NOTES: Visions and Dreams, Part 1
Sermon: Visions and Dreams week 1: I see Jesus
Text: Acts 2:14-21,
Date: June 5, 2023
Acts 2:“14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Let’s Connect:
Visual and verbal summary of how we should think about visions and dreams:
View the visual summary graphic.
Key questions for us during this series:
Is this from God?
How do I interpret visions and dreams?
How do I apply them to my life?
Text Explained:
Stephen (Acts 6-7):
Saul (Acts 9)
The vision that linked them together: they saw Jesus!
Understanding the ultimate purpose of the outpouring of the Spirit:
Acts 2:17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Let’s Relate:
Madame Jeanne Guyon quote “Experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ”
Visions and Dreams are an invitation into a greater relationship and reliance on God— to see “read” Jesus!
Our desire for vision and dreams should not simply be a desire for more “information”, but to open our heart and mind to His leading.
Genesis 3:4–5 (ESV)
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Our Challenge:
Consider these words of Jesus as we open our heart to know Him more.
Luke 17:20–21 (ESV)
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Revelation 3:20 (ESV)
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Acts 7:55–56 (ESV)
55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
In a sense, we are either a Stephen, a Saul, or an Ananias…likely a combination of the three, how will respond, what are we most looking for, who do we most want to see?
Open you heart and mind to God’s leading!