Freedom and Restriction in the Church
(I Thessalonians 5:19-20)
1. A few months ago, I read a fascinating book titled "Cultures and Organizations."
2. It evaluated different nations on tha basis of things like power distance or future vs. short term orientation.
3. One big difference between cultures is the level of comfort people feel with uncertainty.
4. Although this is true on a national level, there is also a difference between individuals in every society.
5. How comfortable are you with the uncertain, the open ended?
6. Do you find security by amassing rules and organizing things, or can you be comfortable with the uncertain?
7. When it comes to Bible interpretation, some of us are more comfortable with the unclear or uncertain. Others believe everything is clear and easily categorized.
8. The English are a more laid back people. Whether or not the UK actually has a constitution is a matter of debate. The Germans and French, on the other hand, find security through lots of red tape and rules, even if the rules are not followed.
9. Many church conflicts are based on the differences and tensions we feel because of our comfort levels with the uncertain; some of us are open to a live and let live attitude, while others prefer a strict control and predictability. Most of us are probably in between the two.
10. Our comfort or discomfort with the uncertain greatly affects our ability to interpret Scripture. If we cannot handle the uncertain, we make everything fit into a nice package.
11. Feel free to disagree with me today as I address the controversial subject of prophecy.
Main Idea: Although all different kinds of nonsensical things are taught under the guise of prophecy, God can still lead us to say something to someone else.
The New Testament suggests a balance between freedom and responsibility, between being open to God and being gullible.
I. Freedom: Do not EXTINGUISH the Spirit by treating all PROPHECIES with Contempt
The connection between the indwelling Holy Spirit, the gifts He gives us, and the idea of a flame is seen in 2 Timothy 1:6-7, "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
The opposite of "fanning into flame" is extinguishing….
We extinguish the Spirit by not allowing people to minister, to participate, to have their gifts and talents utilized…and prophecy seems to be the issue at hand
A. Our only INFALLIBLE authority is the Word of God
There were many words the Old Testament prophets did not record -- some prophets left no written message at all; we only have some of Jesus words….
Truth is not the same as inspiration, and inspiration is not the same a Scripture… all Scripture IS inspired, but that is not to say the other words Jesus spoke, for example, were uninspired, just not Scripture
B. The Old Testament PROPHET (Deut. 18:22)
1. Human authority was in the PROPHET
--prophets even sometimes penned Scripture
2. The prophet himself was true or false
C. The NEW Testament Prophet
1. Human authority was in the APOSTLES
The Apostles or their associates are the ones who wrote the Scripture
2. The prophecies themselves are DISCERNED as true or false
3. New Testament Prophecy is a WEAKER concept than Old Testament
John Piper compares the gift of teaching to the gift of prophecy: "And yet, even though the gift of teaching is fallible and even though it lacks intrinsic, divine authority, we know it is of immense value to the church. We are all edified and built up by gifted teachers. God is in it. He does use it. It is a spiritual gift.
Now compare this to the gift of prophecy. It is prompted by the Spirit and sustained by the Spirit and based on a revelation from God. God reveals something to the mind of the prophet (in some way beyond ordinary sense perception), and since God never makes a mistake, we know that his revelation is true. It has no error in it. But the gift of prophecy does not guarantee the infallible transmission of that revelation. The prophet may perceive the revelation imperfectly, he may understand it imperfectly, and he may deliver it imperfectly. That’s why Paul says we see in a mirror dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12). The gift of prophecy results in fallible prophecy just like the gift of teaching results in fallible teaching. So I would ask, "If teaching can be good for the edification of the church, could not prophecy be good for edifying as well, just as Paul says it is (1 Corinthians 14:3, 12, 26)—even though both of them are fallible, mixed with human imperfection, and in need of testing?
Neither teaching nor prophesy add to Scripture since they are not infallible…
4. Prophecy INCLUDES a lot of possibilities
I Cor. 14:31-33
For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
5. Prophecy involves a REVELATION
Here, we see that prophecy is more than just seeming messages from God, but includes teaching and encouragement that we believe God would have us share. The key to distinguishing prophecy from other gifts is the sense that God is revealing something to us.
I Cor. 14:24-25 reads:
But 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, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"
• the only time the word "worship" is used in the context of a church meeting is in this text in which an unbeliever falls down and worships God, perhaps becoming a believer at that moment
• Ken Swinehart, back in the early 90’s, made a comment that stuck with me. I believe he was on the board of elders when we formulated our "Purpose and Principles" document back in ’97; if not, I may have been the one to suggest including a Ken paraphrase: "We want people to be attracted to HPC primarily because they see God at work in the lives of our people." And we try to put our people on display.
• Do you see how this principle comes from this I Cor. 14:24-25 passage?
• examples: God puts in your mind to call someone you never call
• God puts it in your mind to speak to someone and encourage him or her
• You know how something is going to turn out and you make preparations; it is not just a feeling, you know
• Many of us prophesy frequently but may not even know it…
• Sometimes seems like instinct, only the knowledge seems more certain
The great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, experience his prophetic moments. For example:
When Charles Spurgeon was pastor at New Park Street in London, God used his words to bring about amazing changes in the lives of people. A man who was on his way to get some gin saw the crowd at the church door and pushed his way in to see what was going on. At that moment, Spurgeon turned and faced the man and said that there was a man in the gallery who had a gin bottle in his pocket and had come with no good motive. The startled man listened to the rest of the message and was converted.
Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, W. Wiersbe, (Moody Press, Chicago; 1984), p. 231
D. Much ABUSE occurs in the name of prophecy
1. The televangelists and certain branches of evangelicalism have sensationalized prophecy and use it to manipulate and control.
2. But we need to be careful not to throw the baby away with the bathwater. The NT gift of prophecy is not a certain "thus says the Lord," but simply God putting a thought into your mind; sometimes the thought may be from your own subconscious, or the devil. But if it is from God, it is up to Him to make it clear.
Although all different kinds of nonsensical things are taught under the guise of prophecy, God can still lead us to say something to someone else.
The New Testament suggests a balance between freedom and responsibility, between being open to God and being gullible.
II. Restriction: Test and Be SELECTIVE
A. The MISUSE of God’s Name
1. Some people equate preaching with prophecy. But there are separate Greek words for preach, teach, and exhort. Preaching might be included in the concept of prophecy, but prophecy is much more.
A little girl had a dad who was a pastor.
“Daddy, how do you know what to preach on Sundays?”
“God tells me,” responded the dad.
“Then daddy, why do you crinkle up so many sheets of paper and toss them into the waste basket?”
2. We are much better off saying, “I think God wants me to tell you this” rather than “thus says the Lord.”
3. God doesn’t make mistakes; our discernment of what we think God might want us to say to someone is imperfect.
B. SELECTING good, rejecting bad
Some think Paul was referring to a quotation preserved in the writings of Origen and Clement, “"Be approved money changers who reject much, but retain the good" (Jeremias, Unknown Sayings of Jesus , pp. 89-93).
I John 4:1-3, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
C. It is NEATER to say that prophecy is no more, but sometimes messy is right
D. Properly understood, prophecy is not a THREAT
Although all different kinds of nonsensical things are taught under the guise of prophecy, God can still lead us to say something to someone else.
The New Testament suggests a balance between freedom and responsibility, between being open to God and being gullible.
CONCLUSION
1. So how do we personally balance openness with safeguards?
2. Know Christ. Know His Word well, and be fully accountable to it. Hang around spiritually wise/mature believers, and be accountable to church leaders. Live balanced. Don’t try to make rare leadings a daily norm. Humble yourself and remember you are fallible.
