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Biblical Teaching on the Prophetic
March 03, 2024
| By: Drew Parish |
Category: Sermons |
Location: El Dorado
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Drew shares a word on keeping the supremacy and headship of Jesus as the central focus of prophesy and introduces the new Prophetic Guidelines for our church body.
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Notes
Revelation 19:9-10 (NIV)9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 14:3 (NIV)
3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
Colossians 1:10-14 (NIV)
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 10:15-20 (NIV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Matthew 16:15-17 (NIV)
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Three Foundational Principles
1. The primary purpose of prophetic ministry is to edify, encourage, and comfort God’s people (1 Corinthians 14:3)
2. All believers are exhorted to earnestly seek after spiritual gifts, especially prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1)
3. All prophetic words must be judged/weighed by the body of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 1 Corinthians 14:29-35)
How to Introduce and Deliver a Prophetic Word
“I have a strong inner impression that I believe is from the Lord, but we need to test it.”
“I have a picture in my mind that I think may be for someone here.”
“I had a sense from the Holy Spirit about what he wants to accomplish tonight.”
“I had a dream which involved several of you, and I would like to share it.”
Avoid using dramatic and overly authoritative pronouncements like “Thus says the Lord” or “This is the word of the Lord” or “God told me to tell you.”
It is generally helpful to have two to three witnesses to help test a personal word for someone else.
Practical “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of Prophetic Ministry
1. Do not publicly criticize or correct church leadership by name. Take such “words” privately to the Elders. The New Testament doesn’t say "Be subject to the prophets" but rather "Be subject to the Elders" (1 Peter 5:5; Hebrews 13:17).
2. Do not expose someone’s sin or identify them by name. Speak of sin in general/anonymous terms and ask the Spirit to bring conviction (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
3. Don’t prophesy marriages, babies, moves, or job changes.
4. If God reveals a person’s physical affliction, don’t immediately assume or suggest he intends to heal them. But of course, pray for them!
5. Unless you have explicit biblical warrant, do not tell a person what “God’s will” is for their life.
6. Be careful about prophesying public, political, or natural disasters.
7. Avoid using prophecy to establish doctrines, practices, or ethical principles that lack explicit biblical support.
8. Don't appeal to prophecy to set behavioral standards on secondary issues (e.g., whether Christians should attend R-rated movies, drink alcohol in moderation, listen to secular music, etc.).
9. Be cautious about excessive dependence on prophetic words for making routine, daily decisions in life. There are, of course, certain exceptions to this "rule".
10. Always resist the pressure to prophesy on demand, in the absence of a divine revelation. At all costs, resist the temptation to speak when God is silent. Some of the most severe denunciations and warnings of judgment are reserved for those who claim to speak for God, but don't (see Ezekiel 13:1-9; Jeremiah 23:25-32).
11. Don’t let your identity be dependent on your gifting. Remember that prophetically gifted people are often more sensitive than others and can be self-defensive. They are easily wounded by criticism. Remind them lovingly that they are not their gift!
12. Don’t despise prophetic utterances when things go badly or when people are offended or when someone gets it wrong (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22).
13. Resist the temptation/pressure always to interpret and apply the revelation you’ve received. Share what God has shown you and be quiet! Again, there are occasional exceptions to this “rule”.
14. Don’t prophesy to minors who are not your children without one or two parents present or without their prior approval.
15. Don’t let prophetic ministry dominate the meeting. There are other spiritual gifts!
Related Resources
Exhortation : Governed by the Spirit vs Governed by the FleshMissions : Priority 15 Conference Report
Missions : Denver Conference Report