To our children in preparation (Gen 37:5-6)

When I was asked what I want to become when I grow up, I always answered, “a scientist”. At that time, TV cartoons, Grandizer and Robot Taekwon V were popular. I wanted to be a scientist who makes those kinds of robots.

 

Later when I went to a junior high school, I wanted to become a pastor. If somebody asked me why I wanted to be a pastor, I couldn’t explain why. I just wanted to.

 

We interchangeably use two terms, dream and vision. In that sense, the following is one of the most important questions: What is your vision?

 

This question can be used for your college essay and job interview. When you first meet your future spouse parents, they may ask this question your vision. After listening to your answer, they can determine if you have a clear or good vision for your life.

 

Then, what is your vision? A scientist, president, teacher, pastor, mom or dad? What is it? In fact, what I Said before is not a real vision. A scientist, president, teacher, and pastor are just occupations.

 

Vision is not what I want to be but why I want to be what I want to be. In other words, vision is not about what I want to have but what I need to find. If you look up vision in a dictionary, you will find, “the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be”.

 

God looks at a world through me. God plans a future of the world through you. Vision is to find out what God looks at through me, examine His gaze and understand it.

 

Today’s passage talks about Joseph, so called a dreamer. Many people think Joseph is different from his brothers because he has a dream and his brothers didn’t. If you agree with this, you misunderstand the bible.

 

There is nobody who doesn’t have a dream. Even though the dream is impossible to be realized, people dream of something. However, not everybody becomes happy or tries to make his/her life more meaningful because of the dream.

 

What makes Joseph’s dream different from those of his brothers is not whether they have a dream or not, but where their dream came from. Joseph’s dream came from God, which made him blessed and had other people blessed and experience God’s grace.

 

We often see students holding something in their hands and playing with it. It’s a either smartphone or tablet. They make their own world in it and have lots of fun with it.

 

It was Steve Jobs who made this phenomenon possible. Do you know what his vision was when he was young? It was “changing the world and impacting the universe”. Even though he is not here with us, he followed his vision and created an Ipod, Iphone, and Ipad, which is still influencing this world.

 

However, Steve Jobs once ignored ethnics of running a business. In 2010 when Iphone 4G was released, he knew that the antenna has a bad reception, but released 4G anyway, not acknowledging the problem.

 

Apple had a big crisis because Iphone 4G users complained a lot about this issue. Steve Jobs had a vision but clearly it didn’t come from God.

 

People with God’s vision always choose a right and narrow path even though it is more challenging. Steve Jobs’ story shows he didn’t care about finding and realizing what God sees through him.

 

We are having a special service for graduates today. You graduate from an elementary, junior high or high School and move on to the next level. You get excited about what to come in your future.

 

However, if you cannot find out what vision God has for you, moving to a next level will not mean so much other than getting one year older.

 

In fact, it is not easy to find God’s vision during school days. You rarely have time to reflect on yourself because you are so busy following the same routines and schedules.

 

Also, in your age it is very common that you don’t stick to one thing but rather try many different things. You may start something and quit it next day. It is quite normal.

 

Thus, I do not want to force you to find a vision from God right now. It may be not possible YET, but it is possible to start to get yourself ready for it.

 

Around your age, you shouldn’t be expected to achieve something. You are rather in the process of preparing to achieve something. In this sermon, I’d like to talk about how you can prepare yourself to achieve something.

 

First, you need to read lots of books. It may sound absurd because you don’t need a book to get Information nowadays. You can google pretty much anything to look for information.

 

The convenience of finding an easy answer makes people dumb. You just need to type what you need in order to locate information. This makes people think less and unable to use problem solving skills. They don’t want to go through a process to think, examine and explore to solve a problem because it gives them a headache.

 

The future world will be controlled by those who can use information to imagine, think, apply to different situations and solve conflicts. Reading can give you these skills.

 

Reading can broaden your frame of reference and foster your critical thinking. This will help you understand trends of this world. If you look at history, you will learn that winners are those who could interpret the trends of the world. You can gain this power through reading.

 

One of the biggest car companies, GM and Ford didn’t understand the trend and stick to big cars and trucks that consume so much gas. That’s why Toyota, which makes economical compact cars, took over no. 1 position in a car industry.

 

Sony that used to make portable audio player, “Walkman” was taken over by Steve Jobs who understood the trend of MP3 market. Samsung’s LCD screen also took over Sony’s big fat TV.

