1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,800 We're talking about dreams. Today, and specifically, when? 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,280 When? We have dreams, dreams given to 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:09,360 us by God, visions given to us by God. 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,120 Plans that we believe. Come from God in a. 5 00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:15,720 System stacked against us. What do we do? 6 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:17,920 How do we live? How do we respond when those 7 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,080 dreams hit reality? Because dreams, always. 8 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:22,600 Hit. Reality. 9 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,880 Always, always, always there's a. 10 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,160 It was a very noted general in Europe. 11 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,840 I think he lived like in in general. 12 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,880 In the 1800s. I can't remember for sure. 13 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,280 And his name? Is very difficult for me to 14 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,920 pronounce. Helmuth von Moltke, the. 15 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,000 Elder. Which is a mouthful. 16 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,360 And he was. Very well respected. 17 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,520 I believe he was Austrian. He might have been Prussian, but 18 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,000 I think he was Austrian. And very. 19 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,200 Well respected, very much feared, a great, brilliant, very 20 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,360 successful military leader, military strategist. 21 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,080 And he was known. For this rather. 22 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,720 Lengthy quote as well. No plan of. 23 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,760 Operations extends with certainty beyond the first 24 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,360 encounter with the enemy's main forces. 25 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:11,840 Like his name, that's a mouthful. 26 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,640 It's been shortened and paraphrased a lot to a quotation 27 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,080 that you might have heard somewhere along the way, which 28 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,520 is quite a famous quotation. No plan survives contact with 29 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,320 the. Enemy the idea that that that 30 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:29,120 Moltke. Understood is that no matter how 31 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,480 good our plans are. When? 32 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,240 They face resistance plans. Change plans, change Mike. 33 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:40,120 Tyson had a similar idea. He expressed it much more 34 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,400 succinctly and much more colorfully way back in 2002. 35 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,320 He was doing an interview with HBO before his fight with Lennox 36 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:49,400 Lewis. And the interviewer said, you 37 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,120 know, we're talking to the Lewis folks, and they say Lewis has a 38 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,360 plan for how to beat you, Mike Tyson. 39 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,320 And Mike? Tyson's response was everybody 40 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,360 has a plan until. They get hit and. 41 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,720 That's how it worked. Tyson beat Lewis like he beat 42 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:06,400 just about everybody else that he faced. 43 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,199 And everybody has a. Plan until they get hit. 44 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,080 Now the dream, the plan, the vision that we're. 45 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,480 Looking at mostly. Today is Joseph's. 46 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,000 The one that. He had when he was still a very. 47 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,680 Young man, maybe. Just a little older than a kid 48 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,480 and John read a. Portion of that. 49 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,880 Well, he read those. There were two dreams, actually. 50 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,440 I'm not sure you faded out something yesterday. 51 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:41,840 I hope it went. OK, so, but it's a good. 52 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,680 Point to make though, and thank you for making it, Shay. 53 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:49,680 We would we. Have these dreams from God like 54 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,480 Joseph had? What happens? 55 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,040 When they hit reality. Joseph dreams. 56 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:56,680 He had two dreams. They were very, very similar. 57 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,200 In the first dream, Joseph, who was one of twelve brothers. 58 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,240 He's the. 11th of 12. So he's way. 59 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,360 Down the chain. Of authority. 60 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,960 Every older brother has more authority than he does for him 61 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,440 to inherit any meaningful portion of his father's. 62 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,000 Estate he he would. Have to have eleven older 63 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,920 brother or ten older brothers die and you know. 64 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:21,760 No one. Most people aren't rooting for 65 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:22,880 their. Older brothers to die. 66 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:25,160 I don't know that. Joseph was. 67 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,400 But he had a dream. He had two dreams. 68 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,840 In the first dream, the dream was about his eleven brothers 69 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:36,960 bowing down to him, and then his second dream was about all of 70 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,360 his brothers and his mother and father. 71 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:44,040 Bowing down to him and that. Bowing down, not just an act of 72 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,640 humility, that is. You are our ruler. 73 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:48,880 That's why his brother said what? 74 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,440 Do you think? You're going to rule over us. 75 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:54,720 Not a chance. Little brother. 