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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000641S
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:06 Sermon #B641 - Dreaming the Impossible 00:21 Byrd: Genesis 37. Genesis 37:3. The Word of God says in Genesis 37:3, 00:31 "Now Israel which is Jacob, loved Joseph more than all his children, 00:37 because he was the son of his old age. He made him a coat of many colors. 00:44 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brother and they hated him. 00:50 They could not speak peaceably unto him. Joseph dreamed a dream. 00:57 He told it to his brother and they hated him yet the more." Dreaming the impossible. 01:09 Lord God bless us now for the next couple of moments. 01:13 Speak for your servants, hear it. In Jesus name, amen. 01:20 One of my favorite Bible characters, church members, you know who it is 01:23 It's Joseph. Everybody say, "Joseph." [Congregation: Joseph] 01:25 One of the reasons is, because the life of Joseph has close similarities with the life of Jesus. 01:34 Both Joseph and Jesus were the objects of their father's love. 01:39 Both were hated and rejected by their brothers. 01:42 Joseph, his sibling brothers and Jesus, his Jewish brothers. 01:48 In both cases, their brothers conspired to kill them. Both of them were dealt with unfairly. 01:55 Joseph didn't deserve to be thrown in a pit, and Jesus didn't deserve to be hung on a cross. 02:02 Now, our text says that Joseph was hated by his brothers for two reasons. 02:09 Number one, their father Jacob, everybody say, "Jacob." [Congregation: Jacob] 02:13 Loved Joseph more than he loved them and because of his love for Joseph, 02:17 Jacob gave him a coat of many colors as the text says, 02:20 and his brothers brood in hot jealousy toward him. 02:23 Number two, Joseph told his brothers that he was a dreamer. 02:28 He dreamed that one day they would bow down to him. Truth be told. 02:35 If my sister or my brother told me that one day I would bow down to them. 02:40 I would be jealous of them too. Do I have a witness in this place? 02:45 But we know the story. One day when Joseph was out in the field his brothers said, 02:48 "We've had enough of this, here comes the dreamer. Let's get him." 02:52 The Bible says, "They stripped Joseph off his coat, smeared goats blood on it, 02:56 and threw him in a pit to die. Let us be clear this morning. 03:02 It wasn't Joseph's fault that his father loved him like he did. 03:06 It wasn't Joseph's fault that he dreamed what he did. 03:11 But his own brothers, his own flesh and blood threw him in a pit. 03:19 He's not at the mall, he's not at the basketball game, he's not at the movie, Joseph's in a pit. 03:27 He has no access to email, no Facebook friendship, no Netflix, 03:33 no tweeting, no texting, no Instagraming, Joseph's in a pit. 03:39 Class of 2019, no saying, "What's paid? Fresh bread and quiet.” 03:44 No singing by and by in chapel, no putting cell phones in yonder patches, 03:51 no dysfunctional mock marriages in economics class. [Congregation: Amen] 03:56 Joseph's in a pit. He's guilty of two things. Number one, being his father's favorite son. 04:05 Number two, he's a dreamer. All he's doing is what your class model is saying you should do. 04:13 Dream the impossible so you can achieve the improbable. 04:19 Joseph-- although he's eleventh in line, was Jacob's pick. 04:25 So it sparked anger and jealousy among Joseph's brothers. Let me tell you something today. 04:30 Let God start using you, and watch how many people the devil will stir up against you. 04:37 [Congregation: That's true] 04:38 He's not all that. [Congregation : Amen] 04:41 She's not all that. If I had that I could do it too. [Congregation: Yes] 04:47 You see, when God starts blessing you friends of mine, 04:52 understand you will become a marked man or marked woman. 04:57 It's from this Joseph's story, that I've learned four things that I want to share with you today. 05:03 Number one, beware of dream killers. [Congregation: Amen] 05:10 What do I mean? Everybody can't handle your dreams. Especially big dreams. [Congregation: Yes] 05:16 I have learned in my life. Everybody is not pleased when you're blessed. 05:21 Everybody just not joy in your successes. 05:24 The greatest moment in your life can lead to the greatest moment of envy 05:28 and jealousy in somebody else's life. Because when you've been blessed, when you've been favored, 05:33 when you've been chosen, when you been picked, get ready for the pit. 05:39 People will hate on you and they don't even know why. 05:42 Through no doings of his own, Joseph was chosen heir to his father Jacobs riches. 