So we're continuing on with our series on spiritual gifts, unwrapping our gifts from God. And today we're going to start looking at gifts as individual gifts each week so that we'll learn more and more about them and how they are, how we can use them and some of the characteristics of those that have those gifts. So if you have completed your spiritual gift survey, then you know what your top three gifts are. Hopefully, you've put your leaves on the tree. If you have done it yet, please try to get them done soon so that we can have a full picture of our tree, which is looking really good so far. That's looking nice. If we don't cover one of your gifts today, please don't tune me out. Understanding all of the gifts helps every one of us. Knowing how they function together for the good of the body, students, the whole church. And if you lead any ministry, understanding the gifts of your brothers and sisters in Christ will help you to build stronger teams. So as I was praying about which gift to start off for this series, I admit that I was really hoping that God would pick one of the easier ones to talk about, but apparently he had other plans.
So he directed It directed me to start with one of the more complex and often misunderstood gifts, the gift of prophecy. Now, if you have grown up Baptist, or if you have sometimes particular backgrounds of faith, that very word alone can start making you nervous. So I actually ran this by a friend of mine who had grew up in the church as a Baptist, and as soon as she saw the word prophecy, she said, Oh, this one makes me nervous. So don't be nervous. But when we hear the word prophecy, our minds often go straight to the Old Testament prophets, right? Ezequiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, or maybe Malachi, or Zephaniah. But prophecy didn't end with the coming of Christ. Now, although Jesus fulfilled the messianic professes of the Old Testament, God continued to speak through prophets in the early church, and he continues to do so today. Now, before I go any further, I should probably bring to your attention that not all Christians agree on whether prophecy and other miraculous gifts still operate today. There is a theological position known as cessationism, which is rooted in the teaching of John Calvin. Everybody know good old John Calvin, him and his tulip?
Yes. So cessationists believe that certain spiritual gifts, especially the miraculous ones, ceased after the apostolic age. And there are several forms of this belief. Slide, please, Alec. Full cessationists would say that all miracles and miraculous gifts have ceased. Classical cessationists are likely to tell you that gifts like prophecy, healing, and tongues ended with the Apostles, though God still works supernatural. Next slide. Consistent cessationists believe that both miraculous gifts and the roles of Apostles and prophets ceased with the early church. And then concentric cessationists are on the fence. They sit on the fence. As a group, they would say that these kinds of gifts ceased in the established church, but may still appear in unreached areas to aid the spread of the gospel. Next slide. However, there is another view called continuationism. It argues that there is no biblical reason to believe that these gifts have stopped. And this is where I personally stand. You don't have to agree with me. You'd be wrong, but you don't have to agree with me. I, along with many others, believe that the Holy spirit continues to pour out his gifts on believers today, including prophecy. I think our nervousness comes from not fully understanding what it is.
So Paul supports this in 1 Corinthians 1: 7, where he writes, You do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. In other words, the gifts will continue until Christ returns. Therefore, we can be confident that God still equips certain people with the gift of prophecy for the good of his church. Now, prophecy is actually one of the most vital gifts for the edification of the church. So it's essential that we understand it and that we support those who have this gift. In the Old Testament, prophecy came to the prophets by way of the the Holy spirit, who would come upon that prophet for a time for the purpose of relaying a message to that prophet from God for them to then proclaim to the people. Unlike today, in those times, the Holy spirit didn't indwell believers, but rather it would come upon them for a time and a purpose. Now, we often think of prophecy in the Bible as being all about predicting the future. Predicting future events. But although there are obviously certain passages within the prophetic books that do contain predictive elements, prophecy is not only about prediction.
And we have to be careful not to confuse the spiritual gift of prophecy with cultural ideas of prediction, like what we see in Harry Potter, or when people go to see fortune tellers or psychics, reading your horoscope, that's definitely not what we are talking about. Next slide. We're speaking of biblical prophecy, which is declaring God's revealed truth. Sometimes it's about the future, but often it's about the present, condition of hearts, communities, and the church. Now, defining the gift of prophecy can be tricky because the new testament doesn't provide a neat single definition. Paul writes about it as though his readers already know what it is and what it means. So that doesn't help us much. So the best way to grasp the gift is by studying the passages where it appears in action. So the biggest challenge for us is one of discernment, recognising when a message truly comes from God. A prophetic message, a human report of divine revelation, something that the Holy spirit brings spontaneously to mind for the purpose of encouragement, instruction or correction. However, just because someone is feeling moved by the spirit to say something, it doesn't mean that it's prophecy.
