GOD HAD A DREAM

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   God is eternal.  He existed long before anything else was ever created.

 

B.   The Bible reveals that prior the foundation of the world, God had a dream.

1.    Verses:

a.    Matthew 25:34

 

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

 

b.    1 Peter 1:20

 

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

 

c.    Revelation 13:8 speaks “of the Lamb from the foundation of the world.”

 

2.    NOTE:  This dream involved something that God desired to bring to pass in the future that would bring wonderful benefits to man.

 

C.   God’s dream was foretold and published from the days of Abraham until the time it was brought to fruition.

 

D.   In this lesson, let’s examine the subject:  “God Had A Dream.”

 

I.             THE PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

 

A.   When man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God prophesied of the defeat of Satan in Genesis 3:15 when He revealed that the seed of woman would bring a crushing blow to the head of the serpent.  However, the comprehensive nature of this defeat is not revealed until the days of Abraham.

 

B.   Abraham’s call and the promises (Gen. 12:1-3)

 

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:  and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing:  and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:  and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

 

1.    The land promise

2.    The nation promise

3.    The seed promise (This one contains God’s dream in the words:  “…and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”).

 

II.           THE PROPHECIES OF MEN OF GOD

 

A.   Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was a prophecy proclaimed and interpreted by Daniel (Dan. 2:44).

 

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed:  and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

 

B.   The prophecy of the Joel concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28-32).

 

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh…and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

 

III.         THE PROCLAMATIONS OF JESUS CHRIST

 

A.   Jesus constantly made His disciples aware of the time when people other than the Jews would be acceptable to God.

 

B.   Verses:

 

1.    The Gentiles accepted (Matt. 8:11)

 

And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

 

2.    Other sheep (John 10:16)

 

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:  them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

 

3.    The Great Commission (Acts1:8)

 

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

IV.         THE FULFILMENT OF THE DREAM

 

A.   Peter quotes Joel (Acts 2:16-21).

 

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh…And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 

B.   Peter notes those to whom the promise was made (Acts 2:38-39).

 

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

 

C.   Peter opened the door of the kingdom to the Gentiles

1.    Peter opened his message to the household of Cornelius with these words (Acts 10:34-35).

 

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:  but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

 

2.    On that occasion, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles and Peter and the Jews marvelled (Acts 10:45).  Peter’s response to this is found in Acts 10:47-48a).

 

Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord…

 

D.   Peter at the Jerusalem conference (Acts 15:7-9)

 

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bear witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

 

V.           PAUL’S MINISTRY

 

A.   Paul’s apostleship was unique in nature.

 

B.   In Acts 13:2-3, he and Barnabas were called by the Holy Spirit to go on their first missionary journey.

1.    As Paul traveled, he always took the gospel to the Jews first as was authorized by God (Acts 13:46a).

 

Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you…

 

2.    His predominate focus, however, was the Gentiles.  In Galatians 2:7, Paul notes the that gospel of the uncircumcision had been committed unto him.

 

3.    When Paul wrote to the saints in Rome, he made a statement that expresses again the nature of his mission (Rom. 1:13).

 

Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you, even as among other Gentiles.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   God’s dream was to both save and unite all men as one in Christ Jesus.

 

B.   He accomplished this dream by means of the blood of Christ, the truth of the gospel, and the church.

 

C.   The OceanSide congregation is evidence of God’s dream coming true

1.    We are a diverse congregation.

2.    Too, we have supported works throughout the world that saved children, prisoners, Africans, Philippinos, Latinos, the Scottish, and this year will be involved in work reaching out to the Chinese.

 

D.   Galatians 3:26-29

 

For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.