WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.959 Hello everyone, I'm Dr. 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:01.679 Steve Bolt. 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:04.799 I want to welcome you to the Road Church Podcast. 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:07.280 Each week we go into God's Word. 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:10.240 We teach chapter by chapter, verse by verse. 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:15.599 We are here to build the Kingdom of God revolution through empowering people to change the world. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:21.440 So we pray this will minister to you at your heart level and change your life. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:29.199 Alright, I'd like you to turn to 2 Timothy. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:33.520 2 Timothy chapter 1. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:35.759 This is one of my favorite books of the Bible. 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:41.759 It's actually not what I'm teaching from today, but I just want to open with 2 Timothy 1. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.439 It's the magnum opus, as it were, of Paul. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:47.439 He knows he's about to die. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.399 He knows he's going to be executed. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:53.439 And this is his son in the faith. 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:55.840 This is his beloved son, Timothy. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:02.159 This is his last charge to this pastor in Ephesus. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:16.480 In verses 6 and 7, through the ordeal of what I've been through and Liz has been through over the past nine months in our marriage and here at the church, has become a very special passage to me. 00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:22.239 And here we are studying the spiritual gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:32.319 So I wanted to open with this just to set a framework for everything else I'm going to say, because we're going to talk about a particular gift today, as we're doing every week. 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:36.719 Verse 6 says, Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God. 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:42.239 Now, I grew up with the New American Standard Bible in the 70s and 80s. 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:47.359 That was the Bible of choice among the evangelical group that I was a part of. 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:51.599 And it talks about fan into a flame, the gift of God. 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:03.040 Now the New King James says, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:20.639 So what he's saying here is that Paul at some point had laid hands on Timothy and transferred a gift to him, or seen an anointing, a filling of the Holy Spirit upon Timothy, by which he knew what that was. 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:25.439 And now he's saying, you've got to stir it up, though, man. 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:27.520 You've got to fan it into a flame. 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:29.439 That's your responsibility. 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:34.879 God gave you a gift sovereignly, several gifts, as I've said before in the past. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:36.159 I don't think it's one gift. 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:40.319 I think there's a main gift over our lives, spiritual gift. 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:46.400 And then I would call them tertiary gifts after that, but fan it into a flame. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:48.639 And then he says, kind of how you do that. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:49.759 Look at verse 7. 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:50.960 This is how you do it. 00:02:51.199 --> 00:03:00.319 He says, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:04.800 So here's the battle for all of us is fear. 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:07.599 We struggle, everybody here struggles with fear. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:15.439 It's what you do with fear that determines the course of your life. 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:17.759 Because everybody has fear. 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:26.000 And it comes from childhood, it comes from past experiences, it comes from being a human being, it comes from your flesh, it comes from the world. 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:34.159 There's so many places, and you can't even define it in any particular direction except to say that everybody struggles with fear. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:46.240 And really, the argument can be made that how you navigate fear determines to what extent God can use you in your life. 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:50.560 Because if you let yourself be captured by fear, you won't do anything. 00:03:51.199 --> 00:04:09.759 But he says, here's how you conquer fear is rather than the spirit of fear being upon you, take on power of the Holy Spirit, dunymus, dynamite power, love, agape, sacrificial love, and a sound mind. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:18.319 And that particular Greek word for sound mind is only used for sound mind here in all of the New Testament. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.639 So he's talking about a balanced mind. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:23.360 He's talking about how you think and process. 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:35.120 So what I'm going to try to do today, and I'm trying to do every week for a few more weeks as we talk about spiritual gifts, is I want to equip you with a sound mind. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:45.439 I want you to be understanding gifts and also understanding how they work so that you can have a sound mind and not be living in fear. 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:49.040 So I want to talk about the gift of prophecy today. 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:53.360 The gift of prophecy in the New Testament and today. 00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:56.399 So now turn to 1 Corinthians 14. 00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:58.959 Yes, we're back at, we've been at 12. 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:01.120 1 Corinthians 12. 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:03.680 13 is the great love chapter. 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:05.839 Now we're at chapter 14. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:08.879 And I want to talk about prophecy. 