Bill Johnson - It Takes Courage to Dream
Most of us have been in the church long enough to see misdirected desire done in the name of Jesus, where people pursue things that are completely wrong and call it God’s will. The problem is that when you react to an error, you usually create another error. So, while we have people who won’t dream because they don’t want to get it wrong, we fail to have people dream who might actually get it right. Some expressions of God can only be revealed on earth through the fulfilled desires of His people.
I have something important to read. A three-year-old came home from church wanting to show his parents how he learned the Lord’s Prayer: «Our Father who does art in heaven.» Harold is his name. That’s a good start. Our Father was right. A wife invited some people to dinner, and at the table, she turned to her six-year-old daughter and asked, «Would you like to say the blessing?» The daughter said, «I wouldn’t know what to say,» to which her mother replied, «Well, just say what you hear Mommy say.» The daughter bowed her head and said, «Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?» Oh goodness! I love this one: Our four-year-old prayed, «And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.» I think it’s quite profound. That may be the best prayer I’ve heard all day. «Forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.» It works for me. I’ve now changed my prayer life right here. One more: a mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, who’s five, and Ryan, who’s three. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Mom saw an opportunity to teach a moral lesson. «If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.'» Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, «Ryan, you be Jesus.» Yes, that’s so funny!
Alright, open your Bibles, if you would, to Psalms 105. This particular part of this Psalm has been a meaningful portion of Scripture for me for probably close to 40 years—at least 35 years now in the Lord. You know how you develop a history with the Lord where He speaks to you out of a passage, and you return there often? What I want to do today is talk to you about a subject that I’ve mentioned a lot through the years, revisiting it from a little different angle: you and I were created with the capacity for dreams, with the capacity for desire. He put within us an appetite. First Peter 2:11 says, «Fleshly lusts brings on spiritual warfare for our soul.» Work through this with me. Fleshly lust: what is it? It’s misdirected appetite. Fleshly lust is misdirected appetite.
We see the disciples in their journey with Jesus, and they had an appetite that came to the surface in their relationship with Him. That appetite was for greatness. We’ve emphasized it often through the years. Jesus never removed the appetite for greatness; He just redefined it. They thought it was being in charge of everyone. He said it’s being a child or a servant of all. But He didn’t kill the appetite for greatness; religion does that. Jesus doesn’t, He redefines it. This means we have been given appetites that we get to direct. The lust of the flesh is a misdirected appetite.
Interestingly, in First Corinthians Chapter 14, verse 1, there is a command to earnestly pursue spiritual gifts. That phrase «earnestly pursue» is a lustful expression. We think of lust in a sexual sense, but that’s obviously not the meaning. The meaning is to passionately pursue spiritual gifts, pursue the expressions of God through a surrendered, yielded, healed vessel—through your passion for more of Him. So, we have directed passion, directed desire, and misdirected desire. Four times in three chapters—John chapters 14, 15, and 16—Jesus says, «Whatever you desire will be given to you.»
Perhaps the juiciest portion in the entire Bible is John 13 through 17, where Jesus does all the talking. No wonder it’s so good, right? He teaches things that are ridiculously profound, and in three of those chapters, He mentions four separate occasions that whatever His disciples desire will be done for them. Most of us have been in the church long enough to see misdirected desire done in the name of Jesus, where people pursue things that are completely wrong and call it God’s will. There’s self-preservation, self-promotion, and the building of personal empires—all quote unquote in Jesus' name. Most of us have become nauseated over such poor representations of who Jesus is.
But the problem is that when you react to an error, you usually create another error. So, while we have people who won’t dream because they don’t want to get it wrong, we fail to have people who dream who might actually get it right. There are some expressions of God that can only be revealed on earth through the fulfilled desires of His people. There are aspects of His nature that will never be forced upon the planet—neither through some military invasion of Heaven. They will be revealed, demonstrated, and modeled because the sons and daughters of God discover who they are, pray, and see things happen.
We’ve been invited into this covenant: we pray, and something happens. One of my biggest concerns has two sides to this coin. On one side, I never want to violate the sovereignty of God. On the other side of that coin is what I consider lazy theology, which assumes that the outcome of a matter was according to the sovereignty of God. If we never pray for the sick in here, people will not be healed who would have been healed. Many will say God works in mysterious ways; He can use the sickness, He can use the disease, whatever.
