We Want Contact with the Divine
What if I were to tell you there are a variety of means God uses to reach us and communicate with us? “That’s not farfetched!” you say as a Christian.
What if I were to say, “There are some methods of communication from God which are not used in your life, which you may have missed many important messages that could have helped you greatly!”
‘Well, what are they? I should like to have all lines of communication between myself and God!”
This is the inward longing of mankind, from birth to death, we want contact with something higher and want communication with that higher being. This is why some pursue contact with ghosts, spirits, or seek ideas about contact with aliens, or want to reach some other worlds with humans on them in the vast universe somewhere, we will search for someone higher than ourself to give us meaning and to show us great things we do not know, but as a race, so many avoid the elephant in the room—which is God. This of course doesn’t apply to the Christian, but to the whole of humanity.
God has not left alone. Since the creation of man, He used to walk and talk with us. We sinned and erred, and our sins separated us from Him. God didn’t leave us this way, He reached out and communicated through His chosen means. First, were his prophets, Adam, Noah, and the Patriarchs, then the prophets of Israel, like Isaiah, Micah and Jonah. They were God’s line of communication to the human race. Then finally Christ was His final prophet to communicate Himself to the world in fullness, completeness and perfection and His revelations are sealed in a Book called the Bible, which we always have, and these surpass anything we’ve ever had or could ever have. Then after Christ, the new means, in addition to a Bible, was to pour that same spirit, the spirit of the prophets, upon the church, Joel 2:28-29,
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”
So, the line of communication that is available to hear Him, through his Word always, but also dimly and partially through some who may receive revelations, ‘prophecies’, dreams or visions.
I want to teach this gift, and give a special focus on it this week, this one only. As we approach the coming of Christ soon, these movements of the Spirit will increase as it already is, making people ready.
UNDERSTANDING THE GIFT
What is prophecy? When prophecy comes to our minds, some think of certain preachers who are giving us vivid and ominous pictures of the end times. Some think of telling the future, perhaps images of astrology, stars, crystal balls might even come to one’s mind.
Well, it’s important to dispel these images because prophecy should not be seen as strictly telling the future, and certainly not mystical experiences from gazing at the stars or at tarot cards or at a crystal ball, or from some horoscope’s daily prediction.
1 Corinthians 14 and following details for us what prophecy is. I’d invite you to flip there, and we will hover around this epistle as it discloses the essence of this misunderstood and discarded gift.
It is a revelation:
Skip now over to chapter 14, verse 24-25, “But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” What is this about? If some Christians are moving in the gift of prophecy and an unbeliever comes in and hears the words, and the words disclose something about themselves that no one else could have known, they’ll see the supernatural element of the Christians which often can lead to their trusting in Christ as Lord and Savior. This tells us that prophecy is a disclosure of some information that is unknown, some truth is revealed to the person who has been given the prophecy, it’s a revealing of something. The revelation-not authoritative apostolic revelation in par with the Bible, but the general sense of something being revealed—is made to them, a revelation which the person could not have known otherwise.
QUOTE: Wayne Grudem, theologian, and author, says regarding prophecy says it’s, “telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind.” (Systematic Theology, Grudem, 1050).
This is also why when the soldier blindfolded Jesus and mocked him said, “Prophesy! Who is it who struck you?” (Lk. 22:64). They meant, ‘tell us something that has been revealed to you!’. It’s a revelation made to someone that they have no knowledge about prior to.
To reinforce this interpretation, skip down to verse 29, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.” There it is, it’s a revelation made to someone, it’s a spontaneous event, and it may happen numerous times in a Chrisitan meeting if the Spirit is flowing in that gift in that community.
Though they are revelation, it isn’t to be relied upon as the very words of God. It doesn’t mean they are the words of God Himself, they are just dim impressions or visions that a person is receiving about the spiritual realm for another person, therefore we should evaluate them or weigh them, as Paul says. Weigh means evaluate to see whether the prophecy has some element of truth to it, to see whether it sounds biblical or not. That means prophecy may be wrong. A prophecy is never to be looked at as though they are the words of God, as perfect as the Bible. Never. Revelation implies a seeing, a person sees something, that is all. They are witnesses of something they see, and their witness-testimony captures elements of truth from merely their perspective. So, it should be listened to, and weighing it at the same time.