 

These kinds of stories go on and on. Think about Nokia, which used to be a no. 1 cellphone company. Apple and Samsung devoured Nokia. It was not because Nokia didn’t have enough brains. It was because Nokia didn’t read the trend in the world.

 

The trend Christians need to understand is that history started from God and will end with the second coming of Jesus Christ. History is “His story”.

 

Reading can provide us with insights to understand how God controls and leads this world, how the trends starts, ends and changes, what God looks for through me in the big picture of history.

 

Students, if you don’t understand what you need to do, why you need to study, and why you need to live, I strongly recommend you to read lots of books. This will be a first step to find what God wants to realize through you (what vision God has for you). Reading will help you to realize God’s direction in your life.

 

Second, you need to be honest and good in front of God. In the former church I used to serve, offerings got missing. Several people left offerings in the bible and were not paying attention to them. We found that a 6th grader boys stole them.

 

I personally talked to him how serious this matter was. I shared with him my childhood experience. When I was a nine years old, I got caught stealing a cookie at a store near my house. My mom scolded me badly.

 

This is one of the biggest inheritances I received from my mom. After that incident, I never take anything that is not mine, even a penny on the street.

 

When I was an assistant pastor, I was in charge of the finance. It was a very unique situation. Most churches do not want a pastor to take care of the finance because it is not necessary for pastors to know individual congregation’s income. If they know too much about it, they may have prejudice against some congregations. It is possible that they may get tempted to steal money and use it for themselves.

 

However, I was asked to do this because the church couldn’t find any other trustworthy person. There were two elders who used to take care of money but they had too many issues with it. The congregations agreed that I was the only one who people can trust.

 

I’m not telling this story to brag nor to say managing church money is a big deal. My point is you need to be honest and sincere in order to achieve your dream. When you are acknowledged by God and people, you gain their trust and earn tasks. That’s a step that you need to take to realize your dream.

 

Think about Joseph. He had a dream. He didn’t think he needed to do something special like working from early in the morning to late at night. He always did his best with a consistently good attitude. He was also honest and good.

 

When he was sold as a slave to Egypt, he was faithful and did his best. That’s why his master made him in charge of everything in the house even though he was a slave.

 

When the master’s wife seduced him, Joseph refused by saying he could not do such an evil thing and make a sin. He wanted to be faithful in front of God. This attitude became a foundation of realizing his dream.

 

Vision/dream can be a mere instrument to accomplish their desires to people who are always lazy, dishonest, selfish and inconsistent. They may look successful temporarily but the success doesn’t have anything to with God and will be destroyed quickly.

 

When you are always honest and faithful, you can find and realize God’s vision.

 

Third, you need to read the bible. When I talked about reading books as the first step, I didn’t include the bible there for a reason. Reading the bible is different from reading other kinds of books.

 

Bible is the basis of the wisdom throughout the history. It was written by about 40 authors for 1600 years. It shows the trend of the history as well as what attitudes we need to have while living in this world.

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

Bible is the only book that reveals answers regarding human’s sins, salvation and eternal life. If you don’t read the bible and cannot find the answers and truth, there is no point of finding your vision/dream.

 

Summer break just got started, right? Or it will start very soon. I want you to make reading New Testament your priority during this break. If you do that, I can say for sure that there will be a big change in your life.

 

Lastly, pray. You need to pray to identify God’s plan, and vision toward you. Please ask Him to show you what His plan/vision is and how you can be used to realize His plan.

 

Acts 2:17 says “‘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”.

 

God promised that He would continuously pour out His Spirit on people. The fact that Holy spirit is still working with us means He continues to show us God’s vision to us. God shows His plan to sons, daughters, young men and old men and wants to work with them. He is still looking for people. I hope you can be the person God is looking for.

 

I’m wrapping up the sermon. Joseph’s vision was not to become a governor over Egypt. Genesis 45:7 says God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

 

This verse shows God’s vision for Joseph. He used Joseph to prepare Israel for a big famine and Protect Israel so that Jesus Christ can be sent to this world. Joseph realized that it was God’s vision for him.

 

When I started the sermon, I mentioned my childhood’s dream. It was changed from a scientist to a pastor. I didn’t understand the reason, though, back then. However, now I clearly know my vision. I understand God made me a pastor, what He wants to accomplish through me, and what He looks at through me.

 

Even though it is still a work in progress, I try to do my best every day because I believe that God will complete great things through me. I hope youth group students as well as congregation in our church can find a vision from God and realize His plan. God bless you.