Rev. David Holwick B
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 9, 2000
1 Thessalonians 5:19-23
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I. Some people hear God all the time.
A. "Church Alive!" on Route 10 is part of modern charismatic revival.
1) Typical to have prophetic messages.
2) "Vineyard" movement exploding around world.
a) Signs and Wonders attract people.
b) They become convinced God is real.
3) My own experiences with charismatics.
a) Probably a good indication of early Church, both good
and bad.
B. Baptists are left in the cold.
1) Often seen as too rational, teaching history lessons
from ancient book.
2) God did weird stuff 2000 years ago but he is more
respectable today.
3) Many Baptists teach that God stopped using miraculous signs
like prophecy and tongues after N.T. was completed.
4) The idea that someone can "update" the Bible with a new
prophecy sounds heretical.
C. How does God speak today?
II. How prophecy functions in the Bible.
A. Old Testament prophets.
1) An awesome responsibility - to speak and write words that
had the absolute authority of God.
a) Their words were the very words of God.
b) To disobey a prophet was to disobey God himself.
2) Old Testament criteria on genuine prophets:
a) Predictions must come true. Deut 18:21
b) Even if true, must uphold allegiance to God. Deut 13:1-5
B. New Testament equivalent is apostles, not prophets.
1) Their words are the words of God. 1 Thess 2:13; Gal 1:11-12
2) They saw their words as being absolutely true and binding.
3) They placed their words on same level as O.T. 2 Peter 3:16
C. New Testament prophecy was more ordinary than in O.T.
1) It was an office in the church, with pastors, teachers, etc.
a) Ordinary Christians could be prophets.
b) Many individuals are mentioned: Agabus, four daughters
of Philip.
c) Some (i.e., women) were apparently not allowed to teach,
but could still prophesy in church.
2) Prophecy was a typical feature in worship - 1 Cor 14.
a) Two or three prophets speak, then others evaluate. 14:29
b) One prophet can interrupt another. 14:30
c) None of them were speaking God's very words.
d) Paul mocks their prideful attitude without rejecting
the genuineness of their worship & prophecy. 14:36
III. Prophecy does not have to be equivalent to Scripture.
A. Scripture is more important than prophecy.
1) They were concerned who would speak for God when they
were gone.
a) The apostles pointed the churches to Bible and their
own authoritative teaching.
b) They did NOT say, "When we are gone, local prophets
will take over."
2) In New Testament, prophecy must always be evaluated in
light of Bible, not other way around.
B. Prophecy in worship reveals God's leading.
1) Telling something God has spontaneously brought to mind.
2) More than predicting future, or preaching.
3) Prophecy can be "word of God," but can also be less.
C. These prophets did not speak with absolute divine authority.
1) They simply reported what God put on their heart.
2) Note how Paul disregarded prophecy given by Agabus.
a) Agabus is accurate but not exact. Acts 21:10-11
1> Paul is bound, but not by Jews. 21:33
2> Jews tried to kill him rather than deliver him.
b) Yet Agabus is not considered a false prophet.
D. "Hold on to the good." 1 Thess 5:21
1) If all prophecy was equivalent to God's Word, he would
not have had to tell them not to despise it.
a) They had received and accepted God's word with joy. 1:6
2) Average prophecies must have included good and bad.
a) Some prophecy may have been recognized as being of
human origin and not divine. Instead of stoning
them, the church disregarded them.
b) Words of O.T. prophets were never treated this way.
IV. Prophecy is valid until Jesus returns.
A. Arguments that prophecy will cease. 1 Cor 13:8
1) When perfect comes, imperfect gifts disappear.
2) Completion of NT often said to be perfection.
B. Perfection in 1 Corinthians 13 clearly points to Second Coming.
1) THEN we see face to face - see God personally.
2) Know fully - we will know more than Paul.
3) New Testament canon is not mentioned at all.
4) Note that Joel's ancient prophecy of Pentecost is put in
context of the coming of the Messiah. 2:28-32; Acts 2:17
V. The gift of prophecy today.
A. God can bring things spontaneously to mind.
1) Paul calls this a "revelation." 1 Cor 14:30-31
2) The person will sense it is from God.
a) Surprisingly distinct from your train of thought.
b) Accompanied by a sense of urgency or persistence.
c) Comes to you during time of prayer or meditation.
B. Main purpose is encouragement and conviction. 1 Cor 14:25
1) It is a "sign" that God is at work among believers.
a) Anyone - even all - can participate. 1 Cor 14:5
b) It builds up the church. 1 Cor 14:4
2) Also effective with outsiders, revealing sins. 1 Cor 14:24
Wayne Grudem gives this actual example in a Baptist church:
A missionary speaker paused in the middle of his message.
"I didn't plan to say this, but it seems the Lord is indicating
that someone in this church has just walked out on his wife
and family.
If that is so, let me tell you that God wants you to return to
them and learn to follow God's pattern for family life."
The missionary did not know it, but in the unlit balcony sat a
man who had entered the church for the first time just
moments before.
