Well, I was at a great concert on Friday by Daniel Bedingfield and ended up incorporating quite a bit of his stuff in this mornings sermon- here are the notes I preached from. Amazingly, following on from Thursday’s blessing, we also had a great blessing this morning with a significant number of responders and one making a public profession of faith for the first time!
UPDATE:- Audio now available

Dare we believe the dream giver? Josh 14

Crowds- do you like them? I do. Why? Because they are people- many individuals.

-Stoneliegh story God seeks the lost in crowds.
-Twickenham
-Daniel Bedingfield- spiritual set

-Church to be like that, (NB not the show part)

-Somewhere people want to be. Emotional, enjoyable, and for many a sense of God present.

But unlike a concert, church is not focussed on one man at the front.

God is setting before us a compelling picture of a future of unlimited blessing- remove the limits from our minds. God is not a God of limits except those we need to keep us safe.

The move to UGC and the associated growth we believe for has implications for all of us. We all have a part to play, let’s look at a man who wasn’t a great leader of a nation but who faithfully played his part- Caleb.

Caleb discovered God is not just the dream giver but the dream fulfiller.

Dare we believe that can be true for us?

Pain of being let down- Caleb faithful everyone else not
Was the dream wrong? Would they ever make it? Do we let our dreams die?

Many of us up to 20-30 years ago began to dream of a different kind of church- one where people would be proud to bring their friends.

Could it be that our church in cinema could be a fulfilment of those dreams? Or have we seen it all before?

Often people are enthusiastic early on. The mature of us humour them, secretly admiring but saying they’ll settle down

I don’t want to settle down any more.

Dare we imagine the best? Or shall we go back to our tents and wander in the wilderness for some more years?

Will we faithfully follow the dream giver like Caleb did?

READ JOSH 14

Caleb -Rose to the challenge of faith when others fell into fear.
-real faith is always spelt risk his maybes became Gods “amens”

One of the marks of xtns is hope- Caleb dared to hope

Will we focus on us and problems or on Gods strength?

A grasshopper or a sevant of the lord
Following God fully
Could have said “Seen it all before”
Kept alive- just?
Strength rising

A pioneer spirit that repsected the God of past heroes- abraham had scrificed to God at hebron and sarah had died- any wonder caleb dared to believe he would succeed?

?Follow the Lord fully, and the devil himself will be afraid of you; keep close to your Lord, and defy all the fiends of hell.? CHS

Faitfulllness as a ?spy? gave more faith for taking the hill country. Don’t try and start with the hills- faithfully follow the lord where you are.

Followed fully- not leave that bit out, or dont be too serious, or whatever
Joyfully without complaint or limits doing all God wants.
Response
Calebs over 20 yrs a xtn – might feel you have let god down but “kept
alive” seen others fall- may have stumbled yourself. Have been frustrated
with the state of the UK church. Now is the time to arrise and be strong.

Wanted the hardest part of the war! Had seen deliverance before- the
plague didnt tough him, and death didnt tough him for 40 yrs Lert me
go first he said

How do we follow God fully? What is the secret?

Learning over years to follow Gods word in the bible and be wise- learning wisdom from others.

But the more I know the less faith I have in myself and my ability to change.

I can become more and more aware of what I should be doing and never be able to do it.

What marked Caleb out? What enabled him to dare to believe the dream giver and follow him Fully?

He was a man of a different spirit.

DB line ?Create again?

Every day is new with God- let’s dare to believe in the dreams- dreams of us being used to see friends and family saved. Dreams of a puspose, dreams of changes in our lives, dreams of breakthroughs beyond our wildest hopes. Dreams of us growing numerically and spiritually ?London you willl grow?
“,1] ); //–>
Will we focus on us and problems or on Gods strength? A grasshopper or a servant of the lord?

Following God fully Could have said “Seen it all before”

Kept alive- just?
Strength rising

A pioneer spirit that respected the God of past heroes- Abraham had sacrificed to God at Hebron and Sarah had died- any wonder Caleb dared to believe he would succeed?