On the other hand, just because it isn't prophecy, doesn't mean that it isn't something that could be helpful or that's good to share. To say it a bit more succinctly, at least I hope it is, all prophecy is a declaration from God, but not all declarations inspired by God are prophecy. In other words, prophecy stands apart as God's direct communication to his people. And just as in the Old Testament, the New Testament prophets were chosen to speak the word of God, messages he entrusted to human voices, and the same principle holds true today. So it sounds difficult to recognise prophecy versus a heartfelt, even spirit-moved message. Don't you agree? It is also one of the gifts that, as I said, us on charismatic Baptist types may be a wee bit suspicious of, very possibly because we don't fully understand it. But what's interesting is that as Baptist, we do believe in the authority of scripture. So we have no problem with believing that the prophets of the Old Testament, we're truly prophesying, and we're even okay with what the New Testament says about prophecy. But when it comes to believing that it's still a spiritual gift being used by God for the good of the church today, many of us may have some struggles with it.
To be fair, though, our struggles can also be from the fact that how difficult it is to determine if what is being said is indeed prophecy. And this difficulty isn't just to those who are listening. It's also a difficulty for those who have the message to relay. In other words, even the apparent prophet may not be sure whether they are speaking words of prophecy or not. So to help us to be able to this gifting in people, it may be helpful to look at what characteristics or attributes prophets demonstrate. So Peter is going to be our prophet pick of the day. That was a lot of P's in a row. And after we discuss the particular attribute that a prophet would have, we're going to see examples of what those look like in action by looking at examples of Peter demonstrating that particular attribute or characteristic. Makes sense? Okay. So the first one may seem rather obvious, but prophets are people who always speak truth. Genuine prophets of God are not simply honest. They have a deep need to speak spiritual truth. They have to speak truth. And not only do they have to speak it, they have to call out lies when they hear them.
Whatever the situation, whoever they are with, someone who is gifted as a prophet cannot remain silent in the face of any lie, error or deceit about God. So not only do people with this gift insist on the honesty of others, they also require honesty in themselves, and they seek out correction for their mistakes. So we see this in Peter, when on one occasion, Jesus was preaching to a crowd on the shore of Lake Galilee. A vast multitude of people was pushing to get close to Jesus to hear the word of God. He noticed two fishing boats at the water's edge with the fishermen nearby, rinsing their nets. Jesus climbed into the boat belonging to Simon Peter and said to him, Let me use your boat. Push it off a short distance away from the shore so I can speak to the crowd. Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished, he said to Peter, 'Now row out to deep water to cast your nets, and you will have a great catch. ' 'Master, ' Peter replied, 'We've just come back from fishing all night and didn't catch a thing.
But if you insist, we'll go out again and let down our nets because of your word. When they pulled up their nets, they were shocked to see a huge catch of fish, and their nets were ready to burst. They waved their business partners in the other boat for help. They ended completely filling both boats with fish until they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this astonishing miracle, he knelt at Jesus's feet and begged him, 'Go away from me, master, for I am a sinful man. ' And that came from Luke 5: 1-8. So we see in this example that Peter was reluctant to do as Jesus asked. He did it, but we can tell he had his doubts about that anything was going to actually come from it. He was pretty much just humouring Jesus while inside of his own head, it seems that he was saying to himself, What's the point? We did this already. There's nothing out there for us. He had no trust or faith in the power that Jesus wielded, and he still wasn't believing who Jesus really was. But when Peter did as Jesus asked, and the result was astonishing, the nets filled so quickly and so completely that they began to break, and soon both boats were overflowing with fish, then faced with such power, Peter didn't boast or celebrate his success.