The description fit him exactly, and he made himself known,
acknowledged his sin, and began to seek after God.
#1298
C. Don't quench the Spirit.
1) We need to be open to leading of the Holy Spirit.
2) God can speak to us through our thoughts and inclinations.
a) D. E. Hiebert captures the broader meaning of 1 Th 5:19:
"The Spirit's fire is quenched whenever His presence
is ignored and His promptings are suppressed or
rejected, or the fervor which he kindles in the
heart are dampened by unspiritual attitudes,
criticisms, or actions." [1]
VI. Guarding against abuse.
A. Not every revelation is from God.
1) Every age has had its imposters.
2) Even sincere people can deceive themselves.
3) Because of this possibility, many are tempted to treat
all prophecy with contempt. Paul says, "Don't!"
C. The five "S" tests for spiritual promptings:
1) Savior test - is what is being taught and is what is being
said honoring, glorifying and uplifting the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ? 1 Cor 12:3
2) Scripture test - consistent with not only part, but the
totality of the written revelation of God?
3) Spirit test - is this teaching in agreement with the express
desires and ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose intended
purpose was to in all things glorify the Lord Jesus?
4) Saint test - what have other great men and women of God
said about this? If you are the only person to interpret
a passage in a certain way, you might be right, but
you're probably not.
#4766
5) Sanity test - is it asking you to do something foolish
or dangerous? If so, seek multiple confirmation.
V. What is God saying to us?
A. Baptists have always believed God can speak to our hearts.
B. We need to be open to the Spirit in this church.
a) Seek God's guidance and revelation.
b) Share it with others for their spiritual benefit.
C. Do not neglect the Bible, God's perfect revelation of his will.
D. Believe in Jesus, God's revelation of himself.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
[1] Quoted in "Confidence In The Spirit As The Governing Ethos Of The
Pauline Mission," by Don N. Howell, Jr., Trinity Journal 17:2
(Fall 1996), page 203-221.
#1298 "Why Christians Can Still Prophesy," by Wayne Grudem,
Christianity Today magazine, September 16, 1988, page 29.
This article is the background for much of the material in this
sermon.
#4766 "Expository Preaching Is Still The Best Way To Reach The Lost,"
by Michael Foust, who is quoting an address by Danny Akin;
Baptist Press (with Goshen.net) http:/www.baptist-press.org,
August 28, 1999.
These and 5,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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Summary of material from other sources:
Ray Stedman
___________
I. How to react toward the guidance God gives you.
II. Do not ignore the Spirit's prompting.
A. Stop doing what is wrong / start doing what is right.
B. Have the feeling that God wants you to do something?
1) Do it!
2) If Spirit prompts you to show love to someone, don't
hold back.
C. Quenching is a concept used in relation to extinguishing
or suppressing a fire.
1) In Hebrews 11:34 the heroes of faith are said to have
"Quenched the violence of fire."
2) In Ephesians 6:16, the shield of faith is "able to
quench all the fiery darts of the devil."
III. Do not despise the Bible's wisdom.
A. "Prophesying" is not limited to predictions of future.
B. F.F. Bruce, a great scholar, said prophesying is
"declaring the mind of God in the power of the Spirit."
1) Before New Testament was written, this was done orally.
2) The Bible is the written form of prophesying.
a) Expository preaching is also a form of it.
C. The Word of God tells you how to act, how to think, how
to order your life.
1) Do not treat it lightly.
2) It will save you heartaches if you observe it.
D. Test it.
1) Not every message that says it is the Word of God, is
the Word of God.
2) Compare the current message to what has already been
revealed.
3) There is a lot of fake religious material around today.
a) Test what is said.
IV. Accept the peace of God.
A. God is able to minister to your whole person.
B. Choose to obey and he will give you the power to perform.
C. "Until the coming of the Lord."
1) This is the great hope set before Christians.
============================================================
F.F. Bruce
__________
I. Prophecy is declaration of mind of God in power of the Spirit.
A. NT prophets may not have been as lofty as OT counterparts,
but what they said was accepted as will of God.
B. Not every prophet was to be acknowledged as such.
1) NT criteria:
a) They must make effective confession of Jesus. 1 Cor 12:3
b) Later - must confess his incarnation. 1 John 4:2
1> Otherwise is in spirit of antichrist.
II. God's gift of reason is corrective to unrestrained enthusiasm.
A. Must distinguish genuine from counterfeit.
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Journal articles from "The Theological Journal Library, version 3",
by Galaxie Software:
BSac, V149 #595, Jul 92, 277
Is the Gift of Prophecy for Today?
Part 1: The Current Debate about New Testament Prophecy
F. David Farnell
New Controversy over the Gift of Prophecy
The recent surge of interest in the prophetic gift4 has witnessed a
crossing of traditional boundaries by some individuals in an apparent
attempt to find a mediating position between the two perspectives.
