Sermon Tone Analysis

*Spiritual Gifts IV: Prophecy *

*1 Corinthians 14, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22*

*/November 29, 2009/*

 

 

*Main Point(s) of sermon:*

· There is a difference between OT & NT prophecy

· NT prophecy is speaking words that God brings to mind for the edification of the listener.

· All of us may be prophetic in this sense, and should seek to be.

*Objectives of sermon:*

· Encourage the church to seek to speak prophetically.

* *

*Prep: *

·         Notes and leftovers, kook file

·         1 Cor 14, other prophecy passages

·         093-095

 

 

A prophet comes into town...

 

Q   If someone were to come to our church and claimed they were a prophet, what should we do?

What would you do?

 

·         Do prophets still exist today?

·         If they do, are their words equal with Scripture?

·         And how would you know if they are a prophet?

Is there a special prophet dress code?

Would they look like this?

 

·         What if they said something that they had no way of knowing, but other things seem to be off?

·         And if you disagreed with their words, would that mean you are disagreeing with God?

This is not an academic question.

There are many men and women who claim to be prophets, what are we to make of that?

I would guess that many of you had self-proclaimed prophets give you a word from God.

 

Q   How do we evaluate prophets and what they say?

·         This question is even more important because we are going to hear a prophecy at the end of sermon!

 

 

prayer

 

As we finish this series, I pray that you fill us all with your Spirit, and give us discernment to recognize what from you and what’s from us.

Is prophecy for today?

I grew up in a Charismatic church that was balanced, yet I remember there being a controversy about prophecy.

One of my best friends almost left the church over that question.

I have a file full of “kooks” prophesying all sort of things.

·         But the best response to misuse is not disuse, but proper use.

The purpose of the series:

 

1.

To help us become *Biblically* *grounded* in what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit and his gifts.

When we come to a clear, Biblically-driven understanding of prophecy, we will remove both fear that hinders us and the abuse that dishonors God.

 

2.

To see The Gathering become more *filled* with the Spirit, more dependent upon him, and *more* *empowered* by him for life and ministry, through *whatever* *manifestation* he chooses.

Prophets are a thing of the past

 

Are there still prophets today?

I have been speaking for the last three week on the Spirit, and how he still operates, so it may surprise you to hear me say “no.”

 

·         Or at least not in the way most of us mean.

*Hebrews 1:1-2 * In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

According to this, prophecy is a thing that ended with Jesus.

Because Jesus is the full revelation of God, we no longer need the partial revelation from prophets.

Q   Doesn’t this conflict with Paul?

 

*1 Corinthians 14:1 * Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Who’s right, Paul or the author of Hebrews?

They both are, but they are using the word prophet is different ways, Hebrews in the OT sense, and Paul in the NT sense.

·         Almost every error seen about prophecy (for or against) comes from missing this difference, so you need to understand this.

As we compare and contrast prophecy in the Old and New Testament, this difference will become clearer.

OT Prophets

 

The short definition of a prophet is someone who speaks on God’s behalf.

Our idea is that they foretold the future, but they only did that in order to persuade people to follow God.

In the OT, there were a very limited number of prophets, and they spoke authoritatively on God’s behalf:

 

*Deuteronomy 18:18-19* I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.

If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

To ignore these prophets was to ignore God, and there could be dire consequences for doing so.

·         When they spoke, it held the same authority as Scripture, and when their words were written, they become Scripture.

These are uppercase “P” Prophets.

Scripture shows that these ceased in Biblical times, Malachi was probably the last Prophet.

The Apostles took their place; they became the ones who had authoritatively carried God’s revelation through Jesus Christ.

In the NT, Paul always appealed to his apostleship.

How can I say that?

Q   On what basis do I say OT Prophecy ended?

Q   Is it just because I am constant debunker, or that I am scared of the Holy Spirit?

It is both expressed clearly through Hebrews 1:1-2 and demonstrated through the new role of prophets.

The most obvious thing is that the NT removes the requirement 100% accuracy.

*Deuteronomy 18:20-22* But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”

You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?”

If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken.

That prophet has spoken presumptuously.

Do not be afraid of him.

You got one chance, that’s it.

If your first and every swing is not a home run, the team was supposed to stone you.

So what are we supposed to make of this:

 

*Acts 21:10-11 *After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

Later in the chapter, Paul is indeed captured by the Romans, but some key details are off (Acts 21:27-36):

 

·         The whole thing is started by Jews from Asia (not Jerusalem).

·         The Jews were in the process beating Paul to death when the Romans stepped in (he was not handed over).

·         The Romans bound Paul, not the Jews.

Q   What’s going on here?

He gets the main point right – Paul is in the hands of the Romans, but there are many substantial errors in his prophecy.

Q   So is this man a prophet?

Q   According to Luke he is, but what about the accuracy issue?

·         Simply put, Agabus isn’t a Prophet (OT), he’s a prophet (NT).

In a minute, we will look at what it means to be a prophet in the NT sense, but first we need to better define NT prophecy.

Defining NT prophecy

 

Here is a good definition of NT prophecy which we will look at piece by piece:

 

“Prophecy is a human report of something God has spontaneously brought to mind.”

*/1.

/**/God has brought to mind/*

 

Prophecy does come from God.

It is very clear that God still speaks through his people.

·         Agabus could not have known what would happen in Jerusalem.

·         Spurgeon (a Cessationist) spoke prophetically on occasion.

I have heard prophecies that were clearly revealed by God.

He does this not to put on a show, but to bring help us:

 

*1 Corinthians 14:3 *  3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.

*/2.

/**/Human report/*