05:47 Again eleventh in line, but I've learned dogs don't bark at parked cars. 05:54 Dogs bark at moving cars. The brighter the light, the more you attract bugs. 06:01 Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons. [Congregation: Praising] 06:09 Dream killers will try to hurt you, harm you, hate on you and destroy you. 06:18 But what they don't understand is, they're actually helping you. What am I talking about? 06:24 The Bible says that, “God will make your enemies your footstool." 06:28 Which means God will put your haters under your feet. 06:31 Which means your enemies are actually pouring the concrete that you go walk on. 06:36 So then your haters are actually your elevators to make you go higher. 06:39 Do I have a witness in his place? Beware of dream killers. 06:44 The text says in verse five, "Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it." 06:50 He did what everybody? [Congregation: Told it] 06:51 Told it to his brothers and they hated him more. 06:54 I've learned talking about being aware and beware of dream killers. 06:57 I've learned you can't tell everybody, everything. [Congregation: I know] 07:00 Some people can't handle it. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 07:03 I believe I got some older folk who know what I'm talking about. Young people listen to me. 07:06 Some people are not ready for the blessings of God on your life. 07:10 Some people are not ready to hear the vision God has for your life. 07:13 Some people are not ready to hear the dreams that God has for your life. 07:15 It's not always expedient, that you tell everybody everything, because some folks can't handle it. 07:22 I said in this church all the time, God-- and you got to know who they are, 07:26 but God will give you your Peter, James and John. [Congregation: Amen] 07:31 It doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with Matthew and you and Thomas. 07:35 But you've got to know who your Peter, James and John are, because everybody can't handle everything. 07:40 Joseph's brothers hate him because he's a dreamer. His dream is their nightmare. 07:47 Not everyone can handle your dream. [Congregation: Amen] 07:50 Not everybody understands your dreams. [Congregation: Amen] 07:52 Not everyone understands or wants your dreams to come true. 07:55 Everybody can't handle your dreams, so be careful who you share your dreams and vision with. 07:59 Because many times God gives us dreams to accomplish what he intends for us to accomplish, 08:03 and as soon as we share with somebody else they're waiting to kill it. [Congregation: Okay] 08:07 I call them dream killers, success slayers, vision assassins. Let's try this new initiative? 08:17 We've never done it that way. I'm going to pursue this career, no one's ever done that. 08:22 Let's build a new building, we don't have enough money. 08:26 Well, news flash will never have enough money. 08:28 If we had enough money we'd say, "Look what we've done." 08:32 In my ministry, 25 years, I've never had a vision for ministry I could afford. 08:37 If I could afford it, I wouldn't need God. 08:39 If I could afford it, I would have the big head and think I've done something. 08:42 If I could afford it, my nose would be so high in the air that if it rain, I drown. 08:46 So God will make it so in my ministry that I can't afford it, 08:50 so when he does it, I'll know it wasn't me but it was God. 08:54 God always makes provision for the vision, because if it's God's will, it's God's bill. 08:59 If it's God's choice, it's God's invoice because understand 09:04 you've got to be aware of dream killers. [Congregation: Amen] 09:08 Number two, I've learned from the text. Dreams can be dangerous. [Congregation: Yes] 09:13 Dreams can be dangerous because God's dreams interrupt the way things are. 09:18 Dangerous because God's dream may challenge the status quo and envisioned a new way of doing things. 09:23 You see, I've learned many people talk change but they don't really want change. 09:27 They talk innovation but they really don't want innovation. 09:29 They talk creativity but they don't really want creativity because let me tell you something, 09:33 if your dream only confirms what already is, 09:36 which is rubber stamping the norm and accepting the average, 09:39 it's not God's dream because God upsets our human way of doing things. 09:44 Flipping life on its head, the first shall be last. The last shall be first. 09:49 The least becomes the greatest and this is why Joseph's brothers are mad. 09:55 Dreaming is dangerous because it just might get you thrown in a pit, you might lose a job. 10:02 You might get passed over for a job. You might miss out on a promotion, you might get a demotion, 10:10 you might get thrown into jail or worse yet, lose your life. 10:15 Think about Dr. Martin Luther King, he had a dream but even when his dream he went to a Birmingham Jail. 10:22 Even with his dream he lost his life but yet that didn't stop him from dreaming. 