Dreams Diminished.

"Purpose determines Existence" Rob Maupin, professor of missions at Lincoln Christian College.

Rob said this in class a couple of weeks ago and I have let it sit in the crock pot of my brain for that long. I realized that in a lot of ways this statement is very true. However, I do not think that this statement is ultimatley true because it would be two narrow in terms of existence.

But hearing this made me think of the dreams I used to have that don't seem to fit into the life that I am living. Which makes these dreams intolerable. These dreams arn't those dreams that people say are too big to reach they just don't fit into the life that I am living anymore.

So I find myself to be floating around Central Illinois quite a bit and reading quite alot. It's amazing how much time I have found to read when I am not obssessing over a dream.

I was actually reading the book of Exodus and I stumbled into chapter 19. This chapter is placed in the midst of the Israelites recent escape from the slavery of the Eygptians. Not only have the Israelites just escaped, Moses is actually on Mt. Sinai and is about to recieve the Ten Commandments from God.

But before God delegates these holy rules one must first read chapter 19 which is the dream and the vision that God gives to the Israelites. This dream is vitally important to the existence of the Israelites and is the reason why the Ten Commandments were given.

For how can God give the Israelites a dream without giving them the means to reach it?

It is written, "You yourseves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on Eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the earth is mine, you will be fore me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." Exodus 19:4-6

It's intersting because, first, God reminds them who the nation is in the kingdom of God and who God is. He reminds them that HE brought them out of Eygpt and HE brought them to Himself. So we must realize that God is God. HE is the creator over all creation and HE is the King of the Israelites. Not pharoah or any other Eygptian God's but Yahwah Himself.

Secondly, HE calls the Israelites his treasure possession. HE tells them that if they keep their part of the promise they made with God through the patriarch Abraham then they will be the treasured possession. Now this word in Hebrew is actually segullah and it literally means to be the crown jewel. To be the center of all beauty on the head of the King.

Thirdly, God peices the whole dream together. HE not only reminds the nation of who they are HE also tells them who they could be in the promise of God. God doesn't leave it at that though. HE tells them who they need to be in relation to other people. God is calling them to be missionaries. I know missionaries is a term that is generally looked down apon and is spat at because of guilt connotations, but God is calling the Israelites to be the holy people among all the nations. HE wants them to not only be holy in communion with him and with each other, HE wants them to be Holy within the context of the nations around them. This is their vision. This is their mission.

Purpose doesn't create existence, God does. But God also creates purpose and HE had one for the people of Israel and HE has one for the Church today. The question is are we so self centered on our own existence that we miss the purpose of the church itself?