76 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:57,160 And then the. Scripture has this. 77 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,560 Fun line and they. Hated him all the more. 78 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:02,480 The reason why they hated him all the more instead of just 79 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,680 hating him is Joseph had already given them reason. 80 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:06,920 To hate him. Little brother. 81 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,080 Who was the least? Expert of all of them, except 82 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,320 maybe his one younger brother, Benjamin. 83 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,040 One of the times he went out to the his brothers, they did the 84 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,959 work, they did the hard work, they managed their father's 85 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:21,480 flocks. Their father was. 86 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,120 Wealthy had. Lots of flocks. 87 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,000 Joseph went out into the fields with them. 88 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,160 One time and came back and. Told dad they weren't. 89 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:34,000 Doing a very good job, yeah. He was a rat as. 90 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:35,600 Well. And. 91 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:39,400 A tattletale and a know it all and. 92 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,200 On top of that. He was daddy's favorite. 93 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:44,240 Daddy's. Favorite little boy? 94 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,880 Now I'm going to bust a little bit of a myth here you've 95 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,240 probably heard of. Joseph and his coat of many 96 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,560 colors. Probably that. 97 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,200 Coat of many. Colors is a mistranslation. 98 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,960 We don't know for sure, but it probably is. 99 00:04:58,160 --> 00:04:59,960 It probably was not a. Coat of many. 100 00:04:59,960 --> 00:05:03,520 Colors it was probably. A coat of long sleeves that he 101 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,680 gave him and you're like. Well, that's boring. 102 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,120 What's the big deal about a coat of long sleeves? 103 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,960 Because work clothes. Jerkins had no sleeves. 104 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,040 You had to. Have your arms free to move and 105 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,320 do their work. A long sleeve. 106 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,480 Coat was a dress coat. It was a fancy. 107 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,120 Going out on the town. Coat it was a. 108 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,040 Look at me. You have work to do and I don't 109 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,480 coat and that was the. Coat. 110 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,480 Jacob gave his son. Joseph a coat that said let 111 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,560 your. Brothers, do the work while you 112 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,480 have a good. Time and the brothers didn't 113 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,120 like that either. So here's Joseph. 114 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:47,280 Daddy's favorite Daddy very unwisely make sure everyone in 115 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:49,120 the family knows he's Daddy's favorite. 116 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,960 Joseph. Prideful, arrogant, know it all, 117 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,320 snitches, rats, tells tales on his older brothers and then 118 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:02,120 tells them this dream he has about them bowing. 119 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,240 Down to him and. Serving him. 120 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,920 Unsurprisingly, Joseph Brothers reacted poorly. 121 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,080 To this. They were not. 122 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,040 They were not pleased. And the reality? 123 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,160 That hit Joseph. Really quick, was his brother's 124 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:20,480 reaction. And so. 125 00:06:20,840 --> 00:06:24,720 In response to his tattletaling, in response to his know it 126 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,240 allness, in response to his being daddy's favorite, in 127 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,080 response to his dreams about ruling over them. 128 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,000 They do what any brothers. Would do they beat? 129 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:34,840 Him nearly to death. And sell him into. 130 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:38,280 Slavery to people. Leaving the country. 131 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:45,440 Now to that response, I can only respond with the immortal words 132 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:51,000 of Ron Burgundy. Boy, that escalated quickly. 133 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,280 I mean, that really got out of hand fast. 134 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,000 It jumped up a notch. It did, didn't it? 135 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,880 Yeah, it jumped up a notch. It got out of hand. 136 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:03,200 I I think it overreaction. To say the least. 137 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,720 On the part of the brothers there, but that's the reality. 138 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,440 That Joseph faced. He had this dream. 139 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,320 From God. That he would. 140 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,960 Rule over his brothers. And now he's a slave in a 141 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,160 foreign land where he doesn't even speak the language. 142 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,360 And just when? You think it can't get any 143 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:22,480 worse? Than that. 144 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,520 His owner's wife, falsely. Accuses him of making. 145 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:32,360 Sexual advances to her and so his owner puts him in prison and 146 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,440 now he's an imprisoned slave in a foreign. 147 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,680 Land where he doesn't speak the language. 148 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:41,960 And that's where Joseph found himself. 149 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:43,200 That's the. Reality. 