I think that it’s important to consistently remind ourselves that we do not serve a silent God. Throughout the pages of Scripture we see a God who is involved in His people’s lives and wants to speak to them and DOES speak to them. We see in the Bible a God who desperately wants to redeem mankind and have relationship with him. We see a God who is full of love and full of blessing for His people. As we consider God speaking to us we MUST remember that God is first and foremost our Father and He has a father’s heart toward us.
When we think of God speaking, we must first go to His Word. Consider the lengths that God went through to provide the written word for us.
The Bible is composed of sixty-six books, thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New. Yet those sixty-six books form a cohesive whole, one dynamic message of God’s dealings with humankind.
These sixty-six books were composed by more than forty authors, from a variety of educational and cultural backgrounds.
The books of the Bible were composed in a variety of places and cultures.
The books were written on three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe.
The Bible was composed in three languages. The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew, with a small part in Aramaic. The New Testament was in the common Greek of the day, Koine.
The Bible deals consistently with such subjects as the origin of the universe, the existence and nature of God, the nature and purpose of humankind, and the origin and extent of evil.
One would expect that the result of such diversity would be a chaotic text, full of contradictions and distortions. But the Bible is consistent, coherent, and trustworthy. None of the authors or books is either internally, of themselves, or externally contradictory.1
Many of us when we think about hearing God, we secretly wish that He would use more supernatural means to speak to us. We would like to hear an audible voice, handwriting on the wall, receive a prophetic word or a dream or vision. That is in fact what we are going to talk about today. But don’t miss this; this book called the Bible is a miracle in print! You don’t get any more supernatural than this book; and many of us have two or three of! You want to hear God? You MUST start with the Word of God! Everything else must be built on the foundation of God’s Word!
You want to experience the supernatural? You want a prophetic word from God? Well here it is. READ YOUR BIBLE! Get into it. Let it get into you. Read it, study it, and meditate on it. God’s Word must be the basis for hearing God.
A couple of weeks ago we talked about using wisdom to know God’s will. How the wisdom received from God is what we use to apply what we hear from God. It’s unfortunate that so many people claim to hear God but don’t subject what they have “heard” to God’s Word and to wisdom. We must remember to “test everything” and hold on to that which is good.
Last week we talked about hearing God in prayer. Consider this verse in Isaiah 50:4-5 – He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. 5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. 2
This week I want to talk about hearing God through others. Through prophetic words, dreams and visions. I understand that there have been many abuses in this area and I know that this topic may be a real stretch for some of you. It’s unfortunate that here has been so much pain and confusion from those in the church claiming to have a “word from God”. It’s too bad that those who might actually have a word don’t always present it in a sensitive and loving way. It’s really sad that because of abuses from some in the church, entire groups of Christians, have discounted, avoided, or view with suspicion this wonderful way that God speaks to His people. For today, let’s attempt to set aside our fears and suspicions and study what God’s Word has to say.
I SEE THE LIGHT! Part 3
Acts 2:17, 18
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.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 3
Two things are important when reading this passage. While Peter was using Joel’s prophecy to describe what was happening on the day of Pentecost, he was not saying that Pentecost was the fulfillment of that prophecy. If you look at the next two verses, you see where Joel says;
“I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.” 4
These signs did not happen on the day of Pentecost. They were to happen in the future. So what we can assume is that Peter is saying is that what happened on the day of Pentecost was the “beginning” of the fulfillment of that prophecy.
So, look back in verses 17 and 18. See the word “will”. It’s an emphatic. It is something God will do; not might, not may, not if He gets a wild hair - WILL! He will, He did, He does, He is doing. The New Testament is full of examples and teaching on dreams, visions, and prophetic words.
There are at least 11 examples of visions in the book of Acts in the lives of Paul, Ananias, Cornelius, and Peter. In Acts 16:6-10; we see an example of a vision increasing faith.
Paul spends much of 1 Corinthians 12, 13, & 14 describing the proper use of the gift of prophecy and other spiritual gifts in church meetings.
Before we get too far into it, lets look at a couple of definitions.
Prophesy - “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God” - the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means5
Speak under inspiration6
Dreams and Visions - There will be visions and dreams, which suggest the reception of knowledge; and prophecy, which suggests its impartation to others. Thus, the gifts of revelation and communication will be in evidence.7
In 1Corinthians 12:4-11 we see several different ways that Prophetic Words can be given. I have listed them with some very general definitions from the NETWORK training course by Willow Creek Community Church.
