Pursuing The Right Dream February 2021
Welcome to the Strategic Resource Training monthly message for February 2021. In this message Bruce talks to us about the importance of pursuing the “right” dream, pursuing the dreams God has for us. The vision God has should be the same vision we have for our lives and Bruce takes us through some insightful scriptures on this topic. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at admin@strategicresourcetraining.com
Please find below the talking notes for this message.
Pursuing The Right Dream
Introduction
At the end of last year, I spoke about the demise of Western Christianity. Looking at Isa 5, I shared how our Western society was established on a Biblical basis since the Reformation and received the blessing of God as a result.
But sadly, as we have progressively departed from this, so has the blessing of God progressively departed from us. Unless change is made, this will continue.
The goal driving much of this is to possess “the great Western dream.” But sadly, as a preacher said nearly 30 years ago (Tom Sine) – it is the wrong dream. It is certainly not God’s dream for us.
End Times Rubbish
Part of the reason this has penetrated all aspects of Christianity – is our acceptance of a shocking and heretical end times message. We have presented the book of Revelation as a silly sci-fi book – applying stupid meanings to its metaphors about beasts and dragons; harlots, marks and seals – all which are common symbols throughout scripture, and are given clear meanings and interpretations in the Old Testament, for those who have ever bothered to research them.
This has been tragic. Not only is it unscriptural and defies Biblical teaching – but it has allowed us to carry on living life for ourselves, grossly squandering the world’s resources, all the while quoting chapter and verse while we were doing it.
It has impressed a lot of people – but God is not the least bit impressed as it has drawn countless numbers of believers away from the mission He gave us.
The Right Dream
Okay – we have focussed enough on the negative now – let’s kick 2021 off on a positive note by looking at what we have been given – that which is of incomparable wealth.
If we are to truly be God’s people, we have to be about bringing the life of the age to into the here and now. This is God’s dream so we also should make it ours.
Acts 1:6-8 “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Here Jesus makes the point that we cannot live with a timetable mentality – timing is not the issue – Jesus told the disciples that the timetable was not their concern – getting out and influencing Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria – most of the known world at that time – that was their business. The same still applies to today.
The Way Forward
So, what we are going to do this session is go back and read some of the vision that Isaiah presented us with, that was much quoted by Jesus at the beginning of His ministry.
My intention in doing this, is to create a beautiful birds eye view of God’s purposes for both the present and the future. Just try and grasp the big picture here – I will break it down into smaller pieces over the next few months.
Isaiah 65:17-19 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.”
Here is the setting we should be drawing from – a new heaven and new earth. Now watch it focus down to a new mountain and new city which is where the people migrate to this vision. Watch for His purposes as we read on.
Isaiah 25:6-9 “The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
So here we come to a mountain and go into an incredible banquet feast – which is the celebration of the kingdom of God.
Isaiah 2:2-4 “Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. – Note – it has landed on earth now. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His way, and that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.”
Note what happens to military hardware here. No nuclear holocaust to destroy the world – totally unbiblical. God never gave humans that power and never will.
Isaiah 58:5-7 “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Note God’s heart for the poor and underprivileged here. Now watch for God’s purposes here regarding creation, and His concern for those who are blind, lame, weak etc.
Isaiah 35:1-10 “The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it will blossom profusely and rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the Arabah.”
Now here comes the restoration of the planet.
“The scorched land will become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, its resting place, grass becomes reeds and rushes. A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Hallelujah!
Remember our focus is on the Purposes of God in these passages?”
Amongst them we have seen
- Food for the hungry
- Justice for the poor
- Peace – not just the absence of violence but the presence of a harmony where we are united to God and one another – the Hebrew word is “Shalom.”
- Returning and restoration – the completion of God’s creation by His people.
- Healing – the blind see and the deaf hear.
- A major celebration.
Isaiah 35 is the alternative to the dream we have wrongly bought into. This is what we should long for and dream about and work hard to implement as much of it as we can in this life. This is our great pursuit as God’s people.
It Starts with a Desert
Take note that this word starts with a desert in which there is not a single blade of living grass. Now, way out into the horizon we see some small dots – as they get closer we see they are people from every tongue, tribe and nation. Suddenly a mountain arises that transcends every other mountain.
This is the Kingdom that Jesus established at His first coming.
And as the people start up that mountain something remarkable happens (Isaiah 2:2-4). The blind see, the deaf hear, the lame run. At the top of the mountain, there is a homecoming – a banquet like we have never seen or experienced before. Those invited are the hungry, the dispossessed – all those who have been redeemed.
So what should we be doing about this?
Well if God’s purposes are for feeding the poor, bringing an end to war, the restoration of creation etc. etc. it means that these purposes must become our purposes for today. We have to work towards the same goal. Not convinced?
Well – let’s go to the N.T. and look at a couple of things then I want to wrap this up.
Luke 4:17-21 “And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVOURABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus chose to read from Isaiah 61 here.
What it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah of God was to commit His life to working for the purposes of God. Nothing more complicated than that. And here He is right at the beginning of the mountain. He expected us to begin our work right there.
When Isaiah prophesied about restoration he saw this as the starting point. The new heaven and earth began with Jesus ministry. Sure – it will be completed after His 2nd coming but it began 2,000 years ago. Our calling in God is to continue this work.
If we read on for a few chapters Luke 7 tells us John the Baptist wasn’t sure – so he sends two of his disciples to find out if Jesus is the Messiah. Now, what evidence does Jesus give – Isaiah 61 again – the blind see, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the lepers are healed, the poor have the good news preached to them and blessed is he who is not offended by Me.
If we go into the book of Acts we see that the first church followed exactly the same pattern.
Brothers and sisters, whatever age we are, we have to into a new dream. A dream where our aspirations are not getting ahead in our careers, not getting more material possessions or money in the bank – rather our central aspiration must be “how can I work with the God that I love and be a part of what He is doing to make the world new.” (Repeat).
A dream that is not about death and destruction, but one where God’s people bring His life back to this, His planet.
God is calling us to take every aspect of our life – how we house ourselves, how we use our time, how we use our resources, how we celebrate etc. and develop new ways to show people what the kingdom of God looks like. God is looking for a whole new realm of creativity. This is meant to be our dream, which we must be about if we want to achieve His purposes for our lives. We have to smash our way out of our current Western world trap and get out there and begin to climb the mountain.
Although everyone is called to this, most won’t make the sacrifice – including leaders and those in positions of influence – they are too conditioned to the wrong dream.
So, we are back to our founding Scripture – Isaiah 58:12 – it is only going to be those from amongst us – those who have embraced the call to a whole of life” discipleship.
If that is you let us go out together and do this.
God bless you.