Do You Struggle To Understand What God Has Planned For You?

James Greer: Well, we continue our series called Dare to Dream. And today is going to be Dare to Imagine. Wouldn't it be something if you could just imagine and dream and dream and dream? I don't care how big it is. And then it would come into being. I mean, in essence, I don't think that you can imagine how much that God wants you to be creative. I mean, in essence, that God wants you to be able to dream, and he wants it to be able to come into being if it's a godly dream. In fact, in essence, one of God's greatest gifts is the gift of creativity. In fact, I believe it's one of the misused gifts. In fact, wasn't long ago I preached on the spiritual good. I was preaching. We were singing. It was serving it. And I didn't even talk about the gift of creativity. And that gift of creativity is the ability to see and create things in your mind. And the reason that we have this gift is because we're made in God's image.

James Greer: And God imagined the entire universe and everything that's in it and everything that will be. In fact, listen. You're most like the creator when you're being creative. You're most like Christ when you're loving and forgiving. Everything started with a dream or imagination, and everything becomes reality with that. Everything that man has ever created started with a dream. Now, without imagination, you couldn't even make a decision. Now there's good imagination and there's bad imagination. So we're going to talk about things you shouldn't imagine. When you think about things that you can't imagine. We're going to think about things that you should imagine and talk about, things you can't believe you should ask. But first of all, let's talk about things you should never imagine. They're called vain imaginations, emptiness, evil, lust, revenge, Worry can even be a vain or a bad imagination. Did you know the reason for the flood? Because of all the evil imagination. He told us in Genesis 6:5. And the Lord observes the extent of human wickedness on the earth. And he saw that everything that they thought and imagined.

James Greer: Hey, by the way, God knows what you are thinking, good or bad. He knows everything you're thinking. He knows if you're paying attention or not. He knows everything you thought or everything you imagined, but it was consistently and totally evil. Now everybody has evil thoughts from them. Now. Now from time to time. But God said it had come to the point. They were consistently thinking evil thoughts and evil imagination. So the Lord was sorry that he had ever even made them. And He then he put them on Earth and it broke his heart. And the Lord said, you know, I'm just going to wipe the human race that I created from the face of the earth. But thank God that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. See, it's a misuse of your imagination that can lead to your physical and spiritual destruction as well. There's something else that God said. He said, you know, before Jesus returns. It says it's going to be like in the day of Noah. What that means is you're going to misuse your imagination, things that are bad. You're going to start thinking they're good and good things. You're going to thinking they're bad. And second, Timothy three one says, Remember that, that that there are going to be difficult times ahead.

James Greer: And some of those times are now. And he says, I want you to remember when you see these things that. It's getting close to Jesus return. Now, I don't know if that means a year, ten years, five years. I don't. I don't know that. But it said people are going to be selfish, greedy, boastful, conceited. They're going to be insulting. Disobedient to their parents, disobedient to authorities, disobedient to teachers. I've never seen a time where there are so many disobedient young people. Now I know that our young people are not like that. Amen. Now, Journey Church, children and youth, they're godly kids. They go to church, they go to school, and whatever their teachers say, they say, Yes, ma'am and no ma'am. I just know they do because they're the light in darkness. But I had a friend tell me this week they have a teacher that's teaching in Baton Rouge. And one of the kids went out and passed the teacher and said, I'm not going to tell you what this is, but said, if you be. Pardon? Teacher said, If you're not careful, I'm going to be the meanest bee you've ever seen. Get down to the office. I had another teacher that's way down south. I had another person of authority and. They said this week that. They had to send somebody home and their parents call them and call them or. Ten years ago, that wouldn't have happened.

James Greer: You're living in a time that there's never been so much disrespect for authority in your life. Children are disrespectful to the parents. There's disrespectful to the authorities. There's disrespectful on their job, disrespectful to the police. They're disrespectful to all authority. And God said, when you start seeing that, I want you to know. It's like reading the newspapers, like reading the Bible today. God said, When all that happens, I want you to know that Jesus is about to return. They're going to be unkind, merciless slanders, violent. Have you ever seen so much violence some place in the world? They just beaten up each other for no reason? Fierce. They'll hate the good. I mean, it's just unbelievable. They'll be treacherous, reckless, swollen with pride. They'll love pleasures rather than God. Now, when you say they love Precious rather than God, what they're talking about is they'll seek pleasure. They'll go after pleasure. We have more people seeking pleasures right now and more people unhappy than they've ever been their life. They will hold to an outward form of religion. Yet they reject the real power from such people. Keep away. In other words, they're not going to say, Hey, I'm going to go to church some. They tried pleasures. Now I'm going to try a church. But they still can't find the peace and the love and joy they're looking for because, see, it's in a relationship with Christ. And that's the difference.

