Hold On To Your Dreams
Yesterday God allowed me to preach a powerful message on the subject of "Holding on to Your Dreams. As I was preparing for the message last week I remembered the song by Electric Light Orchestra, "Hold on Tight to Your Dreams, so I incorporated it into the message. Here is the link for the song/video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7d-6tZw6rM
Genesis 37:5-11 (NKJV)
5 Now Joseph had a
dream, and he told
it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
6 So he said to them, "Please hear this
dream which I have dreamed:
7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf."
8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his
dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed still another
dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have
dreamed another
dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me."
10 So he told
it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What
is this
dream that you have
dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?"
11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter
in mind.
Young Joseph had this awesome dream of becoming great; a dream that he felt sure would elevate him to greatness one day. At least that is what the dream implies, and that's what his family understood it to mean when they heard him tell the dream. This dream would not come to pass overnight; it would be a long time in the making. There would be many sleepless nights, there would be lies told about him, there would be jealousy and betrayal displayed by his brothers. He would be left to die in a cistern, only to find that his brothers decided to come back to get him. They came not to take him home, but to sell him into slavery to a band of Ishmaelites. He would spend years no doubt wondering why he was treated the way he was, and that by his own brothers. However, we never hear him mention it or complain about it. He seemed to be settled with the reality that God knew what He was doing, and that He (God) was in control of his life.
He was accused of a crime he did not commit. He was wrongly imprisoned. While in prison he interpreted dreams for a baker and a butler of Pharaoh. The dreams came to pass just as he had predicted. On Pharaoh's birthday he restored the butler and he hanged the baker. However, once the butler was a free man again he forgot about his vow to Joseph, to remember him and to speak favorably of him to Pharaoh. If anyone was in position to help him it would be the butler; for he is one that put the cup in Pharaoh's hand. However, he forgot him.
Regardless of what he went through and no matter how tough it got, he held on to his dream. He had been thrown away by his family. He had served more than two years for a crime that he didn't commit. He had been forgotten by the butler who promised to speak on his behalf. So all he has left is the dream he has, and the GOD who gave it. He is
totally dependent upon God to make it happen; man cannot, or thus far, will not help.
Jentezen Franklin says:
“When your initial excitement wears off and everything seems to have stalled, don’t be surprised. This is normal. There is going to come a time when everything looks like the opposite of what you thought God told you. When it comes (and this may happen more than once), don’t give up, don’t cave in, don’t throw in the towel. IT WILL SURELY COME TO PASS! God’s visions always become a reality…God’s dreams always come to pass. He may need to find another dreamer (if you give up), but His dream will happen.
When men had forgotten Joseph, God hadn't. So God caused Pharaoh to have a couple of dreams himself. He called all of his men in and told them the dreams, but none could tell him the meaning of the dreams. It is here that the butler remembered Joseph from prison. He told Pharaoh the story of how he and the baker were in prison together, and how both of them had dreamed dreams, but did not know the meaning of them. We told our dreams to this Joseph fellow, and he interpreted them correctly. It happened to us just like he said it would: In three days you restored me to my position where I place the cup in the hand of my Lord (Pharaoh), but him (baker) you hanged, just as he said you would.
Upon hearing this testimony Pharaoh called for Joseph to be brought up from the prison, that he might hear his dreams and give the interpretation as well. And this Joseph did with convincing words--for they were the words of God. He spoke of the impending famine that would soon ravage the land. The dreams represented seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of dearth in the land. Pharaoh was so impressed by the revelation of the dreams that he promoted Joseph immediately and gave him great power and authority over all of the country. This was God's way of exalting Joseph to a place of high leadership and respect in a foreign land.
Joseph held on tight to his dream for nearly twenty years. He went through tough times, years of struggle and hardship, separation from his family and friends. He was done wrong by some many people, but he kept the dream alive. And at last long he is second in command to only Pharaoh himself. Picture this. Here is a Jewish boy with just a
dream and a
promise; he is now elevated to the palace of Egypt! God's dreams are in order, and His dreams come to pass!
HOLD ON TIGHT TO YOUR DREAMS!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7d-6tZw6rM
Michael Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center