Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Story of young women who wrote a personal prophecy to the church.

- What would you think?

How would you process that?

- Many of us would feel uncomfortable because...

We like to be in control.

- Decent and in good order

- Why do we want to be in control - We are told we control our destinies

Feeling out of control is not something we like - Water skiing, Leane Driving, or when I was driving and she was riding.

When I was trying to be too controlling.

Control - Makes things safe, understandable, familiar, comfortable, not too crazy.

- Everything that keeps us from growing, video from GVSU to parents.

There have also been abuses and so we have a tendency to

But this is to some degree what Paul challenges us to do when he says..

Do not Quench the Spirit.

Despite control and because of control, we may have a tendency to want to quench the spirit’s work as there has been often misuse, abuse, and even manipulation of the work of the Holy Spirit in the church.

-The Spirit manifests an many different ways, but in this passage, Paul focuses on Prophecy.... Can be scarry because of the many abuses, counterfeits...

Using the Spirit to exalt oneself - “Seeming more spiritual”

Pride and Prophecy - It gains a narrow focus and it becomes all about us being specially used - Humility, Humility, Humility - “Fruit of the Spirit”

Prophecy that misleads - We can color what God is trying to say with our own interpretations or timing.

Prophecy as a means of control - The traveling prophet wanting food from our food pantry.

“The Lord Told Me” - Yes, a valid statement, but can lead to mis-use.

“Helping” God Fulfill His word - Abraham with Ishmael.

Not liking what we hear from the Holy Spirit.

There seems to be a lot of ways that Prophecy and the use of the Holy Spirit’s name can be abused, can we say it is safe?

The proper response is not, stop prophecy, stop the Holy Spirit’s guidance in that way, we will rely on our reason, empirical evidence, my gut, etc… the proper response for us is to learn all we can about the Holy Spirit and prophecy

Grow into the Spirit.

To Grow in maturity in our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Two Extreme’s - 1 Never let the Holy Spirit Drive, (Hold Prophecies with Contempt) and 2 Not do a background check to make sure it is the Holy Spirit driving (Do not test the Prophecies).

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Joel 2:28-

Sources 1: The Holy Spirit

Sources 1: The Holy Spirit

2 Peter 1:

Source 2: The human

Jeremiah

Source 3: The Enemy

Source 3: The Enemy

Inadequate test: Feelings or Comfort, Personal Experience, Credibility or Reliability of the Prophet, Plausibility or Reason,

Proper Tests: - Begins with Humility

Test 2: Consistency with the Person and Character of God

Test 3: Alignment with Scripture

Test 4: Confirmation by Mature Prophets - Community

Test 5: Edification, Exhortation, and Comfort - Fruit

Special Consideration - Prediction, Rebuke, Guidance - Does it convict us, or does it condemn us?

Test 6: Fulfillment

Test 7: Direction - Does it lead us towards the Lord or away from the Lord?

Conclusion: So what should we do with The Young Lady who wrote the Prophesy for the Church - Do not dismiss it out of Hand, Learn to discern it.

She came with humility, she encouraged me to check it to see if it aligned with scripture, she said she was growing in her prophecy and reject it if it does if we discern it was not from the Holy Spirit.

We discerned that it was aligned with the Heart of God, it aligned with scripture, that it was meant to not to be directive towards the church, but simply to encourage the church.

Reference the Reformed Confessions: The Reformed Confessions are statements of faith written to clarify the Gospel at times when the Church was in crisis.

Heidelberg Catechism: Q&A 1, 21, 49, 53, 65, 70, 76, 79, 115-116 Belgic Confession: Article 8, 11, 22, 24, 27, Canons of Dort: Head III & IV, Article 3, 6, 11; Head V, Article 1, 11