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:12.639 Here's what it says in verse 1 of 1 Corinthians 14. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:13.920 Pursue love. 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:18.399 So remember, we're coming off chapter 13, which is a great love chapter. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:29.040 That's sandwiched in between all the gifts, is that if we don't have love, then we're not going to function powerfully in the gifts. 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:33.199 And by the way, you can't have love without having the lover. 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:42.240 So Christ, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish. 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:45.279 So Christ came because of the love of the Father. 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:46.720 And he loves you. 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:52.560 And he gave you gifts and talents and skills and the parents that you were given. 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:55.600 And you say, well, that didn't seem very loving to me. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:57.279 You should have known my parents. 00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:04.079 But there was something of God's love in that, of something he's processing in your life through all of that. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:06.079 So he says, pursue love. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:12.560 So the first thing on any of the spiritual gifts that we talk about is that it's based in and founded on love. 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:15.040 Desire spiritual gifts, he says. 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:21.759 But then he says something really interesting, which he doesn't say about the other gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:25.199 Especially that you may prophesy. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:30.160 So what is the gift of prophecy? 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:41.920 So for many charismatic and Pentecostal churches, and those who come out of that kind of a background, it's a word from the Lord, or it's the word of the Lord to someone. 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:45.839 It's someone walking up to you and giving you a word of the Lord. 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.839 That's oftentimes the way in which we think of prophecy. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:59.199 And those in churches that would be more charismatic Pentecostal, they would say it's really important that you get a word from the Lord. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:01.120 And we're a word and spirit church. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:12.480 I call us a disciplined word and spirit church because we're not crazy on either side, but we try to walk that middle road of word and spirit. 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:28.160 But for many reformed and dispensational believers, they're threatened by this idea of a word of prophecy because it seems to undermine the authority of Scripture. 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:45.279 The idea that a subjective, someone with a subjective perspective might say something to you that might be about the future or about a situation you're in that somehow discounts what the Bible says. 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:47.600 And so that would be the other side. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:51.920 But where most people are at is they don't even know what it is. 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:54.079 They don't even know what we're talking about. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:00.240 What do you mean a word of the Lord or a word from God or undermining scripture? 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:01.600 Or is it real? 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:02.879 Is it not real today? 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:13.680 And I think that's where a lot of us are today, and that's why I'm teaching on it, because there's so many misconceptions about the gift of prophecy. 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:37.919 I'm hoping and praying, and we can take a vote at the end, but I'm hoping and praying that I'm going to give you what I think is a very biblical definition from the scriptures, but also I think a very fair estimation of kind of the pros and cons of the gift of prophecy, because there's no doubt about it, men and women, it has been majorly misused. 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:47.360 I mean, if there's a gift that can be used with manipulation by someone towards someone else, it's probably the gift of prophecy. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:58.240 And so I'm hoping that we're doing a good job of it and even working through the mistakes that we make at the road in reference to it by apologizing when we mess up. 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:03.200 But also to understand what it is and what it isn't. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:06.480 So let's start with Old Testament prophecy. 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:09.840 I want to start there and let me give you a definition. 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:16.080 Old Testament prophecy is speaking the very words of God. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:23.519 Old Testament prophecy always, from Genesis to Malachi, is speaking the very words of God. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:32.879 Now, that definition for Old Testament prophecy comes from Wayne Grudham in his systematic theology, but also in his seminal work. 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:41.440 I mean, I thought this was one of the best books I've ever written, I mean, I've ever read, called Prophecy in the New Testament and today. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:44.000 That's where I got the title today, but it comes from his book. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:47.919 It's a great book on just the gift of prophecy. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:53.120 And so he defines Old Testament prophecy as speaking the very words of God. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:10:06.320 In other words, the purpose of an Old Testament prophet was to give the exact wording from God to people. 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:18.480 And that wasn't, it's not every particular grammar because it came through normal people like us, but it is the very words of God that would become scripture. 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:20.639 They would actually become our scripture. 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:22.320 Now listen to this, this is really important. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:25.600 And I'm not going to explain it in any great detail here. 