10:27 He still had the courage to take-- to dream and take the risk to dream 10:32 knowing that dreaming can be dangerous.But think about Jesus, he had a dream. 10:38 He went to pilot's judgment hall, lost his life on Calvary but yet he had a dream. 10:46 You've got your dream the impossible to achieve the improbable. 10:52 Which means then, if you're going to find a cure of a cancer one of you, you got a dream. 10:58 If you're going to go to the moon one of you, you've got to dream. 11:03 If you're going to start your own business, you've got to dream. 11:07 If you're going to open up multiple medical practices, you've got to dream. 11:12 If you're going to baptize hundreds of people, you've got to dream. [Congregation: Amen] 11:16 If you want to do something with your life, you must dream. 11:20 It might be dangerous but you've got a dream. It might be risky but you've got a dream. 11:26 It might get you thrown in a pit, but you've got a dream. 11:29 Speaking of landing in a pit, I've learned that sometimes God will make you have, 11:34 or allow you to have a pit experience to get you to talk to him. [Congregation: Preach pastor] 11:39 Now the text, the Bible does not tell us how long Joseph stayed in the pit. 11:43 But however long it was, we knew Joseph began to talk to God 11:47 because having a little talk with Jesus always makes it right. 11:50 Young people everyday class in 2019, it's not going to be peaches and cream, 11:54 there are going to be some days where you're in a pit and when you get there-- 12:00 because it's not a matter of if you get there, live long enough, you will get there. 12:05 Let me suggest that you learn how to talk to God. 12:08 I'm a witness that some of the best prayer in my life came from a pit. 12:16 The best prayer you could ever have is when you're up against the wall. 12:22 What am I talking about? Come here, Brother Daniel. 12:25 Tell us about it, I was in the lion's den. [Congregation: Praising] 12:29 But I found out that God answers prayer in the pits. 12:33 Come here Brother Jonah, I was in the belly of a whale, but I cried out unto God. 12:39 Some of the best prayer comes from a pit. 12:42 Come here, Paul and Silas, we were in a jail cell but at midnight, God answered prayer. 12:52 Some of the best prayer comes from a pit. 12:56 Class of 2019, you will have some pit experiences and it's going look like God isn't there. 13:05 But I'm a believing witness, that some of your best prayer is going to come from a pit. 13:10 The good news is my friends that although God will allow you to have a pit experience, 13:16 just remember the pit is not your destiny. [Congregation: Amen] 13:20 No matter how you feel, no matter how bad it gets, 13:25 no matter how bad your boss or your professor future might be, 13:31 don't you let the devil ever convince you that you're always going to be in a pit situation. 13:37 God is God enough and too much of God leave you in a pit. 13:42 God is a God that will move you out of the pit because God-- 13:45 I've learned never delivers you from something unless he's delivering you to something. 13:50 What he's delivering you to is always better than what you came out of. 13:55 Somebody's out to give God some glory right there because-- [Congregation: Clapping] 13:58 --if you're not careful, the devil will have you making accommodations in your pit. 14:04 He'll make you think that this is the way it's supposed to be. 14:07 So I might as well going to make myself comfortable in the pit 14:12 because this is where I'm going to be. But the devil is a lie. [Congregation: Amen] 14:16 The pit is not your destiny. 14:19 In fact we serve a God who says I'm going to use the pit to bring a praise in your life. 14:27 Which brings me to number three. Put your dreams under God's authority. 14:33 Joseph is thrown in a pit but in a final act of love, his brothers pull him out of that pit, 14:41 sell them to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver, 14:44 doom him to a life of slavery in Egypt but God. [Congregation: Amen, God] 14:50 I say but, God. God again, never delivers us from something unless he's delivering us to something. 15:01 In Genesis 39, Joseph winds up in the house of Potiphar, Captain of the Egyptian God. 15:08 While he's in the service of Potiphar, Potiphar's wife has her eyes on Brother Joseph. 15:14 She makes advances at him but Joseph doesn't yield to temptation. 15:20 We used to sing it years ago, yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin. 15:26 So she lies on Joseph and tells her husband, Joseph was trying to lie with her, 15:32 when in reality she's trying to lie with him. [Congregation: Yes] 15:36 Joseph ends up in prison. He's convicted on false charges. 