Jeff Adams

Somewhere over the rainbow my 767 was lifting me toward Argentina last week. I had just finished preaching twice, was very tired, and wondering how and what I was going to say to this group of youth leaders in Argentina about making disciples. Part of my Bible reading that day was Isaiah 54:1-3, a very famous scripture.

The year was 1792 when men traveled in sailing ships, not 767′s. Most of the men who traveled on those ships were explorers, merchants and sailors in royal navies; very few were followers of Jesus Christ with the intention of taking the good news of Jesus Christ to those who had not heard. A young man in England named William Carey was becoming increasingly burdened about the need to purposefully reach the unreached. He was fascinated by the vast word that lay beyond his Nottingham cobbler’s bench. He had tried to share his vision with fellow pastors but had so far been rejected and ridiculed. In a moment of divinely-inspired passion Carey spoke yet again to his colleagues. This time his text was the same passage in Isaiah 54.

Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Isaiah 54:1-3

Carey was using this text to inspire his peers to dream big. By reaching the “Gentiles,” they would be expanding their horizons. Israel had spent much time living in tents. God was challenging them to have a vision for a bigger tent. If they would but enlarge their place, stretch the curtains and lengthen the tent cords as they dug the tent stakes in deeper, God would bless them with a bigger tent. In other words, they should dream big and trust God to fulfill their dream. In 1793 Carey set sail for India, never to return.

In Argentina God answered the principle of this verse that I had prayerfully claimed. He gave far more fruit from this trip than I had expected, and I thought I was dreaming big!

A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Jay and I met with a group of students in my office for the purpose of entrusting to them the direction of our next Summit. I remember hearing Jay tell them, “Dream big!”

Tonight we met again. Wow. They did. They did dream big! I was so proud of them, and so proud of God. They clearly are looking for a bigger tent and what we have to do now is trust God to bring it to pass.

What’s your dream? Is it big enough? Do you think you can pull it off? If you do, your dream is too small.