James Greer: So if you want to have what he has, if you want to have the power that he's talking about. It's in fellowships and relationship, not people, places and things. So, number one, there's some things we shouldn't imagine. Number two, there's some things we can't imagine. I love this. You can't hardly imagine this. The chair. Yes, dear friend. Now, this is to Christians. If you're a born again believer, you accepted Christ. I love that you follow through in public baptism a picture of death, burial and resurrection. We should really celebrate that. Amen. I mean, they celebrate in Heaven. They celebrate in the presence of angels. Jesus said, when his son was baptized, he said, Man, this is my beloved son who I am well pleased. So if they are excited, we should be excited. Yes, dear friends. We are already God's children. Already. Right now say right now you're already God's children. That's what's fantastic. Not someday God says, I want you know, it's hard to imagine that you're already got you. I do things for my kids. I'm not going to lose yours. I do things for our grandkids. I'm not going to do for yours. I mean, I had one of the kids a while ago. I was laughing and giggle, trying to make it smile. And I had one This weekend. We went to see one of our granddaughters and I had her hold up there and I was doing things. You'd look at me, you'd think I was crazy. I'm going to do things for my kids and grandkids. I'm going to provide for them. I'm going to buy them things. I going to protect them.

James Greer: I'll give you the money. But what I want you to know, you'll do things for your kids and your grandkids. You'll provide for them. You'll give them things. They have privileges that other kids don't. Amen? And what he's saying, it's hard for you to imagine that you're already God's children right now. But you can't even imagine the privileges, the protection and the provisions that you have because you're already God's children. But you can't imagine what it's going to be like later on. You should be enjoying it right now, but you can't imagine what it's going to be like later. But we know this, that when he comes, we're going to be like him forgiving, loving, all knowing as a result of seeing him as he really is. It's not going to blink. God says, I want you to enjoy being a child of God right now. Amen. But you can't imagine how much better it's going to be one day. Now, this should also make you sad because you had the privilege, the protection, and the provisions of God being your Father. But those people that don't know Jesus Christ as a Savior don't. And they're out there trying to find happiness and peace and provisions in the wrong things. That's why it's so important that we invite them to come to church where they can hear the truth. So you can't imagine being a child of God, but he wants you to try.

James Greer: Another thing you can't imagine, 1 Corinthians 2:9 says that is what it means by the Scripture, which says that no one mere man has ever even seen, heard, or even imagined with the wonderful things that God has ready for those who love the Lord. Now, listen. Now, a lot of times I'll say this that one day when we get to Heaven, we can't imagine where it's going to be. And that's perfect because in Heaven it's beautiful. We're healthy, we're holy, everything's perfect. But he also said, for those people that love the Lord, you can't imagine what all God has for you that He's already got ready. Amen. So we ought to just sort of imagine everything that God has for us where his children start enjoying what he has. Something else you can't imagine. The Psalmist says in 118:6. The Lord is on your side. Can you imagine? Just start imagining God's on my side. If you really imagine the truthfulness of God as being on your side, why are you afraid of what anybody else can do to you? I know people that are really afraid. They fear what other people think. They fear what other people say. They fear what other people might do. You must not be imagining, understanding and believing that the faith, believing that God says what he says and will do what he said. And the Lord is on your side and you should not be afraid of other people.

James Greer: Amen? Start imagining that God is on your side. And then he goes on to say this because he's on your side. With the Lord on your side, I'll defeat my hateful enemies. Now, listen, I don't focus on that part about me. Defeat my hateful enemies. I focus on this part because God is on my side. I never have to worry about my enemies because God always takes care of them. I've seen this happen over and over and over again because God's on my side. If I'll just keep doing what God's called me do, He always takes care of my enemies. He's made it clear. I've seen it, and he'll do it for you. But if you try to take care of it, he won't take care of it. So don't worry about what they're doing. Worry about what you're doing. In fact, he warns us. He says, Listen. In Romans, He says this. He says, My friend, do not try to punish others when they do you wrong. Says, wait on God to punish them with his anger. He'd do it. He said he'll punish them for doing wrong. I'll repay them, saith the Lord. So you just kind of stay out of the way.

James Greer: I love this next verse. It says in Psalms 46:7. The Lord All-Powerful one is with us. In other words, not translating, said the Lord, A host is on your side. Do you know what that means? The one that's in charge of all the angels in Heaven is on your side. He's trying to make you say you shouldn't worry about people, you shouldn't worry about your job, you shouldn't worry about anything because God is on your side. He's for you and with you. Amen. All you have to do, you need to worry about maintaining your relationship with Christ. You need to understand faith is what God's Word says, and being obedient to it is doing what God believed God's Word and acting on it. And he said, God said, I've got the whole all the angels in Heaven, the whole house of angels. They're on your side. He said, You can't imagine. Can you imagine what one angel can do? And they're on your side. Now, we don't pray to angels, but many times God sends angels to do several things. Sometimes He might send them to church. The Bible says in Hebrews, Sometimes you minister to them not knowing they were angels. Wouldn't it be something if God sent an angel to church and we weren't friendly to them? Wouldn't it be something if God sent them to church and we didn't welcome them? Wouldn't it be something that God sent them in church because they looked like what they look like or what they wore or something about them and we didn't want them at church? Wouldn't that be something?

