Be Eager to Prophesy

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Be Eager to Prophesy

• John Moyle
• October 19th, 2008

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What is prophecy?

• Prophecy is revelation from God passed to a
  person by His Holy Spirit that is to be
  communicated to its intended audience through the
  spoken word
• i.e., divine revelation
• It can be a word for an individual
• It can be for an entire congregation (or even
  larger group)

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Prophecy is a Spiritual Gift

• 4There are different kinds of gifts, but the
  same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of
  service, but the same Lord. 6There are different
  kinds of working, but the same God works all of
  them in all men.
•   7Now to each one the manifestation of the
  Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one
  there is given through the Spirit the message of
  wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by
  means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by
  the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by
  that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers,
  to another prophecy, to another distinguishing
  between spirits, to another speaking in different
  kinds of tongues, and to still another the
  interpretation of tongues. 11All these are the
  work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives
  them to each one, just as he determines.

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The Gift is Available to All

• The gift of prophecy is available to all
• Acts 217-18
• 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. 18Even on my servants, both men
  and women,       I will pour out my Spirit in
  those days,       and they will prophesy.
• 1 Corinthians 114-5
• 4Every man who prays or prophesies 5And every
  woman who prays or prophesies

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Office of the prophet

• Ephesians 411-12
• It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to
  be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to
  be pastors and teachers, to prepare Gods people
  for works of service
• The gift of prophecy is different than the
  office of the prophet
• Everyone can prophesy
• Prophets have a prophetic ministry they receive
  prophecy regularly for edification of the entire
  body
• These words very often relate to mission,
  purpose, and direction that God is calling a
  church body into

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Prophecy is Essential Within the Church

• God desires the gift of prophecy to be prevalent
  and active within His body
• Follow the way of love and eagerly desire
  spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy
  he who prophesies edifies the church. (1 Co
  141,4)

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Why is Divine Revelation Important?

• Proverbs 2918
• Where there is no revelation prophetic
  vision, the people cast off restraint (NIV,
  NKJV)
• Where there is no vision, the people perish
  (KJV)
• revelation, vision
• From the Hebrew verb to gaze, to have a vision
  of
• Regularly refers to divine revelation
• cast off restraint, perish
• From a difficult word to translate that means
  loosened, exposed
• In essence, without divine revelation people have
  no direction they become distracted and confused

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Prophecy Strengthens the Church

• 1 Corinthians 141-6
• 1Follow the way of love and eagerly desire
  spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
  2For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak
  to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands
  him he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3But
  everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their
  strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4He who
  speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who
  prophesies edifies the church. 5I would like
  every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would
  rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is
  greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he
  interprets, so that the church may be edified.

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Prophecy Builds Up the Church

• Strengthening (Gr.) building, edification
• Encouragement (Gr.) exhortation,
  consolation
• Comfort (Gr.) spoken address of consolation
• True prophecy is not
• Words of condemnation or judgment
• Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church refers to
  prophecy as unearthing gold

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True Prophecy Gives LifeEzekiel 37

• 1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he
  brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set
  me in the middle of a valley it was full of
  bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and
  I saw a great many bones on the floor of the
  valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me,
  "Son of man, can these bones live?"       
• I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."  4
  Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and
  say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the
  LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to
  these bones I will make breath enter you, and
  you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to
  you and make flesh come upon you and cover you
  with skin I will put breath in you, and you will
  come to life. Then you will know that I am the
  LORD.' "
•  
• 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I
  was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling
  sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.
  8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on
  them and skin covered them, but there was no
  breath in them.
•  

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True Prophecy Gives LifeEzekiel 37

• 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath
  prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is
  what the Sovereign LORD says Come from the four
  winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain,
  that they may live.' " 10 So I prophesied as he
  commanded me, and breath entered them they came
  to life and stood up on their feeta vast army.
• 11 Then he said to me "Son of man, these bones
  are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our
  bones are dried up and our hope is gone we are
  cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them
  'This is what the Sovereign LORD says O my
  people, I am going to open your graves and bring
  you up from them I will bring you back to the
  land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know
  that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and
  bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit
  in you and you will live, and I will settle you
  in your own land. Then you will know that I the
  LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares
  the LORD.' "

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Prophecy is tied to faith and love

• Romans 126 without faith there is no prophecy
• 6We have different gifts, according to the grace
  given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him
  use it in proportion to his faith.
• A trust that God speaks today through His people
• A courage to launch out in speech believing that
  God will supply the words
• 1 Co 131-2 we must prophecy out of love
• 1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
  but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or
  a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of
  prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
  knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move
  mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
• Not revenge, anger, judgment, etc.

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Weighing, Testing Prophesy

• Two or three prophets should speak, and the
  others should weigh carefully what is said. (1
  Co 1429)
• To judge, to determine
• Do not put out the Spirits fire do not treat
  prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold
  on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1
  Thess 519-22)
• To try, prove, scrutinize

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Weighing, Testing Prophecy

• True prophecy
• Is an expression of the mind and Spirit of Christ
  is Christ validly represented?
• Is harmonious with Gods own word in Scripture
• Builds up the community judgmental, condemning,
  negative words are usually false
• Finds consent and agreement in the minds and
  hearts of others in the community
• Why? Because the same Spirit is at work in all
• Serves to glorify God and not man (1 Peter
  410-11)
• Also, test/discern the spirit of the source of
  the prophecy (1 John 41)

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Prophecy is subordinate to Scripture

• Prophetic messages cannot claim equal or superior
  authority to Gods written words in Scripture
• Prophecy may be grounded in Scripture and based
  upon Scripture but is NOT equivalent to Scripture
  in and of itself
• A prophetic word does not become normative for
  all believers

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How to receive a prophetic word

• If the word is strengthening, encouraging, or
  comforting, actively live as if the word is real
• Dont treat it with contempt!
• Prophecy is realized in our lives as we believe
  that it is true for us
• If the word is predictive in nature, hold it
  loosely
• Do not try to make the word come true
• Do not make important decisions based upon a
  predictive word of prophecy
• If it comes to pass, you will know that it is
  from God
• If it does not come to pass, you will not be
  harmed by it
• Write down prophetic words

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Prophesying in orderly manner

• Not generally our problem today
• 1 Co 1429-33
• We are to prophesy in turn so that everyone may
  be instructed and encouraged (v. 31)
• God is not a God of disorder but of peace. (v.
  33)

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Prophecy at Oakbrook Church

• During the week
• Feel free to share prophetic words with an elder
• The elders may bring the word before the entire
  congregation at a later time if deemed
  appropriate
• During a service
• Feel free to share a prophetic word openly
• Please weigh/test the word first
• Determine if the word is personal or corporate
• If the shared word is deemed inappropriate or not
  of God, the elders will instruct the people to
  reject it
• If hesitant, we encourage you to pass the word
  through an elder for confirmation

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Prophecy at Oakbrook Church

• If you receive a word for a specific person
• Feel free to share it directly with that person
  if you are sure that it will strengthen,
  encourage, or comfort them
• Again, if hesitant, feel free to share the word
  with an elder first

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Conclusion

• Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager
  to prophesy (1 Co 1439)
• Be zealous about giving forth the word of God