Wisdom – The divine enablement to apply spiritual truth effectively to meet a need in a specific situation.
Knowledge – The divine enablement to bring truth to the body through a revelation or biblical insight.
Prophecy – The divine enablement to reveal truth and proclaim it in a timely and relevant manner for understanding, correction, or edification.
Tongues – The divine enablement to speak, worship, or pray in a language unknown to the speaker. People with this gift may receive a spontaneous message from God, which is made known to His body through the gift of Interpretation.8
Each of these gifts is described in the Greek as a word of revelation. They each are preceded by the word Logos. Its definition is as follows:
Word - “the expression of thought”— the revealed will of God (very frequent in the OT), is used of a direct revelation given by Christ, in this respect it is the message from the Lord, delivered with His authority and made effective by His power 9
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul gives prophecy top billing.
Paul on Prophecy – 1 Corinthians 14
Vs. 1 - Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
Vs. 3 - But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.
Vs. 4 - he who prophesies edifies the church.
Vs. 24, 25 - if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
Vs. 39 - Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy,10
Paul concludes 1 Corinthians 14 with these words; “Let all things be done decently and in order.”11
If we are going to choose to embrace dreams, visions and the prophetic as valid ways that God speaks to us, then we would do well to follow a few scriptural principles.
1. There are no shortcuts
Philippians 3:13-14 - Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 12
Let’s face it. CHRISTIANITY IS HARD WORK! There is no way around it. They don’t call them spiritual disciplines for nothing. Eugene Peterson described the Christian’s life well in the title of his book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Too many people in the church are trying to make it from one experience to the other. They are busy looking for that next “word from God” that they ignore His Word. They are then prime targets for the enemy.
2. Scripture must have preeminence
For Spiritual Growth - For Direction - For Testing
Let me say it again.
The basis for our spiritual growth is the Word of God.
The first place we should go to hear God is Scripture.
It is the Bible that we must use to test everything else.
‘Nuff said.
3. Prophetic words should be presented in the context of community
Larry Crabb wrote a book titled The Safest Place on Earth. In it he describes the church as a community that brings healing, hope and comfort. I would like to add to that the church is also The Safest Place on Earth to learn to use our spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul shows the gifts of the Spirit given to the Body of Christ to be used within the Body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 14 he admonishes that these gifts be used for the benefit of the body. He gives a sense of us really knowing one another to the extent that we know the gifts that each one has. He goes so far as to say that if someone has a message in tongues that he should keep quiet if there is not an interpreter present. That means to me that the person would know who had that gift so that he could know if he should speak or not. Paul says regarding the gift of prophecy that “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.”13
This kind of accountability can only be done in real community. Therefore, the best safeguard against false prophesies; the best way to prevent someone from going off the deep end is church! NOTHING BEATS A PROPERLY FUNCITONING HEALTHY CHURCH!
4. Try not to freak anybody out
1 Corinthians 14:26, 40 - All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church…. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.14
Too many times, good people trying to serve God the best they know how, just get weird. They may actually have the gift of prophecy, they may have really had a dream or vision from God but they present it in such a way that people just don’t listen. Too many times people think that to give the “word” emphasis or to achieve a certain sense of spirituality thy have to present it in some mystical, ethereal, or forceful way. Their voice and mannerisms change and they end it with “Thus sayeth the Lord!” Nobody talks like that! Here’s a prophetic word for you – “Don’t be goofy”. Be normal. If God chooses to speak through you, He wants to use YOU. Be yourself. Use a conversational tone. If it really is a word from God, He doesn’t need your help emphasizing it.
The times that I have seen the prophetic gifts used the most powerfully have been times when the person sharing was properly involved in the church, had submitted to spiritual authority and spoke in a humble, loving and real way. No embellishment needed. We really need to relax about this. God can handle His word. The question we must ask ourselves is – Can we handle it?
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 - Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.15
1Josh McDowell, Josh McDowell’s handbook on apologetics [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1991 by Josh McDowell.
2The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
3The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
4The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
5W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
6James Strong, New Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
7William MacDonald; edited with introductions by Arthur Farstad, Believer’s Bible commentary: Old and New Testaments [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995 by William MacDonald.
8 Bruce Bugbee, Don Cousins, Bill Hybels, NETWORK The Right People… In the Right Places… For the Right Reasons (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1994.
9W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
10The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
11The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
12The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
13The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
14The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
15The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