150 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,120 That hit him in the face and that he had to adjust to. 151 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:48,720 Now there are a few things I wanted to. 152 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,240 Take away. From the story today. 153 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,040 The first one is, I think, the most obvious. 154 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,000 And will. Spend the least amount of time 155 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,440 on which is Be cautious about who you share your dreams with. 156 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,680 Not everyone's a dreamer, and not everyone gets. 157 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,640 It and when you go share. Your dreams with folks. 158 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,320 Some folks will get it. Some folks will be inspired. 159 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,040 Some folks will be excited like you. 160 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,040 Some folks might be doubtful. Other folks will just. 161 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:20,200 Mock and laugh and ridicule and so we not everyone needs to 162 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,560 know. Joseph didn't need to tell. 163 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:27,800 Anyone in his family? About those dreams, there was no 164 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:29,360 benefit. That would. 165 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,919 Come to him or them. From him telling those. 166 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:35,880 Dreams if he'd kept his mouth shut. 167 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:37,919 Things might have gone differently. 168 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:40,360 But he didn't be. Cautious about who we tell. 169 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:44,440 Our dream to. And just that simple. 170 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,240 Straightforward, we'll move forward Second, is this 171 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,400 receiving a dream vision or calling or promise from? 172 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,880 God does not make you better than other. 173 00:08:53,880 --> 00:09:00,640 People it, it just doesn't. Teresa of Avila is one of the 174 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,960 great Christian writers and spiritual thinkers and 175 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,720 spiritual. Practitioners of of history and. 176 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:15,080 She taught it this way that that she had a lot of vision. 177 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:16,600 She had a lot of. Dreams she was. 178 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:18,960 She was a. A monastic. 179 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,200 And she was instructed. By her superiors. 180 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,480 To write about her experiences. They thought it was valuable for 181 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:25,360 other. People to know and. 182 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:27,320 Hear but but. She would teach. 183 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,960 Folks, look this. Doesn't make me better than you. 184 00:09:30,680 --> 00:09:33,360 So the only reason God gives people dreams and visions. 185 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,920 Like this is because. Their faith is too weak. 186 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,960 For him to communicate with them any other way now. 187 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,480 I can't verify that. But. 188 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:47,560 I see and appreciate and I think we need to follow the humility 189 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:51,040 that Teresa was trying to. Share which is just. 190 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:52,440 Because you get a. Vision. 191 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:54,240 Don't think that makes you. Better. 192 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,840 Than someone else doesn't make you more. 193 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:58,880 Important than them. That. 194 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,200 Seemed to be Joseph. 'S mindset no. 195 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:03,520 You think I'm just your little brother? 196 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:05,960 But one of. These days, I will rule over all 197 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,200 of you. Joseph made himself the main 198 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,240 character of his dream. Made himself the protagonist. 199 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:14,160 He put. Himself at the top. 200 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,840 And he saw it as being all about him. 201 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,200 But it's not. It's not. 202 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,040 God doesn't give. Dreams and visions to elevate us 203 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:25,400 and to. Puff us up. 204 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:27,400 And and and to. Give us a source. 205 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,800 Of of of importance. Or self satisfaction. 206 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,320 That's not why. God gives dreams. 207 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,880 It just isn't. And so when we get these kind of 208 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:38,920 not everyone's a. Dreamer not. 209 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:40,880 Everyone's a visionary. But if you are. 210 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:42,480 Or you have someone in your life that is. 211 00:10:42,680 --> 00:10:45,320 It is important to remember that doesn't make you or them any 212 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:47,680 better, any more important than anybody else. 213 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,480 We're part of God's story. Third thing. 214 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,160 A God-given dream is not a promise. 215 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:59,360 Of an easy Rd. Those dreams Joseph had. 216 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:04,680 Came from God we know. Because they came true, but they 217 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:06,440 were not a promise of an easy Rd. 218 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,320 It's easy to take a. Dream a vision from God, turn it 219 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:10,680 into. A plan and say boy. 220 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:12,640 Now I'm just going to go from here and we're. 221 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:13,920 Going to get there and it's all going. 222 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:16,240 To be great. When the journey from. 223 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:17,880 Here to there might. Involve going. 