SERMON 23 July 2023 Someone who dreams of tomorrow

Feeding on our dreams and doing our best for our dreams are essential elements of a healthy life. Perhaps we lead better lives when our dreams are worthy. If we have negative dreams, our lives will go in the wrong direction. Dreams can determine how we should live. If you have a dream, you can overcome any hardship.

Who is the first person that comes to mind when you hear the word “dream”? It is “Joseph”. When Joseph was 17, he had a dream God had given him. In the dream, he dreamt that eleven sheaves of grain in the field were bowing down to him. A few days later, he had another dream; this time, eleven stars were bowing down to him, along with the sun and the moon.

At 17, Joseph was young and immature and no doubt as thoughtless as the rest of us in our youth. Joseph was so excited by the dream he had that even though it was a strange dream, he decided to tell his father and his brothers about it. While Joseph was excited about the dream, his father and brothers found it to be quite disturbing.

The eleven-grain sheaves and eleven stars obviously represent eleven brothers, while the sun and the moon represent their parents. Hearing the news did not put Joseph’s father and his brothers in a good mood. Joseph’s father was angry, his brothers were also angry, and Joseph was eventually sold into slavery in Egypt. From this point, Joseph’s turbulent wilderness life begins.

However, as the Bible tells us, Joseph lived his whole life dreaming the dreams that God had given him. Joseph did his best to ensure these dreams came true, no matter how costly and difficult it was. As his life continued, Joseph made those dreams a reality. He was responsible for ensuring both his family and all the people of Egypt, the centre of the world at the time, were saved from starvation. We know that Joseph lived a blessed life through the dream God gave him.

We don’t see Joseph complaining or crying foul in his story. From the looks of it, we can imagine Joseph was not lazy. He was an active, positive and creative person. He fulfilled his duties; he always worked hard and diligently while enslaved and in prison. He was always in charge, and as a result, he became Egypt’s second-in-command. His capabilities influenced the people around him and he was able to save a whole nation. He was also able to bring his family to Egypt where they became established as the people of Israel. The dream that a young boy dreamt finally came true. His dreams were the driving force behind his life.

The fact that God has given us a dream means He has great expectations for our lives. There is a significant difference between those who have a vision and those who don’t. A dream that makes our hearts race! A dream that provides a reason and purpose for living! A dream that we can never give up! A dream that keeps being expressed through our words! Even when we go through difficulties, we are compelled to continue talking about the dream God has planted in us to everyone we meet.

We see another dream depicted in the words of Isaiah. The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled through Jesus. A kingdom where the poor hear the good news, where the sick and broken are healed, where the prisoners are released, and the oppressed are set free. A world where the wounded and afflicted are comforted. God dreams that the kingdom will be completed and the glorious world that God Himself will rule will unfold before us. This dream was shown to us by Jesus and planted in us by the Holy Spirit. This dream is what you and I should all dream of.

Dreams are contagious. I wish that we might become people who pass on dreams to others. I hope that God gives you a dream that makes your heart race. And I pray that you live with this dream forever. Just as God gave Joseph a dream and fulfilled it through his life, I pray that God gives everyone here a dream to look forward to and fulfil in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.