1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,440 This week we're talking about. Dreams and. 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:05,640 Dreams I. Not everyone. 3 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,520 Everyone has. Dreams in the sense that when we 4 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:11,920 sleep at night, our brain plays. Movies that we didn't. 5 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:13,960 Ask it to play. And sometimes. 6 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:15,520 We can remember those movies and. 7 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:17,920 Sometimes we can't. Sometimes they're fun and. 8 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:19,320 Sometimes they're not fun at all. 9 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:21,840 Everyone has those. Kind of dreams. 10 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,800 If we didn't have those kind of dreams, my. 11 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,520 Understanding is is we'd all. Go mad and that wouldn't be a 12 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,640 good thing either. But not everyone has the kind of 13 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:35,920 dreams that Joseph had. Dreams that were were inspired 14 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,080 and given by. God. 15 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,280 Dreams that were an image and picture of what? 16 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,560 God was planning to do in the future. 17 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:44,760 Some folks get those kind of dreams. 18 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,520 Some folks. Get that vision and inspiration. 19 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,520 From God and maybe. It it comes while they're 20 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,000 sleeping, or maybe it's an idea or an inspiration that comes to 21 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,080 them. While they're awake and and. 22 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,080 Thinking and working or playing or or dancing or singing or 23 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,640 whatever. And, and some folks get that, 24 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,600 Not everyone. Does but but some. 25 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,040 People do, and we're going. To talk today about dreams. 26 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,800 And and and and reality, particularly when God. 27 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,320 Inspires us with a dream, a vision of the. 28 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:15,800 Future and and what? Does that look like, 29 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,440 particularly when we're living in these systems that are 30 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:19,480 stacked? Against us. 31 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,440 Joseph was certainly living in a system stacked against him. 32 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,160 He was. He had ten older brothers. 33 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,120 And and. Birth order. 34 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,720 Was everything in. Joseph's day, he was he had, 35 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,840 he's going to have to, it was going to be had to be 10 deaths 36 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,880 before he was going to inherit anything significant from his 37 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,120 dad. On the other hand, he was his 38 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,440 dad's favorite. Son and and his. 39 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:47,040 Dad did Joseph the disservice of making sure that all of his 40 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,200 older brothers knew that he was his dad's favorite. 41 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,560 Son, you've probably. Heard the story of Joseph and 42 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:53,960 the. Coat of many colors. 43 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,840 We're just. You know, a little myth busting 44 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,120 here this morning and and. Hope I don't burst anyone's 45 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,880 bubble too much. It probably wasn't really a coat 46 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,760 of many colors. Much less dramatically, it was a 47 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,200 probably a better translation as a coat with long sleeves. 48 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,760 Which which? You might think, wow, that's 49 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,520 kind of boring. Not exactly. 50 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:22,000 For us, maybe, but but a long sleeve coat was not a work coat. 51 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,560 A long sleeve coat was a luxury coat. 52 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,600 A long sleeve coat. Was a dress coat a long sleeve 53 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,080 coat was something you wore if you were important, rather than 54 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,200 something you wore if you were a servant and the youngest brother 55 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,520 got the long sleeve coat while all of his older brothers were 56 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,120 out doing the hard work of. Tending the family's flocks. 57 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:47,200 So it was definitely a sign of favoritism, that gift of Joseph 58 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:52,080 of here's a long sleeve coat for you, just maybe not as visually 59 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:53,400 appealing as we. Would like. 60 00:02:55,040 --> 00:03:00,000 Joseph had these dreams and and in the first dream, and you 61 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,920 know, Britt just read it, he his brothers sheaves, which 62 00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:06,640 symbolize his brother they. Bow down to him and then in the. 63 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,680 Second dream Not only do his brothers bow down to him, but 64 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:11,880 his mother and father bow down to him as. 65 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,120 Well, now. We're going to talk in a minute 66 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,440 about the wisdom of telling his brothers about these dreams. 67 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,760 But he did. He announced to the whole 68 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:26,080 family, hey, I had these dreams. I had these dreams where you all 69 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,640 bowed down and I was ruling over you. 70 00:03:29,640 --> 00:03:33,200 How about that Bros? And and. 71 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:39,120 The brother's response? We didn't get all of it. 72 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,560 We got. This in that reading that his 73 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,920 brothers hated him all the more but. 74 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,440 The brothers response was this, the next time they were out in 75 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,680 the fields and Joseph was sent out to them and we remember as 76 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,280 well the last time Joseph was out in the fields with his 77 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,080 brothers he went back and tattle on his. 78 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:56,720 Brothers and told. Their dad, they. 79 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,520 Weren't doing a good job, he just. 80 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,640 Had all sorts of, you know. PR problems going here. 81 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,040 Human relation problems. But Joseph goes out to see his 82 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,800 brothers again, and after the. Tattling and after. 