Years ago, missions organizations in large parts of the body of Christ began to target what’s called the 10/40 window, where most of the Muslim population lives. These missions organizations and intercessory groups would target this area and pray for a visitation of God. Countless thousands have had dreams or visions of a man in white. We know of one who goes to a mosque and asks the people to come inside: «Have you seen the man in white?» If they say no, they go into the mosque; if they say yes, he says, «Stand over there.» After they gather a crowd of those who have seen the man in white, he explains who he is. Why is that happening? I believe it’s because of the responsibility and privilege to pray that when we pray, things happen.
It’s not cute little one-sentence prayers; it’s a lifetime journey to see His will and purposes done on earth, and that is our relational journey—it’s what we’ve been invited into. Some in history have looked at those who don’t know Christ and said, «Well, if it’s God’s will for them to be saved, God will save them.» Lazy theology takes no personal responsibility. We’ve been invited into this relational journey where we pray and watch the hand of God released in the affairs of men.
There are three reasons I know God will not answer a prayer. There could be a thousand, but I found three. Did I tell you to open to Psalms 105? Good. Stay there. Welcome, by the way, to all of our online family! We’re so honored to join with you. I want to read this: When His disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, «Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them just as Elijah did?» This is a prayer Jesus refused to answer. Now, I remind you James and John are the sons of thunder—according to Jesus’s naming.
James and John are in the crowd when Jesus says, «Whatever you desire, whatever you ask for, will be done.» «Lord, can we please call down fire and kill this entire city in Jesus' name? To God be the glory.» God will not answer a prayer in which He has to violate His own nature to answer it—number one. Number two, He will not answer a prayer that undermines your purpose. Number three, He will not answer a prayer that weakens your identity in Christ. All three of those are seen in this particular story.
He says, «May we call down fire as Elijah did?» Jesus responds, «You do not know what manner of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.» You don’t know what spirit you’re of. This lust of the flesh has brought you into spiritual Warfare that you’re not ready to fight. What lust does—the lust of the flesh—is it invites spiritual conflict that is unnecessary. Lust of the flesh immerses us into a spiritual environment that we’re not ready for.
This desire for self-indication, because they were rejected by a community, this desire for self-promotion undermines the purpose of God in the Lord’s own nature. Jesus said, «You don’t know what spirit you’re of. The Son of Man came to save men’s lives, not destroy them.» They have been given, if you will, the baton that Jesus had to see the restoration of broken lives; that was their assignment. Yet to call down fire and see a city destroyed would violate God’s nature, violate their purpose, and completely destroy their identity as sons of thunder.
They thought, apparently, that being called sons of thunder meant they had been given permission for violence. That was not their identity in Christ. Their identity in Christ was, «I will take a bullet for this one.» Their identity in Christ was, «I will be passionate and fiery in my service to the Lord.» Yet they had a misdiagnosis—a misrepresentation of their own identity. So, for all of us, the Lord invites us on this journey to pray, to see things happen, and to see things happen so that His will will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Prayer is the tool.
Psalms 105 verse 16: «Moreover, He called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread. He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters; he was laid in irons until the time that his word came to pass. The word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, ruler over all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.» This is describing Pharaoh, what he did for Joseph, to bind his own princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.
I wanted to study verse 19 for a few minutes but look at verses 24 and 25. To me, verses 24 and 25 are divine humor. «He increased his people greatly; He made them stronger than their enemies. Then He turned the heart of the enemy against His people to deal craftily with His servants.» Why would He do that? Not to shame His people but to bring destruction to the powers of darkness. If the Lord allows you or me to be in a spiritual conflict, it’s only because He’s already equipped us to win. He’s already set the stage for our victory if we simply use the tools He has already put in our lives.
I have access to every tool I will need to see the destruction of darkness, where the enemy loses his grip on what he holds onto—his killing, stealing, and destroying influence gets undone and reworked when the people of God learn who they are and respond in times of conflict. When I’m in a conflict because of fleshly lust, I don’t have what I need for victory. I can only repent my way into victory. But when I follow the Lord with Divine desire, I’m already equipped to win in every position I get into.
Back to verse 19: «Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.» I love that verse; it puzzles me a bit. But let me tell you what I think is going on here. Until the time His word came to pass, there’s an implication for Joseph: «Until Joseph’s word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.» There’s an implication that some of what Joseph had said was from him—not necessarily from the Lord.
