Why God's Big Dream Will Make You Stunningly Happy

God’s Big Dream is our point of emphasis today as we continue to talk about doing the works of Jesus. God is a worker! Perhaps you’ve never thought of Him that way. But that’s how He first appears in the Bible. In the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2, you will find that God wears multiple occupational hats: we are talking strategic planner, designer, civil engineer, real estate developer, project manager, artist, and many more. Using His skills, God created something that was “very good” (1:31). Furthermore, God continues to work. That’s what Jesus shared about His Father in John 5:17 — “ My Father is working until now, and I am working.” God maintains the creation and provides for His creatures. He also carries out the work of salvation using people like you and I to help Him accomplish these tasks.¹ Do you like the idea of being a co-worker with God to bring His Big Dream to pass? If you do, stick around for this week’s podcast as we focus on “Why God’s Big Dream Will Make you Stunningly Happy” all on this week’s Light on Life.

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What is His big dream? If you want to know, you will find the answer in the first book of the Bible and in the last book. Click To Tweet

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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This week’s call is:

God has a Big Dream and He wants to use you to bring it about. Are you game? Do you desire to be a co-worker with God in these last days?

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Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
This week’s question is:

Question: How does knowing what God’s Big Dream is motivate you in your work for the Kingdom? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 47 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 42 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Prayer

Podcast Notes

Well again, welcome.
Let’s pray.

Father God, thank for allowing us to work in your big plan. Thank you for showing us what our part is — what the will of God is for our life, in Jesus Name, Amen.

God’s Big Dream: Work Is A Good Thing!

Here are three verses that we will start out with that will help us with the concept of being a co-worker with God.

John 14:12–14 (ESV) — “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

In a previous podcast, we asked this question: “What are we going to do with this statement that came from the lips of the immaculate son of God?”
Jesus said straight out and plain that the works that He did we are to do as well.
We found out looking at several verses that the works of Jesus include teaching, preaching, and healing.
‘The works that I do,’ Jesus said, ‘shall you do also.’
Believers in Jesus should be doing the work of teaching, preaching and getting people healed.
The works of Jesus in manifestation are the evidence of the King and His Kingdom.
We are to engage them and be busy about doing them — that’s the directive of our Lord and Savior.
If we love Him, we will keep His commandments.

God’s Big Dream Means Togetherness

Doing the works of Jesus is not something independent of the Father.
Jesus didn’t even do these works on His own.

John 5:19 (ESV) — 19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Just two verses before John 14:12 where Jesus told us that we can and are to do the works that He did, comes this statement from His lips.

John 14:10 (ESV) — 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

The Father is the doer of the works.

2 Corinthians 5:21–6:1 (ESV) — 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Notice the words, ‘working together.’
Jesus ‘worked together’ with the Father.
We are to do the same.
How can we do any less?
Here’s yet another verse along the same line.

1 Corinthians 3:9 (ESV) — For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

The Greek word ‘fellow worker’ is the one we want to look at and with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
The word ‘fellow worker’ is all one word in the Greek.
It means working together, joining or helping in work.
We are working together with God.
Joining with Him in the work of saving man, helping man, lifting man, healing man, prospering the man that He loves.
Co-working with God means togetherness.

Fulfilling God’s Big Dream

God is using you — He wants to use you to fulfill His big dream.
The works of Jesus are just one tool in His tool chest.
It would be helpful for us to know what God’s endgame is so that we are more forward looking instead of being compressed by the present.
So, what is His big dream?
If you want to know, you will find the answer in the first book of the Bible and in the last book.
It’s in the first book because when He created Adam, God started right away showing us the reason for creating man.
Now, we will look at that but, suffice it to say, at this point that God’s desire was interrupted by man’s sin in the Garden.
From then on, right to the end of the Bible, God works to get His plan, His desire, His dream fulfilled.
In the book of Revelation, we discover God’s magnificent dream.
Revelation is the climax — Revelation is the end — Revelation is the target God’s been shooting at since Adam fell in the Garden.
Here it is.
This is God’s big dream.

Revelation 21:1–4 (ESV) — 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

What is God’s big dream?
‘Behold’ — behold means look and see — ‘the dwelling place of God is with man!’
You see, God’s desire has always been to be with you.
In context, that means occupy [if we could say it this way] the same physical space as you.
His heart’s desire is to share the universe mono on mono with you.
Listen to it again — the dwelling place of God is with man AND — listen to the ‘and.’
‘He will dwell with them.’
So, just in case we didn’t get it the first time, God repeats Himself.
God’s dwelling place is not heaven — God’s dwelling place is with man.
Can you understand the Psalmist now?