83 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,040 The dreams the brothers decide to teach him a lesson, so they 84 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:18,040 do what any good brothers would do they beat the snot out of 85 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,240 him, threw him in an empty. Cistern. 86 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:26,640 And planned to kill him but decided hey why don't we make 87 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,360 some money from him instead so they sold. 88 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,280 Him to a group. Of people traveling through 89 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:35,480 Canaan on their way to Egypt. They sold their brother into 90 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:40,280 slavery. They got his. 91 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,200 Cloak dipped it in sheep's blood. 92 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,040 And told their dad he'd been eaten by a lion. 93 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,600 That was their response, to which I can only respond with 94 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,560 the immortal words of Ron Burgundy. 95 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:02,080 Boy, that escalated quickly. It hadn't really got out of hand 96 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,160 fast And jumped over now it did, didn't it? 97 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:12,600 Yeah, that that that Escalade. That was a perhaps a bit of an. 98 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,600 Overreaction to a bratty, arrogant, snotty younger 99 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:17,960 brother. Perhaps a bit? 100 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,680 Of an overreaction. But that's what. 101 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,200 Happens sometimes when. We have dreams. 102 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,920 There was a great general I I. Had in my head I. 103 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:30,680 Can't now I can't remember whether he's he was either. 104 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,080 Prussian or Austrian? I think it was Austrian Tolmuth. 105 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,680 Van Mulka the Elder You know you're important when you. 106 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:42,280 Got a name like that and he he. He was a very, very, very 107 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:44,960 successful general out of Eastern Europe. 108 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,600 In in the the. Middle Ages and his his. 109 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,960 Most famous line. That we know from him was this. 110 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:56,560 No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first 111 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,040 encounter with the enemy's main forces. 112 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,920 Because that's also a mouthful. That quote usually gets 113 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,840 shortened and paraphrased to. No plan survives contact with 114 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:10,240 the enemy, No. Dream. 115 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,800 Survives contact with the enemy. Whatever plans Joseph might have 116 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,160 been developing out of this dream, whatever he'd been 117 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,000 thinking about what the future would hold. 118 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,640 For him. He was not prepared for what was 119 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,520 going to happen when he told his brothers whom he had made. 120 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:29,040 His enemies. About his dreams, Mike Tyson put 121 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,160 it even more succinctly and more colorfully when he was going to 122 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,600 be fighting Lennox Lewis way back in the early 2000s. 123 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:37,480 And he was being interviewed about that. 124 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,080 And the interviewer was like, hey, you know, when Linux Lewis 125 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,200 told us he's got a plan on how to face you. 126 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,960 And Mike Tyson's pithy response was everyone has a plan until 127 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:52,400 they get hit. And Tyson hit Lennox. 128 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,680 Lewis and Lewis's plan. Went out the window. 129 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,760 Joseph got hit. He got hit hard. 130 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:03,560 And whatever plans. And whatever dreams he had went 131 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,200 out the window far. From ruling over his brothers. 132 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:09,760 He was now going into. Slavery in a foreign. 133 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,320 Land with no. Hope of ever. 134 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,480 Seeing his family again. Couple of things I want to talk 135 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:18,000 about. In this business of. 136 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,240 When our dreams. Hit reality. 137 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:21,960 One of them might. Be the most. 138 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,280 Obvious one. Out of this whole narrative, 139 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,160 which is be cautious who you share your dreams. 140 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:29,720 With right? Not everyone's going. 141 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,240 To get it. And and and. 142 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,000 I got I. Got a hunch we got more than one 143 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,800 dreamer in the room. This morning here and. 144 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,160 What's important when we have a dream is. 145 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,440 Generally not a. Great idea to broadcast. 146 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,720 It because not everyone gets it. Not everyone. 