15:40 But the Bible says in Genesis 39, three different times verse nine, verse 21, of 23 that, 15:45 "God is with Joseph." Let that me a reminder to somebody that you may be put in an earthly pits 15:57 but if God is with you, if you're under God's authority, 16:04 no weapon formed against you is going to prosper. Understand friends of mine while in prison, 16:13 Genesis 40 tells us that Joseph makes friends with the butler 16:17 and the baker who are on death row with him. 16:20 They discovered that Joseph has the ability to interpret dreams. 16:23 They dream dreams, Joseph interprets them. Their dreams come to pass, the baker is hung, 16:29 the butler gets out of prison on parole but he forgets what Joseph has done for him, 16:33 which then amplifies the old saying, "The people you help the most appreciated the least." 16:41 But here's Joseph, his father loves him. His father gives him a coat of many colors. 16:48 He dreams, dreams. His brothers throw him in a pit. They sell him for 20 pieces of silver. 16:55 He's seduced by a woman, lied on by the same woman. 17:00 In prison on trumped up charges, forgotten in jail by the one he's helped, but God didn't forget him. 17:10 God remembered his faithfulness and God raised him up in a pit but God raised him up in slavery, 17:21 but God raised him up in prison, but God raised him up no family, no friends, but God raised him up. 17:30 He didn't do it, but God did it. 17:33 God raised him up to be the Secretary of Agriculture at a time of famine in Egypt. 17:39 God raised Joseph up to be in charge of Egypt's modern day publics 17:44 at a time when food had run out in Israel. 17:47 Fast forward to Genesis 41. Joseph's brothers come to Egypt for food 17:55 and the same man that they put in that pit that day, the same man they hated. [Congregation: Praising] 18:03 The same man they envied. [Congregation: Whoa] 18:05 The same man they had been jealous of. 18:06 The same man they had sold off into slavery is now the same man in charge of food stamps. 18:14 Somebody knows that late in the midnight hour, God is going to turn it around. 18:23 It's going to work in your favor. 18:26 I have learned that God, in his own time and in his own way has a way of turning that thing around. 18:34 Can I tell you something right now? I've seen employees become the employers. 18:39 I've seen employers become the employees. [Congregation: Whoa ] 18:43 I have seen pastors become the president and presidents become the pastors. 18:48 I have seen the people that used to get the checks become the people who sign the checks. 18:52 [Congregation: Yes] 18:54 The one who used to sign the check stands in line now to get a check. 18:58 Just keep trusting God. [laughing] Just follow God. God has a way of raising you up. 19:05 After the pits, after the prison, God raises Joseph up. 19:13 Beware of dream killers, dreams can become dangerous 19:19 but when you put your dreams under God's authority, God will raise you up. 19:25 Fourth and final point. Number four. Keep on dreaming. I say you got to keep on dreaming. 19:36 In the journey of life, some things change and sometimes life feels like the pits. 19:46 But don't you ever forget, don't ever forget that God is at work. He still sits high but he looks low. 19:57 Your dreams may not come in your life in the timetable that you want, 20:03 but don't you ever forget that delay is not denial. 20:07 Don't get weary in well doing, you keep on dreaming. [Congregation: Amen] 20:15 Joseph kept on dreaming, and eventually he became second in command in Egypt. 20:21 Because God's dreams can't be stopped. Remember, death couldn't hold God back and God's dream in Jesus. 20:32 He was crucified on Friday. He lay resting in the grave on the Sabbath. 20:38 But early Sunday morning, on the third appointed day, he got up with all power in his hands. 20:47 I am a living witness that sometimes our setbacks are just set up for comebacks 20:54 because dreamers don't die easily. Keep on dreaming. Somebody said it on the internet that, 21:00 "The road to success is not straight, there's a curve called failure, 21:06 a loop called confusion, speed bumps called friends, red lights called enemies, 21:11 yellow lights called family, you will have some flat tires called jobs, 21:16 but if you have a spare tire called determination, an engine called perseverance, 21:21 insurance called faith and a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called success." 21:29 I wish I had a church in this place right now. I'm getting ready to get on the Dream Team. 21:34 I said I'm getting on the Dream Team and you know the captain of the Dream Team is? Jesus! 