Grudem is a prominent example of this tendency. Belonging to the
Reformed tradition that is cessationist in background, Grudem has been
influenced by the Vineyard movement. He has proposed a compromise
between cessationist and noncessationist views.
In this book I am suggesting an understanding of the gift of
prophecy which would require a bit of modification in the views of
each of these three groups. I am asking that charismatics go on
using the gift of prophecy, but that they stop calling it "a word
from the Lord"- simply because that label makes it sound exactly
like the Bible in authority, and leads to much misunderstanding.
On the other side, I am asking those in the cessationist camp to
give serious thought to the possibility that prophecy in ordinary
New Testament churches was not equal to Scripture in authority, but
was simply a very human - and sometimes partially mistaken - report
of something the Holy Spirit brought to someone's mind. And I am
asking that they think again about those arguments for the
cessation of certain gifts.
I should make it very clear at the beginning that I am not saying
that the charismatic and cessationist views are mostly wrong.
Rather, I think they are both mostly right (in the things they
count essential), and I think that an adjustment in how they
understand the nature of prophecy (especially its authority) has
the potential for bringing about a resolution of this issue which
would safeguard items that both sides see as crucial.5
By calling for a compromise between cessationists and noncessationists
regarding the prophetic and other related gifts, Grudem has stirred up
a hornets' nest of discussion on the gifts.
Grudem offers his own new definition of Christian prophecy, one that
differs markedly from a traditional understanding. "Prophecy in
ordinary New Testament churches was not equal to Scripture in
authority, but was simply a very human-sometimes partially mistaken-
report of something the Holy Spirit brought to someone's mind."6 In
other words prophecy consists of "telling something God has
spontaneously brought to mind."7 He traces his definition to both
cessationists and charismatics. In common with the former, he takes
prophecy as noncompetitive with the authority of the canonical New
Testament because of the close of the canon at the end of the apostolic
era, but he concurs with the charismatic understanding that prophecy
preserves "the spontaneous, powerful working of the Holy Spirit, giving
'edification, encouragement, and comfort' which speaks directly to the
needs of the moment and causes people to realize that 'truly God is
among you' (1 Cor 14:25)."8 Consequently New Testament prophets were
"simply reporting in their own words what God would bring to mind, and,
these prophecies did not have the authority of the words of the Lord."9
New Testament prophets at Corinth were sometimes accurate and sometimes
not. Depending on the circumstances, the prophet could be "mistaken."10
Only New Testament apostles spoke inspired words.11
The words of New Testament prophets were not inspired as were those of
Old Testament prophets.12 This leaves Grudem with two forms of New
Testament prophecy: non-authoritative "congregational" prophecy and
authoritative (i.e., apostolic) prophecy. The crucial point of his
thesis is that apostles, not New Testament prophets, were the true
successors of the Old Testament prophets and spoke like their earlier
counterparts with the authority derived from the inspiration of their
words.13 This kind of gift is distinguished from that exercised at
Corinth (cf. 1 Cor 12-14 {1 Cor 14}), Thessalonica (1 Thess 5:19-21),
Tyre (Acts 21:4), Ephesus (19:6 {Acts 19:6}), and elsewhere (e.g., by
Agabus, 11:28 {Acts 11:28}; 21:10-11 {Acts 21}). Only the general
content of this secondary prophecy can be vouched for, with allowances
made for its being partially mistaken.
------------------------
BSac, V150 #597, Jan 93, 62
Does the New Testament Teach Two Prophetic Gifts?
F. David Farnell
According to Grudem, only New Testament apostles spoke inspired
words.14 Moreover, the words of the New Testament prophets were not
inspired as were those of Old Testament prophets.15 This leaves him
with two forms of New Testament prophecy: nonauthoritative
"congregational" prophecy and authoritative (i.e., apostolic) prophecy.
The crucial point in Grudem's thesis is that the apostles, not the New
Testament prophets, were the true successors of the Old Testament
prophets and, like their earlier counterparts, spoke under the
authority derived from the plenary verbal inspiration of their words.16
This apostolic gift is distinguished from the gift of prophecy
exercised at Corinth (cf. 1 Cor 12-14), Thessalonica (1 Thess 5:19-21),
Tyre (Acts 21:4), Ephesus (Acts 19:6), and by others such as Agabus
(Acts 11:28; 21:10-11). Only the general content of this secondary
prophecy can be vouched for, with allowances made for its being
partially mistaken.
As a result, the New Testament gift of prophecy was allegedly open to
being disobeyed without blame (Acts 21:4), being critically assessed by
the whole congregation (1 Cor 14:29), and being rejected outright as
subordinate to Paul's apostolic revelations (vv. 37-38). According to
Grudem, "these prophecies did not have the authority of the words of
the Lord."17 Therefore Grudem posits a sharp discontinuity between Old
Testament prophets and New Testament prophets. New Testament prophets
did not stand in line with their Old Testament counterparts. According
to Grudem qualitative differences exist between Old Testament and New
Testament prophets and prophecy, especially in their accuracy and
authority.18
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