Psalm 8:4 (ESV) — what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Sometimes, I just put both hands on my face and just say, ‘Wow.’
Sometimes there are people on Planet Earth, those in our world who want to shun us.
That’s not God — He wants to dwell with you.
Where you are, that’s where He wants to be.
The Spirit of God continues to share in Revelation — listen to it — ‘God Himself will be with them as their God.’
With them, did you hear that? — with them, with you.
Hanging out with you — that’s God’s big dream.
So that’s Revelation.
Now, I said you can find ‘God’s desire’ in the first book of the Bible and in the last.
We just looked at the last.
Now, let’s look at the first.

God’s Big Dream: Adam in the Garden

So, you know, or should know the Genesis story.
God made man on the sixth day.

Genesis 1:24–25 (ESV) — 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

God started day six by creating the animal Kingdom.
We’re talking mammals — we’re talking reptiles — we’re talking insects.
If you watch any of the nature programs, you’ll marvel at how utterly complicated and intertwined these different realms are.
Scientists are still trying to figure out all the complexities and all of this was just a small part of day six.
God created the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground in a matter of hours.
I say, hours but it could have been minutes or moments.
The point? With the marvel of the kingdom, we still are not done with day six.
God is a big God — He’s a powerful God.
The most powerful — there is no one as powerful as Jehovah God.
No one as complex as our God.
No one has intelligence that compares.
You can’t even be in the same room with Him intellectually.
Now, you might be tempted to think that the Lord exerted Himself creating the animal kingdom — I mean, this was a good day’s work.
Maybe God needs to take a nap to recharge?
That’s easily answered by scripture.

1 Kings 18:27 (ESV) — 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”

No, God doesn’t need to rest to recharge — that’s for false gods.
Facts in evidence paint a different picture of God.

Genesis 1:1–3 (ESV) — 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

In Genesis 1:1, the scripture says ‘God created the heavens and the earth.’
What follows two verses later is this: And God said, ‘Let there be… and there was.’
The word ‘created’ is linked with the word ‘said.’
How did God create? — He said.
How much energy does it take to say? — To speak?
The writer of Hebrews says the same thing in different words.

Hebrews 11:3 (ESV) — 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

How much energy do you expend speaking a few words?
The difference between you and me is that when God speaks a few words, universes come into being.
We are still only a few hours into day six and we have animals, reptiles, insects.
What’s next?

Genesis 1:26–31 (ESV) — 26 Then…

‘Then’ is a vital word.
It means there’s something else on day six.

Genesis 1:26–31 (ESV) — 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “ >> [Be fruitful] and multiply and fill the earth and [ subdue it], and [have dominion] over<< the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

All of this together was one 24 hour period of time.
Naysayers try to spout out other theories.
They minimize God — they try to bring Him down to a smaller level so they can get a believable grasp.
Your wasting your time — God is too much God to be minimized.
His understanding is infinite.
And with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

The finite can neither see nor comprehend the Infinite. The Infinite has to reveal Himself. Henry Ward Beecher said: “When Columbus drew near to the eastern coast of this continent, he could see that there were mountains, but do you believe he knew what minerals were in them? Do you suppose he knew all the trees, all the shrubs, all the vines, all the herbs there? He knew something about the outlying islands of this great continent, but he did not understand the details that went to make it up. I can understand there is such a being as God, but when it is said that He is infinite, I am so finite that my comprehension ends right there. I cannot understand infiniteness. All things in the natural world symbolize God, yet none of them speak of Him but in broken and imperfect words. High above all He sits, sublimer than mountains, nobler than lords, truer than parents, more loving than lovers. His feet tread the lowest places of the earth, but His head is above all glory; everywhere He is supreme.”[AMG Illustrations]

So God made man, male and female He created them and put them in a Garden.
Now, God didn’t just walk off.
He didn’t just leave — He didn’t just split — you know, ’see you later.’
‘After a while crocodile.’

Genesis 3:8 (ESV) — 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

There is no scripture that I can find that says that after God finished off six days of creation polishing it all off by making man, that He left and went back to heaven.
But, we do have a scripture that shows Him physically on the earth.
And so, God was walking in the same Garden where He put man.
They are occupying the same space.
Adam walked with God.
God walked with Adam.
They walked together in the wind of God.
That’s what the phrase, the ‘cool of the day’ means.
Here’s another quote — it could easily be the quote of the day as well.