James Greer: So we got to always remember, we don't care who it is. We don't care where they came from. We don't care what they look like. They're welcome at the church. Amen? He said, not knowing you may have entertained an angel. Also, God sends angels possibly to minister to us and to protect us. But what I want you to do is see the power of one angel. 2 Kings 19:35 says, And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord, here is the Lord of Hosts. He went out and he killed in the camp of the Syrians, 185,000 people. He's a mean motor scooter. One angel killed 185,000. And he just told you in the psalmist that the Lord of Hosts is on your side. The Lord, the host is with you, and you're worried about what other people might say. You're worried about what they might do. I think you should have more godly confidence than unbeliever. You shouldn't worry about what they do. You should be able to go to work. You should be able to go on your job. You should be able to go in your home. You should be able to go anywhere and not worry what other people should do or say about you. Amen?

James Greer: And then I love this one. Some things we should dream and imagine. It's my favorite verse. It's Ephesians 3:20. I'm going to read it to you today in three translations. We'll start out in this one. Now to him who is able? To him who is what? Able. He's able to do immeasurably more than all that we can ask. Ah, Imagine the man. We need to enlarge our imagination. Amen. According to his power that is at work within us. He said the power that he wants you to know that you can't imagine. It's at work and it's working with us. And to do that, he says to him, be the glory in the church and the Jesus Christ through all the generations, forever and ever. He said, I want you to know I have this unbelievable power if you're a Christian that's already in you. He said, I want you to know you're a child of God, and I have this power that lives in you. I want you to be able to do it, but I want to glorify the church. And God said, You can't imagine how much power that lives in you. So he says. And Ephesians 1:18, I'm going to give you an illustration of the power that lives in you. So you can start imagining that God can do more than you can think or dream or imagine or ask. He goes, I pray that your eyes of your heart might be enlightened. When he says that. I'm thinking, he said we need to pay attention.

James Greer: We may not have comprehended this. We may not have understood this. We may not have been paying attention. So he said, Now I want you to pay attention to this statement. I want the eyes of your heart to be enlightened in order that you may know, so that you might know the hope to which. He has called you, sir. I want you to know he's called you to do something. He wants you to know the riches of his glorious inheritance. You got this unbelievable inheritance. And it's holy people, you know. They're your people. You're a child of God. He's already said that. And his incomparable great power for us who believe we told you. You believe? Now he wants to tell you what it is. He said, I know your eyes have been closed. I want them to be open. I want you to know you've got this unbelievable, great power To those who believe that power is. Now standing with power is. That power is the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated him at the right hand.

James Greer: That's pretty powerful. Amen? They said the same power that raised Christ from the dead and put him on the right hand now lives in you. And he says, I want you to know what kind of power that's living in you that way. I want you to dream like you've never dreamed before. And then he tells us in another translation and Ephesians 3:20, he puts it in the message. It's like he came down and he's talking to you. He said, I want you to understand something. He said, Can God do anything? Your answer would be yes. You know. Far above than you could even imagine. How about this? More than you men are guess or even requests in your wildest dream. He's saying, you know, God can do anything. And he's assuming that you're going to say yes. And he says, any more? Far more than that. That's more than you can imagine that you can even guess more than you can request. It's more than your wildest dream. Then he says how he does it. He does it not by pushing you, us around, but by his working within us, his spirit deeply and gently within us. He said, I want you know, when you get saved, you got this Holy Spirit that lives in you, that this unbelievable power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated him at the right hand. And if you learned to activate it, you can have a peace and a joy and a power that's beyond your comprehension because you're now a sons and daughters of God himself. Why would you not dream? Why would you not imagine?

James Greer: I can tell you something about that verse. And I'll tell you more about it next week. I've limited what God could do in my life, in the life of the church. I would agree. But even with that, he's done more than I could ever dream and imagine in my personal life, as well as the spiritual life. I've limited it. What he's done in my life and family and in the church. But even at that, he's done way more than I could even dream and imagined. And guess what? That's what he wants to do for you. God's not a respecter of person. What He does for one he would do for another one. In other words, you should be at this point in your life that you can say, I believe that Ephesians 20 applies to me. And if I understand that I'm a child, a child of God, if I understand that he provides, that he protects. Then I believe that I should be living a life that's exceedingly abundant above the average life. And then I can honestly say that he's done exceedingly, abundantly more than I could ever dream or think or ask in every area of my life. And so the last is there are some things you should imagine to ask for. There's some things you should ask for, and it's in James chapter 1, verse 5.