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:27.440 It would take another hour. 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:32.480 But Old Testament prophets are likened to New Testament apostles. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:34.960 So listen to what I just said. 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:39.120 Old Testament prophets are likened to New Testament apostles. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:11:02.240 So when we look at the intertestamental period, which is 400 years between Malachi and then the first book of the New Testament, which is Matthew, the coming of Jesus, that silent period, there was no debate among the Jewish theologians and scholars that this was the Bible, what they had, as far as what we now call the Old Testament. 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:25.840 But as Jesus came upon the scene and the kingdom of God came in a different form, and the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost, it became clear to those who have studied Old and New Testament that what we see in the elements of the anointing on Old Testament prophets was transferred into the New Testament apostles. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:34.080 So Old Testament prophets prophesied and actually wrote scripture. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:41.200 So to be a true prophet in the Old Testament meant that the prophets' words were the actual words of God. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:42.879 Exodus 4, 12. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:48.320 I'll be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:51.039 Deuteronomy 18, 18. 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:55.440 The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:57.440 That was Jeremiah 1.9. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:00.559 Deuteronomy 18, 18, I'll put my words in his mouth. 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:03.919 So here's three things we know about an Old Testament prophet. 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:11.679 Number one, to disbelieve a prophet's words was to disbelieve or disobey God. 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:19.919 Number two, the words of a true prophet are beyond challenge or question. 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:28.320 Number three, if a prophet had even one word of falsehood, he was disqualified as a prophet. 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:32.320 So the equivalent of the Old Testament prophet was the New Testament apostle. 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:33.440 Now, why is this important? 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:34.720 Why am I talking about this? 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:40.159 Because that's not true of the definition of the prophetic in the New Testament and today. 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:43.840 Because this is the confusion. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:52.080 This is the confusion that I've been doing this church stuff for 30 years, 40 years in the ministry. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:13:01.919 And if there's one thing that seems to be the most confusing point is someone gives a prophetic word and someone uses Old Testament prophecy as how they define it. 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:04.399 It has to be exactly what God said. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:18.720 Either the recipient feels like they have to do exactly what they heard the person say, or it's so outlandish and weird from the person who gave it, which by the way, there's a lot of weird people that do this stuff. 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:20.799 Okay, there's a lot of weird pastors. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:22.240 I'm in that category too. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:23.759 And you might even say, Steve's kind of weird. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:25.039 And I'd say, I agree with you. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:28.000 My wife would totally agree with you from time to time. 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:36.879 Okay, so but but there's if we were looking at the weirdness factor, there's no other gift where that sometimes attracts the weirdest people. 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:42.559 And so then they get evaluated again according to an Old Testament perspective. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:48.159 So let's move into the New Testament and how it's defined today. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:54.960 And it says, pursue love, desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 00:13:55.039 --> 00:14:03.440 Now, this is interesting that Paul is writing to the entire Corinthian church. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:12.799 It couldn't be the exact words of God or you're a false prophet if he's writing to everyone and he's telling everyone in the church, pursue prophecy. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:14.799 So it must be something different. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:20.639 Something must have changed in the arena of the gift of prophecy between the Old and the New Testament. 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:21.919 He's writing to the entire congregation. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:29.200 Here's the other thing the Corinthian church was really messed up in many ways in spiritual gifts. 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:38.480 That's why he's writing chapter 12, 13, and 14 is because they had so many mistakes, they had so much chaos happening in the church. 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:47.360 And yeah, isn't this interesting that even in the midst of the chaotic state of the Corinthian church, he says, pursue prophecy. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:51.360 That's the most controversial one, prophesy speaking in tongues. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:53.759 And we we'll deal with tongues next week. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:56.559 I love this study, by the way. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:58.080 I've never done it. 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:01.919 I've never done a study on spiritual gifts in all these years. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:02.720 Isn't that crazy? 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:16.080 I've never needed to, I didn't feel like, but I feel like I need to now, but I'm having a, it's really fun because I like really diving in and going, well, what does the Bible say about this rather than everybody's subjective opinion? 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:26.080 So he's saying to the entire congregation, look, pursue love, desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you would prophesy. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:27.759 Well, why would he say that? 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:39.039 Why would he make such a broad statement to a church that's already using spiritual gifts, maybe way too much, because of verse 2. 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:41.039 It's because of verse 2. 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:42.639 Look at verse 2. 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:52.080 He says, For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him. 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.320 However, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:58.159 Now, next week I'll cover this. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:04.799 I'm gonna talk about what it means to speak in tongues, and I'm gonna talk about different kinds of tongues. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:16.960 But look what he says here, just real quick, because it's in counterbalance to the next verse, and that is that those who speak in tongues speak to, they speak to God and not to men. 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:23.360 So when we're when we're praying in tongues or we're singing in tongues or we're speaking in tongues, it's to God. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:26.639 But prophecy is gonna say is to men. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:29.840 And he's gonna say, that's more valuable. 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:37.120 That's more valuable when the church comes together, is that we prophesy to men, and then he says, why? 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:38.879 Look what he says next. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:48.320 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:50.159 Verse 4. 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:58.720 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:07.680 Meaning that one who speaks in tongues, again, we'll cover this next week, is speaking to God and edifying himself. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:10.079 In other words, he's building up his holy faith. 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:16.640 That's what the scriptures say, through praying, ministering to himself in tongues and to God. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:19.599 And I'll give a lot of examples of that next week. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:27.279 But when we come together as a body, prophecy is more important because it edifies the church. 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:35.920 So he gives us three things that happen when we come together in relation to this gift of prophecy. 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:36.960 Threefold purpose. 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:38.480 Number one, edification. 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:40.000 So what's edification? 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:42.799 It's the ministry of building up. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:49.119 Edification is the ministry of building up or making others strong. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:58.000 So when I edify you through the preaching of the word, hopefully I'm building up your spirit. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:00.079 I'm building up the soul. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:02.640 Number two, exhortation. 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:11.680 Exhortation is encouraging people to move forward, breaking off fear, putting courage into people. 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:13.519 Number three, it's comfort. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:16.160 And comfort is the idea of consolation. 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:23.759 It's the idea of there being a healing of the heart as we move forward. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:25.599 That's comfort. 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:27.279 Because we all struggle with fear. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:30.240 So let me give you a definition of New Testament prophecy. 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:39.599 So New Testament prophecy is speaking or teaching God's truth to God's people that builds up the church. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:41.359 That's what prophecy is. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:49.519 New Testament prophecy is speaking or teaching God's truth to God's people that builds up the church. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:51.920 It's not the very words of God. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:19:05.279 Now, it's interesting because Wayne Grudum, in his book on prophecy, he defines it as speaking truth using human words that come to the mind of the speaker. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:14.960 So he sees it as kind of almost like a spontaneous thing where you've got a truth that God gives you for someone and you speak it in human words to them. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:16.880 Let me give you two aspects. 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:22.400 Two aspects of speaking or teaching God's truth to God's people. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:24.559 Number one is forth telling. 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:26.400 Forth telling. 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:39.839 It builds up the body of Christ, builds up the church. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:50.240 So listen, everybody, when I walk up here in front of you, the mantle of prophesying is upon me. 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:58.240 So the most important forthelling gift of prophecy is the teaching and preaching of God's word. 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:00.079 That's prophecy. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:02.319 Everybody go like this if you know what I'm saying. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:02.799 Okay. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:04.799 Keep doing that. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:07.440 I just want to make sure you guys are with me, okay? 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:09.119 So that's forth telling. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:15.440 That's forthelling because I'm telling forth truth that's edifying your heart. 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:34.319 Now, at the road, because of some mistakes that we've made, our policy that we worked out with the pastors is if you feel like you have a word from God for the church during a Sunday service, you write it down, you bring it to me, and I'm gonna test it. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:41.680 I'm gonna evaluate it whether it's gonna be given or not, and I will be the one, at least at this point, that will give it. 