Don't Let The Dream Die

Humanitarian Outreach Ministries

November 27, 2021

DON’T LET YOUR DREAM DIE…

READ GENESIS 37:1-36

A dream is defined as something hoped for; something that somebody longs for, or has high ambition for, usually something most would find as difficult attain or far removed from present circumstances.

In the making of a dream one must be in tune with the things of God not just merely scratching the surface but worshiping Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). The making of a dream leads a person to their divine destiny in God. What is the destiny of God? I’m glad you asked our destiny in God is the place where God takes a man; woman, boy or girl to their individual natural place where they will experience a small taste of what it is like to be in Heaven. First natural then spiritual, if it was spiritual first then we would be already in Heaven, but in the case of first natural then spiritual it gives us the chance to mess up and then leads us to repentance. Dreams are not to be taken lightly because they are of God. A dream comes about when God takes a man out of his natural experience and places him in direct alignment with God. We are spiritual beings having a natural experience.

Here we find an account of a boy by the name of Joseph he had several names some called him Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors, Joseph the Dreamer, Joseph the Tattle-Tale and Joseph Daddy’s Boy. The list goes on but we’ll stop there. Joseph was simply doing what he does best working in the fields and tending to his fathers sheep with his older brothers and somehow they became separated while working his older brothers slipped off and went from Shechem to Dothan roughly about 20 miles or so, then a curious passerby asked Joseph who are you looking for and he replied have you seen my brothers and the man said they are over there in the fields of Dothan tending the sheep, but something still did not click with Joseph and he immediately left to give a report to his father Jacob. The report he delivered was not a good report in fact it was evil. They had engaged in doing something mischievous such as slaughtering the sheep to fill their bellies in other words they were eating up the profit and perhaps selling them for profit because they were on the merchants route which led to Egypt where all the money was made. So his father got the message, his father became angry with his sons. I can just imagine that Jacob was saying, hold on now they were supposed to be in Shechem what in the world are they doing in Dothan. Then the father (Jacob) finally caught up with them and brought them on the carpet of examination, (remember when you were a little boy or a little girl if you have been doing something wrong, you will get that feeling right in the pit of your stomach something is about to go down! Mama has that long switch and all you know is something not so good is going to take place)! In other words they were about to get what was coming to them and that was a good old fashion whooping, but look at GOD He will pick you up, brush you off, clean you up and then forgive you, He’ll just give you a loving warning and say you have fallen but you can get back up again! Salvation is for the believer as well as the unbeliever! We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Now let’s examine the life of Joseph with his coat of many colors as a child he was highly favored by his father Jacob because he was an offspring of his old age. (Anytime you are highly favored by the FATHER/GOD there will be some haters along the way!) Those haters are only distractions, but yet indicators that you are on your way up! You will be talked about, humiliated, ostracized, belittled and then some! Moving forward for the rest of the story they plotted to get rid of him and faked his death but in all actuality he was sold into slavery. It appeared that Joseph had vanished into thin air; he was nowhere to be found. But then he later emerged to become ruler in Egypt next to Pharaoh.

Today as we further engage in the life of one of the most prominent men that has ever lived both then and now, that being the lives of Joseph one of the greatest stories ever told, and now we will examine the notorious life and times of this character. His life mirrors the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., these men’s lives displayed the models of excellence and godliness at its highest, however in the event of their youthful lives they both experienced hardship, turmoil, hate, denial, prejudice, seduction, public scrutiny and all of the negatives one could ever imagine facing, they were also men of impeccable moral character and godly wisdom. But through it all they persevered and survived all odds that were set against them! That is the price you pay for being a dreamer, a mover and a shaker.

