REVIVAL #5: SUPERNATURAL MINISTRY SCHOOL: THE EXTREME PROPHETIC
KEY TEXT: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here.” (Rev. 4:1).
“And it shall come to pass in the last days that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28).
THE BIG IDEA: God is raising up the prophetic generation that Joel prophesied about. God’s desire is that the church would be a prophetic people who hear His voice, and proclaim His living word to others. When we do this, we will see people encouraged, comforted, and set free.
I. THE BASICS OF PROPHECY:
1. PROPHECY REVEALS JESUS TO US – IT’S ABOUT KNOWING HIM MORE.
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17).
“Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10).
• Prophecy reveals our Heavenly Father’s heart to us.
2. PROPHETIC GIFTS BLESS AND BUILD UP THE CHURCH.
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant…But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all…But earnestly desire the best gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:1,7,31).
• God wants us to desire prophecy = be zealous for, pursue eagerly or intensely.
3. THE MOTIVATION FOR PROPHECY MUST BE LOVE:
“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:2).
4. PROPHECY IS TO ENCOURAGE AND COMFORT PEOPLE:
“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy…But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” (1 Cor. 14:1,3).
• The purpose of prophecy: Edification, Exhortation and Comfort:
• Edification: building up, promoting another’s growth; Exhortation: encouragement
5. PROPHECY WILL DRAW UNBELIEVERS TO THE LORD: Prophetic Evangelism
“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced (brought to light; exposed) by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.” (1 Cor. 14:24-25).
• Reveals the secrets of their heart; causes them to worship God and declare God is real.
6. ALL CAN PROPHESY SO WE CAN LEARN AND BE ENCOURAGED:
“For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.” (1 Corinthians 14:31).
• Prophecy is a gift that all Christians can learn to operate in.
II. HOW TO GIVE A PROPHETIC WORD:
• Always ask God for permission to speak, and ask the person that the word is for, too
• Walk in love towards others - this must be our motivation
• Avoid negativity - prophecy is to build up, encourage and comfort
• When you’re new to the prophetic - no ‘dates, mates, direction or correction’
• New Testament prophecy is primarily for confirmation, not direction.
• You’re going to make mistakes! There’s a difference between a weak and a false prophecy. (If you want to become stronger in the prophetic: Get in the Word!).
• Be normal and natural. Don’t use “Thus saith the Lord!” or even, “The Lord told me.” until you mature in the prophetic. Say instead, “I believe the Lord is saying…”
III. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RECEIVE A PROPHETIC WORD:
“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).
TEST THE WORD: To see if it is from the Lord
• Does it build up, encourage and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3)?
• Is the spirit of the prophecy the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 19:10)?
• Does the prophecy line up with the written word of God (Isaiah 8:20)?
• Does it glorify the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 12:3)?
• If it’s not from the Lord, don’t stone the prophet. (Remember weak versus false prophecy!)
HOLD ON TO THE WORD: If it is good and from the Lord.
• Pray about it: It might be a now word, or a confirming word, or a future word.
• Personal prophecy is conditional - it refers to the possibility, not inevitability.
• Be patient until it comes to pass.
TESTIMONY: Personal God-encounters (God’s voice, prophetic dreams, vision of an angel)
QUOTE: “Unlike me, the people of the Bible heard God speak in a variety of ways. He spoke through an audible voice, through dreams, visions, circumstances, inner impressions, prophets, angels, and other ways, as well as through Scripture. But after God wrote the Bible, He apparently went mute…It is hard to read a book everyday that tells how God supernaturally intervenes in the lives of His children, and yet see no practical relevance for these supernatural phenomena in our present experience.” (Jack Deer, Surprised by the Voice of God).
STORY: Elijah’s God-encounter
“1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” (1 Kings 19:1-4).
• Right on the heels of a major victory, Elijah went into a time of discouragement and wanted to give up. He was ready for a God encounter!
“5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 So he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:5-12).
IV. ENGAGING THE REALMS OF REVELATION:
• Revelation of the Word (The Holy Spirit speaks to you through the Scriptures)
• Hear God’s voice (still small voice, audible voice, human messengers)
• Feel God’s presence (often happens during worship)
• Have dreams (not all dreams are from the Lord)
• See visions (like dreams, only you are awake)
• Encounter angels (this happened frequently in the Bible)
• Encounter the Lord (an actual encounter with Jesus)
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A GOD ENCOUNTER?
1. TO DRAW US INTO INTIMACY WITH THE LORD:
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely.” (Song 2:14).
• The most important reason for a God encounter is intimacy - friendship with Him
• Paul’s prayer in Philippians 3:10, “That I might know Him more…”
2. TO REVEAL THE FATHER’S LOVE TO US:
“He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love.” (Song 2:4).
“The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 5:5).
• The second reason for a God encounter is so God can love on us.
3. TO TRANSFORM OUR CHARACTER:
“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:24-28).
• Other example: Saul (Acts 9). God gives people a new name, and a new character, too.
• People are transformed when they encounter God – they are changed.
4. TO REFRESH OR ENCOURAGE US:
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before.” (Acts 3:19-20).
• Elijah during time of depression - God revealed Himself to him anew
5. TO GIVE US DIRECTION OR CALLING:
“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro… And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush…Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush…" (Exodus 3:1-4).
• God was calling Moses to do something great for Him
6. TO GIVE US PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL HEALING:
“And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” (Matthew 9:20-21).
• After people encounter the Lord, they are saved, delivered and healed - transformed!
CLOSING: PRAY FOR OPEN SPIRITUAL EYES:
Pray for God to give you “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.” (Eph. 1:17-18).
• Prayer - for a release into the prophetic realm!
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Mike Bickle. Growing in the Prophetic
Graham Cooke. Developing Your Prophetic Gifting.
John & Sonya Decker. Doing What Jesus Did: Ministering in the Power of the Spirit.
Jim Goll. Wasted on Jesus: Reaching for the Lover of Your Soul
Jim Goll. The Coming Prophetic Revolution: A Call for Passionate, Consecrated Warriors
Jack Hayford. Living the Spirit-Formed Life
Bill Johnson: When Heaven Invades Earth: A Practical Guide to a Life of Miracles.
NOW AVAILABLE: HEALING AND REVIVAL 7 CD SET: $20
Revival #1: Hunger and The Need for Revival
Revival #2: The Fullness of the Spirit
Revival #3: Returning to our First Love
Revival #4: Supernatural Ministry School: Doing the Stuff
Revival #5: Supernatural Ministry School: The Extreme Prophetic
Healing School #1: Signs and Wonders Today
Healing School #2: 15 Reasons Why People Don’t Get Healed
For more sermon outlines or audio sermons, visit:
www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
