Subject: Pastors Appreciation
by Rick Welborne
Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
Acts 2:17 (NLT)
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
Matthew 16:13-19 (NLT)
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.
18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.
18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
--Last week we started this series about “Dream Again” and I hope and pray that you are believing God to fulfill His dreams…His dreams in your lives.
--With it being Pastor’s appreciation Sunday I want to say thank you for allowing me to live out God’s dreams as I pastor you…and, yes, thank you and the Board of Deacons for your kindnesses to us.
--Also, I do not have very much time to share with you so let’s jump into this. Today I want to share three things I am dreaming for Life Church and I want us all to dream together.
1. Dream with me that Life Church will be a church that is on the offense.
--Peter had received a revelation of Who Jesus was, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” I hope we have the same revelation Peter did. He is our Savior and soon coming King.
18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
--Jesus had a dream that these twelve disciples that He had chosen were going to be used to advance the church and to build the Kingdom of God. I am sure He was planting dreams in their hearts.
--Jesus said I am going to build my church and I am going to use and anoint you guys to help Me succeed in fulfilling my dream…I am looking for people here at Life Church to help me dream for God’s Kingdom.
--Aren’t you glad that when you dream and when you proclaim your dream that you never have to face opposition…Jesus said He would build the church so all we have to do is sit back and watch Him.
--As you read the book of Acts and the Gospels, you see that there was opposition on every front…we are kidding ourselves if we think Satan and his imps are going to just sit back. They are fighting already.
--Jesus is dreaming of building His church and the disciples are arguing who is going to sit on the right hand and left hand of God. They are even trying to get momma to politic for them. I hate politics.
--Jesus is dreaming of building His church and Peter is running his mouth about how he will never deny the Lord even if he has to die. Jesus is trying to build His church and Peter is running!
--Jesus is dreaming of building His church and Judas is betraying Him…don’t you ever believe everyone will come along with you on your dreams…some will even sell you out for 30 pieces of silver.
--Jesus is dreaming of building His church and Thomas is doubting Him…listen, these are the main guys to help Jesus fulfill what God willed Him to do.
--Jesus is dreaming of building His church and He is arrested, mocked, scourged, made to carry an old wooden cross, and is crucified…the dream is over because the dreamer is dead.
--The disciples have scattered and gone back to their old ways…confused, broken, and afraid that they could be the next ones on a cross. Just when you think there is no hope…three days later Jesus is raised from the dead!
--You see, dreams can be resurrected and people can be restored…Jesus spends 40 days with the disciples and then departs for heaven…they are filled with Holy Spirit…churched added to and then multiplied. 2 1/2 Billion.
--Jesus is still living the dream and He is living it thru us, His church! It is time that we experience the resurrection power of Jesus and go on the offense…Gates of hell can’t stop us! Come on, let’s dream!
2. Dream with me and let’s do our part to fulfill the Great Commission.
--Right before Jesus left for heaven he told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait there until they were filled with Holy Spirit power to be able to fulfill what He told them to do. Why would He do that?
--These guys had been thru a 3 year roller coaster…quit your job and follow Me, we are going to build the Kingdom of God, we are going to save people and set them free…yippee!! Liberators!
--Then comes along that whole crucifixion thing, they flee, they fear, they go back to their former lives, Jesus rises from the dead, they are restored and happy…By the way, I am leaving…What?
--I am leaving but My dream of building My church is still fully in operation…stay in Jerusalem until you are filled with Holy Spirit power…then go!
Mark 16:14-20 (NKJV)
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
--I wonder where Jesus would start dealing with our unbelief and hardness of heart. Ok guys, you messed up and you, kind of, deserted me, the dream is still on. Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
--Some people…some churches have a misconception that the Great Commission or missions is optional…not to me and not according to the Scriptures…He said go! Dream!
3. Dream with me and let’s see a modern day church set apart for God!
Joshua 3:5-7 (NIV)
5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."
6 Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them.
7 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.
5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."
6 Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them.
7 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.
--Is your God given dream of enough value that you would be willing to be set apart for God…to be sanctified for Him? To live holy?
--At our CG someone was sharing their God given dream and it was so far beyond what human capability could handle…they questioned God about the difficulty…God said, “I have not called you to do easy! I have called you to accomplish My dreams in your life!”
--We are so guilty of making Christianity difficult…I want God to do amazing things in my life but it seems so difficult, so unattainable. "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people."
--The answer…follow His presence…follow Jesus to your dreams follow Him in this adventure.
Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT)
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.
25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.
25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Genesis 12:1(NIV)
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
Hebrews 11:8 (NIV)
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
--If we will be set apart to live out our God given dreams…we must follow and we must obey the Lord, even if He leads us in a direction where we do not know where we are going. It is called trust.
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