The life God intended for humanity was one of ideal service in an ideal location (Gen 2:15). It was a life of knowing and walking with God. It was an everlasting Sabbath. This notion of life as a relationship with God carried over into the teaching of Jesus and into the Gospels.²

I like that quote — life is a relationship with God.
It’s a life of knowing and walking with God.
Walking with God means walking according to His will.
And, His will for your life and the next person’s life, and the next and on and on until the whole Body of Christ throughout 2000 years is all combined to end up in Revelation 21.
This thought of knowing God and walking with Him carried over into the teaching of Jesus.
This is what He said about that.

John 17:3 (ESV) — 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

God’s Big Dream: Trouble in Paradise

There was a problem in the Garden and it impacted God’s big dream.
You know about it and the result.

Genesis 3:24 (ESV) — 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Instead of God being able to walk with man in the wind of God, He had to drive him out — He had to drive him away.
So, God has a dilemna — He still hungers to be with the man that He created — the man that He loves — the man that is so stupid and blinded by sin.
There wasn’t any recipriocity — nothing coming back to God — no fellowship.
Man just found new ways to sin until it got so bad that He had to wipe out the whole bunch except for eight souls.
All of this dove tails into God calling Abraham — God making a nation out of His seed — something organized — something structured so that God could hand around the fringes.
We have Moses now — we have the children of Israel — we have Pharoah — we have the Exodus.
Now Israel is in the wilderness.
What next?
Build a Tabernacle — God gave Moses instructions — He gave Him a plan.
You read about the plan in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Don’t lose sight of the plan — don’t lose sight of God’s big dream while you are slugging your way through all the ‘thou shalt and thou shalt not that you find in this four books.
You will find passages like this among the stacks of commandments.

God’s Big Dream: A Scripture Walk

Exodus 25:8 (ESV) — 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.

Exodus 29:42–46 (ESV) — 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.

Leviticus 26:11–12 (ESV) — 11 I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

There are a couple of passages in Ezekiel — same deal.
Here is one of them.

Ezekiel 43:9 (ESV) — 9 Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

Now, we have the qualifier ‘forever.’

Zechariah 2:10–11 (ESV) — 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

God’s Big Dream: Enter Jesus

So, you know God.
He is planner.
God is the ultimate planner
Enter Jesus.
He agrees with the Father to bring God’s big dream a step closer.

John 1:14 (ESV) — 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Instead of being covered by a tent — now one of the members of the Godhead is clothed in flesh.
God’s big dream is getting closer!
You know the rest of the story — Jesus dies for man’s sin so that we might all be reconciled back to God.
He did this spiritually in Christ.
But can’t just show up in the cool of the day yet.
Why not?
Because man’s body is infected with the sin nature.
Your spirit is alive to God but your body is dead in sin.
So, in this phase, is this Church Age.
We are joined with Him in heavenly places.

Ephesians 2:1,4–7 (ESV) — 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins… 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

He made us sit together with Him.
That’s cool — but there is greater.
There’s this Revelation move which we have already looked at where God moves heaven to earth.
How come He didn’t do it the other way around?
How come He didn’t move earth to heaven.
You making heaven is not God’s big dream.
God making earth His home and, you His neighbor, is God’s big dream and when he pulls it off, I guarantee you — it will make you very happy.
He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Father God, I thank you for your big dream. I thank you for our part in that brilliant plan. The stuff that’s happening in our country today, help us to see how it’s part of the plan and, if it isn’t, we ask you in Jesus’ Name to set things straight.

Why God’s Big Dream Will Make You Stunningly Happy.
You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

#S4-029: How God Uses Dreams to Direct His People [Encore Podcast]

__________
References:

The Word in Life Study Bible, New Testament Edition, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville; 1993), pp. 346–347 ↩
D. H. Johnson, “Life,” ed. Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 470. ↩

emeryhorvath.com

Equipping people to pursue God's glory

Why God’s Big Dream Will Make You Stunningly Happy

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Twenty-Three

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

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Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Podcast Notes

God’s Big Dream: Work Is A Good Thing!

God’s Big Dream Means Togetherness

Fulfilling God’s Big Dream

God’s Big Dream: Adam in the Garden

God’s Big Dream: Trouble in Paradise

God’s Big Dream: A Scripture Walk

God’s Big Dream: Enter Jesus

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe to PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the Gospel of John. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Podcast Notes

God’s Big Dream: Work Is A Good Thing!

God’s Big Dream Means Togetherness

Fulfilling God’s Big Dream

God’s Big Dream: Adam in the Garden

God’s Big Dream: Trouble in Paradise

God’s Big Dream: A Scripture Walk

God’s Big Dream: Enter Jesus

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