HOW TO DEAL WITH BROKEN DREAMS

TEXT- 1 CHRONICLES 28:1-10

INTRODUCTION

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH IS MY BIRTHDAY AND I'LL BE TURNING 41 YEARS OLD.

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED PEOPLE OPEN THEIR PRESENTS ON THEIR BIRTHDAY OR AT CHRISTMAS.

THEY ARE REAL EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THEY GOT, BUT THEN WHEN THEY OPEN THE PACKAGE THEY BECOME DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GET SOMETHING ELSE.

ON ONE OF MY BIRTHDAYS, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW GAVE ME A GIFT IN A GREEN PLASTIC GARBAGE BAG.

WHEN I OPENED IT UP IT TURNED OUT TO BE A BROKEN BACK MASSAGER.

A HENPECKED HUSBAND VISITED A PSYCHIATRIST TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT A RECURRING NIGHTMARE HE WAS HAVING.  "EVERY NIGHT," SAID THE MAN, "I DREAM I'M SHIPWRECKED ON A DESERTED ISLAND WITH TWELVE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN."  "WHAT'S SO TERRIBLE ABOUT THAT?" ASKED THE PSYCHIATRIST.  TO WHICH THE BROWBEATEN HUSBAND RESPONDED, "HAVE YOU EVER TRIED COOKING FOR TWELVE WOMEN?"

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DREAM THAT DIDN'T TURN OUT THE WAY YOU WANTED IT TO?

TONIGHT THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "HOW TO DEAL WITH BROKEN DREAMS," AND OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN 1 CHRONICLES 28:1-10.

SOME PARENTS DREAM THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL ONE DAY GROW UP AND BECOME SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PEOPLE, BUT SOMETIMES THOSE DREAMS ARE BROKEN.

OTHER PARENTS DREAM THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL GROW UP AND GO TO COLLEGE, BUT SOMETIMES THOSE DREAMS ARE BROKEN.

SOME PEOPLE GROW UP DREAMING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A PERFECT MARRIAGE, BUT SOMETIMES THOSE DREAMS ARE BROKEN.

AS PASTORS AND CHURCH WORKERS WE DREAM OF PEOPLE GETTING SAVED, BAPTIZED AND JOINING THE CHURCH, GROWING IN THE LORD AND BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE MINISTRY.

WE DREAM OF BEGINNING NEW MINISTRIES AND FINDING NEW TALENT, BUT SOMETIMES THOSE DREAMS DON'T COME TO PASS.

HERE IN OUR TEXT WE FIND WHAT KING DAVID OF ISRAEL DID WHEN HIS DREAM DIDN'T COME TRUE.

AS WE STUDY THIS PASSAGE I WOULD LIKE US TO LEARN FOUR WAYS TO DEAL WITH AN UNFULFILLED DREAM.