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:43.920 And you'll understand in a moment why I'm saying that. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.680 So forth telling. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:58.480 So when you look at the New Testament scriptures, prophecy is all, this is the prophetic word, because we're being edified and taught truth from God's word. 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:05.519 So this is the document, this is the constitution of the word of prophecy right here. 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:08.319 And you'll understand again in a moment why that's important. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:10.319 Number two is foretelling. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:14.400 So forthelling, number two, foretelling. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:23.039 Now, this is another aspect, part of hearing from God and speaking a word in season about something. 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:33.359 How many of you in this room have come to church on a Sunday, and during worship, you have a thought. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:49.680 It seems like you just a thought about something that you're related to or someone you know that you really feel like God spoke to you about something related to a season in your life or a situation you're in, or someone else's situation. 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:50.640 Raise your hand. 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:52.400 It's almost everybody in there. 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:59.759 You see, God's always speaking, church, and that's what's the beauty of the coming together of the body of Christ. 00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:03.920 Is there's an anointing on this sanctuary. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:07.680 There's an anointing over you and the congregated. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:13.039 The congregated coming together of the church where God's free to speak. 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:14.640 And a lot of times it's in worship. 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:15.759 Or it's right now. 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:22.240 I'm saying something and it just resonates, and you're writing over to the side, I need to talk to da-da-da. 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:33.599 That's the foretelling aspect of something that might have to do with your future or something that God's calling you to do that is of the Lord. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:36.240 So this is important. 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.200 Write this down. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:39.200 If you're taking notes, write this down. 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:44.960 The foretelling nature of prophecy is not speculation. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:46.480 Let me say this. 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:54.160 The foretelling nature of prophecy is not speculation but confirmation. 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:01.359 So, in other words, there's a confirming in your spirit about something. 00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:04.000 Now, it may seem like it's out of the blue. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:08.319 You weren't even thinking about it, but that's a confirmation in your spirit. 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:09.920 It's not just speculation. 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:12.880 Examples in the New Testament would be Acts 11. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:21.279 In Acts 11, a prophet named Agabas foretells by the Spirit that there would be a great famine. 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:25.279 So he goes to Antioch and he foretells that there's going to be this great famine. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:27.279 He actually takes up a collection. 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:36.240 In Acts 13, it says that they had teachers and prophets that were kind of on staff at the church in Antioch. 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:42.559 Acts 21, Agabas again accurately predicts the imprisonment of Paul. 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:46.240 And he comes and he actually binds Paul and says, This is what they're going to do to you. 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:48.559 And Paul is not dissuaded. 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:51.119 He still goes to Jerusalem, and that's exactly what happened to him. 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:53.039 He was willing to, he heard that. 00:23:53.119 --> 00:23:56.880 And Agabas saying, Don't go, don't go, but he goes anyway. 00:23:57.039 --> 00:24:01.119 And that's a that you want to talk about an interesting conversation. 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:04.079 I think we spent two hours in seminary on this one passage. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:06.000 Like, why did Paul not listen? 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:07.599 It says it was from God. 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:11.119 Paul thought he had heard from God, so he went anyway. 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:14.400 That's the mucky nature of the gift of prophecy. 00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:16.960 Doesn't mean you have to believe it or even receive it. 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:19.440 It still could be from God, but you say, I'm not going to do that. 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:22.240 I feel like God's spoken to me to do this. 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:25.119 That's why it's not speculation, it's confirmation. 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:27.920 So I've got to tell you guys a story. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:34.160 So I was struggling so much with a situation when I was at Anaheim Vineyard. 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:36.720 I'd been, we Liz and I spent 10 years in Japan. 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:41.039 We came back, we became a car to this vineyard church in Anaheim, California. 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:48.720 And I felt from oh my goodness, at least 10 prophetic words that we were supposed to come to Colorado Springs and plant a church. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:25:02.640 But I'm working there on staff, and John Wember's a senior pastor, and he comes to me and he offers me a lucrative job, a house, and a national ministry if I would take it with the vineyard. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:08.799 And I thought, yeah, that sounds really good. 