Let’s begin this morning with a series of questions. Now some of you will have to put on your serious thinking caps this morning. When you were five years old, what did you want to do when you grew up? How about when you were ten years old? How about in high school? What about college? What about after you got out of school? How about at the age of 30, 40, 50, 60, or even 70? Has your lifetime dream, what you wanted to do when you grew up changed over the years?
I know that as a five year old, my life dream was to be a train engineer. I loved trains and that’s what I wanted to do when I grew up. As I got into the teen years, there were dreams of being a professional baseball player. In the late teen years, I wanted to be a famous musician; traveling all over The United States. Notice that at least to this point, I didn’t say, “To what was God calling me?” Simply, what was my dream? The first thing that we need to discover today is that there is nothing wrong with dreams.

In fact, I believe that God places “dreams” in our hearts, so that we will pursue them. In fact several years ago, I was listening to a little radio short – it was a short inspirational clip about working moms, but it could be applied to everyone. I didn’t quite agree with it then and I still don’t. The speaker said that we don’t need to enjoy the vocation to which we have been called.
I’m not in agreement with that, because I believe that God places a calling and gifting into our life and it’s our job to pursue them. Who would have thought that a anxious and nervous young man, who trembled as he took his first inbound telephone call, would now preach on a regular basis. I believe that job prepared me in part for the ministry today.

With all of that in mind and with tomorrow’s celebration of Labor Day upon us, I want us to take a look at something we call the “American Dream.” What is it? The American Dream varies by who you ask. Most people would come up with at least something that they would consider would be the ideal and that is what we are looking at. The typical ideal would be married, with two children, one or both spouses would work and each spouse would have a car and a nice house somewhere in suburbia, not in the city, yet close enough to shopping center and services. Does that describe it pretty well? So the question I have for you is, “Are you living for the American Dream, or for something else.”

You’ll remember that several weeks ago, we looked at the book of Ecclesiastes and we looked at what was important for our young people. This message is for them, but also for all of us who work to pay the bills and live in a nice house and so on and so on and so on. Solomon has much wisdom as he writes this book. He extols the virtues of pleasure.

After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

And after all that, he said it was meaningless. So he takes a look at work and writes,

18 I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. 19 And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! 20 So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world.
21 Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. 22 So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? 23 Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.

He even goes on to seek value in life through political power and wealth. One value that typifies the American Dreams is that the one who dies with the most toys wins. Each one of us knows or perhaps may I suggest is someone who is pursuing the American Dream with all the gusto they have. And so I ask on which foundation are you building your life on? Are you building your life on a solid rock or are you living your live on shifting sand? Most of you know this children’s song:

Jesus was teaching the people in Matthew 7;

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

So again the question is, “On which foundation are you building – the solid rock of Christ or the shifting sand of this world? In reality, The American Dream is really a life built on shifting sand. There is nothing safe in building a treasure here on earth. Jesus cautions us against that. He says that where our treasures are, that’s where our heart will be.
Two weeks ago, I shared with you the song, “Dust in the Wind.” Several of you reminded me that I didn’t tell you “The Rest of the Story.” Dust in the Wind was release in 1977. Two years later, in part due to the opening band on the Kansas tour, Kerry Livgren surrendered his life to Christ. From that point on, his songs took a decidedly different turn. Instead of writing songs about searching for something, he was writing songs that said, “I have found what I am searching for.” Here was a man who was living his American Dream. The band he was in had several gold and platinum albums. Three years later while preparing to record the band’s next album, Kerry wrote a song called “Crossfire.” The lead singer said, “this song needs some more work.” Kerry agreed and rewrote the song with stronger Christian lyrics. After reading the new lyrics, the lead singer left the band saying, “I can’t sing this,” referring to Kerry’s lyrics of his new found faith. Two years later, Kerry and another member of the band who had become a Christian, decided to leave the band. Well because of contractual obligations, Kerry and Dave Hope could no easier leave the band Kansas then you can quit the military. The record company however gave them a clause that said they could continue recording if they marketed their albums in the “Christian marketplace.” And that’s what happened. Unfortunately, the Christian marketplace wasn’t quite ready for the Kerry Livgren and the band AD. After two years the band broke up because of financial constrains. Kerry’s choice to become a Christian at least appeared to shatter his American Dream. The great thing about Kerry is that he is still writing, producing, and playing music, in addition to working a farm and teaching Bible classes at his church. He was willing to leave the American Dream to follow Christ.

Jesus was teaching his disciples when He said this:

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

And so we’ve come to the invitation. What foundation are you building your life on? Are you building your life on the foundation of pleasure, work, wealth, or power? That is just shifting sand. When the waves of life come, they will be knocked over like a sand castle. Or are you building your life on the rock of Jesus Christ? Jesus is a rock. He will be there when the waves come crashing in on us. He said if we try to hang on to our life we will lose it. Unfortunately, the American Dream and the way of the cross are not very compatible. The American Dream says, go ahead and get it all for yourself. The way of the cross says, “deny yourself, take up the cross of Christ and follow him. Which foundation are you on?