147 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,000 'S going to sympathize with it. Not everyone's going to be on 148 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,800 board with it. Some folks will use it as a tool 149 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,480 to beat you up, to tell you how ridiculous you are, to tell you 150 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,280 how foolish you are, to tell you how crazy you are. 151 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,640 You need to let go of those crazy dreams, get back down to 152 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,560 earth. And and and get on get. 153 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:06,800 On with the business of daily life. 154 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,240 This is a struggle that I've had as I've been a. 155 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,000 Pastor and and. Particularly working with kids. 156 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,480 For the past. You know, 30 plus years is that. 157 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:18,040 Kids tend to be. Dreamers. 158 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,280 Teenagers especially. And they haven't they. 159 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,040 They they haven't. All been hit by life. 160 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:25,960 Some teens have. But but most. 161 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:27,880 Teens haven't. Really been hit by life yet? 162 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,720 To know how hard dreams can be, how hard it can be for dreams to 163 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,320 come true, and and. There's a risk. 164 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,120 When talking with young people, when they. 165 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,760 Share their dreams. I'm going to play in the NBA. 166 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,320 I'm going to play in the NFL. I'm going to be a, a, a singing 167 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,320 star. I'm going to be an actor or so 168 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:46,880 on Broadway. Or in the movies. 169 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,560 All of these things, it's easy. To trash other. 170 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:55,600 People's dreams, but. Stories like this of Joseph who 171 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:57,960 who? No one around him, not even his. 172 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,960 Doting father thought this dream of everyone in the family. 173 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:03,680 Bowing down to him was. Going to be. 174 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:07,280 Real, they all thought he was out of line. 175 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:08,720 They all. Thought he was crazy. 176 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:10,320 They all thought it was a ridiculous. 177 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:16,120 Dream and they were all wrong, every single one of them, but 178 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:21,080 they didn't know that and. Joseph, as he was going off to 179 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:26,360 slavery in Egypt, didn't. Know that either, but he made 180 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:27,600 the. Mistake of of. 181 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,160 Sharing his dreams. With people who. 182 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:32,720 Would not be sympathetic. With people. 183 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,800 Who would not be encouraging with people who would not be? 184 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,120 Supportive if God has. Given you a dream, God has given 185 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,080 you a. Vision of the future you you're 186 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:42,640 going to you're going to they're. 187 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:46,040 Going to be times. For sure, when you have to share 188 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,920 that dream with people who will think it is absolutely 189 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,880 ridiculous. Elon Musk understands this. 190 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:53,000 Now I'm. Not going to stand up. 191 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:54,880 Here and tell. You that Elon Musk's dreams are 192 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,680 God-given dreams, but Elon Musk has had some wild dreams. 193 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,520 You know, we started. PayPal made a whole bunch of 194 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,120 money enough. Money, that a whole lot of 195 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:06,800 people with that kind. Of money would have just said, 196 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,600 hey, you know, I can retire and take it easy for the rest of my 197 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,480 life, but Elon Musk. Decided to take his. 198 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:16,840 Vast fortune and build. Rocket ships. 199 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,360 And everyone around, Musk told him. 200 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,360 That was a stupid. Dream and it's. 201 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,600 A dream for Musk, it's a dream he He really believes we need to 202 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,640 become an interplanetary species. 203 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:31,720 If. Humanity is going to survive. 204 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,720 And he wants to. Have a colony on Mars and and 205 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,440 maybe beyond that somewhere someday. 206 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:40,000 And that's his. Dream and everyone told him he 207 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,240 was. Nuts, they said. 208 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,600 You can't make. You're going to lose everything. 209 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,560 They told him. But he had this vision. 210 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:52,360 He had this. Dream And now he's what? 211 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,880 The richest man in the world on his way to becoming the first 212 00:10:54,880 --> 00:11:00,600 trillionaire in history and. SpaceX launches more rockets 213 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:02,920 into space every year. Than. 214 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,600 Everyone else in the. World Combined. 215 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:07,920 Governments and private agencies. 216 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:13,680 Combined Musk when he started sharing that dream, he had to 217 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:15,640 deal with the. Reality that most folks weren't 218 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,000 going to. Accept it, but you also need to 219 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,920 find people that will buy into your dream that will be. 220 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,560 Captivated by the. Dream that when you share it, 221 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:26,960 they don't say hey, you're nuts. You say hey, how can I? 222 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,640 How can I help? Where they could say at least 223 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,880 say. Wow that sounds amazing. 