224 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,360 That way and that way and that way and that way and that way 225 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,280 and that way and that way. Before getting there, going 226 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,000 through a whole. Lot of stuff we would never. 227 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,920 Choose to go through on our own. It's not a promise of an easy 228 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,200 Rd. Elon Musk is someone I think 229 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:34,880 that that. Is a good example. 230 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:38,560 Contemporary example of someone who is a visionary and a dreamer 231 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:40,880 not saying anything. About whether his dreams come 232 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,480 from God or not. That's that's. 233 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:47,200 Between him and God, not for me. But he is definitely. 234 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,440 A dreamer and a. Visionary and he he's. 235 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,960 One of his first ventures, he was part of developing a company 236 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:55,760 called. PayPal which is an. 237 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,200 If you haven't used it before, it's an online payment service 238 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,480 and it's really good too. I use it a lot. 239 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,120 It's a secure way to buy things online. 240 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:07,040 Even if you buy something and it turns out to be a scam, PayPal 241 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:08,840 will give. You your money back if you use. 242 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,920 PayPal to pay. Even if it even if they can't 243 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:13,680 get it back. From the person who scammed you. 244 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,440 So it's a it's a good service. And and and when? 245 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:21,920 Musk sold his share or or or. Made his money from PayPal. 246 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:24,680 He he made enough money. He. 247 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:27,920 Could have just stopped. Then you know I never have to 248 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:29,160 work another day in my. Life. 249 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:33,160 But he has a dream. He has a vision. 250 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,000 Again, whether this is? From God or not? 251 00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:40,400 I have no comment on but his vision and his. 252 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:44,520 Dream is that humanity, in order to survive, must be. 253 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:48,480 Interplanetary and and the only way to get. 254 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:52,000 To other planets, Mars is where he wants to go is with rocket. 255 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,240 Ships. But nobody was making. 256 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,200 Rocket ships that could get us to Mars or get people. 257 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,840 To Mars. And so Musk said, I'm going to 258 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,560 start a business called. SpaceX to make? 259 00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:06,320 Rocket ships. And that was his. 260 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,880 Dream. For human beings to. 261 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,320 Go and colonize Mars. And every. 262 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:16,240 Intelligent person that Musk shared that dream with. 263 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:18,360 Told him he. Was an idiot. 264 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,760 That he was going to go broke. He was. 265 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,000 Going to go bankrupt? You'll never make any money. 266 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:30,200 There's no way to make money. With spaceships, so it's too. 267 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,200 Expensive. It's the reason. 268 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,640 Why only governments do rockets? It's just too expensive. 269 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,520 Criticism, challenge, difficulty all. 270 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,280 Along the way, now we know Elon Musk. 271 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,680 Is one of the richest, well, the richest person in the world on 272 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:52,320 his way to becoming the. World's first trillionaire and 273 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,960 SpaceX. Launches more rockets every. 274 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:00,040 Year than every other entity in the. 275 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,080 World combined. Every other business and 276 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,200 government combined does not launch as many. 277 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:08,840 Rockets, as SpaceX does every year. 278 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,080 He had this vision, he had this dream, and it wasn't easy 279 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,160 getting there. He works nuts hours. 280 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:20,720 The man barely sleeps again. The healthiness of. 281 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,640 His lifestyle, his relationship. With God, that's between him and 282 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,320 God. But it wasn't an easy road and 283 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,160 he had lots of opposition and resistance along the way and his 284 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:34,440 plans have changed along the way and adjusted to that. 285 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,120 A God-given dream is not a promise of an easy. 286 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,000 Road. So it's not a promise of an easy 287 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,280 Rd. if it's not to boost our ego and give us confidence, if it's 288 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:46,600 not to inspire us to strive for a particular future. 289 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,920 What is the purpose of a God-given dream? 290 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,440 Why does God give dreams? I believe God gives dreams to 291 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,120 reveal God's power. And God's sovereign. 