Instead, he fell at Jesus's feet and he cried out, 'Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. ' That response reveals the heart of a true prophet. Prophets not just truth tellers, they're truth seekers. Peter recognised his own sinfulness and wanted his life to come into alignment with God's truth. False prophets demand honesty from others, but avoid self-examination. Slide. True prophets speak truth even to themselves. Those genuinely gifted with prophecy want God's truth to reign as fully in their own hearts as in the world around them. They live under the same truth that they proclaim. But there's another defining mark of this gift. Next slide. Prophets not only seek truth, they also speak it boldly. They confront lies, they challenge evil, and they long for God's truth to prevail in every place it's resisted. And we see this again in Peter's life. When people accused the disciples of being drunk at Pentecost, Peter stood up and spoke with courage and clarity. He stood up with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd. Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you. Listen carefully to what I say.
These people are not drunk as you suppose. It is only nine in the morning. That was from Acts 2: 15. So Peter's words show the prophetic courage to speak truth when others misunderstand or mock what God is doing. Peter couldn't let a false accusation go unanswered. He had to stand up. He had to speak the truth. Next slide. Prophets confront lies and false accusations. So believers who have the gift of prophecy will stand up in defence of the church. They are advocates for the work of God being done through the church, and they will never accept credit for the success of any ministry of the church or that they may be a part of. Instead, they will always direct the glory to God by pointing people to Jesus as the source for all that is right and good. We see this in Peter when he healed the lame man. Acts 3: 12-13, and then verse 16. When Peter saw this, he said to them, 'Follow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness, we had made this man walk. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.
You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus's name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. So although Peter healed the man he knew who was truly the source and was quick to point people to Jesus. Slide. Prophets always point glory back to God. And then the next Next slide. Those gifted with prophecy are deeply grounded in scripture. They depend on God's word as their ultimate source of truth and authority. Their desire is to be continually shaped by it, moulded into the likeness of Christ and to submit willingly to whatever ways God uses his words to refine them. Because their convictions flow from scripture, they are often direct and bold when confronting dishonesty, lies, deceit. And we see this clearly in Peter's prophetic ministry at Pentecost. When the Holy spirit was poured out and the crowd questioned what was happening, Peter didn't rely on emotion or speculation. He turned scripture and he quoted the prophet Joel to explain what they were witnessing and that it was the fulfilment of God's word.
In the last day, 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. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2: 17-21. Then Peter goes and applies that scripture directly to Christ. Fellow Israelites, listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
That was Acts 2: 22-24. Peter shows us that true prophets don't invent their own messages. They interpret life through the lens of God's word and proclaim what scripture reveals about God's work in the world. Slide. In the same way today, those gifted with prophecy are called to speak boldly, but always from a place deeply rooted in the unchanging truth of scripture. Nature. Those with the gift of prophecy often see things in clear terms. Everything is right or wrong, black or white, truth or lies. They don't tend to live in any grey area when it comes to people's behaviour. Slide. Prophets stand firmly against hypocrisy. Remember Ananias and Sephira, the story of them? They were a couple in the early church who sold some property but secretly kept part of the money for themselves while they pretended to give it all to us. When Peter confronted them, they both lied, and each fell dead as a result. You can read their story in Acts 5, and actually, there's a really good YouTube video with the Lego. I can't remember what that's called, but it's really great to watch the story of this. Yes, I have too much time on my hands.
