She's comfortable because I'm always talking to her when she's shooting her free throws. I'm like, you ain't gonna make this and I just try to just mess with her, you know, she's so why she comfortable Is it a miracle that she made her free throws? No, it wasn't Miracle last year.

Wasn't this year? Why? She did the work. If you want your dreams do the work walk blamelessly before God he's not going to out. Hope dream or imagine your dreams and just want to just be Miracle casting. Hey, they don't got to do nothing. I'm just gonna cast your dream Here Comes Here Comes again more and more. God wants to move in your dreams. And so he says to Abraham.

Abraham's dreams started we see in verse bees as I am your God walk before me. I will confirm my Covenant between you and it says Abraham fell face down in verse 3 Abraham fell face down and God said to him as for me. This is my Covenant with you and he gave him an expanded his dreams. This is what he says. If you go on in the rest of this passage, you will be the father of many nations.

I will make you very fruitful. Kings will come from you. I will establish a generational Covenant with you and your descendants. I will give you the land of Canaan and you will no longer be an alien. I will give you an everlasting possession that would end up being Jesus and I will be there God. That's bigger Abraham. Just had some some heard.

He just wanted to have his wife and as it has made servant and his family get along probably and live in a Hurd. But God said to him in this verse I'm gonna expand this and I'm gonna give you more than you ever. Hope dreamed or imagine. See God is so good in these things and we see this and let me just say this dream started in a certain way. The posture was this face down.

You see how this before God says any of that. It says verse 3 Abraham fell. What face down? Matt Redman had a song. I fall Face Down In Your Glory then shines all around and I want to promise you this that if your dreams don't begin face down, they're gonna go Belly Up. If your dreams don't begin face down, they will go belly up and he starts here with face down with his dream take your dreams give them to God like in Revelation the elders take their crowns. They throw them before the feet of Jesus they fall on their face and they say holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty and they say it over and over then they put their crowns back on and then they throw them they cast them at his feet again and they lay down face down before God. That's your dreams.

Do not let the dream become the idol. Let Jesus Let Jesus be the only thing that you worship you throw those dreams down and God will take those dreams. He will expand those dreams. He will stretch those dreams. What's the dream? Do you have to have you stop dreaming? You got a disability. You got something you've stopped dreaming.

my favorite songs I listen when I ski it's on my playlist get the top of the hill and I turn this on. Aerosmith says every time I look in the mirror all these lines on my face are getting clear. The past is gone. It went by like Dust to Dawn isn't that the way everyone's got the do's and Life to pay half. My life now is in the book written Pages live and learn from Fools and sages. You know, it's true. All these feelings come back to you now sing with me.

Sing for the years sing for the laughter Now sing for the tears sing with me just for today. Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away. Dream On Dream until your dreams come true Dream On Dream On Dream until your dreams come true