Montreal Church

A. YOU MIGHT BE A SPIRITUAL BABY IF . . .

1. You Find Yourself Often Fighting with Other Christians

Babies will fight about anything and everything. Left to themselves, young siblings will slap, pull hair, kick, poke, punch, argue and scream. They haven't really learned that they aren't enemies, so they live as though there were.

2. You Enjoy Being the Center of Attention

A baby delights in being the center of attention. If someone else is receiving attention, then a baby will do or say something to put himself in the spotlight.

Many Christians are like this. Rather than wait for their turn (I Pet. 5:6), spiritual babies will speak up, or step out, or act up, or show out in an effort to draw attention to themselves.

3. You Are Shallow in Your Knowledge of the Scriptures

Babies have very little knowledge and understanding, so they will drink poison, eat insects, play in the streets, and even jump into water far over their heads. They have a great lack of knowledge and understanding, so they must rely on others to teach them.

The Bible says in I Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Just as a baby needs to grow from his mother's milk, a Christian baby needs to grow from the word of God. If you are rather shallow in your knowledge of the Scriptures, then you are just as shallow about applying the Scriptures to your own life. You can't possibly be obeying the Bible if you aren't faithfully reading it. This makes you a spiritual baby. God wants you to GROW UP to be a good soldier for Christ.

4. You Are Easily Offended

Babies are very sensitive, and their feelings are easily hurt. When things don't go their way, they will whine, cry, pout, sulk, and even throw tantrums. They haven't learned to endure affliction, so they only know to be offended when trouble comes. Are YOU such a person?

5. You Are Never Satisfied

A baby never ceases to whimper and cry for things. He's hungry, so you feed him. Then he's tired, so you give him a nap. He then wakes up with a wet diaper. You change the diaper, then he wants to play. You refuse to play, so he cries. Then he's hot. Then he's cold. Then he bumps his head. A baby is just never satisfied.

Many of God's people are like this. They whimper about everything. The preacher preaches too long. He didn't shake your hand today. He didn't smile at you. Sally's dress is nicer than your dress. George's wife is prettier than your wife. Doesn't old Fred know that he's sitting in your pew? By the way, who authorized that new wallpaper? No one consulted your opinion.

6. You Have Trouble Staying Clean

A baby simply cannot stay clean. You can give him a bath and powder him real nice, but, if you aren't careful, he'll be in a mess before you can drain the bath water. He will play in the flower pot. He will play in the toilet. He will play in the cat litter. Then he will spill the apple juice all over himself. A baby will not stay clean.

Are you like this? Do you walk a straight and clean path for the Lord Jesus Christ, or do you find yourself playing with sin?

7. You Become Jealous Over the Success of Others

A baby only cares about himself. He is totally self-centered, so he always wants what others have. No matter how many toys he has, he will throw a fit if he cannot have another child's toy. If another child is receiving special attention, then a baby will become jealous and fight to have the attention all for himself.

Spiritual babies are the same. They become jealous when other Christians receive a special blessings. They can't rejoice with those that rejoice because they are too busy being jealous!

1 Corinthians 14:20 "Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature."

B. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW TO MESS UP A GOOD THING

Moses was seeking to lead the people to the Promised Land and it was a touch time for some of the people of God. Sacrifices were called for, healing was needed, and out of nowhere here comes Korah. Korah and his followers became a source of strong dissension for the rest of the 2 million Hebrew people.

Numbers 16:1-7

"Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites - Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth - became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and The Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above The Lord's assembly?"

"When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Then he said to Korah and all his followers: "In the morning The Lord will show who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will have that person come near Him. The man He chooses He will cause to come near Him. You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers and tomorrow put fire and incense in them before The Lord. The man The Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!"

Korah means "Ice" or "frost"; Datham means "laws" or "rites"; Abiram means "father of deceit"

On means "iniquity". This speaks pretty much about a religious spirit in Operation.

1. Disunity came from inside the family

Korah was a Levite and a cousin to Moses and Aaron. He first won the support of Dathan and Abiram, who were brothers, and On, about whom there is no information. Impressively, they gained the support of 250 top leaders among the tribes.

2. People that don't want unity will avoid communication with their leadership

When Moses requested a meeting with Dathan and Abiram, they refused to meet with him.

Some people that have rebellious attitudes very often refuse to speak to a deacon or a pastor, they complain about everything and everyone but are unable to discuss their issues with anyone in Spiritual authority.

3. God required voluntary separation

Korah and the 250 men all took censers, and put fire in them, and stood near the door to the Tabernacle, as did Moses and Aaron. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation. God spoke to Moses. "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." Moses prostrated himself, and again interceded for Israel. "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?"