It's a powerful story, though, of deceit and hypocrisy before God. And how did Peter respond? He didn't soften the truth. He didn't try to explain their actions, find reasons for it. He said plainly, You have not lied just to human beings, but to God. Peter couldn't stay silent in the face of deceit. He didn't worry about how Ananias might react. He simply declared the truth. To Peter, the prophet, the reasons didn't matter. What mattered was that it was wrong, period. Prophets. Prophets are bold and direct when they encounter hypocrisy or dishonesty. They don't hold back. They can't. Something in them compels them to speak the truth, even when it's uncomfortable. The gift of prophecy, like all spiritual gifts, is a much needed and valued gift to have in the church, and we need people with this gift. They bring direction. They are effective in sharing the gospel when they They are able to serve under the guidance of the Holy spirit in humility and love. As Paul says, If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
So people with this gift, they are direct in their approach, and they can be helpful in moving the church to change. And these people are persuasive, and they do their best to usher in change. They have little to no patience for lengthy processes, nor do they appreciate the seemingly ingrained tendency in our churches to just keep talking about things that need to change, but not actually doing anything to usher in those change. That would be the thing that would drive them around the bend. But like any good thing that comes from God, people with this gift must be reliant on the leading of the Holy spirit. If they're not, they can be destructive and can cause harm instead of good. As Charles Stanley says in regards to prophets in the church today, For this reason, we must pray for those who are prophets to be strong and true to God's word. Above all, we must test their words against the word of God and heed what they say when they accurately reveal error or deceit in our midst. Finally, we've got to recognise that Jesus was a prophet. He was designated as such by the people of his day.
For instance, after Jesus performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 with the loaves and the two small fish, and people said of him, This is truly the prophet who has come into the world. Jesus is thus the supreme model of all prophets to follow. He spoke truth of God always. Yes? It didn't matter what the circumstances were. It didn't matter what the consequences were. Yet he always spoke that truth with love as his motivation. And he always had the cleansing of human hearts and reconciliation with God's Father as his goal. So now that we have a better understanding of the gift of prophecy, what ministries of our church would people with this gift be suited to serving? Because those with this gift exude a passion for truth, integrity, and helping others to align their lives with God's word. So they would be an asset to outreach ministries. They have a deep concern for peep relationship with God. Their boldness and clarity help them share the gospel without compromise, calling others to genuine repentance and faith. They would be really a big asset for ministries focused on the unchurched. Who would also benefit from prophetic voices because they bring spiritual discernment and courage to speak God's truth in a way that cuts through confusion and reveals his love and Holiness.
Small group ministry, leading prayer, reading scripture, teaching, and leading Bible studies or devotionals, all align naturally with the prophetic gift. Those with this gift would be great at helping others to engage deeply with God's word in guiding discussions toward obedience and transformation and diving deeper than surface level understanding. Leading worship can also draw on a prophetic gift. I haven't looked to see what your gifts are. Those with this gift often sense when God is speaking through a moment of praise, a Lyric or a scripture reading, helping the congregation to respond authentically and stay focused on God's presence and truth. And finally, serving on a missions team. It's an excellent place for prophetic people to thrive with their conviction of God's truth and their heart for righteousness, equipping them to challenge injustice and to proclaim the gospel boldly. So as you see, this is a spiritual gift that continues to be helpful to the church today. Where is prophecy on our tree? Do we have leaves on there? There's one green leaf. There's one green leaf. I'm not going to put anybody on the spot, but that's... You also wouldn't want too many. In one church, right?
That gift. And God knows what he's doing. So it's not like he's going to bring a whole church full of profitable. Yeah, that would not be good. So what can we, the rest of us that don't... I shouldn't have given away that clue. You have to guess my gifts. Like there was any question there. So what can we do to encourage and support those who do have this gift. Slide, please. We can help them to discern when they are being used by God for the instruction or illumination of the church and when it may be something of their own. That's a tough conversation, but that's a responsibility that we have. Slide. We can encourage them to dig deeper with God to help ensure that they are serving under the guidance and the leading of the Holy spirit. So remember, if they're not, it can be a destructive gift. Slide. And we can pray for them that they will use their gift for the glory of God. And when we do this, we not only honour God, but we also also strengthen his church, creating a space where truth is spoken, hearts are changed, and God's purposes are made known.
Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gifts that you have poured out into your church. And especially today, we are thanking you for the gift of mercy. We thank you for those among us who speak your truth, guide Guide us in your word, and call us to live according to your will. And God, we pray that you would strengthen them and protect them from pride or fear, and that you'll guide them always by your Holy spirit. Help us as a church to encourage, to support, and to honour them so that your truth may be claimed boldly and with love. May every word spoken in your name build up the body of Christ and point hearts to you. And we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our prophet, priest, and king. Amen.
