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Seeing the Dream

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Dreams are powerful forces. It was with a picture in his mind of a better future for his people that Martin Luther King, Jr. stood in front of thousands of people and declared, 'I have a dream'. Dreams are important because

What you see determines what you believe.

What you believe determines how you live.

 

God's Big Dream

God's eternal dream has always been to have a people for himself. This idea is expressed many times in the Bible, such as in Jeremiah 7:23, where we read the Lord declare, 'I will be your God, and you shall be my people'.

In Revelation 7:9-10, we see the end result of all God's work, God's people gathered to himself, in communion with him:

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

John's vision of heaven tells us much about God's dream for his people. 

Six Things

Note these five characteristics of God's dream for his glorious church.
1.God’s Glorious Church is BIG

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number …

2. God’s Glorious Church is DIVERSE 

… from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages

3. God’s Glorious Church is CRIST-CENTRED

… standing before the throne and before the Lamb

4. God’s Glorious Church is BLOOD BOUGHT 

... clothed in white robes … They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

5. God’s Glorious Church WORSHIPS

… crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

6. God’s Glorious Church is LOVED BY JESUS 

… for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready; Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 19:7, 9; 21:2

What do we do?

Jesus loves his church, his bride, because he paid so much for her. According to Ephesians 5:25-27, he gave himself up for her. Jesus values his people, his church, because he paid the highest price for them. But why don't we love church as much as Jesus? In short:

  • We see the church as she is; Jesus sees the church as she will be.
  • We see the church process; Jesus sees the end result.
  • We see the flaws; Jesus sees the glory.

God is working now to accomplish his eternal dream that will be manifest in the future. He invites us to live the dream with him by seeing what he sees - his glorious church.