292 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:00,920 Purpose Receive vil. God's sovereign power and God's. 293 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:04,080 Purpose. I think that's why God gave 294 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,320 Joseph those dreams. When I first was putting the 295 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,000 sermon. Together, I had a point in my 296 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,600 next point, my or. This is not the point I was 297 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,400 going to make. It was going to make a different 298 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,960 point. When I first my first draft the 299 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,200 point. Was that that this? 300 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,280 Dream gave Joseph inspiration and encouragement. 301 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,440 Through the dark times. If he trust and believed that 302 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,640 God would bring this dream true. Then then that. 303 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:31,480 Would have encouraged Joseph through those dark times of 304 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:34,000 slavery. And imprisonment, that's not a 305 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,360 bad point right there. That's a pretty good point. 306 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:38,440 The problem is it's. Not in the Bible. 307 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,560 When I try not to preach things that aren't in the Bible, I 308 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:47,160 don't always succeed. But I try as far as we. 309 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:53,320 Know Joseph never once meditated on those dreams. 310 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,520 To give himself hope. Inspiration and encouragement. 311 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,560 While he was enslaved or imprisoned. 312 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:01,760 As far as we. Know he never. 313 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:06,480 Thought about the dreams. During that whole time, but 314 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,280 there came a point when his dreams. 315 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,720 Intersected with reality. If you know the story, you know 316 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,960 while he was in jail. He met some. 317 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,640 Other servants of the king, the Pharaoh. 318 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,560 One of those was eventually released and restored to his 319 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,760 position after Joseph had correctly interpreted some 320 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,160 dreams. And then when Pharaoh had a 321 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,000 dream. That his magi. 322 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,720 And wise men couldn't interpret this, Servant said. 323 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:32,560 Hey. There's a guy in. 324 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:36,280 Jail named Joseph. He can interpret that dream for 325 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:38,000 you. He's good at this stuff. 326 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:41,040 So Pharaoh called Joseph. Joseph interpreted the dream. 327 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,280 Pharaoh said that is it, that is it and the dream. 328 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,840 The meaning of the dream that the Pharaoh had was that there 329 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,560 would be 7 years of tremendous prosperity. 330 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:54,000 In Egypt, in which there would be abundant. 331 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:58,160 Food supplies created tons of. Grain. 332 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:00,680 And then there would be. Seven years of. 333 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:06,760 Famine when there would be nothing grown and harvested and 334 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:08,400 fair or. Joseph's plan was. 335 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,359 Will take the. First seven years we'll create 336 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,200 big stockpiles, then we'll have enough to. 337 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:14,480 Make it through. The bats next seven years 338 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,119 Pharaoh was like. Great idea you're in. 339 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,079 Charge. And he made Joseph the second 340 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:24,079 command in the whole Kingdom of Egypt, the only person, Joseph. 341 00:17:24,079 --> 00:17:25,920 Answered to Was Pharaoh. Himself. 342 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,760 And it took. Years to get there, for all of 343 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:34,080 that to play out and. All of that to happen and years 344 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,200 later when the famine hit, two years in the famine, people up 345 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:41,120 in Canaan, there was nothing left and Jacob said to his sons. 346 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:43,920 I heard there's. Food in Egypt go down to Egypt. 347 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,480 And buy some food. Bring it back up here. 348 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:51,280 And so they go down to Egypt, and they meet with the man and 349 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,720 Pharaoh's empire. Who's in charge of the food 350 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,160 distribution? And he's the most powerful man 351 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:58,840 in the Kingdom outside of Pharaoh. 352 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,120 And he sits on a throne. And they don't recognize their 353 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:08,080 brother Joseph when they go and bow down to him and ask if they 354 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:09,760 can buy. Food for their. 355 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,320 Family back up in Canaan and it's then that the. 356 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,040 Bible tells us. That Joseph remembered his 357 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:20,000 dreams. It was then that he remembered 358 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:25,200 when his brothers were in front of him, when he had power over 359 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,720 them, when all. Of the tables were turned. 360 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:29,160 And he'd gone. From being the. 361 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:31,040 Weak and significant little. Brother. 362 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:34,920 To being the second in command of the Kingdom, when everything 363 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:41,280 was stacked in his favor and Joseph remembered the dreams. 364 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,920 And at that point? Joseph had a choice. 