224 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,520 I hope everything goes great. It's going to be. 225 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:35,640 Tough. It's going to take a lot of 226 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:37,200 work. But keep at it. 227 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,520 Be cautious about who. You share your dreams with. 228 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:43,680 The other thing to be cautious with when? 229 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:46,040 We get a dream from God. Is to remember that. 230 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:50,480 Receiving a vision, calling a dream from God does not make you 231 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:53,960 better than other people. I think that was part of Joseph. 232 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:58,160 'S problem here. You get the sense that with his 233 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,880 dad's favoritism. Combined with his dream. 234 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,400 That he had that Joseph maybe thought I really do deserve. 235 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,720 To rule over my family, I. Deserve to be in charge. 236 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:11,200 I'm better than these guys, you know, if it's the, the 237 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,760 tattletaling is really the. Key there that that notion of 238 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:17,560 I'm I'm going to go. Back to my dad. 239 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:20,200 And rat out my brothers because I think they're not doing their 240 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,920 job very well. I'm going to give him a bad 241 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,560 report to Dad. He's the youngest. 242 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:27,840 He knows less. About what they were. 243 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,640 Doing than anybody. There, but he was sure that he. 244 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:33,480 Knew more? And was going to tell him. 245 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:40,760 That's not what a vision or a dream from God means, Saint 246 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:42,680 Teresa. Of Avila, who had. 247 00:12:42,680 --> 00:12:46,520 Visions and had dreams. Used to say this. 248 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:51,120 She said that that God usually communicates with people that 249 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,680 way because they're they're too weak and have too little faith. 250 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:58,520 To hear anything else, she said. Having the dreams. 251 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:00,320 And the vision, she said. Is not a sign. 252 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,920 Of being closer to God or stronger in your faith. 253 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,840 It's the sign of being. Weaker in your faith and God 254 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,760 says the only way they're going to get it is if I make it. 255 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:11,160 Really, really like stupid. Blame to them? 256 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,800 I don't know whether that's true, can't verify that. 257 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:19,960 Teresa. Taught that, I think. 258 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:21,600 Partly for two reasons. One. 259 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,920 To help keep herself humble so she wasn't drawn into the 260 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,360 temptation of thinking somehow she was better than other 261 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,720 people. And also to make it clear to 262 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,160 folks. That don't get those kind of 263 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:33,640 dreams. This is not because there's 264 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,920 something wrong with you, God. Gives dreams. 265 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,040 For a reason, God gives dreams for a purpose and that. 266 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,800 Reason or purpose is. Not to elevate. 267 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,840 The ego of the person who has the dream or the vision. 268 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,360 Is not. We tend to take those dreams 269 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:53,280 human beings, because we're human beings. 270 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,440 We're broken by sin. We're we're. 271 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,320 Falling we got. Issues we got. 272 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,000 All we got all. Sorts of issues and we get these 273 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:01,520 dreams and we. Get these visions and. 274 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,280 See this lot in the. World around us that. 275 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,920 People really do think that that's that's all about. 276 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,120 Them that they're at the center of it. 277 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:14,520 That they're the bigwig and the big. 278 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,960 Deal and I've got this grand vision and I'm just going to 279 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:18,360 going to. Force the world. 280 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,000 Into the mold that I think it ought to fit into and you can go 281 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:22,680 back and look. At, at at. 282 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:24,760 Great visionaries of the past who had that. 283 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:28,840 Thomas Edison was 1. Thomas Edison, smart guy. 284 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,520 Had a lot of great ideas, did a lot of awful things to his 285 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:36,160 competitors. Because for Thomas Edison, it 286 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,600 was all about Thomas Edison. What can I do? 287 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,840 How great can I be? What can I achieve? 288 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,680 What can I become? He did a lot of great. 289 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:46,880 Things massive. Ego. 290 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:54,080 Massive ego dreams can do that. If we, if we do like Joseph, 291 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,480 seem to be doing. And take that dream and and 292 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,080 mistakenly assume that we're the main character in the dream. 293 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,320 That the story is about. Us that the plan? 294 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,040 Is about us, but. It's not. 295 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,240 It's not it's God's story. It's God's. 296 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,160 Plan. He's just letting us know. 297 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:14,440 That we've got a. Part to play in it. 298 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:18,080 And and gives us a hint and a glimpse. 