We’re in a message series called “Keep Your Dream Alive.” We’re talking about the dream or plan that God has for your life. Now, that dream that your Creator has for your life has a general shape and it also has a lot of specifics. Now, how can you follow a plan or dream that you have no idea about? The short answer is that you can’t. In order to follow God’s dream for your life, you need to hear from God.
Today, my message is entitled “Hearing from God.” God wants to speak to you on a regular basis. He wants to explain to you His dream for your life and help you live it out.
Psalm 32:8-9 (NIV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Here we see God’s heart for His children. He wants to instruct and teach you about the direction that you should go in life. He wants to counsel you and watch over you to protect you on that path. Now God can make anyone do whatever he wants, just like a rider can control a horse with a bit and bridle. But He doesn’t want to do that with His children. He wants to guide you with His direct instruction. Here’s how Jesus put it in the book of John.
John 10:27 (NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
If you are a believer, you are Jesus’ sheep. If you’re His sheep, you are able to listen to and follow His voice. You have a relationship with Jesus. A relationship in which you speak to Jesus and He speaks to you. Now, how does God speak to us today? Many would say that God speaks to us through the Bible, God’s Word. That is certainly true. As you read the Bible, you learn principles that you can use to guide your decisions. However, reading the Bible will never give you specific guidance, specific for your life and situation. It can’t because the Bible can only give general guidance that is for everyone. When Jesus was talking about His sheep hearing His voice, He was talking about much more than reading the Bible. He was talking about God directly speaking to believers through the Holy Spirit.
Hearing from God has a supernatural dimension. Now many today, say that God does not speak to anyone anymore. But the Bible teaches that God indeed has always spoken specifically to believers and will continue to do it until Jesus returns. You cannot fully live out God’s dream for your life without hearing from God.
Acts 2:17 (NIV) In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
The last days spans the time from Jesus resurrection until He comes again. We are living in the last days. The last days are a special time of hearing from God, through prophesy, visions and dreams. God wants to reveal things to you supernaturally that you could never have figured out by yourself. He wants you to learn to hear from Him for yourself and for others that He wants you to minister to.
Today, we’re going to talk about some more dreams in the story of Joseph. Let’s briefly summarize the story so far. Joseph, as a boy of 17, had a couple of dreams about his future role of leadership. His brothers didn’t appreciate his dreams and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Joseph served his Egyptian master faithfully, but was falsely accused and thrown into prison. In prison, the Lord was with Joseph and he rose to a position of leadership, but he was still in prison and the fulfillment of his dreams seemed far away.