Here’s where part of our problem lies. Most of us would rather God just give us a list of ten things to do so that we can check them off. All servants want that. In the middle of these four promises—whatever you desire will be done for you—right in the middle of those is the statement Jesus makes to the twelve: «I no longer call you servants; I call you friends.» There’s a graduation in our approach to the King and the kingdom from servanthood to friendship. We never lose the capacity or desire to serve, but there’s a different mindset.
The mindset of the servant is, «Give me the list; I go three miles down the road, I turn right at the stop sign, I pull up to this house, I say this and this, and that’s the will of God.» There are times He gives us specific directions, and there are others when He just says, «Go.» «But where?» «Just don’t stay where you are.» I want a list; I want descriptions; I want a road map because I take comfort in fulfilling what’s on the list instead of comfort in who I’m taking the journey with—in the presence of God, the voice of God affirming and confirming the directions we take in life.
Proverbs says, «The mind of man plans his way but the Lord directs his steps.» It’s interesting: the minded man waits. I watch many believers stand still for years, waiting for the direction of the Lord. I don’t want to imply that anything you and I come up with is the will of God, but somehow taking direction—well, you’ve heard the phrase, «It’s easier to steer a car that’s rolling.» You know, that’s moving. Somehow, taking a direction is part of the process of getting us to where we’re supposed to go.
Desiring the road map before I set out on the journey usually doesn’t happen, and I watch believer after believer stand in place for years. The end result is we have believers who accomplish the bare minimum while unbelievers dream of solutions for world crises, when actually you and I were given access to the Father’s heart for those solutions. Dare I say, there are times when even unbelievers will follow the principles outlined in Scripture for dreaming more than the believer because we’re afraid of getting it wrong.
The mind of man plans his way; that means we’ve learned to dream, we’ve learned to think about who God made us to be. We pay attention to the appetites, letting Him redefine what greatness looks like. It’s not about everything coming to me; it’s about me contributing in such a way that there’s influence in the earth because I’m alive. It’s thinking in those terms, and then the Lord comes along and says, «Alright, this is the direction you want; here’re the steps.»
Joseph: «Until the time his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.» The word of the Lord inspired and healed to make him capable of being the man he needed to be to save a nation—to save multiple nations. The word of the Lord tested him. Welcoming the word of the Lord into our lives is what graduates us—quite literally— from complacency, from mediocrity, and all those kinds of things. The word of the Lord creates such a sharp edge in us that we think in terms of what might be possible.
It’s easy to spot that in the lives of the disciples. They were with Jesus—His conversations, comments, and teaching day after day, month after month, year after year—for three and a half years. They were the ones who began to think in terms of significance and greatness that was unparalleled in their generation. It’s hard to imagine someone from Capernaum wakes up as a child and thinks about changing the world until they started hanging out with Jesus, and suddenly, things get redefined.
I believe there’s a part of God’s nature that can only be revealed on earth through the fulfilled desires and dreams of His people. They’ve seen—if you will—the Father reveal Himself as the Father of the Son of God, who came to redeem us, die in our place, and suffer to be the Savior of the world. They’ve seen that part, but they’ve not seen sons and daughters who know they’re actually sons and daughters. You see that?
What I heard while growing up—not from my family, but from church life—was that God is interested in fulfilling your needs but not your wants. So basically, He’s the caregiver of an orphanage, making sure you have a cot at night, a coat in the winter, and three meals a day—taking care of needs. Jesus came to reveal something different. Yes, He came to reveal that He’s actually a father. This does not give permission to self-promotion or self-fulfilling lust. That’s not the answer. But there is an answer.
It can be done correctly. It can be done where the people of God dream and think of ideas and opportunities. What happens when you say yes to your own personal dream? You’ve just invited the word of the Lord to prepare you: «Until the time his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.» The word of the Lord will shave, shape, and conform us into the person that can responsibly fulfill the dream we actually have in our hearts.
How many of you understand? Israel leaving Egypt—had they made the eleven-day journey into the promised land, they would have wandered out because they didn’t have the character to manage their inheritance. It was the word of the Lord over time that prepared them to be good stewards of what they were about to inherit. You and I have dreams, desires, visions, and things that circulate within us all the time.
I’ve seen some of you step beautifully and fully into the dream that God put in you, and I love it. To be honest, I love it just as much when I see it in business, government, or medicine as I do when I see it in obvious church life. To me, that tells me the kingdom is working. It tells me the influence is genuine, long-lasting, and having a real effect. But it happens to people who are willing to take the journey.
