Subject – When We Dream Together
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.
Psalm 105:17-19 (NLT)
17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.
17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.
--The last several weeks we have been talking a whole lot about these three things in Joseph’s life. Today we are going to see how Joseph was a type of Christ in the Old Testament by looking at Jesus’s birth.
1. It is not so much about us as it is about “them”…Jesus came for “them”.
2. It is about the timing of God…When God determined the right time…Jesus was born.
3. It is about the test…the test of his character…a test of the character of all involved with Jesus’ birth.
Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing will be impossible."
38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing will be impossible."
38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
--We have been talking for several weeks about dreaming again and about how we are not to give up on our God given dreams. Today as we look at the birth of Jesus…let’s see how dreams collide with each other.
1. Mary has a dream or vision that she has been chosen to be the mother of the Son of God!
--Can you even imagine the magnitude of this kind of dream…good chance people will not believe you!
--Mary is engaged to be married to Joseph, and then, word reaches him that his bride-to-be is with child and he thinks maybe it is time to end this relationship. Who wouldn’t? I actually know a couple! Beautiful love story!
--When someone has a dream given to them by Holy Spirit, we have a choice…either we just put them away, or put what they are saying away, or we can dream with them.
Matthew 1:19-25 (NKJV)
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
--Once Joseph had the revelation that what Mary was dreaming was a God dream…He embraced the dream, he embraced Mary as his wife, and he embraced Holy Spirit Who was birthing the dream…he embraced Jesus.
--After Mary has her encounter with Gabriel, she goes quickly to her relative (her cousin) who is miraculously with child in her old age…when you dream for God…hang out with other dreamers.
Luke 1:39-43 (NKJV)
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
--What does Elizabeth do when she sees Mary…she has a Holy Spirit encounter, and then listen to this, she affirms the dream that Mary was carrying within her womb…the mother of my Lord would come to me!
--Mary has a dream, Joseph catches the dream even in adverse circumstances, Elizabeth affirms to Mary the dream is a God dream. How powerful it is when we can all dream together. What about the shepherds?
Luke 2:8-11 (NKJV)
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
--Can you see with me how that when we begin to dream together, God does some mighty and wonderful things. The shepherds began to spread the dream everywhere they went.
--Joseph and Mary takes Jesus to the temple when to present Him to the Lord, they yet again, have affirmation of their dream…matter of fact it was an affirmation of Simeon’s dream.
Luke 2:25-26 (NKJV)
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
--Affirmation…so many dreaming together and before they could get out of the temple, yet another dreamer:
Luke 2:36-38 (NKJV)
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
--She affirms that this child…this dream child is indeed the redemption of Israel and that, He in fact, is Jesus, the One Who would save the people from their sins.
--How about the wise men who saw His star in the East and made the long journey to see Him. They got King Herod all stirred up and all of Jerusalem with him.
Matthew 2:9-12 (NKJV)
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
2. Every God given dream that we have will have a Herod (an enemy) who wants to abort the dream.
Matthew 2:13-18 (NLT)
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,
15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,
15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.
17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
--You see; the spirit of abortion has been around for a long time…we see it with Moses when the mid-wives were instructed (at birth – full term) to kill all the male babies that were born…here with see it with Herod.
--America will be judged for every dream we have aborted when we have taken the life of an unborn baby or a full term baby…who knows what dreams were aborted…the next Billy Graham, the cure for cancer.
--Every Herod will be judged for killing dreams thru envy, jealousy, fear, insecurity, and hate! Make no mistake about those who abort babies or dreams, God will judge them severely. Notice the phrase…When Herod died…
Matthew 2:19-23 (NLT)
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.
20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.
22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.
23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.
20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.
22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.
23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
--Why wouldn’t more information be given at the death of this sick, demented ruler who was so responsible for murdering so many babies and trying to kill the Messiah. Josephus says his death was brutal and agonizing:
Josephus - A loathsome disease descended upon the ruler (Herod) as a judgment from God on account of his sins. He died with burning fever, ulcerated entrails, foul discharges, convulsions, and a horrible stench!
--I guess we can safely say that God hates the spirit of abortion and He hates those who feel like they have the right or mandate to kill God given dreams. Do not be a dream killer.
Lou Engle – If you hang around the Dream King, you get into his dream stream, you join yourself to His dream team, and you do the Martin Luther King thing.
--Engle’s dream is to see the ending of abortion in America through prayer and fasting. He also talks about how it is impossible to hang around the Dream King and not have a dream.
3. Every God given dream that has ever died can experience the resurrection power of Jesus.
--The apostles and the followers of Christ watched their dream breath His last on a cruel cross…it was over!
The demons were dancing and all of hell rejoicing until resurrection power showed up! Jesus was alive!
--There are some Marys here today…the enemy is trying to kill your baby, your son and eventually they do but, Honey, it ain’t over until God says it’s over.
--Mary is dreaming, with Joseph, with Elizabeth, with the shepherds, with Simeon, with Anna, and with the wise men from the east…you surround yourself with dreamers because when we dream together. Dream team.
Romans 8:11 (NKJV)
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
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.
--Wake up the gifts are under the tree!
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