299 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:20,000 Of what that part is going to be. 300 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:22,920 And a God-given dream is not a. Promise of an easy. 301 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,560 Road This is the other thing that come a lot of times when 302 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,920 folks have dreams and have visions and ideas and it's like. 303 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,200 Well this is great I feel like. God has promised this and then 304 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,800 and then again. No plan survives contact with 305 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:38,360 the enemy and everyone's got a plan until they get hit. 306 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,160 And having a dream, a vision from God is not a promise of an 307 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:46,200 easy Rd. These. 308 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,720 Dreams that Joseph. Had were from God. 309 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,680 They were predicting the future. They were showing Joseph what 310 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:59,480 his future held, but the path to that future LED through getting 311 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,240 beaten up by his brothers, sold by his family into. 312 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,920 Slavery. Used as a slave. 313 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,800 Betrayed as a slave. When his employer's. 314 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,440 Wife lied about him and said he made sexual advances to her. 315 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,520 When she's the one that made advances to him. 316 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,840 And so he went from the unenviable position of being a 317 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,120 slave to be. Yeah, to. 318 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,440 Even more unenviable position of being a. 319 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:29,480 Prisoner and he was thrown in jail where he was forgotten. 320 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,760 For years. And years and years. 321 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:40,560 That was the road that Joseph. Traveled, betrayal by family, 322 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:46,080 taken to a foreign land where he didn't know the language and was 323 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:49,120 different from the culture where he lived as a slave and then as 324 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:53,920 a prisoner before the dream finally became a reality. 325 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,320 That dream from God is not a promise of an easy road, and 326 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,800 often it's the thing that maybe. We can. 327 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:03,840 We can. Hold onto and God. 328 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,200 Gives us that dream so. That so that when things get. 329 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,760 Bad as they do, that we can keep. 330 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,240 Going. Even through the difficult times 331 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,079 and even through the dark times, we don't know that those dreams, 332 00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:15,880 that these dreams did that for Joseph. 333 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,000 There's no point in Joseph's story where the bad. 334 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,319 Things are happening. Where we're told that Joseph 335 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:25,200 went, you know. But God gave me that dream, so I 336 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:29,720 know it's going to get better. We have no. 337 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:34,600 Sense that that the dreams had any sort of inspirational power 338 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,760 in Joseph's life as he was. Traveling this dark and winding 339 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,040 Rd. Into his future, a road that was 340 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,440 filled with with. Uncertainty and and and 341 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,880 powerlessness in a system stacked against him. 342 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:48,400 So what's the purpose of a dream? 343 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,640 Then if it's not to give that vision. 344 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,640 To give that that sense of hope that carries us through. 345 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,400 What is the purpose of a dream? It it could be part of that, but 346 00:17:57,400 --> 00:17:59,600 the purpose of the dream really is to reveal. 347 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,720 God's sovereign power and purpose. 348 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,200 God gave Joseph the. Dream not. 349 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,480 So Joseph would know that he. Was more important somehow. 350 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,280 God gave Joseph the dream so that in the end. 351 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:17,080 Joseph would know. That God was the one that was. 352 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:21,280 Working in his life. That God was the central player 353 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:27,520 here, that God's power and God's purpose were over everything 354 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,280 else that was. Happening to him. 355 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,920 It wasn't the dream, wasn't there to elevate Joseph in 356 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,160 Joseph's eyes, certainly not there to elevate Joseph in his. 357 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:38,680 Brother's eyes. The dream was there to elevate. 358 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:44,440 God in Joseph's eyes. So that Joseph would know this 359 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:48,200 is God. The next time. 360 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:53,000 We see Joseph. Talking about, thinking about. 361 00:18:53,000 --> 00:19:00,440 Even remembering this dream is over 20 years later, he was a 362 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:04,280 slave, he was thrown in prison. He got out of prison because he 363 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:09,160 interpreted Pharaoh's dream. Pharaoh had a dream and none of 364 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,840 his Magi, none of his wise. Men could interpret the dream 365 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:16,760 and a fellow prisoner of Joseph who. 366 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:18,760 Was now a servant. To Pharaoh said, hey, there's a 367 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,160 guy in jail that interprets dreams. 368 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,520 And so Pharaoh asked him and Joseph interpreted the dream and 369 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,720 Pharaoh's like, that's it, that's it. 370 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,720 Joseph's got it. And he was. 371 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,440 So overwhelmed by Joseph's wisdom. 372 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,080 Insight and understanding. That he put Joseph in charge of 373 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:40,440 his empire, second only to the. Pharaoh and the meaning. 374 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,640 Of the dream was that there was going to be 7 years of 375 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,040 prosperity in. Egypt. 