Can I say, the word of the Lord disciplines you. I always thought the discipline of the Lord was through circumstances. The circumstance? I don’t think it’s the discipline. The discipline of the Lord is His voice. In John 15, it talks about the vine and the branches, and then He says to His disciples, «You have been pruned already.»
He says, «Any branch in Me that doesn’t bear fruit will be cut and put into the fire.» He turns to His disciples and says, «You’ve been pruned already.» The same word that describes this discipline of the Lord—the same word—as the word prune. It’s actually a cutting that takes place. He says, «You’ve been pruned already because of the word I’ve spoken to you.»
In other words, when I talk to you, that’s what disciplines you. You say, «What about Jonah and the whale?» Jonah and the whale? The whale just got him to where he would listen. It was the voice of the Lord that changes and transforms. He created the worlds through His word. There’s nothing that cannot be done through His word—through His decree.
Somebody’s seriously injured their right ankle, and it may have been a while ago and hasn’t healed correctly. Who is that? There’s also an injury that goes from the ankle and comes up all the way to the inside of the right leg. Who is that? You have the ankle thing? Just stand up. You know, over here, just stand up. Check it out; it should be healed.
Check it real good, Justin. I’m not going to make you run, but you know, I have made people encourage them to run. I don’t make anyone, and how is it doing? It’s a lot better; it’s improving. How’s yours over here? Any change at all? How are you guys doing? Is yours good? Yours is good? How about yours way in the back? Are you? Alright.
There’s also healing for sciatica on the right side. In fact, I think there’s somebody who has a kind of numbness down the right leg, originating from right here. Is that you? Yeah, that’s awesome. As soon as it was spoken. That’s beautiful. As soon as it was spoken, now the Scripture says, «He sent His word and healed them.»
I felt I was supposed to announce today that we’ve entered a season—it’s probably always been here, but I’m aware right now—we have entered a season where it is proper to expect to be healed during the preaching of the word and during worship. There’s so much word declared and sung over us.
There’s also somebody here with a problem with a muscle right here on the right—the mouth. If you had a problem on the right side of the body, today is your day, but right here, the muscle and the thigh—right here—the Lord is healing that.
Just stand up, take it, exercise, and move around. See the left side? Pretend I’m dyslexic and take it. How is your leg? You don’t know? Okay, alright. Check it out real good and give the glory.
And left? Is your left leg okay? You know, the wonderful left? You’re the one stretching the word? Yeah. It’s awesome.
I like it. I actually walked up to a guy once who had a stabbing pain in his right thigh when I was going down to Pearland. I said, «Do you have a problem with your right leg right here?» He says, «Yes.» He says, «I was stabbed.» He had some damage done. So I prayed for him. I didn’t have the heart to tell him the stabbing pain was in my right leg; it was in his left. But he got healed, so I think it was a mirror; I think it was a mirror image.
So however that works, anyway, alright. I don’t even know where I was. Hello? I have some jokes to tell you? Oh, word? Okay, sent His words. You know, it’s important. Jesus is «repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is what?» At hand. It means it’s now and within reach.
I believe more and more together as a family we’re going to learn how to access what has always been available in the preaching of the word. Please give us a report. We’ve seen a member with esophagus cancer getting healed right back here. He didn’t need his glasses anymore. Somebody right back over here had a serious sporting injury. He actually thought he was visiting; he thought someone spilled coffee all over his back and was a little frustrated, turned to find out who was so careless, and there was nobody there. That’s when he realized the fire of God went all over his back and he was completely healed. It was extreme dyslexia healed right over here. Same kind of thing— it’s in the decree of God’s word.
We saw it happen just here, so we give you thanks for that, Lord. May the expectation of the people of God dramatically increase. There’s something about hunger and expectation—not misdirected desire, not misdirected appetite, but directed appetite. Some of you have been disappointed so many times you’re afraid to have appetite. You’re afraid to hunger and pursue.
I feel like what we had in our prayer time today over our nation and what’s happening back in Asbury College in Kentucky and what’s happening in various places around the world—the Lord let me just say He’s giving you permission to shoot for the moon. He’s giving us permission, honestly, to amp up the appetite for the things that only God Himself can do.