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:14.880 But then I take it to Liz and she goes, Well, God's told us to go plant a church in Colorado Springs. 00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:18.559 And I said, Well, honey, we're not gonna have any backing, we're not gonna have any money. 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:21.039 Here's a chance we could do this for a few years, save up. 00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:22.880 She goes, That's not what God said. 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:24.160 Hate that. 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:30.400 But we went into three days of fasting and prayer. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:36.799 And we walked all over Yorba Lenda, beautiful homes out there where we were at, and it just seemed like, whoa. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:40.960 And yet I had this thing in my spirit that was unsettled. 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:52.240 So we come into staff meeting, and this lady walks up to me at the end of the staff meeting and she says, You don't know me, I don't know you, but your name is Steve, which is the same name as my husband. 00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:52.880 Am I correct? 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:54.319 And I went, Yeah. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:57.119 She goes, Got a word for from God for you. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:03.599 You're seeking God right now about something that you need to do, a decision that you need to make. 00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:09.119 And I had a vision of you as soon as you walked in the room, of you standing on some rocks. 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:10.799 Like it was a bunch of rocks. 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:12.160 You're standing on some rocks. 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:15.359 No, you were standing on the Rockies. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:21.599 And the Lord wants you to know I've told you what to do. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:27.359 Quit waiting around and do it, and it's March the first, and it's time to march. 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:34.799 And I went down on my face and wept, and I resigned that day. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:46.319 Okay, so God can use prophetically gifted people at strategic times in your life to confirm something that He's already been speaking to you about. 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:48.079 And that was really, really exciting. 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:50.880 And I never looked back, and we came with nothing. 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:53.680 Oh, no, no, they gave us$5,000. 00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:55.839 Um, but that was it. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:03.759 And then we had to do it on our own in 1994, and God blessed us with mountain springs, and it took off, and it was very exciting. 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:08.960 So, how do you how do you judge whether prophecy is from God or not? 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:10.240 How do we judge that? 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:11.599 Look at verse 29. 00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:14.960 If you would look at verse 29 and 1 Corinthians 14. 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:19.839 First, we judge a prophetic word through examination. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.000 It says, let two or three prophets speak and the others judge. 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:25.519 That's diacrino. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:32.720 The Greek word is diacrino, and it's the idea of separating or distinguishing from falsehood. 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:42.559 Okay, so you you examine, and a lot of times it's not just you, but you would subject that to others for them to examine. 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:51.440 So we examine the word as to whether it's from God or not, with the idea that it could be, some of it could be from the Lord and some of it might not be. 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:54.960 I like to tell people eat the meat, spit out the bones. 00:27:55.680 --> 00:27:57.200 Eat the meat, spit out the bones. 00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:15.039 Recently, when Mark was here, when he we did the healing seminar, not Mark, but another guy that the prophetically gifted guy that he knows was prophesying over me, and he said he said, I see painting. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:19.920 I see you're very creative, and you're gonna start painting. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:24.480 And I'm going, wow, man, this you got the wrong dude, you know. 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:30.559 Uh you know, and maybe it's gonna happen in the future, but I can just say it's definitely not confirmational right now. 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:37.599 But then, but then he said a word about some stuff that was so right on. 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:40.640 I won't share it right here with all of you, but it was so right on. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:44.319 So we eat the meat, we spit out the bones, we examine what it says. 00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:47.039 So, how do we evaluate a prophecy at the road? 00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:48.799 Give me three thoughts on this. 00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:52.079 Number one, does it conform to scripture? 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:56.880 In other words, if he's saying divorce your wife, probably not from God. 00:28:57.119 --> 00:28:57.440 Okay? 00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:02.400 If he's saying, go for the secretary, it's okay. 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:05.119 She needs you, probably not from God. 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:07.440 Okay, so it has to conform to scripture. 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:10.160 Number two, does it resonate in your spirit? 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:14.880 In other words, do you have a confirmation in your spirit about it? 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:18.079 And then number three, do you know the person? 00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:22.400 Do you know the source of the prophetic word? 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:24.720 I like what Wayne Grudham writes. 00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:32.960 He says, in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is talking about a meeting of those who are already accepted in the fellowship of the church. 