376 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,480 Tremendous prosperity with tremendous harvests. 377 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,160 And then there was going to be 7. 378 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,480 Years of famine. And so Joseph was put in charge 379 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,360 of harvesting, and during those years of prosperity, we're going 380 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:56,360 to get to that. It wasn't all. 381 00:19:56,360 --> 00:19:59,240 Lambs and bunnies. The Pharaoh used it to do a. 382 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,680 Massive land grab and and and got extraordinarily wealthy 383 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,840 through all of. This and Joseph helped him do 384 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,960 it, but he put Joseph. In charge and they stored up 385 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,960 grain they had they created these massive warehouses and. 386 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,440 Storehouses. So that when the famine times 387 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:17,960 hit. They would have food. 388 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,240 To live on when the famine times hit. 389 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,720 It hit. Even up in Canaan and Jacob 390 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:26,520 sent. Their brothers down his, 391 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,400 Joseph's brothers down to Egypt and said, I've heard there's 392 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,680 food in Egypt, go get some food in. 393 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,040 Egypt and they came down and there was. 394 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,400 Joseph. In charge of the whole. 395 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:39,640 Thing. And they didn't recognize it had 396 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,640 been. 20 years. Joseph was a little more than a 397 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:43,800 kid. When they sold him. 398 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,840 And they thought he was dead. Or, or at most enslaved 399 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:50,120 somewhere they had no idea where he was. 400 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,480 Certainly didn't expect to see him sitting on a throne. 401 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,960 Acting in the name of the Pharaoh, but. 402 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:02,120 When they came to ask for food. They bowed down to him and. 403 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,240 The Bible says Joseph. Remembered the dream. 404 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:11,240 He also remembered his brothers had been really. 405 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:15,160 Really awful to him and he wanted to find out. 406 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:17,120 Whether they had. Grown any? 407 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:20,360 So we put him through some. Tests. 408 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:22,280 I'm not going to go through all of it this morning, but. 409 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,760 To see whether they would betray Joseph's younger brother 410 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,760 Benjamin in the same. Way they betrayed him. 411 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,360 But they hadn't. And they wouldn't. 412 00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:33,200 And they didn't. And. 413 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,720 Finally, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. 414 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:43,640 And, and he knew that he had power over them at that point, 415 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:45,480 and they knew. That he had. 416 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,760 Power over them at that point now. 417 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:49,880 The stacking had tipped the other. 418 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:56,320 Direction and Joseph to reassure them, said this to them, and 419 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:58,960 then well in the moment of his. The dream intersected with 420 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:00,560 reality. He had a choice. 421 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:04,240 He could despise and seek revenge against his brothers. 422 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,560 He could say you. Dirty, rotten, awful folks, I'm 423 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,240 going to. Get you back Or he could do what 424 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,680 he decided to do, which is to. Recognize and surrender to the 425 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,280 hand and purpose of God. Including his brother's. 426 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,320 Role in God's purpose. Hear this? 427 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:24,720 This is what Joseph said. Do not be. 428 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:26,600 Distressed and do not. Be angry. 429 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:28,800 With yourselves for. Selling me here. 430 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:31,520 Because it was to save lives that God. 431 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:32,520 Sent me ahead of. You. 432 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:34,800 For two years now, there has been. 433 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:36,160 Famine in the land and for the next. 434 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,720 Five years, there will be no. Plowing and reaping, but God 435 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,920 sent me ahead of you. To preserve for you a remnant on 436 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:45,600 Earth. And to save your. 437 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:51,280 Lives by a great deliverance. When Joseph finally remembered 438 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,000 the dream. When his brothers were. 439 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,840 Bowing down to him. Joseph understood. 440 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:00,440 That God gave him that dream, so he. 441 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:04,040 Would know that his enslavement was God's. 442 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:08,760 Purpose and plan, not his brothers that his imprisonment 443 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:10,240 was part of. God's purpose. 444 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:16,200 And plan not his brothers. That his elevation was part of 445 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,000 God's. Purpose and plan, not his own 446 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:24,720 wonderfulness. So that Joseph could see. 447 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:27,960 That all of these things that had happened to him, the good, 448 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,200 the bad and the. Ugly were part of. 449 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,080 God's purpose and God's plan not. 450 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,600 For Joseph's sake, but for the sake of others, so that others 451 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:42,400 could live Joseph's whole. Family could live now. 452 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:46,000 They would be saved from the famine because of what God had 453 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,680 LED Joseph. Through and what? 454 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,720 God had brought Joseph. Through And it was dark and it 455 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:54,040 was painful and it was. Hard, but there was a purpose. 