The focus for today's message is all about DREAMS that Joseph and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had that at first brought them much trouble before they would finally reach the pinnacle of success of their divine destination in life. Through it all they did not give in to insurmountable circumstances. The men who were honorably-mentioned in this message were the prime examples of what it was like to survive in times when many would have given up or buckled under pressure. So in all that we go through we must learn to trust in Jesus, learn to trust in God. One of the many reasons that I stand before you today is because of a God given dream that would bring me to the threshold of what would only be the beginning of something great. So, I have been thinking why not give it a try and reach the next level, and then I must begin to dream and make something happen that would take me there. There is no harm in dreaming and I dare anyone today to dream. Dreams only come true only if you dare to begin dreaming. Dreams only come true only if you get up and do something about it, it will not come if you always sleeping and not waking up to reality! A dream is sometimes thought of as taboo, or something odd or strange, but I beg to differ with any naysayer today, the devil is a liar! Dreams do come true, dreams will not come to fruition if you let the GIANTS HINDER YOU FROM GETTING THERE. The message today may be to give someone a push toward finding something to dream about. It may serve as a piece to the puzzle you have been wrestling with for days, weeks, months and even years. There are many things in life we can dream about. The very thing we should all be dreaming about is one day being with the Lord in Heaven.

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17

At some point in our entire lives we’ve been told to “chase your dreams,” “achieve your goals,” and “never give up!” But what happens when the thing you’ve wanted is gone? A dream dies. These men in our message today serves as living witnesses and more than prime examples to what a dream can produce in one’s life if they have a dream. Maybe it disappeared, you don’t want it anymore, or you’ve lost the moment. You feel desperate and lost. Replacing your dream right away feels wrong. What can you do? What are the appropriate actions to take? Where can we find hope?

Here are a few things to do when you set your dream in motion...

Go through it whatever it is, and then get on with your life…whatever is holding you back.

Pick yourself up look and finding the good in your life is critical to overcoming setbacks. However, when we dwell on disappointments for too long, we become unable to feel hope or happiness. LOOK TO GOD! Reading, praying, or spending time with your family are excellent ways to re-energize that dream.

Nurture the craft that God has gifted you with. Growth is a natural part of life. If we hadn’t crawled, we would have never learned to walk. Devote an hour of your day to prayer. Change your perspective stop the negative thoughts from flowing through you mind. Make yourself better, little by little. Learn yourself and your values. Recognize the gift that God has given you. Pursuing the little things can help us recognize a new dream, little by little, we can learn ourselves. Create a plan and recognize that if this one doesn’t work, there must be something better.

Mind your own business, pay close attention to the things that unfold around you continue to persevere.

Anything worth having is not easy to hold on to. But, don’t be afraid to keep trying. In the brief moment of life we must stay spiritually in tune with God. Maybe you’re not ready to give up on your first dream; maybe you just need to change the way you look at things.

At no point in the one-hundred-and-ten-year life of Joseph and the thirty-six years life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did they ever take there eyes off of God or cease to trust him. Adversity did not harden there character neither did they let prosperity ruin them. They were the same in private as well as in public. Joseph and Dr. King were truly great men in the life and times they lived.

Perhaps you can identify with one or more of these hardships that Dr. King, and Joseph experienced: he was betrayed and deserted by some friends; they were exposed to sexual temptation, and punished for doing the right thing; he endured imprisonment and was forgotten by those they helped. As you have witnessed their stories, note what Joseph and Dr. King did in each case. His/their positive response transformed each setback into a step forward into the future. They didn’t spend much time asking “Why?” their approach was “What shall I do now?” those who met these two men were aware that wherever they wanted and whatever they did, God was with them. When you’re facing a setback, the beginning of a Christ-like attitude is to acknowledge that God is with you. There is nothing like GOD’s presence to shed new light on a dark situation. In conclusion, the men mentioned in the message today with the help of others went on to establish lasting legacies to save family, friends, nations, creeds and colors so they will have something to live and hope for. Creating a bond of unity and love for all people to come together and live in freedom and peace. SO IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS OF THIS LIFE, DON’T LET THE DREAM DIE! “YOU HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE, MAXIMIZE YOUR LIFE, LIVE TO PLEASE GOD…LIVE A BLESSED LIFE AND GOD WILL HIGHLY FAVOR YOU.”