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:35.519 When you come together, verse 26. 00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:38.559 Earnestly desire to prophesy, verse 39. 00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:44.880 The picture is one of several prophets who are known and accepted by the congregation. 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:52.640 So I'm very wary of anybody coming into the road that we don't know who comes up and wants to give a prophetic word. 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:55.359 So we need to know them in our fellowship. 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:56.880 Then look at verse 30. 00:29:57.039 --> 00:29:58.400 Verse 30, secondly. 00:29:58.640 --> 00:30:12.799 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent, verse 31, for you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:24.240 So second, judging a prophetic word meant that some were intentionally neglected, meaning that we don't receive everything. 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:29.359 Some were had to remain silent, even in the Corinthian church. 00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:34.480 So just because someone gives a word doesn't necessarily mean it's a word that we need to receive. 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:41.119 Now remember, this is important, that most of the churches were small groups back at this time. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:42.559 These were house churches. 00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:52.559 So I believe the best place to learn how to prophesy, the best place to learn how to give words of knowledge and words of wisdom is in a small group, not in a big congregation. 00:30:52.799 --> 00:31:01.440 And so he's talking about those who would have been in that kind of a small group bringing edification. 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:02.799 Because look at verse 26. 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:04.400 Look back at verse 26. 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:15.119 Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:17.359 Let all things be done for edification. 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:21.519 So he's talking about a small group where you know everyone, people are sharing. 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:33.119 Again, Grudom says, it seems from our passage that the prophet's words could be challenged and questioned, and that the prophet could at times be wrong. 00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:38.640 Yet there's no indication that an occasional mistake would make him a false prophet. 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:49.119 In 1 Corinthians 14, 30, Paul seems unconcerned that some of a prophet's words could be lost forever and never heard by the church. 00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:55.839 So we evaluate, second, we sometimes neglect, and then verse 32. 00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:57.279 Look at verse 32. 00:31:57.680 --> 00:32:08.240 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the same. 00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:15.359 So thirdly, you judge a prophetic word, is the spirit of peace in the leadership. 00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:23.200 In other words, the leadership team, in our case, the road, we would have a sense of peace that that was from the Lord. 00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:24.400 Or a lack of peace. 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:26.160 That was not from the Lord. 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:30.880 Or this was from the Lord, but this part wasn't. 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:32.720 Again, you see the difference. 00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:34.559 It's speaking truth. 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:36.240 Doesn't mean it's perfect. 00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:46.799 There's not the claim of false prophets, but rather it's more about what is God saying to us at this particular time. 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:49.599 So final thoughts. 00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:53.359 Here's some final thoughts on the use of the prophetic gift at the road. 00:32:53.519 --> 00:32:56.400 Number one, we believe in the value of the prophetic gift. 00:32:56.480 --> 00:32:57.920 We believe it's for today. 00:32:58.160 --> 00:32:59.839 I'm not a cessationist. 00:33:00.079 --> 00:33:06.559 I believe that I'm a well, I'm a continuous, and I believe that the gift is alive, just like the scriptures say. 00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:11.519 Number two, according to our definition, the main prophet is the pastor speaking. 00:33:11.680 --> 00:33:15.039 So the main prophet on any given Sunday is whoever's up here speaking. 00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:16.559 That's the prophetic word. 00:33:16.720 --> 00:33:20.240 That's the main prophetic word to the church. 00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:24.640 Number three, all prophecies must be evaluated in love. 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:38.319 So even if the person who's prophetically gifted gives a word, maybe in the wrong spirit or in the wrong way, we treat them with love, unconditional love. 00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:41.759 Number four, all prophetic words should be written out. 00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:44.799 Now, this is not in scripture, this is for the road. 00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:52.799 So we appreciate it when people, if they feel like they have a prophetic word, and I how many of you have given me a prophetic word and I ask you to write it down? 00:33:53.119 --> 00:33:54.240 Anyone in here? 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:55.680 Okay, yeah, a few of you. 00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:56.000 Okay. 00:33:56.160 --> 00:34:00.960 So that's what you're gonna get from me is that people will come up and say, I got a word for you, Pastor Stephen. 00:34:01.119 --> 00:34:02.079 I said, Okay, give it. 00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:02.640 And they give it. 00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:03.279 It's great. 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:04.640 I said, write it down. 00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:09.599 And so I like to get it in a written form so I can look back at it. 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:13.840 Number five, the main place for the prophetic is in small groups. 00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:20.400 So just like we see in the New Testament, it was house churches, same today, in small groups. 00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:23.119