The Lord told Moses to tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. And Moses went to Dathan and Abiram's tents with the 70 elders of Israel following him. Moses told the congregation, "Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins." The people quickly got away from that area, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the opening of their tents, with their wives, sons and little children.

Moses then addressed the people. "If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord."

Immediately, the ground split apart under them, as if the earth had opened its mouth. Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their families (except for Korah's sons) and their tents and belongings were swallowed up, and the earth closed over them. A fire came out from the Lord and reduced to ashes the 250 men who were offering incense.

4. The price of leadership - The people murmured against Moses

The next day all the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron. They said, "You have killed the people of the Lord." Suddenly the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud over the tabernacle. Moses and Aaron quickly came to the tabernacle and the Lord said to Moses, "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." Moses and Aaron fell on their faces. Then Moses told Aaron to take and ignite a censer of incense, and take it quickly throughout the congregation to make atonement for them.

"The plague has begun." Aaron acted immediately and ran into the midst of the people, because the plague was already occurring among the people. Aaron stood among the people with the incense, and the plague ceased. Those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the Korah incident.

C. The Children of Korah where spared by God and chose new fatherhood

Korah rebelled during the Exodus and was killed (Num. 16). But his children were spared. One branch of his descendants became temple guardians (cf. 1 Chron. 9:17ff), while another branch served as temple singers and musicians (cf. 6:31, 33, 39, 44). These descendants of Korah contributed 12 works to the Book of Psalms, most of which may have been used in temple liturgy

"Nevertheless the children of Korah did not die." (Numbers 26:11) Courageously, Korah's sons, Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph, did not stand with their father, and continued in service in the tabernacle. Their descendents were among the singers appointed by David to minister in the tabernacle hundreds of years later. (Numbers 16; Exodus 6:24; 1 Chronicles 6:31-38)

If you read psalm 42 you will see it is a contemplation of the sons of Korah. Korah was a direct relation to the high priesthood of Israel he led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron basically against God and God dealt with them, the ground opened up and swallowed them and all the rebels in front of the whole of the assembled Israeli nation. Yet the survivors of Korah were delivered by God from the decrease of the family name and elevated to a place of worship leaders for the nation, leading the pray and praise of Israel to God as instructed by king David

It's amazing how these kids decided to follow Moses instead of their parents. This allowed them to escape death and to choose new fatherhood. Korah's children where not spared because of God's mercy but rather because they made a choice to follow their spiritual leadership instead of their flesh and blood.

Remember 1 Corinthians 14:20 "Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

Conclusion

It is said that when the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1690s, Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, was told to anchor outside Quebec. He was given orders to wait for the British land forces to arrive, then support them when they attacked the city. Phipps' navy arrived early. As the admiral waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, so he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships' cannons. No one knows how many rounds were fired or how many statues were knocked out, but when the land forces arrived and the signal was given to attack, the admiral was of no help. He had used up all his ammunition shooting at the "saints." (Daily Bread) Unfortunately, the same could be said for many Christians today. When God calls on them to do something great for Him they have nothing left to give for they have used up their ammunition shooting at the saints.

We must remember people who love the truth will divide from people who love lies. Now the Bible does warn us about those who would enter into our midst and cause divisions and factions (Matt. 12:25, Rom. 16:17, 1Tim. 6:3-5, 2Tim. 2:14, 2John 10).

The book of Jude talks about the people that "shoot at the saints"

Jude 10-11

But these people sneer at anything they can't understand, and by doing whatever they feel like doing—living by animal instinct only—they participate in their own destruction. I'm fed up with them! They've gone down Cain's road; they've been sucked into Balaam's error by greed; they're canceled out in Korah's rebellion.

Today you have a choice to make between thinking like a child or moving to maturity.

Remember that a Child,

• You Find Yourself Often Fighting with Other Christians

• You Enjoy Being the Center of Attention

• You Are Shallow in Your Knowledge of the Scriptures

• You Are Easily Offended

• You Are Never Satisfied

• You Have Trouble Staying Clean

• You Become Jealous Over the Success of Others

I finish by reading an important Scripture from the "love chapter" of the Bible. There are so many Bible verses I could read but this one seems to be the most appropriate.

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

If you really love God and others it's time to give up on Childish thoughts and move to Spiritual Maturity.

Acts 2:17- "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams."

I. "WHEN THE LORD RESTORED . . . IT WAS LIKE A DREAM"

A. Your dream: God's best for your life

1. A dream is a picture in your mind of God's best for your life. The Holy Spirit gives you dreams and visions.

2. You will never see God's dream clearly in your mind until your heart is healed and restored. The psalmist made a connection between the two things: "When the Lord restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!"