21:42 Young people you got to keep on dreaming. 21:46 Every president if you go talk to Elder Jones, if you go talk to Dr. Pollard, 21:53 every president, every CEO, every pastor. If you talk to me, Pastor Goodridge, 22:00 Pastor Williams, Pastor Sneil, Pastor Lee,any of these pastors. Pastor Williams anybody, 22:04 Pastor Carriger, every person has felt the urge to quit. [Congregation: Yes] 22:12 But you can't quit, you got to stay on the wall. That's our theme in the office. 22:19 You got to stay on the wall. You got to keep on dreaming. 22:24 Pastor Byrd, let me get vulnerable right now because a lot of people see me up here think all this and that, 22:28 you have no idea, it's lonely at the top. 22:32 I'm a witness that the cost of success is late nights, early mornings-- [Congregation: Amen] 22:44 Few friends-- [Congregation: Amen] 22:48 Being misunderstood-- [Congregation: Amen] 22:52 Feeling overwhelmed. [Congregation: Amen] 22:55 You start feeling bad that you begin to question your sanity. But you got to keep on dreaming. 23:04 Every day I wake up and I come to this church, I tell myself, "You got to keep on dreaming." 23:09 Because if you don't dream, our churches are going to die. [Congregation: Amen] 23:15 Our schools are going to die. The community is going to die, the world will die and you will die. 23:26 So there are going to be some doors slammed in your face but you got a dream. 23:31 People are going to call you crazy, but you got a dream. 23:36 Your money is going to get funny, your change is going to get strange, your credit won't get it, but you got a dream. 23:42 You might not make the grades you want all the time but you got a dream. 23:47 People are going to walk out of your life, they're going to leave you hanging, but you got a dream. 23:53 People are going to sit on committees that you thought were your friend, 23:56 and you thought they would vote for you but they don't, but you got a dream. 24:02 Friends are going to talk about you, but you got a dream. 24:06 Family won't understand you, but you got a dream. 24:11 Colleagues and classmates will envy you, but you got a dream. 24:16 Folk will hate on you, but you got a dream. 24:20 Class of 2019 whatever you do, don't stop dreaming. 24:26 Your ice is as cold as anybody's, your sugar is as sweet as anybody's, 24:33 you are as bright and beautiful as anybody. 24:37 Don't you let me body tell you that's your Oakwood Adventist education is an inferior education, 24:43 you've got to dream the impossible. Achieve the improbable, beware of dream killers, 24:51 dreaming can be dangerous. Put your dreams under God's authority and keep on dreaming 24:59 because the Lord is my rock, in Him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm. 25:07 The Lord's my shepherd, I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, 25:13 He leadeth me beside still waters. The Lord is my light, my salvation, whom shall I fear? 25:22 The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? [Congregation: Amen] 25:31 Dream the impossible, achieve the improbable 25:43 and God will bless you. 25:49 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 25:53 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 25:58 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 26:00 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 26:06 Or, call us at (256) 929-646 26:16 [End] 26:19 I'm excited South Florida because Breath of Life Television Ministries 26:24 we're coming to Miami this summer, for our 2019 Summer Revival. 26:30 At the Bethany church, loacted 2500 NW 5Oth Street, Miami, FL 33142. 26:39 That's right, beginning Saturday evening July 20th through Saturday August 3rd. 26:45 Each and every night at 7 P.M. except Monday's and Thursday's. 26:50 Each and every evening, yours truly will preach the word of God 26:54 and we will also have something for children ages 3-12. 26:58 On opening night, Saturday night July 20th 27:02 our special musical guest will be Pastor Donnie McClurkin. 27:06 Also, on Sunday night July 21st our special musical guest will be Sensere. 27:13 And then on Wednesday night July 24th, also at 7 P.M. 27:18 Jonathan Nelson will share his musical ministry with us. 27:23 For more information the number is 256.929.6460, 27:30 or visit us online at www.breathoflife.tv 27:37 Revisit Jamaica and the recent Breath of Life revival 27:41 at the Andrews Church in Kingston, Jamaica. 27:44 For your donation of $50 or more 27:46 we will send you the complete 6-DVD set, including bonus features. 27:50 To give, visit our website at www.breathoflife. 27:56 Or call (877)265-6333 and mention giving code 411GIF |
Revised 2020-02-19