A Dream

At the risk of appearing like I ripped off martin Luther king Jr., This is part of a messsage I preached last Sunday.

I have a dream…
• I have a dream of a church that has a passion for Jesus and a passion for people.
• I have a dream of a church that sees people saved on a regular basis
• Who sees every guest and every visitor as an honor to have them.
• Where everyone takes ownership in what’s going on and where no one sees themselves as the owner of the church.
• Where love and compassion drive what we do.
• Where guests aren’t treated like they have leprosy nor have a hidden agenda for being here.
• Where we all can put aside our own insecurities and fear of failure and reach out to people who need community.
• Where family is loved and appreciated but never placed above the heart of God for the lost.
• Where there is no favoritism or partiality toward certain people and apathy and indifference toward others.
• Where we all live what we say in the church house and at our own house.
• Where a visitor can come and not feel like their on some foreign soil or feel like their crashing a family reunion.
• Where every single person is greeted with a friendly hello and a handshake.
• Where everyone sees their own worth and understands that words, expressions, body language, and attitudes matter…. As well as the lack of.
• Where shame is instantly felt when we knowingly disregard someone.
• Where everyone is on time and ready to minister.
• Where though we take vacations, we don’t take vacations from giving.
• Where we recognize those among us who serve and we see what we can do to help.
• Where we look for opportunities to encourage.
• Where everyone knows everyone’s name within the first 2 weeks of their first Sunday with us.
• Where theirs as much energy put into our youth as into our adults.
• Where nursery work is viewed as ministry and not baby sitting.
• Where every event has a purpose and if you say your going to be there, your there and where we take responsibility in remembering what’s going on.
• Where prayer is going on.
• Where fasting is going on
• Where true fellowship is going on.
• I have a dream of a church where preachers are called and where men and women dream dreams and see visions.
• Where integrity and character are being developed by everyone.
• Where we start looking for excuses for being here instead of making them for why were not here.
• Where we don’t give up on people.
• Where we see that the spirit that unites us is thicker than flesh and blood.
• I dream of a church that desires the presence of God so much that TV’s get turned off, where bibles get dusted off, where alters get cleared off and where the flesh comes off.
• Where heaven is always in our sights and where hell strikes such terror that we can’t help to do what we got to do to pluck souls from it.
• I dream of a church where the balcony is not just used to film services and collect dust bunnies.
• I dream of a church where I am asking for volunteers to become parking lot attendants.
• I dream of a church where the pastor or the CE director doesn’t have to pass around one more sign up sheet for nursery workers.
• I dream of a church that will not put one more limitation on God.
• I dream of a church were its people put into practice and remember what was preached and taught.
• Where God is the first person we call.
• Where His presence is revered, so cherished, so respected that we are either compelled to worship or to leave.
• Where we never ask the question again “whether this church is right for them.”
• Where we aren’t afraid of the prophetic word and where we aren’t gun-shy to speak in tongues and where those who don’t agree with it realize they are sitting in a Pentecostal church.
• Where our relationships are such a precious commodity that we place value in investing into them regularly.
• Where peoples motives aren’t questioned.
• Where there’s no jealousy toward someone who’s being used by the Lord.
• Where conviction grips us instead of the compulsion to dismiss the word and the presence of the Lord.
• I dream of a church where people don’t need to be begged to meet deadlines to pay deposits or get involved or to show up.
• I dream of a church where people don’t disregard what the pastor speaking because they think everything’s fine.
• I dream of a church where I get asked, “when the next revival”, when’s the next water baptism service? When’s camp meeting?”
• I dream of a church where the American dream is replaced with the God dream.
• I dream of a church that can be a beacon of hope to those that need it.
• I dream of a church that is gossip free, partiality free and jealousy free.
• I dream of a church that doesn’t just protects it’s own but offers the same protection to the stranger.
• I dream of a church that has the faces burned in their minds of those we have dealt with unkindly.
• I dream of a church were instead of placing the burden of acceptance on the visitor that we bear that burden.
• I dream of a church that I get to preach to an unsaved sinner every week…hopefully not the same one!
• Where no one gets put on a pedestal and no one is kicked off of one.
• I dream of a church where its people use love, tact and diplomacy.
• I dream of a church where room I made for peoples gifts.
• I dream of a church absent of insecurities but are reminded that it is God that has called me.
• I dream of a church that is quick to discern when the enemy is working and is quick to kick him out in the name of Jesus.
• I dream of a church who invokes the Name of Jesus over their problems instead of invoking their own remedies that haven’t worked up to this point anyway.
• I dream of a church that doesn’t make excuses for sin.
• I dream of a church that surrounds those who come to the alter to pray on Sundays.
• I dream of a church that realizes it’s potential
• Who understands it crucial role in our history and our society.
• I dream of a church full of people that have the audacity to invite someone to Heritage.
• I dream of a church that doesn’t need phylacteries or long religious robes or other outward things to justify themselves but glories in their relationship with Jesus Christ.