3. In your finances, family, health, and ministry, God wants to give you His dream. He wants to make what you see in your spirit to come true. The biggest obstacle, however, to seeing your dream fulfilled is rejection.

B. Differences between Dreams and Visions

1. You can have good or bad dreams regarding your life. Faith will help youo to "paint the picture of your life". Ungodly dreams cannot be endorsed or fulfilled by a Holy God.

2. A vision is a form of a dream but different in a few ways. The main difference between a dream and a vision is a dream is of a world that does not exist and may seem fanciful and may or may not be possible to manifest for one reason or another. a vision is totally possible and all that stands in the way is the desire to create it. A vision acts as a guiding light in one's life.

3. Another way a vision is different from a dream is because a vision does not have the same kind of passion behind it as a dream. A vision is not personal.

4. God wants to give us both Visions and dreams. They are sometimes so close that we have a hard time to distiguish them but we might say that dreams are more personnal and visions are rather for the bennefit of others and not ourselves.

5. A Vision is Future Focused – One way we turn our dreams into visions is to focus on what we want, instead of what we do not want. Usually a vision includes a Game Plan- Whether I am the only person involved in the change, or thousands are impacted and therefor have influence on how things go, one way to distinguish dreams from visions is that visions include a road map for how the new future will be brought into being.

C. Dreams are a metaphor for your system of thoughts

1. The dreams you see while asleep at night are a metaphor for the kind of thinking that happens when you fantasize while awake. We often call this "day dreaming" or creative imagination.

2. The vision you see when you are awake and looking at reality with your eyes is a metaphor for the kind of thinking that happens when you look to your future with your mind's eye.

3. The inner world (past, present and future) you see is built from your own assumptions or metaphorical constructs. With this kind of vision, you can "look" down different paths, and "see" what would happen.

II. YOU CAN DREAM AGAIN!

These are some personal things that God want's to restore in our life through dreams.

A. The dream of being free (Acts 12:9)

1. God wants to restore your dream of being free from all bondages and captivity. Addictions to habits, fears, drugs, wrong relationships, and guilt were all carried by Christ on the cross.

2. You must begin to see yourself as healed of all rejection and delivered from all bondage. Like a prisoner dreams of the day he will be free, you have to dream of being free of the bondage of the enemy.

3. Peter was imprisoned, but the Lord escorted him out! It was like a dream, but the dream was real. Christ had no one to rescue Him from the cross, but Peter received a supernatural deliverance.

B. The dream of being abundant (Gen. 31:9–13)

1. Jacob left home with only a staff in his hand. He had a dream at Bethel and promised God that he would tithe if God would provide food and clothing for him.

2. His second dream occurred one night when God showed him the streaked, speckled, and spotted sheep (v. 10). He peeled rods and set them before the sheep and they then produced these types of sheep. God can give you one idea that will reverse your fortunes.

3. God wants to give you a dream of abundance. Jacob's dream produced so many sheep that he became wealthy. You must begin to let the Lord dream through you of a day when your financial situation has turned around and you are experiencing the blessing of God in your life.

C. The dream of being healed (Mark 5:28)

1. Sickness and disease steal your dream. You focus on "why" instead of on Christ's atoning death on the cross for your healing. The woman with the issue of blood said, "If I can just touch His garment, I will be healed."

2. Keep doing what the doctors are telling you to do, but tell yourself every day, "This is not the dream." God has a time when your dream will come to pass, so never let that dream of being healed leave your mind.

D. The dream of being fruitful (Gen. 41:52)

1. Joseph had dreamed of his father, mother, and brothers bowing down to him. When he ended up in prison in Egypt, the dream seemed gone. However, God delivered him and placed him at the right hand of Pharaoh for the entire world to bow before.

2. God has a ministry, a position of authority and responsibility, for you. Joseph named his second son Ephraim because as he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

3. You must allow God to heal your heart from the rejection of others so that you can become doubly fruitful. God has a dream for you!

Conclusion

Organization have usually a vision or a mission statement. As individuals we can develop also a vision for our lives by transforming our dreams into vision. Why is it important that an organization develops vision and mission statements? First of all, because these statements can help that organization focus on what is really important. We also need to develop statements for our life.

1. I am free!

2. I have abundance in every area of my life!

3. I am healed both phisicaly and mentaly!

4. I am fruitfull!

These are some personal vision statements that God want's to develop in our lives. Godly dreams will always lead us to Godly Visions

Developing effective vision and believing in our dreams are two of the most important things you will ever do, because almost everything else you do will be affected by these faith statements. Fail to proclaim our dreams will cause us to miss the best that God has for us.