Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

In this morning’s message, I referenced the spiritual gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues.

As I did, I alluded to the fact that many people often think of prophecy as the ability to tell the future.

There is no doubt that God has used many as prophets throughout history.

Additionally, many of them foretold events that, in some cases, came true and, in other cases, have to be fulfilled.

So, I want to ponder with you this question for a few minutes tonight.

Here is the question.

What do people outside of the Bible think a prophet is?

But, more importantly, how does Scripture define a prophet?

So, before I get started, let me ask you.

What is a prophet?

All of good answers.

Let’s now look to Scripture.

In our English Bible, there are sixteen books attributed as written by prophets.

We often call them the “writing prophets.”

They are men such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and many others.

There are also listed in the Bible men who were non-writing prophets.

By that term, I mean they are listed in Scripture as prophets but did not pen books of the Bible like the “writing prophets.”

They were men such as Elijah, Elisha, and others.

Of the writing prophets, Bible scholars often list them into two divisions.

There are Major Prophets and Minor Prophets.

Books such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel are grouped together as the Major Prophets.

The rest of the writing prophets in the Old Testament are know as the Minor Prophets.

Yet, we are searching for the answer to our question.

What is a prophet?

Well, for starters,

A Prophet is NOT...

Just a simple microphone through which God speaks

God did simply bypass each man’s mind, will, emotions, or character.

Whenever God used men in the past, He did not utilize them as mindless robots.

Instead, God, who wonderfully and fearfully made them, used their character and emotions as an essential element of relaying His message to men.

Superhuman

Each of these men were just as human as you and me.

If anything superhuman was accomplished, it was because of God doing it through them.

These men were filled with the same faults and frailties as many of us do today.

Windbag

What is interesting is that Jeremiah, the prophet, did call other false prophets of his day windbags!

Why were they windbags and not Jeremiah?

That is great question.

Note Jeremiah 5:13 again.

“the word is not in them” = that is a key phrase.

They were windbags because they were talking without any real authority.

For a prophet to be a true prophet, they must be speaking from the authority of God’s Word.

Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

There are a lot of pretenders out there today.

So many people claim they are people of God.

The come offering peace and prosperity with charming personalities filled with confidence that they are the only ones who know God’s Word and with great arrogance and pride suggest that you need only listen to them as they explain it to you.

A true prophet always stands proclaiming God’s Word even when it is not comfortable to do so and will always challenge you to learn from God Himself.

Ok, so that is what a true prophet is not.

Here is the qualification for a true prophet!

A True Prophet of God is...

Called and Commissioned by God

A Preacher

By preaching, I mean that he, the prophet, speaks only God’s Word.

He cares not for how it falls upon the ears.

Instead, he is committed to saying only what God has placed in his heart and mind.

One of the telltales of a prophet today is this important point.

A true prophet is a student of God’s Word and speaks only what God says from His Word.

A Mediator

Moses mediated on behalf of the children of Israel.

Amos also mediated on behalf of Israel.

In Micah, we find the prophet not only mediates on behalf of the people, but he also is willing to stand for the God warning them of their sin and transgression.

Often Subjected to Scorn and Reproach

Christ Himself, the greatest of all prophets, was ridiculed and scorned.

On one such occasion, Scripture records this.

In Acts 26, Paul was accused of being “mad” for preaching God’s Word.

For a prophet, ridicule and scorn are the badges of honor in following and proclaiming the word of God.

Conclusion

If I were to sum up what is a prophet, I would say this.

A prophet is one who speaks God Word without fear understanding the need of those who hear the message and the urgency to give them the message.