James Greer: If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously. I've used this hundreds of times. I never saw it. Who generously gives to all without finding fault? God said, I want to give you wisdom more important than that, to end the service, I'm going to give an invitation. Every single person that has an emptiness needs a direction in their life. There's hurting. God says. I want you to lay down your pride today and say, God, you told me to quit making excuses why you wouldn't give me wisdom, and I need wisdom in that area. And God, I'm going to humble myself. And I'm going to ask today believing that you're going to give it to me. Brother James, that is good. You don't know. Did you know where fights really come from? I love this. Do you know or fights that arguments really come from? You're going to say, Yeah, it's my boyfriend, my girlfriend, my mate. But now it's my pastor, it's my boss. He just answered this so clear. No, no, no. He says no. It's from your selfish desires. It's because you're so selfish and you want your way and you war from within.

James Greer: Really fights and arguments and wars and marriages on jobs and church. They come from within, not from without. You want things and you don't have what you got, so you're ready to kill. In other words, you get so angry, you're jealous of other people. You still cannot get what you want. So you're upset. So you argue and fight and you do not get what you want. You know what? And one of the reasons you don't get because you don't ask for it. You have not because you want, ask not. And so he's explaining all these things. And the other is when you do ask and you don't receive is because the reason you ask what's wrong. You wanted things for use for your own pleasure. You thought, well, if I get it, I'll be happy. And sometimes you got it. Now you're still not happy. God's saying listen, I want you to ask. I want to give you wisdom. I want you to know why you're arguing and fighting is because you're selfish. I want you to know why your prayers are not answered.

James Greer: Because either you're not asking because you're selfish, you're asking the wrong reason, or you're chasing pleasures. Which is it? Man. God wants to close this with giving you this unbelievable wisdom to handle the greatest problems in your life. And there's no reason anybody upstairs, downstairs or even watching online so not have that empty space filled today. So there's this. First of all, if you're not a child of God. Sons and daughters. The most important thing you could do in just a minute is come and say, Hey, I want to be a child of God. He says, because the minute you accept Christ as your Savior, he said, you become a child of God. Right now. Not when you get to Heaven. Right now. And then you had the privileges of being a child of God. You got the provisions and you got the protection. You no longer have to depend on anybody else. You don't have to spend on your boss. You don't have to depend on your mate. You don't have to depend on church. You don't depend on it. You depend on God to follow. Amen?

James Greer: So that's the first most important decision you have to do. If you hadn't been dreaming godly dreams and imagining you're not using your creativity, you're not using a gift that God gave you. He often uses that where you can meet every single need in your life, in your family's life. Sometimes that's emotional, sometimes that physical. Many times even that's financial. That's the way he uses you to create a different income in your life. Creativity. Some of you have. Just going in the same circle over and over and over and over and over again. And God said, Stop that. Today, I'm telling you, where is the area that you need wisdom in? Is it personal? Is it relational? Is it financial? Is it emotional? Is it health? Is it spiritual? And then I love God, says you. Jesus said, You can come to me and don't make excuses. You can't say, Well, I can't come to him, because you know what I did last week, day before yesterday? No, no. He said, don't make excuses. Not without fault. He said, I want to give you the answer generously, where you don't have to keep doing that. I said, God, why? Why so many times when the answer is so clear? The people still not accepted. So said. Well, sometimes it's pride. Sometimes it's not clear, but it's clear today. Sometimes I just want to keep living in that circle and do it over and over again, which is called stupid. I don't want you to go home like that today. I want you to go home with a new peace and joy that surpasses all understanding where you can have a life and that lives abundantly. Can I pray for you? God, you're such an awesome God. Would you stand? You're a God that surpasses all understanding. God, you want us to have that life. We do need to ask for it. If you're Christian, it lives in us.

James Greer: We have a power that raised Christ from the dead. That's an awesome power. There's nothing we can't do and nothing we can't go through and. But God, I believe there's many here today that have an emptiness, a hurting. That decisions they need to make. And they just really hadn't had peace about making them. I don't think anybody here is by accident. I believe every man, woman, boy and girls here by divine appointment. And God, I pray that you get in the power and the peace to come. And to ask you what they need and that you give it to them. God, for those that don't know for sure their child, that God that they would do that. Maybe those that need to fall through and baptize like so many did today, that they would do that. They need to join the church, but not just mainly whatever you ladies have on the people's heart. I pray that you'd have your will and your way. I ask it in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.


Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.