365 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:50,200 He could. Choose one of two different 366 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:52,720 routes. He could say. 367 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:57,720 I'm in charge now. I have power over you. 368 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,800 Time to me to teach you a. Lesson you. 369 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:07,360 Who mocked me, You who ridiculed me, You who beat me, you who 370 00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:11,360 sold me into slavery. Now you're going to get yours 371 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,040 and it ain't going to be friendly and it ain't going to 372 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,840 be nice. That was one choice. 373 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,320 Joseph could have done that. He could have thrown them all in 374 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,280 jail, had them all executed on the spot. 375 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,560 No one would have batted an eye. Or. 376 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:30,560 Joseph could. Do one other thing and it's what 377 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,440 he ultimately. Chose to do to. 378 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,760 Recognize and surrender to the hand and. 379 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:37,880 Purpose of God. Including his. 380 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,400 Brother's role. In that purpose, because of that 381 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:49,600 dream, Joseph knew now that. All of that he had. 382 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:53,320 Experienced including the. Pain and the suffering had not 383 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,800 been because. His brothers were evil, but 384 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,360 because. God had a plan. 385 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:01,360 This is what Joseph said to his brothers. 386 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:02,960 He tested him first. The story. 387 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,480 'S more complicated than that. He wanted to make sure that they 388 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,840 weren't still. Behaving. 389 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:12,080 Evilly toward their siblings. That they had learned, they had 390 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,160 grown, and they. Matured and they demonstrated 391 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:15,680 that they had. And when? 392 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:17,880 Joseph finally reveals himself. This is what he. 393 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,160 Says do not be distressed. And do not be angry. 394 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,480 With yourselves for selling. Me here because. 395 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:26,200 It was to save. Lives that God. 396 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,760 Sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been 397 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:31,200 famine in the land and for the next. 398 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,080 Five years, there will be no plowing. 399 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,920 And reaping. But God sent me ahead of you. 400 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,600 To preserve for you a. Remnant on Earth and to save 401 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,400 your. Lives by a great deliverance 402 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,040 God. Gave Joseph the dream so that at 403 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:51,600 that moment in time Joseph could see not. 404 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:56,720 Evil brothers who had betrayed. Him but the hand of God. 405 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,000 That had used his. Brother's. 406 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Mistakes to put Joseph in a position to save their lives. 407 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:10,360 To see the purpose. Power and sovereignty of God, 408 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:16,040 and that's what Joseph. Saw he saw that all that had. 409 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,600 Happened to him, was not to make him the center. 410 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:22,360 Of the story. So that he could now rule over 411 00:21:22,360 --> 00:21:24,600 and dominate. And destroy his brothers. 412 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:27,960 But so that God. Through him. 413 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:32,400 Could save his family. That's what Joseph did. 414 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:39,000 That's what the dream did for Joseph It. 415 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,920 Let him know that even the. Evil that his brothers. 416 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,560 Had done to him was not their own thing. 417 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:47,040 It was God's plan. It was God's purpose. 418 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,840 It was God's power. It allowed him to. 419 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:52,960 Forgive his brothers it. Allowed him to. 420 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,800 Love his brothers it. Allowed him to understand and 421 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,000 reframe all of the misery of the his. 422 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,240 Life for the past decades. That it was the hand of God. 423 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,920 So that I could save my family. And that's what he. 424 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:12,200 Did that's what he did. God's intent, Joseph understood 425 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,560 Trump's our intent and our. Feelings, however, Joseph might 426 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,120 have felt about his brothers, however the brothers might have. 427 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:22,680 Felt about Joseph. Whatever they intended to do, 428 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,720 and we get this even. More explicitly years later, so 429 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:27,800 Joseph brings. His whole family down to Egypt, 430 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:29,240 it's. Going to be 5 more years of. 431 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:30,800 Family you. All come down here. 432 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,480 I'll take care of you. You won't lack for anything the 433 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:35,800 whole time you're here. It'll all be good. 434 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,920 It'll all be good. God brought me here for this. 435 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,800 And then? Years later, Dad dies. 436 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:44,520 And the brothers get. Worried. 437 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,960 Because you know how that works. When siblings are fighting. 438 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:51,480 Sometimes the only thing. That keeps them from really 439 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,640 going at it. Is mom or dad? 440 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,080 And now Dad's dead and the brothers are going, oh. 441 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:05,400 Hey Joey, little brother, hope you're not mad about that whole 442 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:07,960 selling you into slavery thing still. 