My short sermon on Prophesy. Enjoy!!! PROPHESY (PRO) What is prophecy? In Greek ( Propheteia) which literally means to speak forth or to proclaim Truth. Prophesy and Preaching means the same thing. Which is to speak forth or to proclaim The Word of God. You should know prophesy has nothing to do with fortelling or predicting the future. The gift of prophecy is the gift of preaching, proclaiming the Word of God although we can’t ignore the Truth that God used OT and NT prophets to foretell the future events but the main focus of this gift was to preach the gospel. If someone some thinks he or she is a prophet, she/he should preach the simplicity in Christ. That person should preach nothing but the Gospel. This is how we catch false prophets. When they can’t preach the gospel but they claim to be prophets. The gift of prophecy is the gift of being God’s public spokesperson primarily to God’s own people, to instruct, admonish, warn, rebuke, correct, challenge, comfort, and encourage and also God uses prophets to reach unbelievers. We see this in 1 cor 14;23-25, 1 cor 14 the whole chapter Apostle Paul makes a contrasts or he is showing us the difference in the gift of tongues and prophesy. The gift of tongues was an inferior gift in evangelism and the gift of prophesy was superior for it was primarily proclaiming revealed Truth to understand this read 1 cor 14;2-6. verse 23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not think you are mad? Verse 24 but if all prophesy and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all. Verse 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. Prophesy is preaching the Word of God and the Word of God will instruct, admonish, warn, rebuke, correct, challenge, comfort, and encourage and convict both unbelievers and believers verse 23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not think you are mad? Prophesy and Preaching are the same thing, for all who possess these gifts are responsible for proclaiming the Word of God. Even though prophesy is all about proclaiming the Truth (the Word of God), God has in the past used prophets to foretell or predict the future events and these Prophets gave new revelation. Preachers are prophets for they proclaim the written Word of God which is a ministry and serving Gift but revelatory and predicting the future has ceased which was a part of this gift has ceased. A preacher is a prophet in such way, that he interprets scripture. Why has predicting the future events or revelations ceased? Exodus 4;10-16 Exodus 7;1-2 A Prophet is the spokesperson of God. He is to speak every word that God commands him. In this case Aaron was to become Moses’s prophet verse 15 Moses is to speak with Aaron and put words in his mouth…….. You can already see the seriousness of this Office, God speaks with Moses and Moses speaks with Aaron and Aaron speaks to Pharaoh Verse 16 Aaron is to be a prophet and Moses is to be Aaron’s God.which means Moses takes the position of God in Aaron’s prophesy. This is how prophesy began, God speaks to the prophet and the prophets speaks exactly what God says. God cannot be speaking to people that way today if he does then Rev 22;18-19 should not be part of Revealed Word of God. The book of Revelation forbids new revelation. The time NT was been given by God, we should understand that the gift of prophesy, the other part of foretelling the future was operational and functional. NT prophets are all apostles and a group of prophets, one is named Agabus, who predicted the famine that would plagued Judea during the reign of Emperor Claudius ( Acts 11;27-28) and also foretold Apostle Paul’s arrest and imprisonment (Act 21;10-11). Another Prophets are Judas and Silas, these prophets never gave future predictions neither did they give new revelations, they simply encouraged and strengthen other Christians. All what a prophets utters or speaks is to be evaluated, tested, criticised and judged. Nowadays they don’t want to be judged. 1 cor 14; 29, verse 34 women were forbidden to prophesy in church. At the time of Moses, the death penalty was punishment for every false prophets, sometimes he can predict right or what he predicted come to pass but if he leads people away from the way of the Lord, that prophets shall be put to death. Deu 13;1-5, The prophet that speaks the Word that God has not commanded him, he shall die.. NT gives many warnings about false prophets. Matt 7;15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. What is THE Lord Jesus Christ talking about here? He is saying the false prophet will portray themselves as the genuine prophets of God or will identify themselves as Christians (sheep) while they are not.Lastly he calls them ravening wolves.What do wolves feed on? Sheep!!!…when they see a church building full of people they see money.They exploit their followers both financially and spiritually. False prophet or false Christ doesn’t mean someone will criticize and be against Christ Jesus, they will all claim to work for him.Beware!!! Mark 13;22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. Jesus Christ says false prophets and false Christ will perform miracles and signs and wonders…I don’t want expound on election now but what we got to know is this fake people will perform signs they will marvel people and deceive them. Luke 6;26, 2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. So we can see despite their prideful display of power false prophets teach damnable heresies.pay attention to the teachings not signs and wonders.they how you will identify them.For one cannot be anointed by the Holy Ghost and yet be a false teacher or believe a life’ 1 john2’26-27 never will the Holy Ghost allow a Christian to teach wrongly about Jesus. 1Jn 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1Jn 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, Angels and demons are spirit beings even humans are spirit beings.In other words test every thing through Holy Scripture.Christians can judge prophets and teachers. 1Co 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. The Lord Jesus Christ denies knowing the miracle workers in the day of judgement.Them being workers of inquity is evidence they were never born again even though they heal in his name.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:01:12 +0000