Dreams and Visions

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.”

Introduction: When God gives people a dream, He shows them the results of the dream?not the process. If a dream is the finish line, then we must run the process of 100m, 1500m, 3000m or the marathon race. A dream may be beautiful and sweet, but the process to get to the finish line is accompanied by great trials and tribulation.

1. God’s dream that Joseph received.
1) Harvested heap of wheat (Ge 37:7).
2) The sun, moon, and eleven stars ? bowing (Ge 37:9-11).
3) The pain of the process.
① Brothers’ betrayal (Ge 37:19-20, 28).
② Ten years of slavery (Ge 39:1-4).
③ The false accusation by Potiphar’s wife (Ge 39:10-12).
④ Three years in jail (Ge 39:19-20).
4) Interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream and the governor (Ge 41:43).
5) Completion of a dream.

2. God’s dream that Jesus received.
1) Salvation of humankind (Jn 3:16; Lk 19:10).
2) Jesus’ victory (Col 2:14-15).
3) God’s great joy (Php 2:8-11).
4) The process.
① Human birth.
② Hardship during thirty-three years of life.
③ The sufferings of the Cross.
④ Death and resurrection.

3. God’s dream for us.
1) The Fivefold Gospel and Threefold Blessing of the Cross (Ps 103:3-5; 3Jn 1:2).
2) If we accept God’s dream, then it will become ours (Ac 2:17; Php 2:13).
3) We must go through the process of accomplishing a dream.
① The process of becoming righteous.
② The process of becoming holy.
③ The process of being healed.
④ The process of receiving blessings.
⑤ The process of receiving resurrection, eternal life, and heaven.

Conclusion: God’s dream will definitely come true. No matter how painful the process, we must not abandon hope but firmly believe, pray, and praise the Lord with patience.