443 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:12,680 And Joseph reassured them one more time. 444 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,480 He said this. You intended to harm me, but God 445 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,880 intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being 446 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:28,080 done, the saving of many lives. You intended it for harm, but 447 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:32,160 God intended what you did. For good. 448 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:36,160 Even the evil that. Joseph's brothers did. 449 00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:38,360 God intended it. For good. 450 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:43,400 And God's intent Trump's theirs. And God's intent Trump's. 451 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,360 Their feelings about Joseph. God intent Trump's. 452 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:48,680 Joseph's feelings about. Them what? 453 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,160 Matters is that God? 'S plan and. 454 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:52,880 Power and purpose. Was to put. 455 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,000 Joseph in a position. To save his. 456 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,400 Family and many, many, many, many others. 457 00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:01,080 And Joseph did it. Joseph did it. 458 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,440 I think that's why God gives dreams to help. 459 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,480 Us recognize the. Power and purpose and 460 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:10,440 sovereignty of. God. 461 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,360 God doesn't give. Everyone dreams. 462 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,920 But we can all live in this principle, in this hope. 463 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,680 Of God's power and sovereignty and purpose, no matter what. 464 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,360 We face one of the most. Beautiful prayers I I've ever 465 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:24,400 read it was written. By John Wesley and. 466 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,400 Because John Wesley in the United Methodist Church likes 467 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:28,720 long complicated. Names. 468 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,360 We call it a covenant. Prayer in the Wesleyan tradition 469 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,720 just rolls off the top. I suspect you all have. 470 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:41,480 Prayed this prayer here before. It's in our hymnal and and it it 471 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:42,960 comes so much. Out of the. 472 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,400 Spirit of Joseph's statements to his brothers. 473 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,800 What you intended, the evil God intended for good. 474 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,480 This has been God's hand so. That I can save lives, so that 475 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,440 lives well, so that God could save lives, That lives could be 476 00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:59,080 saved. And this is a prayer. 477 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,600 Apart from having our own dreams, our own visions or or 478 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:04,960 even a a God. Given dream or God-given vision? 479 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,680 If we've got those, great. If not. 480 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,920 This is still. True that Wesley taught. 481 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:12,680 Us to pray this way. I'm no longer my own. 482 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:16,840 Well, I'm sorry back up a bit. Father in Heaven, I am no longer 483 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:18,480 my own. But yours? 484 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:23,960 Put me to what you will rank me with whom you will put me to 485 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,680 doing. Put me to suffering, let me be 486 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,160 employed. By you or set aside. 487 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,000 By you. Let me be exalted. 488 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,880 For you or brought. Low for you? 489 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:35,760 Let me be full. Let me be empty. 490 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:37,920 Let me have all things. Let me have. 491 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:42,200 Nothing. I freely and heartily yield all 492 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,800 things to your pleasure and disposal. 493 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,240 And now O. Glorious and blessed God. 494 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:48,920 Father. Son and Holy Spirit. 495 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,680 You are mine and I am yours. So be it. 496 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:55,520 And the covenant which I have made on earth. 497 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:57,480 Let it be. Ratified in heaven. 498 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:04,120 Amen to surrender our lives, our experiences, our. 499 00:26:04,120 --> 00:26:07,520 Future. Our best, whatever God wants. 500 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:10,920 And. That was the spirit with which 501 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:15,120 Joseph was speaking. He had been through. 502 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:20,280 Hell, but instead of. Seeing it as a reason to hate 503 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:22,400 and resent and judge and condemn he. 504 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,320 Saw it as God. 'S plan of salvation for those 505 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,480 whom he loved and those whom he had never known before. 506 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,440 God gives dreams those dreams. Are not a promise. 507 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,080 Of an easy Rd. they should not be. 508 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:42,320 Shared. Indiscriminately, they should 509 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:46,160 not be as taken as a sign of the. 510 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:50,120 Importance of the Dreamer. But indications of. 511 00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:53,000 God's purpose, God's power, God's. 512 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:58,960 Sovereignty as an opportunity to surrender. 513 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,400 To God's will. In Jesus name, Amen. 514 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:03,440 Amen.