456 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:59,240 Behind it and that. Purpose was to save to save 457 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:04,400 lives. And that's what Joseph saw in 458 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:09,200 that moment, as that dream came back to him, when his brothers 459 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:15,120 bowed down before him. That this whatever bad thoughts. 460 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:17,880 He'd been thinking about. His brothers for those. 20 some 461 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,400 years he was in. Egypt, whatever they. 462 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,360 Were he was like now I get it now. 463 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:29,280 This was God. God did this. 464 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,240 And it's not an awful thing. It was a painful thing, but it 465 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,000 wasn't an awful thing. It was a saving thing. 466 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:43,120 It was a saving thing. You see God. 467 00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:46,920 'S intent trump's our intent and our. 468 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:53,000 Feelings even years later. Years later, just the whole 469 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,600 family moved to Egypt. Jacob got him some really nice 470 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:56,720 land. The favor said bring. 471 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,640 Your family down. Glad they're here, gave him 472 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,960 some. Great land and then. 473 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:07,360 Jacob died years later and the. Brothers were like, and now he's 474 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:14,400 going to get us. Now we're in trouble, They kind 475 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,520 of came to just say. Hey, Joe, you know, just. 476 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,200 Really want to say thank you for all the nice things you've done. 477 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,600 Just was like, don't worry, don't worry. 478 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:29,160 And what he said to them then is a is a line you've probably 479 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:29,960 heard. Before. 480 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:35,360 What you intended for evil, God intended for good. 481 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:39,920 This I I. You, you meant to do me harm, 482 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:45,080 but God meant this. For good. 483 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:51,040 And God's intent Trump's our intent and our feelings every 484 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,440 time. God's plans and God's purposes 485 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,840 trump You intended to harm me, but God intended it for. 486 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,840 Good to accomplish what is now. Being done the saving of many 487 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:06,200 lives. Years later, Joseph could still. 488 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,560 See it and. Because he could see it. 489 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:13,080 He could forgive his brothers as Halls, he could see that. 490 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:16,120 He could love his brothers because he could see that he was 491 00:26:16,120 --> 00:26:19,240 able to show mercy. And compassion to his brothers. 492 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,360 Because he could see God's. Hand in all of. 493 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:25,600 This it was easier for. Him to let go. 494 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,880 Of the temptation to spite. And hatred and revenge. 495 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,680 I think that's why God. Gives us visions. 496 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,560 Why God gives us? Dreams so that when it happens, 497 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:42,240 we can see. That it was God. 498 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,440 Not our own ingenuity, not our own wisdom, not our own 499 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:48,200 greatness, not our own wonderfulness. 500 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,920 And so when? When we hit the rough spots 501 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,160 along the. Way we can see you know what? 502 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:59,440 This is God too. This is God too, walking 503 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,960 through. All of this mess, all of this 504 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,000 pain. All of this heartache to get to 505 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,560 this. Place that God promised we. 506 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:11,160 Would get to. I am not everybody's a dreamer. 507 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:15,960 I got a feeling we got some dreamers in the room, some folks 508 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:17,640 with some. Visions of the future. 509 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:22,160 And when you know it's like God, maybe you already know it's God. 510 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,120 Maybe you've got this vision I. Don't know. 511 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:25,960 I don't know how that's ever going to happen. 512 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,840 However it happens, if it's from God, God will bring it. 513 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:38,640 That'll make it happen. That'll bring you to that point. 514 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:41,720 And The thing is, is to remember. 515 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,520 That it's God we got. Joseph had a lot of work to. 516 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,760 Do along the way. It was not an easy. 517 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:51,280 Road God didn't just pluck him up and. 518 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:53,120 Drop him down in the throne someplace. 519 00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:57,920 But all of that work, all of that pain, all of that 520 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:03,760 heartache, all had purpose and it was the dream was a sign that 521 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:08,040 God was there all along the way. Hold on to that with your dreams 522 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:12,240 that promise from God and trust. God with it. 523 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,360 And and let it. Humble you. 524 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,360 And let it. Inspire you to grace. 525 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,960 And compassion for others in Jesus name, Amen. 526 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:21,880 Amen.