So, what is prophecy? It is a sudden revelation, it’s spontaneous. It may come through a flash in their minds, a word, a picture, a scene, it could be a dream, a vision, it could be an extraordinary sense or impression made suddenly to someone. And when it’s communicated for the benefit of another it is communicated fallibly, subject to error, and it is to be weighed, to see if there is any truth in it worth listening to.
It Builds up Christians:
What does it do? Paul tells us prophecy is for building up others, to edify others. They are words that encourage people in their faith, or console them, or guide them or just affirm their faith. 14:3, “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” It doesn’t scare people, or guilt people, or destroy people’s image or tear them down, it doesn’t slander or judge people, it does the opposite–instills faith, hope and love in people. This is the fruit of genuine prophecy.
What words are used to upbuild someone?
i)-It could be telling the future, it could be. There are instances of this in the New Testament. So, it could be future, but it isn’t always, nor, I venture to say in my opinion, is it a regular occurrence for someone who has such spontaneous revelations.
ii) Most often they elaborate upon some biblical truth and apply it someone’s circumstance. That seems the most edifying use of it, to me.
ii)-It could also be disclosing someone’s sins or personally known information, so that the person turns from their sins, like we see with Peter’s revelation of Ananias and Sapphira’s sin, or here the unbeliever whose secrets are revealed.
Charles Spurgeon, the famous Baptist preacher in England of the 1800’s had such experiences, though he wouldn’t call it prophesy, he had the same experience. Spurgeon, in the middle of his sermon, paused and pointed at a man who had taken unjust profit recently, and done it on the day of rest of all days the Sabbath, which was a day venerated, and kept very holy back then. The accused later described the event to a friend:
“Mr. Spurgeon looked at me as if he knew me, and in his sermon he pointed to me, and told the congregation that I was a shoemaker, and that I kept my shop open on Sundays; and I did, sir. I should not have minded that; but he also said that I took ninepence the Sunday before, and that there was fourpence profit out of it. I did take ninepence that day, and fourpence was just the profit; but how he should know that, I could not tell. Then it struck me that it was God who had spoken to my soul through him, so I shut up my shop the next Sunday. At first, I was afraid to go again to hear him, lest he should tell the people more about me; but afterwards I went, and the Lord met with me, and saved my soul'”
(The Autobiography of Charles H. Spurgeon, Curts & Jennings.)
Spurgeon says about this, “I could tell as many as a dozen similar cases in which I pointed at somebody in the hall without having the slightest knowledge of the person, or any idea that what I said was right, except that I believed I was moved by the Spirit to say it; and so striking has been my description, that the persons have gone away, and said to their friends, ‘Come, see a man that told me all things that ever I did; beyond a doubt, he must have been sent of God to my soul, or else he could not have described me so exactly.’ And not only so, but I have known many instances in which the thoughts of men have been revealed from the pulpit. I have sometimes seen persons nudge their neighbours with their elbow, because they had got a smart hit, and they have been heard to say, when they were going out, ‘The preacher told us just what we said to one another when we went in at the door’”.
Let us agree that God speaks to certain people in sudden, spontaneous ways for the sanctity of other people’s faith. I argue, and I hope you will agree, that this particular experience, which is different from other gifts, must have this name ‘prophecy’, otherwise the experience and activity of the Spirit will be lost among all the other activities of the Christian life, if we don’t pull it out and call it what it is, then we lump it in with something else of the Christian life like simply call it a prompting, or impression, or hearing God, or whatever it is, or worse, to have no description for it at all, if there’s no teaching, no name, no understanding, then we will not seek after it or believe it, and it will lie dormant for the next generation to discover, why leave it in the garden? There it lies, ripe, ready to be pulled out of the ground for our benefit and use, see it, call it what it is, and let’s make use of the gifts, our Gardner has been growing for us!
Any Christian Can Prophesy:
Who can prophesy? Certain believers with this gift will have the ability to receive sudden, spontaneous revelations on some sort of regular basis, if they keep exercising it.
But, aside from certain believers that may have this gift, it is possible for all of us to flow in this gift even if we don’t have it, the gift may come to us for a time, for a one-time event to help another person. This would be why Paul tells us in chapter 14, verse 1, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
How Can We Move in This Gift?
