The Gift of Prophecy

ME:

Now I remember the last teaching series we did on Weds. nights right before all this Covid stuff hit us. It was on the 10 plagues in Egypt from the book of Exodus. I would of never thought that pretty soon we would face something of this magnitude with schools being affected, restaurants being closed, churches being closed and everything else we have faced.

Looking back it, I can say we were blessed though. It seemed as if God was warning us of what was to come.

Now today we are going to continue our series on building the body with Spiritual Gifts.

John Wesley believed that the loss of such extraordinary gifts to the church was, in fact, an evidence of spiritual decline and not the Cessation or loss of occasion for them.

Wesley states this in his sermon entitled “The More Excellent Way”...

“The real cause was, `the love of many,’ almost of all Christians, so called, was ‘waxed cold.’ The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other heathens. The Son of Man, when he came to examine his church, could hardly `find faith upon the earth’. This was the real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian church; because the Christians were turned heathens again, and had only a dead form left.”

Acts 2:17 (NIV)

17 “ ‘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.

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS CENTERED ON THE WORD

2 Peter 1:19–21 (NIV)

19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Rob Mckorkle says this about spiritual gifts. “It’s not about having a gift. It’s about the Holy Spirit having you”

We seem to focus more on the gifts than the spiritual. Which is the wind and very breath of God. You know the Jews hold the name of YAHWEH with the highest honor that they don’t even dare to speak it.

Different scholars have said that the letters of God’s name, YHWH. We added an A and an E in there because of our english language so we can pronounce it. Hebrews believed that the letters of Gods name are the sounds we make when we breve sounds. It’s the sound of our breathing.

Yod

Heh

Vav

Heh

These are breathing sounds in the Hebrew alphabet.

So Is the name of God the sound of breathing?”

What a beautiful thought this is...

That the babys first breath is saying the very name of God

That when we are on our deathbed, that the last thing we will say as we take our last breath is the very name of God.

That they athiest sitting across the room that says “there is no God” but what they are saying with the breathe they have is yod, heh, vav, heh....YAHWEH YAHWEH

Now the gift of prophesy is hearing what the spirit has to say. It is seeing with spiritual eyes the images that he puts before us. It’s binding our minds to the very mind of Christ so we gain spiritual understanding. It’s believing in our hearts that what He says is true.

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY GIVES GRACE TO ITS HEARERS.

1 Corinthians 14:3 (NIV)

3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.

Three general benefits of this gift are given in 1 Corinthians 14:3

Strengthens-Oikodome: meaning repairing, improving or building up. It can be seen as building up the structure and the walls of a house to make it strong. sturdy, and unshakable.

Also shows the word picture of a dome or a place of covering that protects the mind from the works of the devil.

Encourages-Paraklesis: meaning helping and standing along side of. It’s working in alignment with the Holy Spirit by calling out whats within people in who God has destined them to become.

Comforts-Paramuthia: meaning encouragement, comforting. Especially for people who are hurting and mourning. Have you every had someone just say something to you that was exactly what you needed to hear and it was said at exactly the right time and you knew it was from God?

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS MIRACULOUS

1 Corinthians 14:24–25 (NIV)

24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

This is why we need testimonies spoken in the church. We tend to think that giving testimonies is for us but it’s also for others to know the goodness of God. Sometimes we can limit the movement of the Holy Spirit in a service with a rigid service. We need to have prayer at a certain time. We need to have music at a certain time. We need to collect the offering at a certain time. We need to preach the message at a certain time.

Then we try to do everything right. Make it seeker sensitive for unbelievers when we should be making ourselves spirit sensitive to hear his voice.

What if we gave true testimonies about the goodness of God

what if we shared a verse or two of scripture that really touched our hearts this week

What if we shared about Gods healing and deliverance we recieved from him this week

These are things that people need to hear. We could be prophesying into someone’s life and not even know it.

When unbelievers see and hear the evidence of God in the lives of those who follow him there is no debating of that. The Holy Spirit convicts them of their sin, of their secrets as they fall down before the king of kings and worship knowing that God is in this place!

That is the greatest miracle. That a sinner is saved by grace and meets the hope of glory as they fall down in true repentance and worships God!

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS LISTENING AND SEEING

God wants to communicate with us. All throughout the Bible, we have a record of God talking with people. He spoke with Adam and Eve in the garden, with Noah, with Abraham, with Moses, and others. God’s desire to speak with humanity has never ceased. God is love, and love communicates.

God spoke to the prophet Elijah in a still small voice.

Jesus said in the Gospel of John 10:27....”My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”.

I remember early on in my Christian walk. I decided to take a nap before work. Then suddenly I woke up hearing someone call my name. It was commanding and gentle at the same time. They just said Scott. I get up and look around. I don’t see my mom, dad or brothers around. Then I realize what I heard was the very audible voice of God because He calls us out by name. I don’t know why it happened but I do know that it has become a great source of strength and encouragement to remember that moment.

My only response was to drop down to my knees and say “speak Lord, your servant is listening....