Wanted the hardest part of the war! Had seen deliverance before- the
plague didnt touch him, and death didnt touch him for 40 yrs. Let me
go first he said

Caleb was motivated not only by faith in the Lord’s word but also by the difficulty of the task (v. 12). He wanted to prove that the Lord was faithful. ^[1]

Follow the Lord fully, and the devil himself will be afraid of you; keep close to your Lord, and defy all the fiends of hell. CHS

Faithfulness as a spy gave more faith for taking the hill country.

Don’t start with the hills- faithfully follow the lord where you are.

Faith is a transaction- more about trust- we trust a trustworthy God who has in turn trusted us. The more relationship history we have the more we can trust if the person has proved trustworthy.

Followed fully- not leave that bit out, or don’t be too serious, or whatever
joyfully without complaint or limits doing all God wants.

GOD does understand our pain, he understands our

disappointment, and for some here who say I cant dare to believe again, not fully as I am scared of being hurt, he would say I can hear your honest questions.

Daniel Bedingfield wrote this as a young man with ADHD and it would seem a sense of purpose on him

Can you see
Honest questions in my heart this hour
Opening like a flower
To the rain
And do you know the silent sorrows of a
Never ending journey through the pain

Do you know
The story from the start
And do you know me
Like you’ve always told me
Do you see the whispers in my heart against your kindness
My eternal blindness

Do you see a brighter day for me
Another day
A day
Do you wonder what’s in store for me
The cure for me
The way
Oh look down and see the tears I’ve cried
The lives I’ve lived
The deaths I’ve died
But you died them too
And all for me

You say
I will pour the water down upon a thirsty baron land
And streams will flow
From the best of your bruised and broken soul
And you will grow like the grass
Upon the fertile plains of Asia by the streams
Of living water you will grow
Oh.. you will grow

On Friday when he sung it he sung London you will grow. He could have sung Jubilee You will grow !

How are we going to Respond?
Calebs over 20 yrs a xtn – might feel you have let god down but “kept
alive” maybe only just seen others fall- may have stumbled yourself. Have been frustrated with the state of the UK church. Now is the time to arise and be strong AND FOLLOW God fully

Potential Calebs
Been a Christian for a while but less than 20 yerars have u succumbed already to the Ive seen it all before bit? Has your enthusiasm already worn off? Committ again to be in it for the long term to follow God fully

The new believer

Like the children of the unfaithful Israelites, you haven’t had to deal with failure yet. You are young, full of strength to fight and run for God. Be like Caleb- be faithful now so you can be faithful later. FOLLOW GOD fully.

Not yet saved

Why not join us in following the dream giver- he can give u hope and replace fear with faith, hurt with healing, guilt with forgiveness, hopelessness with hope. He really is the dream giver. Lets follow him fully.

How do we follow God fully? What is the secret?

Learning over years to follow Gods word in the bible and be wise- learning wisdom from others. But the more I know the less faith I have in myself and my ability to change.

I can become more and more aware of what I should be doing and never be able to do it.

What marked Caleb out? What enabled him to dare to believe the dream giver and follow him Fully?

He was a man of a different spirit.

Holiness covers my weaknesses
Melting my selfishness
Cause of you
Try with all my might
But it’s your strength inside
Gives me the will to fight the battle through

And it’s gotta be the right road
I gotta go where you go
I wanna throw out my arms
And seize the day for you
And it’s gotta be the right way
Make sure that you’re behind me
Cause you are the breakthrough light
You’re my one true sight, oh you

Later in song he describes God as mending the brokenness
Behind my fears

DB line Create again

Every day is new with God- let’s dare to believe in the dreams- dreams of us being used to see friends and family saved. Dreams of a puspose, dreams of changes in our lives, dreams of breakthroughs beyond our wildest hopes. Dreams of us growing numerically and spiritually

Create in me a clean heart………