How can we be used of the Spirit in the realm of prophecy for others? 1 Corinthians 14:12, “So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church” Being eager to help other Christians is the disposition the Spirit is looking for.
Focus on one thing when you meet with believers—to help someone spiritually! Say a prayer as you’re walking to the front entrance doors from the parking lot:
“Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing.
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.
Make me a blessing to someone today.”
MISUNDERSTANDING THE GIFT
Now, I hope I’ve been clear this morning. But I must dispel any misunderstandings. It’s the devil’s business to find some nuanced idea to wedge between you and me. Argumentation over disagreement is the poured concrete of the malicious builder, Satan. His house, he may attempt to construct in the heart, is a house of division, disunity. The exact opposite of the work of the Spirit, the Spirit unites believers into a body, division over minor views or names is something he will capitalize on. He will not win the day however, Christ will get the victory, I am confident of this! The fact that we now know his schemes will cause him to freeze, already he’s dropping the hammer and nails.
Prophecy Is Not Infallible: I’ve said this already, but this is important to say once more. Meaning every word of prophecy is not the divine words from Heaven, perfect and pure as the Scriptures are. Therefore, no one with the gift of prophecy can say, “Thus says the Lord!”. Only the apostles could say this because Christ gave them this authority not the ones with the gift. Regarding prophecy, Paul says it’s, “only in part”, and that the revelation is seen, “in a mirror dimly” (1 Cor. 13:9).
This also means that we mustn’t rush to church or Christian meetings for simply a prophetic word—there are some circles of Christians that I’ve seen do this, they don’t bring their Bibles, they just want to hear a prophecy. Prophecies or spiritual revelations are real but not reliable, as the Bible is! We should always rely upon the Bible, this is the Spirit’s normative way of speaking to us, guiding us, consoling us, encouraging us!
Finally, do no misunderstand the Holy Spirit Himself.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, “Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.” If we have no room for His supernatural and spontaneous and sudden revelations that He makes to some, then we may grieve Him, quench Him. You know quench is? It’s to extinguish! Part of extinguishing the living flame of the Spirit means to look down on spiritual experiences.
APPLYING THE GIFT
- Ask: First, if you don’t have the gift, ask for it earnestly as Paul commands us. Earnestly desire God use you to relay prophecies to others for their faith journey.
- Share Slowly in Smaller Groups: Second, if you do receive these spontaneous revelations in your minds, keep it to yourself for a minute and prayerfully consider and then slowly if you aren’t led to simply pray for that person, then share it with that person in perhaps a small group or personal setting, like a Bible study or when out for coffee.
- Approach: If a sudden, weighty revelation is made to you, and you want to share, and you do, allow it to be weighed and evaluated biblically by others, and so you should probably start with, “I feel the Lord putting this upon my heart…” or, “It seems to me that God spoke to me and I will try my best relay it to you or our group…” God is pure, we are not, we see impurely and communicate impurely and imperfectly. So, a humility is needed for this gift. But if you begin in faith, the gift will grow more.
Christ, The Holy Spirit’s Best Revelation
The greatest prophecies of Old have been about Jesus Christ, the greatest prophet who ever lived, John Baptist said, I am not worthy to untie His sandals, and the One greatest prophecy and great prophet who speaks and reveal s God to the world and to our souls, who is God of very God, and perfect in all His ways and perfect in His communicates to the world is none other the God-Man Christ Jesus our Savior, Hebrews 1:1-3 says “In the past God spoke to our ancestors 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 also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
If you aren’t trusting in Christ and obeying Him as your Lord, then the prophecy for you is from the Bible, a personal word to you soul from the Creator: I made you. You sinned against, though! I must judge sin. But I can’t bear myself to do that to you, for I love you still. Here, I sent my Son to bear your sin and shame. Take Him into you heart, and put your faith in His sacrifice for you, I will forgive you, and bring you to Myself!
And one day, when you expire, you will be with the many Christians, when we’re all together in our new bodies standing with Him at the Great Supper and Banquet Table raising a glass, looking into the sparkling eyes of the Lamb, we shall we see Him, He and all things true will be revealed in Him with unquestionable vivid brightness. We will not need preaching there, nor teaching, nor prophecy, those things bring Heaven down to only partially. We will see all things transparently and alight our eyes upon the face of God, we shall see Him as He is.
Amen.