So I bless that in you in Jesus' name. The Lord is also healing something to do with the eyes. That’s so broad, so general, but there’s disease in the eyes that the Lord is healing. There’s also somebody who has injuries in elbows.
Let me do this: if you have an issue with your eyes—a disease in your eyes—if you’re able to stand, stand. Injury to elbows, if that’s you, stand up. Happy birthday, Mom. Thank you. Nice.
I had this word in the first service, and I sensed it again: there are a number of folks with arthritic conditions in the lower spine, and for some, it goes all the way down to the tailbone. In fact, there are some here who have seriously injured or perhaps broken their tailbone in the past, and it has really had a crippling effect on you, really. In fact, I talk so long that I cause pain in your body every time we’re together. So I take responsibility.
I’m just saying Jesus is here to heal that now. If you’re close to one of these, just lay your hand on them—extend your hand. Don’t lay hands on their tailbone; if it’s broken, we’ll trust God to release the anointing to that location. But if it’s eyes, let the people praying for you know it’s the eyes. Otherwise, the elbows, the spine, whatever—and we declare the healing word over these folks right now in Jesus' mighty name.
I rebuke the spirit of infirmity on the tailbone specifically. Loose people’s bodies now; we declare you are not allowed to sustain the effect of that injury any longer. Permission is not granted. We declare the healing word right now in Jesus' name.
You know, there are a lot of things happening. Some of you keep praying, though. You don’t have to stop; just keep praying. You can pray and listen. You’re talented; I know you can do this. There are some that have blockages in the heart—blockages in the heart, artery issues that the doctors have talked to you about.
So we declare that healing word over you—that which is impossible for medicine, we declare is possible with God. We declare that in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.
Alright, all of you that receive prayer, check yourself out. Move around; you know, if you had an issue with the tailbone, sit down hard; do something. If you’re online, let people know that you’re one of the candidates for healing.
Thank you. Anyone else with that sciatica, the numbness down the leg? Make sure you get in on this because as this gentleman was healed, it’s available for everyone. If God just healed your body, wave your hand at me so I can see who you are. Look around the room. Thank you guys over here. They’re beautiful.
Some of you will find out when you get home or maybe in the morning, whatever it might be. I bless you in Jesus' name, and I do pray. How many of you want the courage for wild dreams? I mean, not just mediocre—don’t want to just check the box. We actually want to dream the dreams of God in this season.
So, Father, I pray that for everyone in this room. In fact, why don’t you stand with me? We pray that for everyone in this room right now—that You would release and increase the capacity for extreme dreams, wild dreams in which the Father is glorified by fulfilling the cries of the heart of His own children.
We ask, God, that there would be a revelation of our Heavenly Father in the earth that is unparalleled in this time—unparalleled revelation of the heart of God as our Father. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Now, if I could have everybody, everyone just hold your place for the next couple of minutes, please. According to the clock, you still owe me four and a half minutes! Alright, I’m using it!
There’s always a high chance when we have this many people in a room that there are people here who have never tasted of the love of God—who have never been forgiven of sin, who have never turned their lives over literally to the only one who has the right to direct our life, and that’s Jesus the Christ.
I believe He set you up; I believe you’re here by Divine Design. The Bible says, «What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul?» It’s the worst choice a person could ever make, and right now it’s completely unnecessary because you have the opportunity to respond to a very simple invitation to give your life to Jesus.
If there’s anyone here that would say, «Bill, I don’t want to leave the building until I know what it is to be born again, to be forgiven by God,» I want you just to put a hand up right where you are and I just want to make that agreement.
Way back over here—wonderful, thank you. Right down here’s another. I’ve got here with another. Anyone else, real quick—beautiful. Is there someone over here? I didn’t see it; somebody’s pointing, so I didn’t see it. Alright.
We give you thanks; we give you thanks! It’s the greatest miracle that could happen all day long is that somebody would come to Christ and, according to what the Scripture says, become a new creation—an absolutely new person. We pray that for you. I’m going to ask the two, and any others that I missed, to come quickly down to the front right over here to my left. There should be a banner, but there’s no banner now.
Tom? Tom’s there! Alright, come on down! The one back here, come all the way down. Any others that would join? Yeah, come on down, wonderful! Anyone else who is receiving Christ this morning—come on down! Right to my left over here! God bless you right there! So we’ve got people that we know and trust here that will talk with you and pray with you.
Why don’t you bless them one more time? Bless them!